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The Old HouseRemodelingDesign Dilemma
ms_sara_todd

1909 Colonial Revival Renovation Help

Sara M
6 years ago

Is it disgraceful to want to rip down the wall paper in this home, paint the walls, stain the wood darker, and even replace the carpeting? We are house shopping and, while I love this 1909 Colonial Revival home, I feel like it is so dark (and gives me a haunted hotel vibe). I completely understand that this decor is very authentic to the time period and generations of folks have worked diligently to maintain the integrity fo this home, but I would really like to "modernize" it just a little. With that said, I do not want to destroy the history of the home by making too many changes; that is part of what I love about it. Anyone have thoughts about this? Sould we pass on this home and leave it for someone who will appreciate it more?




Featured Answer
  • PRO
    Beth H. :
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    that red carpeting??? if you want a bordello, keep it. otherwise, out. I don't care how long it's been there, that needs to go. Ditto the burgundy velvet drapes. they were nice in 1915,,,now? horrid. get down to the natural floors, redo the stair treads, rip out the paper and strip the room of everything. try and picture it without all the fluff. now, work from there. the original wood in the house isn't the problem, it's everything else around it. I so wish we had homes like that where I live.

    Comments (56)

    • PRO
      Barnhart Gallery
      6 years ago

      Sara lucky you! If you have the time and energy to de-fussify this space down to its beautiful bones, it will be amazing. I wouldn't touch the wood either, though. Let me see if I can find you some inspiration photos...

      Sara M thanked Barnhart Gallery
    • Sara M
      Original Author
      6 years ago

      These are all such awesome comments! This place does need to be stripped down. I just wasn't sure if that would make me a jerk since it's so historic. Here's a few more pictures so you can really see why we love this place so much! Big bonus: it has a wrought iron fence that encloses the entire property!

    • PRO
      Beth H. :
      6 years ago
      last modified: 6 years ago

      omg, where is this? I'll buy it.


      a few photos to show once it's stripped and painted white

    • Sara M
      Original Author
      6 years ago

      It's in a small town in Wisconsin. Kewaunee, WI

    • Sara M
      Original Author
      6 years ago
      last modified: 6 years ago

      It also has a view of Lake Michigan.....Why am I even questioning this place?! Probably because it's over 100 years old and isn't insulated (not a plus for Wisconsin winters) with a creepy stone basement that I can't throw our daughter and her friends in when they come over. Disclaimer: I mean that I can't refinish the basement for a hangout. Not like I want to throw kids in my basement.....hahaha

    • houssaon
      6 years ago

      Change everything except the wood. It is a lovely house.

      How's the electrical and the plumbing? You can look into the pros and cons of blown in insulation if all else is fine. Super insulating the attic and under the first floors will help.

      Sara M thanked houssaon
    • PRO
      Beth H. :
      6 years ago

      I'd throw teenagers in a basement any day ;)

      it's an old house and they need money to fix/update them. insulation is prob just one of the issues. get a good home inspector and make a list. if it's what you want and have the money to do it, then go ahead.

      Sara M thanked Beth H. :
    • PRO
      Barnhart Gallery
      6 years ago


      Sara M thanked Barnhart Gallery
    • PRO
      Beth H. :
      6 years ago

      hey barnhart,, want to contribute the 50K or so it would take to redo all the wood to get this lighter-washed oak look??and the plaster walls with barrel ceilings?? it's beautiful, but maybe show an actual victorian-craftsman?

      Sara M thanked Beth H. :
    • PRO
      Joseph Corlett, LLC
      6 years ago

      " Sould we pass on this home and leave it for someone who will appreciate it more?"


      Probably. Historic home ownership is about stewardship, not whims or trends or fads.

      Sara M thanked Joseph Corlett, LLC
    • cpartist
      6 years ago

      Is it disgraceful to want to rip down the wall paper in this home,

      Not at all. That wallpaper is more victorian than Craftsman and the house is more craftsman. Same with the red velvet curtains.

      paint the walls,

      Look into lighter craftsman colors. Do a search for craftsman paint colors.

      stain the wood darker,

      Please don't stain the wood darker. All it needs is a good cleaning and then waxing. It's stunning and please do not ever think of painting that stunning wood.

      and even replace the carpeting?

