Oh, how we love thee: The original features — big and small — in our homes. They managed to avoid the curse of the previous owner update. Or, maybe you found a time capsule whose first owner who knew they had something good, and didn’t change a thing. Yes, we neeeeeeeded to see the original “they don’t make ’em like that anymore” architectural details and features in readers’ old houses — and you gave us 483 photos, to be exact! There is some FANTASTIC stuff in here! Uploader is now closed — thanks, everyone, for playing. Time to gawk! Above: Close-up of the room divider in Andy A’s 1962 house. Oh my! See? We bet you’re gawkin’ already. 🙂
To see the slide show, click on the thumbnail, it will enlarge, then use the arrows just below to move forward or back. You can start or stop the show from any slide.
John says
Kevin Wagner, gorgeous home!!
Kevin Wagner says
Thanks John, it’s my favorite building by any Architect anywhere.
John says
I feel ya. Is the architect still alive? Have you contacted him? I was shy about doing it, but after 3 years and prodding by lots of friends, I finally worked up the nerve to write him. I am hoping to see the floor plans, I bet the floor plans of your house are very interesting.
John says
I just looked up the architect of your home, he studied with Frank Lloyd Wright, as did the architect who designed my house. No wonder I like it! =)
Kevin Wagner says
Bob Beharka was my friend and mentor. He passed away at 84 years old in 2010. He began his apprenticeship with Frank Lloyd Wright in 1954, and supervised construction of 3 Wright houses. He did some amazing work in his 50 year career. Kevin
Diane in CO says
I second that. Spectacular.
John says
Are all of these things in the same house: Dunbar cabinets, bar with sliding door, closet built ins, fireplace with round suround? if so WOW!! each element is fantastic, put it all in 1 house amazing!!
Those double wall ovens…. as a cook I gotta tell ya I am completely envious!!
denise says
John, yes, those things are all in my house, and i love them all, but I love the aqua Geneva kitchen cabinets most.
denise says
P.S. There’s more, but that’s all I could photograph without cleaning the house 🙂
John says
I completely understand that!! LOL
I love those cabinets as well, and wish I had an original kitchen in my place. Also, aqua/turquoise is my favorite color so I am really loving your cabinets. You must have a unique place!
Ada says
The best feature of my house is the front porch and stoop. Very geometrically designed with an offset square and rectangle. Perfectly mirror to the Mondrian-esque carport ceiling.
Unfortunately, it needed to be re-poured and the contractor TOTALLY f-ed it. The twit actually decided midway through to pour the porch/walkway (which runs about half the length of the house) as a RAMP! Without bothering to contact us to get approval, btw. Imagine contracting a porch and ending up with a ramp. The whole house actually looks like it’s had one too many rum and cokes. He’s now saying he wants to fix it by taking some away and adding a step down and flattening the slope with an epoxy, but it will never be the same now. I honestly want to beat him to a pulp.
Anyone had any experience with this epoxy stuff? I’m worried about it separating from the concrete eventually.
pam kueber says
Ada, seems like you need for him to un-do it, and then re-do it right.
Doug Camin @ House on Rynkus Hill says
Ada –
I would completely agree with Pam. If you have a contractor who has not done the concrete pouring job correctly, it is within your rights to ask them to fix it by remove and re-pouring the slab. I would be concerned that the epoxy wouldn’t bind well over time once it is exposed to the elements and freeze\thaw cycles as well.
Ada says
That’s what I’m worried about…that it’ll start to pull away or something! At the same time, I’m worried about it being repoured as well because they’ll have to chip a lot away from the brick that will not only show the crooked line of the bad pour, but also could damage the brick itself. Plus, it could damage the stoop that it connects to as well….they’re both raised on brick platforms…the walkway/porch should connect to the carport and run along the front of the house, then step one step up to the stoop (which is not only higher, but slightly offset). As it stands now, the walkway/porch comes off the carport and CONNECTS with the stoop. The step up is gone. The whole thing is just a big cluster….but they’ve not seen one red cent!
Doug Camin @ House on Rynkus Hill says
I’d have to see a picture or two to really follow what you’re saying, but a slight amount of concrete sloppiness near the part where it meets the brick can be corrected by coloring a skimcoat and touch up the brick a bit. May not be perfect but you may only notice on close inspection. You’re right to not pay the contractor.
In your position I would send them a certified letter detailing the steps you feel are necessary to rectify it and set a time frame to do it. If they do not respond to that in a timely fashion, hire a different contractor to come in and fix it. You’re lucky that you haven’t paid them anything at this poiint, so switching contractors wouldn’t really put you out anything but hassle.
If you do look for a different contractor, I would seek one out that deals in decorative concretes. (your original contractor may be one of those.) While you may just want plain concrete, their experience dealing with multiple types of concretes, different forms, and surface detail work will give them a lot of experience to know how to do the job right and rectify the issues caused by the first botched job.
Ada says
Thanks for the suggestions!
They’ve promised to fix it. The guy actually does seem to be sincerely upset that we aren’t happy with it. I’m all for redoing it completely…the skimcoat and touch up may help with the looks. The worst is that it’s right under the ribbon windows—those are mine in the dark photo—at the front center point of the house, so it’s at a very focal point! But to be fair, nothing could be worse than the ‘drunk’ look that the house now has!
In the guy’s defense, I think he really DID think he was helping and not hurting! He already had it braced for the correct pour, but he was concerned that, later on, the stoop would begin to pull away from the house (it already has a slight bit, but enough to notice without close inspection) and that this new pour, with the original step up to the stoop would create too much weight and would hasten the issue. I think he also though my grandfather was still going to be living in the house and a ramp would be more convenient. Ultimately though, one phone call to us to ask would have eliminated the problem we now have and any future issue would be on us, not him.
Abigail Grotke says
I posted two photos but forgot to include the year – it’s a 1949 house with the built in shelves and paneling, and kitchen drawers that slide out sideways… we move to it in a few weeks, can’t wait!
priscilla says
That floating china cabinet up on stilts!! Amazing.
Diane of PA says
Thanks Priscilla/ makes it easy to dust!
John says
Donna how cool that your home was featured in an ad…. and that you have the ad!!
Modern T my house does the same thing with the ceiling and roof… not butterfly but the tongue in groove ceiling and exposed beams go out anywhere from 3 1/2 to over 6 feet. Its like the house has an awning all the way around it. It keeps direct light off the house for the vast majority of the day, yet lets plenty of ambient light in.
Laura's Last Ditch--Vintage Kitchenwares says
Alas, the neatest original feature in our house is probably the bathroom tile, but it’s too dirty to show the world!
Guy H. says
I have dirty tile and laminate floors that I could not clean no matter what I did! Now I found a solution. I have been (slowly) scrubbing them clean with a hoover steam cleaner. I need to use the smallest brush attachment and scrub and scrub but it has made them look brand new.
It takes FOREVER, but the end result is astounding.
tammyCA says
Thanks for the tip…better to spend some time & effort cleaning rather than ripping out vintage.
Heather says
Oo, I wish I had a picture of the ice door on the back of our house. (I’m the owner of the 1929 Row House with the purple stained glass window). All of the neighbors have bricked over theirs but ours is still functional, although plastered over on the inside. It still opens and closes.
Guy H. says
Jane Mulchmaid: I love the shelf in your bathroom! Also, love the ducks in your bathroom! They look like they are having a conference!
Guy H. says
Wonderful photos! I love the wood railing in the 3rd picture and Dianne in Colorado’s wonderful hall shelf.
And every other photo as well. So great that you all have kept this stuff!