Tabla de contenidos para July/August 2024 en Old House Journal

AN EDITOR CAN PLAN OUT editions of a magazine, often a year or more in advance to accommodate seasonal photo shoots—and still, when an issue finally comes together in production, it may have its own vibe that surprises all the contributors. Some issues turn out to be about juxtaposition, a bit of yin and yang: maximal with minimal, academic with the vernacular, sophisticated urbanity and then farmhouse rural. In other issues, an unexpected theme erupts beneath the surface: the long-ago architects of two separate houses were once partners; a couple of house tours show the door curtains called portières in an issue that, coincidentally, also describes their history in a decorating article. Over the years I’ve often thought there’s an unseen hand. As for this issue: It turned out to…

We seem to have a collective memory of cozy, tucked-in beds, whether or not childhood included draping a blanket to make a tent of the lower bunk. Cupboard beds and bunks have a common history as efficient ways to provide sleeping space for a family. Today’s designers use alcove beds, built-in bunks, and entire bunk rooms to create a room within a room, using precedents from Swedish furniture to nautical berths. THE CONCEPT SOUNDS LIKE a holdover from midcentury suburban kids’ rooms. Built-in beds and bunks are both much older, though, and more current. With multi-generation households needing to maximize space, stacked and built-in beds are resurgent. People building vacation homes like the idea for family reunions and overnight parties. Roots trace to the box beds of late-medieval Europe. A…

For 25 years the San Francisco couple had lived together in the then 825-square-foot Victorian cottage. Eventually they decided to make over the unused daylight basement for a primary bedroom, adding on to accommodate an en-suite bathroom. The suite is in Aesthetic Movement Eastlake style, with rooms finished in custom-milled, tongue-and-groove paneling. Rooms throughout are filled with 19th-century furniture, museum-quality antique lighting, and collections of Victoriana. It’s no surprise that the next project—redoing the 145-square-foot galley kitchen—would follow suit. It had been modernized with an overbearing row of white laminate cabinets; white vinyl tiles covered the walls and vinyl hid the original fir floor. Architect Steve Rynerson understood his clients’ vision: He would need to design a jewel box that celebrated the Aesthetic period. No granite countertops, no stainless-steel appliances,…

Need air conditioning or a new HVAC system but still not ready for solar? Consider a small-duct, high-velocity system that circulates cool air in summer and warm air in winter by super-quiet aspiration. Systems from SpacePak and Unico pump high-velocity air into any room in the house, creating a gentle circulation pattern that produces relatively even cooling from floor to ceiling. Flexible, mini-duct tubing is small enough to be routed between studs in walls and in cavities under floors and above ceilings. Small circular outlets measure less than 4" across, making this innovative system ideal for houses with inadequate ductwork or no ductwork at all.…

PROBLEM 1: Door binds evenly along latch side and head. PAINT BUILDUP Remove excess paint with heat or chemical removers. If the paint flakes off, simply pull a sharp paint scraper along the length of the mating surfaces. Be careful not to gouge or otherwise damage the door or jamb, especially if you intend to strip and refinish. SEASONAL EXPANSION This causes the door to swell during humid periods, making it difficult or impossible to close. Plane the door during the peak of the humid season. PROBLEM 2: Door binds on latch side of head with a gap at floor. The top rail of a door is usually narrower than the bottom and more a focal point. Planing it to follow the slope of the head may leave it unsightly…

1. Pendleton Woolen Mills has offered National Park blankets since the early 1900s. Their Glacier Park blanket, one of the first, has the historic colored stripes that date back to frontier trading posts. In twin, full, or queen sizes, $249–349. pendleton-usa.com 2. Bevolo’s Gothic Foyer pendant, electrified, features intricate cutouts on each panel. Suitable for indoor and outdoor use, it’s 22" tall x 18" wide. Call for pricing. bevolo.com 3. The 24" Warwick strap hinge with wings is standout in Acorn Mfg.’s traditional, forged-iron hardware collections. Each sells for $127. acornmfg.com 4. You may have seen these classic rockers by Troutman Chair at an airport! Wide, splayed arms and a contoured seat make them comfortable; interlocking joints (no glue) make them durable. Back height 46 ½ ". In Natural and…

SAVE THE DATE Historic New England’s annual Summit takes place in Portland, Maine, on November 14 and 15, 2024. Hundreds of people convene for truly inspiring and provocative presentations in the fields of architecture, urban planning, historic preservation, conservation, arts and culture, museums and collections, education, and more. The venue is the historic Eastland Hotel, now Westin Portland Harborview, in the city’s Arts District. More at summit.historicnewengland.org GET TO KNOW MID-CENTURY In this book, an interior designer explains design guideposts that “make any room feel like a set from Mad Men or The Queen’s Gambit.” More to the point, it shows realworld redesigns accompanied by hints and tricks, easy DIYs, and historical context to introduce Mid-century Modern design to those looking to evoke the period without major renovation. MIDCENTURY MODERN…

