True colors included brilliant yellow, Prussian blue and turquoise, clear green, blood red, and rich ivories tinted with grey, yellow, or pink. By the 1870s the Victorian tripartite treatment was fashionable: walls divided into dado (or wainscot) below the chair rail, a fill or field section, and a frieze at the top of the wall. By modern standards, even the simplified treatments of the Arts & Crafts period were decorative. Colors were earthier and yet included gold, grass green, and eggplant, while pastels were used in the bedrooms.
Learn about the rich history of the decorated wall— paint techniques and printed papers, embossed surfaces, ornamental plaster, tile—and white walls may come to feel like the absence of finish, or even a reminder of the whitewash once used in stables. History offers options from subtle to fantastic—adaptable today for something unique.
1. W.F. NORMAN CORPORATION wfnorman.com
Founded in 1898, W. F. Norman Corp. has the nation’s most complete collection of quality, hand-pressed ceilings, cornices, mouldings, and ornaments. Call for a catalog or view their products online. (800) 641-4038
2.& 3. J.P. WEAVER jpweaver.com
Designers and manufacturers of European-inspired interior architectural mouldings since 1914. Creators of the intricately carved Petitsin collection of flexible resin interior mouldings for walls and ceilings. Design services available. (818) 500-1740
4. DRIWOOD MOULDING CO. driwood.com
They create architecturally correct, elegant, embossed and plain hardwood mouldings for residential or commercial projects. More than 500 exceptional mouldings in stock to fit any project. View and shop online. (888) 245-9663
This story is from the September 2020 edition of Old House Journal.
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This story is from the September 2020 edition of Old House Journal.
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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.