I have to vote against painting the kitchen white the woodwork is beautiful and you have so much natural light it is not a dark kitchen at all. Eat in kitchens without an island are great.
I agree. Never paint quality natural wood, especially if it is original. In older homes, the formal rooms on the first floor usually had naturally-finished woodwork and paneling of the highest quality, even in the kitchens or pantries. The bedrooms on the upper floors had the painted woodwork because they were not for public viewing and wood of lesser quality could be used. Upper story floors were often painted as well. As the owner of a historic old home myself, I spent literally years removing layers of nasty old paint from beautiful old wood. Painting that irreplaceable wood was a desecration, IMO. After stripping it, I refinished it with either traditional oil and wax, or satin varnish in areas that get more wear and tear.
Leave the kitchen fireplace alone and let it stay wood burring. Do not ruin this house. Do not paint cabinets white. This is not a farmhouse. This is a colonial. Use colonial colors.
Thanks so much for this advice. We've done a lot of learning about colonial homes since finding this house. I definitely agree with you now about the cabinets!
Always a fan of keeping these old homes just what they were. So rare and becoming rarer as we go. A true fireplace in the kitchen would be heaven. And, the neat little circular shed is a wonder to behold. Keeping the interior true to house’s history would be wonderful.
A kitchen like you had before would ruin the esthetics of this house. Why go on about things like uncovering the original beams, using an old world finish on the walls, and then you want a 2020’s kitchen?
Buy your own house. They own this one and they can do whatever they want with it. First and foremost, it has to be functional and safe. Updates don’t always “ruin” a house. Old doesn’t always equal aesthetic perfection. Sheesh.
Oh I believe this is the only house that I’ve EVER seen that I personally like everything as is. Apart from the repair of the walls and repairing the fireplaces that need repairing. Oh my gosh I love the soothing, happy, simple vibe it gives. I can see a wonderful, happy life of kids and my mother and my husband and I. Oh my gosh you all are very blessed! BTW- that room upstairs that has the odd shaped rectangle narrow room- would be the cutest sewing/craft room. Not the upstairs room with the gorgeous slanted ceilings that you have stored furniture in but the narrow room off from it. Either a sewing/craft room or a prayer war room.
I am just seeing this 8 months after you posted it. What a wonderful project, and a beautiful house. The Georgian proportions and residual features are just lovely. No doubt this will be a labour of love for your family. But so worth it in the longer term. Might I suggest you research English Georgian period homes, as well as your American Colonial homes. And try to keep as much of the character as possible. The downstairs reception rooms are delightfully grand. Best of luck to you and your family.
Love the house! I live in CT also in an 1809 cape that we restored. We do have the original wide plank floors, baking fireplace with beehive oven, as well as other fireplaces. We did line the baking fireplace and put in a wood stove, which is our main source of heat. Since it's a center chimney, it heats the house really well. Good luck with your restoration project! It takes years!!!
Oh wow! I just found this video today. Your colonial home is beautiful. I also live in CT. Please keep it as original as possible and with period colors and period furnishings. Congratulations on your new home. I just subscribed. And yes…Anne Clay is very knowledgeable. She can definitely guide you in your decision making. 🤎🤎
I was lucky enough to live in an 18th c home. I Loved all the wood accents, fireplaces and original door hardware, windows. bookcases etc etc. I adore your new home, it is a great example of the period. We refaced our lower cabinets and drawer fronts in our 1900 kitchen by taking bead board and framing it with milled trim. Bronze hardware and drawer pulls, and latches make it look fabulous.
Your “in the beginning” tour popped up on my feed and I was instantly intrigued. I say “in the beginning” because this home and all the renovations needing to be done remind me of when Hunny and I bought our retirement cottage. It took us 14+ years to get to the point of saying we are at the finishing touches stage and I said the whole journey reminded me of the Good Book that is a forever project to understand. We just took things a step at a time and a room at a time and NEVER went to bed angry. Remodeling/building a home is not for the faint of heart but keeping a cool head and a sense of humor goes a long way to being successful in the overall project. I am very curious about your new home and all the steps you will tackle to bring it to a successful remodel. Our cottage was remodeled during my husbands working from home years where all we had were weekends, holidays and vacations…hoping you are both closer to your home career wise and will have a bit more time to devote but I still see this as being a long process. Your littles will enjoy that yard I think and grow up with a lot of exploring and experiencing all the things that bring well adjusted children. Wishing you only good things as you move forward in your Colonial home and know I will be watching as you take this journey. I only ever ask to be enlightened and entertained so I will never be critical of what you choose to do. Just keep in mind that there are purists out there who are VERY opinionated when it comes to period homes and my only advise to you is stay true to YOUR vision because it is your home!!!:):):)
Thank you so much for your kind message, Vicki! We're almost a year into this project now and your advice is SPOT ON. We are trying to learn how to do a little bit with the budget we have and enjoy living in the house with our kids at the same time. It's very easy to get overwhelmed! We are actually embracing the fact that it will never truly be "done"--that would be boring!
Please please please don't do the modern farmhouse "trend" of painting everything stark white and cement gray and hanging farm tools on the walls. Don't make it look like Chip and Joanna threw up all over it.
All the fireplaces are amazing! Love that they are wood burning 🔥 I have always wanted a woodburning fireplace in my kitchen! I love all the wallpaper too. Maybe you should live in it for a few years before you change major aspects of it.
You can get rid of scallop trim over the sink and add a pendant. I bought a 130 year old house with no cabinet doors. I ordered doors prepped for glass for the upper cabinets. I’d paint the cabinets and authenticate Colonial color with black hardware. Fabulous house.
Was this kitchen redone in the 60s craze for Early American? IF it was original wood I'd say leave it and the window is gorgeous with all the panes but that scallop thing over the sink if very 1950s-60s.
what a beauty, i like the kitchen cabinets , i would paint and put on new plain wooden knobs they are cheap and look nice in the same colour or a contrasting colour. the kitchen table is perfect and very useful for meals and homework, good luck
I agree! Definitely did find a better place for the bookshelf (laundry room)...it's taken awhile, but we're finally figuring out how to arrange things.
You realize white kitchens are out and colors are in. And I really think,personally, colonial colors are best. It would be lovely to bring back the wide planks flooring. I ve a friend whose home is colonial has all open shelving in her butlers pantry. And a long counter that’s great for baking and canning. Yes, pull the couch away and put the shelving unit behind it. Your floor would be lovely sanded and refinished. Love the architectural corner shelves. Bannister doesn’t look like the lathed spindles of a colonial era home. Great floors upstairs. I would really encourage you to look at This Old House magazines featuring brand new colonial homes. I’ve seen wonderful things created for modern day function.
Check out fully and carefully how to correctly remove lead paint, which I am sure you would anyway. What a home!!! A huge amount of work and money, but this is the project of a lifetime, and you will be left with an absolute treasure, and a one of a kind.
