Old House Journal

I’VE often been asked, “What is your favorite style?” and even, “What’s your favorite house?” My usual answer is, “Depends on where I am!” Visiting a First Period house in Massachusetts, as a teenager, I’d have answered that someday I hoped to live in a dark, low-ceilinged Colonial redolent of history. Later, when I was living in brownstone Brooklyn and invited into houses with working gaslights and their original pocket doors and sitz baths, I was won over by Victorians, a passion that grew as I traveled to tour Gothic cottages and Queen Anne tower houses being restored and decorated in period splendor. The first time I went into the Log House at Craftsman Farms, in New Jersey (before it was a museum), I was taken aback by how closely it resembles…

SAVE THE DATE Historic New England’s lively, provocative annual Summit takes place in Portland, Maine, November 14–15, 2024. The venue is the historic Eastland Hotel, now Westin Portland Harborview. summit.historicnewengland.org The next Traditional Building Conference is in Savannah, Ga., October 23–24: sultry strolls along tree-laden squares, education sessions, and a focus on traditional building craft. Adaptive reuse, additions, lime plaster. Plus: tours! Geared to architects and designers, contractors, craftspeople, and facilities managers; AIA Continuing Education Credits. traditionalbuildingshow.com NARRATIVE DESIGN Stories personal and architectural are told through 13 design projects; text introduces welcome takeaways on scale, color, curation, and surprise. Philip Gorrivan’s design aesthetic spans from 18th-century European antiques to contemporary. Historical references balance a sophisticated modernism. AUTHENTIC INTERIORS ROOMS THAT TELL STORIES by Philip Gorrivan (Gibbs Smith, 2024) Driwood.com…

1. COPPER COLONIAL Light a path or driveway with the #24 copper post light. Modeled on an original from Boston, the handmade lantern is available in plain, painted, or oxidized finishes. In sizes from 29" to 8' tall: $1,169 to $2,100. Gates Moore Lighting, (603) 464-0382, gatesmoorelighting.com 2. SHADES OF MACKINTOSH Rated for outdoor locations such as an entry or porch, the Aberdeen pendant is shown in the verdigris patina with gold-white iridescent art glass. The pendant measures 7" wide x 14" tall and comes in other combinations; $644. Arroyo Craftsman Lighting, (708) 547-5757, arroyocraftsman.com 3. HORN IN THE ROUND The original of this custom-made Sultana ceiling light was an 18th-century cow-horn lantern. With mica for the lenses and a bull’s-eye rondel at the bottom, it measures 8 ½" high x 8 ½" in diameter.…

1. BESPOKE PORTHOLE Accent a porch nook with a hand-built, ready-to-glaze hardwood window frame made by an English craftsman. Windows may be fixed or operable, with either pivoting or side-hinged casements. Glazing bars, too. Ships to U.S.; $305 and up. The Round Window Company, +44 17 4957 2782, roundwindowcompany.com 2. PERFECT TO PAIR The House of Dun urn is a replica of a damaged 18th-century Scottish urn commissioned as part of that Georgian home’s restoration. The freeze–thawresistant urn stands 16 ¾" high and is 13" wide. Available in their Bath, Portland, and Terracotta tints: $345. Haddonstone, (866) 733-8225, haddonstone.com 3. INCOMING Large enough for a newspaper, the ornate, Victorian-style letter slot set is based on a late-1800s Russell & Erwin pattern. The 10 ¾"-wide slot and matching interior trim piece are lost wax-cast in solid…

ONEONTA, NY / $810,000 A spectacular 1826 Greek Revival farmhouse boasts a double-height temple façade with Tuscan columns. It sits on 14+ acres and has six barns. Period details include formal, original trim in the parlor and a historic staircase. GUILFORD, CT / $975,000 The ca. 1710 Pelatiah Leete House is a remarkably well preserved Saltbox with Georgian details. It offers multiple fireplaces, plus original doors, floor-boards, a built-in corner cupboard, and a winder stair—all intact. ENON, OH / $450,000 A broken pediment over the door adds to the simple façade of this 1846 Greek Revival, renovated in the early 1990s. The interior has an original, unpainted staircase and hooded window and door casings. PROVIDENCE, RI / $795,000 Sensitively restored 60 years ago, the Federal-style John Truman House dates to 1802. Features include a pedimented entry, elliptical…

I’ve written before about the restored houses of my friends Patricia Chidlaw and Robert Sponsel; they went from a 1912 bungalow to a 1925 Norman Revival cottage, both beautifully done to the period. I recently revisited the cottage to see the transformation of their bathrooms. This house was built by a Swedish-born carpenter. Its picturesque details include a steeply pitched roof and a prominent chimney, eight-light casement windows, and built-in window seats. The setting is absolutely enchanting as the house sits amidst live oaks above a meandering creek; the area was once a park owned by Mission Santa Barbara. Patricia and Robert nicknamed it Scottie Cottage after their beloved dogs. They’d held off fixing the two bathrooms—for almost 20 years. The rooms were functional but ugly. With unflattering lighting, the downstairs bath…