Old House Links

What we are reading this week about decorating and renovating old houses:

The Wall Street Journal wrote about the Kreischer mansion of Staten Island, which is for sale for $1.3 million. It’s been in the news before for crimes committed on the property and supposedly being haunted. But what interests us is that the finishes look original, although we don’t know for a fact that they are (the owner said he spent $1 million restoring the place). Check out the polychrome painted Lincrusta ceiling and walls and the swirly plaster in the hall. Also note the subtle two-tone woods on some of the fireplaces, and the highly authentic seeming exterior paint job (perhaps it was copied from the original). We know of fewer than ten houses worldwide built in the 1880s or 1890s that retain their original interior decorations and paint, and this might be one of them. The house was built about 1885 by a brick manufacturer and is landmarked, according to the story.
Spirits Moving on Staten Island [WSJ]

We were thrilled to see photos of this beautiful and relatively late house by Frank Lloyd Wright, built in Pheonix in 1952. Unfortunately, it is in danger of being torn down, although since the story came out, the owners have promised not to raze it. Like the Guggenheim, the building is circular. Click through to the Times article for interior shots.
Buyers of Wright Home in Pheonix Reconsider Deal [NY Times]
Photo via AOL Real Estate

Simon Upton is an interiors and portraits photographer who publishes often in such magazines as Elle Decor and World of Interiors. We could stare at the ravishing interiors slideshow on his website all day. The photo above shows a dining room belonging to Steven Volpe in London. Readers who appreciate traditional European architecture will find plenty here.
Portfolio [Simon Upton]