Old House Journal Finding Home 2022

Still house-hunting? Just starting a renovation? Congratulations and well wishes! There’s no more exciting time than when you buy a house and then make it a home. I have a little nugget of advice: Take pictures. I regret that I didn’t take enough of them, especially at the beginning. Who would have thought I could forget the true impact of orange shag and a chimney blocking the upstairs hall? But memories fade. Take photos of all sides of the exterior and the yard. Even before you move in, photograph every room; that way, furnishings aren’t in the way. Take garden photos in every season. As work progresses, capture overall shots and details, DIY in progress and contractors making headway. Be sure to use adequate light and save the photos as large…

Q “EVERY room in my house is painted white, and I'd like to use new paint colors … but where do I begin?” It’s easy to be intimidated by overwhelming possibilities. Cues are there, though. Context is first: note existing woodwork (fir, oak, mahogany?), brick or tile at the fire place, your pottery collection. Consider sightlines to other rooms. Age and style create context; you wouldn’t use a mid-century tangerine in a Victorian. Is the room dim or sunny; north-facing, or bathed in hot western light? The usual decorators’ advice to “start with the carpet” is not a bad approach. A favorite rug provides pre-selected options. It is easier to find a compatible paint color than it is to find a carpet after the paint is dry. Even after choosing a direction and…

1. Warehouse Utility A classic suitable for outdoors, the 12" Carson pendant in spun aluminum has a convenient plug-in design and comes with an LED A19 filament bulb. Available in a dozen enamel colors and with a removable cage: $270–$310. Rejuvenation, rejuvenation.com 2. Farmhouse Light Quirky and petite, Nuvo Lighting’s mason-jar sconce conjures a canning jar. In several finishes and a choice of clear or frosted glass, the sconce is 8 ½" high x 4" wide with a 5 ½" extension: $13.99. nuvolighting.com 3. Flirty Skirt A big part of the charm of Barn Light Electric’s Seaside wall sconce is its frilled, fluted shade. In many, many colors, it comes in three sizes and can be fitted for incandescent or integrated LED. Also available as a post mount or pendant. A 12"…

1 If it requires a license or certification, don’t do it yourself. That includes plumbing, electrical work, and HVAC installation or repair. Stay away from putting up scaffolding and foundation work. 2 Work that involves major elements of the building envelope are best left to pros: roofing and flashing, window installation, new siding or shingles. These jobs require experience and a screwup means water gets in. 3 Common DIY projects include light demolition (pulling out kitchen cabinets, say), prep work and painting, drywall or plaster repair (but not replacement), batt insulation, straightforward wallpapering, and wood window repairs. Before you start, weigh the investment you’ll need to make in tools. Consider: To save money, are you willing to settle for a not-quite-perfect job?…

Old houses are charming because of craftsmanship and history. At the same time, old houses need more attention than newer houses—more observation, care, maintenance, and repair. All building components have a “Projected Useful Life” issued by the manufacturer, a linear progression over time that predicts component failure. If maintenance and replacement have been deferred for years, or decades, restoration may be very expensive. Let’s start with the home inspection you’ll get before you go to contract on a purchase. Unfortunately, because most home inspectors are referred by real-estate agents, they may not be terribly helpful. They live in dual agency: brokers send them their clients, but the client pays. Mixed allegiance! Inspection doesn’t end after purchase. You’ll become your own inspector, ideally making the rounds of systems and components twice a year.…

1. Paint Fluidly With slightly angled tips for precise control, the Stinger and Stinger Pro from Stinger Brush will cover all your painting needs, from smooth interior walls to challenging exterior surfaces. They come in 2", 2 ½" and 3" widths, for $24.95 to $29.95. stingerbrush.com 2. Digital Snake Got a plugged drain or blocked flue? Find the obstruction quickly with DEPSTECH’s digital borescope inspection camera. The industrial endoscopic snaking camera is waterproof and has a 4.3" LCD screen to receive hi-def images. It comes with 16 ½' of semi-rigid cable, $50 to $59. depstech.com 3. Save Your Skin Protect your hands while you work in house or garden with MaX gloves from Galeton. The palm side is pigskin with ventilated mesh on the exterior. The leather stays soft and supple after…