Official Announcement! Old Home Living Streaming Television is on the air!
Author: edificemedia
“My personal aim is to sustain a close-knit yet diverse intellectual and creative community that excels in design, teaching and research." Dr Christopher Cooper
Old Home Symposium
Spring has sprung! Are you ready to tackle your repair, restoration or renovation project?
We Want You! To Join The Edifice Guild!
March 27, 2021 This session is most importantly open to current small and medium companies who would like to become part of the Edifice Guild as an Associate Member and reap the benefits of becoming Edifice Guild Approved!
Wood Window Restoration eWorkshop
Dr. Christopher Cooper will take you through the entire documentation and evaluation process – through to the full repair and restoration process of your original wood windows in detailed close-up video step-by-step instructions.
Off-Grid Living
Saturday, December 12th, 2020 Is it possible to live off-grid? Just ask Kyle, who has lived off-grid for many years
This Warm Olde House
Because you really can save 30 – 50% on heating costs in your traditional or heritage house! Now that I have your attention, this workshop may be for you!
Old Home Living House One: Siding Repair With Epoxy
The image in Figure 1 is usually the last nail in the proverbial coffin of older wood siding.
Wooden Scaffolding
When I was young and foolish, I would climb ladders and walk ridgepoles on three-and four-storey houses without a care and without fear.
The Outhouse: A Brief History
Outhouses are, after all, a very large part of our history.
Making Keepers
I am sure our readership is aware of my passion for antique hardware, to wit, I have become a collector of early Suffolk and Norfolk latches, with a few interesting Tudor and Elizabethan era pieces.
Even More Wallpaper Woes
In our previous article entitled “Wallpaper Woes,” where we gave our best advice to repair plaster walls after the removal of many layers of wallpaper.
Butlers Pantry: A New Old Trend
Recent trends in the creation of a fine kitchen are to create, or repurpose a butler’s pantry.
Architectural Millwork
The true sense of a craftsman is the quality of their work!
A Closet Solution
Many people who own traditional houses have one thing in common, the total lack of closet space!
Water-Based Paints Of Old
Paint has had a very long history as is evident in cave paintings and the Egyptian Hieroglyphs, and in the colourful 200-year-old armoire you purchased while on vacation in rural Quebec.
Architrave Restoration
In a previous article we tackled one of the most demanding projects on an old house – replacing wooden sills. We will continue this series showing a step-by-step restoration of very early window architraves.
For The Love OF Wooden Columns
More and more terribly executed repairs are being perpetrated on original verandah, portico, or porch posts and columns in Canada each day.
A Wooden Dado
In the mid to late 18th century, lath and plaster walls were devised to hang beautiful hand-blocked wallpaper.
A Structural Sill Replacement
All concrete slab-on-grade construction has a common problem.
The Homestead
Living in a home that has been in our family for four generations has been an interesting and challenging experience.
Antiquities: Primitives, Design Essentials
I am a personal admirer of primitives. I am not talking about new items that are just made to look old, rather the items that are very old, very simple and of very high museum quality.
How To Choose Furniture For Your Heritage Home
Restoring the “envelope” of an historic building requires many skills. Not only does the restorer need to know about the various trades, but must also approach them from a historical perspective.
Old Home Living House One: Siding
In this issue of Old Home Living we decided to tackle the siding on Old Home Living House One in Brantford, Ontario.
Circa 1842
Stroll up the path, past some barns and a split rail fence, until you see a clapboard house with a cedar roof, a few feet from the shore of Lake Erie.
The Bedroom
It has taken almost one thousand years for bedrooms to evolve into those which we see today.
Traditions
The earliest houses were an example of the direct outgrowth of architecture from function and materials.
Wallpaper Woes
Many people who live in century houses come across, in some cases, dozens of layers of wallpaper on walls and ceilings.
Ceiling Level Annandale
When Tillsonburg Ontario’s first mayor, Edwin Delvan Tillson, decided to build his beautiful retirement home, Annandale, he chose a high-gothic brick villa straight from William M. Woolett’s pattern book “Villas and Cottages; or, Homes for All” published in 1876 at the height of the Eastlake movement started by English furniture designer George Eastlake
Circa 1835 Ireland House
Exceptional for many reasons, Ireland House is a valuable historic structure – an architecturally intact farmstead – which remained in continued use by one family for five generations.
