Lately we've turned our attention to weather-proofing the outside of the house and fixing the giant mess that has been made out of the front entrance. In the painting below you can see the original entryway, complete with beams above the door.
This is more or less what the door looks like now-
And here is a pic of the house in the 1980s, when it was looking a little better-
The previous owners removed the upper portion of the entry and replaced the 3 windows around the door with stained glass. This showed off the windows more but the house really looks like it's missing a piece and we'd like to restore it as close as possible to the original architecture. Unfortunately we still can't find any photographs from before the remodel so we're having to go off the water color and other photos from Greek Revival style homes of the same period.
Another problem with the upper beams having been removed is that it opened up the facing column details to a lot of moisture and has caused them to rot a good deal.
I agree that you should return the doorway back into its original architecture. The original doorway was perfect because the house had a lot and seemingly huge windows. The beams helped it stand out but not overpower the other elements of the house. Can’t wait to hear some news!
ReplyDeleteIt’s a good idea to bring back the original architecture of the house. However, it would take so much effort, time and money to do it. First and foremost, the house exterior seemed like it was extremely damaged by rot. You’ll need to make sure that all the rotten parts are removed and replaced with new materials that are seemingly like the original materials. I can’t wait to see how you’re going to work it out.
ReplyDeleteDanielle Bailey @ Vinylume Home Improvement