Great call on the kitchen cabinets. As they're so solid, even in the future, you might consider having a new face frame with new doors built by a local cabinet maker and keep the actual cabinet cases. It looks like the cabinets are solid plywood and a lot better quality than most of what you'd get on the market today. And less expensive than having custom cabinets built. I did this with a kitchen. Came out beautifully. Great quality.
Yes, the cabinets are constructed very well and custom fit for our crooked, unlevel kitchen. If you haven't see our videos refinishing the door fronts you should check that out!
I wouldn’t block the window with a bookcase either. It would be better against the wall,with two comfy club chairs for reading. The couch could float as a room divider with a slim table behind it for a cozier tv viewing spot.( also,the legs of the bookcase could be notched out to accommodate the baseboard heater) One more piece of unasked for advice: I also LOVE the blue paint color of the fireplace and staircase in the living room but the two different blues of the furniture would look better across the room. (or at least the two chairs in front of the bookcase, where the gray couch is now,ha ha)
Loved watching your video. What an amazing house! I too have an 1843 historic house which had been empty for 15 years. Always loved old homes, since my husband is a builder of new homes, somehow he decided to go for it. Lots and lots of work but in the end it was worth it. Please keep charm of your old house, that’s what makes it special. Will enjoy watching your progress.
Thank you so much for taking the time to learn about colonial homes and to do this right it’s so sad when people buy old homes and then knock down the walls and modernize them with whatever the trend of the day is. There’s only so many of these old beautiful homes left if people want a modern home they should just buy modern home and stop destroying history
The small round building outside with the revolving door looks very much like old European and English pigeon coops. They also call them pigeon houses if you look it up most of them had thatched roofs and were made of Stone but I guess some in the new world could have been constructed differently it does have that little round hole in it I didn't see inside so I don't know if there were places for pigeons to roost in there.
Subscribed, upvoted, and commenting to help the algorithm so others can find you. I really love your house and can't wait to follow the improvements and restoration as you go!
Just seeing this.....going to watch your progression videos. I am seeing a lot of sagging plaster where you are talking about scraping and painting. Will be interesting to see what you find there.
I just discovered you. Your house is stunning. With the kids and the stairs. You're doing the right thing by teaching the kids to how to use them and the be careful rather than blocking them off. The kitchen I'd leave the fireplace and pretty much do a similar layout and have an eat in kitchen. You also asked about thoughts about why the windowsills in your bedroom where deep and beside it narrow. Could there have been a veranda where there? look forward to seeing more of the house
Amazing house! Can't wait for the property tour. Josephs room is probably bigger than my first apartment haha. I look forward to living my old house dreams vicariously through you guys!
The thing about opening up walls and ceilings of an old home is that you likely will end up with a real mess, and have to keep taking out and replacing more and more and more stuff. Many times the better part of valour is to simply leave well enough alone and put your efforts into redoing floors, updating bath and kitchen only as much as necessary, painting what's there and calling it quits. Believe me, I have rehabbed many old houses, including the one I live in now (circa 1940). Given a choice, I would ALWAYS build new.
I just found your channel tonight! What beautiful home! Please keep it close to original style and colors. It is not our newer farm type home. It’s going to be a fun project and will be stunning I’m sure! Have fun and put lots of love into it 🥰. So happy I found your family and home ❤
Video just popped up and am about to binge this channel! I'm in CT as well and love seeing a fellow nutmegger on here. Great colonial houses throughout CT.
Hello, just found your video today on my RUclips landing page. I really enjoyed watching it and look forward to future videos. 7 years ago I bought and now live in an ~1850 duplex on the north shore of Boston. I am slowly restoring / renovating it -- my first task was to clean it up sufficiently so that i could live in it -- a bit similar to your challenge. One project i have is to date the house so i can figure out when it was built -- seems like you don't have to do that which is great. One suggestion i have is to consider leaving in place some of the 1950s and 1960s updates -- as an homage to the historical transitions that the house went through. For example, some of the wrapping on the beams seem to be done very well -- and the cupboards with the curved edges are really cool and seem very 195s to me, as does the scalloped trim over you kitchen sink. I realize all of this is a matter of taste -- so, look forward to following and seeing your choices and progress. Thanks for saving a piece of history!!
We agree, we want to enjoy all of the years and the stories that this house has experienced. A lot of the work done in the 1960's was really high quality, we see no reason to throw that away just because it isn't from 1800... Thanks for watching!
Cover the linoleum w/ wide pine boards in keeping w/ the house age. Surprised they aren't throughout the house. I had a home of similar vintage w/ wide pines everywhere.
This is a great idea! I originally wanted to pull the linoleum up, but we've since learned that the lamination provided through many layers of flooring is reinforcing the structure of the house. I like the idea of putting wood flooring down on top. From what we're reading (the previous owner kept excellent records), there was a renovation around 1900 and the original wide planks (probably damaged in some way) were removed and replaced with the the flooring that is now in the house. The previous owners had collected and planned to install beautiful wide boards when they renovated in the 60s but they ran out of budget and they had to sell the boards they had collected. So, we're dreaming of finding the money to do that at some point...
That kitchen was a 1970s remodel, including the cabinets. I'd have left the fireplace and made an eat in kitchen with a nice table. There is something to be said for a fire in the morning, a table to eat at, in a nice kitchen on a cold winter's day. These houses are meant to be multi-generational, a trend we are seeing more and more. Work on it for the family, then work on a separate living area for your old age, with no stairs. 😁Love the Brittany btw. We show, hunt and breed Brittanys. Looks like that old timer has had a good life. Something we are always glad to see.
We do hope to install a wood stove in the kitchen fireplace some day. Thank you for the kind words about Lulu, we lost her about a year ago but she was a fantastic dog. Thanks for watching!
@@betweentwobrooks I have a wood cookstove that I use and love in the winter. Not so much in summer. Dual purpose, heat and cooking. Montana winters can really put the pressure on heat. When the kids were younger it was fun to fire that up for breakfast. So sorry to hear about Lulu, she obviously had a good family. We have 7 Brittanys here, the last 3 pups going to their new homes over the next two weeks. And a Chihuahua (don't ask, it was an accident). We hope we can place them in good environments such as yours. She obviously had a good life.
I recommend you watching Jeri Landers of Hopalong Hallow here on RUclips. She does amazing things to her whole house, especially her kitchen. I recommend taking the floors back to original surfaces. You will soon learn to resurface your walls. Again, you can learn anything from how to videos. Good luck, it can be a lot of fun. Thank you for letting us enjoy your journey!
San Antonio, TX has a large public pool that is spring fed. Use to swim there during summers. Great public pool and free. I no longer live in San Antonio.
@betweentwobrooks If memory is accurate, San Pedro Park. They take the fence down during the off season so you can get close. I remember signs saying "No Swimming" or No Dogs Swimming" and someone's dog happily swimming.
Yikes, and I say that due to the additions lol. Adding bathrooms and kitchens to those old homes that original did have them has to be a frustrating to figure out.... I'd keep the brick to the kitchen fireplace it's original color, but definitely remove wood trim and mantle. It just looks like they added that in the 60's along with kitchen cabinets, floors and countertops. The bathrooms, yeah lol. I agree with the bathrooms since it's not original, I'd keep in the era of when it was most likely added. It's nice to see that they searched for a claw foot tub for that other bath upstairs stairs. Good luck, look forward to following and seeing how make it work with the old and new.
