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Old House Journal OLD HOUSE JOURNAL
The best advice on fixing, building, designing and restoring old homes

Howard Products offers a specialized line of restoration and care products for wood, leather, metal, and surfaces in the...
15/12/2025

Howard Products offers a specialized line of restoration and care products for wood, leather, metal, and surfaces in the kitchen and home.Our signature approach is “Restore It — Don’t Strip It!” — for example, our Restor-A-Finish works by penetrating into existing wood finishes (rather than stripping them away), blending out scratches, heat rings, sun fade and other blemishes, and revitalizing color and grain in a wipe-on, wipe-off step. We also make complementary products such as waxes, polishes, cleaners, and food-safe oils (for butcher blocks, cutting boards, etc.) to nourish and protect restored surfaces.More info can be found at www.HowardProducts.com
Sponsored by Howard Products

Have you made your summer plans yet? Apply now for our 6-day summer program in Chicago, and explore the roots of America...
10/12/2025

Have you made your summer plans yet? Apply now for our 6-day summer program in Chicago, and explore the roots of American Modernism, with guided visits of Oak Park, Pullman town, Crab Tree Farm, and the site of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, among others!

PARTIAL AND FULL SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE! Applications due by March 2nd.
https://victoriansociety.org/summer-schools/

Sponsored by Victorian Society in America

At the turn of the 20th century, houses with indoor plumbing typically had only one full bathroom, designed as a “modern...
03/12/2025

At the turn of the 20th century, houses with indoor plumbing typically had only one full bathroom, designed as a “modern and sanitary” space with easy-to-clean surfaces and three fixtures.

Whether you’re refurbishing an existing bath or adding a second, design today can accommodate period style while offering function and convenience.

Read 5 guidelines to designing a vintage bath: https://www.finehomebuilding.com/2024/11/04/designing-a-vintage-bath

The inspired bath pictured features Eastlake-style woodwork and gaslight-era fixtures.

📸 by William Wright

A 1990s renovation once concealed the character of this 1912 Colonial Revival home. With a custom mahogany balustrade an...
17/11/2025

A 1990s renovation once concealed the character of this 1912 Colonial Revival home. With a custom mahogany balustrade and a redesigned lower staircase, the team restored this staircase to fit the home’s original spirit.

📸 Randy O’Rourke
✨ Read more: https://www.finehomebuilding.com/2025/10/01/restoring-the-grandeur

Study nineteenth- and early twentieth-century architecture, design, and the arts at one of the Victorian Society in Amer...
12/11/2025

Study nineteenth- and early twentieth-century architecture, design, and the arts at one of the Victorian Society in America’s internationally acclaimed Summer Schools! Join graduate students, academics, architects and fellow enthusiasts in exploring early Modernism in Chicago, Gilded Age Newport, or 19th-century Britain.
Partial and full scholarships available!
Applications due March 2nd
Sponsored by Victorian Society in America

Sympathetic design and fine craftsmanship are evident in this rear addition to a 1760s Cape. Architect Anne Whitney and ...
04/11/2025

Sympathetic design and fine craftsmanship are evident in this rear addition to a 1760s Cape.

Architect Anne Whitney and kitchen designer Jeff Peavey worked with the owners to create a fit-ting room with old beams, wood floors, and brush-painted wood cabinets.

📸 Stephen Fazio

Is your old home haunted… or just hiding a good story? That grand oak staircase has seen brides float down in silk and l...
31/10/2025

Is your old home haunted… or just hiding a good story? That grand oak staircase has seen brides float down in silk and lace. That carved mantle has watched generations celebrate, mourn, and move on.

With a little detective work, you can chase down the clues hiding in old documents and uncover the real history behind your home.

👻 Check out 5 simple research resources to get you started: https://www.finehomebuilding.com/2025/04/03/how-to-research-your-homes-past

Happy Halloween!
📸 Howard Levine and Charity Vogel

Howard Products offers a specialized line of restoration and care products for wood, leather, metal, and surfaces in the...
27/10/2025

Howard Products offers a specialized line of restoration and care products for wood, leather, metal, and surfaces in the kitchen and home.Our signature approach is “Restore It — Don’t Strip It!” — for example, our Restor-A-Finish works by penetrating into existing wood finishes (rather than stripping them away), blending out scratches, heat rings, sun fade and other blemishes, and revitalizing color and grain in a wipe-on, wipe-off step. We also make complementary products such as waxes, polishes, cleaners, and food-safe oils (for butcher blocks, cutting boards, etc.) to nourish and protect restored surfaces.More info can be found at www.HowardProducts.com

Restoring this 1896 Queen Anne included bringing back the beauty of its second-story bath. Take a look at these details....
24/10/2025

Restoring this 1896 Queen Anne included bringing back the beauty of its second-story bath. Take a look at these details. Period fittings now include timeless 19th-century pieces like a clawfoot tub and high-tank toilets. Walls are painted with a beautiful custom dusty rose.

✨ There’s plenty more to see of this stunning home: https://www.finehomebuilding.com/2025/10/01/a-farmhouse-called-hanford-castle

The Alameda Shade Shop, LLC produces handmade Roller Shades. Everything we do here is custom, from the size of the shade...
23/10/2025

The Alameda Shade Shop, LLC produces handmade Roller Shades. Everything we do here is custom, from the size of the shade to its decorations. Our styles compliment Victorian, Craftsman, Italianate, Colonial, modern and anything in between. Follow the link to learn more! shadeshop.com

Sponsored by Alameda Shade Shop, LLC

Before air conditioning, sleeping porches offered a cool, breezy retreat on warm nights and were once a common feature o...
20/10/2025

Before air conditioning, sleeping porches offered a cool, breezy retreat on warm nights and were once a common feature of Colonial Revival homes.

In this 1912 renovation, architect Frank Shirley brought back the home’s original balance by reopening enclosed sleeping porches. Floor-to-ceiling windows now flood the interior with light, transforming the first-floor porch into a conservatory and the upstairs porch into part of the primary suite.

What was once closed off is now a defining feature again, reconnecting the house to its historic charm and enhancing the flow of light and space. ✨

Architect: Frank Shirley
Contractor: F.H. Perry

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