Thanks to a few fortunate coincidences, a California couple was able to create the ideal bungalow for their young family. Old-House Journal April/May 2010
|
Purchase this issue |
Editor’s Note
If your house is anything like mine, it’s overflowing. Tools, cooking gadgets, books, pottery collections, not to mention the kids’ toys and those school art projects too precious to throw away—the trappings of modern life that pile up and easily overwhelm every inch of existing storage. For those of us in old houses, finding a place for all this stuff is a particular challenge, because space is already at a premium. While earlier generations surely had fewer things, they were also better at hiding them. Built-ins had been used for centuries before they became wildly popular in homes constructed during the early years of the 20th century. In addition to being a terrific architectural element, they helped tame the mass of personal objects crowding new, smaller suburban dwellings. Since readers ask us constantly about ways to create storage space in old houses, we’ve focused two articles in this issue on the subject. The first explores a range of built-in examples, original and new, that help manage the storage showdown. The second looks at an array of era-appropriate hanging hardware suitable for storing things out in the open.
Of course, there are some things you’ll never want in plain view, like damage resulting from bad restoration choices. I’m not talking remuddles here, but repair approaches that seemed like a good idea at the time, but had devastating consequences. (You may have encountered some of these in your own house—courtesy of previous owners, of course.) To get to the bottom of what not to do, expert contributor Ray Tschoepe walks us through the worst restoration mistakes. His article highlights why you should always do your homework before beginning any project, and it’s a must-read for anyone considering a repair.
Finally, if your restoration plans include bringing back lost architectural elements, we’ve highlighted a little-known resource that can help. Sanborn insurance maps, which detailed buildings in some 12,000 cities and towns—right down to their footprints, fenestration, and construction materials—can be a treasure trove for preservation-minded homeowners. No matter what projects are currently topping your to-do list, you’ll find lots of ideas in this issue for solid old-house approaches, inside and out.
Demetra Aposporos, Editor-in-Chief of Old-House Journal