Hopefully you can preserve the history & not have to over-renovate. The beauty & warmth of these old colonials are their nooks, squeaks & hidden quirky spaces. It's getting harder to find these classic American homes without near 100% modern boring blank-slate cosmetic updates. Mostly because people let them fall into irreparable disrepair. It's a marvelous home, lucky you! :) (Yes, the little round shed was likely a well pump-house. We had one in our backyard growing up. There was a trap door in the floor to access the mechanics.)
Colonial homes don't have white painted kitchen cabinets. That kitchen looks so much nicer and warmer as is, I would just sand and restain natural like that BEAUTIFUL FIREPLACE MANTLE.
Thanks for sharing this video with a lot of good ideas to little by little make this old colonial home come alive and be functional for a young family with boys and a dog. The kitchen should be restored to nice plank board wooden floors, a shaker ovular rug and the cozy table to have informal meals with the family. Since it is a colonial I would use colors like blueberry blue, olive green, white, light muted yellow, perhaps for the formal dining room a light salmon muted color or followed the light pastel yellow from the kitchen to the dining room. White granite floors for the bathrooms, subway white tiles and white pedestal vanities and toilet and bathtubs with claws all white clean and timeless also the boys will love the bathtub as oppose to the shower stalls. Note: You already know this but caution at all times when the boys are nearby the brooks surrounding the property and the pool. All the best.
Having purchased and moved a center chimney colonial house way back in 1980 and re-constructed it in 1991-1997, I can see why you are excited to dig into this project. The house has some very nice original features. A few tips: 1. Let a professional deal with the lead paint. Let them do the tests and the abatement. This is nothing you should mess with. Especially with children living in the house. 2. Focus some attention on the HVAC systems and insulation. Blowing heat through the walls, windows, and fireplace openings will put you in the poor house. 3. Secure the basement against moisture...if possible. 4. Unless you are thinking of buying tools to become a home handyman, consider hiring professionals to do the work that seems to be the most labor and tools intensive. 5. Hire an electrician to do the inevitable system re-work. My saying? Doing your own plumbing may only mean you get wet. Doing your own electrical work....could kill you. Just a few thoughts from a guy who has 40 years of experience doing this stuff. Good luck. RW Upstate NY.
Wow, very impressive that you moved and rebuilt one of these old houses! Thanks for the tips. Thankfully this house was completely rewired in the 1960s, so while it's not up to current code at least it's safe and relatively identifiable as modern wiring. Everything else does need attention...
Beautiful! I love that big kitchen window. In our 1820 home, they removed a few beams that were damaged and then supported the structure with modern framing in those spots. Hopefully that's not the case with your beam boxes! The previous owners also put peal and stick tiles on top of old linoleum. It might be a temporary solution to consider for your kitchen.
@@betweentwobrooks hoping for beautiful beams covered up by period cosmetic updates! Just thinking, I have found areas where our wall had no insulation at all, I wonder if your thicker walls have been insulated but not the thinner ones?
Unfortunately most of the original windows are long gone. In about 1900 the original 12-over-12 windows were replaced with 4-over-4. Those were then replaced in the late 1960s with the current windows which are meant to look like the originals. We still intend to keep and restore these, but they don't have quite as much character as the originals must have
Just watching this video. Moving thru house with her she asked for … feed-back on a window wall , thinking to close (window) wall- up to accommodate a book case. … leave the window, if book case has a back.. take it it off to become shelves for books, use the window behind and keep the light.
We currently have deathwatch beetles in some of the oak timbers, they produce some sawdust or frass. We were told the house had termites in the early 1900s which is why we don't have any original flooring and why much of the first floor structure is not original. A bug inspector found signs of old termite infestations but no active signs
Since you did ask for opinions, I have to STRONGLY agree with just about everyone else about NOT painting the kitchen cabinets and woodwork in the kitchen. That would totally destroy the soul of the room. And that furnace is a GEM! PLEASE PLEASE PLEAS don't do anything to that brick!!! I could see replacing the mantle and the trim at the ceiling, but paint or anything else on that brick would be a crime. I'd definitely get that fireplace, and all the others, in working order rather than sticking a wood burning stove in it. I don't understand why people buy houses with so much character only to rip out or paint over everything that gives it character.
Love the formal dining room and the milk paint wood corner display shelf and wainscoting and doo agree that wallpaper does have to go at some time. The fireplace nook is beautiful addition to that room, that cool lantern ceiling light I like very much but I would put it in a different setting instead of over the dining table, I would look good maybe in the kitchen where your round table is in front of the beautiful fireplace. Or maybe in the dining room fireplace nook hanging over head. I was thinking upstairs in the main hall you can put white painted bead board on the ceiling and that way would still look authentic but not see a rippled looking ceiling. Maybe do the same for the walls going up the stairs on put some wood paneling in colonial style.
You obviously spent a long time working on the remodeling of your old kitchen and would like the same look in here. Is it possible to modernize and still keep that colonial look? I seem to remember seeing, in the past, more than one older home that was restored, in magazines, that had gorgeous kitchens, very modern and functional, yet a real colonial vibe. But, good Lord, you have massive decisions to make. What are your priorities right now? The septic was obviously one and some of the work on the outside to protect the house are also big. But, it would be hard to know where to begin. Much good luck.
Lovely old home and you are so fortunate to have it! IMO, preserving as much of such a home's original structure and aesthetic as possible is the most important thing. As the owner of an old historic home myself, our priorities were to first address any threats to the integrity of the home's structure: leaky plumbing, leaky roofs and doors, structural rot, insect infestations, cracked or slumping foundation walls, and fire hazards like poorly-installed or outdated electrical wiring. At the same time, removing health hazards like lead paint and asbestos is a priority as well. Be very careful stripping any old paint, especially with kids in the house. Finally, repairing things like windows, internal doors, and woodwork. Never replace old windows - repair them! Protect them with quality storm windows in the winter. Don't replace old doors either. They can be expertly repaired by a good carpenter and rehung with new door seals. Rot in old windows, sills, doors, and trim can be cut out, replaced with a dutchman or epoxy, and then painted, but don't paint old wood inside the house unless it was originally painted or you have to make a very large repair that will not look good with a natural finish. Old wood is usually very high-quality and irreplaceable, so show it off! In your kitchen - I would keep the woodwork unpainted, if it is high quality and solid. I also had an idea about that awkward, unusable space between the current stove location and the counter/cabinets. You say you are going to build a stub-wall extension alongside the new stove. Why not place the stove at the end of this stub wall and extend the countertop and cabinets around the inside corner where the current stove is? You gain several more feet of counter space and make the inside corner usable cabinet space with a corner cupboard. Just an idea! Counterspace is always at a premium in kitchens, and it's always good to eliminate awkward dust and dirt-collecting unusable little corners and spaces.
