Repairs & How To

Problems with plaster, woodwork, pocket doors–find advice here for old-house inspection, repair, and maintenance.

Product of the Week

Products of the Week

Old Village Paint Colours

Repairs & How To

Caring for Silverplate

Whether the design is Rococo, Aesthetic, or Art Deco, silverplate is collectible—and needs care.

Repairs & How To

DIY Furnished Elegant Bathroom

This elegant bathroom has fixture panels fabricated from parts of a Victorian armoire.

Repairs & How To

Leather Furniture Care & Cleaning

Expert advice on how to keep leather furniture looking its best.

Repairs & How To

Correcting Unsympathetic Add-ons to a Greco-Gothic House

Hidden by overgrown lattice and fencing, its interior filled with odd little rooms and level changes, the Greco–Gothic house retained its charm, but needed rethinking.

Repairs & How To

The Singer Vanity

Learn how to create a Singer vanity.

Repairs & How To

We’re old hands at hanging the doors we salvage. Years ago, we bought six interior doors that matched originals elsewhere in our 1885 row house. We just installed the last of them for a bathroom closet. Here’s what we’ve learned.

Repairs & How To

Replacing Doors

Is your original front door long gone? Is the entry so altered it’s impossible to tell what used to be there? It happens a lot. The wrong front door muddles the style of the house and hurts curb appeal. Take heart: you can restore what’s gone using salvage, custom replication, or an astute purchase.

Repairs & How To

Shop Tour: Vintage Doors

For more than 30 years, Vintage Doors in Hammond, New York, way up on the St. Lawrence River, has been a national source of handcrafted, solid-wood screen, entry, and interior doors.