tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63630278124558240062024-03-05T09:08:40.179-08:00Once Upon a HouseThe story of a beautiful 1914 Colonial Revival home in Plainfield, New JerseyLiz http://www.blogger.com/profile/10923792396204078189noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363027812455824006.post-64505129680063301952017-01-01T13:51:00.002-08:002017-01-01T22:31:47.077-08:00Happy New Year!<style>
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<span style="font-size: small;">In 2011, I started this blog in honor of my childhood home. I'd just seen it
for the first time in many years, and was overwhelmed by what I found. The
current owners had walked away, leaving behind a dark, cold,
empty house in desperate need of maintenance and love. Outside, shutters were
loose, gardens were overgrown, and once lovely porches were sagging and
splintering from the weather. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">It was beyond depressing. Bringing this 14-room Colonial Revival mansion back to life would
be very expensive, and the economy and the housing market were still struggling
to bounce back. Even the listing agent seemed to have given up on
it. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">But what bothered me the most was how alone the house felt - this house that
had sheltered me as a child, taught me to understand and love architecture and
design, and inspired my creativity in countless big and small ways. I needed to
help, to give something back.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">So I decided to tell its story, hoping that somehow, the right buyer might
stumble across my blog and fall madly in love with the house and rush off and
buy it. Of course, life isn't a fairy tale, and although I worked hard on
research and photos and ideas I hoped would inspire prospective buyers, the house was not an easy sell. Months and then years went by, with
few showings and even fewer offers. It was hard to watch.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">But I never stopped believing there would be a happy ending. I didn't know
how or when it would happen, but I knew in my heart that 920 Cedar Brook Road
would sparkle again. And now it does - more brilliantly than I
ever could have imagined. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">Today, my beautiful house (yes, it will always be <i>my</i> house) is home
to a wonderful young family. They moved in following a dazzling top-to-bottom
restoration by a local architectural and design firm in 2015. And last
month, they opened the house to the public for the Plainfield Symphony Medley of Plainfield's Finest Homes tour. My sister was able to attend, and took the photos you see
below. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">It turns out that life can sometimes be a fairy tale after all. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtRIIHE1GIWTZDfICRCrLkKTnCXFjDSojCTCwltvlM-2Vre5Du48Ii68X0HfNIR7jG7UnJpDaNgitkrFDtlydj0XRGgxnDeh9k19aovLy-OwA8vAMZAcv2Br2_DngLMTzy8N5-NryNJoc/s1600/IMG_1137.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtRIIHE1GIWTZDfICRCrLkKTnCXFjDSojCTCwltvlM-2Vre5Du48Ii68X0HfNIR7jG7UnJpDaNgitkrFDtlydj0XRGgxnDeh9k19aovLy-OwA8vAMZAcv2Br2_DngLMTzy8N5-NryNJoc/s640/IMG_1137.JPG" width="640" /></a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>Thank you to everyone who has shared the Once Upon A House journey
with me, to the architects and contractors who brought the house back to life,
and most of all, to the new owners for choosing this extraordinary home and
filling it with their own special warmth, light and love.</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>Happy New Year, 920 Cedar Brook Road!</i></b></span><br />
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<br />Liz http://www.blogger.com/profile/10923792396204078189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363027812455824006.post-1226221623556558322014-02-16T23:02:00.001-08:002014-02-17T00:01:56.681-08:00The man of the houseOn Friday, February 14, 2014, my father passed away. He was 88 years old. I'd talked to him on the phone only a few hours earlier, and though his health was not perfect, his spirits were good, and he still had stories to tell I'd never heard before.<br />
<br />
I hung up the phone never doubting we still had years of conversations ahead of us. But apparently, there was a different plan.<br />
<br />
I feel very lost knowing he is no longer here, as do my sister and brother. But I've also realized over the past few days how much my memories of him are anchored to our house on Cedar Brook Road. And it seemed fitting, somehow, to do a tribute to him here.<br />
<br />
To begin with, I think the fact that my father actually owned such a grand, sprawling house was always somewhat of a surprise to him. He'd grown up in apartments in Queens before serving in the Navy during World War II, and never lived in a single family home until he and my mother bought a modest Dutch Colonial in the suburbs of Chicago in the mid 1950s. <br />
<br />
The leap to Plainfield in 1968 began with a big job promotion. I don't know all the details, or why exactly they chose 920 Cedar Brook Road; they'd already spent about a week looking at other towns and other houses. But in the end, I think, it was simply love at first sight - despite its size and the very long list of updates it needed at the time. <br />
<br />
Much of that work was completed almost immediately - which was a good thing. Less than two years later, my father parted ways with his company and hung out his own shingle. There were some lean years initially, and I recall more than a little stress over the difficulties of maintaining such a large house. But my parents somehow made it work.<br />
<br />
My mother did a lot of carpentry, painting, wallpapering, even some plumbing work herself. My father, who didn't know one end of a hammer from another, was more than happy to leave her to it - and focus on what he did best. Out in the world, he was a very successful salesman. Inside 920 Cedar Brook, he was the maker of Sunday breakfasts, Saturday night grilled steaks, Friday night omelettes, and the best Roquefort salad dressing I've ever had.<br />
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He mowed the very large lawn with a little less enthusiasm - but no matter how hot and humid it was, he refused to consider paying someone else to do it for him. He'd finish up and head for the pool, where he practiced his unique brand of crawl stroke - which somehow only ever moved him a few feet forward...or sometimes even backwards. We never did figure out quite how he did that. <br />
<br />
He tolerated an endless procession of cats and dogs, and reluctantly adored a few, especially Murphy, his goofy, charming, big-hearted Irish wolfhound. He was a fanatic sports fan, and watched golf, baseball, and football on the television in the library with such concentration that it was a family joke. But he also loved opera. In fact, one of my favorite memories is of him standing in the foyer near the old Magnavox record player, striking the pose of a leading tenor and looking for all the world like he belonged on the stage at the Met.<br />
<br />
My father was one of a kind. I'm proud to be his daughter, and will miss him always. He was one of the most real people I have ever known - funny, charming, successful, yet never afraid to simply be himself. Even if that was running through a sprinkler on a hot summer day well into his sixties...in a backyard that would have seemed like Central Park to the little boy who grew up in Jackson Heights.<br />