That back stairway seems to be newer and your long living area there looks to have been originally two rooms at one time- rooms that long were not common in cold regions. Your bowed wall could be foundation/ beam issues, both of which are problematic and could worsen if so. What a wonderfully big kitchen! Don’t get rid of cabinets if nicely built - can be easily refaced. Get rid of the “valence” board over the sink…. The light fixture could be changed out for appearance. Something about the fridge next to that fireplace is not pleasing (to me)…. And with all that kitchen area looks t like could work out a better configuration… what was behind that door between the kitchen and the little bathroom?… maybe bring the wall out from stove area to the beam, put fridge on that side. …. Maybe better configure the cabinets….. the supporting structures and moisture issues def need to be addressed first to avoid having to redo anything in the future or future regret. That outside basement door. I would def replace if not watertight. … your house is a gem…congratulations! If you can restore her and keep its character while adhering to your tastes and needs what a lovely home you will make. I’ll follow for sure!!!! I love old homes and restoration. Best of luck & lots of patience!!!!
Thanks for the suggestions! We are actually well on our way with a lot of the things you mentioned, videos will be coming. You are right about the living room being two rooms originally, we found some old photos showing exactly that.
it appears there is a boiler system for heating. But I also saw an air return vent in the floor. That is typically for a furnace. Are there 2 heating sources for the house?
Good eye! Our main source of heat is an oil fired hot water boiler. There are a handful of air registers in the floor but they are not attached to anything, they are just open to the basement. At some point we will need to remove those and fill the holes in the floor. There is no evidence there ever was a furnace, I'm not sure why those vents were installed in the first place
@@betweentwobrooks we have an oil fired furnace with hot water baseboards for heat in our 1950 cottage. At some point they put in central a/c, so some of the vents in the floor are supply and some are returns. (So don’t fill them in until you rule out wanting central air someday.)😬
My husband is a retired union painter. You will have to get licensed paint remover. You can paint over it but you personally cannot safely remove it. Hazmat qualified company only.
What a beautiful house! It reminds me of the houses here in the Waterland region were I live in The Netherlands. I know that a lot of carpenters from here went to America in those days to built houses. They were recruited because of their expertise building houses from wood. Can you tell me in what state your house is?
I discovered your channel while searching 1836 homes. We are purchasing Our home December 1st! The style of yours reminds me of ours but it is red brick that's painted white. We have a blank slate in the kitchen but I am loving your cabinets. We have 5 fireplaces, none of them functioning. I don't care, I love the mantles.😍 The biggest thing we're dealing with now is lead paint. And that can be a very dangerous situation. Did you test for lead in your new home? If so, how did you handle the situation?? We were told our house is listed with the state of Indiana historical society but unfortunately that is not correct and we are not eligible for any grants or support in lead remediation. So many things to do and learn. Thank you for sharing your journey. Happy Thanksgiving!!
We have spot tested paint around the house and found that most of the paint is not lead, but we do have some lead present in spots. Thankfully, the paint in the worst condition is actually not lead. We purchased Lead-Out stripper and bought a Pro Scraper that can attach directly to a HEPA vacuum. In the spring we will start work on the exterior trim and siding, there is plenty of lead paint out there. There is an endless amount of learning to do, that's what makes it fun. Enjoy your new house!
your home seems to have been built in New England somewhere by a local architect in Greenwich ( can't recall his name) who did a lot of homes in the 1950s however he designed these homes to look like they were built in the 1700s, do you have any paperwork from 1785 about this house?
The house appears in the town land records as early as the 1820s, the older records are not digitized and we haven't been to town hall in person to look farther back than that
I have to vote against painting the kitchen white the woodwork is beautiful and you have so much natural light it is not a dark kitchen at all. Eat in kitchens without an island are great.
I agree. Never paint quality natural wood, especially if it is original. In older homes, the formal rooms on the first floor usually had naturally-finished woodwork and paneling of the highest quality, even in the kitchens or pantries. The bedrooms on the upper floors had the painted woodwork because they were not for public viewing and wood of lesser quality could be used. Upper story floors were often painted as well.
As the owner of a historic old home myself, I spent literally years removing layers of nasty old paint from beautiful old wood. Painting that irreplaceable wood was a desecration, IMO. After stripping it, I refinished it with either traditional oil and wax, or satin varnish in areas that get more wear and tear.
FIreplace is a STUNNER. ALl old houses havve different trims throughout, that is part of an old house!LEAVE the original brick GORGEOUS!
Thanks for watching!
Mmmm line the pool with boulders for a more natural swimming hole.
Gorgeous house! It will be a forever home, so it’s worth it not to make quick decisions.
Agreed, thank you!
I love the house 🏠 . Please keep the Colonial character . Once lost it's hard to get it back . Your Mom must be a fun character . 😆
Leave the kitchen fireplace alone and let it stay wood burring. Do not ruin this house. Do not paint cabinets white. This is not a farmhouse. This is a colonial. Use colonial colors.
Thanks so much for this advice. We've done a lot of learning about colonial homes since finding this house. I definitely agree with you now about the cabinets!
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Always a fan of keeping these old homes just what they were. So rare and becoming rarer as we go. A true fireplace in the kitchen would be heaven. And, the neat little circular shed is a wonder to behold. Keeping the interior true to house’s history would be wonderful.
A kitchen like you had before would ruin the esthetics of this house. Why go on about things like uncovering the original beams, using an old world finish on the walls, and then you want a 2020’s kitchen?
Buy your own house. They own this one and they can do whatever they want with it. First and foremost, it has to be functional and safe. Updates don’t always “ruin” a house. Old doesn’t always equal aesthetic perfection. Sheesh.
Oh I believe this is the only house that I’ve EVER seen that I personally like everything as is. Apart from the repair of the walls and repairing the fireplaces that need repairing. Oh my gosh I love the soothing, happy, simple vibe it gives. I can see a wonderful, happy life of kids and my mother and my husband and I. Oh my gosh you all are very blessed! BTW- that room upstairs that has the odd shaped rectangle narrow room- would be the cutest sewing/craft room. Not the upstairs room with the gorgeous slanted ceilings that you have stored furniture in but the narrow room off from it. Either a sewing/craft room or a prayer war room.
I agree!! We're using it as exactly that now--the closet is perfect for art supplies :)
I am just seeing this 8 months after you posted it. What a wonderful project, and a beautiful house. The Georgian proportions and residual features are just lovely. No doubt this will be a labour of love for your family. But so worth it in the longer term. Might I suggest you research English Georgian period homes, as well as your American Colonial homes. And try to keep as much of the character as possible. The downstairs reception rooms are delightfully grand. Best of luck to you and your family.
Thank you!!
Love the house! I live in CT also in an 1809 cape that we restored. We do have the original wide plank floors, baking fireplace with beehive oven, as well as other fireplaces. We did line the baking fireplace and put in a wood stove, which is our main source of heat. Since it's a center chimney, it heats the house really well. Good luck with your restoration project! It takes years!!!
