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.

A Broader View

SIDE NOTES

Old House Journal

British Arts & Crafts • … from Celtic Revival to Morris and Mackintosh.

Bungalow Baths • Beauty and function for vintage and revival bathrooms.

Fine Foursquares • Comfortably modern, the American Foursquare is a beloved type whether it leans Prairie or Colonial.

OUR GREEK REVIVAL FARMHOUSE • We wove together two passions—historic preservation and environmental stewardship—in restoring an abandoned 1830s farmhouse, proving that old houses can be not only beautiful but also eco-friendly.

DESIGN

bungalow-era comebacks • THE REVIVAL OF ARCHITECTURAL MOTIFS 1900–1930 IS ONGOING, WITH THE BEST IDEAS INTERPRETED FOR HOMES TODAY, WHETHER THEY ARE RESTORATIONS OR NEW-BUILDS.

A Model Dining Room by Stickley • Gustav Stickley’s design from the 1903 Syracuse Arts and Crafts Exhibition.

BLENKO’S 384 WATER BOTTLE

Laundry in the Pantry • A mixed-use room is tied together by good design and a shot of happy color.

RESTORE

RECONDITIONING hardware • Whether it’s already in your house or picked up at a flea market, vintage hardware almost always needs help.

plated finishes

SHOPTOUR: NO STALGIC WARE HOUSE • Founded more than 40 years ago as the offshoot of a successful salvaged-hardware business, Nostalgic Warehouse now offers one of the most widely recognized and respected collections of historical-reproduction hardware in North America—in styles from vintage to modern.

REMOVING rust & paint

METAL DETECTION

Clean & Finish • Finishes, sealers, and cleaners for top results during restoration.

Retouching Polychromed Lights • Tips on refreshing vintage, painted light fixtures—with sensitivity and respect.

simple cleaning

Console Table from Iron Railing • Handsome French ironwork salvaged from razed or remodeled buildings are used in sculptural tables.

Mortise for a Hinge, with No Router • You’ve found the perfect five-panel door to replace the hollow-core one left from a 1960s remodeling. But it’s not exactly the right size. If it’s a half inch or so too wide, it might appear easy to saw a small amount of wood from the hinge side, so that you don’t have to re-mortise the lockset or deal with the bevel on that edge. That would require you to remake two or three hinge mortises. You’ll find DIY texts touting the use of a router to make the mortise. But, if you don’t have experience with routers and the use of mortise templates, you may find that power tools only let you make bigger mistakes faster. A better technique relies on a sharp chisel.

INSPIRE

A GREENE & GREENE HOUSE restored • EARLIER AND LESS LAVISHLY APPOINTED THAN THE FAMOUS HOUSES, THIS ONE IS NEVERTHELESS A LANDMARK IN CLAREMONT, CALIFORNIA.

ART GLASS OF THE BUNGALOW ERA • STAINED GLASS SOLD THROUGH CATALOGS CAME IN STYLES ROMANTIC TO PRAIRIE.

WRIGHT’S Pew House • on Lake Mendota in Wisconsin recalls the architect’s famed Fallingwater, but on a more modest scale. It found its steward.

USING RUBBER ROOFING • SINGLE-PLY MEMBRANE ROOFING IS THE MODERN GO-TO FOR LOW-PITCH ROOFS.

A KITCHEN AS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN • TODAY’S KITCHEN IS A FAMILY ROOM THAT DESERVES AN UPGRADE FROM PERIOD MODELS. THIS ONE IS SIMPLE AND HANDSOME.

Resources

Remuddling!