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Maintain the original features and design elements in the public rooms? Of course.
Maintain the original features and design elements in the bedrooms? Probably here too.
Restrict yourselves to that expectation in the working areas like kitchen and bathrooms? Absurd.
hth
I'm sure the only opinion that matters is yours but I don't like how a shiny new kitchen looks in a 150 yr old farm house. I didn't say I wanted to have a well pump at my kitchen sink. Geesh! Just staying in character with a nice farm sink and a retro faucet would be ideal.
Maintain the original features and design elements in the public rooms? Of course.
Maintain the original features and design elements in the bedrooms? Probably here too.
Restrict yourselves to that expectation in the working areas like kitchen and bathrooms? Absurd.
hth
If you are not creative and do not like to have to think too much, this is certainly true. However it is entirely practical to maintain the hisptical integrity of bathrooms and kitchen.
Bathrooms:
Pull out the beautiful claw foot cast iron tub and replace it with a fiberglass or plastic insert? - Criminal. (Dumb too)
Remove the antique sink and replace it with an attempted reproduction that looks half ans nice nad functions no better? - Silly.
Sinks and tubs can be re-coated if necessary, but it rarely is necessary. Usually you will have to replace the shower valves because the plumbing needs replacement. High quality reproductions are expensive, but last longer than your typical Delta or Moen garbage and often are difficult to tell from an original.
The old shower heads or new reproductions are wonderful. there is nothing nicer than showering under the waterfall of an 18" sunflower shower head. Keep your new water savers thank you very much, I will just take a shorter shower, since I can rinse faster with a sunflower shower head anyway.
Often a few cheap rubber washers are all that is needed to repair valves if the plumbing is adequate.
In one bathroom we have a small corner mounted sink with original faucets. It is cast iron with enamel over it and beautifully shaped. There is nothing like it today unless you get into the $2000 artistic sinks. It is separate hot and cold, but we never ever use the cold anyway. The sink serves three purposes: wash your hands - water never gets fully hot before you are done; Brush your teeth-still does not get hot unless you leave it running while you brush and waste loads of water; Shave - hot water is ideal. People ohh and ahh over that sink constantly and say they wish that they could have something like it.
When our house was offered for $1 to anyone who would move and restore it, Bob Villa came and looked at it. He said that he did not want to tackle the project, but if they tore it down, he wanted them to save a marble sink from another bathroom for him. You just cannot match the older craftsmanship.
Toilets are a different problem. For the most part, you are better off with a newer toilet (at least from 1930 or later), or a new reproduction. The truly beautiful toilets from the early times had a design that is impractical and never did work very well. You get some very nice designs as you get into the 1930s, and many of them work very well, but it is impossible to find parts for them and the standard Fluid-master parts do not fit. There are some reasonably nice but rather expensive reproduction toilets and some God awful discount reproduction high tank toilets that are comparatively cheap. The reproductions work as well as any other modern toilet. Personally I prefer toilets that pre-date the water saver "flush twice" toilets. Some of the high end expensive new ones flush very well, but as to the typical water saver models - well there is a reason that people make money smuggling non-water saver toilets into the US from Canada.
Some toilets are so neat, that it is just worth it to pay to have parts made. We have a toilet from 1910 that ***** the flush valve when you sit on the seat. When you get up, it automatically flushes. It has a steel tank that mounts on the wall (Tank is ugly, probably had a nice wooden cover, we will have to make one.) It needs a tube made to connect the tank to the toilet and the valve will have to be rebuilt with custom parts made for it. However it is worth it. We will have it restored eventually and instal it in our downstairs bathroom. It is just too neat to pass up. (We could also sell it for $1000 as is).
Medicine cabinets from older times are far prettier and just as functional as old ones. You will have to sand them and give them a good coat of poly so that crud does not soak into the wood. Most of them mount on the wall instead of in the wall.
Kitchens have not changed all that much from the late 1920s. Prior to that tings get impractical. I cannot see trying to cook with a wood fired stove, it is possible, but you have to have a lot of time and a lot of skill.
A 1920s magic chef stove rivals anyhting available today. It must be re-insulated and if you want electronic igniters, they need to be added. However that is an unnecessary expense. Many of the best modern stoves still use pilot lights.