Thanks for watching!
Such a charming house!! Thanks for the tour!
Thanks for watching!
Oh wow! I just found this video today. Your colonial home is beautiful. I also live in CT. Please keep it as original as possible and with period colors and period furnishings. Congratulations on your new home. I just subscribed. And yes…Anne Clay is very knowledgeable. She can definitely guide you in your decision making. 🤎🤎
Thank you!
I was lucky enough to live in an 18th c home. I Loved all the wood accents, fireplaces and original door hardware, windows. bookcases etc etc. I adore your new home, it is a great example of the period. We refaced our lower cabinets and drawer fronts in our 1900 kitchen by taking bead board and framing it with milled trim. Bronze hardware and drawer pulls, and latches make it look fabulous.
Thanks for sharing!
Your “in the beginning” tour popped up on my feed and I was instantly intrigued. I say “in the beginning” because this home and all the renovations needing to be done remind me of when Hunny and I bought our retirement cottage. It took us 14+ years to get to the point of saying we are at the finishing touches stage and I said the whole journey reminded me of the Good Book that is a forever project to understand. We just took things a step at a time and a room at a time and NEVER went to bed angry. Remodeling/building a home is not for the faint of heart but keeping a cool head and a sense of humor goes a long way to being successful in the overall project. I am very curious about your new home and all the steps you will tackle to bring it to a successful remodel. Our cottage was remodeled during my husbands working from home years where all we had were weekends, holidays and vacations…hoping you are both closer to your home career wise and will have a bit more time to devote but I still see this as being a long process. Your littles will enjoy that yard I think and grow up with a lot of exploring and experiencing all the things that bring well adjusted children. Wishing you only good things as you move forward in your Colonial home and know I will be watching as you take this journey. I only ever ask to be enlightened and entertained so I will never be critical of what you choose to do. Just keep in mind that there are purists out there who are VERY opinionated when it comes to period homes and my only advise to you is stay true to YOUR vision because it is your home!!!:):):)
Thank you so much for your kind message, Vicki! We're almost a year into this project now and your advice is SPOT ON. We are trying to learn how to do a little bit with the budget we have and enjoy living in the house with our kids at the same time. It's very easy to get overwhelmed! We are actually embracing the fact that it will never truly be "done"--that would be boring!
Please please please don't do the modern farmhouse "trend" of painting everything stark white and cement gray and hanging farm tools on the walls. Don't make it look like Chip and Joanna threw up all over it.
All the fireplaces are amazing! Love that they are wood burning 🔥 I have always wanted a woodburning fireplace in my kitchen! I love all the wallpaper too. Maybe you should live in it for a few years before you change major aspects of it.
Absolutely, for now our projects are mostly fixing lapsed maintenance items and making the house comfortable to live in
You can get rid of scallop trim over the sink and add a pendant. I bought a 130 year old house with no cabinet doors. I ordered doors prepped for glass for the upper cabinets. I’d paint the cabinets and authenticate Colonial color with black hardware. Fabulous house.
Thank you!
Was this kitchen redone in the 60s craze for Early American? IF it was original wood I'd say leave it and the window is gorgeous with all the panes but that scallop thing over the sink if very 1950s-60s.
Yes, the kitchen was installed in 1968. Don't worry, the scallop thing has been removed. Thanks for watching!
what a beauty, i like the kitchen cabinets , i would paint and put on new plain wooden knobs they are cheap and look nice in the same colour or a contrasting colour. the kitchen table is perfect and very useful for meals and homework, good luck
I love this place
A bookshelf in front of a window? I wouldn't do that. As big as that place is, there has to be a better place. The home is amazing!
I agree! Definitely did find a better place for the bookshelf (laundry room)...it's taken awhile, but we're finally figuring out how to arrange things.
At 25:24 that is linoleum as a countertop. Very much in style 1910-1950
Yes, we've learned more about that material since this video. It was the linoleum before plastics...so VERY permeable (and impossible to clean fully).
Your house is stunning. A lot of work to do but it’s going to be so rewarding.
Thank you!
You realize white kitchens are out and colors are in. And I really think,personally, colonial colors are best. It would be lovely to bring back the wide planks flooring. I ve a friend whose home is colonial has all open shelving in her butlers pantry. And a long counter that’s great for baking and canning.
Yes, pull the couch away and put the shelving unit behind it.
Your floor would be lovely sanded and refinished.
Love the architectural corner shelves.
Bannister doesn’t look like the lathed spindles of a colonial era home. Great floors upstairs.
I would really encourage you to look at This Old House magazines featuring brand new colonial homes. I’ve seen wonderful things created for modern day function.
This Old House is one of our favorites, many projects for inspiration!
Check out fully and carefully how to correctly remove lead paint, which I am sure you would anyway. What a home!!! A huge amount of work and money, but this is the project of a lifetime, and you will be left with an absolute treasure, and a one of a kind.
That round building also looks like it could have been originally like a smoke house too.
Oh my gosh that wallpaper in the main bedroom is absolutely beautiful and looks like it is very good shape. I also like the trim painted white.
Thank you!
If you aren’t familiar with Our Restoration Nation here on RUclips, they could be a good resource for you. Good luck. It’s a beautiful home!
We will have to check that out, thank you!
100% yes! Go check out Kevin and Laine at Our Restoration Nation!
Great call on the kitchen cabinets. As they're so solid, even in the future, you might consider having a new face frame with new doors built by a local cabinet maker and keep the actual cabinet cases. It looks like the cabinets are solid plywood and a lot better quality than most of what you'd get on the market today. And less expensive than having custom cabinets built. I did this with a kitchen. Came out beautifully. Great quality.
Yes, the cabinets are constructed very well and custom fit for our crooked, unlevel kitchen. If you haven't see our videos refinishing the door fronts you should check that out!
I wouldn't block the window with the book case.lots of room to move furniture in different configuration
I wouldn’t block the window with a bookcase either. It would be better against the wall,with two comfy club chairs for reading. The couch could float as a room divider with a slim table behind it for a cozier tv viewing spot.( also,the legs of the bookcase could be notched out to accommodate the baseboard heater) One more piece of unasked for advice: I also LOVE the blue paint color of the fireplace and staircase in the living room but the two different blues of the furniture would look better across the room. (or at least the two chairs in front of the bookcase, where the gray couch is now,ha ha)
Loved watching your video. What an amazing house! I too have an 1843 historic house which had been empty for 15 years. Always loved old homes, since my husband is a builder of new homes, somehow he decided to go for it. Lots and lots of work but in the end it was worth it. Please keep charm of your old house, that’s what makes it special. Will enjoy watching your progress.
Thanks for watching!
Thank you so much for taking the time to learn about colonial homes and to do this right it’s so sad when people buy old homes and then knock down the walls and modernize them with whatever the trend of the day is. There’s only so many of these old beautiful homes left if people want a modern home they should just buy modern home and stop destroying history
Thanks for watching!
