Introduction & inquiry

[1907mamaof3 (WavyGlass)]

Hi! I'm new to the forum. I'm a 20-something homeschooling mom of three and we just bought a 1907 folk (??) Victorian home. It has the original woodwork and is just bursting with potential. I'm so excited to make it our home! We intend to fix it up and furnish and decorate it in a way that honors its style. I'm not exactly sure on the name of the style of the house - folk Victorian seems to be the closest as far as I've been able to tell. I figured you guys would know what to call it so I'm attaching a photo of it. It needs some plumbing work and the kitchen needs some work before we can move in but otherwise this house is in great shape. The bathroom is big enough for us to play ring around the rosie in The bedrooms are huge and the dining room is just gorgeous. I'll be at least lurking here for a while. So hello

[Gothichome]

Hello Manorofthree. your new home looks very nice and I'm sure you will enjoy it. The general recommendation around this site is live with it for a year before making any major changes. You will be surprised how livable and workable these old homes are. And rule number two post pictures.

[mattswabb]

I agree with the above and live in it before making big changes. We had to redo the bathroom before we move in and now this winter we will redo some of the finishes we don't like.

Welcome and do post more pics.

[Neighmond]

Alooha! With the exception of the gable it sort of looks foursquarish.

more pics?

Cheers! Chaz

[1907mamaof3 (WavyGlass)]

I Googled American Foursquare and found this: http://www.houzz.com/photos/2591527/Vic ... y-st-louis

It's like my house's twin! Eerie! So yeah, I think it's a Foursquare! Thank you - I didn't even know the term to look for.

These photos are from the MLS and they don't do the house justice. The realtor didn't even take a photo of the oversized tub! Or the beautiful stairs, or the gorgeous four-across box window in the dining room, or the spacious built-ins. He left out some rooms too. I like the one year guideline for major changes but there are some things that need to be done before the house can be lived in. It's been vacant for a while and the plumbing is damaged. The kitchen and downstairs bathroom have disgusting, stained >30yo carpet that needs to go before our crawling baby moves in, and there's one room with peeling wallpaper that's going to go and I'd like to sand and varnish the floors.

[1907mamaof3 (WavyGlass)]

more

[1907mamaof3 (WavyGlass)]

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[Neighmond]

It's a beaut! I can see mission fitting in well, or some late Eastlake/mass-produced golden oak furniture looking like it grew there! Some of the early Art Deco would fit right in too.

That dining room is a good candidate for a big old round oak centre pedestal table and sideboard with the mirrored top, and I can see one of those drop-leaf writing desk, curio cabinet combos fitting right in, and a high topped upright piano with some nice applied carving on the legs and music desk.

I Hope the kitchen built-ins are on the save list!

[Neighmond]

PLEASE don't let some slick *&$%#@ talk you into replacing the windows without a ton of research!

[1907mamaof3 (WavyGlass)]

I'm glad I joined! This is all new to me. Restoring and decorating, all new to me. We had a college hippy home and a boring duplex rental and now *this*.

The dining room will be homeschool central so I need to get bookcases in there. I've always loved the bookcases in the Dragonfly Inn from Gilmore Girls so I'd like to build something like those, but not black and gold. The doors would help keep it visually less cluttered and keep our little one from pulling all the books off the shelves. We have a LOT of books - we currently have one room just full of books. I operate a lending library with ~100 books on one broad subject, then all our curricula, and a ton of fiction and children's books.

We're getting a family heirloom piano passed down to us in a couple years I have no intention of changing those beautiful windows (which have wavy glass, I hear you guys like that hehe)