RESTORING THE INTERIOR BEAUTY OF A HISTORICAL HOME.
The process of stewarding the interior renovation of a 140-year old home is never straightforward. Whether it was selecting historically accurate paint color and millwork, or restoring irreplaceable heart pine floors, we enjoyed the challenges of helping bring new life into an old home. We also constructed custom closets due to the lack of storage in the original home. The front entrance of the home was also fully restored by preserving and updating the original flooring and windows.
The Foyer
The historical Mansard was built in 1873 and the walls were constructed of horsehair plaster. In order to preserve the integrity of the walls, our historical painting subcontractor skillfully removed the wallpaper and made plaster repairs where needed. They painted the foyer utilizing colors we selected from Benjamin Moore's Historical Collection. In addition, they restored the original radiator with a fresh bronze color. Finally, the heart pine flooring and original wooden treads on the stairs were refinished.
The Dining Room
We preserved the original features of the dining room including the original doors, floors, ceiling, molding and wooden beams on the ceiling. The windows were updated with Anderson Architectural series with black exterior sashes. The heart pine floors were refinished throughout the first floor of the home. Similar to the foyer, the plaster was repaired where needed and we painted the walls utilizing Benjamin Moore's Historical Collection. We chose a darker shade of blue for the lower chair rail and a lighter blue for the main walls.
The Parlor
The front parlor was bright and sunny with both north and west facing windows. We preserved the original features of the room including the original doors, floors, molding and ceiling. The windows were updated with Anderson Architectural series with black exterior sashes. The heart pine floors with an oak border were refinished in the parlor. The plaster was repaired where needed and we painted the walls utilizing Benjamin Moore's Historical Collection.
Living Room
The rear living room served as the heart of the home with a large hearth and cast iron stove. This feature was removed from the home per the request of the homeowner. We preserved the original features of the room including the original doors, floors, molding and ceiling. The windows were updated with Anderson Architectural series with black exterior sashes. The heart pine floors with an oak border were refinished. The plaster was repaired where needed and we painted the walls utilizing Benjamin Moore's Historical Collection. We also added a historical ceiling medallion to the light fixture as the old feature was not repairable.
Sunny Bedroom
The front bedroom was bright and sunny with both north and west facing windows. We preserved the original features of the room including the original doors, floors, molding and ceiling. The windows were reglazed. The upstairs floors consisted of knotty pine and were refinished throughout. Wall paper was removed and the plaster was repaired where needed by our historical painting subcontractor. They painted the walls utilizing Benjamin Moore's Historical Collection. We built custom closets into the corner of the room and painted them the wall color for a cohesive finished look.
Attic Bedroom
The attic bedroom was the smaller of the three bedrooms. The walls were in very poor condition with water damage. The plaster was repaired extensively and the walls were painted utilizing Benjamin Moore's Historical Collection by our historical painting subcontractor. We reglazed the windows. The upstairs floors consisted of knotty pine and were refinished throughout. There was a small closet in the space that we retrofitted with shelving and clothing bars We constructed a custom hanging door to maximize the storage space.
Built-In Closets
The third bedroom was nearly identical to the front bedroom. We preserved the original features of the room including the original doors, floors, molding and ceiling. We reglazed the windows. The upstairs floors consisted of knotty pine and were refinished throughout. Wall paper was removed and the plaster was repaired where needed by our historical painting subcontractor. They painted the walls utilizing Benjamin Moore's Historical Collection. We built custom closets into the corner of the room and painted them the wall color for a cohesive finished look.
About The Author
Derck Sturgeon is the owner of Sturgeon Construction & Restoration LLC. Derck grew up in Glens Falls, New York in the Adirondack region and drew inspiration from the rural area he was raised in. He began his construction career in upstate New York and has experience renovating properties throughout New England. With over twenty years of construction experience, Derck's broad depth of knowledge, strong interpersonal skills, creative approach to design, and meticulous focus on detail allows his company to work on a wide scope of projects from basic repairs to full home renovations.