Innehållsförteckning för May/June 2022 från Old House Journal

During National Historic Preservation Month, in May, OHJ steps up our outreach through social media. We create and post exclusive web content aimed at DIYers as well as armchair preservationists. We’re just one voice, as the National Trust leads the way along with preservation groups, historical societies, museum houses, and related businesses to celebrate our country’s diverse and unique heritage. We’re joined this year in our information blast by sponsors Aeratis, Crown Point Cabinetry, Stickley, and Unico—companies committed to keeping old houses attractive and livable, so necessary for their continued preservation. At the national level, the focus often is on civic projects, Main Street revitalization, and Congressional help with tax relief. OHJ, of course, concentrates on individual homeowners, who deserve credit for decades of privately financed work on millions of…

1. LEATHER AND STEEL The Oval chair is Jamey and Constance Garza’s Southwestern take on the ’50s Butterfly chair. Resting on a powder-coated steel frame, the seat is fashioned of vegetable-tanned, saddlegrade leather. At 35" tall x 30" wide x 36" deep, the cost is $1,600–$1,765. Garza Marfa, (432) 729-1946, garzamarfa.com 2. POPPIES WRIT LARGE The original red-on-white Unikko poppy fabric took the world by storm when Maija Isola of Finland designed it in 1964. The 57"-wide cotton fabric is sold by the yard; $53 per yard. The selvage wears the Marimekko logo. FinnStyle, (866) 617-6176, finnstyle.com 3. SHAG IS BACK Seventies shag makes a comeback with a twist in Dash & Albert’s Moroccan Diamond Grey indoor–outdoor rug. Handmade in India of pet-friendly recycled polyester fiber, the rug comes in…

Linseed-oil paints and primers are ideal for both old and new wood, but require methods different from those used with modern paints. ■ To prime new, sawn, or planed wood, mix 30 percent linseed-oil paint with 70 percent linseed oil and mix well. (Use raw linseed oil on exteriors; boiled on interior walls.) Let the primer soak into the wood and dry thoroughly before painting. ■ For new wood, follow priming with two thin coats of undiluted paint using a stiff bristle brush. Let dry between coats. For old or previous painted wood, remove as much of the previous coatings as possible, scraping away paint chips and sweeping up dust. Then scrub the surface with linseed-oil soap and a stainless-steel scrub pad as needed. Follow by two coats of linseed oil…

The Chinese silk square, a lovely emerald green, was stuffed into a box of textile remnants at a flea market. How could I resist the flying cranes embroidered in shimmering gold thread, highlighted with crimson and black detailing? The fabric, alas, was in a sorry state: wrinkled, roughly cut at the edges, with many of the metallic gold threads loose. The birds’ glass eyes were missing. • I bought the remnant and took it to Castillo’s Custom Upholstery in Seattle [castillosupholstery.com]. They conserved the fabric and turned it into a very special pillow. overview of the save To stretch and unwrinkle the fabric, Castillo’s’ Justin Dazey built a frame with a drop-out back, using half-inch Gator Board (similar to foam core but heavier). He cut a piece of unbleached cotton…

WRONG WAY INADEQUATE FLASHING Although it is common practice to simply flash the length of the hip over the roughly mitered sheathing in anticipation of a leaky joint between the ridge and hip caps, this won’t prevent water from entering the gaps and seeping between shingles, or even running onto any unprotected sheathing. Rot is the result of water that finds its way into a place where it won’t quickly evaporate in the sun. RIGHT WAY STEP-FLASH THE HIP JOINT Lay the first hip cap over the roughly mitered roof courses. Install a layer of folded (step) flashing over the joint, then nail a cap over it. Next, place a piece of step flashing within an inch of the anticipated lower edge of the next course and install a hip…

