apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

That Crapsman Cottage photo had me doing a double-take. It looked like it was made of Lego. Now that would be much much cooler...

The cottage was tasteful before and after, but I do think it was a real shame to remove original details. If you want a modern minimalist place, why tear apart a historical house? Talk about not listening to the soul of your home. Sure, if you own it, do what pleases you, but I do think it's important to honour the soul of your living space and work with it. Painting things white is working with the space, ripping out original fittings is working against what could make it really individual.

The thing is, the mourning former owner wasn't listening to the soul of the home either. She put Victorian-style lighting with an Arts-and-Crafts-inspired color scheme in a house with Colonial Revival details. Her vision was historicized, but in a kind of Disney-Celebration way that mishmashes all sorts of styles together into a single romanticized past.

Ripping out the fireplace tile was a crime, but white paint is probably more true to the house's past.