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It was just one of the many sides of my father I will always love. Thank you, Daddy.<br />
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<br />Liz http://www.blogger.com/profile/10923792396204078189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363027812455824006.post-30004797401690394322014-01-01T21:51:00.005-08:002014-01-03T20:51:32.490-08:00A fresh start<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy New Year!<br />
<br />
I'm happy to say that 2013 ended with a welcome flurry of activity at 920 Cedar Brook Road. After three long years on the market, the house was finally sold in October. And almost immediately, the experienced renovation and investment team who bought this wonderful 100-year-old mansion launched into a series of much-needed updates and repairs.<br />
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Outside, there's already a new roof and a fresh coat of white paint. The shutters have been properly rehung. The pool was drained, cleaned, and updated with an elegant new brick edging. Inside, the melancholy dark wallpaper in the living room and foyer has been (mercifully) stripped away. Ceilings have been scraped, spackled and painted. The gaping hole in the second floor bedroom where the previous owners installed a home theatre (why??) has been completely and seamlessly repaired. Even better, the original mirrored closet door that had gone missing from that wall was found and replaced. <br />
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Naturally, the work is still continuing, but the house has already begun to shine. And when the restoration is complete, the team will put the house back on the market. I think 2014 will be a very good year for 920 Cedar Brook Road!<br />
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Here are a few pictures from the early stages of the renovation. I will post more as I get them.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The living room makeover is underway. No more black floral wallpaper!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There was a huge hole in this wall that is now fully repaired. The original closet door has also been re-installed.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHmqkjdtGaX0HKCzMVJLl4Dq1CyFjKgpIdyrwroO7Px9w-yjoVrwGG4IT1sX8nStp5u3R5IApCt9kEmBMNDzzkh_Wc3FSg4qrfaplmC9azivuPMK7oCIciqypDPtyp0srcwgfqMwIOSow/s1600/Pool+edging.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHmqkjdtGaX0HKCzMVJLl4Dq1CyFjKgpIdyrwroO7Px9w-yjoVrwGG4IT1sX8nStp5u3R5IApCt9kEmBMNDzzkh_Wc3FSg4qrfaplmC9azivuPMK7oCIciqypDPtyp0srcwgfqMwIOSow/s320/Pool+edging.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pool early in the restoration process, with new brick coping installed in place of the original concrete. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEskrkdaCpJleMlpP1ZZ5lLZ4jRm4IyiZ-UjNY4FwbSQRm2mqPCGERl-8Jz7hwPOl9I3LUgnMIEfPY99ljL-bupd3ax-ElbtWc1_n8cgd_Je4b8wzxetAkVWiB0_x_6woPF218wM1ixQ8/s1600/920+New+Paint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEskrkdaCpJleMlpP1ZZ5lLZ4jRm4IyiZ-UjNY4FwbSQRm2mqPCGERl-8Jz7hwPOl9I3LUgnMIEfPY99ljL-bupd3ax-ElbtWc1_n8cgd_Je4b8wzxetAkVWiB0_x_6woPF218wM1ixQ8/s400/920+New+Paint.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Below the beautiful new roof, the exterior has been repainted in its original classic white!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<br />Liz http://www.blogger.com/profile/10923792396204078189noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363027812455824006.post-64616031720780743112013-09-10T17:03:00.001-07:002013-09-10T17:03:37.545-07:00Exciting newsI spoke to the listing agent for the house yesterday to check on the status of the sale, and she confirmed that the closing will take place in a couple of weeks. As soon as I have official confirmation that the house has a new owner and the next chapter of its history is finally underway, I will post the good news here!Liz http://www.blogger.com/profile/10923792396204078189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363027812455824006.post-391161969978044132013-05-19T11:10:00.000-07:002013-05-26T09:29:11.560-07:00Looking ahead, part 5: The back yardWhile I'm waiting with fingers crossed for news on the current offer on the house, I'd like to go outside and talk about the property. <br />
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The house at 920 Cedar Brook Road sits on a very, very large lot - large even by Plainfield standards, a city with several beautiful old historic districts and many large homes and properties. I don't know the exact lot size, but I do recall my mother saying it was nearly an acre and three-quarters. It may be slightly less, but I'm certain it's well over an acre. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLjtO4Owv11PSb2TAR6BFZdMS8-zupETi9OvbINdMGDBpftHAs6lmX-7i3RMbqHOIxO_Wgh6vrx9yS768lBpvj4QQV7sX5bLta1bygtxysF4Q_Q2vwrng1QrZtelm0sDPVdQfftAIJj74/s1600/2012-04-08+09.34.50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLjtO4Owv11PSb2TAR6BFZdMS8-zupETi9OvbINdMGDBpftHAs6lmX-7i3RMbqHOIxO_Wgh6vrx9yS768lBpvj4QQV7sX5bLta1bygtxysF4Q_Q2vwrng1QrZtelm0sDPVdQfftAIJj74/s320/2012-04-08+09.34.50.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>View of the front yard, looking towards the neighbor's house.</i> </td></tr>
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As you can see from the photo at left, the front yard is deep and wide, with the house set well back from the street. It used to take me about an hour to mow it back in high school. (By the way, the long, original herringbone brick walk is still intact and level.) Right now, the landscaping is simple and somewhat formal - which suits the house. There are already a couple of newer trees, and there's also lots of space to add new planting beds for shrubs and perennials. The front yard extends to the end of the reddish brown fence, which is right next to the piazza.<br />
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The back yard, however, is really where the magic is waiting. There's so much space, so much privacy, and so many possibilities that words really can't capture it all. Hopefully some images will help.<br />
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<b>A tour of the back yard...</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs4bnkSh3KiN3RPSiQkIX3hyTNeVuL2sGUY0jXTV18QoJiOpyFK_J67FwnkzKMnQCBA3rzcLhthhuj1aKDE5OHe9pkLaPoWAXua14m2axLEzPg7-jhSYQraAHCSLR-X2GMC0_flt4Im_A/s1600/2012-04-08+09.28.48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs4bnkSh3KiN3RPSiQkIX3hyTNeVuL2sGUY0jXTV18QoJiOpyFK_J67FwnkzKMnQCBA3rzcLhthhuj1aKDE5OHe9pkLaPoWAXua14m2axLEzPg7-jhSYQraAHCSLR-X2GMC0_flt4Im_A/s640/2012-04-08+09.28.48.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Th<span style="font-size: small;">e back yard, looking up from the<span style="font-size: small;"> slop<span style="font-size: small;">e below the pool</span></span></span>. This is only part of the <span style="font-size: small;">whole lawn area</span> - see the images below. There's another<span style="font-size: small;"> big part of the y<span style="font-size: small;">ard</span></span> to the right, plus <span style="font-size: small;">a</span> separate <span style="font-size: small;">lawn/garden space </span>behind where I was standing when I took this picture.</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6aOj2xuAp_Uv5fLyuR80t504iFP0K5qHs42iIT5b9b8gcizBasudllfBBUZ_xVlV7bM8Msk3SYUhQCvFfN8nIivoKYcoRPWgBTfpqPeoXnrzCTyfBgHOgpJQsTo7jFX1Pv9X7OwxQjAU/s1600/Full+view+back+with+glare.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6aOj2xuAp_Uv5fLyuR80t504iFP0K5qHs42iIT5b9b8gcizBasudllfBBUZ_xVlV7bM8Msk3SYUhQCvFfN8nIivoKYcoRPWgBTfpqPeoXnrzCTyfBgHOgpJQsTo7jFX1Pv9X7OwxQjAU/s640/Full+view+back+with+glare.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>This <span style="font-size: small;">shows more </span>of the upper yard between the pool and the house. If you look beyond the glare streak<span style="font-size: small;"> (sorry), you can see the<span style="font-size: small;">re's a lot more yard <span style="font-size: small;">to</span></span></span> the right<span style="font-size: small;">. <span style="font-size: small;">It extends </span></span>along the back of the fence that's visible in the
