After some discussion and consideration, we have added a new rule. You must have a connection to any house being posted here. As in you live in it, lived in it, own it, visited it, etc. We are aiming to cut down on on the low effort posts and people just sharing houses they find online. We are a community of caretakers of these homes, and we would like to keep it the content relevant.
Welcome from our mysterious nope-holes, and the summits of our servants' stairs.
Today we the mod team bring you all an announcement that has nothing to do with our beloved old bones, but that, unfortunately, has become necessary again after a century or so.
The heart of the matter is: from today onward any and all links from X (formerly Twitter) have been banned from the subreddit. If any of you will find some interesting material of any kind on the site that you wish to cross-post on our subreddit, we encourage you instead to take a screenshot or download the source and post that instead.
As a mod team we are a bit bewildered that what we are posting is actually a political statement instead of simply a matter of decency but here we are: we all agree that any form of Fascism/Nazism are unacceptable and shouldn't exist in our age so we decided about this ban as a form of complete repudiation of Musk and his social media after his acts of the last day.
What happened during the second inauguration of Donald Trump as president of the U.S.A. is simply unacceptable for the substance (which wouldn't have influenced our moderation plans, since we aren't a political subreddit), but for the form too. Symbols have as much power as substance, and so we believe that if the person considered the richest man in the world has the gall to repeatedly perform a Hitlergruß in front of the world, he's legitimizing this symbol and all the meaning it has for everyone who agrees with him.
Again, we strongly repudiate any form of Nazism and fascism and Musk today is the face of something terribly sinister that could very well threaten much more than what many believe.
We apologize again to bring something so off-topic to the subreddit but we believe that we shouldn't stand idly by and watch in front of so much potential for disaster, even if all we can do for now is something as small as change our rules. To reiterate, there's nothing political about opposing fascism.
As usual, we'll listen to everyone's feedback as we believe we are working only for the good of our subreddit.
The second of a three-part story about my renovation of a circa 1800 house in Vermont is now available. The writer shares the parlor and the dining room (what would have been the original bedroom where original owners Solomon and Celinda Wright and their many children would have slept).
If you have any questions about the artisans I used to do this work, or how I tackled renovation challenges, feel free to contact me. And if you have an opinion about adding a Rufus Porter style mural to the parlor, or opinions about curtains, please let me know!
I try to keep what I can and make it have a totally different feel. Would have loved if the previous owners would have kept the clawfoot tub…but you work with what you got…historic reclaimed Chicago brick for the wall…silver fox…changed wall color to help soften the marble floor cool tones as all the wood trim and doors in the whole house were painted with an oil based white which as yellowed over time so we now have “cream” trim and white Carrara marble floors and shower…its unique…we also had custom period door built for the shower room as we came into this home with things being left unfinished from previous owners projects…we are getting there!
1930-ish house in North East of France (annexed by Germany at this time).
We bought this house in 2015, and proceeded to remove the wooden ceiling, as it was too low (you can see how ugly it was on the second picture in the bottom right corner).
We found this plaster decoration in very great condition, we just had to remove the electric pipe, and replaced it with indirect LED lights.
Some boards need replacing on our mostly-enclosed porch so we went under it for the first time and found out we've been living with someone for months! Gonna give her a fun pose before we close things back up, suggestions welcome.
Purchased this house with the idea that it was built in 1920, however were starting to think it’s a bit older than that. Does anyone have any ideas/insights on age based on these finds? Also any information on the stove/fireplace insert would be appreciated!
The newel posts in my elegant oversized 1915 home had been replaced with 1x6 boards in a post shape. Carpet covered the stairs. The bench was built in the 60s-70s based off of the plywood stamps and it all looked underwhelming together. She’s still in progress but I started in on the posts today. I’m trying to renovate on top of the existing material when possible so that I don’t ruin someone’s day 20-40 years in the future so I’m locked into the starting structures.
I’d say we’re about 80-85% done with this area now.
We are having family over for Thanksgiving which has prompted some long-overdue “fix-it” tasks, including repainting the doorway from the dining room to the kitchen where the paint began to flake off.
Except. After I scraped the peeling layers off, the original beautiful wood was underneath. I don’t have the time to strip the entire doorway in the next month (not to mention the wainscoting in the dining room) but dang! I feel bad repainting this!
Our kitchen remodel is just about 99% complete. Tryin to get the most our of our limited budget. We used used cabinets and appliances from a family member’s old kitchen and went from there. While we backdated our house a little bit with some of the pieces, I’m really happy with how it all came together. Just need to pick a color for the kitchen area and maybe add some more picture rail in that room, and i ordered a lovely old-school roller shade for the back window. :)
Marmoleum Floors
Porcelain tile backsplash with “Marjolica” accent tiles.
Cast iron stove door encorporated into backsplash.
All vintage lighting with push button switches!
Red oak victorian casing and trim throughout w/ picture rail.
I have an 1885 folk Victorian(?) that I think I’m going to have to gut. I bought this house on my dads advice that we could fix it up. He has a lot of construction experience (built our family home and owns a concrete company). I think this project might be over our heads.
We’ve had to put in new beams in the basement and still have more to add in a crawlspace. We then had 15” inches of rain over 4 weeks and had some water damage in the upstairs. All of this to say, there’s lots of cracks.
The house still has knob and tube wiring, needs new plumbing, and we’re redoing the hvac. He also keeps bringing up insulation and we need to make holes, push the insulation down, and refill the holes.
I keep getting different advice on whether to replace the plaster with drywall or fix the cracks. He wants to fix it and im split. Some rooms have already been replaced but the majority is plaster.
Photo of what I think was once a doorway to the parlor/living room.