If hand-painted balloons aren’t quite right, consider Bradbury’s Vintage wallpapers and Retro children’s designs. Shown are ‘Hackensack’ and ‘Gnomes’ from the Vintage 1930s collection. Pretrimmed and easy to install, they’re sold by the double roll for $179. bradbury.com This seller of stock foldaway bed units offers horizontal and vertical configurations with panel-door and library cabinets as well as beds that integrate with a (daytime) sofa. Frames and mattresses sold. Systems starting at $1,229. murphybeddepot.com The 1930 room has a linoleum floor. Get a similar look with the ‘Willow’ washable rug in Evergreen from Revival™. Medium-pile recycled polyester in sizes 2' x 2'11" to 10'6" x 14'3"; the approx. 8 x10 rug is $399. revivalrugs.com Radio Flyer (famous for the classic red wagons and tricycles) offers ‘Champion’, a spring riding horse.…

Houses where HVAC systems were added later tend to be leaky, losing heated or cooled air through unseen cracks or gaps in ductwork. Normally, sealing small leaks requires searching for and filling gaps by hand, a time-consuming and costly process. A method first developed by Aeroseal 30 years ago takes a different approach. First, air leaks are identified with computer tracking. Then a nontoxic aerosol sealer is released. The fog-like sealer—made from components common in chewing gum and baby pacifiers—follows air currents to the sources of leakage, then seals them closed. For an average-size house, the process can take as little as an hour and cut leakage by up to 80 percent. Sealing air-duct leaks leads the list of ways to save on household energy, according to a recent study:…

While glass, acrylic, and polycarbonate interior window inserts are best known for keeping out the winter cold, they are also effective at keeping the house cooler. Most brands block up to 75 percent of UV light and can reduce air-conditioning costs because they double the R value of the window. PERSIANCARPET.COM…

A.J. JOHARI HAS AN EXTRAORDINARY EYE. His vivid collections fill rooms that are unstudied yet artful, stimulating but friendly. “I started by collecting vintage lamps, scouring flea markets and antiques. Now they’re in every room of the house, casting a warm glow on a very eclectic mix of furniture and objects.” Anthropomorphism abounds at this colorful third-storey playground, where furniture, art, and accessories seem to come alive. Johari points to a part of his office he calls “the gallery,” which is a wall displaying diverse pieces. An antique concave mirror hangs below a Welby starburst clock; an age-stained French wood printing block contrasts with a copper sculpture by Vancouver artist Michael Hewitt: the curated hodgepodge of curiosities is watched over by a taxidermied deer ca. 1979. Johari describes that gallery…

CONDO GOES VINTAGE TIN CEILING Chelsea Decorative Metal thetinman.com WINDOW SHADES Alameda Shade Shop shadeshop.com p. 15 MURAL Larry Grossman, Murals Your Way muralsyourway.com TILE FLOOR custom Daltile daltile.com DINETTE FURNITURE Anmarcos anmarcos.com PENDANT Barn Light Electric Co. barnlight.com p. 16 COUNTERS ‘Starry Night’ Corian corian.com CABINET PULLS Lew’s Hardware lewisdolin.com p. 17 CARPET Medallion Pattern Kane Carpet kanecarpet.com MOULDINGS/CEILING Pedersen & Arnold pedersonandarnold.com WALL STENCIL ‘Damask’ Ep5671 Mb Historic Décor mbhistoricdecor.com Related Resources VICTORIANA Adelphi Paper Hangings adelphipaperhangings.com Hand-block-printed historical wallpapers & borders 1750–1930 The Color People colorpeople.com Custom paint-color schemes, all eras & styles Driwood Mouldings driwood.com Mouldings, mantels, stair parts in traditional profiles Nostalgic Warehouse nostalgicwarehouse.com Well-crafted hardware in vintage & retro styles FIFTIES KITCHEN Make it Mid-Century makeitmidcentury.com Midcentury-style tile, laminates, fabrics, doors Bassett & Vollum bassettandvollum.com Hand-printed papers W.F. Norman wfnorman.com Since 1898, mfrs. of metal ceiling patterns in zinc, copper, or brass, in styles Victorian–Deco BUILT-IN…