The small round building outside with the revolving door looks very much like old European and English pigeon coops. They also call them pigeon houses if you look it up most of them had thatched roofs and were made of Stone but I guess some in the new world could have been constructed differently it does have that little round hole in it I didn't see inside so I don't know if there were places for pigeons to roost in there.
Very interesting!
I think it's a cesspit 🤷♀️
Yes, I believe they were also used by farmers to protect crops from birds.
Looking forward to see the rooms as you finish them…
We'll be putting out videos as we work our way through the house. Thanks for watching!
Subscribed, upvoted, and commenting to help the algorithm so others can find you. I really love your house and can't wait to follow the improvements and restoration as you go!
Thank you for watching, we appreciate the support!
Fascinating house. Your kitchen, based on the cabinet style and the avocado color looks like it was last remodeled in the 1970's.
You have a good eye, it was 1968-1969 when the last major renovation was done. Thanks for watching!
Just seeing this.....going to watch your progression videos. I am seeing a lot of sagging plaster where you are talking about scraping and painting. Will be interesting to see what you find there.
Lovey home as-is. The colors are great the way they currently are.
Thank you!
Yes it is worth sanding and refinishing wood floors.
I'm starting to agree with you! Just trying to figure out how and when to do it ourselves--one room at a time.
What a fabulous old house. I just found your channel and I will be watching with interest as you work on it.
Thanks for watching!
What an incredible old house. I can see why you bought it!!!
Thank you!
I grew up in a house like this which was also built in the 1780s. We had a 3 hole outhouse too!
Sounds like quite the outhouse party! Thanks for watching!
Love this style of house
Gorgeous, Gorgeous home!
Thank you!
This is a beautiful home.
Thank you!
Sooooo beautiful! Can’t wait to see the changes :)
Just saw your video. Beautiful house. To clean the hinges you use a crockpot to clean them
Thanks for the tip!
So cool! Has so much potential.
I just discovered you. Your house is stunning. With the kids and the stairs. You're doing the right thing by teaching the kids to how to use them and the be careful rather than blocking them off. The kitchen I'd leave the fireplace and pretty much do a similar layout and have an eat in kitchen. You also asked about thoughts about why the windowsills in your bedroom where deep and beside it narrow. Could there have been a veranda where there? look forward to seeing more of the house
Thanks for watching!
Amazing house! Can't wait for the property tour. Josephs room is probably bigger than my first apartment haha. I look forward to living my old house dreams vicariously through you guys!
Thanks Matt!
Just ran into your video and love your beautiful “gem in waiting.” So much work ahead for you and hubby…watching and cheering you on from PA. 😀
Thank you!
Those fireplaces are phenomenal!👍🏻
Yes! We repaired one to be functional with our wood stove but the others can't be used right now unfortunately...
Absolutely beautiful house! Really excited for y’all to make it a home.
Thank you!
I think the kitchen will really benefit from the white paint in the wood burning stove. This is an incredible house.
The thing about opening up walls and ceilings of an old home is that you likely will end up with a real mess, and have to keep taking out and replacing more and more and more stuff. Many times the better part of valour is to simply leave well enough alone and put your efforts into redoing floors, updating bath and kitchen only as much as necessary, painting what's there and calling it quits. Believe me, I have rehabbed many old houses, including the one I live in now (circa 1940). Given a choice, I would ALWAYS build new.
It is a slippery slope, sometimes the hardest decision is knowing when to stop... Thanks for watching!
Absolutely Beautiful!
Thank you!!
I just found your channel tonight! What beautiful home! Please keep it close to original style and colors. It is not our newer farm type home. It’s going to be a fun project and will be stunning I’m sure! Have fun and put lots of love into it 🥰. So happy I found your family and home ❤
Thanks for watching
That ceiling above the shower I would sand off and actually tile the ceiling area over the tub/shower
AWESOME HOUSE!
Thank you!
Keep up the hard work!
Video just popped up and am about to binge this channel! I'm in CT as well and love seeing a fellow nutmegger on here. Great colonial houses throughout CT.
Thanks for watching!
Hello, just found your video today on my RUclips landing page. I really enjoyed watching it and look forward to future videos. 7 years ago I bought and now live in an ~1850 duplex on the north shore of Boston. I am slowly restoring / renovating it -- my first task was to clean it up sufficiently so that i could live in it -- a bit similar to your challenge. One project i have is to date the house so i can figure out when it was built -- seems like you don't have to do that which is great. One suggestion i have is to consider leaving in place some of the 1950s and 1960s updates -- as an homage to the historical transitions that the house went through. For example, some of the wrapping on the beams seem to be done very well -- and the cupboards with the curved edges are really cool and seem very 195s to me, as does the scalloped trim over you kitchen sink. I realize all of this is a matter of taste -- so, look forward to following and seeing your choices and progress. Thanks for saving a piece of history!!
We agree, we want to enjoy all of the years and the stories that this house has experienced. A lot of the work done in the 1960's was really high quality, we see no reason to throw that away just because it isn't from 1800... Thanks for watching!
That house is great
Thank you!
I had to deal with lead paint as my house is from the same time period. It was worth it to keep my family safe.
Yes, lots of work but its not worth the risk to do it improperly
@Between Two Brooks we used lead defender paint. Nearly $60 a gallon but I feel comfortable my grandkids are safe here, worth every penny.
also a show from britain called escape to the country lot of great decorating ideas
Thanks for the suggestions!
Cover the linoleum w/ wide pine boards in keeping w/ the house age. Surprised they aren't throughout the house. I had a home of similar vintage w/ wide pines everywhere.
This is a great idea! I originally wanted to pull the linoleum up, but we've since learned that the lamination provided through many layers of flooring is reinforcing the structure of the house. I like the idea of putting wood flooring down on top. From what we're reading (the previous owner kept excellent records), there was a renovation around 1900 and the original wide planks (probably damaged in some way) were removed and replaced with the the flooring that is now in the house. The previous owners had collected and planned to install beautiful wide boards when they renovated in the 60s but they ran out of budget and they had to sell the boards they had collected. So, we're dreaming of finding the money to do that at some point...
That kitchen was a 1970s remodel, including the cabinets. I'd have left the fireplace and made an eat in kitchen with a nice table. There is something to be said for a fire in the morning, a table to eat at, in a nice kitchen on a cold winter's day. These houses are meant to be multi-generational, a trend we are seeing more and more. Work on it for the family, then work on a separate living area for your old age, with no stairs. 😁Love the Brittany btw. We show, hunt and breed Brittanys. Looks like that old timer has had a good life. Something we are always glad to see.
We do hope to install a wood stove in the kitchen fireplace some day. Thank you for the kind words about Lulu, we lost her about a year ago but she was a fantastic dog. Thanks for watching!
@@betweentwobrooks I have a wood cookstove that I use and love in the winter. Not so much in summer. Dual purpose, heat and cooking. Montana winters can really put the pressure on heat. When the kids were younger it was fun to fire that up for breakfast. So sorry to hear about Lulu, she obviously had a good family. We have 7 Brittanys here, the last 3 pups going to their new homes over the next two weeks. And a Chihuahua (don't ask, it was an accident). We hope we can place them in good environments such as yours. She obviously had a good life.