A Wooden Box Latch
You will find all sorts of interesting things when you dismantle an old building.
Ready For Another 200 Years
Somehow the universe guided us to this old house. Vacationing here as children, we never dreamed that one day we would own it.
Crafted In Wood
The woods of the Colchi, in Pontus, [in modern day Turkey] furnish such abundance of timber, that they build in the following manner.
10 Ways To Bring Spring Into Your Home
Yes, you have heard it again and again. To some people, clutter is cozy, but to others, clutter sucks away energy.
Historic Gem In The Heart Of The Village Of Richmond Hill
Historic Gem In The Heart Of The Village Of Richmond Hill, Ontario. Built 1879/1920, Totally Updated And Meticulously Maintained.
Antiquities At The Cabin Fever Show
This winter has been a rough one, colder than I can remember and just plain long and dull! I guess it is true what they say, when stranded indoors during the winter, cabin fever can set in!
House Spotting Carpenter Gothic
Originally, the Gothic Revival style was meant to be executed in stone and brick imitating the imposing cathedrals of mediaeval Europe.
All About Hand-Wrought Iron
Wrought Iron conjures up many visual interpretations of the Smithy pounding out horse shoes to keep early Canadians on the road.
A Shaker Inspired Kitchen
The true Shaker kitchen was spotless, ready for hungry workers at 5:30 a.m., and doubtless the epitome of efficiency and craftsmanship among other things.
About Shutters
Shutters are one of the most misunderstood elements on heritage homes and have become, to the majority, nothing but a piece of ornamental trim to flank windows and, in some cases, doors.
Learn to repair and restore your brick and stone!
POSTPONED Pay $200.00 now to reserve your space, payment is through a secure PayPal account Pay with Credit Card or Debit Card Contact us for e-transfer details email Sunday May 24th, 2020 One Day Intensive Workshop 10:30 am – 4:00 pm Without a doubt our most popular workshop ever! – This workshop covers all aspects…
Choosing A Traditional Floor
There are many reasons for replacement of a wooden floor in a traditional home. Small repairs to existing floors may be required due to damage from a leak around a hot water radiator, vents that are no longer in use, or a wall that has been moved.
Painting A Raised Panel Door
Recently we restored an early six-panel wooden door. When it came to painting it, we found the task not as easy as one may think. If you paint across the grain, the finished product looks terrible.
Annapolis Royal Beauty
I never intended to buy it. I went to see the Munro house one day with my friend, Leslie, who told me it had a really nice early staircase and an upstairs ballroom dating from the 1820s, complete with original mouldings.
Repair Your Wood Windows
This workshop will take you through the entire documentation and evaluation process – through to the full repair and restoration process of your original wood windows.
Join the Heritage Maintenance Guild
Do you want more work, or better work? Join the Heritage Maintenance Guild and upgrade your skills with our celebrated professional development courses.
The General Repair and Renovation of an Older House Workshop
The General Repair and renovation of an Older House, from the foundation to the top of the chimney! Saturday March 15th, 2020 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Painted Brick? What to do?
Many times I come across houses that have been painted and many of our subscribers ask what to do with the painted bricks and in some case, how you can remove the paint from the brick?
Repairing Antique Hinges
Many wooden doors that have given faithful service for a century or two suffer from sagging because of screw holes which have become, after literally thousands of sharp shocks with closing and opening, too large for the screws. The whole door binds and sags, making it difficult to shut.
The Queen Anne Revival Style Guide
The Queen Anne Revival house style made its first appearance in North America when the British Government displayed several examples of the style at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia.
Free Picket Fence Plans
I have created a set of drawings in hopes to inspire the reader to recreate this historic landscape in their own front yard!
New Life for an Abandoned House
On this episode of the Chris Cooper show I will introduce the second of our project houses. A long forgotten farmhouse built in 1837 located in Bright, just 5 minutes west of Cambridge, Ontario.
The old Ice Cream Shop, Hubbards Cove NS
The old Ice Cream shop in Hubbards Cove, Nova Scotia
Adding Character to a Wartime House
Our first long term project home is our frame Victory house built in 1947 located in Brantford, Ontario Canada.
Victorian Cottage Make Over
This project is a clear example of what almost any amateur couple can do with a little fore sight and discipline. Money is one of the lesser parts of the equation.
