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About Rikki Nyman
Expertise
Residential architectural questions concerning houses designed between 1900 and 1950, where the question pertains specifically to styles, designs, plans, building materials, color schemes, paint colors, interior finishes and so on. I am NOT qualified to answer engineering questions or issues involving construction methods, plumbing, electrical and the like. For example, I can describe what an appropriate color scheme would be for a vintage 1920s kitchen, or sources for plans for Storybook Style houses. I can not tell someone how to replace the electrical wiring in their old home.
Experience
I have been researching old houses and writing about them for more than five years. (See www.antiquehomestyle.com, which is my site.)
Organizations
Oregon Historical Society
Architectural History Center, Portland Oregon
Publications
www.antiquehomestyle.com
Education/Credentials
B.S. History, Minor in Architectural Design
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You are here: Experts > Arts/Humanities > Visual Arts > Architecture > Information about my home
Architecture - Information about my home
Expert: Rikki Nyman - 10/6/2008
Question
QUESTION: Hello,
Thanks for being an AllExperts volunteer. I was an expert here for many years and enjoyed it a great deal.
I was hoping you might tell me what you might know about the style and architecture of my home.
You can see it at:
http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/album/10503440naJBdTYQhi?vhost=home-and-gard...
I've owned the home for 9 years and have been restoring it slowly but surely. I know it was built in 1921, in Chula Vista, California. It was part of a 7 acre land sale, and was used as a lemon farm. It has an attic and 1/2 basement, and a separate garage that also had a small room for a servant. It has a "secret" room that is presently accessible only from the basement that is under the stairs, cedar lined, and appears to have had access to the breakfast nook. At some point in time there was a retractable bed that went into the room. We have hardwood floors, crown moldings, and wood doors that I am told are "gum wood".
The historical records for the home indicate that there are some missing beams from the front of the home:
http://www.cvhistorichomes.com/no_22.htm
So, now to what I'm trying to do:
1) I'd like to know if the shingles upstairs are supposed to be natural (wood stain) or painted. I personally would like to have a wood stained look.
2) What would be a proper color combination for the home?
3) I have a growing family, and the upstairs push-out above the front entry is presently a small office. I'd like to push it out even further to convert it to a bathroom. Ideally, I would do this in conjunction with building a historically appropriate covered porch on both sides of the entry. I'd also push out the big round supports to make sure it stayed symmetrical, and push out the porch too.
4) I like to think the home is a "Craftsman" style, but the I've never seen anything like the big round posts that are used in the front entry. Is this a common style? Is this an architectural mistake? I've seen different types of supports used, but never something like these. Can you tell me anything?
Well - I'm sure I've asked too much. Any information, insight, advise, suggestions would be welcome.
Thanks,
JC
ANSWER: JC --
First let me say your house is very beautiful and typical of 1921 residential architecture.
Stain was often used on shingles and from a practical standpoint it made sense. It protected the wood without requiring the kind of aggressive maintenance needed on painted surfaces. Of course you have to restain every year or so, but you don't get the kind of build-up with stain you do with paint.
The current color scheme now is not atypical. Here's a link to a Sherwin Williams ad c. 1911 (http://www.antiquehomestyle.com/outside/color/index.htm) that is similar to what you have on your house now. (I'll do a little research and look for alternate schemes c. 1920 today for you.)
I don't think pushing out the porch and the small room upstairs would hurt the house at all as long as it is proportional to the overall structure and new porch design. Hire a good architect with solid experience working with vintage homes.
Your house is definitely a Craftsman style, but architects were very innovative during the first part of the 20th century. Many homes were eclectic because they drew from several styles. For example, you might expect square, battered columns on your porch instead of the simple Doric style, but many architects combined "modern" Craftsman features like the knee braces and exposed rafters with traditional details like classical columns or windows.
Though your home is very Craftsman, it is also very traditional. The symmetry and two-stories are typical of the popular side-gabled Colonial Revivals. (Two-story Craftsman homes tended to be uncommon; many architects at the time didn't like the look.) The clipped gable was very popular from about 1915 to 1925. One other characteristic that is interesting is the window arrangement on the main floor which is reminiscent of the Prairie style.
Some purists would be inclined to make it more Craftsman and remove the eclectic elements. I personally like the character and appreciate the manifestation of the collaboration between the architect and home owner because it reflects the owner's tastes as well as prevailing trends in 1921.
Hope this helps!
Rikki Nyman
www.antiquehomestyle.com
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thank you so much for the great information, and the nice compliment. If you are curious, here is a picture of our living room and dining room:
http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/album/14055572ShBbKVpYFi?vhost=home-and-gard...
And the kitchen we did last year:
http://www.jcfdevelopment.com/kitchenfinal/
Thank you for the referral to the color page. I checked out the colors and think they would be great for our home. If it's not too much trouble, perhaps I could pose some more questions?
As you can perhaps see from the pictures we have stripped the paint off the downstairs windows and doors and have used stain and varnish. They look great, but they do require a great deal of maintenance - especially the front doors you mention that have a prairie style. They had over 13 coats of paint we stripped off to bring back the wood.
