OHJ November/December 2009

Products of the Week

ATLANTA 4X6 POST CAP - WHITE PYRAMID TOP

American owned and operated manufacturer of deck and fence post caps.

Bring beauty and value your home with heirloom-quality REAL wood doors by Vintage Doors. Meticulously handmade by expert craftsmen in your exact size and style—to be loved and respected for generations, just like the olden days. Hand-crafted wood product line includes: screen doors, storm doors, Dutch doors, French doors, louver doors, pantry doors, interior doors, exterior doors, entrance units, three season porch enclosures, pet doors, arch top doors, round top doors, custom doors and more.

Kitchen Appliances

Cast-iron, nickel-trimmed Victorian cookstoves with the convenience of the 21st century.

California's Bidwell Mansion is clad in tinted plaster, a finished appearance that can be combined with repairs.

Period Paints & Finishes

Plaster walls are like a thin skin applied over wood or steel lathe, so is it any wonder they yield as buildings settle or traffic vibrations wiggle them loose? While plaster is a remarkably resilient material, it’s inevitable that it will gain a few cracks over time.

Attaching a hinge with a Yankee screwdriver

Tool Reviews

An old-fashioned hand tool steps up when cordless drills give out.

For many years the embassy of Indonesia, this 1903 French-inspired mansion was built for Thomas Walsh, who made his fortune in gold mining.

Old House Styles

The Beaux-Arts style, also called the American Renaissance, is about as formal as architecture can get.

House Tours

Restoration Projects

Finding just the right contractor for your restoration project can be tricky—but these questions will get you started down the right path.

Web Exclusives

Digital

E-newsletters

The author's 1949 cinder-block Bauhaus home is now fully restored.

Mid-Century Modern Houses

In the hot real-estate market of 2004, it took a true "fire sale" to find our home—a 1949 cinderblock house that had suffered major damage from a serious blaze. We purchased it "as is."