Home
Old House Journal
window PROBLEM SOLVERS FOR OLD-HOUSE RETROFITS & ADD-ONS
Good windows, well designed, can solve problems with function, proportion, letting in the light, and ventilation. Manufacturers are stepping up.
4 min |
July - August 2023
Old House Journal
OUR DYNAMIC MID-CENTURY RANCH
The 1952 house was cookie-cutter and tired. Now it showcases the best of MCM design.
2 min |
July - August 2023
Old House Journal
For Gracious Outdoor Living
An eclectic pick of enhancements for your home and garden this summer.
3 min |
July - August 2023
Old House Journal
FORMAL ORNAMENTAL DESIGNS
EARLY GARDEN TYPES AGAIN IN FASHION.
2 min |
May - June 2023
Old House Journal
at River Road Farm
Uncultivated land around an 18th-century farmhouse slowly became a series of garden rooms, formal but not overly structured.
3 min |
May - June 2023
Old House Journal
MOTIFS OF THE COLONIAL STYLES
DESIGN CONVENTIONS FOR EARLY & REVIVAL HOMES.
2 min |
May - June 2023
Old House Journal
A NEW KITCHEN WITH A PRESERVATION ETHIC
Before 1994, when she fell in love with and bought this house, Sarah Blank hadn't heard of Royal Barry Wills. Then she learned that the Cape, built in 1957, in New Canaan, Connecticut, was typical of the work of the famous Colonial Revival architect who was a prolific designer as well as America's best-selling architectural writer. A Massachusetts native who opened his Boston firm in 1925, Wills loved New England's small, historic houses and made a specialty of designing updated yet authentically proportioned versions of Capes, saltboxes, and garrison colonials. Hundreds of his houses stand, including the 1500-square-foot Cape that Blank proceeded to enlarge.
2 min |
May - June 2023
Old House Journal
The House that APOTTERY BUILT
William Day Gates, founder of an important terra-cotta tile and pottery company, built his retirement home in 1927. Decades later, it would take a knowledgeable Arts & Crafts collector to save the abandoned house in Illinois. Chicago architect John Eifler helped guide the restoration: \"The house is a terra cotta and pottery catalog!\" he says.
3 min |
May - June 2023
Old House Journal
Carpeting the Stairs
A staircase runner adds comfort and safety, color, pattern, and a period touch.
4 min |
May - June 2023
Old House Journal
comeback FLOORS
Floors hand-cut or milled from old-growth woods can withstand decades of abuse. Over the arc of time, however, settling and subsidence, careless repairs, and damage from water or pets create challenges for even these hardy survivors.
7 min |
May - June 2023
Old House Journal
Arts & Crafts Design, Built In
A modern kitchen has the appeal of an Arts & Crafts living room.
2 min |
May - June 2023
Old House Journal
original period built-ins PERMANENT FURNITURE FOR EVERY ERA
Bookcases and buffets, inglenooks and china cabinets, window benches & more: original builtin furniture from any period inspires new work today.
5 min |
May - June 2023
Old House Journal
A DEFT REFURBISHMENT
With features missing or unsalvageable, the house needed a facelift-in keeping with the architecture.
2 min |
May - June 2023
Old House Journal
Lighting Over Time
Illumination for interiors: 18th century to the present.
1 min |
May - June 2023
Old House Journal
What's on the Floor
Finishes for the hardest working surface in the house.
2 min |
May - June 2023
Old House Journal
Earthy Colors, New Layout
Textured tile and quarter-sawn oak make it a handsome revival kitchen.
2 min |
January - February 2022
Old House Journal
Deep Clean to Save Big
After we got a $50,000 estimate to gut and renovate the bathroom in our 1946 modernist house, I figured I’d tackle the 8' x 8' room myself.
3 min |
January - February 2022
Old House Journal
Fancy Painted Floors
Borders and checkerboard designs are DIY favorites; you might also try your hand at stenciling or faux effects.
3 min |
January - February 2022
Old House Journal
And Now, The Kitchen
Using original bits and vintage pieces, making the kitchen functional was a high priority.
3 min |
January - February 2022
Old House Journal
new KITCHEN for an old house
THE WALLPAPER’S AESTHETIC MOVEMENT OR BRITISH ARTS & CRAFTS PATTERN IDEALLY SUITS THIS 1903 AMERICAN QUEEN ANNE HOUSE.
3 min |
January - February 2022
Old House Journal
right ON!
Leaving aside shag carpeting and copper-tone appliances, a couple embrace the best of the decade for a splendid period house grounded in nature.
3 min |
January - February 2022
Old House Journal
reclaiming the attic
Is your house bursting at the seams? Do you long for private office space, a guest retreat, or a kids’ bonus room? The solution might be right over your head: no need to leave the neighborhood, or even put on an addition.
10 min |
January - February 2022
Old House Journal
displaying collections ARRANGE TO INSPIRE
Ideas, inspiration, and tidbits on the beautiful and safe arrangement and display of collectibles both traditional and eccentric.
5 min |
January - February 2022
Old House Journal
A Home Full of Character
Smaller homes like this 1920s Dutch Colonial so often get overlooked as worthy of restoration. Owners don’t think they’re special . . . or they add on or remodel until the original is unrecognizable. This owner saw the potential.
4 min |
November - December 2021
Old House Journal
A Furnished Bath
This elegant bathroom has fixture panels fabricated from parts of a Victorian armoire.
2 min |
November - December 2021
Old House Journal
Holiday Home
Any of these would be a welcome gift for an old-house friend or for an artful home . . . including your own.
2 min |
November - December 2021
Old House Journal
Simple Craftsman Roots Revived
A “clean but sterile” 1914 kitchen is treated to bungalow-era design.
2 min |
November - December 2021
Old House Journal
MOVING toward
Changing energy markets and evolving technology make it possible to heat, cool, and ventilate homes of any age with (mostly) clean, all-electric power—and less of it. Heating home water, formerly an energy hog, is turning into an energy sipper, too.
9 min |
November - December 2021
Old House Journal
The Rescue of Portland's FIREHOUSE 17
IN WHAT BECAME THE PROJECT OF A LIFETIME, THE REHABILITATION OF A 1912 FIREHOUSE IS ADAPTIVE REUSE WITH HEART AND SOUL. DECOMMISSIONED IN 1968, ALLOWED TO DETERIORATE AND LATER REMODELED, THE OLD FIREHOUSE HAD BEEN BUILT DURING THE DAYS OF HORSE-DRAWN ENGINES. THE PROJECT WAS SPEARHEADED BY RESTORAT ION CONSULTANT KARLA PEARLSTEIN, IN PORTLAND, OREGON. SHE NOW CALLS THE FIREHOUSE HOME.
3 min |
November - December 2021
Old House Journal
Caring for Silverplate
Whether the design is Rococo, Aesthetic, or Art Deco, silverplate is collectible—and needs care.
5 min |