Thank You to all Local Museums everywhere

It is that time of year again, every spring there are conferences for national, regional and state museums to gather and learn from noted experts in different relevant subject matter and see the latest from the trade companies that cater to the museum world.

Such an event I just attended in Richmond, Virginia. The Virginia Association of Museums (VAM) held its conference from March 14^th-16^th and I was privileged to attend and sit in on some of the events. On the drive home I was again struck by the amazing dedication to this professionthat these true public servants displayed. Amid announcements of lost funding, cutbacks in budgets and lay-offs, I heard imaginative ideas to deal with the current events that are impacting them so powerfully.

I thought that I would reprise my blog from last year’s conference experience. I again urge you all to support your local museum with your donations or please find a way to donate your time to help replace in part the lost workforce.

When I was a little girl, my mother took me to our local small museum which was in the basement of the local library. We walked down the aisles filled with the odd assortment of objects and memorabilia that are often displayed in such museums. We stopped in front of a large case that had a woven coverlet draped in such a way, so the viewer would have the best look at it they could in the small space it was consigned to. I remember my mom saying something like” President Van Buren gave your Great, great, great grandfather this as a present, they were very good friends”. Now, this sparked two reactions in my young mind. That’s a lot of GREATS, and he must not have liked him that much cause that is one UGLY spread. The point of this little story is that had it not been for that small museum in that little town in West Virginia, I would have never gotten to see something that was a real link to the past, to MY past. I have, as do all of us, a small museum to thank for that.

There are people all over this country that have visited like museums and seen the proof of their ancestry on display conserved at various levels of expertise I’ll give you, but saved nonetheless. They walk through the doors and there is Uncle Joe’s WWI helmet and the letters filled with longing he sent home to his wife or the glove and parasol of someone you vaguely knew you are related to and as soon as you see it you are again determined to call your Great Aunt and not only ask those questions about the family you always wanted to but you are also going to WRITE IT down. Thus a family’s written history is born.

We have the small museum director and its board or if really lucky a curator to thank for this…They are dedicated professionals who work with little or no budgets and constantly fight to preserve the tangible bits of our history that otherwise would just slip away. I recently attended the annual Small Museum Conference and observed some of the most talented and educated people in this profession grapple with the new challenges this economy has given them. Luckily for all of us, I heard enthusiasm and excitement from most, if not all of them that I spoke to. They remain focused, dedicated and determined to recommit, rethink and even redesign the small museums that we as the public entrust to their care. Please support your local small museum or local historical society, they are supporting you every day in preserving our shared history.

Visit the Culpeper Museum of History. www.Culpepermuseum.com

Using Antiques in your historic home

Of course the use of period antiques are the best way to furnish your period home, but how do you know if what you are buying is authentic or period correct. Finding a reputable dealer in antiques of the period that you are interested in is the best way to find your way through the intricacies of appraisal and purchase.

Some periods are more affordable than others And certainly much easier to find. The Victorian period is the most prolific as many of these pieces were machine made and mass produced. The arts and crafts period is next having been fabricated in the early 20^th century and there are still many fine pieces to be found. The Colonial and Federal periods are the ones that I feel you will be paying the most for although it is true, one of a kind handmade items will be costly whatever the period. Search the web for appraisers and dealers that have professional affiliation with either of these two organizations.

http://www.isa-appraisers.org

http://www.appraisers.org/ASAHome.aspx

these organizations will give you the names of antique dealers that are reputable and knowledgable.

The following is a short list for what to keep in mind when shopping for antiques.

Although bargains and good deals may be had when buying certain antiques, the first rule of thumb is to be highly suspicious of bargains when shopping for antiques. This is the initial and sometimes the most costly lesson any collector needs to learn. You must not set out to haggle with the dealer.

Step 2

The antique you buy should never be solely for investment purposes. Most antiques have proven to be a solid investment for most antique collectors. In addition, the items have been historically a wonderful hedge against inflation. The thing to remember, however, is the increasing value of the item is dependent on changing preferences within the market.

Step 3

You must be wary of heavily restored antiques. It goes without saying that most antiques need care as well as periodic restoration. However, an antique that has been excessively restored will show no signs of its age and thus cannot be fairly judged in determining the authenticity and antiquity of the piece. It is therefore advisable to stay clear of items that have been overly restored or excessively refinished.

