Tabla de contenidos para November/December 2021 en Old House Journal

1. DIAMONDS IN THE SUN Rendered in greens and blues, Sunburst is a pattern from the American Folk Art Museum, adapted as a vinyl floorcloth. Washable and durable, the rugs come in more than a dozen sizes, including runners and squares. A 5'10" x 8 ½' rectangular floorcloth is $530. Spicher & Co., (877) 466-1148, spicherandco.com 2. DAZZLING EFFECT The bold geometrics of the Philadelphia Harlequin wallpaper present repeating diamond shapes that create the illusion of depth. Dating to about 1807, the French-inspired paper has a 12" repeat and straight match. Sold by the 33' single roll: $540. Adelphi Paper Hangings, (518) 284-9066, adelphipaperhangings.com 3. ON THE DIAGONAL The solid-brass Diamond ring pull will suit furniture or cabinets in styles from Victorian Eastlake to Craftsman and Tudor. Shown in the…

NOTHING TOO SMALL, OR TOO BIG In a room by Amy Mitchell of Home Glow Design, chairs sit comfortably on the 9' x 12' silk rug purchased at auction. The tiered glass chandelier is a statement piece, in scale and hung at the right height. WHAT ABOUT THE SOFA? Length is often the most critical dimension, and you can gauge that with a tape measure. It shouldn’t take up a whole wall. But too small and the room may look choppy. Consider depth and height in overall volume. fitting the rug to the space Rules of thumb are still useful: Keep edges of a room-size rug about 12" away from perimeter walls, up to 18" in a larger room. A living-room rug should be big enough that at least the…

This Craftsman Bungalow near Portland, Oregon, retained unpainted Douglas fir woodwork in the main rooms; original leaded-glass windows with beveled diamond panes still cast artful shadows. A frieze for wallpaper topped the high dining-room wainscoting. The kitchen, however, needed help. Its electric range, dated laminate countertops, worn vinyl flooring, and tip-out lower cabinets stood in stark contrast to the beautiful craftsmanship in the rest of the house. The homeowner restores vintage cars and also teaches woodworking. He decided to undertake restoration himself. To hide a stovepipe hole in the wall, he built an upper cabinet, copying original pantry cupboards. He added a trio of half-round shelves for display of Arts & Crafts pottery and an old toaster. The vintage stove is a mid-1930s Wedgewood gas range with oven, broiler, and…

→ When Kendall Christiansen and Carol Shuchman decided to add a whole-house air-to-air HVAC system, they had to find space to accommodate distribution units, flexible ductwork, and inlet and outtake vents without permanently disturbing the interior appearance of their 1910 limestone row house. The crew who installed the Fujitsu Halcyon system was able to work around most of the original period millwork and mouldings. Once installation was over, the couple had a long-time handyman repair and conceal any visible evidence of the work. “He knows how to make it look like it’s never been touched,” Christiansen says. Find a Pro In some areas of the country, it’s getting harder to find insulation contractors willing to blow cellulose insulation into exterior walls. Owens Corning has a handy “find a contractor” link to…

CLEANING LEATHER Dust the piece with a microfiber cloth, then vacuum using the soft brush attachment and the crevice tool. With distilled water, lightly dampen a clean microfiber cloth and wipe the upholstery. Don’t soak the leather—make sure the cloth is well-wrung. Aged or neglected leather may require more intensive cleaning. You might try adding a small amount of a neutralpH liquid soap (e.g., Neutrogena) or a cleanser specifically made for leather upholstery. Don’t oversaturate leather. Wipe with a new cloth dampened with distilled water, and dry with a clean cloth. CONDITIONING LEATHER Using a leather cream keeps leather pliable to prevent cracking and chipping. “If cracks have started, you can’t make them go away, but you can prevent them from getting worse,” says Jobson. “Moisturizing the leather softens the…

When is a house magazine-ready?” Matthew Corso asked, with hesitation. He’d shared some photos while inquiring about a salvaged mantel. His kitchen was just about done, and we couldn’t help but notice the integrity of the design. Corso has spent the past four years rehabilitating and restoring a 1925 Dutch Colonial Revival house in Westwood, New Jersey. • “It’s coming along as I’d dreamed, and it will be worth it in the end,” he said. “I’ve been working like a dog on the kitchen. The Hoosier cabinet needed painting and adjusting, new linoleum shelf liners needed to be cut from the massive roll I got on FB Marketplace, and I painted the 1946 refrigerator.” • A few months later, he was working on getting the house furnished. Through much of…

