Tabla de contenidos para Renovation Lookbook 2024 en Old House Journal

ONE THING WE KNOW FOR SURE: period-inspired design is not a limited notion. Rather, by looking to the past, the companies listed here offer wild, imaginative, extra-ordinary possibilities that go well beyond the offerings found in most contemporary showrooms—stuff that we couldn’t dream up on our most creative day. Here you’ll find what you need for a restoration, yes, but also for new construction and homes with personality. These fixtures and fittings are unique, high-quality, time-tested, and just plain interesting. In this book we present hundreds of companies who, in the opinion of our magazine editors and readers, offer excellent products and good value. We herald the small company selling high-quality wares direct to the customer, or through distributors and online. We point to the appropriate specialty lines of major…

HOW TO DESIGN a kitchen that will still look good and function well in 20 years? Rely on timeless materials. Keep the design simple or incorporate period conventions. For cabinets and millwork, take design cues from your dining room, or from a vintage pantry in the house or the neighborhood. A room with plenty of light, adequate storage, and contemporary appliances doesn’t have to look anachronistic in an otherwise historic house. Modeling a new bathroom on those of the early 20th century is just one approach for an old house that wouldn’t have had in door plumbing until that time. kitchens 1. TIMELESS KITCHEN CABINTERY tkcabinetry.com Old houses deserve custom cabinetry for the period. This company specializes in hand-painted, milk-paint finishes and antique hardwoods. Their work is inspired by antique…

When lifetime collectors Rick and Mary Lou Ponder bought their 1886 house in St. Louis, a priority was the poorly remodeled master bath, which had eggplant-purple paint and a green tile floor. They kept the clawfoot tub and, inspired by an 1888 plumbing catalog, decided to surround it with wood 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 Victorian armoire. Disassembled, it would provide all the parts needed for fixture enclosures. Now the room is an elegant nod to the 1880s, in keeping with the beautifully restored French Empire house.…

ONLY A VERY SMALL NICHE of old-house owners will create true period rooms. Most of us take an eclectic approach, mixing handed-down furniture and comfortable pieces with classics and the occasional splurge. Matching period is a shortcut to a good fit: Hepple white furniture in a Federal house, furniture designed by C.F.A. Voysey for a Tudor. However, any furniture complements a room by virtue of its proportion, shape, material, and fabric pattern. Spare, mid-century chairs can play well in a room dripping with ornamental plaster. 1. ANDERSEN & STAUFFER FURNITURE MAKERS andersenandstauffer.com High-end, custom furniture shop specializing in exact reproductions of 17th-, 18th-, and early 19th-century American antiques with finish surfaces that rival the originals. (717) 626-6776 2. SHAKER WORKSHOPS shakerworkshops.com Shaker furniture is one truly original American style…

Bassett & Vollum Wallpapers Davenport, Iowa (563) 323-4077 bassettandvollum.com Small-scale entrepreneur Duane Timm is reviving a historic wallpaper company known for its mid-20th-century patterns. When he bought Bassett & Vollum, in 1992, he had no experience in hand-printing wallpaper. He learned the craft of screen printing after the sale, working nights with the two previous owners. “I like the pattern end of it,” he says. “Patterns just fall naturally for me. And I like the history, too.” Bassett & Vollum was founded in 1936 in Chicago by Emile Bassett and George Vollum. A third partner, George Funke, brought hand-blocked patterns from France and commissioned national and international designers—notably Chicagoan Edgar Miller—to design new collections. After Funke bought out the partners, the company reached its peak success in the 1950s. Now…

A HOUSE BUILT of related components speaks eloquently. When you understand the architectural style, whatever you add will look “as though it’s always been there.” Happily, many traditional building elements, from windows and mantels to carriage doors, are being made today. Find here, too, elements for landscape and garden, from trellises to urns, pavers to glass houses, all of which round out the beautiful impression. Mechanical systems don’t generally fall within the scope of a design book. Some innovations, though, offer practical or aesthetic advantages peculiar to old houses, so the editors describe them here: heating and cooling retrofits, efficient fireplace inserts, and so on. 1. ARCHITECTURAL COMPONENTS architecturalcomponentsinc.com Specializes in building reproduction and custom wood windows, doors, doorways, and architectural millwork. (413) 367-9441 2. CAMBEK DESIGNER DOORS cambek.com Contact…

Shuttercraft Madison, Connecticut (203) 245-2608 shuttercraft.com The company Shuttercraft was born in 1986, when Colleen Murdock’s father, Dwight Carlson, wanted true movable-louver shutters for his house and couldn’t find them anywhere. Murdock worked with her father, eventually buying the business outright about 17 years ago. Shuttercraft makes both exterior and interior shutters in dozens of historic styles, to order, using mortise-and-tenon construction. Their go-to wood for exterior shutters is clear Western red cedar. “It’s the most decay-resistant wood now available,” Murdock says. “It can last a lifetime if it’s sealed properly.” In addition to making movable- and fixed-louver, raised panel, batten, and panel-and-louver combinations, Shuttercraft repairs and replicates historic shutters. They’re known for certain historical details, such as the side stiles known as “horns” that extend about ½” below the bottom…

