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Victorian Decorating Tips
Renovating an 1860's home
We have a very exciting article for you in this issue; one of our readers, Ms. Chris Anne Cole, contacted us in regards to her and her husband renovating their 1860's home.
We have asked Chris many questions for which you will be informed to possibly take on a project like this in the near future.
Let us read on and get Chris's most valuable information.
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Q--What year was your home built?
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A pencil sketch of the house from 1873
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A--We have a pencil sketch of the house from 1873, but we have traced the home back to the 1860's. We went to the Washington County Court House in Washington, Pa.
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Q--By doing most of the work yourself...do you have any tips for our readers?
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A--I think you have to start with one room at a time and try not to even think of all the work in the other areas of the house. I have found if I thought of it one room at a time, I did not get so overwhelmed. Before we would even start a room, I would gather as much research as possible on that particular room. I use the internet (like your web site) and also decorating magazines for tips on crating that Victorian look. I would know the colors, fabrics, wallpaper, lighting fixtures, and furniture before we even started the room. This helped in getting the "feel" of the room while under construction.
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Q--Did you acquire from retail stores antiques/reproductions for the furnishings or used other sources?
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A--There is an incredible little furniture store here in Monongahela. They specialize in antique reproductions and vintage furniture. I have bought a lot of my "key" pieces there. The name of the store is CJ's furniture. Monongahela is still the type of town that people know and trust their neighbors. My husband and I also have acquired furniture from some antiques from both our grandmothers. I have a table and a desk from my two grandmothers, and we have 2 china closets from my husbands grandmother (the one we bought this house from).
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Q--What rooms have you finished already?
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A--We have the upstairs hall carpeted and some of the wallpaper hung. We were lucky to have my husbands' cousin (who hangs wallpaper for a living) help us get started with this big wallpaper job. The carpet is a burgundy floral print and it makes the room. I call the hall a room because it is very large. I donŐt mean to brag mean to brag, but it looks like something that would be in a movie! We are almost done with the dining room and formal living room. We are waiting for the carpet installers. I have chosen plum and dusty rose colors for those two rooms and am so excited to see them complete. We have added new lead glass doors and Victorian screen doors to the outside. We will be adding the Victorian ginger bread to the outside in the near future. We want to do the fish scales on the top in the peaks and also add gingerbread any place we can!
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Q--Since this is our summer issue...did you do anything to the outside gardens or plan to?
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A--We have already had 4 pine trees removed because they were very large and were crowding our back porch and blocking the view in the front of the house. So, this spring I have been planting lots of grass and trying to do some weeding. The yard has been let go for a long time, and that is a huge project. We are planning on adding a white picket fence around the entire yard. We also plan on putting in a drive way to the garage, adding a deck off the back porch, planting some pretty trees to replace the pine trees we removed, wrapping the porch around to connect to the foyer side of the house and this would also let us add a ton of gingerbread.
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Lionhead Ring Pull (Solid Brass)
[Victorian Screen Door on Foyer]
Outside of the house with new screen
Upstairs with new carpet
Hall - Upstairs
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We want to thank the Cole family for letting us get a ring side view on how they are renovating their home. We are sure the information they have given you will help enormously in your renovating projects.
Happy Renovating!
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