The NEED List
A few days ago, Cody asked: “what else does the Cross House need in terms of lighting?”
This is my reply.
THE ENTRY HALL. DONE
Recently, a Cody find was installed to each side of the chimney breast. The sconces swivel. which was very much a requirement for the right-hand sconce.
RECEIVING ROOM. DONE.
A number of years ago I installed a pair of over-scaled 1950s Hollywood-Regency-style sconces. No one will mistake them for period-correct sconces. I love them. The scale is impressive in person.
PARLOR. DONE.
A while back Cody found a pair of swivel sconces for the parlor. If they did not swivel, they would bang into the over-mantle.
LIBRARY. DONE.
I found this perfect pair of period-correct gas/electric sconces.
Each screwed directly to the 1894 gas nipples, which always thrills me. I need to get wiring to them yet.
PEACOCK POWDER ROOM. NEED.
It is hard to appreciate in this image, but there will be a 34-wide marble 1890s vanity over to the left. The toilet will be directly under the oval window. You can see, lower, right, the beveled oval mirror I purchased for the room. I will need a pair of non-swivel 1890s sconces to each side of it.
KITCHEN. DONE.
It is akin to a miracle that the kitchen is now done, lighting wise. There are three…three!… period-correct, budget-correct, and room-correct swivel gas/electric sconces. All Cody finds. Two are screwed to the 1894 gas nipples. There is also a period-correct, budget-correct, and room-correct gas/electric pendant in the room. A Ross find. And all…drum roll, please…with matching shades. Gadzooks!
ROUND BEDROOM. DONE.
This was, I think, Mary’s bedroom. And her piano has recently been gifted to the Cross House. Bo found this pair of sconces, now installed in the 1894 location. They do not swivel and nor do they need to. Their low height tells me that they were to illuminate a dressing table. The blue settee was a Kenny gift. This room will be my office.
Fabulous.
OCTAGON BEDROOM. NEED.
The 1894 location of the sconces was much closer to the mantle, requiring hard-to-find swivel sconces. So, being the all-powerful person that I am, I used my powers to shift the sconce locations a bit over so I could use non-swivel sconces. Do not tell anybody! The gas pipes are still in situ.
SEWING ROOM. NEED.
Sconces required. They do NOT need to swivel.
You can see the 1894 gas nipple. And new wiring. I will need to create a wood 1/2 circle the same depth/color of the mantle so the sconces have something to rest against.
MAIN BATH. NEED.
I have a period-correct marble vanity for the main bathroom. I would like a pair of sconces above it. They do NOT need to swivel.
LONG BEDROOM. NEED.
As with the sewing room…
…the 1894 gas nipples are right against the mantle, so will need more 1/2 round wood bits. The sconces may have to swivel. Note the word may.
I discovered a single sconce location on the east wall of the bedroom, and low (middle of picture). To me, this meant that a desk was intended for this corner (I put the radiator in place). Thus, I need a single non-swivel sconce. Ideally, it would match the mantle sconces. So, a set of three? Tall order!
You can see the 1894 gas nipple.
SERVANT’S UPPER HALL. NOT QUITE DONE.
After discovering the original location of the 1894 sconce, I installed one. But…
…it is a bit fancier than it would have been originally. And the shades, too. S0, I need a non-swivel sconce that is severely plain.
THIRD FLOOR. ?
The third floor is mostly one vast room. I have only ever discovered a single gas/electric sconce location, in the round tower room. I plan to leave this As Is. The third floor though had to have more lighting but I find no evidence of it. This is exceedingly curious.
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I think my favorites are the Library sconces. Just like the look of them.
And I love Kenny’s settee.
A few comments/questions for you, Ross:
1. Receiving room: I think you flatteringly overestimate the ability of the general public to accurately gauge the age of a light fixture. I’ve looked at enough late 1800 houses to think the candelabra look out of place but my next guess would have been “medieval castle” not “Hollywood regency” 😆
2. Sewing room: In the second picture there’s a faint ring on the face of the mantle presumably that’s where the sconce base would have rested? If so could the wood bit you need to recreate have been conical? On the edge facing us in the photo there seem to be lines connecting from that ring on the face and going diagonally back towards the wall (like from top of the ring up to the yellow wire, and from the bottom of the ring down to the paint splotch).
3. How did the gas actually flow through the scones? Did it attach to the gas pipe in the wall and literally just flow through the arms? If that’s the case then seems like it would be a nightmare to prevent leaks — especially with the swivel ones!
4. Thank you for the tour! It’s really amazing how far you have come!!
Hi, Christy,
Regarding your item #2, the faint ring you see is, I think, the incised edge of a brass canopy that was notched out to fit the mantle. I’m not gonna do that!
Your idea of a wood plinth is definitely better (and easier!) than that!
Are there any spaces in the house that still need period overhead lighting to be sourced? Halls, vestibules, bathrooms, etc? First floor powder room? Second floor bathroom off the sewing room? Phone closet?
I forget – have you uncovered any sconce locations in the dining room? I would be somewhat surprised if there never were any.
I did not realize how many frikkin wall sconces I had found over the years until you laid them all out in one place.
Cody, I see no evidence of sconces in the dining room. Yes, surprising.
Cody, I have updated this post. Please make sure to refresh.
Cody is a gem.
I remain impressed with the magic of the Cross House and the way missing items are finding their way to their new home. Especially given how many sconces and light fixtures were initially needed. I’ve been wondering if you have an updated list of Yale and town interior door and window hardware needed. I seem to recall you were also trying to find a specific window lock as well. Also, is there any exterior Yale and towne hardware needed as I recall it was a different pattern than the interior. The exterior hardware pattern had a matching door bell cover which had me wondering if the front door was the only door with a bell or if the two side doors did as well.
I’m amazed at how many period-correct fixtures and shades are still floating around in the world.