The Historic District

After some consideration, I decided to paint the sheathing before applying tar paper and siding. The reasons are twofold: 1. Anything that helps the preservation of the wood is welcome in this climate and, 2. There may be a delay of a week or two before siding gets installed and this is the rainy se...

I had no idea there was originally a front porch! Let's see those pictures!

I finally found a contractor who was able to continue the stucco that's on the second storey of the main part of the house, so that it includes the sleeping porch. Originally there were only screens, but during WWII, it was enclosed. This part of the house was in the worst condition, with three dama...

It's certainly a handsome room. I'd like to hear "My Snowy-breasted Pearl" on that Victrola. Staying tuned for winter developments.

Thank you. No, all I did was polish it and hang it up. I'm having fun putting the elements of the room together, including the pictures, even though the walls have only primer. It keeps them safe (mirrors, especially) and out of the way. It's also a good dry run for how to set up the room, esthetica...

Dining room renovations have been put on hold for a couple of weeks until the arrival and departure of my houseguest. I found that I was feeling rushed, which is not conducive to good restoration work. I did manage to get the ceiling fixture hung. 2628 I'm pleased with how it looks in the room. The ...

I look forward to multiple photos of this project.

The molding repair looks good. Are you happy with it? How high are your ceilings? Scaffolding, although it's a hassle to disassemble and reassemble, is a luxury compared to working from a wobbly ladder! Did you say this will function as a parlor? Have you worked out a design scheme (colors, fabrics,...

That's a lovely validation. Thank you, Ron. A cursory search advised that furniture made before 1850 shouldn't be refinished, which makes sense, considering it wouldn't have been mass-produced. I'm not suffering under any delusion that my sideboard is a fine antique, of course. Its humble origin and...

I don't know if this would be an Edwardian move, but I decided that the detail on the "backsplash" (not sure about the correct term)might achieve a little dimension with some selective red mahogany stain. 2625 I think the contrast will be more subtle after the piece is varnished. Good idea? What do ...