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13 Features From Historic Homes That Don’t Exist Today
As both an interior design editor and a haunted house podcast host, I’m drawn to home features that are equal parts charming and downright odd. And while researching the infamous and historic Lemp Mansion in St. Louis’s Benton Park neighborhood for an episode of our haunted house history podcast, Dark House, I came across tons of fascinating fun facts about common features in old, grand homes. And by “fascinating,” I mean sometimes nostalgic and beautiful, other times, downright creepy or problematic. Once cutting-edge and all-the-rage, these features now tend to be obsolete. But they still very much tell worthwhile stories about the evolution of technology. Ahead, learn about some of…
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Governor Hochul Announces New York State Historic Preservation Awards for 2022
Governor Kathy Hochul now announced that 9 tasks and one particular person are currently being identified with 2022 New York State Historic Preservation Awards. Assignments highlighted with this year’s awards incorporate a group-led institution of a historic district in Chautauqua County, transformational design of historic backyard house in Westchester County, and the finished restoration of a historic pier in New York City. “Preserving notable landmarks throughout New York will allow us to celebrate our shared history and honor our collective past,” Governor Hochul said. “I congratulate this year’s recipients on their attempts to capitalize on our historic and cultural assets to create a brighter long run for our state.” Developed…
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Bold color schemes bring original features to life in this historic home
Looking for a way to update their historic home in Newton Center, Massachusetts, the owners decided a glamorous, sexy and elegant look would be the way to go. They wanted to restore and enhance the property’s many original features, and a sympathetic interior décor, with added 2020s sass has transformed this into one of the world’s best homes. Before they could even begin to consider the fine design details, however, there were some major obstacles to overcome – namely stripping away the not very complimentary architectural elements that had been added to the house in the 1940s, 80s and 90s. The main culprit and biggest challenge was the old 1980s…
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Spring Home Design: A historic West Seattle kitchen goes from clunky to sunny
THE “BEFORE” OF this story stretches back nearly a century to a significant architectural milestone that now grounds a newly elegant, supremely functional kitchen as the “after” hub of the home — and as homage. Brandon and Jill (plus their “two-legged kid,” who is 9, and their “four-legged kid,” who is a giant German shepherd) live in a historic 1927 French Colonial in West Seattle designed by Elizabeth Ayer, the first woman to graduate from the professional architecture program at the University of Washington and the first woman registered as an architect in the state. Brandon and Jill had driven by Ayer’s creation from time to time and always were drawn…