Serial restorer and preservation design consultant Karla Pearlstein (restoringhistory.com) has amassed an inventory of antique and vintage pieces, for clients and for her various homes. Objects run from Art Nouveau metalwork to rolls of never-hung wallpaper. In the firehouse, her latest and most ambitious renovation, arguably the oddest piece is a plaster of Paris mantel with Native American portrait heads (previous story). Nevertheless, it’s Karla’s collection of lighting fixtures that constitutes the most remarkable cache. Her previous house, dating to the 1860s, was lit chiefly by gaslightera fixtures: Rococo designs in brass and zinc. Fixtures in this house are from the early electric era, which produced some of the most unusual and whimsical and downright strange designs. No longer was there a need to account for the gas line and…

HER WATERCOLOR JOURNEY A vibrant labor of love, this big book presents artist Leisa Collins’ ink-and-watercolor paintings of old houses across the country. She is passionate about architecture, and preservation, and travel. That combination of interests took her to all 50 states to paint houses, including some in jeopardy due to neglect or development. You’ll find little stone cottages, row houses, Victorian mansions, and organic contemporary homes. Collins painted a few historic houses before and after being saved, along with churches and town halls. She included some informal sketches, adding to the moment-in-time sensibility. The watercolors—650 of them—spurred text covering style, history, and the vernacular. Collins weaves in stories about geography, politics, and the economy as they affected domestic architecture. Hand Painted Homes (Leisa Collins Art, 2021, $49.99) Order at…

The Aesthetic Movement of the 1870s–80s embraced Japonesque and other Far East inspired design. Butterflies, cranes, and plum blossoms were favored motifs—as was bamboo. Faux bamboo turnings showed up on chairs and bedroom suites, and even on fireplace mantelpieces. • Leonard’s New England was founded by Lester and Hazel Leonard in 1933. Restored/resized antique beds were the genesis and remain the core of the business. But the company philosophy is that elegant antiques should be layered with new fine furnishings and modern accents. Thus, Leonard’s reproduces especially fine and popular pieces, by custom order. • Seen here is the authentic-reproduction New Orleans Faux Bamboo Bed, with a French-style peaked headboard and bamboo-molded rails. In Spanish cedar, it’s $6,400 for the full/double size. • Leonard’s New England, (508) 336-8585, leonardsnewengland.com…

When Gerry and Shirley Fisher moved to St. Louis, they knew what they wanted: an old house that needed restoration but that had period details largely intact. When they found this 1892 house—its transitional architecture a blend of Victorian chateau and early Colonial Revival—it fit the bill. While the previous owner had begun restoration work, plenty remained to be done. Rooms were lit by inexpensive, hardware-store overhead fixtures. Baths had been replumbed and fitted with cheap, modern fixtures. The front-porch ceiling had been lowered to hide the P-trap from an antique rib-cage shower upstairs. The owners set about restoring and furnishing rooms to look as if a comfortably situated, 19th-century family still lived here. That original rib-cage shower had been relocated to the master bath by previous owners. Now, complementary…

Decorative silverplate was a staple in Victorian households of the 19th century, and popular into the 20th century. It describes flatware and hollowware with an electroplated outer layer of silver on a base metal, usually nickel or copper. Quite functional and good-looking, silverplate was produced in a wide range of styles and designs, and might be found in every room. Nicole Mullen and Daniel Calderon, curators at the San Francisco Airport Museum, recently mounted a fascinating exhibition of Victorian silverplate, giving us a tantalizing glimpse into the beauty of its design. We asked the Museum’s talented conservator Alisa Eagleston–Cieslewicz how to clean and polish silverplate properly. Her guidelines follow. 1. Examine Carefully The first step, Alisa explains, is to take a good look at the piece and decide if it…