      Absolutely. I'm guessing there's original hardwood flooring underneath and it's probably in great condition!

      We are house shopping and, while I love this 1909 Colonial Revival home, I feel like it is so dark (and gives me a haunted hotel vibe). I completely understand that this decor is very authentic to the time period and generations of folks have worked diligently to maintain the integrity fo this home,

      Actually the vibe is victorian and not craftsman or colonial revival. I would absolutely do some research on craftsman and then use some lighter furniture that you love.

      Anyone have thoughts about this? Sould we pass on this home and leave it for someone who will appreciate it more?

      Actually it sounds like you'd be the perfect people to love and preserve this house for the future. Bottom line. Woodwork, original telework and floors keep. Anything added after such as wallpaper, fabrics and rugs can be removed.

      It also has a view of Lake Michigan.....Why am I even questioning this place?!

      Yes why???

      Probably because it's over 100 years old and isn't insulated (not a plus for Wisconsin winters)

      Work with an old house specialist on how to add in insulation.

      BTW: If the windows are original, please don't replace them!!!

      with a creepy stone basement that I can't throw our daughter and her friends in when they come over. Disclaimer: I mean that I can't refinish the basement for a hangout. Not like I want to throw kids in my basement.....hahaha

      Is there another room that the kids could use?

      BTW: I absolutely WOULD NOT do what barnhart is suggesting! That's the surest way to kill the look and feel of the original house. I find it absolutely disgusting when people try and "modernize" original woodwork and details by painting it or whitewashing it.

      Sara M thanked cpartist
    • suezbell
      6 years ago

      Really nice home with lots of potential.

      Basements can be waterproofed.

      Attics can be insulted. Exterior walls can be insulated, too, and this would need to be done before repaintingbegins.

      To bring light to the dark:

      Get rid of all the carpet. This home needs wood floors and wood steps.

      Put all the curtains and drapes in a closet -- at least for a while. Add white mini-blinds inside all the windows.

      Get rid of any/all wall paper. Paint all the already painted parts of the walls and the ceilings a true decorator's white -- no pink or yellow hue.


      Sara M thanked suezbell
    • Lyndee Lee
      6 years ago
      Beautiful house! Taking down the wallpaper is a great idea but staining the wood darker isnt. The quickest way to brighten up an old house is to paint the walls a light color. I like a light grayish green or a bluish gray against natural wood trim. Then add some more lights. It may be easier to add wall sconces than ceiling lights, that depends on the construction details. The small recessed LEDs can be a good way to add more light without being intrusive. Have an electrician check out the general condition of the wiring as rewiring a house of that size wouldnt be cheap or easy
      Sara M thanked Lyndee Lee
    • Margaret Schultz
      6 years ago
      This house could be gorgeous. The way it is currently decorated is NOT historic. It looks like someone turned it into their idea of Victorian. In, like, 1970. Wall to wall carpet isn’t historical either! Bring it back into the craftsman era it belongs in.

      Do not stain the wood darker. Unless you absolutely need privacy, I wouldn’t cover the windows either. You will want maximum light on all that beautiful wood. If you need privacy I’d lean toward drapes, not blinds.
      Sara M thanked Margaret Schultz
    • Margaret Schultz
      6 years ago
      Actually, I like the Roman style shades on the windows that Beth posted. They don’t hide the woodwork, plus you’d get your privacy when needed.
      Sara M thanked Margaret Schultz
    • User
      6 years ago

      You should be fine as long as you don't change the "fabric" of the house. First thing I did was pull out the carpet, nasty stuff. White ceilings can do an amazing job of lightening a room and the contrast between dark wood and light walls makes a beautiful look. With the dark wood word stay away from grey shades, from experience it give the feeling of always being in a cloudy dreary day. Another recommendation would be to put wood storms on the windows to help with insulation.

