This little gem is an original cottage designed by Will Price in the Arts & Crafts enclave of Arden, Delaware. My husband, Rodney Jester, and I were so taken by it, we joined in its restoration, along with our friend Dink Pompper, who lives next door to the cottage.
Built ca. 1912, the cottage was basically all still there, quite neglected but unchanged. Rodney says that the best thing about the house was that it was untouched—which was also the worst thing about it! The original, main house is a mere 18' x 18'. During the 1930s or ’40s, a 10' extension was added at the back for a small kitchen and bath. Features that make the cottage unique include carved stucco, inlaid Moravian tiles, original Arden Forge door hardware, and leaded glass windows made by Arden artisan Elena Darling. The fireplace has local fieldstone and handmade brick. The name of the cottage is Rest Harrow, which had been carved into wood over the front door.
This story is from the July - August 2021 edition of Old House Journal.
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This story is from the July - August 2021 edition of Old House Journal.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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THE Villa RENEWED
This house in Greene County, New York, has been faithfully restored, from its foundation and structure to exterior elements and trim inside.
walls & ceilings
BY THE 1870s, the tripartite treatment was fashionable: walls divided into dado (or wainscot) below the chair rail, fill or field section, and frieze at the top of the wall.
lighting + hardware
ANTIQUE, REPRODUCTION, or contemporary, lighting fixtures and lamps are among the most cost-effective ways to add drama or period style to a room.
CRAFTSMAN PATINA
A smitten owner brings the Arts & Crafts aesthetic to a 1921 bungalow in Seattle.
furniture & decorative accessories
PERIOD ROOMS are the goal of a very small niche of old-house owners.
wall & floor tiles
TODAY WE FIND TILE from small studios . . . carved relief tiles, subway tile and mosaics, glazes matte and iridescent . . . plus encaustics and California revivals.
A TRANSCENDENT BATHROOM IN OJAI
A seamless addition allowed for this timeless primary bath, which has been re-imagined as an upgrade dating to ca. 1930.
CRAFTSMAN DETAILS IN A KITCHEN
An excellent layout and period motifs distinguish this midsize kitchen in a bungalow-era house.
home design - HOUSES HAVE A PAST - AND A FUTURE, TOO
THE BEST RENOVATIONS TOE THE LINE BETWEEN NECESSARY UPDATES AND ENOUGH SENSITIVITY TO ASSURE DESIGN INTEGRITY.
a farmhouse RESCUE
Using a cache of salvaged finds, the homeowner, architect, and contractor together rescued a tumbledown farmhouse in Vermont.