The porch flows into an attached gazebo that acts as an outdoor dining room.
A NEW REIGN The porch rebuilt: Antique wicker furniture is at home here. Homeowner Janet Smith stained the tongue-and-groove pine ceiling and mahogany floorboards prior to installation.
The Smiths created the interior from family pieces and flea-market finds. The tablecloth is from an uncle’s collection; china belonged to a great-grandmother. The gasolier came from a secondhand shop and was restored.
They never considered buying a new house. Nor did Janet and Bob Smith ever think they’d furnish an old house with contemporary pieces. “We love old things!” is their mantra, and their answer when they’re asked why they bought such a dilapidated 19th-century house as this one in Westfield, New Jersey. • They had to see beyond its present state, of course, not just love old things. When they bought the house, it had asbestos siding, and the once-gracious porches wrapping the front and sides were gone. A concrete patio pitched towards the structure, channeling water into the house. Tree roots had grown into the basement. Raccoons and squirrels lived in the attic. A handsome, four-story corner tower had been razed, down even to its foundation.
The Victorian house at it appeared ca. 1926: second owners the Scheffer family pose with their new Studebaker. (Courtesy Malcolm Scheffer, Mesa, Az.)
This is the house as it looked when the Smiths purchased it.
After removing asbestos shingles and restoring the exterior, homeowner Bob Smith built a porch and an octagonal corner gazebo to take the place of the original tower.
Denne historien er fra December 2020-utgaven av Old House Journal.
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Denne historien er fra December 2020-utgaven av Old House Journal.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
faded luxe IN A RETURN TO SAVANNAH
Residents of the Blue Ridge Mountains find their city home in a converted commercial building in beautiful Savannah, Georgia.
a hudson valley VERNACULAR
When Harlan Bratcher started looking for a country house in New York, in 1990, he knew what he wanted-something peaceful and serene, an escape from the hectic lifestyle of Manhattan.
the Dr. Mills house RESTORED
In rural Washington State, a dedicated couple bring back a 1912 bungalow that once had been the town's hospital.
The Right Masonry Tool for Repointing
The mortar between individual bricks or stones begins to erode after many years. That might be attributed to rain and wind, leaky gutters, building settlement, or such chemical agents as de-icing salts.
How To Remove Wallpaper
There's more than one way to do it; try them all until you find what works for your situation.
living with PLASTICS anxiety
Plastics are ubiquitous in modern life. Even houses built long before vinyl caught on are now full of polymer-based products, from the hoses in pull-down faucets to plastic light switches. Now that we know exposure to certain plastics can be hazardous to human health, we need guidance on how to evaluate building products for potential impacts.
homey Craftsman Textiles today
For bungalows, Craftsman houses, and Tudors that might have rather severe woodwork and furniture, textiles are a critical part of the decorative scheme.
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.
