Articles in Old House Living

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New! Historic Kitchens 1890 to 1920: Design and Development
What to do with a kitchen in a heritage house? Restore it or do a complete renovation? Here is some history and tips to make your planning easier. The Room Beautiful: The W. L. Donehower Wallpaper Catalog of the 1920’s
Wallpapered Rooms of the 1920’s: The Donehower Line for 1925 The Mansard Style:
Politics, Tax evasion and Beauty
The Mansard, or Second Empire style of architecture, has its beginnings in the 1600’s in France. Malibu Tiles: Architectural Decoration from California
The history of the Malibu Potteries was short – a scant six years - but the influence of this factory was felt up and down the west coast of North America. The Six Fireplaces of ‘Jolimont’
It is not often that an opportunity to study six fireplaces in one home is presented to us. To explore and understand what the combination of personal taste and availability of construction materials was – at one particular period in time – is a rare occurrence. Curtains for Early Victorian Homes 1845 – 1880
Curtains in the early Victorian period were just becoming household items that regular people could pay attention to in their homes. Residential Stained Glass Windows
Stained glass windows add an incredible richness to a residential interior, and they also enhance the visual interest of the exterior of a building. Victorian Decorative Tile Flooring – Encaustic tiles – Part 3
Encaustic tiles were usually used as the decorative tiles within a floor that primarily used geometric tiles as the main tile covering. Victorian Decorative Tile Flooring – Geometric Tiled Floors – Part 2
Geometric tiles are like jigsaw puzzles for floors. Victorian Decorative Tile Flooring – Mosaic Tiling – Part 1
There are three main types of historic tile flooring used in the Victorian period. Summer Architecture – 1910 -1913
Old House Living is often at its best in Summer! Windows can be open, porches can be used, and gardens enjoyed. In this article we look at two summer structures: A Classic Porch from 1910, and a 1913 Tent Cabin from Pasadena. Hanging Pictures in Old Houses
The technology of hanging pictures has changed greatly over the years. Depending on when your home was built, the method of hanging pictures will vary. Wallpaper and Historic Homes
Wallpaper is synonymous with heritage homes. Old photographs show a wealth of pattern peeking out from behind paintings, showing a rich background for stiff family portraits, and generally giving another-world atmosphere redolent of an earlier age. William Morris Wallpaper and Fabric Designs
William Morris was the father of the Arts & Crafts movement in England and America. His designs for wallpaper and fabric are as popular as they ever were. The Planning, and Printing of a Wallpaper Collection
How are choices made when a company decides to produce a wallpaper collection? A look behind the scenes at an historic wallpaper company planning a collection. Fireplace Tiles in Historic Houses
Famous designers and worldwide distribution. Sounds like the fashion industry, but we are talking about tiles! The glossy, artistic legacy found in many older houses - historic fireplace tiles. Aesthetic Interiors 1880’s – 1890’s
Birds, blossoms, Japanese motifs and black lacquered furniture were the height of fashion in the late 19th century. It all added up to the Aesthetic movement in Interiors. How did it originate?