the blog
Choosing a color scheme for your historic home can be overwhelming. So many options with evocative names like “Jamestown Blue” and “Rookwood Red”… And painting an entire exterior – or even just the front porch – can be a significant investment. Is there even such a thing as “the right” colors for a specific architectural […]
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How do you rehabilitate an old house? That’s a big topic. Every house is different; each has its own rules and, shall we say, quirks? In response to careful attention and patience, old houses reveal what they need. The real question is, where do you even start? The best beginner’s references for all things historic […]
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In December 2023, I took on what was in some ways my most challenging Worth Preserving project to date. Challenging because, all at once, I played architect, engineer, construction manager, builder and client. And because the materials and technology were rather new to me. In short, I built a gingerbread house. Inspired by a townwide […]
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“Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.” ~ Henry James, as quoted by Edith Wharton For Americans, the words “front porch” conjure a similar feeling of warmth, contentment, ease, nostalgia. Turned columns, spindled railings and fretwork, beadboard ceiling, a fan to encourage […]
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Bathrooms are among my favorite parts of a house. So I was thrilled to write a couple of blog posts recently for CIRCA Old Houses about this most sacred room. Plumbing fixtures (clawfoot tubs, pedestal sinks, cross head taps) can be incredibly beautiful, even delightful in their quirkiness, and the palette of materials can range […]
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I often get songs stuck in my head. You, too??? One day, while working in my garden, the song was Pink Martini’s “Hang On Little Tomato.” (If you don’t know it, please look it up! It will make you smile.) So, I decided to make a little video about pruning tomatoes. Wait, isn’t this a […]
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Photo credit: Em McCann Zauder So…you might have heard of this website called CIRCA Old Houses. Yes? Then you must be among the 2 million page views they get every month. Pretty impressive, huh? Especially considering their SOLE FOCUS is old houses, and their primary audience is preservation nuts. Like us! That’s why I’m so […]
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Photo By Phil Mansfield CLIENT: Since this project was a design showhouse and fundraiser for Ulster County Habitat for Humanity, we were encouraged to let our creativity run wild. BUT…we also kept in mind the fact that this ca-1901 Queen Anne was home to a family, three generations living under one roof, that needed comfort […]
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CHALLENGES: Virtually untouched for decades, the house revealed its evolution from simple farmhouse to stately Arts-and-Crafts home, with many of its original features intact—two-over-two double-hung wood windows (behind shabby aluminum storm windows), wood clapboard siding, oak floors and staircase, delightful (and practical) built-ins, paneled doors and distinctive hardware. It suffered from deferred maintenance, dated kitchen […]
