On the outside of the door there are small panes going down the sides. This is in an alcove that is arched.
I’m having trouble with where a dark colour should be and the light. But I really need help with finding out how I can dress the door itself. It’s plain other than the three skinny windows….
Could you help me please?

I think the one larger window above the stairway windows has got to go. But what if it’s the only window in a bedroom or something?! Need to see inside!

1. Choose a base color and complimentary color for the outside of the house.
2. I have no idea how but find a way to harmonize the three cascading windows with the rest of the house front.
3. Get rid of that ugly piece of cheap paneling around the fireplace. Replace it with a carved wood surround with a nice mantle.
4. I love the paneling in the dining room(?). Paint the room in a color that would showcase the paneling. I like the light.
5. I like the colored bathroom fixtures! I’d keep them and replace the countertop. I like the tub and the shower. I’d do something else with the dividing wall around the toilet.
.-= Laura Wilson´s last blog ..How Would You Update This Center-Hall Colonial? =-.

The diagonal windows are probably original. Tweak.

Remove radiators? The most comfortable and energy-efficient heating system available? No way.

1. Exterior — the single most offensive thing done to remuddle this house is the placement of the windows on the diagonal going up the stairway. That is antithetical to 20′s/30′s architecture. I agree with the poster above who suggests researching the original window styles and restoring them to that. With that knowledge in hand, I’d eliminate the three narrow stairstepping windows and replace them with two across the top matching in size and aligning with the window above-left of front door. This tear-out would require restuccoing the exterior or at least a good patch job — in turn the house would have to be repainted and I would use a warm medium orangey-peach to make it stand out. Trim would be bright white and front door rust. It looks like the storm/screen door is original so I would leave it (painted rust). Paint the ceiling of arch over the front door light blue with a touch of aqua in it. The built-in benches flanking the front door are a charming feature — they’ll stand out more against a colored house and I agree with another poster that bench cushions would jazz them up (maybe rust/white awning stripe). Back to the windows — good eye to the poster who picked up on how the windows appear to have etched mullions. I hate the fake snap-in ones but in this case they should be acquired, as the replacement windows appear to be custom casements, which would be prohibitively expensive to replace with custom true divided light casement windows. The roof looks shot so replace with dimensional shingles in dark brown. An extra-picky detail — replace the diagonal lattice underneath bumpout on left side of the house with square lattice; the former isn’t period appropriate.

I know that’s more than 5 things already but those changes would definitely draw people to this now-blah house.

Interior:

2. There are ducts in the floors, probably for central air. Redo the heating system to use the ductwork and eliminate the radiators (selling them to an architectural salvage place). The radiators and radiator covers are taking up valuable wall space in a number of the rooms. This will require some minor floor repairs. Too bad this wasn’t done before, as the floors appear to have been refinished recently. For those who don’t like how they look, just give it time. They will darken up. Stair runner carpeting can be removed at this time so that floor finishers can do stairs while fixing radiator pipe holes.

3. I agree with Kymberly that the bowling alley living room is most unfortunate, but see no telltale signs from the floor that the room was once divided. Also, the alignment of the openings to the dining and sun rooms indicates “one room” to me. One hopes that the camera lens is mostly at fault for elongating this room. I agree with others that the paneling on the fireplace needs to go, with the original under-window flanking built-in bookcases reconstructed. By eliminating the strong vertical lines of the paneling and adding horizontal lines with book cases (with multi-paned glass doors of course) I think the proportions of the room will look more harmonious. The fireplace surround (stone?) appears original and needs to be kept as is.

4. Along with everyone else, I think the kitchen is a disaster and needs to be completely gutted and redone in a period-appropriate (simple) style. Without the radiator, there will be a lot more room for cabinets/added counter space. Too many ideas here and not enough room to go into them –

5. The bathroom was remodeled in the early 60s, I’m guessing. I’ve seen the same colors (and sink style) in upscale homes in my area that were built then. It’s interesting in a slice-of-history kind of way, though I’m on board with others that taking this bathroom (and others not shown) back to their original era is the best way to go.

On painting the interior trim, I’m generally partial to white (for windows and trim, door frames, and base molding) and would do that here though the original paneling in the dining room seems too lovely to mess with. And do all of the other obvious things, i.e. remove vertical blinds from sunporch, get some color on all of the walls, replace dining room light fixture with period-appropriate or vintage one, etc.

Where’s the blue shag? The Pepto-pink paint? The rats?

At most this house suffers from the delusion that taking out walls and “opening up spaces to the flow!” improves everything. No, not really. Most old homes were, in fact, based on plans designed by actual architects who knew what they were doing. It is the hubris of the modern age that we think we know better and start taking down walls willy-nilly, resulting in these modern “bowling alley” spaces as seen above.

Walls are good. Walls are our friends! Really.

I would drive a stake through the heart of that horrid 1970′s fireplace and attempt to build some “division” in the enormous stairway room with furniture placement. The kitchen could use a refacing (I’m presuming I have my real budget and not my fantasy “if I won the lottery” budget). I’d splurge on better counter tops.

I’d try and salvage the bathroom with period details to make the tile seem more appropriate and less circus-like. I might, however fail.
.-= Kymberly ´s last blog ..I can relate … =-.