Interior doors can provide a good bit of insight to the history and style of a home. Here in the Deep South, specifically Atlanta, we typically have six-panel heart of pine doors in our Craftsman bungalows and American Foursquares: homes built during the late teens and into the early 1930s. Six … [Read more...]
A Geyser In the Yard Presents Challenges
May 27, 2010 By ·
When we were at the lake house two weekends ago and the water pressure was less than stellar, I thought that something was afoot. Then, I ventured down into the basement to discover that at weekend’s end, my newly filled chemical tank (to get the Ph up to a neutral 7 in order to hit the iron … [Read more...]
Not Just for Salads: Vinegar Does Wonders for Wood Floors
May 21, 2010 By ·
If you mix pets, children, entertaining and simple day-to-day life with your beautiful wood floors, you know that what you get is floors that are less than pristine. I am speaking from experience as my 100 year old pine floors bear the brunt of the feet of many sub-contractors, my daughter’s garden … [Read more...]
Clawfoot Tubs, Bad Hygiene, and the Sears Catalog for T.P.
May 19, 2010 By ·
I am enamored with my clawfoot tub, which is original to our restored 1911 Craftsman bungalow. It’s is a deep wellspring of contentment. I love soaking, with a glass of red vino, on a chilly winter day. And since I’m sharing, I prefer the water extra hot with an ample sprinkling of … [Read more...]
The Silence of the Lambs Basement of Old Junque
May 18, 2010 By ·
I get a huge kick out of amassing great quantities of old junk. Not just junk really, but “junque.” That’s French and that makes it valuable. I kid, sorta. … [Read more...]
How Little Bug Bodies Give Trim that Warm Historic Look
May 18, 2010 By ·
My favorite old house finish is made from the scraped bits of bug secretions. And when first harvested, the finish is a tempting amalgam of scraped bark, bug appendages, and sticky-lac resin. The female lac bug is the one responsible for this resin and she lives in the trees of India and … [Read more...]
