Show us your vintage home!

[tonyb]

That makes for a very charming scene, fedoralover. Was the gingerbread there when you moved in? I'm guessing that the roofline on the left (as we face it) was an addition at some point?

 

[fedoralover]

That makes for a very charming scene, fedoralover. Was the gingerbread there when you moved in? I'm guessing that the roofline on the left (as we face it) was an addition at some point?

Thanks Tony, I think the addition was made in the 50s. I made the gingerbread myself and put it up, also the arbor and fence. It totally changed the appearance of the house. I also put the crown molding on the windows and put the pillar on the porch. This house had a lot of ugly modifications over the years and we have tried to p make it old again. It's an on going project as I still have things I want to do to it.

fedoralover

 

[Gwendolynne]

Wow, the nouveau photo is amazing.. can you tell me where you found the photo, I would love to see more.

 

[tonyb]

I can dig all that, fedoralover. A friend expended a whole lot of effort (and money) undoing the "improvements" his 1902-built house had suffered over the years.

Our house up in Seattle was built during the 1930s. Whatever charm it may have had at one time has long been remodeled right out of it. Vinyl windows, aluminum siding, the list goes on. My sister-in-law and her kid live there for now, and for now it functions well enough as a modest dwelling in the "hip" city. It's a small house, but it's a house. It has off-street parking and a lot of yard by in-city standards. But sometimes I look at that house and compare it to others in the neighborhood that haven't been so butchered over the years and I wish that people would just leave well enough alone. I shudder to think of all the great old windows that got replaced with vinyl-clad double-pane things over the past couple of decades.

 

[tonyb]

The term "Vintage" really isn't very specific, this thread should be: Show us your golden era home.... or something like that.

Oh well, we have fun anyway.

Good point, and one well taken. Still, in the "Golden Era" most people lived in places constructed prior to then, right? And I'm thinking that most people then, as now, lived in spaces furnished with items from various eras.

What many people these days think is quite modern actually dates to quite early in the 20th century. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's iconic Barcelona chair, for instance, appeared in 1929.

One way of knowing one isn't a kid anymore is seeing stuff in the antique stores that's younger than oneself. If nothing else, it serves as a reminder that "antique" is kind of like "vintage" in that its definition can get squishy.

 

[AmateisGal]

Built in 1913. lived here 25 years now.

fedoralover

Adorable!!!

 

[AmateisGal]

tonby, I love your eclectic style! And your lamps in the living room are wonderful...

 

[fedoralover]

Adorable!!!

Thanks, here's a few shots of the inside.

fedoralover

 

[AmateisGal]

Wow. It looks like you just step back in time when you walk in the front door. Amazing job!

 

[rue]

I'm in love with your home FedoraLover. It's absolutely darling

 

[fedoralover]

Why thank you ladies. Since you like it I'll post a few more angles and shots.

Here's the other bathroom, much smaller but still vintage.

fedoralover

 

[rue]

Absolutely wonderful..... The kitchen and those bathrooms are so cute

 

[tonyb]

Do I recall correctly that the tile in your large bathroom prompted a question from me, a couple years ago or more now? You had taken a picture of a hat in that bathroom, if my memory can be trusted (that's not always a safe bet).

The bathroom, which is just splendid, by the way, looks as it does largely due to your efforts, right?

 

[fedoralover]

Do I recall correctly that the tile in your large bathroom prompted a question from me, a couple years ago or more now? You had taken a picture of a hat in that bathroom, if my memory can be trusted (that's not always a safe bet).

The bathroom, which is just splendid, by the way, looks as it does largely due to your efforts, right?

We added the larger bathroom about 10 years ago. We salvaged the clawfoot tub and light fixtures. The tile on the walls and floors are new as is the pedestal sink. We ordered the sink faucets from England. The stained glass door is pretty old and also is from England. We wanted the new bathroom to look like it fit in with the rest of the house.

We have replaced every light fixture in the house with vintage ones and have a few pushbutton wall switches to turn them on. As you can see the house is kinda cluttery with a lot of misc. antiques. My wife is always finding something and bringing it home.

fedoralover

 

[dhermann1]

Thanks, here's a few shots of the inside.

fedoralover

I think the phrase "impeccable taste" gets thrown around a great deal too often nowadays. But this is one situation where it certainly fits. Impeccable. Beautifully done. This looks like an example of a house that looks small on the outside, but is quite big on the inside.

 

[Kirk H.]

I think the phrase "impeccable taste" gets thrown around a great deal too often nowadays. But this is one situation where it certainly fits. Impeccable. Beautifully done. This looks like an example of a house that looks small on the outside, but is quite big on the inside.

I agree. I love the tile work in the bathroom. Well done.

Regards

Kirk H

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Fedora Lover, love your house! Take me back to my childhood!

 

[nostalgic]

fedoralover, I'm just going to have to join the choruses of "ooo's and aaah's"! Your place is stunning and I must say that your larger bathroom is to die for. I'm quite jealous

 

[fedoralover]

Wow, thanks so much for all the kind comments. As some of you know living in an old house is a labor of love. You love it but it's a lot of labor. We do get interesting comments from our friends who have never been inside before. Our kitchen stove is from the 50s, a gas model with a griddle in the middle. One of our dear friends upon visiting the first time and spying the stove she said "why this is so cute, do you cook on it?" Others say it's like going to a museum. But some of our more "modern" friends try to be polite and say "why what an interesting house". We know what they mean, but thats okay. You either love the look or you don't.

fedoralover

 

[rue]

Do you cook on it?? :rofl: That's a good one.

Don't you just love the museum comment? My sister-in-law thinks that about our house. I can never understand why, because it feels homey to us [huh]

Yes it is a labor of love, but I wouldn't have it any other way. When we move this time, it'll be another old house. I can't imagine living in anything else

Thank you for sharing yours. You've really done a wonderful job