Architect J. Everett Schram infuses a new family home with centuries-old Creole soul—giving a nod to vernacular traditions and a tip of his hat to 20th-century Louisiana architect A. Hays Town, who embraced reclaimed materials and the look of age.
Renovation DIY and old-house restoration, traditional styles, period kitchens, historical decorating, period gardens, from colonial and Victorian through Arts & Crafts and Mid-century Modern: all from Old-House Journal magazine and special-interest titles Old-House Interiors, New Old House, and Early Homes.
Architect J. Everett Schram infuses a new family home with centuries-old Creole soul—giving a nod to vernacular traditions and a tip of his hat to 20th-century Louisiana architect A. Hays Town, who embraced reclaimed materials and the look of age.
Stripping paint from woodwork is on the list of most-hated restoration jobs. It’s among the most hazardous, too. Fortunately, you no longer have to strip door casings or painted balusters with such hazardous chemicals as methylene chloride, nor should you blast them with high heat. Recent years have brought gentler methods that are just as effective, safer for DIYers, and easier on the wood itself.
An Artist’s Cottage then and now: Long home to artist–owners, the vernacular beach house sits on the shore at Far Rockaway, a half-forgotten part of Queens in New York. Now it’s safe from the tide.
Architect J. Everett Schram infuses a new family home with centuries-old Creole soul—giving a nod to vernacular traditions and a tip of his hat to 20th-century Louisiana architect A. Hays Town, who embraced reclaimed materials and the look of age.
An Artist’s Cottage then and now: Long home to artist–owners, the vernacular beach house sits on the shore at Far Rockaway, a half-forgotten part of Queens in New York. Now it’s safe from the tide.
It wasn’t easy moving from a big old Victorian villa to a small ranch house; in fact, it seemed to require a change in lifestyle. But, with a good eye for a few deft improvements to the house, this owner managed to create a layered ambiance full of warmth.
Brian Coleman shares his own restoration of a Victorian cottage into a stunning Queen Anne house filled with 19th-century antiques, salvaged materials, stained glass, Aesthetic Movement furniture, and Victorian collectibles. Visit his Victorian garden, too.
Lately, casement windows have been on my mind. No surprise: my 1913 Adirondack-style cottage has a dozen wood casements—and they all need work. Unlike double-hung sash windows that move up and down, casement windows swing outward, inward, or occasionally upward, turning on hinges attached to one edge of the frame.
Stripping paint from woodwork is on the list of most-hated restoration jobs. It’s among the most hazardous, too. Fortunately, you no longer have to strip door casings or painted balusters with such hazardous chemicals as methylene chloride, nor should you blast them with high heat. Recent years have brought gentler methods that are just as effective, safer for DIYers, and easier on the wood itself.
Restoring architectural elements damaged over time requires ingenuity and labor but it isn’t necessarily difficult. Two recent projects—one pro, one DIY—show how perseverance brings wood ornamentation beautifully back to
useful life.