Living The Dream
On this episode of the Chris Cooper Show… I will be visiting Carla Emin in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia – Carla is living the proverbial Canadian dream of living in an old house that has been beautifully restored – with a successful business just steps from her back door.
12 Great Visions of Gingerbread – A Lookbook
The true sense of a craftsman is the quality of their work! We look at architectural millwork (a.k.a. gingerbread) and are awestruck at the intricacy and workmanship that went into these pieces of wooden art!
Green Water DIY – An olde fashioned wooden rain barrel solution.
The problem with most commercial water collection barrels is they are plastic and unattractive and do not fit in the landscape of a Vintage Home very well.
The Building Collector – The man who saved these amazing buildings that would have been destroyed forever!
There was once a little boy who collected bottle caps and candy wrappers, baseball cards and butterflies. This was followed by stamps, coins and cacti. And later still, antiquarian books, collectibles and antique furniture. And, finally, buildings. The latter being the most interesting by far. Now, at age 60, this same little boy; namely myself…
10 of the Prettiest Antique Cook Ranges – Art Cast in Iron, a LookBook
What is it that evokes so much pleasure of cold winter nights sitting around a cast iron stove? Perhaps it is the memories of your parents or grandparents weaving stories of their past, “when I was a child we would…” or perhaps it’s those memories of the best meals you ever had being cooked on…
31 Fabulous Nova Scotia Doors & Entries – A Lookbook
Old doors have been given a bad rap (excuse the pun) for a long time! The removal of old doors (not unlike wood windows) can significantly reduce or destroy the character and authenticity of a traditional home. The door is the first thing that greets the owner and visitors alike. The warmth and character of…
Colonial to Victorian to Colonial again!
“Once a house is gone it is not often that something goes up which is as pleasing
as what was there. Our streetscapes are suffering.” Leslie Langille
Lovely Stone House in Athens, Ontario for sale
1824 stone home with 8.8 wooded acres, beautifully preserved, central staircase, elegant perennial gardens, writer’s cabin in the woods. For more information and sale price for this lovely home visit Historic Homes For Sale.
A Summer House – Do we still possess the skills?
We have many resources to our architectural past. This summer house is a beautiful example of a late 19th century garden feature. The Historic American Buildings Survey in 1933 documented this wonderful summer house (located in Mount Holly, NJ, on the Ashhurst Estate) – with a single photograph and a complete set of detailed drawings…
Tales From A Rural Farmhouse – Part Two, Tin Ceiling – From derelict to new again.
Our project is coming along quite well. The kitchen has been driving me crazy, mainly because it was in the most miserable condition of all! The tin ceiling had great chunks of lead based paint dangling from it, hmm images of a big pot of stew or soup simmering on the stove with paint chips…
How-To Project One – Prop-It!
Summer is here and it is always nice to prop open your old fashioned guillotine windows (a window devoid of weights and pulleys) and take advantage of cool evening breezes. The problem with this is what to use other than a book (see Image 1). During our visit to the east coast a couple of…
40 Something – A 1940’s Kitchen Make-Over
In Conversation With Lori Gaiardo (Home Owner) – and Nena Wagner (Publisher Edifice Vintage Home) – Photography By: Christopher Cooper Nena: When you bought your house in what kind of condition was the kitchen? Lori: The house had unfortunately not been lived in for almost three years after the previous owner’s death so it was…
Stunning 1830 Greek Revival House For Sale in Jamaica Vermont
Stunning 1830 Greek Revival House For Sale in Jamaica Vermont
Verandah Valhalla
And now I leave you with these thoughts… there is nothing which better creates curb appeal, character and makes a house a home than a beautifully maintained and loved wooden verandah.
Abandoned Island
I have great affection for abandoned houses. I find them beautiful and somewhat sad in their attempt to prop themselves up and not become merely dust in the landscape. Every-so-often I find myself so enamored with a long forgotten edifice that it almost haunts me, as did a little house I stumbled upon during a…
Don’t Be Afraid of Red!
I enjoy exploring older neighborhoods and looking at the older homes. I pay particular attention to the architectural details and the paint colours used, as this is my special interest. Many people have a fear of painting their house a bold colour such as red however red is a fabulous colour to make both a…
Through the Garden Gate – A Lookbook
A garden gate becomes an attractive focal point for curb appeal and a welcoming portal to what wonderful delights await on the other side; a loved and cared for garden or the charming and perfectly restored house.