front yard photo at the top of the post. </i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMLAkiRN2i_MPfWogSV4DtEJ9jsdps6PIl88IJzEuAbQMfcAzRBCiUBiuLdlYI92uf_vfv6jHoPGu90ce65SgVF2QhtrpnMueU5PeitEngTAMq_zv1VW2irtjX4M-sis5KecKraQaz6YA/s1600/2012-04-08+09.25.48.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMLAkiRN2i_MPfWogSV4DtEJ9jsdps6PIl88IJzEuAbQMfcAzRBCiUBiuLdlYI92uf_vfv6jHoPGu90ce65SgVF2QhtrpnMueU5PeitEngTAMq_zv1VW2irtjX4M-sis5KecKraQaz6YA/s640/2012-04-08+09.25.48.jpg" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">The<span style="font-size: small;">re's a gentle slop<span style="font-size: small;">e leading from the back porch and side of the house down to the y<span style="font-size: small;">ard. <span style="font-size: small;">We used to have <span style="font-size: small;">w</span></span></span></span></span></span>ide timber steps at several points along the rise<span style="font-size: small;">, and <span style="font-size: small;">buil</span></span>t-in flower beds that were filled with geraniums and trailing petunias every summer. </i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdBuBnzERRqUNsOu6mbh9VwP6kMioH9EU7THWvd1z1Tvymey99Zb9BNvJt00GL1fDhGbT4HzydOcd_sqwLm_jeIyHtTa4mWBlEeE_Gaoh_vTR1R3L02MfZFKM21ZpaGX6qJNJn__XTfRQ/s1600/2012-04-08+09.26.46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdBuBnzERRqUNsOu6mbh9VwP6kMioH9EU7THWvd1z1Tvymey99Zb9BNvJt00GL1fDhGbT4HzydOcd_sqwLm_jeIyHtTa4mWBlEeE_Gaoh_vTR1R3L02MfZFKM21ZpaGX6qJNJn__XTfRQ/s640/2012-04-08+09.26.46.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">The </span>back <span style="font-size: small;">lawn,</span> below the pool<span style="font-size: small;">, had a </span>thick hedge of flowering shrubs <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">that</span> </span>separated <span style="font-size: small;">it</span> from the main lawn above. There were also many more trees along the rear fence<span style="font-size: small;">. </span>To the right, you can see the <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">side of the garage that opens to the yard. </span></span> </i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhom376oP5t_FV0yFl8loXvIpTIDB68wb_l0A3QjIP1RsuAUjguS-pHXB2LJXNaVpVD6rlKifM4j4x87-bs2I_A9zSSHvEB6fHmcnupsjbcQ7nvZWEyVbE8Sr0Hub55sRvbny_4dp76Ydk/s1600/2012-04-08+09.27.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhom376oP5t_FV0yFl8loXvIpTIDB68wb_l0A3QjIP1RsuAUjguS-pHXB2LJXNaVpVD6rlKifM4j4x87-bs2I_A9zSSHvEB6fHmcnupsjbcQ7nvZWEyVbE8Sr0Hub55sRvbny_4dp76Ydk/s640/2012-04-08+09.27.01.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">T</span>his is actually a<span style="font-size: small;">n </span>old rock garden. <span style="font-size: small;">It </span>was there when we moved in and <span style="font-size: small;">clearly already established for a long time</span>. Rock gardens were very popular in the early 20th century, <span style="font-size: small;">and I can't help but </span>wonder <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">if this one dates <span style="font-size: small;">back as ea<span style="font-size: small;">rly as </span>the 1920s or 30s</span>. J<span style="font-size: small;">ust as a reference point - </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;">I was standing in front of the rock garden when I took the picture of the upper lawn (with the glare streak), above. </span></i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkniavCC4Q3fLINLkGLWGdawfDTcNVIDkAQ5hDpmsu8E7hQa2IZQsfew26iMjkYHu-vLpKoCw4uKqKKsa6TEwpQcrIiE3qFa_BRGe10Cg1cSfbWDiHi7H-d6GEKm8RhgtRCRt7MXNXlOU/s1600/2012-04-08+09.30.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ib0adMudEroEacER8Keawd6z2bsoi0wPJwVb1cfAFvO1Goi83cRrW0tfm9XZLX-G1NSNTG2MAxvn2QZ7em29IUkDuc7MUWZ0KWtSzji-G9FLrK05erA2Ee9GWEzDkLABxLorIuKBhIA/s1600/2012-04-08+09.33.08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ib0adMudEroEacER8Keawd6z2bsoi0wPJwVb1cfAFvO1Goi83cRrW0tfm9XZLX-G1NSNTG2MAxvn2QZ7em29IUkDuc7MUWZ0KWtSzji-G9FLrK05erA2Ee9GWEzDkLABxLorIuKBhIA/s640/2012-04-08+09.33.08.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Beneath th<span style="font-size: small;">is </span></span>muddy and <span style="font-size: small;">messy</span> cover is a<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>very well built pool <span style="font-size: small;">that was </span>well maintained for decades. The diving board supports are still intact at the deep end, as are the handrails. There are wide entry steps at the shallow e<span style="font-size: small;">nd.</span> </i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdugkU1Wa__4Pxnz8gWktst1js7ChrpqAlc1720UFzlCRTWDabfv0tDAZja1d9XMxAeXQhEzMW9t-8zPpIyicqhNA8XvfliDqxkceldIEopEn9gdjYBTmhvzx_RNNnYIUc-AJdtfi6brA/s1600/Pool+tile+crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdugkU1Wa__4Pxnz8gWktst1js7ChrpqAlc1720UFzlCRTWDabfv0tDAZja1d9XMxAeXQhEzMW9t-8zPpIyicqhNA8XvfliDqxkceldIEopEn9gdjYBTmhvzx_RNNnYIUc-AJdtfi6brA/s320/Pool+tile+crop.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Is it a fish? Or a pool tile? <span style="font-size: small;">The answer is pool tile.</span> I<span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-size: small;">saw it</span> <span style="font-size: small;">in the grass </span></span>near the pool </span>when I was in the back yard taking photos<span style="font-size: small;">, and </span></span></i><i><span style="font-size: small;">couldn't help picking <span style="font-size: small;">it</span> up for safekeeping, and will happily return it to the new owners.<span style="font-size: small;"> Of course, it</span></span></i><i><span style="font-size: small;">'s not the first time a tile<span style="font-size: small;"> or two has come </span>loose...<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">when we were kids, it was grea<span style="font-size: small;">t fun </span></span></span>diving to the bottom <span style="font-size: small;">to retr<span style="font-size: small;">ieve <span style="font-size: small;">the "fish" so they could be reattached.</span></span></span> </span></i></td></tr>
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<b>...and some dreams for its future. <br /> </b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://st.houzz.com/simgs/f1a1513a0d0bd12a_8-1000/traditional-landscape.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>We'll start with the pool<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">. I love this image - <span style="font-size: small;">t</span></span></span>he feeling of light, the depth behind the pool, the lounge chairs - it <span style="font-size: small;">feels like the pool used to, only a bit more dressed up. </span>The actual pool deck probably isn't quite this wide, but there's still lots of room for chairs, umbrellas, plants<span style="font-size: small;">, etc.<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></span></span></i></span></td></tr>