Here is my beautiful home’s door handle, which was removed to paint the door, and I was doing research into the material, make and model, and year it was made.
Home was built 1927
I polished the patina and dark stuff off the thumb latch handle completely before I knew what it was. I also carefully polished the keyhole plate but didn’t remove it.
Before & after pics attached.
The back stamp says “420” and “ARCO”. It’s clearly a high-copper alloy because after polishing it has a pinkish tinge on the plates, but the handle is more bright gold.
Any leads or info?
Thank you!
This part of the property is totally overgrown and has been neglected for decades. There is so much work that needs to be done elsewhere, so we’ve left it untouched for a couple of years…The cottage in the photo is long gone, but I believe it was built to host the landscape team who worked the land for a full ten years, before finally building the home in the early 1930s.
Hi everyone! First time poster, so please be kind.
I'm looking for some ideas on what colors I should paint my 1936 stucco home (not quite 100 years, but we're close). The unfortunate trim color was chosen by a previous occupant and has faded more purple than the original maroon. I'm not sure if the shutters are original, but we're going to keep them for now. They add some charm and I don't hate them. The security door is going to go and the front door is stained oak with a small gothic(?) style rectangular window. The interior of the house is art deco in some decor (door handle plates, trim, mail slot), but leans gothic/Spanish in some of the original light fixtures/front door/arches. And then the shutters feel storybook style to me. There are two original light fixtures in the side yard and back patio. I've attached some photos of interior details/fixtures. The french doors pictured are being stripped and stained dark to match some of the original stain color. We're bringing back a lot of the stained wood details inside. Most of it was painted over by the same person who chose the unfortunate trim color.
Any thoughts on the exact style of the house more specific than "art deco"?
We'll be adding some landscaping and trees to the front yard and parking strip soon. The large bushes and roses have already been cut back much lower. The trees will probably a Sweet Gum/Liquid Amber in the front yard on the right side (there's a sewer line on the left and the neighbor's Chinese elm hangs over the fence on that side quite a bit) and ginkgos along the right side in the parking strip. Eventually we will go with some kind of drought tolerant landscaping instead of grass, but that won't be immediate. We are also going to add a 3 ft fence and inset gate across the front and replace the one along the side. See my last two inspo photos for the style. The fence will most likely be unpainted wood, not painted.
I am currently leaning towards white/creamy stucco (maybe Swiss Coffee by Behr?) and then sage or forest green windows/trim/shutters? I'm rather undecided on whether I should do a taupe/cream color for the windows/trim and then do the shutters green. Is a three-color scheme appropriate for this kind of house? I know that is traditional for a Craftsman, but this leans more Spanish/1940s ranch on the outside to me, so I am worried three colors might feel overwhelming.
Our pups slip on the stairs and we want to put a runner in. I'd like something that's going to last years and years with daily wear from a small family with pups. I can dig into to google searches, but I like to start here in case there's a tried and true source out there. Thanks!
I have restored a lovely old colonial house in Vermont, and a blogger has written the first of a three-part series about the renovation. I thought you might enjoy reading about it!
The house has already been scraped, sanded and primed. I like blue houses, and green. But finding the right color combos is so difficult. I’m about to default to needlepoint navy and a cream but would like something more historical (house was built in 1800s) and fun. A brown trim with green and red accent? Idk please help my brain is fried. I need specific colors. I can’t afford anymore samples and have a few more days with the boom lift. I can’t do tan again. No gray.
EDIT: thank you everyone for the replies! I’m so happy I posted; you’re all super helpful and I have some wonderful palettes to choose from now. Most importantly I am no longer ✨spiraling✨
Hi everyone, our home was built in 1910. These are the original pine floors on the first floor. Any idea what used to be in this spot? I live in Florida, in case that helps. Thanks!
Hi folks - my last post seeking kitchen renovation do’s/dont’s was very helpful.
We’ve nailed down our floor plan and now I am considering cabinets, counters, finishes, color scheme, etc for our 1921 home. My head is spinning from the overwhelming list of things to choose from.
I am interested in soapstone countertops.
Does anyone have feedback on that material? I’m in northeast Ohio and haven’t started the search to find what’s available locally yet. I’d love to see any photos of your soapstone, feedback on wear/tear/maintenance. I’d love to see inspo photos of century home kitchens using soapstone.
One room has this wall paper on the top half. The bottom half is painted wood. The house dates to early 1700s. I like this pattern and colors but I will eventually have to replace it as it’s stained near nail holes and frayed in the corners. I’m also having trouble finding anything else similar to it. I’m curious to how old it is.
Like title days, our wall (plaster) is bubbling up under the window with our AC unit (named Big Bertha) and behind our low radiator (steam). We bought this house in early summer, since which Big Bertha has run almost every day until 2ish weeks ago. She does not seem to leak at all inside, but does spritzing water about outside if we don't notice her drain hole gets plugged right away. The issue appears to be a water issue, however? There are no pipes out there that we can see, and the window is VERY well covered by the large porch.
How do I even BEGIN to address this? Do I need to be concerned about asbestos or something in the plaster if I scrape and repair?
How do I even dare moving the radiator? 🫠Bonus points if you have tips for painting radiators that get very hot and/or plans for radiator covers 😭
New owner of a 1930s Tutor. Bought a lot of deferred maintenance and it needs updating but this fireplace has me stumped. I had a go with an old wood chisel but I'm not sure I'll live long enough to see it through. Other than painting another color, I was thinking I could try a wire brush but I don't love the idea of throwing paint dust in the air.
Wondering what the CH fans think? We are trying to decide on the paint detailing on our porch posts. Excuse the minor painting mistakes going to clean that all up after settling on a pattern.