      Sara M thanked User
    • decoenthusiaste
      6 years ago

      Probably a beautiful money pit. Are you young enough to face years of continual maintenance to keep the home's basic integrity and functionality up to snuff? Houses like this demand owner devotion and finances be continuously there for them. Old wiring and plumbing, lack of insulation and single pane windows will eat up a great chunk of money right off the bat. If you're not a dedicated old house lover, you might want to pass. Much depends on how much money, time and patience you have and if this is where you want to focus it. I'm reminded of how much of the same teens require. You choose.

      Sara M thanked decoenthusiaste
    • PRO
      Barnhart Gallery
      6 years ago

      Wow Beth H. -- just showing a similar space without all of the wallpaper, carpet, etc. My dogs needed to go out, my son needed dinner...this is what I found in a quick search. I didn't think this example was so far off how the space could look other than the exact shade of wood. Go easy; just trying to help.

      Sara M thanked Barnhart Gallery
    • PRO
      Barnhart Gallery
      6 years ago
      last modified: 6 years ago

      Cpartist, I said I wouldn't touch the wood -- that was the best example I could find quickly of a similar space without all of the busy-ness of the wallpaper and carpet. Pics got disconnected from the post.

      Sara M thanked Barnhart Gallery
    • gtcircus
      6 years ago
      This house has an arts and crafts vibe and is fabulous. Yes you can make it modern, loose the haunted hotel vibe without painting the woodwork. But it is going to take some work and most importantly you need to love the bones of the house. Personally that wallpaper is hideous and doesn’t fit the style of this house. Nor does the carpet and I suspect there are beautiful hardwood underneath that can be refinished lighter. These houses had very VIBRANT NATURAL COLOR because they were meant to have an aesthetic of nature. I’ll see if I can pull some photos but the best investment is to hire a decorator to go through the house with you for an hour of time to help you see the vision.
      Sara M thanked gtcircus
    • Lyndee Lee
      6 years ago
      Ask yourself if your emotional and financial state can withstand the challenges involved in that house. It is gorgeous but old houses are a lifestyle decision, just like having pets. Do you love puttering around the house and garden? Do you think it is fun to spend hours tinkering with an original but tempermental doorbell? Are you willing to forego a winter trip to Florida because the windows need to be glazed and painted. If you are a DIY person, you will be using vacation days to work on the house. If you dont mind the house having first dibs on your discretionary time and money, great. Maintenance on an older home is so much tougher than a newer house.

      Just getting up to the attic dormers will be an adventure, as most people cant even get the ladder in position let alone climb up and do the needed work. Im tired of cleaning my gutters and that only takes a 32 foot ladder. Sure you could have some gutter guards installed but original custom copper gutters require custom copper gutter guards with a custom sized price tag. Just finding an appropriate old house lover you would trust to work on your house is tough, and that is before you discuss price and availability.

      Dont do it unless you love old houses because if you dont truly love it, you will come to hate it.
    • Sara M
      Original Author
      6 years ago

      We currently live in a 1850's brick farmhouse, so we know all about the maintenance fo an old home. This house would actually be "new construction" for us!

      I would love to stay in the home we currently live in, but doing any more renovations on our current home would price us too far out of the market and we'd really like more space.

      The financial and time commitment is something that we have discussed A LOT. We both really love the bones of the house, so any renovations would be purely cosmetic (ripping out carpet, ripping out wallpaper, painting walls, etc.) Fortunately the home is in immaculate condition and the owners have taken great care of it. It also has a new kitchen addition (the one modern amenity we need).


      We're in our mid-30's and my husband is a handy guy who can't sit still. He's always fixing or building something.

    • Mattman
      6 years ago
      A home like that on Lake Michigan( which we visit frequently) ? I would live there if it were haunted.
    • Debbie Downer
      6 years ago
      last modified: 6 years ago

      OP, neither the carpet or drapes - and probably not wallpaper either - would be original so have at it - looks to me like just a more modern interpretation of Victoriana.

      Can we see a close up of the wood? It looks to be in very good condition, not all dinged up. I may be wrong, but Im kinda thinking it probably wont need stripping and the quality/tone would actually look much like Beth H's pics - the ones w/ unpainted wood. If its shellac taking steel wool+ denatured alcohol may be all that's necessary to smooth out the finish + clean it up.