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<div style="color: #444444; text-align: center;">
<small><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional/landscape" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Traditional Landscape</a> by <a href="http://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architect/c/Sag-Harbor--NY" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Sag Harbor Landscape Architect</a> <a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/johncowen/john-cowen-landscape-associates-ltd" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">John Cowen Landscape Associates Ltd.</a></small></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/693906/Traditional-Perennial-traditional-landscape-vancouver" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="376" src="http://st.houzz.com/simgs/db115ef20f67a4c7_8-6777/traditional-landscape.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>The wide, sunny upper part of the yard near the piazza and along the wooden fence could feel just like this with a few new trees and thoughtful plantings<span style="font-size: small;">.</span> </i></span></td></tr>
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<div style="color: #444444; text-align: center;">
<small><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional/landscape" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Traditional Landscape</a> by <a href="http://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architect/c/Vancouver--BC" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Vancouver Landscape Architect</a> <a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/gardengrl/glenna-partridge-garden-design" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Glenna Partridge Garden Design</a></small></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/2090487/HALSEY-NECK-LANE-Southampton-Village-New-York-traditional-landscape-new-york" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://st.houzz.com/simgs/02217b9100b7a24b_8-1921/traditional-landscape.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">I imagine flower beds and shrubs wrapped around the back of the house, from the back porch to the piazza, much like this...except raised and tucked into the slope that leads up from the lawn. Obviously th<span style="font-size: small;">e house above <span style="font-size: small;">has a different</span></span> style and footprint <span style="font-size: small;">but the design concept would still <span style="font-size: small;">work, and would really set off the back of the house</span></span>. </span></i></td></tr>
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<small><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional/landscape" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Traditional Landscape</a> by <a href="http://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architect/c/Southampton--NY" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Southampton Landscape Architect</a> <a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/learmahoney/lear-mahoney-landscape-associates" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Lear & Mahoney Landscape Associates</a></small></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/1267879/Southwest-Portland-2-traditional-landscape-portland" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="376" src="http://st.houzz.com/simgs/04c16b540011cae3_8-1703/traditional-landscape.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>This is exactly how the back garden used to feel...it was a lushly planted, shady space tucked between the garage and the fence at the edge of the property, with another high fence at the back for privacy. It was <span style="font-size: small;">s</span>uch a peaceful place to sit on a hot day<span style="font-size: small;">. </span>With a few mid-size ornamental trees and some nice shrubs, perennials, and grasses, I know the back garden could look like this again. </i></span></td></tr>
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<small><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional/landscape" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Traditional Landscape</a> by <a href="http://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architect/c/Dundee--OR" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Dundee Landscape Architect</a> <a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/scotrags/scot-ragsdale-landscape-design" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Scot Ragsdale Landscape Design</a></small></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/3280947/countryside-traditional-landscape-new-york" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="376" src="http://st.houzz.com/simgs/96a1cfcd014a0d23_8-1730/traditional-landscape.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>And of course, the most important thing the back yard needs is a new magnolia. Our beautiful old magnolia sat midway between the pool and the main back section of the house, right behind the library windows. It <span style="font-size: small;">was</span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">a </span>favorite shady <span style="font-size: small;">spot for <span style="font-size: small;">our dogs <span style="font-size: small;">in summer<span style="font-size: small;">; in winter, it was hung <span style="font-size: small;">with all</span></span></span></span></span></span> kinds of bird feeders<span style="font-size: small;">. And every spring, <span style="font-size: small;">i</span>t</span> <span style="font-size: small;">blanketed</span> the yard with <span style="font-size: small;">thick, </span>waxy pink petal<span style="font-size: small;">s. </span> </i></span></td></tr>
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<small><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional/landscape" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Traditional Landscape</a> by <a href="http://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architect/c/Bedford--NY" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Bedford Landscape Architect</a> <a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/btlandarch/benedek-ticehurst" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Benedek & Ticehurst.</a></small></div>
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Liz http://www.blogger.com/profile/10923792396204078189noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363027812455824006.post-39151593429362639882013-04-16T20:26:00.001-07:002013-04-18T20:46:27.309-07:00Looking ahead, part 4: The laundryAccording to the 1920 census, the Huntsman household at 920 Cedar Brook Road included two full time housemaids. Among their many responsibilities would have been the laundry - which of course was done downstairs, in the basement. The laundry room was just below the kitchen, and as you can see from the blueprint below, had ample room for washing as well as air drying and ironing. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfdJgbfwZsgGKTRgf5oGO290s23434HOfhDzU4edSB3HuYkyOEgicVwU4p211H0tRYdS_WzLLLXlYxiMhzRqXc3GZw7kCjgLFDq6Pkzn-Jj6ND0NaoROKye_RX2iQIFFHlanU_FoPghZk/s1600/Basement+detail+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfdJgbfwZsgGKTRgf5oGO290s23434HOfhDzU4edSB3HuYkyOEgicVwU4p211H0tRYdS_WzLLLXlYxiMhzRqXc3GZw7kCjgLFDq6Pkzn-Jj6ND0NaoROKye_RX2iQIFFHlanU_FoPghZk/s320/Basement+detail+2.jpg" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Original blueprint detail<span style="font-size: x-small;"> of the </span>basement laundry.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Image reprinted courtesy of the Local History</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Collection of the Plainfield Public Library, NJ.</i></span></span><br />
