Indholdsfortegnelse for September/October 2021 i Old House Journal

Our photo shoots always come in with a preponderance of vignettes and intimate close-ups. Photographers who specialize in interiors are sent to capture the layout of rooms, colors, and furnishings, to document the “afters” that go with homeowners’ “before” pictures. But the lens is drawn to tiny points of comfort and beauty: an embossed and glazed Victorian tile, worn spots in the leather seat, peony petals fallen on old marble. Some of these visual moments naturally come with age. Other fine points are deliberate gestures by a fond owner who knows every inch of the house. This issue includes a few very old houses—places that have seen wear and are especially well curated. The owner of an antique house is often deeply involved in its history. These oldest of American…

1. AUTHENTIC KNOCK Capped with a fleur-de-lis, the original of this rugged iron door knocker graces homes Arts & Crafts to Tudor Revival and Chateauesque. The textured, matte-black surface is lacquered for protection. Measuring 8 ¼" tall x 3 ¼" wide, it’s. $114. Acorn Manufacturing, (508) 339-4500, acornmfg.com 2. SAND-CAST SUITE Fitted with a sculptural handle and thumb latch, the Arched Mortise Entry Set is made of 90% recycled bronze content. Shown in the dark-bronze finish, the sand-cast suite is 18" long x 3" wide; $1,008 and up. Ashley Norton, (800) 393-1097, ashleynorton.com 3. SPEAKEASY ERA The Speakeasy Window Grille is reminiscent of both Prohibition-era and Spanish Colonial Revival detailing. In hand-wrought iron, the five-bar grille has five mounting points. At 13 ½" tall x 13 ½" wide, it’s $64.95.…

Beadboard-clad walls, a plate rack over a drainboard sink, worn cabinets with feet, antique chairs, icebox hardware, and sconces all seem to be handed down from an earlier time. For serial restorers Francis Cosentino and Jane Parker, it was important that the kitchen fit their old farmhouse, on Canandaigua Lake in New York. They needed modern function, however. Renovation proceeded in the room’s original foot-print. Design help came from Lorin Frye of Willow Grove Design, who suggested removing one exterior door (which had opened into the middle of the kitchen) so that a big sink could be placed on an unbroken wall. The sink and dish rack are flanked by existing windows that offer beautiful views. Cabinets all are custom, both for a vintage look and to hide modern incursions.…

CRI, or color rendering index, is a measure of how accurately a light source such as an LED displays colors. It’s determined by comparing how a bright color (a red apple, say) looks under LED light, as compared to under in-candescent light. CRI ratings range from 1 to 100, with 100 representing natural daylight. A high CRI rating is important when rendering skin tones, particularly if the light is dimmable. Ratings of 80 or more will seem pleasant in residential settings, but for the most accurate colors, choose bulbs with a CRI of 90 or more. (The rating is in small print near the base of the bulb.)…

Fixtures with integrated LEDs have been around for a decade, but they’ve been slow to catch on, especially in the reproduction-lighting market. The reason? When the lighting module powering the light fails, it’s likely the entire fixture must be replaced. That’s because an integrated LED is built using circuit-on-board techniques (newer versions are going chip-on-board, or COB). That means if a diode in the fixture stops working, it cannot easily be removed and replaced. Some manufacturers, including Barn Light Electric, will replace the appropriate parts if the module on a LED fixture they make blows out. For others, check the warranty before you buy. THE BRIGHT NEW LIGHT BULBS…

In New Hampshire, the frames of two vintage barns have been made over into a home by Thad and Joselle Presby, who used antique and repurposed materials wherever they could. Finding an abandoned sewing machine at the local recycling center, Joselle knew it would make a perfect pedestal for the sink in their tiny guest-room bath. putting it together First, a countertop: Joselle found an antique marble sink counter that fit the sewing-machine base; at 24" wide and 22" deep, it had its original brass hot and cold water spigots attached. The countertop came from the historic Mt. Washington Hotel. For the sink cabinet, the owners asked Crown Point Cabinetry to create a cabinet that would attach to the metal base and conceal a 15" by 12" undermount porcelain sink…

Q: We have this set of antique doors, and we’re wondering if you have any idea what style they are. Arts & Crafts, maybe? —Paula France A: I’m thinking definitely Victorian period, as they have an Aesthetic Movement or Eastlake look, which would date them to ca. 1875–1890. But to be sure, I checked in with architectural historian Bo Sullivan (arcalus.com). He says yes, they’re in so-called Eastlake style. “They seem oddly proportioned for the era, as they are a bit wide for their height. I can’t be sure from the photos, but I think those doorknobs are Yale’s ‘Rice’ pattern (conical and domed), which would indeed identify them as 1880s American.” He goes on to say that the doors likely would have had some type of decorative glass. See…

fOR JEAN AND LINCOLN SANDER, the 1748 Benjamin Curtiss House was a rare find. This classic center-chim-ney Colonial in Connecticut was in pristine condition. Knowledge-able antiques dealers had lived in the house for much of its recent history; loving care was written all over it. The house had not been remodeled. In fact, the only incursions were minor—such as wall-to-wall broadloom carpeting—and dated to a three-and-a-half year period of habitation by the sole owners not into its heritage. “Education is your edge when you go to an auction,” says Lincoln Sander. He can spot a masterpiece… or a piece that has been refinished. Lincoln Sander is a founding member and former executive director of the Antique Dealers Association of America. He and Jean became another set of sympathetic owners. Not that…