      Dont paint the wood - sheesh. If for no other reason than why make work for yourself.. The existing white upstairs is OK but you have a exceptionally grand lower floor there. Just replacing carpet, drapes, removing wallpaper + painting is all that's necessary - Really, those things are the only "dark and gloomy" that I see in there. If you have acres of gleaming wood floors under that carpet (maple? can you take a peek somehwere ?), that plus your ample size windows and high ceilings plus fresh color on the walls is going to be plenty bright and airy.

      What's wrong with the stone basement? Unless it has a dirt floor and low ceiling it can be cleaned up and made into a wonderful useable vintagey space - either raw stone or use a special masonry paint on it. Usually a house of that size may have a few rooms down there, including a coal chute Sounds like you may be new to the world of old houses but you are finding some appeal in them? I would encourage you to just go googling and keep images and articles that appeal to you - they say make no drastic changes (ie that cant be reversed) in your first year - just look and learn.

      As a long time "looky loo" I can tell ya, a house of that quality and having not had a lot of futzing & remuddling over the decades - is kinda rare around these parts (fellow cheese head here).

      Sara M thanked Debbie Downer
    • gtcircus
      6 years ago
      Some inspiration for a clean modern vibe. I bought a house that looked worse, 15 years later it is where I want it. Here is the question you must ask, will you smile every time you see this house coming home? That is why I bought mine, it has the most glorious view out the back - a lake. Not Michigan but good enough for me.
      Sara M thanked gtcircus
    • cpartist
      6 years ago

      Get rid of all the carpet. This home needs wood floors and wood steps.

      Absolutely!

      Put all the curtains and drapes in a closet -- at least for a while. Add white mini-blinds inside all the windows.

      Please no white mini blinds. They will fight with the woodwork. Put wood blinds, roller shades, roman shades, linen curtains or drapes.

      Get rid of any/all wall paper. Paint all the already painted parts of the walls and the ceilings a true decorator's white -- no pink or yellow hue.

      Please don't do decorator's white. Decorator's white will be too harsh against the woodwork and will actually fight with it. If you want to do a white, pick an antique white that is warmer.

      Here are some possible colors choices. Notice that even the whites are not a pure white?

      Cpartist, I said I wouldn't touch the wood -- that was the best example I could find quickly of a similar space without all of the busy-ness of the wallpaper and carpet. Pics got disconnected from the post.

      Phew! Barnhart. Glad to hear you wouldn't change the wood either. If the OP is interested, I can point her to some excellent books on craftsman houses. All are available on Amazon although most are out of print now.

      Great examples bellburgmaggie!

      Sara M thanked cpartist
    • Sara M
      Original Author
      6 years ago

      Cpartist, thank you for the suggestion about the warmer paint color on the walls. Would I still want to use a decorators white on the ceiling though? Or would I want to paint them the same color? Sorry if I sound ignorant; our current home is an 1850's brick farmhouse. Completely different style, so I've been feeling a bit lost. I really appreciate all of the suggestions!


      Does anyone have any thoughts about the fireplace? Leave it, resurface it, change the mantel?

    • Lyndee Lee
      6 years ago
      sounds to me that you know what you are taking on and are still willing. It is good to hear that the current owners have taken good care of the house because some big old houses just got so expensive to maintain that the owners deferred maintenance until the only issues getting attention were the disasters. Owning a landmark home is a commitment that many homeowners arent ready to take on but you might be a good match with that house. Hope you will update the posting when you buy the house
      Sara M thanked Lyndee Lee
    • Sara M
      Original Author
      6 years ago

      Lyndee Lee, I think that's why I've been so concerned about compromising the integrity of the home. It is located in a historic district and is one of the stops on the "tour". So if I mess it up, people will know! It's heavily advertised as being "carefully updated to be historically correct for the time period in which is was built (1909)". When I first saw it, I didn't think that was accurate, and this forum certainly has helped me to know that to be true!

    • tatts
      6 years ago
      last modified: 6 years ago

      So, the house is so dark you feel like you're in a haunted hotel and you want to--wait for it--stain the wood darker. Really?

      The wallpaper can all go, as can the carpet. None of that is original, nor even, probably, anywhere near what the original looked like.

