I Am Brilliant! (not)
Right after installing my brilliance, Justin and I stopped by Groh & Sons for a small thing we needed. Groh relined the gutters at the Cross House and did all the roofing, as part of the Heritage Trust Grant. While there we spoke with John who showed us some equipment and materials…
Continue ReadingNOW What Did Ross Do????????
I did a post about the non-original oak floors being refinished in the parlor and library of the Cross House. Some readers loved my…ah…unorthodox approach. Some readers…did not. For those of the former, you may, I hope, like this update. For those of the latter, you should not, I repeat, should not scroll down to…
Continue ReadingA Better Pink!
WAY back a friend gave an old ceiling fixture to me. “Good luck if you can make it look good!” I held the 1930s Deco fixture in my hand, and understood what he meant. Somebody had overpainted its outer metal ring with BRIGHT pink and BRIGHT green. It just killed the fixture. The fixture went…
Continue ReadingLusting After Little Chairs With Little Wheels
Even though I have spent a lifetime being obsessed with design and decoration, and have four decades experience in interior design, I know almost nothing about what furniture looked like in the 1890s. Almost a year ago I did a LONG post articulating my thoughts on how to decorate the parlor of the Cross House….
Continue ReadingThe Last Two!
My online vintage lighting store.
Continue Reading1890s Light Switches. A 24-HOUR UPDATE
Yesterday I was minding my own business when Cody asked a question. I was struck dumb by the question, and did a post as an answer. The question: Would I be installing period-correct light switches in the Cross House? I had never thought about this before, and knew NOTHING about what light switches looked like…
Continue ReadingRespecting the Historical Narrative. PART II
In a previous post I wrote about my efforts to protect the historical narrative of the 1894 Cross House. If X feature is missing, like a bathroom sink/vanity, I will do research to learn what sink/vanities looked like in 1894, and will then go on the hunt for such an item. All the lighting was…
Continue ReadingWhat The Heck Does An 1890s Light Switch Look Like?
Cody just asked if I would be installing period-correct light switches in the 1894 Cross House. I stared and stared at the question on my computer screen. Huh? What? I have never given this an ounce of thought, and was planning to install modern switches (and electrical outlets). These would not confuse the historical narrative…
Continue ReadingRespecting the Historical Narrative
In my previous post, Travis (a guy I know and adore) stated: “I think you’re overly concerned about the “historic narrative”.” I started to reply but realized that doing a post on the subject might be better. So, Travis, this very very very wordy post is all your fault! IS TRAVIS RIGHT? Often, I…
Continue ReadingSite Stats
On December 27, I posted two back-to-back posts. This was my annual year-end report but this year I broke it in two. The first was THE HOUSE and the second was THE ROSS. I did this as a way of letting readers know that the latter post would be personal. In the post I wrote…
Continue ReadingA Honeycomb by MOE!
My online vintage lighting store.
Continue ReadingANOTHER Dazzling Deco Porcelier!
My online vintage lighting store.
Continue ReadingSinging In The Rain
Today I was singing in the rain. Well, not really. And for two reasons. First, it was not raining today. It was wet, yes, but I never saw any rain. Rather, it was like being on the Scottish moors. It was kinda foggy all day and with what must have been like 250% humidity. Had…
Continue ReadingA Dazzling Deco Porcelier!
For many decades, Porcelier made some of the finest lighting fixtures and house wares (they closed in the 1950s). There’s a book on their work: Collector’s Guide to Porcelier China By Susan E. Grindberg Porcelier lighting fixtures are beautifully made and always a pleasure to restore and rewire. Porcelier fixture are also… …
Continue ReadingUnknown EEK!
The brackets are made of four pieces of wood nailed together. To repair this eek issue I could remove the bracket, cut away the eek parts, and attach new pressure-treated parts, cut to the right shape. A plan! This plan however presupposes I can get the bracket out. Will this prove…
Continue ReadingMy Hillbilly Attack. A Short Story.
Recently, I mentioned that I had lost 26 pounds. This thrills me. But my pants kept falling down. My belt had no more of those little holes, and about a month ago I began constantly pulling my pants up as I walked around. This was annoying, yes, but the solution was a trip to Walmart…
Continue Reading