Like the rest of our Bauhaus-influenced, International Style house, the primary bath was spare with clean, elegant lines. But the tiles and tub were deeply stained and dirty. The wall-hung sink had stains and rust, and the original chrome faucets were dull with age. Or so I thought.
The refreshed medicine cabinet, new sink on legs, and Deco-style tube light sconces make for a subtle transformation.
I went to work on the room myself after receiving a $50,000 estimate to gut renovate the space. After deciding on a black-and-white Art Deco theme, I did a little Googling and found a tip for freshening chrome: rub it with aluminum foil. (The tip called for salt water, but it wasn’t necessary.) I wrapped some foil around my finger, wet it a bit, and rubbed a faucet handle gently. The chrome gleamed like new. I was embarrassed that I’d lived with dull, water-spotted fittings for 15 years. Now I was inspired to save what I had.
Before: The tub was stained and peeling after the failure of an earlier attempt at repair — using paint.
Esta historia es de la edición January - February 2022 de Old House Journal.
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Esta historia es de la edición January - February 2022 de Old House Journal.
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Navigating the Lumberyard - Here's some lumber lingo you should know before you venture into a lumberyard.
Here's some lumber lingo you should know before you venture into a lumberyard. Almost everyone fixing an old house will end up at a lumberyard-whether it's a local supplier or the organized aisles of a big-box home-improvement store.
a farmhouse renewed
Sensitive renovations and restoration work preserved a house that dates to 1799.
AN OVERVIEW OF METAL ROOFING
METAL ROOFS ARE RESURGENT, FOR GOOD REASONS.
ENDURING BEAUTY IN WALLS of STONE
Now back in the family who had been here since 1830, the old farmhouse is again ready for generations to come. Additions dating to 1840 and the 1950s were preserved.
ARCHITECTURAL DETAILS COME TO LIFE
Owners and their designer celebrate the unique features of a 1912 Arts & Crafts Tudor.
For a Wet Basement Wall
If there's problem common to old houses, it's a wet basement. I'm not talking about occasional flooding, but rather a basement that apparently seeps or leaks after even a rain shower or during snowmelt. Several approaches are available; sustainable solutions will get to the root of the problem.
Patching a Plaster Wall
Fix a hole in the wall with a few common tools and some drywall supplies. Practice your technique!
Roofing & Siding
Make note of these historical and unusual materials for the building envelope.
The Riddle of the water
When water incursion happens, the roof isn't necessarily the culprit. Maybe snaking a drain line, or clearing debris from a clogged gutter, temporarily will stem a leak. But a recurring problem usually means other forces are at work. It takes persistence-and a team with the right skills and patience—to identify the source and apply a solution.
Light-filled Craftsman Redo
For a dark kitchen in a 1914 Illinois house, the trick was anchoring white expanses with woodsy warmth.