A farmhouse sink serves the same purpose that any other kitchen sink will serve. Most cannot take a garbage disposal, but those are not all that useful anyway (we give our food scraps to the chickens). We do have a hidden stainless steel dish sink with a disposal, but it gets limited use.
Dishwashers are easily hidden as are microwaves. We ahve a small room (scullery) hidden bhind a rolling cabinet wall that allows us to hide away the dishwasher, dish sink and any dirty dishes therein.
Old montior top refrigerators ofter have to be supplemented by a fridge or freezer that is hidden nearby, or there are several terrific new reproduction refrigerators available. Alternately, a sub zero type built in fridge cna be hidden amongst cabinets or even in a wall.
It can always be done, It just needs some thought in most cases.
If you are not creative and do not like to have to think too much, this is certainly true. However it is entirely practical to maintain the hisptical integrity of bathrooms and kitchen.
Bathrooms:
Pull out the beautiful claw foot cast iron tub and replace it with a fiberglass or plastic insert? - Criminal. (Dumb too)
Remove the antique sink and replace it with an attempted reproduction that looks half ans nice nad functions no better? - Silly.
Sinks and tubs can be re-coated if necessary, but it rarely is necessary. Usually you will have to replace the shower valves because the plumbing needs replacement. High quality reproductions are expensive, but last longer than your typical Delta or Moen garbage and often are difficult to tell from an original.
The old shower heads or new reproductions are wonderful. there is nothing nicer than showering under the waterfall of an 18" sunflower shower head. Keep your new water savers thank you very much, I will just take a shorter shower, since I can rinse faster with a sunflower shower head anyway.
Often a few cheap rubber washers are all that is needed to repair valves if the plumbing is adequate.
In one bathroom we have a small corner mounted sink with original faucets. It is cast iron with enamel over it and beautifully shaped. There is nothing like it today unless you get into the $2000 artistic sinks. It is separate hot and cold, but we never ever use the cold anyway. The sink serves three purposes: wash your hands - water never gets fully hot before you are done; Brush your teeth-still does not get hot unless you leave it running while you brush and waste loads of water; Shave - hot water is ideal. People ohh and ahh over that sink constantly and say they wish that they could have something like it.
When our house was offered for $1 to anyone who would move and restore it, Bob Villa came and looked at it. He said that he did not want to tackle the project, but if they tore it down, he wanted them to save a marble sink from another bathroom for him. You just cannot match the older craftsmanship.
Toilets are a different problem. For the most part, you are better off with a newer toilet (at least from 1930 or later), or a new reproduction. The truly beautiful toilets from the early times had a design that is impractical and never did work very well. You get some very nice designs as you get into the 1930s, and many of them work very well, but it is impossible to find parts for them and the standard Fluid-master parts do not fit. There are some reasonably nice but rather expensive reproduction toilets and some God awful discount reproduction high tank toilets that are comparatively cheap. The reproductions work as well as any other modern toilet. Personally I prefer toilets that pre-date the water saver "flush twice" toilets. Some of the high end expensive new ones flush very well, but as to the typical water saver models - well there is a reason that people make money smuggling non-water saver toilets into the US from Canada.
Some toilets are so neat, that it is just worth it to pay to have parts made. We have a toilet from 1910 that ***** the flush valve when you sit on the seat. When you get up, it automatically flushes. It has a steel tank that mounts on the wall (Tank is ugly, probably had a nice wooden cover, we will have to make one.) It needs a tube made to connect the tank to the toilet and the valve will have to be rebuilt with custom parts made for it. However it is worth it. We will have it restored eventually and instal it in our downstairs bathroom. It is just too neat to pass up. (We could also sell it for $1000 as is).
Medicine cabinets from older times are far prettier and just as functional as old ones. You will have to sand them and give them a good coat of poly so that crud does not soak into the wood. Most of them mount on the wall instead of in the wall.
Kitchens have not changed all that much from the late 1920s. Prior to that tings get impractical. I cannot see trying to cook with a wood fired stove, it is possible, but you have to have a lot of time and a lot of skill.
A 1920s magic chef stove rivals anyhting available today. It must be re-insulated and if you want electronic igniters, they need to be added. However that is an unnecessary expense. Many of the best modern stoves still use pilot lights.