TRADITIONS IN COASTAL NEW ENGLAND Easy Formality The garden is organized around a central lawn flanked by deep beds edged with traditional boxwood. Tuteurs (three-dimensional trellises) support vining plants in summer and provide architectural height all year long. (Boxwoods still in their pots outline the shape of a future fountain.) • Simple pavers lead into the garden, which already looks timeless through the use of sculpture, aged stone, boxwood hedges, and historical furniture. • Growing on both sides of the fountain, espaliered apple trees have picturesque, gnarled and twisting branches • Owner Ken Jennings, a landscape designer as well as an interior designer, uses fences as opportunities for vertical display. An espaliered cherry tree, recently planted, blooms prettily against a side wall. • Resident Scotties Archie and Gracie have the…

“Love the character … maybe in a crazy way the vinyl helped preserve it!”—Anne Persun D0N’T … give up on a remuddled house. Fake siding can be removed, porches restored. Here, the undifferentiated vinyl pediment, oddly out of scale, hinted that something had been covered over. A TUDOR HOUSE RESTORED On a tree-lined street in Cincinnati, neat rows of Tudors and cottages—modest yet stately—create a pretty neighborhood of ordered setbacks and front lawns. Among them is this house, which was built in 1931. Even after its façade was modernized, it showed a Tudor Revival lineage veering toward Storybook with its stone buttresses and arch and diamondpane windows. For 50 years, though, its full personality was hidden from sight. During recent renovation and necessary updates, the owners discovered the original façade.…

ON GARDENS & LANDSCAPE Landscape historian Judith Tankard is the author or co-author of ten books, including Gardens of the Arts and Crafts Movement. Her latest is the definitive volume on Beatrix Farrand (1872–1959), a pioneering landscape architect whose work spans from the golden age of gardening into modernism. Her designs are beautiful, but she was lauded, too, for her engineering and ecological principles. Farrand was from a prominent New York family—and Edith Wharton’s niece. Society clients included the Rockefellers; larger commissions were done for major universities and botanical gardens. Perhaps her best-known work is the landscape at Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, D.C. The oversize book is lavishly illustrated with archival images, beautiful watercolor renderings of Farrand designs, and images that show the gardens today. A list of gardens open…

Inspired by the designs of C.R. Mackintosh and Josef Hoffmann, the inlaid Glasgow Desk features leaded-glass inserts, customized for your interior. It measures 72" long x 32" deep x 30" tall; shown here with one drawer and a pullout keyboard tray, with other configurations available. In cherry with glass, $10,000. Kevin Rodel Furniture & Design, kevinrodel.com In addition to color consultation, custom paint-decoration, and fine art, CJ Hurley Century Arts offers personalized interiors. “I created the ‘Falling Leaves’ roomset as an example of gesamtkunstwerk, an Arts & Crafts philosophy meaning ‘total work of art’,” Hurley says. All work is custom. cjhurley.com Trustworth Studios offers Poppies on a blue ground, and the tile-like Laborate et Amate, both scalable to some extent. Cost is $210 per roll + shipping, with a minimum…

The walls and trim have to be clean in order for paint to adhere. While many painters will suggest power-washing the surface to remove dirt and loose paint, you should avoid this, especially at a high PSI. Water may penetrate to the interior, damaging insulation and plaster. Soaking exterior wood can set up the entire paint job for rapid failure. Clean dirty surfaces with a stiff bristle brush and a bucket of warm water to which is added a phosphate-free TSP substitute. Once the surface is completely dry, remove all flaking, loose, blistered, or alligatored paint with hand scrapers and putty knives. If there’s any chance of lead paint, wear a respirator, preferably a NIOSH-approved one with the highest filter rating. •For exterior paint that’s thick and resists scraping, consider investing…

1. INFRARED MAGIC The Super Light Silent Paint Remover gently warms and removes old, caked-on paint safely, using infrared heat. Weighing only 3 lbs., the environmentally friendly, 1,000-watt device is designed for hand-held operation only: $399. Viking Sales, (585) 924-8070, silentpaintremover.com 2. CLEAN SWEEP Keep prized brushes in tiptop condition with the 1832 combination painter’s comb and wire brush. With stainless-steel pins on one side and rust-resistant brass bristles on the other, the tool removes and breaks down paint residue as you clean. Three-pack: $23.98. Wooster Brush, (800) 392-7246, woosterbrush.com 3. A CLOSE SHAVE The 12-amp, variable-speed Paintshaver Pro is a fast, clean, and economical way to strip paint from clapboards, shingles or shakes, and other flat surfaces. When attached to a certified HEPA vacuum, it meets EPA rules for…