• anaglypta A lightweight embossed material made of cotton pulp, to be painted or faux-finished after installation. • border A narrow strip of small repeating pattern, whether stencil or paper, used to highlight the architecture of a room (as around doors or windows). • chair rail A narrow moulding above the dado or wainscot, originally used to protect the wall against chair backs, and useful to create a pattern break. • crown/cornice The moulding, usually plaster or wood, at the top of the wall, abutting the ceiling. • dado Treatment for the bottom of the wall, between the baseboard and chair rail, where a wainscot would be. • fill(ing) Color or pattern used in the main portion of a wall, between the dado below and frieze above. • frieze A horizontal…

While even those in the lighting industry still refer to recessed spot lighting as “can lights,” today’s versions perform better and are a lot less obtrusive than the 10"-long monstrosities sold in the 1970s and ’80s. Options include screw-in LED bulbs, GU-24 pin bulbs, and integrated LED fixtures. Once you remove the surface mount, they’re just as easy to remove and replace as an incandescent bulb. Given the lifespan of a typical LED bulb, replacing one should be a rare occurrence. While recessed light fixtures as small as 3" or 4" have been available for commercial use for a while, most household spots are still 6" across. Yes, you can remove them and patch and smooth in new drywall or plaster, but a simpler approach is to replace existing 6"…

1. FLEXIBLE FILLER Fill masonry cracks or gaps between steps permanently with Best Bond joint sealant. Shrink-free and solvent-free, this two-part epoxy mixes to the perfect consistency as it’s pumped out of the caulking tube. Hardens in one hour. A 9 oz. tube: $23.50. Abatron, (800) 445-1754, abatron.com 2. BULLET VISE The new 6 ½" jaw, multi-purpose vise is anchored by a 60,000 psi ductile iron base. Features include a 360-degree swivel base with swiveling head indexed at 30-degree increments for clamping, and an anvil for striking, forming, and shaping materials: $399. Wilton, (800) 274-6848, wiltontools.com 3. A TOUGH HOLD Attach wood to wood and repair wood damage with this high-strength, water-based adhesive glue. It’s water-resistant and requires only 20 to 30 minutes of clamp time to produce a strong…

MEASURE & ORDER Bring home samples before ordering, tacking them with painter’s tape in different parts of the room to view night and day. You need to see pattern size, colors, texture, and any metallic inks in the space. Check the scale of the pattern. Generally, if a room has lots of doors and windows, small or medium patterns work better. An unbroken expanse of wall can take a larger-scale pattern. Consider practicality, including the presence of water or high traffic in a room. Most wallpaper is sold by the double roll, which usually covers 56–66 square feet. Measure the height and width of each wall in the room (include windows and doors), multiply for square footage per wall, then add them together for total room square footage. Divide the…

The 1748 Benjamin Curtiss House sits on a quiet corner, its only close neighbor the Pootatuck River that glides into Lake Zoar. It’s a far cry from this couple’s previous place, a hilly road that became a truck route. Jean Sander spends a lot of time gardening and was driven to distraction by the noise of brakes. “We moved to get some peace and quiet,” she says. As a former landscape designer, Jean knew exactly what she wanted outdoors: space to embrace her far-flung family, in a setting to include her collection of antique garden ornaments. She wanted to bring back views of the river. The first job was to install a stone wall as a sound barrier. It stands five to six feet high, depending on which section, and…

Discovered beneath layers of later paneling, stenciled paint decoration on the walls of the front parlor was a wonderful surprise. Featuring garlands, blossoms, willow trees, vining greenery, and stylized borders, the stencils follow the forms of folk-art decoration popular in the early 19th century. Wallpaper was an expensive luxury at the time; stenciling provided more affordable pattern and color. Walls often were decorated by itinerant artists, who received room and board from the home-owners, along with a modest fee. • When Sallie Dunham–Davis first saw the stencils, she knew it was important they be saved. Her contractor used surgeon-like precision to cut around and preserve the stenciled plaster during renovation. Insulation was applied to these walls from the exterior, so as to keep intact what was left of the historic…