QUALITY IS A HALLMARK of goods made with reference to design that has lasted decades or centuries. The period-inspired market isn’t just for people restoring a historic house. This stuff is intrinsically appealing, as you’ll see in the pages ahead. Design inspired by the past can inform any decorating approach, even contemporary. Those with generic or boring houses, as well as those seeking to build a new house with character, are excited to find art tile, wallpapers for every mood, and fusion furniture. What’s more, most of these goods are priced on a par with designer offerings—and often, because they are sold direct to you, for even less. Many decorators gravitate toward short-lived trends, rather than considering timeless qualities that have staying power. This book gives you a head start…

Clay Squared to Infinity Minneapolis, Minnesota (612) 781-6409 claysquared.com Josh Blanc never got over the fun of playing with clay as a child. Since he started Clay Squared to Infinity, more than 25 years ago, he’s been rolling out clay with a rolling pin and hand-cutting whimsically shaped tiles, like peacocks and stars, with cookie cutter-like dies. When Blanc viewed his initial tile installations, he “realized that it was the things that weren’t perfect that were way more interesting than the perfect ones.” Today, Clay Squared to Infinity is known for richly glazed tile in unexpected shapes. Tiles are innovatively handcrafted to suit buildings from Late Victorian to contemporary. Some relief tiles, like the signature Medieval Floral tile, are hand-carved and -stamped with such found objects as vintage buttons. Individually,…

Best advice: Don’t add on if you don’t have to! A designer can make the room more efficient; you can use a pantry or a closet in the mudroom for extra storage. If possible, don’t move plumbing lines, as that’s a big expense that steals from your design budget. • Unless they are unsalvageable, keep and upgrade existing cabinets, or at least some of them. Wood and MDF cabinets can be painted or refinished; you can add glazing to upper doors or change out the hardware. Control the cabinetry cost by adding a free standing piece or building in a hutch or dresser; vintage pieces are less expensive than semi-custom cabinets. Use open shelving instead of a second run of uppers. • Mid-priced appliances are fine; affordable manmade materials and production…

TILE IS, OF COURSE, found throughout the house, not just in the kitchen and bath. It’s a durable finishing material that approaches a true art form. Use it to add style or period sensibility to an entryway, a fireplace surround, a wet bar, a fountain inside or out, a conservatory, or a floor. Today find art tiile from small studios—carved relief tiles, subway tile and mosaics, glazes matte and iridescents—plus encaustics and California revivals. Even manufactured tile has gone far beyond the 4 x4 square, as you can choose from hexagons, octagons, oblongs, diamonds, and rhomboids, in many sizes. Mesh-mounted basketweave and herringbone-pattern tiles update traditional patterns. 1. DERBY POTTERY & TILE derbypottery.com Manufacturers of fine, handmade Victorian reproduction tile. Full line of decorative and field tile solutions for fireplace…

A QUICK REVIEW of our lighting product categories: Colonial styles predate 1820 and include such forms as copper lanterns, chandeliers with faux “tapers,” onion lamps, and mirrored sconces. Victorian gaslight-era lighting, Rococo to Aesthetic, is usually electrified in reproduction. Arts & Crafts lighting (ca. 1890–1930) runs to art glass and mica, hammered copper, and simple “Mission” forms. Electric-era lighting designs come in all styles, from traditional reproductions of antique fixtures to whimsical new forms and space-age interpretations. Lighting fixtures and lamps are among the most cost-effective ways to add drama or period style to a room. Supplement these with discreet modern lighting. 1. AUTHENTIC DESIGNS authenticdesigns.com Like all their handmade period lighting, the Colonial Ashley House Lantern is built to endure. UL listed. Available in brass, copper, terne, and a…

ROLLER SHADES, Roman shades, slatted Venetian blinds, and lace curtains are old favorites that suit modern tastes. The homespun, damasks, and quilts of early America are unfussy, too, as are bungalowera textiles. Traditionally, window drapery was the most significant and costly use of fabric. But there’s no need to re-create such extravagance. You can get the desired softness, color and pattern, and light control using, say, panels hung from rings over a sheer curtain next to the sash. 1. A VINTAGE LOOK etsy.com/shop/AVintageLook Turn to Etsy if you don’t want to make your own curtains or valances from vintage tablecloths. A Vintage Look makes up 1940s-style treatments from retro fabrics. 2. VERMONT COUNTRY STORE vermontcountrystore.com Nothing says “Home Sweet Home” like their classic ball-fringe curtain. Also traditional bedding, drapery, home…

1. DRIWOOD MOULDING CO. driwood.com They create architecturally correct, elegant, embossed and plain hardwood mouldings for residential or commercial projects. More than 500 exceptional mouldings in stock to fit any project. View and shop online. (888) 245-9663 2. W.F. NORMAN CORPORATION wfnorman.com Founded in 1898, W. F. Norman Corp. has the nation’s most complete collection of quality, hand-pressed ceilings, cornices, mouldings, and ornaments. Call today for a catalog or view their products online. (800) 641-4038 3. OUTWATER outwater.com Architectural elements in wood and other materials, since 1972; they offer 65,000 decorative building products, from bun feet to barn-door hardware. (800) 631-8375 4. WHIDBEY MILLHOUSE whidbeymillhouse.com Materials for timeless home finishes: knotty pine, rustic, paint-grade and clear VG Douglas fir shiplap wall boards. Clear VG Doug fir shiplap is the most…

