Why I love old houses

[Seabornman]

You just don't know what you'll find! I'm removing 1960s (I think) paneling from a wall. You have to be part archeologist, part analyst. From left to right, original (maybe 1830) siding, the outline of a Doric column pilaster, part of the door frame for the original front door, a 2" x 15" board they re-purposed from elsewhere, then a whole bunch of garbage that makes a 10" deep wall, including VG fir porch boards used as shims.

The analyst hat is for wondering "Why couldn't they have left this old house the way it was?"

[Manalto]

"Why couldn't they have left this old house the way it was?"

You are not alone asking that question.

[GinaC]

Because most people are sheep and must have the latest thing? I'm a cynic, I know, but "social marketing" has been around a long, long time, just in different forms.

I also love finding this stuff, and it breaks my heart to have to replace it or cover it up. Are you going to restore the doorway, and maybe even the column?

Here's another example, my original door. She's just a young thing at 80 years old, but the builders put her on the wrong way and I'm tired of avoiding the front entrance because the door opens *away* from the little mud room coat alcove. Yes, that outline of the 5 is the original address, which changed sometime in the last few decades, and I'm pretty sure that's the original knocker.

But after a lot of heartache, I think I found a way to keep her in the house. The door from my garage to the basement needs to be replaced, and I think this door will just fit there. Bonus, the hinges are on the correct side for that entrance!

[Nicholas]

I found a pair of old slippers and a mummified squirrel....inside a wall accessed from underneath the house...

Some of the things that were done to mine in the early 40's were probably of necessity, the investment company that took the gutted remains over in 1994 did a nice job with the electric and PVC plumbing. It was a little before that the neighbors removed the outhouse because they thought it was an eyesore.

I wish they kept the original interior doors, now I have Lowes knockoffs. Except for one smurf closet.

[Seabornman]

This is really a sad house. The son of the PO lives next door and grew up in the house. He has given me photos of what the house looked like when the family moved in post WWII. Over the years all of the double hung windows were replaced by odd awnings and casements, all of the doors and trim were trashed, and the floor plan was modified greatly.
I've decided it isn't worth trying to turn back time on this house. I tore down one addition and added my own. I am planning on exposing the timber frame and finding the original floors, but otherwise historic won't be an adjective for this farmhouse.

[GinaC]

This is really a sad house. The son of the PO lives next door and grew up in the house. He has given me photos of what the house looked like when the family moved in post WWII. Over the years all of the double hung windows were replaced by odd awnings and casements, all of the doors and trim were trashed, and the floor plan was modified greatly.
I've decided it isn't worth trying to turn back time on this house. I tore down one addition and added my own. I am planning on exposing the timber frame and finding the original floors, but otherwise historic won't be an adjective for this farmhouse.

I believe that respecting an old house doesn't always mean restoration and period-specific recreation. I think if you put in new things in the same sort of style of the house, it will still look like it belongs there. Changes are inevitable, but that doesn't mean you can't honor the time period in which it was built. Remember, most people didn't just buy all their furniture and decor all at once. Just like now, they collected things they loved over time. You don't have to go full Victorian on an 1830's house, but you can probably throw in some Art Nouveau and even Mid-Century stuff here and there. It won't look good with industrial steel beams and red and black colorblocking, for example, in my opinion, but probably an extremely talented designer could probably even pull that off.

My house is a bit of an odd duck in many ways, not the least of which is that it is not Art Deco. It's kind of like an Art Deco interpretation of Tudor, Storybook, and Arts & Crafts. The original owners were from Montreal, and I think they really put their imprint on the design when they built it. They would probably think that Morris wallpaper is way too old fashioned and fussy for them, but I love it, so that's what I'll be putting up.

[Manalto]

I believe that respecting an old house doesn't always mean restoration and period-specific recreation. I think if you put in new things in the same sort of style of the house, it will still look like it belongs there. Changes are inevitable, but that doesn't mean you can't honor the time period in which it was built. Remember, most people didn't just buy all their furniture and decor all at once. Just like now, they collected things they loved over time.

Well said, Gina. I agree with your philosophy and would add that older furnishings and art can be suitable too. People rarely started from scratch when moving into a new house. Chances are that they brought stuff from their previous residence or, if just starting out, were bequeathed some furnishings to set up the new home.