Step 4

Be leery of reproductions or fake representations. Consider the demand of particular items. When demand rises to very high levels, reproductions and fakes are the by-products of such demand.

Step 5

Do not barter over price. Most dealers consider their prices rigid and firm. Today's dealer marks her prices up according to a fixed percentage in order to secure a profit. Wrangling over price is part of the old business of antiques. Unless you find such a rare situation, it is advised you accept the dealer's price as established with no room for flexible negotiating.

Step 6

In order to attain the best value, it is highly recommended you learn all that you possibly can about antiques. You may do so by subscribing to periodicals and reading books on the subject. Visit museums and well-regarded antique shops.

Step 7

Manage your range of collections. In other words, it simply is not possible for you to collect antiques in every category. Narrow your focus to a reasonable level. Choose one or two eras and one or two preferred collectibles within an era. If you collect too extensively over too broad a range, it will only prove to take away from the enjoyment you'll find as an organized collector.

Step 8

Many times you may be journeying about and find a monstrosity of an antique you greatly admire far from the area of your home. Resist the temptation to purchase it, unless you have access to a truck. Moving such an item can be more of a problem than you may have anticipated.

Step 9

It is important to trust your initial instincts. This step, of course, comes with experience as well as persistence.

Step 10

Collect solely for pleasure. Collecting and owning items of rare or great beauty should be your only motive. Men throughout history have collected antiquities. If you choose to be a collector of antiques, do not resist. There are few hobbies more rewarding--even if you must do so on a budget.

How much fabric, paint or wallpaper do I need?

I thought since many had written me and asked about the basics of what they needed to “do it themselves” for either drapes or wallpaper and also paint I decided to use the blog for this week to give you this basic information. You can find so many fabric sources on the web, either use one of the ones featured under “Textiles and Trim” or “Window Treatments” on our site www.thehistoricinterior.com or use the company’s products as a guide to find similar fabrics at your local fabric store.

I hope this helps you for whatever project you might have, don’t forget to email me if you need any other advice, I am always happy to help if I can

For Throw Pillows:

The general rule of thumb is half a yard for 14 to 18 inch pillows and 1 yard for 19 to 24 inch pillows. If you want to add a ruffle, you will need at least another half yard.

For Upholstery:

CHAIR SEATS: 3/4 yard of 54" wide fabric is enough to re-cover 2 standard chair seats. So 3 yards will be enough for 8 chair seats. Each 3/4 yard gives you two 27" by 27" pieces of fabric to work with. If the repeat is large or a pattern has to be centered, you may need more.

SOFA WING CHAIR TRADITIONAL CLUB CHAIR
3 cushion with arms 5 to 7 yards CHAIR 5 to 6 yards
6 ft sofa 10 yards Upholstered Back
7 ft sofa 11 yards and Seat
8 ft sofa 13 yards 3 yards
add an extra 2-3 yards
if you want a ruffled skirt
or if the back is taller than usual


LOVESEAT CHAISE OTTOMAN
6-7 yards 7-9 yards 2-3 yards

For Curtains and Draperies:

For curtain width, measure window or door plus any additional coverage outside of casing. For fullness the window/door width should be, at minimum, doubled. For extra fullness and a custom look, multiply the width by 2.5 or 3. Add another 2 to 3 feet for hem and to match pattern repeat. (The larger the repeat, the more you need to add.) Divide your final width measurement in half to get the finished width for each panel. If the width per panel is wider than the fabric (usually about 54 in.) you may have to sew two lengths of fabric together to get enough width. For example, if you are making draperies for an 82 in. wide window area, you would need 2 pieces of fabric for each panel, and 4 pieces for the pair.

For length, measure from the top of your rod to the point where you want the panel to end. Add approx. 30 in, to this measurement for the rod pocket, heading, and hemming. To measure for the rod pocket or casing, take the diameter of the rod and add 1 inch. To add for the heading, or the part of the panel that sits above the rod pocket, take the height you want it to be, double that and add an extra half inch for seaming. So if, for example, you want a 1 inch header, you need to add 2.5 inches. For a 4 inch header, you would add 8.5 inches.