      But the wood--especially on the wainscot panels--is spectacular! Don't touch that; it would seriously devalue the house if you painted it. And it would be a sin.

      Friends have a 100+ year old house and just had rock-wool-type insulation sprayed in from the outside and inside (depending on access), and it was a piece of cake, with very little dust or disruption (except having to empty out their library). Patched the holes and painted, and you'd never know.

      Sara M thanked tatts
    • Debbie Downer
      6 years ago
      last modified: 6 years ago

      The FP is fine! It has nice wood with trim like rest of the house - just clean the brick, get your circa 1905 craftsman colors up on the walls, and you're good for another 100 yrs. Its only the silver- gray of the stripey wallpaper thats throwing off the color of it - it will look beautiful in context of wood + arts & crafts colors. YOu might look for a well made wrought iron fireplace screen thats more of the period - but keep it simple. The style of this era was about taking inspiration from nature (in materials and colors) and it was also a reaction against the excess "foofy-ness" (is that a word) of the earlier Victorian period.

    • Margaret Schultz
      6 years ago

      Sara M - If the fireplace is original, just clean it up and keep it as is. CR is right, get a nice arts & crafts fireplace screen that will match up. Since you have a hubs who is handy and doesn't like to sit still, GO FOR IT girlfriend! Then post pix. We want to see this house returned to it's REAL style.

    • cpartist
      6 years ago

      Cpartist, thank you for the suggestion about the warmer paint color on the walls. Would I still want to use a decorators white on the ceiling though?

      NEVER. LOL. No all the colors should be of the period. In fact you can even paint the ceiling in darker colors if you'd like.

      Or would I want to paint them the same color?

      No it doesn't need to be the same color but it shouldn't be a harsh white. Decorator white was not available 100 years ago.

      Sorry if I sound ignorant; our current home is an 1850's brick farmhouse. Completely different style, so I've been feeling a bit lost. I really appreciate all of the suggestions!

      You are not ignorant. We all had to start somewhere. I started back in 1987 when my ex and I bought a small arts and crafts bungalow and fell in love. It's been a learning process ever since with a detour to an 1898 late victorian and now I'm building a new craftsman style home. (I only wish I could have found a vintage home where everything was still intact like this home you're considering.)

      Might I suggest going to Amazon and looking for books on Bungalows and Arts and Crafts homes? I recommend anything by Jane Powell (I have her Bungalow, The Ultimate Arts and Crafts Home) or anything by Paul Duchscherer (I have his Along Bungalow Lines and his The Bungalow)

      I also suggest getting a subscription to two magazines; American Bungalow and Arts & Crafts Homes and the Revival

      And there are a number of good Facebook groups I'd recommend:

      American Bungalow

      The Arts and Crafts Movement

      Bring Back the Bungalow

      Does anyone have any thoughts about the fireplace? Leave it, resurface it, change the mantel?

      Leave it as Current said. It's fine as is.

      Um you'd better buy up this house before someone buys it out from under you!

    • gtcircus
      6 years ago
      last modified: 6 years ago

      I would enlist the assistance of a decorator to update this house to HONOR its historic roots while brining it to the modern era. You live in your home in 2018 not 1909. People who argue otherwise should start having ice delivered to the ice box and then start shoveling coal into the furnace in the scary basement. So the point? Take this house to 2018 and honor its roots by respecting the things that are important and updating the things that aren’t. This means getting a master plan so you can tackle things one room at a time. Remember it is your home NOT A MUSEUM! P.S. I painted all my ceilings BM In Your Eyes Blue - a very faint blue and no one notices its not white but it makes the rooms so cheery!

      Sara M thanked gtcircus
    • cpartist
      6 years ago

      Of course we don't live 100 years ago so I would hope and expect that things like kitchens, baths, plumbing, electrical, hvac, roofs, etc are all updated. However that doesn't mean to update a house so it looks like an HGTV clone.

      There's a big difference between updating a mechanical system, etc and painting over something like beautiful old growth woodwork. By honoring the character of the house, the house will still look timely in 10 or 20 years whereas if the house is "updated" to the current fad, it will look outdated and out of character.

