Los Angeles Craftsman Remodel: Peeling Back the 100-Year-Old Layers of History

From admin on January 26th, 2010 in Los Angeles

A century-old Craftsman house can be one of two extremes:  absolutely ugly or stunningly beautiful. It all depends on the owner’s personal TLC and touch of the artistic. But for one century-old Craftsman house, the beauty uncovered itself as the owners peeled back the interesting layers of history.

Such colorful figures as frat boys, yoga buffs and celebrity heiresses all had a stake in the history-forming experience of the house. The original owner was a local Los Angeles medical doctor. Its present owners, exuberant over the piece of history, are simply readying the house for its next 100 years.

When they began the project four years ago, they found a surprise in the door- and window frames. The original frames were still intact – and they were a stunning white oak, beautifully crafted and surprisingly unsullied. For some reason, previous owners had covered them up with their own woodwork. The originals were keepers for sure. The surprise of the owners doubled when they found that the wainscoting, buried underneath a mask of plaster, matched the frames, and was still beautifully preserved.

In this photo taken nearly 20 years ago, the homeowner’s father removes old plywood to discover beautiful stained glass windows beneath.

In the living room, they found out that previous owners had boarded up two stained glass windows. Despite the march of 100 years time since their construction, the windows were in great condition. The dining room buffet revealed original ceramic tile work, which was also hidden under several coats of paint.

The owners also unearthed a treasure in the basement—original glass doors for the sunroom. These helped the sunroom get the remodel it deserved.

In typical Craftsman fashion, the home’s defining characteristic is the imposing staircase with a sweeping patrician banister and rich oak tones.  The staircase received a fresh makeover that restored it to its authentic luster.

Obviously, the originality of the entire home was not to be found peering out from under old plywood, crumbling plaster and 70s paint. Instead, the owners worked hard to imbue the home with a sense of the historic while keeping pace with modern innovation and convenience. They did a magnificent job.