For Round Tablecloths with 10" drop: For Round Tablecloths with 29-30" drop:

30" diameter Fabric = 1.5 yards Trim = 4.5 yards 30" diameter Fabric = 5 yards Trim = 8 yards
36" diameter Fabric = 3.25 yards Trim = 5 yards 36" diameter Fabric = 5.5 yards Trim = 8.5 yards
48" diameter Fabric = 4 yards Trim = 6 yards 48" diameter Fabric = 6 yards Trim = 9.5

Yards

Estimating How Much Paint to Buy

Before you begin painting your home's interior walls, ceiling, woodwork, doors, or windows, you need to estimate the amount of paint you'll use. Estimates require specific calculations for each surface you want to paint.

To estimate the amount of paint you need in order to cover the walls of a room, add together the length of all the walls and then multiply the number by the height of the room, from floor to ceiling. The number you get is the room's square footage. Is that math class coming back to you now?

Now you have to determine how much of that square footage is paintable surface area. Because you use a different paint on the doors and windows, subtract those areas from the room total. No sweat, just subtract 20 square feet for each door and 15 square feet for each average-sized window in the room. You end up with a number that is close to the actual wall area you have to cover with paint.

In general, you can expect 1 gallon of paint to cover about 350 square feet. You need slightly more than a gallon if the walls are unpainted drywall, which absorbs more of the paint. You also need to consider whether to paint more than one coat. If you're painting walls that are unfinished, heavily patched, or dark in color, plan on applying two coats of paint.

When painting a dark color, pros often add a color tint to the white primer. Tints for both latex or alkyd paints are available at most paint stores. For best results, choose a tint shade that's closest to the top coat color.

Now for the clincher of the math problem. Divide the paintable wall area by 350 (the square-foot coverage in each gallon can) to find the number of gallons of paint you need for the walls. You can round uneven numbers; if the remainder is less than .5, order a couple of quarts of wall paint to go with the gallons; if the remainder is more than .5, order an extra gallon. Of course, buying in bulk is usually more economical, so you may discover that 3 quarts of paint cost as much as a gallon.

Examples

The following examples walk you through the calculations for determining how much paint you need for a 14-x-20-foot room that's 8 feet tall and has two doors and two windows.

Ceiling paint estimator

Use the following formula to estimate the amount of ceiling paint you need. Double the result if the ceiling requires two coats.

1. Multiply the length of the ceiling times its width to find its area.

14 × 20 = 280 square feet

2. Divide that number by 350 (the estimated square feet covered per gallon) to figure out how many gallons of paint you need.

280 ÷ 350 = .8

For this example, you want to buy 1 gallon of ceiling paint for a single coat.

Wall paint estimator

Use the following formula to estimate the amount of wall paint you need. Double the result if the walls require two coats.



1. Add together the length of each wall.

14 + 20 + 14 + 20 = 68 feet

2. Multiply the sum by the wall height, to find the total wall area.

68 × 8 = 544 square feet

3. Subtract 20 square feet for each door (20 × 2 = 40) and 15 square feet for each window (15 × 2 = 30) to find the actual amount of wall area you're painting.

544 – 70 = 474 square feet

4. Divide this figure by the paint coverage (350 square feet per gallon), and the result is the number of gallons to purchase.

474 ÷ 350 = 1.4

For this example, you want to buy 1 gallon and 2 quarts of paint for a single coat.

Woodwork paint estimator


For this example, you want to buy 1 gallon and 2 quarts of paint for a single coat.

Woodwork paint estimator

Measure the length of the trim in feet, and multiply that number by 1/2 foot (.5), as a rough size for the width of the trim. Include all the trim around doors and windows, at baseboards, along the ceiling, and for any built-in furniture.

As an example, imagine that you have ceiling molding running around a room that is 14 feet wide and 20 feet long.

1. Determine the total length of molding around the room by adding together the length of all the walls that the molding covers.

Round the numbers off to the nearest foot.