I noticed the picture link you sent had all the exterior wood trim painted, and we've never seen natural wood varnished as we have done. So, first off, is the natural stain on the windows something that was done back in the day?
Our upstairs windows are painted, and we have dark colors - was this done at all, or was the white the rule of the day?
I also saw on the link that the roof had a nice color to it as well - we have an asphalt roof, but would certainly have no problem putting a shingle roof on, although fire regulations might require a composite. Your opinion on that area would certainly be welcome too. I'm worried about the shingles on the roof clashing with the shingles on the siding. We need to replace the side shingles, so we will be going for a stain and see how it goes on the west side that gets a lot of sun.
Finally - the home has a side patio that was built at some time in the past. The history of the home tells us that the patio was used as a Porte a Coche - driveway by the original owners. I don't think the current patio is original to the home. If you look at the following link you will see that that it attaches to the home in an asymmetrical manner (too low). It does not drain very well, so it has a mold problem and we will be tearing it down.
Here is a link with a few pictures, plus pictures of the existing upstairs bathroom that pushes out of the upstairs. It looks added on, and I've never liked the way it looks. (Maybe something is missing?):
http://good-times.webshots.com/album/567723276hhDdmD?vhost=good-times
What we want to do is tear down the existing patio and built a new patio, placed in a symmetrical manner, and build an upstairs porch - like a sleeping porch or just a nice sun deck on top of the patio. What we must do, however, is make sure it works with the home. Certainly a good architect will help us design it - but I want to get an unbiased opinion as to it if it works, and perhaps if you have any suggestions or links with something similar that has been done, I'd certainly appreciate it.
I also touched on the upstairs bath that pushes out. You can see it on the picture set for the patio. When we bought the home the plumbing was installed on the outside of the home. We remodeled the bathroom and found a passage to relocate the plumbing, so that was removed - as was the gas and electric service (we buried it last year). I'm just wondering if this is a normal placement?
What I'd LIKE to do - as I contemplate doing in the front, is push the bathrooms out even more - about 8 to 10 feet - and add a downstairs expanded breakfast nook. That will entail relocating the basement door, but it would make for a more functional home (we have 4 young children aged to newborn to 8 years, so we'll intend to stay in the house until my widow sells it.
Anyway, if you have any thoughts, suggestions, advice - I'd really appreciate your opinion.
Thanks!!
JC
carlos@jcfox.com
Answer
JC --
Shingles were often stained and treated with creosote, which was a penetrating oil, before they were nailed on the building. It made for a pretty durable finish. However, I have not seen doors or trim stained and varnished outside. It was a common interior treatment, but outdoors, exposed wood was primed and painted usually with a zinc, lead, and oil mixture. It was durable and looked great, but of course is environmentally toxic and we wouldn't consider using it now!
I found an article published in House Beautiful (1919) by Charles E. White that touches on painting. He wrote, "Like so many other things to do with the house, the simpler the painting scheme, the better. A good house may be very much hurt by painting it the wrong color, and it is equally true that a bad house may be very much improved by the right color.
The size and general mass of the house should be considered in selecting the color of paint. Generally speaking it will be found more satisfactory to paint the house one color, not to have one color for the body of the house and another for the so-called trimmings."
He concludes that you can paint the door and maybe the sash a different color, but that too much contrast makes for ugly outlines. He suggests (like home improvement writers today) painting sample combinations on the house before making a commitment.
Nevertheless, it was common to see homes painted in one or two colors for the body and a second for trim with a third for the door or shutters, etc. Sometimes it is masterfully done and looks great, but sometimes not so much. The top and bottom combo on your house was done and I think whoever did the previous improvements did some good work.
If your roof is due for replacement, considering the color is a good idea. A color is interesting but limits your potential color scheme. Colors and different shapes of roofing tiles were often seen during the 1920s, some of which are now being reproduced. Personally, I'd stick with a neutral because I am very much interested in sustainable design and improvement and would prefer to leave more color options available for the future.
I would strongly encourage you to create a screened sleeping porch upstairs and breakfast room or nook downstairs. Both were features considered to be essential amenities by home builders during the 1920s. Lots of sunlight and fresh air were mandatory for good health, so many homes had one or both. Sun rooms were another indispensable feature.
Plumbing and electrical lines often appear on the outside of houses when bathrooms and such were installed after a house was constructed. In 1920, bathrooms were still very new to most people. Though most plan books show one bathroom with a tub, toilet, and sink, some plans were still offered without bathrooms at all. It could be that bathroom was added later after the house was built.
If you hire a good architect who respects your love for the house and you adhere to the Craftsman philosophy of simplicity, honesty in materials, and fine craftsmanship, I don't think you'll be able to make a mistake. Craftsman designers and artisans were very progressive and forward-thinking; if you integrate modern natural materials (think sustainable, green, and healthy) in an aesthetic, functional way, your home will serve your family well for decades.
A good example is the choice of the multi-colored tile on the kitchen backsplash. It's wonderful!
Aim for timeless choices in the best quality you can afford.
Best regards,
Rikki
www.antiquehomestyle.com
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