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This was probably a very nice laundry room for its day. It's bright and well ventilated, and there was even a dedicated water heater, according to the blueprint. But washing machines were still only semi-automated in 1914, requiring a separate hand-cranked wringing process. And everything had to be hung to dry; the earliest electric and gas-fired dryers wouldn't be available for another 25 years. Easy care fabrics were also decades away, which meant hours and hours of ironing. The Huntsman family's clothes and linens would then be carried two flights up the back stairs and put away in the second-floor bedrooms and linen closet. <br />
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When my parents bought the house in 1968, laundry had become astonishingly easy in comparison. It was made even easier by moving the entire operation upstairs. Our washer and dryer were as much fixtures in the kitchen as the refrigerator and stove.<br />
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Keeping the laundry in the kitchen might still be just as convenient today. The kitchen is definitely big enough, and if laundry, cooking, and other family activities work best centered in one room, it's a very practical idea. <br />
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<b>Moving up. </b>However, I think there's another solution. Bring the laundry up to the second floor, and create a luxurious modern laundry room in the back wing, in what was originally the Sewing Room. It's a great functional <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i></i></span>space that served a variety of purposes when we lived in the house - from gift wrap central to general storage. More importantly, sometime in the late 1970s, my mother actually transformed it into a half bath so my grandparents would have a shorter trip to a bathroom when they came to stay with us. (They always slept in the lovely guest room at the end of the back wing.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGlq7MLCvBOmdrGrLCleqVmvJefP_O6lQuTEPQrLwpfzey2UwBx626DazTU6vlVjqiPwMfS0GshfCP1gFpC73Dk6iQ48VrQmoN-ypRnJ9yQdIiZAvdm4won6O6SL1N-aMdLxMyxOnbdlg/s1600/Second+floor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGlq7MLCvBOmdrGrLCleqVmvJefP_O6lQuTEPQrLwpfzey2UwBx626DazTU6vlVjqiPwMfS0GshfCP1gFpC73Dk6iQ48VrQmoN-ypRnJ9yQdIiZAvdm4won6O6SL1N-aMdLxMyxOnbdlg/s320/Second+floor.jpg" width="315" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Original blueprint <span style="font-size: x-small;">of the</span> <span style="font-size: x-small;">second floor</span>. Image </i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>reprinted courtesy of the Local History Collection of </i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>the Plainfield Public Library, NJ.</i></span></span><br />
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<b>Logistics.</b> I'm not sure if the fixtures my mother installed are still in place, but I do know there must still be plumbing access. The room is also nearly directly above where the washer and gas dryer were in the kitchen. So bearing in mind that I am definitely NOT an architect, contractor, or plumber, it seems like building a laundry room here is clearly possible. <br />
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<b>Location.</b> Location-wise, this room is perfect. It's just up the stairs from the kitchen. It's separated from the main second-floor bedrooms by a hallway door - so even late-night wash loads wouldn't disturb anyone. And putting away clean clothes would be incredibly convenient, especially compared to the two-story hike the maids used to make from the basement. It's bright, with two big windows overlooking the driveway, and it has tons of storage. (Note: I recall the radiator being on the left side of the windows, even though this version of the blueprints shows it moved to the right.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGseLi-veLAEfLJ119XVeVu1rO7KHCYGvHOLGZvhlhMU87KkmlM0zoUotBztwwjV27ASbEe0s7zyHWZaAoxUTMVnXbtX81NEnzwI_hjIG2eUKk-bAnp7SRj7gu3qmDj1MuVpEA918TuGI/s1600/Sewing+room+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="381" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGseLi-veLAEfLJ119XVeVu1rO7KHCYGvHOLGZvhlhMU87KkmlM0zoUotBztwwjV27ASbEe0s7zyHWZaAoxUTMVnXbtX81NEnzwI_hjIG2eUKk-bAnp7SRj7gu3qmDj1MuVpEA918TuGI/s400/Sewing+room+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Original blueprint detail<span style="font-size: x-small;"> of </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> second floor </span>back hallway. Image </span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>reprinted courtesy of the Local History Collection of the Plainfield Public</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Library, NJ.</i></span></span><br />
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<b>Planning.</b> Looking at the room layout above, I'm guessing a standard-size washer and dryer would fit nicely side by side in the alcove on the right as you
enter the room, maybe with room for a small utility sink. Or perhaps you could stack the washer and dryer; even build them into a cabinet with doors. The point here is that with a bit of thoughtful design, the room could be customized to create a wonderful laundry area for your 21st century family. <br />
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<b>Inspiration.</b> Here are some fun ideas from Houzz.com to help paint a clearer picture of what I'm trying to describe. (I think the maids would have liked them all.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/622297/Farinelli-Construction-Inc-eclectic-laundry-room-other-metro" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://st.houzz.com/simgs/60d1b29a0f4e30f4_8-6130/eclectic-laundry-room.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>What a fun place to do the laundry! I love the cabinetry and great use of wall space. </i></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<small><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/eclectic/laundry-room" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Eclectic Laundry Room</a> by <a href="http://www.houzz.com/professionals/design-build/c/Mechanicsburg%2C-PA" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Mechanicsburg Design-build</a> <a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/donfarinelli/farinelli-construction-inc" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Farinelli Construction Inc</a></small><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/207415/Functional-Fantastic-Laundry-Room-contemporary-laundry-room-seattle" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://st.houzz.com/simgs/2c2130cc0e162aba_8-1392/contemporary-laundry-room.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>This is simple but very functional. This is what I was envisioning with </i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>side-by-side appliances and utility sink. </i></span></td></tr>