14 + 20 + 14 + 20 = 68 feet

2. Multiply the sum by .5 for an estimated width of the molding.

68 × .5 = 34 square feet

3. Divide this number by 350 to estimate the gallons of paint required to cover the molding.

34 ÷ 350 = .09

The result in this example is much less than a quart, but you may paint other woodwork in the room the same color, so buying a full quart may not be terribly wasteful.

Door and window estimator

Use the same figure for estimating door coverage as you use in your wall-area calculations — 20 square feet = one door. Multiply the number of doors by 20, doubling the answer if you plan to paint both sides. Wall paint estimates allow for 15 square feet for each window. Use about half that window area to figure trim and inside sash — the glass isn't important to the calculation.

For the room in this example:

1. Multiply the number of doors by 20.

2 × 20 = 40 square feet

2. Multiply the number of windows by 7.5.

2 Windows × 7.5 = 15 square feet

3. Add these numbers together.

40 + 15 = 55

4. Divide the result by 350 (the estimated square feet covered per gallon).

54 ÷ 350 = .16

Often, you end up needing to buy only a quart of paint, which goes a long way on doors and window trim

How much wallpaper do I need?

1. Step 1

Determine the square footage of the room. Measure each wall in the room and multiply the length times the width of each wall to determine the square footage. Subtract the square footage of the windows and doors to determine the actual square footage of the room.

2. Step 2

Determine the square footage of a single roll of wallpaper. The square footage of your wallpaper roll will depend on the width of the roll with varies from designer to style. If you order your wallpaper from a design center, they will be able to tell you how much square footage each roll covers. If you are purchasing stock rolls of wallpaper, the square footage will be on the label of the wall.

3. Step 3

Divide the square footage of the room by the square footage of the wallpaper to determine the number of rolls you need.

4. Step 4

Consider the pattern of the wallpaper. The pattern on your wallpaper roll will determine how much extra wallpaper you need in order to ensure pattern match from panel to panel. A subtle or small pattern means you will need just the normal 10 percent extra wallpaper. A large-scale pattern or bold plaid or other pattern will mean you need another 10 percent of extra wallpaper

1. 5

Remember that wallpaper is always sold by the double roll. This is important when you are ordering wallpaper from a design center. If you determine that you need 11 rolls of wallpaper, you will need to order 12 double rolls.

Welcome Heritage Lace Into Your Home

We are so pleased to announce the addition of a wonderful company to our Featured Artisan’s page. Heritage Lace has been around for awhile providing beautiful lace products for the home for over 50 years. I love companies that are based in long standing traditions of community and customer service and this is one of them.
Our site has a wide timeline for historic interiors from 1680-1930 and as such has only a handful of artisans and companies that have products that can span all the periods from Early American Colonial to Art Deco. Heritage Lace does this and beautifully too. These products could certainly be used for a Historic House Museum in any number of sites around the country and because of their affordability they are great for product placement in Museum gift shops. I really liked that so many of their products were under $50.00 and that they are 90% made in the USA is also important to me.
I have always said that a simple lace panel will give you a beautiful inexpensive look that will dress your window and give you the time to decide how or if you want to do a more formal treatment.
The nice thing about Heritage Lace is that even if you decided that you didn’t want to or could afford to add more to the window you wouldn’t need to, it is really that pretty a product.
Please take a moment and visit them on our Featured Artisans page or go directly to their website,
www.heritagelace.com but make sure you block off some time for your visit, I warn you once you get on it is hard to get off, you just want to see everything!

Visit the Historic Home this weekend

This Saturday I will be speaking at the annual Historic Home Show and Designer Craftsman show in King of Prussia, Pa. The show runs from Thurs. Jan28th-Sunday the 31st. A wonderful collection of exhibitors from Architects and Designers to period appropriate building materials, hand-crafted decorative accessories and antiques can be found there this weekend.
My topic title is “Living with History, making your historic house a home”. I am very excited about the opportunity to share with so many my philosophies of design and living. I feel that no matter what your means your house can be a warm and inviting home that your friends and family love to visit. As you have read before in this blog I have learned to make the best of wretched floors, roughly plastered walls and limited space.
My 25 plus years of design experience has taught me that even though you are itching to transform your house quickly into your vision of design and style, the best way to have a truly rich multi-layered “look” is to take your time and slowly get to know your house and its many quirks and delights waiting for you around every corner.
Your historic house has no doubt seen many periods and usually more than one owner or two in its lifetime and you are in the great position to keep some of the adaptations to its structure that have come before you and to discard others giving you the ability to make your own mark upon it in your own time.
Remember, whether your house was built in 1720, 1856, or 1930 you have the opportunity to tell the next generations to come how we of the 21st century restored and interpreted our houses and how we hopefully passed on the best of the past history of the house to them.
.www.goodrichpromotions.com

What to do with your "awful" floors in your historic home.

