Some Fabulous Victorians

[restoman]

Here are some photos of Victorian color schemes from my drive yesterday:

1.

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

The main purpose for my trip was to find an appropriate paint color scheme for my next restoration project: this two-family Italianate house (c. 1875) a block north of my own house.

10.

The place needs a lot of work!

Comments

[basefinder.livejournal.com]

Wow, you saw some nice houses yesterday.

The new house in photo 10, is this the same one you've done some structural work on in the past year, or is this another new one?

[restoman.livejournal.com]

There is some really amazing architecture spread around central New York! :-)

Photo # 10 is another new one, Scott. We haven't started work on it yet. It does look very similar to the one we did over the past year, which is now completed and rented (photos to come soon).
The house in photo #10 will be the 4th house since my so-called retirement. We are still working on the third house (photos of that to come soon as well).
Yeah, I have been VERY busy!!

[basefinder.livejournal.com]

It is hard to keep up with you in "retirement" Glenn. :-) Keep it up!

[changeling72.livejournal.com]

I still don't get why Americans refer to 19th Century properties as Victorian? She wasn't Queen of the USA!

[restoman.livejournal.com]

That is a very good point, Mark, And I have wondered the same thing for a long time. I suppose Britain was still the style-setter in the 19th century, and British architects initiated the styles that spread to much of the rest of the world, including here. Besides, no US president was in office long enough to have a lasting impact on architecture or style.

[chu_hi.livejournal.com]

I love these!

[restoman.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Susan! We have some really amazing historic architecture around here.

[merlinwon.livejournal.com]

Wow.. some nice houses. I cked earlier entries to catch up on what you were doing. You ARE A busy man! Lookin' fwd to the 3rd house you fixed up! :)

Happy MoonDay!

♥

[restoman.livejournal.com]

Glad you enjoyed them, Randy! :-)

For someone who is supposed to be retired, I am WAY busier than I ought to be! lol

I will try to get pictures from the 3rd house edited and posted before the end of the week.

And a very Happy FULL MoonDay to you!! ;-)

*hug*

[rockingthemike.livejournal.com]

you should've put in an bid on that sotheby's place. i'm assuming it was a sign for an auction, and not a general house sale? ;)

[restoman.livejournal.com]

The place is for sale, Mike, not just being auctioned. Apparently Sotheby's has a high-end real estate division. At $275,000 the place is a bargain, though a bit too pricy for me. Besides, the house doesn't need me.

Take a quick look through the slideshow and you will be absolutely amazed at the opulence of this mansion!

http://www.burrittmansion.com/

[greatbearmd.livejournal.com]

WTF? The house next to me is currently abandoned, the porches falling down, the yard totally overgrown (also with bamboo, which is slowly but surely creeping my way and will overtake my yard in a few more years, dammit), and is only a smallish Cape Cod duplex, and it would sell for far more than that! This mansion is gorgeous!

[restoman.livejournal.com]

As they say in real estate, Phil, the 3 most important features of a property are location, location, and location. There is a vast difference between the prices in rural Central New York, and Maryland, not too far from DC. If the Burritt Mansion were next door to you, I would bet it would sell for well over a million.

[greatbearmd.livejournal.com]

Yep, the Three Ls of real estate. :)

Still, in blows my mind that I could sell my place, buy two of those Burritt houses and a really nice Mercedes to drive between them, and I have just an average rancher (look at my latest entry for pictures).

[rockingthemike.livejournal.com]

$275,000 would be a steal in ottawa, canada as well...

[rockingthemike.livejournal.com]

the house might not need you, but that could be an easy income property. ;)

and $275,000 really, really is a steal by standards up here in ottawa.

[thespian15.livejournal.com]

OMg, I want that second or third house. :o :o :o
GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hugs, Jon

[restoman.livejournal.com]

If you mean photos #4, 5 &6, that is the Burritt Mansion, built 1876, in Weedsport, NY, a small town west of Syracuse. It can be yours for only $275,000! See my comment to Mike above and follow the link to the slide show for a tour of the place.

It is truly spectacular!!! :-)

*Hugs*

[thespian15.livejournal.com]

Yes, and also house 7,8,9.
OMg, I looked at the interior photos. I WANT THAT HOUSE. Well, minus the stairs upstairs hallway carpet. LOL.......
BEAUITFUL...........

