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. Left; mortise lock, above; tube latch and square... more

For three days in November 2007, over 900 vendors of green and sustainable building materials and services converged on Chicago’s McCormick Place. According to the US Green Building Council’s website (www.greenbuildexpo.com), the “USGBC’s Greenbuild Conference and Expo was an unparalleled opportunity to connect with other green building peers, industry experts, and influential leaders as they shared insights on the green building movement and its diverse specialties.” Many new products... more

No one knows for sure when the first porch was invented, but it’s safe to say that porches have existed — in one form or another—since humans first built habitable shelters. Porch technology did not evolve in steady stages around the globe, however. Ancient kingdoms in Africa had relatively sophisticated concepts of indoor-outdoor living at the same time that European hovels tried as much as possible to shut out the cruel world beyond. It would take several millennia and much intermingling... more

Impressive entrance greets visitors on approach. The Pittock Mansion in the West Hills is Portland’s own “Hearst Castle.” It was built in 1914 by Oregonian newspaper founder and publisher Henry Pittock and his wife Georgiana. Many would say that it is the grandest of the great homes of early Portland. Descendants of the Pittock family lived in the house until 1958. In 1964 it was purchased ... more

Kitchen Ideas Span Continents; Capture the Style of Both Old Europe, and Asia. If you’ve never been to Tuscany, this year’s Home & Garden Show provided a virtual passport to the region’s rolling hills and sweeping vistas. For homeowners gathering ideas for a kitchen remodel the message is clear: Today’s top trend is all about capturing the essence of Italy. The signature look combines stonework and iron, terra-cotta tiles and earth tone hues, textured plaster walls and exposed... more

It all started with a stray comment. Tobey Parsons was taking Kathleen, his wife of 33 years, out of town for her birthday. “I mentioned to my kids (four, all grown) that we might remodel the kitchen when we got back,” he recalls. The Parsons came home to a surprise: No more kitchen. Their children had demolished the dilapidated room down to the studs. “We washed our dishes in the utility sink for next two years,” Parsons says, laughing at the memory. It wasn’t funny at the time,... more

The Second Installment of a Three-Part Series Earth Advantage 1909 A working project/forum/classroom for old home voyeurs and “green” build enthusiasts alike. The Earth Advantage 1909 House has progressed since our first installment in the October/November 2004 issue. Recall that Richard and Anne DeWolf, co-owners of Arciform LLC a design-build company located in North ... more

The years between World War II and the Vietnam War saw the rise of a sleek, forward-looking style of architecture known simply as “Modern.” All types of buildings were constructed in this style: high-rise offices, medical clinics, motels, apartments, and of course, houses. Modern’s hallmarks are large expanses of glass, stark geometric forms, unadorned panel surfaces, and visible structural components. Glass, steel,... more