Refinishing your floors in your historic home may not be an option at first. You may have more important renovations to take care of and certainly floors are the last to be redone as you would not want to have to redo them yet again if a careless contractor spilled paint or scratched them. My problem was that our floors in our Dutch Colonial had never been restored since the house had been built in 1930.

floors

I was faced with the problem of floors that were stained, scratched and worn with the traffic of a family of two children and a backyard pool. What to do? If we had invested in having them redone, the constant stream of football players, little brownies and small wet feet would surely undo the effort and yet as a designer I needed to come up with something other than just throwing a pretty rug down.

My solution was to start with a small (4×6) area painted by a friend directly onto the floor in the front entrance hall. It has lasted for 12 years now and I feel it has just the right mix of vivid color and the contrast of the worn floor beneath.

Next was the kitchen and I found a local artist to paint a historic stencil design on it with a heavy polyurethene coating over it that has handled all the kitchen traffic and activity easily.

Our little family room also got a great simple “border rug” from the same artist and it has held up great for many summers as the steady stream of wet feet made their way from the pool to the bathroom.

Think “outside the box” when you have a design issue and very little money. Refinishing the floors at a later date, whether they had been touched by an artists brush or not, would have cost the same in time and money and not been nearly as special.

Merry Christmas from our house…

It has been 13 years since we moved into our house here in Fredericksburg,Virginia. We loved the house early on even before the addition of a new kitchen with a fireplace and a backyard pool. Built in 1930, the Dutch Colonial has had many reincarnations since the first family lived within.
I was not so jazzed about the house at first, it faced a parking lot , the only one on our otherwise quiet street. It was in semi-restored state the previous owners had decided to start from the top down so even though the attic had been wonderfully converted into two charming bedrooms complete with eaves and built-in bookshelves. The rooms on the first floor however were in a sad state. No kitchen to speak of and roughly plastered walls ( I laughed to myself a couple of years later as more than one client paid a great deal money for craftsmen to replicate an effect that I was so eager to get rid of) the floors in very bad shape and a really hideous living room fireplace mantel.
Through the years we have slowly made it our own, from our “Aubergine” ( designer-speak for purple) painted dining room to the new mantle in the living room, the house has slowly become something that feels “right”. Having married a public servant, all projects had to be done on long slow schedules, and my patience and design vision sometimes did not fall in step with the reality of our meager purse-strings.
. However, this wonderfully quirky house had become our home and with two children we have had many wonderful memories here. Some of our best times in this home have been during the Christmas season and we have been honored to have been on the local Historic Homes Christmas tour as our home is one block from the famous “Sunken Road “ of Civil War fame. I have long been teased by friends and family for the 15 plus boxes of decorations in the basement. However once they have been brought upstairs on the first Saturday after Thanksgiving , the tissue papers are unwrapped, boxes emptied and as everyone sees beloved decorations that have been a part of our Christmas memories for the 29 years of our marriage the grumbling soon stops . As the decorating progresses and ideas flow, I must confess usually after I get my hands on the newest issue of “Southern Living Christmas”, the house takes on the glow and shimmer that only Christmas reflected by candlelight can achieve. I usually take a moment at some point during the month of dinner parties, cookie baking and manic gift wrapping, and walk quietly through and savor the beauty of this wonderful house that has been such a blessed home.
Remember, your house should take many layers of memories and life in order to create the perfect home for you and your family. Patience does truly rule the day when decorating your home whether it is a historic home or your first house. Hopefully life is long and the story of your family and your own traditions need time to develop and take hold within the walls of your home .Whether you are the first family to live there or one of many families that have hung stocking s from your home’s mantle, your story is but one more chapter in your homes history.