Downstairs Powder Room – Before
Downstairs bath "Before"
Downstairs Bath - Shower "Before"
The current downstairs bathroom may have undergone some decorations in the last 120 years and I think perhaps it’s time to redo it once again. The plan here is to do it ourselves and save some money. Or perhaps we just wanted to test our sanity and up the ante on our do it yourself plan.
Read MoreKitchen/Den – Before
 Kitchen "Before" |
 Kitchen Floor "Before" |
| The kitchen is really large especially for this age of house. After much deliberation we decided to keep the wood floor – though there is a strange break in the floorboards where we assume perhaps once there was a wall between an original butler’s pantry (now where most of the kitchen cabinetry is) and the rest of the kitchen. We may have to insulate though, since at the moment you can see daylight under your feet between the boards and see the ground under the house which is a bit disconcerting. |
 Back Door "Before" |
The back door with a lovely stained glass transom, this will probably continue to be the door we use most often. Unfortunately we just discovered that this door (whose lock has been funky) is nailed on at the hinges. Yes, that’s right, some genius used nails to hold a heavy door on. |
 Kitchen wall into den "Before" |
Behind this wall around the L shape kitchen is a small den, currently blue. The plan is to remove the wall, leaving the exposed brick of the fireplace on both side and put a bar into the den making a large entertaining space from kitchen to bar and opening up into the hallway by removing some of the added wall around what is now the oven, opening the sight lines from the dining/parlors into a more modern kitchen/bar space. |
 Den "Before" |
 Wall between kitchen and den "before" |
Second Parlor – Before
 Second Parlor "Before" |
This second parlor also has the strange color gradation in the cove but the color choice is a little less strange. |
 Second Parlor - left side "Before" |
This is the room we’re planning to keep empty as a dance floor and sometime yoga room. We are still terribly undecided on eventual color. |
 Second Parlor Ceiling "Before" |
This is the only ceiling painting we may be able to keep though there is a concern in the plaster showing the medallion sagging – we may need to shore up the ceiling from above to make sure that original plasterwork medallion doesn’t fall on us. |
 Second Parlor Chandelier |
One of the matched pair of beautiful victorian chandeliers, the other will hang opposite in the dining room when it comes back from rewiring and cleaning. |
Dining Room – Before
 Dining Room "Before" |
 Dining Room - "Before" Added Paneling |
The dining room has the strangest colors of the house – someone told me that the odd gradation of red walls to green ceiling was historic somehow but I can’t get away from the notion that the ceiling is moldy. The oak paneling which initially done well does not match the cypress and mahogany paneling everywhere else and has taken the brunt of the lack of a/c over the last 5 years. I am determined it has to go eventually but at the moment we’re worried about what we’ll find and the cost of that discovery.
 The craziest mantle of the house |
This dining room mantle is the craziest most detailed and ornate of all 11 in the house. The hunting man on the right is missing a hand that we’ll probably get recast in resin and the fishing spear guy on the left seems to be missing the tip of his spear. |
 Dining room sconces |
The sconces were some of the weird brasswork that initially kind of scared me with their oddly vacant cherubic gaze (this and the oxidized hands coming out of the wall in the upstairs bathroom) but now I’m used to them and they feel like friends, or at least like some very dazed and confused friends hanging on the wall. |
Front Parlor – Before
 Front Parlor "Before" - towards front of house |
 Front Parlor "Before" - Into the Foyer |
The Front Parlor (or Parlour as we say back in Canada) looking towards the front of the house from the second parlor. The crystal armed chandelier is being rewired and cleaned leaving the room empty right now.
Front Parlor "Before" - Mantle
Though one of the less ornate mantles this is actually one of my favorites. I love the delicate cream-colored tile with hints of rose that have mostly worn away. We plan to lighten this room up with wallpaper and rugs and I want to put a piano in the corner – I hope this becomes my favorite and most civilized place to chill.
 Closeup of the Chandelier Detail |
 One of the matching sconces |
Foyer – Before
Foyer - Stairs "Before"
Foyer’s “Before” – This is still my favorite room of the house
Foyer View Down - "Before"
Foyer’s view looking down to the door – We need to fix the hundred year old lock on this door which is turning out to be more complex than you might think.
Foyer Mantle - "Before"
Foyer’s mantle – We started referring to the beautiful hand-painted tile work on this mantle that depicts two women picnicking (I think) as “The sad ladies”. I think they are sad because they’re tired of listening to us argue about what color to paint the foyer.
Foyer stairs - "Before"
Another gorgeous view of the stairs with the fantastic statue light.
Foyer - Hanging Piece "Before"
I’m not sure what this and while it’s an interesting piece I don’t feel it goes with the house. Though from the increasing number of guest surveys I may be the only one who feels this way… regardless, I am determined this not be in the “After” picture.
Read More