[restoman.livejournal.com]

I love the place too, Jon!
How about this: If you buy it, I will buy you new carpet for the upstairs hallway as a house-warming present.
lol

[thespian15.livejournal.com]

Let me just run down and make a BIG withdrawl from a bank. LOL........

[restoman.livejournal.com]

Don't forget the mask and gun!

_just kidding!!

;-)

[thespian15.livejournal.com]

Only way I am going to get it. :p

[kishenehn.livejournal.com]

Wow, great stuff! I lovemaking at those, though I could never in a million years fix one up. (Or even paint one!)

There's a lot of potential in your next project! I'll look forward to seeing lots and lots of photos of the progress. *cough* :)

[restoman.livejournal.com]

I knew you would enjoy seeing these places, Mark!
:-)
I think that my next project has a lot of potential too. The house has appealing lines with robust cornices and brackets. With the lower part of the porch rebuilt correctly, the place should be quite handsome. I'll try to photograph the progress more often and post it here.

[greatbearmd.livejournal.com]

Those are some delightful gorgeous houses. I can get lost in the details. As for that last one, it will undoubtedly be joining its handsome brethren. :)

[restoman.livejournal.com]

The details on some of those houses astound me ~because I appreciate how much work it is to make woodwork like that!

Thank you, Phil! You flatter me! *blushes* :-)
I'll do my best to make the house a handsome member of the neighborhood. :-)

[greatbearmd.livejournal.com]

Indeed there is a lot of work and craftsmanship in that woodwork, and you don't see it on houses anymore. It makes me happy to see that people have taken care of these treasures over the years. I'd rather have one of those than some nondescript McMansion that seems to be the rage around here. Yes, they are often beautiful homes, but especially when they are in developments, they all too often use ordinary building materials, vinyl siding, and no finely detailed touches. You can get everything at Home Depot. Big boxes made of ticky-tacky I guess.

I was none too happy when I found out a large tract of land nearby had the zoning changed in order to put up lots of townhouses. This has been going on for years, and since I live right in the middle between DC and Baltimore, the suburban sprawl originating from both of those areas has finally converged here. There were also retail and businesses slated for the area too. But, as it turned out, rather than getting nothing but warrens of beige vinyl townhouse blocks, many of these would look quite at home in the turn of the last century, with beautiful brickwork, high ceilings, even flat roofs, cornices, dentils, arches, painted brick, marble stoops, you name it. While I am not enamored with the traffic and people, the architecture turned out to be a huge surprise, and as a neighborhood they have lots of events, and even fireworks for July 4th. We have a great neighborhood pub that serves great food, a couple decent restaurants, and even a McDonalds. lol

My little corner of the world I began building in 1988, with fields and farms and open spaces became something completely different. I still have my space, even though it has become a bit more crowded. It could be worse.

[restoman.livejournal.com]

I have the same complaint about much of the newer home construction that I see up here. It is built for a quick profit, not to last for a century. The materials are often low quality, the workmanship is fast and sloppy and the design is meant to impress at a glance (but usually lacks any sophistication or finesse). I am glad to hear that some of the development in your area has been of better quality. I have not seen much of that around here.

I can also relate to the suburban sprawl problem. I don't see that in my neighborhood, but I grew up with it on Long Island. When I was young, the development that our house was in was surrounded by farm fields and woods. I used to go sledding in the cow pastures and loved exploring the plots of woods. As I got older, every one of the farms was sold off and developed into housing tracts. So were all the areas of woods. Eventually even smaller plots of 3 or 4 acres where older homes stood, were cut up to build a dozen homes on a cul de sac.
There ought to be more to progress than a fast profit and ticky-tacky results!

[maxauburn.livejournal.com]

Those are all lovely homes. I used to live in a neighborhood like that. It was great.

[restoman.livejournal.com]

Thank you, Jerry! Those houses aren't in my neighborhood, but there are some wonderful houses in my neighborhood too. I love living in the Hawley-Green district of Syracuse: a very diverse bunch of neighbors living in a diverse collection of 19th century houses. :-)