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<small><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary/laundry-room" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Contemporary Laundry Room</a> by <a href="http://www.houzz.com/professionals/closets-and-organization/c/Kirkland%2C-WA" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Kirkland Closets And Organization</a> <a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/organizedspaces/organized-spaces" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Organized Spaces</a></small></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/615514/Arts-and-Crafts-Laundry-Room-eclectic-laundry-room-" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://st.houzz.com/simgs/f05157920f4bbad6_8-9011/eclectic-laundry-room.jpg" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>This would work nicely if you shifted the appliances and sink over to </i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>the far right wall. You'd also have more open floor space in case you want</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>to use the room for other activities or storage. </i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<small><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/eclectic/laundry-room" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Eclectic Laundry Room</a> by <a href="http://www.houzz.com/professionals/interior-designer/c/Burlington%2C-MB" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Burlington Interior Designer</a> <a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/interiorworks/interior-works-inc" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Interior Works Inc</a></small><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/2201591/Neoclassical-Home-traditional-laundry-room-new-york" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://st.houzz.com/simgs/788109ad00c7a861_8-2057/traditional-laundry-room.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>This is amazingly close to the way the old Sewing Room feels, in terms of</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>window placement and light. The </i></span><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">room itself is much wider than this space. </span></span></span></span></span></i></td></tr>
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<small><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional/laundry-room" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Traditional Laundry Room</a> by <a href="http://www.houzz.com/professionals/architect/c/Princeton%2C-NJ" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Princeton Architect</a> <a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/catherineknight/knight-architects-llc" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Knight Architects LLC</a></small></div>
Liz http://www.blogger.com/profile/10923792396204078189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363027812455824006.post-76582181027424627752013-04-14T13:48:00.001-07:002013-04-15T23:47:54.322-07:00Looking ahead, part 3: Rooms reimaginedIf I miraculously won the lottery and could buy back my beautiful old house, I'd have a hard time deciding which rooms to update first. But the main living areas downstairs would be at the top of my list (after the kitchen, of course).<br />
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<b>A fresh look at the first floor. </b>Right now, the dark wall colors and border treatments in the library, living room, foyer, and dining room are really at odds with the home's classic Colonial Revival architectural details. But with some fresh, bright color schemes and design treatments, these rooms will absolutely sparkle again.<br />
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<i><b><u>Library</u></b></i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvAqm4B-CAppgmJ0unL2WE8jMtPr2LZr8FcOa64ju_NZv15zDd6iV4PjwI1MMkfF8wV-SCLtyUNXPLzuK7ZUDs8yoPFKUIcl3yKNO9E7U4ax4tIGdjC8gRf-Koy29RaUMsKrUZtbxWMXM/s1600/IMAG0725.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvAqm4B-CAppgmJ0unL2WE8jMtPr2LZr8FcOa64ju_NZv15zDd6iV4PjwI1MMkfF8wV-SCLtyUNXPLzuK7ZUDs8yoPFKUIcl3yKNO9E7U4ax4tIGdjC8gRf-Koy29RaUMsKrUZtbxWMXM/s640/IMAG0725.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>The library now. </b>This room looks a bit shabby here, but it has great potential. It has three windows, custom-built bookshelves, and plenty of room for two big chairs, a long couch and a TV. This was my mother's favorite room...she spent many contented hours here, surrounded by her beloved books and an army of Toby jugs.</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/1456331/Southern-Living-Idea-House-eclectic-home-office-charleston" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://st.houzz.com/simgs/a401299b00350580_8-4754/eclectic-home-office.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>The library reimagined. </b>I found this library photo on Houzz...and fell in love with it. It's so easy to imagine the library at 920 Cedar Brook updated and brightened to feel just like this. There's definitely space to combine a desk similar to this one, as well as a nice-sized couch and several comfy chairs. </i></td></tr>
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<small><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/eclectic/home-office" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Eclectic Home Office</a> by <a href="http://www.houzz.com/professionals/interior-designer/charleston" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Charleston Interior Designer</a> <a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/margaretdonaldsoninteriors/margaret-donaldson-interiors" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Margaret Donaldson Interiors</a></small><br />
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<u><i><span style="color: black;"><b>Living room</b></span></i></u></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5IfCC8eDcaaq_kPbYXqqn1oNJiQC1jxyQCUwg2S1UtrId9L6osZEe8pxZp6A80HhfXO5l_kjmYqlOsSyoB3M4pg_UtJbK81s_WZ6H3EKz-qJe91NxS7LZD8I2Xk9xXJQU8dd59Ioweds/s1600/IMAG0722.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5IfCC8eDcaaq_kPbYXqqn1oNJiQC1jxyQCUwg2S1UtrId9L6osZEe8pxZp6A80HhfXO5l_kjmYqlOsSyoB3M4pg_UtJbK81s_WZ6H3EKz-qJe91NxS7LZD8I2Xk9xXJQU8dd59Ioweds/s1600/IMAG0722.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>The living room now. </b>This black floral wallpaper was added recently, and makes the living room feel dark and closed in, despite four big windows and French doors on either side of the fireplace, and spacious room size (25' x 16'). The pattern and color also feel out of place against the clean, classical lines of the white woodwork.</i></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/376718/Elegant-Edgemont-by-B-Fein-Interior-Design-eclectic-living-room-new-york" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="334" src="http://st.houzz.com/simgs/b12180dc0ece4621_8-0322/eclectic-living-room.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>The living room reimagined</b>. Although pale blues, grays, greens or even a delicate, light-colored wallpaper would also work beautifully in this room, there's something about the brightness of a creamy ivory/beige scheme that feels very inviting and versatile - especially since the living room is so open to the foyer. </i></td></tr>