The old method of installation—bricks dry laid, in a bed of sand or stone dust—is appropriate for an older property, and easier than a mortared walk for the do-it-yourselfer to accomplish. As long as you use proper materials and techniques, the brick walkway will endure, without breaking up or heaving in winter, and it will mellow over time. DESIGN & LAYOUT Consider both the house and landscape in determining placement, symmetry (or not), gentle curves (but not Ses), and the start and termination points. A walkway of at least four feet in width allows two people to pass each other. If the walkway will start at a stairway—say, from the porch—use that same width at the junction. Herringbone, basketweave, and running-bond patterns are the most common, but brick units make…

Q: We found this floor covering under a wood floor, in a 1789 farmhouse. We think it’s an asphalt-backed oil canvas, perhaps from ca. 1932. Can anyone identify it? —Bruce Jones, via email A: Linoleum rugs—many from the brand Congoleum—were all the rage in the 1930s and '40s. This one is in remarkable shape! It must have been reused as an underlayment for the later wood. Keep it, if only to sell it on Etsy or eBay—because these are not made anymore. The closest thing is made by Spicher and Company, who offer “vintage” vinyl floorcloths in historic patterns. After any wax is stripped and the rug is thoroughly cleaned, you may reapply a wax made for linoleum, or finish the “rug” with several thin coats of polyurethane. PS: Our…

1. BRONZE CAST Nearly indestructible, a sand-cast bronze plaque is a timeless addition to a historic home. Announce a build date, or National Register status. A proof is supplied before casting takes place. An 8" x 10" plaque (as shown): $293.95. Craftsman Home Connection, crafthome.com 2. TALAVERA SOUTHWEST In her Tucson studio, Carly Quinn makes colorful, hand-glazed talavera tiles, plaques, murals, and housenumber sets. Sets are composed of 3" x 6" tiles with end caps grouted into a hand-welded metal frame: $95. Carly Quinn Designs, (520)624-4117, carlyquinndesigns.com 3. TRUE MODERN Signpost your Atomic Ranch with these quite Modern house numbers. In various patterns and five finishes including brushed aluminum (shown). Heights range from 4" to 15". Numbers may be arranged horizontally or vertically; $23 to $70 per number. Plaques, too.…

Sean Lewis designs kitchens for older houses in and around Philadelphia. The new kitchen often replaces a bad remodeling—work that probably obliterated any evidence of the original space. Lewis, whose company is called Airy Kitchens, takes cues from each individual house, then uses his knowledge of period style to create an appropriate, albeit new, design. In his own 1920s-vintage Colonial Revival house, he chose to keep the Decoera bathroom. Rather than work around the pink tile, he made it the star. “We loved the bathroom,” Lewis says, “but, unfortunately, the hundred-year-old plumbing needed to be replaced and we lost the tiled floor. I’m so happy we could save the pink and burgundy wall tiles.” A bold wallpaper (discontinued) plays up the color scheme. Added in the top section, over the…

Remove the furniture from the room, or push large pieces to the center and cover them with drop cloths. Then prep the walls by sanding rough spots. Cast a hand-held light (such as a work light) across the surface at an acute angle and circle any bumps or rough spots with a pencil. Sand and fill with spackle or wood filler as needed. Large gaps around trim may be filled in with flexible, paintable caulk. Let dry, sand, and vacuum up all resulting dust before you begin priming. Cutting In Cutting-in is a painting skill that practice makes perfect—and getting good at is is worth it, because it saves time. Find a comfortable grip on an angle paintbrush, with the longer side of bristles in line with your pointer finger.…

