Northwest Renovation » Old School

American Kitchen Sinks: A Snapshot of History

Karla Pearlstein — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:29:19 +0000

Selecting a kitchen sink while trying to achieve the appropriate look for a period kitchen can be a huge challenge. There is just so much misinformation and misleading marketing out there. It is often very difficult for homeowners to know what is correct for their specific period. Many of the ads, images, and plumbing stores [...]

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American Kitchen Sinks: A Snapshot of History

Kitchen Transformation on a Budget: The Thrill of the Hunt

Karla Pearlstein — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 23:03:48 +0000

When we think of a kitchen renovation we usually see lots of dollar signs … And often these projects are big-ticket items ranging anywhere from $50,000 and up. There are times when kitchens need to be gutted to the studs. But often with old houses such heavy-handed approaches are not necessary. With old houses, sometimes [...]

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Kitchen Transformation on a Budget: The Thrill of the Hunt

The Dishwasher In a Vintage Kitchen, Who Knew?!

Karla Pearlstein — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 20:26:13 +0000

The dishwasher, we take it pretty much for granted. When looking at a home, the dishwasher is a convenience that we have come to expect. We use it to store dirty dishes, and sometimes clean dishes as well. But how did the dishwasher come to be? It’s an interesting story. The first patent for a [...]

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The Dishwasher In a Vintage Kitchen, Who Knew?!

The Different Shades of “White”: Vintage Tones for Painting the Trim of Historic Interiors

CJ Hurley — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 19:27:18 +0000

There is a broad spectrum of appropriate trim colors for historic homes, but white is one of the most common and difficult to select. Finding the right white to paint the interior trim of your home can be a daunting task. Instead of making the choice easy, there is a staggering palette of whites available [...]

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The Different Shades of “White”: Vintage Tones for Painting the Trim of Historic Interiors

Keeping It “To Period”

Karla Pearlstein — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 22:23:51 +0000

To the untrained eye, a scramble of period styles in an historic building may not be problematic. The general approach of just installing what is easiest, or what the current owner thinks looks good tends to be the fate of many historic homes and buildings. Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 This more [...]

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Keeping It “To Period”

California Coolers (No, Not the Drink!)

Karla Pearlstein — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 00:26:27 +0000

If you’ve ever noticed two louvered vents stacked on the exterior of an old house, they were probably vents to a California cooler. These nifty architectural details are often associated with Craftsman Bungalow kitchens, but actually were quite common in kitchens of many different architectural styles built mostly between the early 1900s and the 1930s. [...]

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California Coolers (No, Not the Drink!)

Balancing Then and Now: Painting the Interior of Late Victorian and Arts & Crafts Homes

CJ Hurley — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 22:02:05 +0000

Painting colors in your period home’s interior should be an exciting adventure. After all, the reason we paint our living spaces is to create an atmosphere that feels comfortable, relaxing, and results in an environment that says something about us. If we didn’t, we could simply paint our homes institutional white and be happy. Choosing [...]

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Balancing Then and Now: Painting the Interior of Late Victorian and Arts & Crafts Homes

Vintage Formica

Karla Pearlstein — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 19:50:18 +0000

The dazzling patterns and colors of old-fashioned Formica grabs attention. And in a world run amok with granite countertops, this has never been truer. Formica (laminate) used in the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Gorden house at the Oregon Gardens in Silverton, OR. Resources: Bars and Booths Boomerang laminates www.barsandbooths.com Pastense Retro diner furniture and laminates www.pastense.com [...]

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Vintage Formica