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<small><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/eclectic/living-room" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Eclectic Living Room</a> by <a href="http://www.houzz.com/professionals/interior-designer/c/Scarsdale%2C-NY" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Scarsdale Interior Designer</a> <a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/bfeininteriordesign/b-fein-interior-design" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">B Fein Interior Design</a></small><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><u><i><b>Foyer and dining room</b></i></u></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBeVv0s0FZyJ14_4fEV_RfjHETC223YJ_jyjzcaBihMG9a0W94Co-OlsaWJmoDtw78JjDceC4mmQU_305MEaehLGXQvYJH_UXhIPX7-xVo34uqUL31GuHjtq8bfRyrnVb8vXWqESkn790/s1600/IMAG0726.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBeVv0s0FZyJ14_4fEV_RfjHETC223YJ_jyjzcaBihMG9a0W94Co-OlsaWJmoDtw78JjDceC4mmQU_305MEaehLGXQvYJH_UXhIPX7-xVo34uqUL31GuHjtq8bfRyrnVb8vXWqESkn790/s1600/IMAG0726.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>The foyer and dining room now.</b> The walls are a deep burgundy in both rooms, creating a similar somber effect as the living room, while also making the beautiful fluted and carved woodwork appear stark and oddly unrelated to the walls. The overall effect is a pretty depressing mash up of Victorian and Colonial.</i></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/772952/A-Classic-CT-Home-with-a-Modern-Flair-traditional-dining-room-new-york" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://st.houzz.com/simgs/6b8175dd0f7ce3cb_8-6354/traditional-dining-room.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="center"><td class="tr-caption"><i><b>The foyer and dining room reimagined. </b>What a difference light makes! Although this concept is on the formal side, the pale blue is still so simple and refreshing against the white trim. And the woodwork is remarkably similar to 920 Cedar Brook. The fireplace is not in the same place as in this image; it's on the left as you enter the room. </i></td></tr>
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<small><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional/dining-room" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Traditional Dining Room</a> by <a href="http://www.houzz.com/professionals/interior-designer/c/Greenwich%2C-CT" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Greenwich Interior Designer</a> <a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/rinfret/cindy-rinfret" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Cindy Rinfret</a></small></div>
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<u><i><b>Up the stairs</b></i></u></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQChAtFt5vJaHyjb4lhaoFgFtEPXxs5dxgjWRnzSZ5LbvQ9vP_IK9iGWVAojMizj3Ui_upl6CD7f0DSzBKbKURIncruHfG7KN2nAOT0s_LYAYo1eSMPEX8c-_kXKX2pq-sFC0zehMik0U/s1600/IMAG0721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQChAtFt5vJaHyjb4lhaoFgFtEPXxs5dxgjWRnzSZ5LbvQ9vP_IK9iGWVAojMizj3Ui_upl6CD7f0DSzBKbKURIncruHfG7KN2nAOT0s_LYAYo1eSMPEX8c-_kXKX2pq-sFC0zehMik0U/s1600/IMAG0721.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>The staircase now (front view). </b></i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7NPfwwvGRRH8I3qVjhKg8fSDKUGgcrjTENU3_uLpYIGgyU-3lzEGZo4PxC9fSwuoQ7JJGTt9ln99K1-5oaJ5lsp3qKP1POmTsDSPVT3iA2KryTxiRygQJicIyCmZf0VEuKV1vLFMSHcs/s1600/IMAG0729.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7NPfwwvGRRH8I3qVjhKg8fSDKUGgcrjTENU3_uLpYIGgyU-3lzEGZo4PxC9fSwuoQ7JJGTt9ln99K1-5oaJ5lsp3qKP1POmTsDSPVT3iA2KryTxiRygQJicIyCmZf0VEuKV1vLFMSHcs/s1600/IMAG0729.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>The staircase now (side view). </i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/1552379/New-House---Fairfield--CT-traditional-entry-other-metro" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://st.houzz.com/simgs/9d7142a1004dfe06_8-2242/traditional-entry.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Stairs and foyer reimagined. </b>Obviously a very different room layout than the foyer at 920, but the staircase and surrounding woodwork share enough similarities that this image was irresistible. What I think is interesting to consider is the effect of a delicate traditional wallpaper, which really complements the proportions of the space and adds character without being overwhelming. </i></td></tr>
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<small><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional/entry" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Traditional Entry</a> by <a href="http://www.houzz.com/professionals/architect/c/Berwyn%2C-PA" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Berwyn Architect</a> <a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/peterzimmermanarchitects/peter-zimmerman-architects" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Peter Zimmerman Architects</a></small></div>
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I hope these ideas make it easier to envision just how beautiful 920 Cedar Brook Road can be...again.<br />
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<b>A few additional notes...</b><br />
- I recently rediscovered this link from the Plainfield Historic Preservation Society, which describes the architectural importance of Cedar Brook Road. <br />
http://www.plainfieldnjhistoricpreservation.com/study_area_for_proposed_historic_districts.html <br />
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- And here's one of many good overviews available online about the history and architectural features of Colonial Revival homes:<br />
http://www.antiquehomesmagazine.com/info.php?info_id=23<br />
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<br />Liz http://www.blogger.com/profile/10923792396204078189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363027812455824006.post-68410527913445479262013-03-29T22:43:00.003-07:002013-03-30T14:41:48.793-07:00Looking ahead, part 2: The kitchenWhen you visit 920 Cedar Brook Road, the realtor will likely take you into the house through the door at the side porch.* <br />
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You'll step into the long side hall that leads to the foyer. But if you stop and turn right just after entering the house, you'll be in the butler's pantry, and a few feet later, find yourself in the kitchen.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7TU7OP1weL9YdKpMHelJe06xy97PjbRfHyNf4hUPEv75lq3S8n3KzJrJxdvDSq0_XCOvUypDpg7CZh5aIw6fnEC_eE7S8UZReGYyZyoTyXzCHK4JYq0iUnMDJ15_ruZ31DsfubhgC-0I/s1600/Kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7TU7OP1weL9YdKpMHelJe06xy97PjbRfHyNf4hUPEv75lq3S8n3KzJrJxdvDSq0_XCOvUypDpg7CZh5aIw6fnEC_eE7S8UZReGYyZyoTyXzCHK4JYq0iUnMDJ15_ruZ31DsfubhgC-0I/s400/Kitchen.jpg" width="400" /></a>Right now, this is what you'll see. A big open space, with room for a large center island or table. An adjoining breakfast room that's already partly open to the kitchen. Five windows, if I'm counting correctly. Not visible in this image are also two big closets, two separate doors to enter and leave the room, plus the back door leading to the porch. (The other kitchen door opens to the back staircase.)<br />
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Opposite the view here, there's a long wall with two windows flanking the chimney. This is where my mother installed her tireless avocado green Caloric gas stove right after we moved in. Next to the stove were the equally hard-working (and yes, avocado green) Maytag washer and dryer, all circa 1970. (I think we called the Maytag man maybe two or three times over 30 years??) <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNeKB1-tBPNgU50_H8_tgtLgSWxaypFjpPVxwpH3dWrqXwcYgsM6cx2uQtULkmcWkjdWNN-XYpZG_wvxwO7dZBrvObcDAD3Aq5MTLv4d8skBAniCecF_nYCq1AeNKijUYieKmI-HDhmcw/s1600/Kitchen+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>But back to reality. Right now the kitchen is clearly in need of a fresh start. So let's clear away the dated wallpaper and dustiness and think: What can this space become? What could you create here? Here are a handful of beautiful idea starters, courtesy of Houzz.com.<br />
