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.

Historic Preservation Month

SIDE NOTES

Old House Journal

What’s on the Floor • Finishes for the hardest working surface in the house.

Lighting Over Time • Illumination for interiors: 18th century to the present.

$299,900 & under • Charm and character lurk in these distinctive homes built between 1820 and 1938.

A DEFT REFURBISHMENT • With features missing or unsalvageable, the house needed a facelift—in keeping with the architecture.

DESIGN

original period built-ins PERMANENT FURNITURE FOR EVERY ERA • Immovable built-ins are part of the architecture, contributing to the look of the house as much as the staircase or mantel does. They take up less space than standard furniture, especially if they are recessed into walls. They don’t need to be moved during cleaning. Built-in furniture is ideal for a small home, whether it’s a period bungalow or today’s tiny house. Built-ins also serve the modern desire for uncluttered interiors. • The idea is not new. We find built-ins in every era and house style. Some are simple or traditional, some drip with design and craftsmanship, and some are a little nutty. Here we look at a few originals.

Permanent Furniture, 1917 • From “Better Built Homes, Vol. II” by Curtis Lumber & Millwork.

CARVED WOOD SIGNS

Arts & Crafts Design, Built In • A modern kitchen has the appeal of an Arts & Crafts living room.

RESTORE

comeback FLOORS • Floors hand-cut or milled from old-growth woods can withstand decades of abuse. Over the arc of time, however, settling and subsidence, careless repairs, and damage from water or pets create challenges for even these hardy survivors.

EXCAVATING for GOLD

Trimming a Damaged Board

HOME COOKING

SQUEAKING & bouncing

SHOPTOUR: WHIDBEY MILLHOUSE

FILLING WOODgaps

ALTERNATIVE finishes

FINISHED BY hand

For Outside • Tried-and-true products to repair or improve the exterior.

Carpeting the Stairs • A staircase runner adds comfort and safety, color, pattern, and a period touch.

DECORATIVE DETAILS • ON RODS, CLIPS & DUST CORNERS

Balcony Bits Find Decorative Reuse • Ornate wrought iron with patina is treasured.

ANDIRONS or firedogs

Dealing with Popcorn Ceilings • If these methods fail, you’ll have to remove the ceiling and replace it with drywall or plaster.

When Spacing Balusters • When rebuilding a porch or staircase rail, it’s important to match the spacing of the original spindles or balusters. Building codes recommend the space between balusters be no greater than four inches. Happily, most 19th- and early-20th-century balusters were spaced closer together than that. The spacing was often one-and-a-half to two times the width of a baluster, though this might vary. • How do you mark the spacing, given the di? culty of dividing a length of rail into inches with awkward fractions? Builders have left us with a traditional tool called dividers. It looks like a drafting compass with two points. Dividers are used in everything from engineering to navigation. • For the task at hand, begin by marking a start and end line on the rail (usually an inch or two from each end) and now mark divisions with the dividers.

INSPIRE

The House that A POTTERY BUILT • William Day Gates, founder of an important terra-cotta tile and pottery company, built his retirement home in 1927. Decades later, it would take a...