1. IN A WALNUT SHELL Store things your way with custom utensil drawers in a new standard: walnut. Available only as part of an overall cabinetry package, dovetailed drawers are solid ⅝"-thick walnut on all four sides. Drawer bottoms are ½" walnut plywood locked to a routed groove. Crown Point Cabinetry, (800) 999-4994, crown-point.com 2. DISCRETION IN PLUMBING Inspired by 1890s styling, the Regent deckmounted mixer with hand spray makes short work of washing mud off boots or pets. The retractable hose is 1.5 meters long. In 18 finishes, $2,116 and up. Barber Wilsons, (800) 727-6317, barberwilsons.com 3. DECO ELEGANCE These rotary dimmer switches are part of a collection inspired by Art Deco models of the 1930s. All can be configured for 21st-century lamping, in finishes from unlacquered brass to…

Anyone who knows me will say I belong in the past. Victorian style and even more recent eras like the 1950s captivate me with their color, patterns, and decorative detail. For more than thirty years I designed rooms for myself that would have felt comfortable to the Vanderbilts and the Carnegies. A Victorian in Redwood City, followed by another near Chico, California, gave me the canvas to play out all my deepest Gilded Age decorating urges. It’s a little ironic that I should end up, in retirement, with my husband Larry, in a high-rise condominium complex that was built in the 1980s (and hasn’t been remodeled since). Our health no longer lets us live where we want, so a few years after moving here we decided to bring a little…

Whimsical and historic, the koi-shaped jug has become a must-have in Great Britain, New England, and beyond. When the ceramic vessel is three-quarters full, pouring creates an entertaining sound emanating from the fish’s mouth. The concept dates to 1860s Staffordshire, England. A succession of owners has made the jugs, from Thomas Forester & Son to Dartmouth Pottery to Wade Ceramics. In 2023 the Gluggle Jug Factory bought Wade’s manufacturing arm and jugs continue to be made in Stoke-on-Trent. They come in three sizes, 2 oz. to 38 oz., in about a dozen colors. In the late 1800s, the koi was reimagined as a cod, the state fish of Massachusetts; a 1964-vintage version is sold by the Boston jeweler Shreve, Crump & Low. Variants have included roosters, wide-mouth bass, and alligators.…

Want to cool down a room quickly? Turn on a fan. A fan cools down a room through convective heat transfer—in essence, displacing warmer air in direct contact with your skin or other surfaces. Faster moving air also speeds up evaporation, which makes us feel cooler. Fan options range from portable floor and table fans ideal for spot cooling to fixed ceiling fans and whole-house fans. Ceiling fans help circulate cool air to hard-to-reach parts of the house, reducing the strain on air-conditioning units. They are especially effective in hot climates and in houses with vaulted ceilings, where the air temperature under the roof can easily be 30 degrees higher than at floor level, unless there's a means of circulating and evacuating the heated air from the building. Whole-house fans…

1. ON STANDBY Keep your home cool during a power outage with a PowerProtect standby generator, now offered in sizes from 13kW to 22kW. The natural- or LP gas-powered, air-cooled generators can provide backup for days on end, even in harsh conditions: $4,283 to $5,762. Briggs & Stratton, (414) 259-5333, briggsandstratton.com 2. EPIC VENTILATION The new EPS whole-house fan provides ultra-quiet air exchange through the windows while expelling hot air from the attic and vents, reducing air-conditioning costs. The remote-controlled system has seven variablespeed settings and a damper; about $2,310. SolaTube, (888) 765-2882, solatube.com 3. PERPETUALLY CLEAN Combining powerful air filtration and quiet, sensor-based operation, the Atem X “hyperHEPA” air purifier can clean all the air in a large room. About the size of a portable fan, it can be…

One square meter of solar radiation can capture some 1,000 watts of energy, about the output of a portable space heater. What’s more, it only takes a short-duration exposure to temperatures between 110°F (43.3°C) and 115°F (46.1°C) to produce a first-degree burn with redness, mild pain, and minor swelling. The greater the heat and longer the exposure, the worse the burn. What to do? It depends, of course, upon where and what you’re working on but, for starters, keep tools in the shade, relocating them as the sun moves. You can also keep them under a tarp or an insulating blanket. Should you forget to take precautions and get a burn, immediately immerse the area in cool tap water or apply cold, wet compresses. This lowers the skin temperature and…

OVER TIME, MANY OF THE 1890s brick-and-brownstone row houses ringing downtown Minneapolis were demolished to make way for freeways and urban development. This one survived, despite a 1979 renovation that divided the building into condominiums and stripped out the original woodwork. The homeowner’s condo occupies half of the second floor and all of the top floor, affording million-dollar views of downtown. Research found that the building was designed by architect Warren Howard Hayes and built in 1889. It deserved better. “I was drawn to working with an architect because I knew they would be able to bring creative problem solving and an artistic finesse that builders might not,” says homeowner Seth Goodspeed, who chose David Heide Design Studio after seeing their work on another historic row house. “The Studio brought…