Lots of old homes have the mysterious second front door. Some were added in renovations over the years, but others are original. The explanations for these original double doors are all over the map. Many folks finally give up hope of finding an answer to this architectural mystery, but I have some ideas for you. [...] Read on →
The bumper sticker on my truck reads, “Please Recycle. Buy an Old House.” It’s not often a company can fit its mission statement on a bumper sticker. A beverage napkin maybe, but we boiled it down to bumper sticker length. Honestly, there is a bit more to our company’s mission, but the real reason I [...] Read on →
When it comes to your old home’s exterior nothing is as important as the details. Fish-scale shingles, jigsaw cut balustrades, creative cornices. There are so many things that make your old house unique. And saving them or replicating the missing pieces distinguishes your historic home from its neighbors. If you own a crumbling Victorian or [...] Read on →
I’ve got a fun reclaimed wood project for you today that we recently made for a local winery. They wanted a rustic, natural wood feel for their tasting room that was soon to open near downtown Orlando. You can check out the winery at www.quantumleapwinery.com So, here’s what we did . . .
Your historic home’s proportions were carefully thought out. They were planned by a designer or architect to work together and complement the overall style of the house. An out of scale addition like an oversized dormer or an undersized porch will only serve to confuse the look of your house. If you’re planning a renovation [...] Read on →
Whether you home is Victorian or Craftsman, Greek or Colonial, plain or elaborate you should respect Its vintage. It is what it is and trying to change it will only lead to trouble. There’s something incredibly jarring about one type of home masquerading as another. Your home has a vintage that is completely unique unto [...] Read on →
This is the start of a new series every Friday entitled “Tips for Historic Homeowners”! These will be short posts every week to help you start thinking about how to maintain, restore and enjoy your historic house. Tip #1 Keep Private vs. Public Spaces The recent trend of large open floor plans in homes today [...] Read on →
Lake Eola’s last remaining historic homes are in danger of destruction. Yesterday I learned of the City of Orlando’s plans to remove 5 historic (according the Orlando Sentinel these homes are only “semi-historic” whatever that may mean) homes dating from 1915-1930 that border Lake Eola park in order to add what will presumably be green [...] Read on →
If your house is old enough to have needed a new paint job in its life then you might have a couple windows that have been painted shut. If your house is as old as mine (1929) you’d be lucky to find a window that still opens. Over the years numerous coats of paint by [...] Read on →
The Tiny House movement is a growing trend in home design today. You might be surprised to find that a Tiny House is the perfect answer to living better than you ever imagined. With a focus on quality over quantity the Tiny House makes the finer things in life more affordable and accessible than ever [...] Read on →
Wainscoting is one of the best ways to dress up a boring room. And for a historic home’s bathroom nothing fits better than breadboard wainscoting. We’ll walk you through the best way to install a true beaded-plank wainscoting by highlighting one of our latest projects. Materials Needed: Beaded-plank boards in 3/4″ or 1/4″ thickness. 1×4 [...] Read on →
In the early part of the 20th century a new idea was gaining ground in home construction. This trend was particularly prevalent in the southern states where the mild winters and sweltering summers necessitated a different approach in the pre air-conditioning days. The summer sun could be brutal in the south and while homes of [...] Read on →
The trim installed in your home has gone through a lot of changes over the last couple centuries. On the simple frontier homes of early colonial America there wasn’t much need for the fanciful trim and moldings present in European homes at the time. It was a wild country and the focus was on survival. [...] Read on →
There is something special about an old house. The incredible craftsmanship, the quality materials, but most precious is the history and story they tell. It’s easy to get caught up in the nuts and bolts of how to cope a joint properly, or cleanly refinish wood floors, but sometimes I need to remember why I do [...] Read on →