The American builders’ hardware industry has produced an endless array of architectural hardware over the years.  These are the light fixtures, door hinges, and door escutcheons, and of course the doorknobs that allow us to enter and leave our homes as we please. This is just a preview...Read the rest... Read More →

The quince plant. For the last few 60º weeks I’ve been watching the news about all the snow on the East Coast and can’t believe how lucky we’ve been to avoid another winter like 2008. I was worried during that low 20º week in early last December, but we skirted right around the whole bad weather thing. Yippee! This is just a preview...Read the rest... Read More →

This issue’s musings from across the drawing board ponders what it means to be green. Kermit the Frog got it right. It’s not easy being green. The word is thrown about so cavalierly that the term is poised to lose its meaning completely. If you are planning a renovation project and want to be green, I will give you advice in only one word. The word is not “plastics” like Mr. McGuire said to Benjamin in the classic film The Graduate starring Dustin Hoffman. (If you have never seen the film,... more

They say there are no straight lines in nature, but clean, straight lines set painting projects apart. They distinguish the amateur from the professional. While painter’s tape can help, it does not guarantee sharp lines. A common thought amongst painters is that the longer a painter paints, the less painter’s tape they use. This is just a preview...Read the rest... Read More →

When Patty Spencer looks through the windows of a vintage home, she wonders about all the others who have seen through the glass over the years. Were they watching the milkman’s horse cart tied to a metal ring in the curb? Were they looking for family members returning from work or from wars? As founder of Fresh Air Sash Cord Repair, Inc., Spencer also considers the individuals who handcrafted each window. “I wish I could sit down and talk with them — or work alongside them to see how they... more

In the previous two issues of Northwest Renovation, this column has reviewed two house styles from the American Colonial Period: The Dutch Colonial, and the Cape Cod. This issue will look at the most common house style resulting from this period, known simply as “The Colonial Revival.” This is just a preview...Read the rest... Read More →

The sales flyer for the house on 46th Avenue had one handwritten note on it: “bad kitchen.” This was one of the first houses we looked at on our scouting trip from San Francisco, CA. We knew the neighborhood was right and the house certainly had the low-slung Craftsman bungalow style we wanted, but we dismissed it very quickly because of that kitchen. Months later we still struggled with the process and had to decide what items on our wish list we could live without while we revisited our stack... more

The new kid on the block Old Portland Hardware & Architectural is making friends fast with quality house parts from Portland and other parts of the country. Northwest Renovation decided to pay them a visit and ask owner Bret Hodgert a few questions. We explored the showroom, finding many one-of-a-kind architectural gems and replacement hardware. Also new to the neighborhood is Portland Vintage Plumbing, owned by Brenda Wasco. Her shop is nestled in OPH&A, selling new, vintage reproduction... more