I recommend you watching Jeri Landers of Hopalong Hallow here on RUclips. She does amazing things to her whole house, especially her kitchen. I recommend taking the floors back to original surfaces. You will soon learn to resurface your walls. Again, you can learn anything from how to videos. Good luck, it can be a lot of fun. Thank you for letting us enjoy your journey!
Thanks for the recommendation!
San Antonio, TX has a large public pool that is spring fed. Use to swim there during summers. Great public pool and free. I no longer live in San Antonio.
Cool! We have some family in San Antonio, we will have to ask them about that. Thanks for watching!
@betweentwobrooks If memory is accurate, San Pedro Park. They take the fence down during the off season so you can get close. I remember signs saying "No Swimming" or No Dogs Swimming" and someone's dog happily swimming.
@@builtontherockhomestead9390 I just looked it up, what an interesting history. Thanks for sharing!
I grew up in PA and went to a local pool with spring fed water. Cold as all get out, even when it’s 109 degrees.
Yes, very refreshing!
Yikes, and I say that due to the additions lol. Adding bathrooms and kitchens to those old homes that original did have them has to be a frustrating to figure out....
I'd keep the brick to the kitchen fireplace it's original color, but definitely remove wood trim and mantle. It just looks like they added that in the 60's along with kitchen cabinets, floors and countertops. The bathrooms, yeah lol. I agree with the bathrooms since it's not original, I'd keep in the era of when it was most likely added. It's nice to see that they searched for a claw foot tub for that other bath upstairs stairs. Good luck, look forward to following and seeing how make it work with the old and new.
Thanks for the suggestions!
It could be for keeping pigeons because it has circular openings.
Hopefully you can preserve the history & not have to over-renovate. The beauty & warmth of these old colonials are their nooks, squeaks & hidden quirky spaces. It's getting harder to find these classic American homes without near 100% modern boring blank-slate cosmetic updates. Mostly because people let them fall into irreparable disrepair. It's a marvelous home, lucky you! :)
(Yes, the little round shed was likely a well pump-house. We had one in our backyard growing up. There was a trap door in the floor to access the mechanics.)
agree 100%
Colonial homes don't have white painted kitchen cabinets. That kitchen looks so much nicer and warmer as is, I would just sand and restain natural like that BEAUTIFUL FIREPLACE MANTLE.
You can use a power sander with a vacuum bag attachment.
Thanks for sharing this video with a lot of good ideas to little by little make this old colonial home come alive and be functional for a young family with boys and a dog. The kitchen should be restored to nice plank board wooden floors, a shaker ovular rug and the cozy table to have informal meals with the family. Since it is a colonial I would use colors like blueberry blue, olive green, white, light muted yellow, perhaps for the formal dining room a light salmon muted color or followed the light pastel yellow from the kitchen to the dining room. White granite floors for the bathrooms, subway white tiles and white pedestal vanities and toilet and bathtubs with claws all white clean and timeless also the boys will love the bathtub as oppose to the shower stalls. Note: You already know this but caution at all times when the boys are nearby the brooks surrounding the property and the pool. All the best.
Lots of good ideas, thanks for watching!
Having purchased and moved a center chimney colonial house way back in 1980 and re-constructed it in 1991-1997, I can see why you are excited to dig into this project. The house has some very nice original features. A few tips: 1. Let a professional deal with the lead paint. Let them do the tests and the abatement. This is nothing you should mess with. Especially with children living in the house. 2. Focus some attention on the HVAC systems and insulation. Blowing heat through the walls, windows, and fireplace openings will put you in the poor house. 3. Secure the basement against moisture...if possible. 4. Unless you are thinking of buying tools to become a home handyman, consider hiring professionals to do the work that seems to be the most labor and tools intensive. 5. Hire an electrician to do the inevitable system re-work. My saying? Doing your own plumbing may only mean you get wet. Doing your own electrical work....could kill you. Just a few thoughts from a guy who has 40 years of experience doing this stuff. Good luck.
RW
Upstate NY.
Wow, very impressive that you moved and rebuilt one of these old houses! Thanks for the tips. Thankfully this house was completely rewired in the 1960s, so while it's not up to current code at least it's safe and relatively identifiable as modern wiring. Everything else does need attention...
Beautiful! I love that big kitchen window. In our 1820 home, they removed a few beams that were damaged and then supported the structure with modern framing in those spots. Hopefully that's not the case with your beam boxes! The previous owners also put peal and stick tiles on top of old linoleum. It might be a temporary solution to consider for your kitchen.
Thanks Jessie! We know there was termite damage that was repaired in the 1960s, its very possible the old beams are all gone. We will see!
@@betweentwobrooks hoping for beautiful beams covered up by period cosmetic updates! Just thinking, I have found areas where our wall had no insulation at all, I wonder if your thicker walls have been insulated but not the thinner ones?
That is possible, some walls definitely have a little insulation from the 1960s
Lots & lots of work 👍🏼🙂
That's for sure! Thanks for watching!
NEVER NEVER REMOVE A 12 OVER 12 ORIGINAL WNDOW!! Definattly put on that wall to the left of the fireplace. !
Unfortunately most of the original windows are long gone. In about 1900 the original 12-over-12 windows were replaced with 4-over-4. Those were then replaced in the late 1960s with the current windows which are meant to look like the originals. We still intend to keep and restore these, but they don't have quite as much character as the originals must have
Eventually sand and restain the floors properly but not a half or partial just leave till can be done properly
Agreed, its almost worse that the floors were partially done previously. Wish they just left them alone, at least it would be consistently worn
Just watching this video. Moving thru house with her she asked for … feed-back on a window wall , thinking to close (window) wall- up to accommodate a book case. … leave the window, if book case has a back.. take it it off to become shelves for books, use the window behind and keep the light.
The round building i believe is a privy
Ahhhh....the Ikea chair!
Its surprisingly comfortable :)
Build an outdoor kitchen with that other fireplace and get that chimney fixed and lined when you do the others.
This is a great idea, it would make an awesome patio space someday
Pa told me sawdust was a sign of termites. Did they get into that wall? Maybe?
We currently have deathwatch beetles in some of the oak timbers, they produce some sawdust or frass. We were told the house had termites in the early 1900s which is why we don't have any original flooring and why much of the first floor structure is not original. A bug inspector found signs of old termite infestations but no active signs
Thanks for watching!
Since you did ask for opinions, I have to STRONGLY agree with just about everyone else about NOT painting the kitchen cabinets and woodwork in the kitchen. That would totally destroy the soul of the room. And that furnace is a GEM! PLEASE PLEASE PLEAS don't do anything to that brick!!! I could see replacing the mantle and the trim at the ceiling, but paint or anything else on that brick would be a crime. I'd definitely get that fireplace, and all the others, in working order rather than sticking a wood burning stove in it. I don't understand why people buy houses with so much character only to rip out or paint over everything that gives it character.
