Old House Remodeling

[sjgale]

Can anyone recommend a few good books about old house restoring and remodeling? I have a crazy little house that needs lots of love! : )
Thanks!

[Jamie]

I've been doing "old house stuff" for way too long. Back in the late 1970's through the early 1980's, The Old House Journal" was hard to beat. Today it is a slick "coffee table" magazine, I seldom look at anymore. Back then "old house people" were pretty much off the "marketing radar" so to speak. Then PBS did "This Old House" and the floodgates opened and suddenly rehabbing was was the next fad. Sadly, so many of the fantastic resources of those early restoration days are gone. Birge Wallpaper for one example produced period patterns for the life of the company in their general books. They have been gone for decades and those wonderful papers are no longer commercially available. My last nightmare hanging Bradbury & Bradbury paper has weaned me from ever hanging wallpaper again. Their digitally printed paper is now made with "archival water based inks". That translates to requiring special low moisture wallpaper paste, and having to use the "kid glove treatment" with any kind of water on the surface of the paper.
Many of those old original family businesses promoted back in the day are now history. It seems like the focus has shifted from Victorian/country, to Arts and Crafts, and now Mid Century is all the rage.
I wish I could give more concise advice. The internet and Google search has changed the whole "old house dynamic" for me. Research some active restoration blogs, and check the different boards. Try and find some early Old House Journals, or better yet the compendium editions for the early years.
The most helpful book I had for my projects was the 1909 International Correspondence School Text Book for Gas Work and Electric Bell wiring. It was indispensable when I was running my gas lines. That information I so desperately needed was not available in any modern book or article.

[vvzz]

The following book is just a compilation of old house journal articles, so it's a pretty good start:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Old-House-Jou ... 0525935517

[phil]

sjgale It's nice to have someone "nearby" on board

Others can advise better on the books. Are you a new owner?

[sjgale]

Thanks for responding Jamie and vvzz, I will try the old house journal articles. And Phil, to answer your question, I bought this place almost 3 years ago but I haven't accomplished too much...I need to find some good remodeling mojo! Thanks again everyone.

[lovesickest]

" Bungalow Kitchens" and "Bungalow Bathrooms" - by Jane Powell are excellent resources for how early 20th century kitchens and bathrooms looked. The author's specific area of interest was craftsman style houses. The "bungalow" is the title had me confused, so I overlooked these books for a long time. I had heard these books spoken of highly on previous old house forums. I was expecting lots of moderne and mid-century modern atomic type styling but found none in either book. Many original kitchens and bathrooms, and some sympathetic renos in older homes.

"Painted Ladies " and "Daughters of Painted Ladies" (I forget the author) are photographs of elaborately painted victorian houses in the U.S.. They are both from the 1980's, so some of the tastes may have changed somewhat, but both are very inspirational for considering color schemes for a fancy victorian house.

All of these are coffee table type books - heavy on the photos but light on the advice. Excellent reference material though.

[lisascenic]

If you are looking for reproduction wallpaper, don't forget about Adelphi Paperhangings! They block print on high quality paper. Their wallpaper is in the Lincoln bedroom in the White House.

[1918ColonialRevival]

+1 on the Old House Journal Compendium. OHJ seemed to be a better magazine in the earlier days, but it's about the best thing going. The book has articles from the first few years of the magazine's existence.

Don't even bother with This Old House magazine. Very little in there about restoration anymore and the magazine has nothing to do with the tv show. Plus, I lost a lot of respect for the magazine when they said to put mayonnaise on a door hinge to stop it from squeaking!

[Neighmond]

Katherine Knight Rusk authored a good one in the late eighties that still holds good for the most part, tho I can't recall the title.

[BungalowMo]

I don't have a ton of books, but I do have the OHJ Compendium, Working Windows by Terry Meany, and Bungalow Kitchens by Jane Powell.
They have all come in handy, especially the first 2, as I have yet to begin work on my kitchen.

Don't fret that you've been there 3-ish years & not done much. It's better than the alternative of being there a short time & started on things better left alone.

Patience is a virtue when it comes to these old gals....