Several times a month we have customers through the shop with a common frustration. Somewhere in their old home they have a new door or doors with modern hardware. They want to replace the modern hardware with something keeping with the age of the home, but have found that old hardware seems to be incompatible with the newer door. We hear the same lament from owners of newer houses that are trying to add some “old world” character to their home. This is just a preview...Read the rest... Read More →

In the world of old homeownership, “repair or replace” is a constant dilemma. Old hardware can pose a particularly difficult challenge. Hardware stores of today rarely carry replacement parts for your 80-year-old home. What they do carry is often of the very cheapest quality and has an aesthetic quality that says, “function only.” When contemplating repair or replacement of hardware in an old home, I recommend answering three questions: This is just a preview...Read the rest... Read More →

Stripping paint from the old hardware (hinges, knobs, etc.) in your house is easier than you think and is one of the cheapest ways to give your aging home a major face-lift. Often, the temptation is to replace hardware that has spent years under multiple layers of paint. Surprisingly, that old paint is hiding hardware that is very often of better quality than anything you can affordably buy new. I first learned the following method of removing paint from hardware many years ago from Bo Sullivan at... more

Whether restoring an older home, or adding old world character to a newer home, using architectural salvage is both “green” and beautiful. Finding and using salvage treasures can both be fun and frustrating. Here are a few tips that will minimize the frustration: This is just a preview...Read the rest... Read More →

We hear it at the shop every day: ”The knobs on my door just spin and nothing happens.” “The knob comes off the door when I try to open it.” “The little thing in the side of the door has stopped working so I put some tape on it to keep it from locking me in the room.” This is just a preview...Read the rest... Read More →

Chances are that if you are reading this magazine you either own, or have a strong interest in, old houses. What is it about old houses that fascinate us so much? Is it the sense of history (if these walls could talk)? Is it the romance of living in an environment that was designed and built in another time (a sanctuary from the daily grind of modern life)? Possibly it is the idea of working with good old-fashioned solid materials (who can pass up the beauty of clear fir)? This is just a preview...Read... more