IN THE MANNER OF DIRK VAN ERP Cited as the premier coppersmith of the Arts & Crafts period, Dirk van Erp (1862–1933) emigrated from the Netherlands to the San Francisco Bay Area. His beautifully proportioned copper lamps have mica shades that produce soft illumination. Iconic shapes include Bean Pot, Gourd, Trumpet, and Onion. Several artisan craftspeople are working in the van Erp tradition. • This lamp is by Luke Marshall of Delta Copper in Rome, New York. A metalsmith who began making sterling-silver jewelry when he was 13 years old, Marshall specializes in copper lighting. And he’s restored hundreds of original van Erp pieces. Marshall uses traditional methods, tools, and materials, from forming and hammering through planishing. The mica is hand-built and-finished. The ‘Large Gourd’ lamp is a van Erp replica.…

Old California offers an impressive lineup of period-inspired light fixtures, particularly those in the Arts & Crafts and Greene & Greene genres. From art glass to filigree overlays and proprietary patinas, OCL’s fixtures are not only beautiful, but also the product of progressive innovation and skilled hand work. The brass for fixtures is bent and shaped by craftspeople using computerized brake presses. Filigree overlays in more than 60 patterns are cut on a sophisticated water-jet cutter. Hand work comes into play when art glass or mica is cut and especially when one of seven patinated finishes is applied. Requiring a combination of artistic ability and knowledge of chemistry, patination is one of the most difficult skills to learn here. It takes seven to 10 steps between prep work and application…

The kitchen is the last project in my years-long makeover of a transitional cottage in Seattle. Most rooms are done in Late Victorian finery, but the kitchen renovation “dates to” the more modern 1920s period, for obvious reasons. I’ve studied and studied, and I’ve purchased a 1920s jadeite-green sink and an Arts & Crafts-era sideboard. I plan on custom cabinets in oak, but I haven’t zoomed in on the hardware yet. Time to consult some experts. Architectural historian Bo Sullivan of Arcalus Period Design (arcalus.com) specializes in period restoration—and, coincidentally, he working on a kitchen renovation for his own 1894 house. Bo agrees that choosing the right handles, latches, and pulls is crucial to tying together the components of a period kitchen. He also concurs that it’s more complicated than…

Painting is a do-it-yourself chore that people either love or hate: It gives instant gratification, but it’s meticulous. A few tricks take the finished job from adequate to outstanding. Beyond good cleaning and preparation, good light, and good paint, you need to master the painting sequence. Unlike the old oil paints, today’s formulations allow paint to flow, leaving fewer or less obvious brush strokes—and modern latex paints dry within hours. Unfortunately, that can work against us. On a warm day, the paint may begin to form a film within minutes of application. That’s why it is important to avoid drawing the brush over an already-painted surface. The result is called lapping, and it ruins the look of the job. WRONG WAY GOING AT IT WILLY-NILLY Avoid short choppy brush strokes,…

When Jayme and Barbara Kuhn inherited the rambling house called Dunix, the kitchen hadn’t been touched for years. Cabinets and walls were made from cheap 1960s plywood, and the entire substructure was rotten. Jayme is partners with his twin brother, Andrew, in Twin Restoration & Millwork, a company that restores vintage houses in the area. Kitchens are a specialty, especially those that make use of salvage alongside such period sheathing materials as beadboard. With the help of Jayme’s son, Logan, they took the space down to the studs, and began putting back a version of what might have been. A set of architectural plans turned up, serendipitously. They indicated locations for cabinets and a cast-iron sink of a specific size and depth, which Barbara matched after an extensive eBay search.…

SUCCESS: GRECO–GOTHIC DESIGN Frank Shirley Architects, Cambridge, MA: frankshirleyarchitects.com CABINETS Kidder Blaisdell Woodworks, Woburn, MA: kidderblaisdell.com PAINT COLOR Dolphin (blue) benjaminmoore.com Related Resources Shuttercraft shuttercraft.com Louvered, raised-panel, cutouts WALLCOVERINGS WALLPAPER Adelphi Paper Hangings adelphipaperhangings.com Hand-block-printed historical wallpapers & borders 1750–1930 Bolling & Co. bollingco.com Original vintage papers; custom digital reproduction Bradbury & Bradbury Art Wallpapers bradbury.com Silkscreen & digital papers from Victorian through Atomic Age Juju Papers jujupapers.com Eco-friendly contemporary papers, some loosely based on historical motifs Mason & Wolf mason-wolf.com Aesthetic & Late Victorian Morris & Co. morrisandco.sandersondesigngroup.com William Morris wallpapers from the historic archives Phillip Jeffries phillipjeffries.com Source for grasscloth, raffia coverings for batten wainscot panels Thomas Strahan thomasstrahan.com Period wallpapers since 1866; huge archive traditional to mid-century; murals; custom work & restoration Trustworth Studios trustworth.com Specialist in Voysey designs; digital wallpaper re-creation SCENICS Paul Montgomery paulmontgomery.com Fine panoramic silk-paper panels & murals in multiple…