      Sara M thanked cpartist
    • User
      6 years ago

      In doing so research pure lead white paint goes all the way back to colonial American times and peaked in popularity in the 1920's. One of the issues with defining certain colors to certain eras is that in the past the color changes caused by fading, smoke and other pollutants muted and greyed colors. An example would be the brilliant yellow at Monticello.

      "Restoration experts have come to understand that original paint colors in historic homes
      were probably much stronger than they had realized, but that they had
      faded over the years. Those pale yellows and grays you’ve thought of as
      historic probably started out as much brighter shades."

      from https://www.bobvila.com/articles/bob-vila-radio-historic-paint-color/#.WmEBiDdryMo

      Sara M thanked User
    • tatts
      6 years ago

      Okay, Sara M, now that you've posted the other pictures of that house, I hate you. But I guess you can live with that, eh?

      That house is awesome!!! And the fence and gates are perfect. Wow. What a find.

      Sara M thanked tatts
    • gtcircus
      6 years ago
      last modified: 6 years ago

      I dont think honoring a historic house means painting oak or walnut woodwork white in a craftsman house. I think if you look at the photos I posted they clearly honored the house but gave the family and updated and timely look. I would love to see the view from the back yard of the this house and hopefully the OP post it. One point to remember, the White House has been updated over the years and now Buckingham Palace will have a major overhaul that will take 5 years and cost 10’s of millions of dollars because it needs modernization and updating. I think if these two houses can be updated and modernized then the OP’s lovely home can be too. By modernization I mean appropriate LED lighting and lots of it, no galvanized pipes, refreshed colors, no carpet, working plumbing, modern appliances in the kitchen, refinished hardwood floors, removal of the wallpaper, removal of the carpeting, updating electrical panel to handle modern appliances, installation of a security system, weatherization including installing better insulation, etc. After 100 years I suspect its time to tackle the bathrooms and again one uses modern materials but honors the house’s archeticure. That means no Las Vegas themed bathrooms cause what goes on in Vegas shall stay in Vegas. LOL

      Sara M thanked gtcircus
    • PRO
      Barbara Brown Interiors, Inc.
      6 years ago
      This house is gorgeous and Beth gave you great advice!

      Enjoy! Dream project!
      Sara M thanked Barbara Brown Interiors, Inc.
    • cpartist
      6 years ago

      Bell burg my apologies as my comments weren't directly directed at you. Additionally I think your examples were right on the money and what I'd have shown too. We agree that updating means the systems to bring a house to safety and into the 21st century

      Sara M thanked cpartist
    • Debbie Downer
      6 years ago
      last modified: 6 years ago

      Bell thanks for your clarification - I think your photos illustrate something I would say too - that we want to understand what the original design intention was back in 1905, not so that we can slavishly create exact replica of how it was then, but so that we can go out and choose products and furnishings that fit in and create a beautiful and cohesive whole. No reason at all modern pieces couldnnt fit in with the overall look and feel. In fact as we can see from the previous owner's efforts, trying too hard to look "historic" just left us with a cliched 1980s version "Victorian" which really wasnt very authentic and true to its origins at all.

      Similarly, I think it would be a mistake for OP to go out and fill the house with 2017 interpretations of "craftsman" because the end result would just be a 2017 interpretation of craftsman. One of the best kitchens I saw in an early 1900s house (wish I could find the pic) used a mixture of modern and vintage pieces. It was unfitted, having freestanding pieces, worktables, and a kind of utilitarian industrial feel that was quite modern, but in its way far more authentic to the house than a lot of the ubiquitous white fitted cabinets + granit counters you see on Houzzz.

      Guess Im so interested in this thread because my house is of the same era and very similar style - ie has strong arts and crafts features but floorplan is your basic midwestern Wisconsin foursquare vs the classic Chicago bugalow. My approach was basically to strip it down to its essentials - remove 100 years of GACK - all the layers of flooring and wallpaper - so exciting to find the original paint colors (all golds, browns, grays, bronzy greens, one room was a dark inky blue that Ive become quite fond of.) I wont do exactly the same colors but finding them did get me to rethink my color scheme.

