Every era presents an opportunity to collect the work of favorite designers. For their 1951 Seattle house, Kevin Dodge and Darin Collins have been collecting lighting and sculptural work from three Modern masters: Harry Balmer, Gaetano Sciolari, and Paolo Soleri.
Brutalism is a mid-century modernist designation for architecture and design defined by the use of such raw materials as concrete, glass, and metals. Rough surfaces, hard edges, organic forms, and metallic finishes are common. The name comes from the French term “béton brut,” meaning raw concrete. The American welder and sculptor Harry Balmer, whose works were produced by the Flemington Iron Works and Laurel Lamp Company, made Brutalist and Modern lighting and abstract sculptures that have become collectible. His 1960s works are generally of blackened steel. Balmer also produced wood and iron furniture.
This story is from the May 2020 edition of Old House Journal.
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This story is from the May 2020 edition of Old House Journal.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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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.
