For us, falling head over heals in love with a home is all about the architectural details. We're suckers for deep crown molding, high ceilings, and built-in storage. Our "new" 1920's home is filled with such treasures and we're swooning.
The first home we bought was a 1950's cottage that had glass doorknobs throughout the house. We loved those the moment we saw the house to the day we moved out. Our new house is just another page in our love story with architectural details and if you'll kindly indulge us, we'll gush on a bit.
The stairs are weathered and worn by years of foot traffic, but that makes them better to us. We adore the contrast of the dark handrails and newel posts with the honey toned wood floors. Speaking of wood, some of the ceilings are exposed wood planks and we have plans to uncover some of the wood walls later. When we removed a piece of 60's paneling, we discovered the original black and white print wallpaper underneath (which was applied over wood walls and cheesecloth). A set of French doors has a chain release latch (does it have another name?) that we think is charming. One of the fireplaces still has a lovely, intricate summer screen. . . and did I mention all the glass doorknobs?
What are your favorite architectural details in your home? Or if you're lacking them, what do you crave most in your plain box? How can you add interest to an unadorned home with salvaged architectural finds?Or maybe you just like the simplicity of no fussy details at all?
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"heels"
I'm about to buy a HUD house that was built in 1927. It's got some great architectural details like a mail chute, a telephone nook, and crystal doorknobs.
http://thedearhouse.blogspot.com/2010/04/these-are-few-of-my-favorite-things.html
Our "new" house was built in 1898. It has been and will continue to be a huge project (think A Brooklyn Limestone in Progress), but the details make it worth it.
We've got pocket doors, glass knobs, a dumbwaiter, a fireplace in the kitchen, a few stained glass windows, and loads and loads of bay windows. And what is currently our tool shed was actually once a concession stand for an 1870's amusement park.
i too have glass doorknobs and beautiful original woodwork throughout. i absolutely adore those accents as well! beautiful home!
Our front door has an antique brass turn doorbell that says "Turn me" and the key hole has a teensy peekaboo slot that you need to move in order to put the key in.
We have an apartment like that that we have been in for 4 years. We rent in an old Victorian mansion on the bottom floor. We have the only unit that was not remodeled. We have a built in bookcase and desk. The original woodwork is still in the house. A fireplace cover that almost looks like the one above, with ceramic tile around it and a woodwork design that is half way up the wall. It's beautiful and we fell in love with it the minute we saw it. Hardwood floors, all the doors are the original wooden doors.
Our home built in 1938 has coved ceilings in the living room and dining room. LOVE THEM!
I swoon for your details. :) Our home was built in 1978 with the standard 8ft ceilings and kitchen pass-through bar. The wallpaper is 70's sea grass and the bathroom is harvest gold. Alas. These pictures, however, are a real help to me as I add details to our home. Thanks! :)
My house was built in 1900. We have plaster walls, original hardwood floors, original doors and doorknobs, original tin ceiling and uncovered brick wall in the kitchen, some original windows, and an original fireplace and mantle with mirror. The space where the actual fire would be was turned long ago into a bookcase with leaded-glass doors paned like stained glass, but clear. When we moved in, we also uncovered two small wall panels to put wall sconces back into the old wiring.
I love my higher, coved ceilings & plaster walls as well.
1920 house- original tall beadboard ceilings, original hardwoods, doublesided fireplace.
We live in a small but wonderful 1928 Spanish Revival home with almost all of the original details: stained glass in the front door, tile fireplace, all of the original wrought iron light fixtures, a beautiful wrought iron stair railing, metal casement windows, and the roof, which is made up of multi-colored barrel shaped tiles.
Some other original features have been stripped out, but we're so lucky to have what we do. We're spending time fixing a lot, but we love it.
I'd love to own a red brick Georgian Revival home -
A fanlight above the front door and sidelights all covered by a generous portico, a center hall w/ a wide staircase & spacious landings, the pocket doors between rooms, a butler's pantry fitted w/ mahogany cabinets and a brass sink, the deep window casings and french doors to a brick or flagstone terrace, working window shutters, walls fitted w/ paneling & heavy mouldings, fireplaces with ornate mantels in major rooms...
...and a white kitchen fitted w/ white enamel appliances, marble counters, brass hardware and blue & white delft tilework.
I live in the top floor of a 100-year old apartment building, and I'm in love with the claw-foot tub, antique washbasin farm sink, stained glass, crown molding, and original wood floors. Less amazing are old pipes that result in poor water pressure for our building (we rent).
I'm in love with the look and colors of your home! Mine is organized around a similar color theme, with some accent walls painted a deep not-quite black, and a lot of mahogany wood furniture. Would you be willing to share the name and brand of the gray paint you used on the walls? It's a beautiful shade.
let me tell you, those details can be heartbreaking, though. my boyfriend and i are moving out to LA, and i saw THE most GORGEOUS place listed for very little money. built-ins, mouldings, hardwood floors....in short, possibly the most beautiful craftsman house i've ever seen. the problem? it's in a REALLY crappy area of south-central and there have been no less than 15 homicides in the past three months within a 5 block radius. and that poor house continues to languish on the market, unoccupied and unloved. breaks my heart.
Mine was called the "old house" in 1850 according to the historical soc. There are no fancy fixings here. Just failing wavey floors hand hewn beams and corner posts. A humble place with humble roots. It has its own charms and stories to tell.
I have a Philly rowhome from the 1890's with all original hardwood floors, huge molding, 8' by 4' double doors but my favorite are the hinges!!! they are truly a work of art. The kitchen floor has been replaced with oak hardwoods that are in desperate need of refinishing. I have been thinking of painting them and after seeing the painted floors in this post I definately am!!! Congrats on your "new" home.
My dining room has all of its original 1909 details: paneling topped with plate rail, built-in china cabinet, fireplace, oak floor, coved ceiling, plaster ceiling medallion, bay windows. None of the woodwork has been painted. It's awesome.
I have many of the same features in my 1920s colonial, and I love them all.
I especially appreciate the useful bits like the laundry chute, pull out flour bin where I keep the trash and the built in cutting boards that I just reconditioned this week.
I don't appreciate them on cleaning days filled with detailed molding and the hundred of panes of glass in all the french doors or when removing old paint from bass fixtures or radiators...
Or WORSE when one is missing or breaks, as in the marble top to my bedroom radiator or the glass nob inside a hall closet. Oh or the skeleton key that weakened in the summer heat and broke off in the balcony glass paned door and locked the cat out on the balcony that day.
Would love to see some wide shots of the whole place...
I am still pining for my victorian apartment in portland, that included a solarium. or my moroccan-style craftsman. Can't do the Northwest anymore, I am afraid.
I live in midcentury wasteland outside Seattle now, and we are about to move somewhere even worse, architecturally speaking, lovely silicon valley. blah.
Maybe when I am all grown up I can go buy a victorian in Santa Cruz or something.
JeffC -- I promise to show some wide shots of the whole house when there is more to see. We just moved in so everything is in boxes! Projects from this house will likely make appearances in future posts too.
misty, can we be friends??? i live in austin, too :) i am dying to buy an older home here. like you did, i currently live in a 1950s home... love it, but want one older...