      I do have some arts and crafts oak pieces (incl a massive oak library table in the kitchen now used as a worktable) but also mixed it up with other fav and well loved stuff, vintage up into the present.

      Oh one other thing to acknowledge is that OP's house is part of a historic tour, so Im guessing she will probably want to be leaning in the direction of being more faithful to historic roots than some of us are. Still, that doesnt mean it she cant freshen it up and make it hers.

      Sara M thanked Debbie Downer
    • gtcircus
      6 years ago

      Current Resident, no problems you and I are on the same wave length. I just did a whole house remodel of a not yet “historic house’ but one headed there and it is also on a historic tour but not part of a historic district. It took me 2 years of planning and realizing that houses have to live and breath in modern times - and be enjoyable for modern life. My house is also in the midwest, in Illinois and more akin to a four square. It had THE most hideous 1980’s attempt at a redo anyone has ever seen. It took a lot of time, money and effort to remove it all and take it back to where the house should have been and my biggest change was removing the “pony up bar” in the dining room and replacing it with a butler’s pantry which is what it had to begin with.

      Sara M thanked gtcircus
    • Janie Gibbs-BRING SOPHIE BACK
      6 years ago

      Hi Sara,

      I grew up in Chicago, we would go to Door County every summer, we had a distant relative who worked in the Kewaunee Lighthouse back in the day.

      This house is stunning...for someone else.

      You're smart to question yourself in advance, a few good lake effect blizzards, blistering hot summers, constant repairs/updates plus soaring energy costs for this lady...and that's before you have even bought a can of paint or stain.

      Deep down, it sounds like you're more interested in space.

      My vote is to leave this stunner for someone else.

      Sara M thanked Janie Gibbs-BRING SOPHIE BACK
    • gtcircus
      6 years ago

      Sara M, let us know your decision.

    • User
      6 years ago

      BellburgMaggie, I wasn't recommending painting the woodwork. I was supporting the recommendation to paint the ceilings a pure white. It goes a long way toward lightening a room and is period appropriate. Personally I find that ivory paint looks like dirty, dingy white.

      Sara M thanked User
    • User
      6 years ago
      last modified: 6 years ago

      Be prepared to drop 100K on it right away to deal with the plumbing, wiring, and insulation issues that it has. Do not do any insulating until the home has has 100% of the knob and tube decommissioned properly. Some insurance companies make getti g insurance contingent in that happening before they will agree to insure it.

      Pay attention to the guts and bones. Not the hair color it’s been dyed and the wardrobe you want to dress it in.

      Sara M thanked User
    • Janie Gibbs-BRING SOPHIE BACK
      6 years ago
      last modified: 6 years ago

      Also, need to give a shout out to the old fashioned toilet with the wall mounted tank, it's fabulous.

      @Sophie, I think it will be way more than 100K for what you're mentioning..

      Sara M thanked Janie Gibbs-BRING SOPHIE BACK
    • Sara M
      Original Author
      6 years ago

      Janie, the toilet is so awesome, isn't it! That would for sure stay there! It reminds me of my grandma always telling me as a kid "Don't forget to pull the chain" when I was at her house. I was always so confused because she had a regular toilet and never understood the reference until I was much older.


      We're viewing the house again this weekend so I can take all of these wonderful recommendations into consideration. I will be sure to keep everyone posted!

    • Judy Mishkin
      6 years ago

      aw man, this place is going to cost a bundle if you dont love the cosmetics... i'm not saying you SHOULD love the cosmetics.. just that it isnt 'free' to get the paper gone and the window treatments changed and the carpeting and floors seen to. and that is just cosmetics.

      a house with cosmetics you dont like isnt for the un-rich or the un-energetic. you'll get a room half done and sit down on the couch for 6 more months. even hiring someone to get it all done takes energy.

      so, its up to you! are you rich? are you energetic? do you love it enough as it is to leave it alone til you are one or the other? old houses can be a bit of a task. ( i know, i live in one.)

    • gtcircus
      6 years ago
      I suspect the house is priced to reflect the state of the interior. A properly renovated historic house on Lake Michigan will hold its value and increase in value to reflect the updates.
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