Old House Journal

The Original Restoration Magazine for people who are passionate about old houses to repair, rehabilitate, update, and decorate their homes; covering all classic American architectural styles,—from the earliest Colonial-era buildings to grand Victorians of every variety to Arts & Crafts bungalows and mid-century ranches.

Getting Your Best Kitchen

SIDE NOTES

Old House Journal • VOLUME LIII, ISSUE 2

Buds, Leaves & Blossoms • We found floral furnishings for spring.

Kitchen Zone • Handy items for the kitchen, pantry, and laundry room.

Beautiful & Affordable • Five historic houses selling for under $300,000—including apristineBungalowandarestoredGreek ek Revival.

A REWARDING EXPERIENCE! • We revitalized a long-forgotten building on a prominent corner—and would do it again.

DESIGN

bathroom inspirations TIPS, TRICKS, HACKS FOR ROOMS OF REASONABLE SIZE & BUDGET • Even considering the usually small square footage, the bathroom in an older house is often the most challenging design conundrum during renovations. First, you have moisture damage (rotted materials, mold, mildew) that may have led to structural issues. The plumbing may need replacement and the fixtures updating. Beneath the tiled walls and vinyl-clad floor, things may be downright soggy. Then, we face aesthetic shortfalls: hastily added shower stalls, mismatched colors, weird or cheap tile, big-box vanities, builder’s-special lighting, and layers of flooring. The room may be far removed from the vintage harmony we hope for. • A few case studies inspire with solutions—but also show how even the best-laid plans require flexibility. Things may change when demolition begins. With at least one unexpected finding during their bathroom projects, these old-house lovers showed ingenuity.

GOING ART DECO PINK • It may look original to the 1940s bungalow, but this passion-pink and glossy black bath isn’t even in the same place. Designer Laureen Skrivan of Wren & Willow recast the entire interior of the worn-down, 900-square-foot house to reflect her love for film noir movies, borrowing space from a guest bedroom for the new 6' x 8' bath. She drew on archival images from 1940s bathrooms for the bath’s bold Art Deco licks, starting with the basket-weave-tiled floor. • The new bath “is all about layers and layers of design and detail,” Skrivan says. While the fixtures and plumbing fittings are Forties-inspired reproductions, her accessories are either salvaged bits or vintage, or things acquired inexpensively online. • What are her proud details? “It’s all the small stuff!” Skrivan says—like a wall-mounted towel rack with a vintage glass bar. “You can’t leave a single decision unturned.”

JADEITE TABLEWARE

Color Explosion in Tile, 1928 • The Standard Plumbing Fixtures catalog shows a tile rainbow, with fixtures still in plain white.

Sunshine in a Cottage Kitchen • A happy room demonstrates that simplicity often underlies good design.

RESTORE

the door IN ITS FRAME • The frame is often overlooked as a key component to a properly operating entry door. That’s not necessarily bad, as you want the frame components to give no trouble and be all but invisible so that eyes fall on the front door.

parts OF AN ENTRY DOOR • With terms like brick moulding, the nomenclature of a door frame is confusing. Take the commonly used terms “sill” and “threshold.” Those parts are related but different; even finish carpenters may find it hard to explain.

A RECIPE FOR REPAIR • Restoring an entry that’s been abused is a big job but not necessarily one that’s especially expensive or labor-intensive. Here’s one approach.

Quick Fixes • Do it fast but do it well.

A Pattern Match • The discovery of a patch of historic linoleum led to the re-creation of an...