A farmhouse sink serves the same purpose that any other kitchen sink will serve. Most cannot take a garbage disposal, but those are not all that useful anyway (we give our food scraps to the chickens). We do have a hidden stainless steel dish sink with a disposal, but it gets limited use.
Dishwashers are easily hidden as are microwaves. We ahve a small room (scullery) hidden bhind a rolling cabinet wall that allows us to hide away the dishwasher, dish sink and any dirty dishes therein.
Old montior top refrigerators ofter have to be supplemented by a fridge or freezer that is hidden nearby, or there are several terrific new reproduction refrigerators available. Alternately, a sub zero type built in fridge cna be hidden amongst cabinets or even in a wall.
It can always be done, It just needs some thought in most cases.
Thanks for your explanation of old toilets! I have what I think is an original from 1902 in the basement of my project house. I was thinking about putting it in the original bathroom. But after your description, I think I'll leave it where it's at.
Here is a picture of it: (you know you're an old house nut, if you look at this and say "hey that's neat" instead of "eww, gross" )
Central heat and air
modern wiring
modern plumbing
some energy efficiency (I dont know which way to go on this)
But I want the charm left intact. For example a fireplace in the living room which is not wood burning to have a gas space heater for a little warmth; the original bath fixtures; a nice old gas range in the kitchen.
Repair what must be repaired- sagging floors and ceilings, rotted wood while trying to maintain the integrity of the house.
My two favorite houses are a bungalow with a front porch all the way across and a D square home again with a front porch all the way across. I would like service porches in the rear.
My sister and brother-in-law own an old Victorian in the historic section of their city. I believe their house was built in the early 1900s. There's a stamp on the sidewalk that lists the contractor and the date when the concrete sidewalk was poured (October 1912). The owners before my sister added a second floor but never finished the construction as they lost the home around 1999 or so. My brother-in-law and sister completed the unfinished construction in the 2nd floor around 2002 and three years ago they did a major reconstruction/facelift as they re-did the hardwood floors, stairs, restrooms, new plumbing, new electricity, tankless water heater, new state-of-the art kitchen with bullnosed granite and a breakfast bar and they knocked down some walls to open up the 1st floor a bit. They also added an indoor laundry room. On the list is a new gabled patio cover and solar panels. The theme to the interior of the house is rustic Italian. Very beautiful house. From the outside it looks like a standard Victorian but the inside is a knock-out.
Thanks for your explanation of old toilets! I have what I think is an original from 1902 in the basement of my project house. I was thinking about putting it in the original bathroom. But after your description, I think I'll leave it where it's at.
Here is a picture of it: (you know you're an old house nut, if you look at this and say "hey that's neat" instead of "eww, gross" )
Not just neat... I would willing to do untoward things to acquire such fine specimen.
Not all older toilets function badly, just most of them. You ought to look inside and see whether modern guts can be made to work in it. If not, then you may have a hard time finding replacement parts and may have to get them made to get it working at all. Once in a blue moon the existing parts will still work, but eventually you are going to need a new valve and flapper. The second issue is how it flushed and how it is set up. Some of the older toilets have the gooseneck installed underneath the floor rather than as part of the toilet itself. Some do not even have goosenecks (phew). Some work OK but you have to hold the handle down and watch until it flushes fully and clears the bowl. With those, you have to be very careful how much toilet paper you put in them. You also need a sign that says hold the handle down until everything in the bowl is gone. Otherwise people just push the handle down and walk away and then next person gets a nasty surprise.
That is a really cool toilet and if it can be made to work at a reasonable cost, might be worth restoring, but you will probably have to put up with some inconveniences and keep a plunger handy if you are going to use it.
Is it still hooked up to plumbing? If so, fill the tank with a bucket of water and try flushing it. See how well it works.
Some way old toilets are works of art.
I have seen much better examples, this is just a picture that I was able to find quickly on the internet. Toilets like this are really neat, but expensive and usually do not work very well.
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but I don't like how a shiny new kitchen looks in a 150 yr old farm house. I didn't say I wanted to have a well pump at my kitchen sink. Geesh! Just staying in character with a nice farm sink and a retro faucet would be ideal.
)