FLOORS ADD CHARACTER to a house and should be considered early on during design or renovation. Wood floors, the standard for formal rooms, suggest durability even as they convey understated beauty and depth. Many choices are available today, from reclaimed lumber to engineered and prefinished flooring, and many species of hardwood. For practicality and color in the kitchen, you can’t beat a resilient floor. True linoleum and commercial vinyl tile are stand-bys. Cork is perfect for a Mid-century Modern house. Stone—slate, limestone, granite, etc. —can be dramatic and practical in a foyer or bath. (Be sure to review tile options in an earlier chapter.) 1. SHELDON SLATE PRODUCTS sheldonslate.com Mining and manufacturing of slate products: sinks, counters, floor tile, roofing, and monuments. Business from earth to finished product. Custom work…

By the late 1970s, Mark McDonald had adopted mid-century design, immersing himself in exhaustive study at a time when mid-century modernism had little credibility. In 1983, he opened the Manhattan shop that spearheaded MCM’s surge to stardom, and became known as Mr. Modernism. At his upstate home, he incorporates modernist design motifs in the garden as well as the house. McDonald chose specially milled cedar to replace the siding on the 1967 Ranch, inspired by cedar siding on a Frank Lloyd Wright house in Madison, Wisc. This house needed extensive renovation, as did the 40-acre property comprising forlorn courtyards and chain-link fencing. “We started with a beautiful canvas,” McDonald says. But challenges included violent winds, brutally cold winter temperatures, shallow soil over ledge, and views blocked by overgrown forest. Over…

WHEN GERRY AND SHIRLEY FISHER moved to St. Louis in 1991, they had already restored two early-20th-century homes in Oklahoma City and were game to take on a new project. They wanted a house in a good neighborhood—something that needed restoration but with period details largely intact. When they found this 1892 house, its transitional architecture a blend of Victorian chateau and Colonial Revival, it fit the bill. It sits in the city’s historic Central West End amidst other handsome houses. The symmetrical, neoclassical façade with bays, columns, and carving give it undeniable curb appeal. Rooms inside are spacious with holdover Victorian detailing: finely carved woodwork, a Turkish cozy corner in the entry hall, fireplaces in all main rooms—and a sweeping grand staircase. While the previous owner had begun restoration…

“We wanted to capture the look and feel of the ca. 1910 bathrooms we’d seen on tours—but without old plumbing!” say the owners of what had been an undistinguished 1980s ranch. A redo of the house gave even the service rooms—kitchen, baths, and laundry—period authenticity. Mackintosh-inspired details used for kitchen cabinets were carried over to the primary bathroom. The custom cabinets, which look like they’re right out of a bungalow-era millworks catalog, are built of paint-grade lumber. Cutouts in the doors are decorative and also provide ventilation. Dark walls set off the creamy tile and cabinets. Laid over electric radiant heat, the hex-tile floor blends with black pencil tiles in the wainscot and tub area, where a refurbished 1931 Stanley clawfoot bathtub has a private view. 1. A TUB ROOM…

A chandelier is a fixture holding candles; a gasolier runs on gas; an electrolier … well, you can guess. Many early chandeliers are available electrified. A handmade, historical reproduction is a lovely art piece for almost any room whether country, Colonial Revival, or even Modern as a counterpoint. This quite-old one is shown in context in the authentic, Georgian-era Connecticut house (1737) that boasts original woodwork and windows with pocket shutters.…

In living room as well as kitchen, hall, and bath, sheer café curtains are hung on small rings from inside-mounted rods. Pleated lace panels look elegant in the dining room, given shape by brass tiebacks at sill level. In the bedroom, pleated panels are hung over narrow blinds mounted against the glass. Simple treatments have one or two layers only, with no stiff or upholstered pieces (e.g., cornice or pelmet); require no extreme sewing; and are minimally embellished. Roller shades, Venetian blinds, lace or sheer panels, café curtains, and also Roman and balloon shades are most often mounted inside the window frame. Lace curtains or fabric drapery may cover a sheer “glass curtain,” shade, or blind. PANELS ON RINGS Hung from rings on a well-chosen rod, both unlined curtains and…

Because old windows fit the house, as needed, and to remain aesthetically and literally. Replacement windows have a rigid structure and are inserted in the existing window openings. Old houses have shifted; the gaps that open may result in draftier conditions than with the originals. Replacement sash is often smaller than the original, for less view and less light. Because the craftsmanship was probably better. The true mortise-and-tenon construction of antique windows is strong, and joints easily repaired. Unique shapes were made possible by old techniques. Antique windows were built to last, to be repaired in use for as long as the house stands. Why send them to a landfill? Because good materials have value. Antique wood windows were made of old-growth timber, denser and more weather resistant than today’s tree farmed…