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

 


Here’s the latest project from architect Elizabeth Roberts, who lives in a townhouse in Clinton Hill and is known for seamlessly blending contemporary design with original historic details. Above, a revamped window seat in a Park Slope house that was divided into multiple apartments when the occupants, a potter-businessman and a jewelry designer, bought it. They reconfigured the corner house into a four-story residence for themselves above a rental apartment and doctor’s office on the garden level. Some of the home’s remarkable features: Existing trim and doors were removed, stripped, reinstalled in new places, and configured to hide new air conditioning ducts and radiators for the HVAC. Custom doorknobs were designed by the client and indicate the function of each room. Roberts made extensive use of salvage in the form of doors and plumbing fixtures throughout the house. The parlor floor — including the kitchen — sports an unusual combination of painted black with natural walnut and oak woodwork. Reactions?
A Brownstone in Brooklyn, Reborn [Remodelista]
Photo by Sean Flattery

 
This sitting room in an upstate New York home combines shades of gold, pink, and red, Empire furniture, and art work and butterflies in blues and black. The residence, named Crow Hill, was built in 1839, and has been renovated by its current owner over 15 years. The story will be featured in World of Interior’s February issue; this little peek appeared on the magazine’s Facebook page. World of Interiors doesn’t have a web site with content, so we like to visit its Facebook page every so often for a shot of historic style and a preview of coming issues.
World of Interiors Facebook Page [Facebook]

 


Interested in decorative painting and plaster? Check out the blog The Ornamentalist and Pinterest page of Lynne Rutter, a colorist, muralist and ornamental painter, for inspiration. This post documents a visit to the cathedral in Klagenfurt, Austria, where she found this pink and white rococo plaster ceiling.
Rococo Rose [The Ornamentalist]
Photo by Lynne Rutter


What's Your Take? Leave a Comment