Old House Journal

The Original Restoration Magazine for people who are passionate about old houses to repair, rehabilitate, update, and decorate their homes; covering all classic American architectural styles,—from the earliest Colonial-era buildings to grand Victorians of every variety to Arts & Crafts bungalows and mid-century ranches.

From the Editor

SIDE NOTES • A QUICK OHJ TIMELINE

Old House Journal • volume li, issue 5

Happy Birthday, House! • Gifts for the houses we own or wish we did! First up: Arts & Crafts, rustic to English (for Mary Ellen & Patricia) with contemporaneous favorites for Foursquares (Becky & Lori).

Queen Anne Victorian • Our editor Brian Coleman and writer Dan Cooper own Victorians they’ve pushed toward Aesthetic/Eastlake.

Modern Ranch • Selections for our many friends and readers who have embraced mid-20th-century design.

Endangered Houses • Thousands of old buildings are in danger of being lost. Can you save one of these?

A BIGGER BUNGALOW • We’ve owned this 1909 bungalow for years—and finally got around to the interior.

DESIGN

design favorites STYLE COLOR COMFORT • From the magazine archives, the editors select a handful of our pet photos (there are so many more!)—explaining why each resonates, teaches, and remains timeless.

BOW WINDOWS WITH BENT GLASS

Tanglemoor, built in 1904 • Editor Patricia Poore restored her house 1992–98 (ongoing!).

Period-inspired Kitchen & Pantry • In Portland, Oregon, an unusable kitchen and remodeled pantry are sympathetically reimagined with elements of the 1910s.

RESTORE

we tell tales A REALITY CHECK FROM OHJ STAFFERS • FROM PLUMBING FAILURES TO ENVIRONMENTAL NEAR DISASTERS, WE DISH ON OUR WORST AND BEST MOMENTS, REVELING IN THE LOVE OF OLD HOUSES WHILE REVEALING RENOVATION TIPS GLEANED FROM THE SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS.

Architectural Accents • This super-organized salvage store is a worldwide resource for owners, architects, and set designers.

Things I Wish … • I’d bought long ago, when my reno-vations began.

Storing Energy at Home • The technology is ever-changing. High-tech batteries can now power an entire house.

OLD HOUSE DIYer

STUFF A ROOFER SCREWED UP

Saving Whole Houses! • A Wyoming entrepreneur launches Shacks on Racks to keep houses slated for demolition out of the landfill.

Shacks on Racks PRIMER

Jacking on Firm Footing

INSPIRE

a nest to feather • Over the years, at restoration shows, the editors had met a St. Paul couple fixing up their American Foursquare, which they hoped would someday be featured in OHJ.

TIPS FOR A VINTAGE BATH • MIX ANTIQUE, REPRODUCTION & TIMELESS ELEMENTS.

A DECORATED INTERIOR endures • This house in Hunter, New York, offers a genuine example of high-style wall and ceiling decoration ca.1920.

BEAUX ARTS LIGHTING AND BEYOND • SHAPES, COLORS, AND FANTASY EXPLODED IN THE TEENS AND TWENTIES.

A Victorian restored IN VERMONT • A professional preservationist (and serial restorer) brings back this important Queen Anne, updating systems and even adding stencils based on original evidence.

VICTORIAN STENCILED FRIEZES • MOTHER & DAUGHTER STENCILING SECRETS

Resources

Remuddling!