Gates Reno
« Talking to architects Decisions, decisions... »
June 28, 2006
The last details...
Amy:
Not a whole lot of detail remains in our new house. But what is still there seems pretty cool to me. Here are some of my favorites.
Parlor floor pocket doors
Close-up of etched glass in pocket doors
Amazingly (considering how badly the building was abused over the years), the etched glass in the pocket doors survived, and it is beautiful. We didn't actually get to enter the front parlor before we purchased the house, and there's cardboard covering the glass on the back parlor side, so we had no idea it was there.
Front parlor
Second floor fireplace
There are three unpainted marble fireplaces in the house, and one that has been painted. Ms. Architect admits to not being sentimental about most of the old falling-apart details in brownstones, but she has a soft place in her heart for our fireplaces.
She does not, however, feel the need to save the plaster work on the parlor walls. I'm not sure how I feel about this.
Marble sink on second floor
I'm hoping against hope that something can be done with this. It's too beautiful to scrap.
Comments
When it comes down to it, it's your house and your money. If you want something, I think you should speak up. Nice blog so far. I think I'll relate better to your blog rather than the do-it-yourselfers in bed-stuy as I have no clue on this stuff at all. Good luck!
Posted by: cobblestoner at June 29, 2006 12:24 PM
I have no problem speaking up. But it's really not anything that the architects are doing wrong. We gave them a certain amount of money to work with, and we know that we want more than we can afford. We are resigning ourselves to the fact that we won't get everything we want, but the hard part is prioritizing. We'd love to restore every detail in the house, but not if it will cost us some other things that we want. If we can save a significant amount of money by not restoring the plaster in the parlor, then that's what may have to happen. But I'm going to keep discussing it with the architects and I'm confident we'll arrive at a good compromise.
Posted by: Amy at June 29, 2006 12:38 PM
From what I can see, your plaster seems to be in pretty good shape -- certainly in the kind of condition that could, and should, be saved.
Yes, houses are meant to be lived in and, no, they are not museums. But try to get Ms. Architect on board with the idea that original brownstone details in their original context are desireable. Once they're gone, they're gone.
Posted by: 1894 at June 29, 2006 1:50 PM
OMG, you should keep that great vanity! The marble is beautiful.
Posted by: dt at June 30, 2006 10:58 AM
The details you are showing are actually quite nice. IMO, from a long term value point of view, you should do what you can to preserve them. As 1894 says, once they're gone, they're gone.
Think about it this way, not everthing has to be "perfect" right away. If there is some parlour floor plaster repair to be done, and it is very expensive, try only doing the bare minimum to keep the detail intact until you can do a full restore a couple of years from now.
Just a thought...
Posted by: lp at June 30, 2006 11:37 AM
Beautiful details! I say keep the plaster! We don't have any of the plaster you have left in our parlor and given it is probably not everywhere in the house, why not keep it where you have it. You can always get rid of it later, if you decide it bothers you.
Most people who want and buy these brownstones want some original details, and the more you have the better as long as it isn't too cloying for you...
Remember, the architect just wants a blank canvas, easier for them to make their vision come to life purely. Dealing with your plaster and any other beautiful original details is more work for them. And more people don't want to do more work for the same money?
Posted by: cc at July 2, 2006 10:18 AM
Do what works best for you. Many of the readers of this site are going to tell you to restore the detail. The reality is that you guys have a limited budget, a limited amount of time to get things done, and two young kids to worry about. I doesn't sound like you are the type to slowly restore old details over the next ten years. I have been through this and trust me when I say you want to get as much done as you possibly can now, because once you have moved in with the kids very little will ever get done and what does get done will be a major disruption in your lives. Create a house that you love and someday if you sell there will be a buyer out there that loves it too. I am not advocating needlessly destroying the details of your building but you shouldn't sacrifice your sanity either to save a molding that is falling apart.
Posted by: samandjoeshow at July 11, 2006 2:04 PM
We have a similar marble vanity in our Crown Heights house. All the old lead pipe was long gone, as well as the sink itself. I mounted a mirror under the counter and my wife uses it for make-up and jewelry. If you want to keep it and use it somehow, just don't remove it until you've decided what to do.
We too had to prioritize. When it comes to detail, our approach is 'do no harm'. Leave everything intact that you are not prepared to deal with right now. Like the vanity. Just a suggestion.
Posted by: Hal at July 13, 2006 3:00 PM
Post a comment
Please be patient while your comment is published. It may take a moment.