home design - HOUSES HAVE A PAST - AND A FUTURE, TOO

THE BEST RENOVATIONS TOE THE LINE BETWEEN NECESSARY UPDATES AND ENOUGH SENSITIVITY TO ASSURE DESIGN INTEGRITY.

a farmhouse RESCUE

Using a cache of salvaged finds, the homeowner, architect, and contractor together rescued a tumbledown farmhouse in Vermont.

period living with an artistic eye

Owner Deb Richards, who is quite at home in the past, continues to steward the 1740 New England house and its traditional garden.

WHEN ALL IS (GARDEN) FOLLY

A ROMANTIC STONE RUIN PROVIDES INTEREST IN THE SMALL YARD

INHABITING a fantasy

A bland old house, once home to musicians who were month-to-month, slowly morphs into a Victorian showcase born of its owners' imaginations.

A Pocket Door from a Transom

Installed vertically, a transom window glazes a door that slides into the wall.

Solving the Roof

After much research by the owners, a century-old Storybook home gets a 21st-century roof treatment.

the case for SHUTTERS

Shutters may look relatively fragile but older wood shutters were built to withstand decades of weather, bearing up through hurricanes and hail, intense heat and piercing cold.

A Nautical Cottage Bath

A tranquil new bathroom uses color and texture for seaside appeal.

window PROBLEM SOLVERS FOR OLD-HOUSE RETROFITS & ADD-ONS

Good windows, well designed, can solve problems with function, proportion, letting in the light, and ventilation. Manufacturers are stepping up.

OUR DYNAMIC MID-CENTURY RANCH

The 1952 house was cookie-cutter and tired. Now it showcases the best of MCM design.

For Gracious Outdoor Living

An eclectic pick of enhancements for your home and garden this summer.

FORMAL ORNAMENTAL DESIGNS

EARLY GARDEN TYPES AGAIN IN FASHION.

at River Road Farm

Uncultivated land around an 18th-century farmhouse slowly became a series of garden rooms, formal but not overly structured.

MOTIFS OF THE COLONIAL STYLES

DESIGN CONVENTIONS FOR EARLY & REVIVAL HOMES.

A NEW KITCHEN WITH A PRESERVATION ETHIC

Before 1994, when she fell in love with and bought this house, Sarah Blank hadn't heard of Royal Barry Wills. Then she learned that the Cape, built in 1957, in New Canaan, Connecticut, was typical of the work of the famous Colonial Revival architect who was a prolific designer as well as America's best-selling architectural writer. A Massachusetts native who opened his Boston firm in 1925, Wills loved New England's small, historic houses and made a specialty of designing updated yet authentically proportioned versions of Capes, saltboxes, and garrison colonials. Hundreds of his houses stand, including the 1500-square-foot Cape that Blank proceeded to enlarge.

The House that APOTTERY BUILT

William Day Gates, founder of an important terra-cotta tile and pottery company, built his retirement home in 1927. Decades later, it would take a knowledgeable Arts & Crafts collector to save the abandoned house in Illinois. Chicago architect John Eifler helped guide the restoration: \"The house is a terra cotta and pottery catalog!\" he says.

Carpeting the Stairs

A staircase runner adds comfort and safety, color, pattern, and a period touch.

comeback FLOORS

Floors hand-cut or milled from old-growth woods can withstand decades of abuse. Over the arc of time, however, settling and subsidence, careless repairs, and damage from water or pets create challenges for even these hardy survivors.

Arts & Crafts Design, Built In

A modern kitchen has the appeal of an Arts & Crafts living room.

original period built-ins PERMANENT FURNITURE FOR EVERY ERA

Bookcases and buffets, inglenooks and china cabinets, window benches & more: original builtin furniture from any period inspires new work today.

A DEFT REFURBISHMENT

With features missing or unsalvageable, the house needed a facelift-in keeping with the architecture.

Lighting Over Time

Illumination for interiors: 18th century to the present.

What's on the Floor

Finishes for the hardest working surface in the house.

Earthy Colors, New Layout

Textured tile and quarter-sawn oak make it a handsome revival kitchen.

Deep Clean to Save Big

After we got a $50,000 estimate to gut and renovate the bathroom in our 1946 modernist house, I figured I’d tackle the 8' x 8' room myself.

Fancy Painted Floors

Borders and checkerboard designs are DIY favorites; you might also try your hand at stenciling or faux effects.

And Now, The Kitchen

Using original bits and vintage pieces, making the kitchen functional was a high priority.

new KITCHEN for an old house

THE WALLPAPER’S AESTHETIC MOVEMENT OR BRITISH ARTS & CRAFTS PATTERN IDEALLY SUITS THIS 1903 AMERICAN QUEEN ANNE HOUSE.

right ON!

Leaving aside shag carpeting and copper-tone appliances, a couple embrace the best of the decade for a splendid period house grounded in nature.