IMHO, the front door and the stairs are the most important part of the house from a visual standpoint. It is what everyone sees and makes their first impression.
Terrific info mate. Thanks for your vids I am learning a lot of detail that I will be incorporating on my own home that is currently under construction. Stairs really are a forgotten feature.
What I want to know is what machines they were using to make all those incredible newel posts in the late Victorian era. Surely we can make computer-controlled machines today that just spit out great pieces of wood for these details.
Thanks for sharing. The difference is that new CNC machines can only make what they are told to make, garbage in garbage out. They need programmers that can tell them the proper details. That is the what is missing.
One of the big problems is that contractors doesn’t know or want to restore an older home. It’s a Constance fight that owners go through the process of firing or waiting to find that perfect contractor. Owning an older homes it’s a challenge. Keeping it age and proper style is a fight.
Totally agree I am still struggling to find contractors for my older home whom knowledgeable and know what they are doing they always try to tear out something old in my home and replace it with off the shelf standards. Its has been 2 years of back and forth trying to find contractors..
@@oldskoolwayy It has been 5 years for us so take a deep breath and count to 10. Try to learn as much as you can how to take care of your home. Check some of the books on Brent Hull list. You may need to build and train that contractor because they don't exist specifically if you living in remote areas or small towns. Just take your time to enjoy the house.
Would it really be so wrong for me to use that chippendale style fret work in my characterless 1940 home ? I might do it ! The stair case really needs to be redone ,treads are too short- my heels hang over them , it's too steep ,with a tight turn, and it's been closed in . I fell down it the first week so it's a change I feel I need to make . The plus side to redoing it is a chance to add character and a more spacious feel to the main floor even if only visually.
Hi Brent! We're doing a renovation on our house and are trying to figure out how to get something more unique for our stairs, but don't know where to look. Do you know of any suppliers of unique newell posts and balusters?
I have an old Victorian. The main entrance is narrow with grand stairway on left and hallway on right with 3 pocket doors. There is no foyer area, you simply go up stairs or go down the hall.
Is that the same as an eve return/cornice return? I haven’t seen one done correctly in the last 30 years. I’ve seen houses in the $ millions with the dreaded “pork chop eves” I’m eagerly waiting for the video to set the record straight.
And the other amazing thing is that no one notices or seems to care. You would think someone with the wherewithal to afford a house costing 7 figures would at least take a little interest in getting the details correct. Vinyl siding on chimneys is my other pet peeve, as well as houses with fireplaces but NO chimneys.