Thanks for the feedback!
Love the formal dining room and the milk paint wood corner display shelf and wainscoting and doo agree that wallpaper does have to go at some time. The fireplace nook is beautiful addition to that room, that cool lantern ceiling light I like very much but I would put it in a different setting instead of over the dining table, I would look good maybe in the kitchen where your round table is in front of the beautiful fireplace. Or maybe in the dining room fireplace nook hanging over head. I was thinking upstairs in the main hall you can put white painted bead board on the ceiling and that way would still look authentic but not see a rippled looking ceiling. Maybe do the same for the walls going up the stairs on put some wood paneling in colonial style.
All great ideas, thank you!
You obviously spent a long time working on the remodeling of your old kitchen and would like the same look in here. Is it possible to modernize and still keep that colonial look? I seem to remember seeing, in the past, more than one older home that was restored, in magazines, that had gorgeous kitchens, very modern and functional, yet a real colonial vibe. But, good Lord, you have massive decisions to make. What are your priorities right now? The septic was obviously one and some of the work on the outside to protect the house are also big. But, it would be hard to know where to begin. Much good luck.
Yes, right now we are basically in triage mode, fixing what is broken and making sure the house is weather tight and safe
The wood looks lovely in the kitchen trim don’t paint it
Lovely old home and you are so fortunate to have it! IMO, preserving as much of such a home's original structure and aesthetic as possible is the most important thing. As the owner of an old historic home myself, our priorities were to first address any threats to the integrity of the home's structure: leaky plumbing, leaky roofs and doors, structural rot, insect infestations, cracked or slumping foundation walls, and fire hazards like poorly-installed or outdated electrical wiring. At the same time, removing health hazards like lead paint and asbestos is a priority as well. Be very careful stripping any old paint, especially with kids in the house. Finally, repairing things like windows, internal doors, and woodwork. Never replace old windows - repair them! Protect them with quality storm windows in the winter. Don't replace old doors either. They can be expertly repaired by a good carpenter and rehung with new door seals. Rot in old windows, sills, doors, and trim can be cut out, replaced with a dutchman or epoxy, and then painted, but don't paint old wood inside the house unless it was originally painted or you have to make a very large repair that will not look good with a natural finish. Old wood is usually very high-quality and irreplaceable, so show it off!
In your kitchen - I would keep the woodwork unpainted, if it is high quality and solid. I also had an idea about that awkward, unusable space between the current stove location and the counter/cabinets. You say you are going to build a stub-wall extension alongside the new stove. Why not place the stove at the end of this stub wall and extend the countertop and cabinets around the inside corner where the current stove is? You gain several more feet of counter space and make the inside corner usable cabinet space with a corner cupboard. Just an idea! Counterspace is always at a premium in kitchens, and it's always good to eliminate awkward dust and dirt-collecting unusable little corners and spaces.
Lots of great ideas, thank you. Thanks for watching!
That back stairway seems to be newer and your long living area there looks to have been originally two rooms at one time- rooms that long were not common in cold regions. Your bowed wall could be foundation/ beam issues, both of which are problematic and could worsen if so. What a wonderfully big kitchen! Don’t get rid of cabinets if nicely built - can be easily refaced. Get rid of the “valence” board over the sink…. The light fixture could be changed out for appearance. Something about the fridge next to that fireplace is not pleasing (to me)…. And with all that kitchen area looks t like could work out a better configuration… what was behind that door between the kitchen and the little bathroom?… maybe bring the wall out from stove area to the beam, put fridge on that side. …. Maybe better configure the cabinets….. the supporting structures and moisture issues def need to be addressed first to avoid having to redo anything in the future or future regret. That outside basement door. I would def replace if not watertight. … your house is a gem…congratulations! If you can restore her and keep its character while adhering to your tastes and needs what a lovely home you will make. I’ll follow for sure!!!! I love old homes and restoration. Best of luck & lots of patience!!!!
Thanks for the suggestions! We are actually well on our way with a lot of the things you mentioned, videos will be coming. You are right about the living room being two rooms originally, we found some old photos showing exactly that.
it appears there is a boiler system for heating. But I also saw an air return vent in the floor. That is typically for a furnace. Are there 2 heating sources for the house?
Good eye! Our main source of heat is an oil fired hot water boiler. There are a handful of air registers in the floor but they are not attached to anything, they are just open to the basement. At some point we will need to remove those and fill the holes in the floor. There is no evidence there ever was a furnace, I'm not sure why those vents were installed in the first place
@@betweentwobrooks we have an oil fired furnace with hot water baseboards for heat in our 1950 cottage. At some point they put in central a/c, so some of the vents in the floor are supply and some are returns. (So don’t fill them in until you rule out wanting central air someday.)😬
❤fabulous
Thank you!
My husband is a retired union painter. You will have to get licensed paint remover. You can paint over it but you personally cannot safely remove it. Hazmat qualified company only.
If you’re going to go to all the trouble to strip the paint in the foyer/ stairway have you considered staining it?
We have considered it, we will see what the woodwork looks like when we finally get to this project!
What a beautiful house! It reminds me of the houses here in the Waterland region were I live in The Netherlands. I know that a lot of carpenters from here went to America in those days to built houses. They were recruited because of their expertise building houses from wood. Can you tell me in what state your house is?
Thank you! We are in Connecticut
@@betweentwobrooks I just found out that In 1620 Dutch settlers began moving into Connecticut...
Lovely! What state are you located?
Thank you! We are in Connecticut
I discovered your channel while searching 1836 homes. We are purchasing Our home December 1st! The style of yours reminds me of ours but it is red brick that's painted white. We have a blank slate in the kitchen but I am loving your cabinets. We have 5 fireplaces, none of them functioning. I don't care, I love the mantles.😍 The biggest thing we're dealing with now is lead paint. And that can be a very dangerous situation. Did you test for lead in your new home? If so, how did you handle the situation?? We were told our house is listed with the state of Indiana historical society but unfortunately that is not correct and we are not eligible for any grants or support in lead remediation. So many things to do and learn. Thank you for sharing your journey.
Happy Thanksgiving!!
We have spot tested paint around the house and found that most of the paint is not lead, but we do have some lead present in spots. Thankfully, the paint in the worst condition is actually not lead. We purchased Lead-Out stripper and bought a Pro Scraper that can attach directly to a HEPA vacuum. In the spring we will start work on the exterior trim and siding, there is plenty of lead paint out there. There is an endless amount of learning to do, that's what makes it fun. Enjoy your new house!
your home seems to have been built in New England somewhere by a local architect in Greenwich ( can't recall his name) who did a
lot of homes in the 1950s however he designed these homes to look like they were built in the 1700s, do you have any paperwork from 1785 about this house?
The house appears in the town land records as early as the 1820s, the older records are not digitized and we haven't been to town hall in person to look farther back than that
What a great home! May I ask what state? Obviously New England, Maine?
We are in Connecticut. Thanks for watching!
If you’re going to paint kitchen cabinets paint a colonial color. Blue would be pretty.