WRONG WAY HARD MORTAR FOR PATCHING If you aren’t aware of water vapor permeable mortars, it seems simple enough to grab a bag of modern Portland cement-based mortar at the home center. Investing several hours in mixing the mortar with coloring agents may even yield an approximate match to your bricks. In the end, though, the longevity of the patch is limited by the use of the wrong material from the start. RIGHT WAY USE PERMEABLE MORTAR Most of the time, three repair options present themselves. The spalled bricks can be removed and new ones installed in their place. Sometimes, bricks can be removed and rotated so that the previously interior (intact) face is now to the weather. More commonly, a mortar will be applied to fill in the cavities.…

1. RIBBONS AND RAINBOWS The 6" x 8" Saguaro tile is based on a 1927 illustration by Frank Lloyd Wright, which was never published. The tile is ⅝" thick and has a notch at the back for hanging. Tile alone: $160. Easels: $19 to $22. In a quarter-sawn oak frame: $268. Motawi, (734) 213-0017, motawi.com 2. PENNY BRIGHT The perennially popular Celtic, Snowdrop, and Step vases are shown in this historic pottery’s new iridescent Copper glaze, which often exhibits unusual blue-grey flashing. Smallest: 6" high (Snowdrop). Tallest: 9" (Step). $170 to $270. Pewabic, (313) 626-2000, pewabic.org 3. LUSTER VASE Shown in Luster Pottery Green, these vases are hand-thrown and hand-painted with a custom metallic glaze, undergoing multiple firings to achieve the jewel-like surface effect. Most luster vases are available in…

The enduring design of the two-slat Tappan side chair dates to the mid 1800s. With broomstick-top legs, it’s small but sturdy. In a range of woods (shown in maple and ash with black paint), many options for seat weave and color: $595. tappanchairs.com Fitted with crossing muntins, the Newport door style is just one choice among Arts & Crafts and Prairie designs from custom maker Crown Point Cabinetry. Many options; custom quote. crown-point.com The Manning is a Historical Revival-style, two-arm wall bracket with faux candles and cloth shades, a style popular in the 1910s and ’20s. Choose from seven finish options: $175–245. revivallighting.com On the opposite end of the style spectrum is the two-light Oak Park sconce, a Mission Style fixture that echoes the square motif seen in the…

When Rick and Mary Lou Ponder bought their 1886 house in St. Louis, a priority was the poorly remodeled master bath, which had purple paint and a green tile floor. They kept the clawfoot tub and, inspired by an 1888 plumbing catalog, decided to surround it with paneling. Then they found an antique toilet and marble sink. At Shellenberger Architectural Antiques in York, Penn., they bought a huge (9'7" tall x 10'2" wide), burled-walnut armoire. Disassembled, it would provide all the parts needed. disassembly & refinishing Working on his patio to avoid toxic fumes, Rick Ponder first loosened the armoire’s joints, using white vinegar that had been heated in a microwave oven. He gently separated the doors and side panels. After disassembly, parts were stripped using a semi-paste stripper from…

Q: Family lore says that this desk dates to the 18th century. It is a slant-top desk-on-frame, and looks remarkably like one in your online article “History of the Desk,” by Brian Coleman. The two desks are different from any others I’ve seen. We know ours has been in the family for three-plus generations, passed down from a branch that came to Virginia in the 1600s. What may be the original key is attached to the underside of the bottom drawer. We’d appreciate anything you can tell us. —Tammar Paynter A: Brian Coleman consulted early-American furniture collector and expert Tony Inson, who provided the following insights: These small writing desks on stands were made to be portable; the desk and its frame are separate pieces, so the top could…

Original fir wainscoting found in the firefighters’ Day Room was replicated for the former bunkroom, now a cozy living space. It took a devoted team to rehabilitate and restore Portland’s Firehouse 17. Previously remodeled as a residence in the 1980s, the building had been stripped of much original material, and other elements covered over. A few years ago, it was slated to become four separate units, which would further degrade its history. Karla Pearlstein, a serial restorer and preservation consultant, stepped up, albeit with some reluctance. She was buoyed by collaborator Matthew Roman, a designer, who calls this restoration “one of the preeminent projects of my career.” Roman recruited Patrick O’Neill, of Greenline Fine Woodworking, to be general contractor. The project ultimately would win the DeMuro Award for Excellence…