“We continually update brushes and rollers to go with changes made by paint manufacturers,” says Scott Rutledge, senior vice president of sales and marketing for the company based in Wooster, Ohio. Unlike paints of 20 or even 10 years ago, many of today’s paints dry rapidly to a durable, hard finish with low sheen, and are designed to cover in one coat. “Our products are designed to give more control, so you get an even flow out of the brush or out of a roller brush.” Lesser brushes leave marks in the paint. The secret lies not just with a well-balanced hardwood handle and wellaligned, tapered brush filaments, but also with variations in stiffness and suppleness to give the user more control, depending on the quality of the paint…

We all have modern intrusions close by the house that, to put it mildly, lack aesthetic appeal. Garbage and recycling bins, heating and cooling units, emergency compressors, equipment, and propane tanks all demand outdoor space in close proximity to the house. But who wants to look at them? Fortunately, fencing, screening, purpose-built enclosures, plantings, and maybe even an architectural folly can be used to hide the ugly. Be inventive! One homeowner faced with a protruding well head—right near the front door, in a tiny garden—dressed up that bright-blue cylinder with large branches set vertically, turning it into rustic art. In search of a way to hide gardening tools, another owner had a designer create an obelisk detailed with Victorian millwork (above, right). It doubles as the cover for an air-conditioning…

Used bricks are often available as salvaged material and may seem like a nice historical touch. But be sure that they are paving bricks, not the softer bricks used to build walls. Fired in the high-temperature zone of the kiln, paving bricks are harder and heavier, and can withstand weathering. New pavers are available in at least 40 shapes and a range of colors. Common sizes are 3⅝" x 7⅝" and 3 ¾" x 8". If you’re doing a basketweave or herringbone pattern, the bricks must be exactly half as wide as long. Don’t use thin (veneer) pavers, which are meant for wet-concrete installations only. Grade MW or moderate weathering bricks are okay for mild, dry climates, but Grade SW or severe weathering bricks stand up to extremes of temperature and…

A PRESERVED OLD CAPE BECOMES A GRACIOUS YEAR-ROUND HOME. “Richard Jenrette was a friend and mentor,” says Al Messina, referring to the late businessman and preservationist renowned for his rescue of classic homes. “I’d always wanted to restore an old house. My favorite period of American history is between 1780 and 1810, so I am especially drawn to houses of that era.” The 1700-square-foot Cape was built by the Macy family, who were among the earliest settlers of Nantucket. (Descendants would found Macy’s department store in 1858.) The house had been in the same family for 75 years when Al and Ken bought it; used exclusively in the summer, it had never been renovated. Situated on a brick-paved street, the tidy shingled house had no central heat. It was “an…

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT GC Dayton Brown, Hedgewood Builders, Murfreesboro, TN: hedgewoodbuilders.com WINDOW REHAB Harold Mercer, Murfreesboro, TN: (615) 896-5659 TILE Red Rock Tileworks, Nashville: redrocktileworks.com STAINED GLASS Josh Hendricks Stained Glass, Nashville, TN: hendricksstainedglass.com FLOOR TILE kit., mudrm. ‘Goya’ pattern, Artista Series MLW Stone mlwstone.com WALLPAPER bath ‘Conkers’ Petro-nella Hall petronellahall.com DRIVES & MOTOR COURTS CONCRETE STAINS Kemiko kemiko.com PAVING BRICK Old Carolina Brick Co. handmadebrick.com Hand-molded brick pavers • Pine Hall Brick pinehallbrick.com Durable pavers for walks & drives DESIGNERS David Heide Design Studio, St. Paul, MN: dhdstudio.com • Frank Shirley Architects, Cambridge, MA: frankshirleyarchitects.com • Green II Builders, Altadena, CA: (626) 824-7120 • Ground One Landscape Design, Bloomington, MN: GroundOneMN.com • Patrick Ahearn Architect, Boston, MA: patrickahearn.com THE PAINT STORY PAINTS & FINISHES Benjamin Moore benjaminmoore.com Alkyd & waterborne int./ext. paints;…