This Is Hardcore: Craig and Yvonne's Parlor
It’d been a while since we checked in with Craig and Yvonne over at Our Victorian House and, man, we’d forgotten what a bunch of maniacs these guys are! They really live and breathe restoration. To refresh, Craig and Yvonne bought their Victorian woodframe house back in 2001 and have been painstakingly doing a period…
It’d been a while since we checked in with Craig and Yvonne over at Our Victorian House and, man, we’d forgotten what a bunch of maniacs these guys are! They really live and breathe restoration. To refresh, Craig and Yvonne bought their Victorian woodframe house back in 2001 and have been painstakingly doing a period restoration themselves. While we’re not sure we’d want to live in such exacting period detail ourselves, we are still blown away by what they’ve done in rooms like the parlor (pictured above). So check it out–it’s a far superior reno blog to our own!
Parlor Floor Photos [Our Victorian House]
Renovation Tip: Recruit Relatives [Brownstoner]
Glad someone got it!
nice pulp reference, ‘stoner…would love to see your record collection…
I can say that my love of the historical building exteriors comes from my desire to see old world architectural history preserved (I can’t stand modernist design).
Maybe my lack of reverence for historical interiors comes form having renovated numerous historical buildings and being forced to tear our rotten plumbing, electric, and heating systems while trying to keep the building intact. Historical exteriors age much better than historical interiors.
While I’m in awe of the Victorian interiors that Craig and Yvonne are creating, I’ve never lived in such an ornate house, and it sometimes looks more like a museum than a functional residence. It also reminds me of “Great Expectations”, no matter how well renovated the interior is. I would hate to be the person who has to dust the nooks and crannies of those moldings.
Why is it that so many of us love brownstone (and other period) exteriors, and shake our heads when they are violated in anyway, yet don’t have the same feeling about period interiors? I’m not saying that we all should love Victorian interiors and shame on you if you don’t, just more of a question of aesthetics, how people formulate taste. Personally, I love it when a Craftsman house has an intact interior, a Victorian has lots of Victorian detail (including wallpaper and lincrusta). Lots of us want a modern feeling inside our homes that is really out of whack with the exteriors and lots of the time we go for it. I would love a more open plan in my Victorian home, on the one hand, on the other, I guess I love the integrity of my period home more. Or do I? We’ll see, I guess.
These guys are insane in the most wonderful way. God bless ’em for doing this so carefully and with so much love. And on their own to boot! Their house/history karma is through the roof!
They are an ideal we should all strive for – knowing that honestly, we will never attain. I am in awe every time I look at their website at their dedication to that house. Their taste is a bit over the top for me, but damn, do they put any renovation I have ever done to shame.
Absolutely beautiful.
I found their site a couple of years ago, and check up on them every once in a while to see what’s new. It is truly an impressive restoration, especially since they are doing it themselves, and not just hiring pros. I’ve learned a lot from them, and wish I could meet them. The website is also really good, and Craig’s style of writing and illustration is fun to read and easy to learn from. I wish I had that kind of dedication, skill and room to work in. Even if you don’t like that level of Victoriana, the basic restoration skills and techniques are very valuable for all mid to late nineteeth century homes.
I raise a glass to Yvonne and Craig. Kudos!
Whether Victorian decor is to anyone’s taste or not, this is a beautiful, beautiful restoration. The owners should be very proud of themselves and all the tremendously hard work they’ve put into their house. Quite impressive.