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<b>Idea #1: Classic warmth. </b>I love this kitchen. Stylistically, it's such a wonderful fit for the house, and it would blend almost seamlessly with the existing butler's pantry. Obviously the kitchen at 920 has a different layout, but many of these elements would work perfectly, just shifted around a bit.<br />
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<a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/382924/Kitchen-Transformation-traditional-kitchen-burlington" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="330" src="http://st.houzz.com/simgs/8ad1928d0ed6a9f2_8-7681/traditional-kitchen.jpg" width="500" /></a> <br />
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<small><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional/kitchen" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Traditional Kitchen</a> by <a href="http://www.houzz.com/professionals/architect/c/Norwich%2C-VT" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Norwich Architect</a> <a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/sva-arch/smith-vansant-architects-pc" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Smith & Vansant Architects PC</a></small></div>
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<b>Idea #2: Colorful and comfortable. </b>If you wanted to do something with a little more pizzazz, maybe more of a blend of new and traditional, here's another really pretty kitchen. It has such a timeless Wedgwood blue color theme and the cabinet/drawer style is a nice match for the butler's pantry. There is definitely room for a table or island this size.<br />
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<a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/468664/Oakland-Kitchen-traditional-kitchen-san-francisco"><img border="0" height="334" src="http://st.houzz.com/simgs/2de147520f14879f_8-9903/traditional-kitchen.jpg" width="500" /></a> <br />
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<small><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional/kitchen" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Traditional Kitchen</a> by <a href="http://www.houzz.com/professionals/architect/c/Oakland%2C-CA" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Oakland Architect</a> <a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/lorinhill/lorin-hill-architect" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Lorin Hill, Architect</a></small><br />
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<b>Idea #3. Sleek and open. </b>If the counter that now holds the sink and dishwasher were removed, the main kitchen area would flow right into the 8' x 10' breakfast room beyond, creating a large, open, light-filled space like this. Again, the layout of appliances is different. I think the stove has to stay on the opposite wall. But the little counter/cabinet area at the far right would definitely work, and in a similar spot. <br />
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<a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/338279/Classic-Coastal-Colonial-Renovation---the-Anti-McMansion-contemporary-kitchen-newark"><img border="0" height="334" src="http://st.houzz.com/simgs/ffa17c7f0ead8cee_8-6311/contemporary-kitchen.jpg" width="500" /></a> <br />
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<small><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary/kitchen" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Contemporary Kitchen</a> by <a href="http://www.houzz.com/professionals/general-contractor/c/Westfield%2C-NJ" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Westfield General Contractor</a> <a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/elliemroz/michael-robert-construction" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Michael Robert Construction</a></small></div>
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<b>Idea #4. Colonial charm. </b>Maybe it's the green that makes this one feel so right (too many years of avocado appliances, I guess). You'll have to use your imagination to push the walls apart and see this working on a wider scale (the kitchen is 15' wide). But I love the farmhouse sink, the light coming from the window at the left, and the general sense of warmth. This kitchen would be right at home on 920 Cedar Brook Road!<br />
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<a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/129044/Jason-Ball-Interiors-contemporary-kitchen-portland" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="334" src="http://st.houzz.com/simgs/768143e50d5ec812_8-4552/contemporary-kitchen.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<small><a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/jasonballinteriors/jason-ball-interiors-llc" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"></a></small><br /></div>
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<small><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary/kitchen" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Contemporary Kitchen</a> by <a href="http://www.houzz.com/professionals/kitchen-and-bath/c/Portland%2C-OR" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Portland Kitchen And Bath</a> <a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/jasonballinteriors/jason-ball-interiors-llc" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Jason Ball Interiors, LLC</a></small><br />
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<i> *Just as a reminder: I
can recommend an excellent local resource who knows 920 Cedar Brook very well, and would be happy to walk you through the house. Please email me for details. </i> <br />
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<small><br /><a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/jasonballinteriors/jason-ball-interiors-llc" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"></a></small></div>
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<a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/468664/Oakland-Kitchen-traditional-kitchen-san-francisco"><br /></a></div>
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<small><br /><a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/lorinhill/lorin-hill-architect" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"></a></small></div>
Liz http://www.blogger.com/profile/10923792396204078189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363027812455824006.post-91589241262789061752013-03-23T21:59:00.001-07:002013-03-30T21:55:55.931-07:00Looking ahead<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZltMRBoKVlYHj0e19Pik59KcPAvQhZoq3O91Fp6zGlGf1LReOUbj4-y5j6VkIOnzAcG5B9EDc25hmryKz7W4KXmfjMiHVatB2wwucHh_H2xYUMf1zA8a_ls2N2FSmToqJ7bc3SySLij4/s1600/2012-04-08+09.23.58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZltMRBoKVlYHj0e19Pik59KcPAvQhZoq3O91Fp6zGlGf1LReOUbj4-y5j6VkIOnzAcG5B9EDc25hmryKz7W4KXmfjMiHVatB2wwucHh_H2xYUMf1zA8a_ls2N2FSmToqJ7bc3SySLij4/s1600/2012-04-08+09.23.58.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZltMRBoKVlYHj0e19Pik59KcPAvQhZoq3O91Fp6zGlGf1LReOUbj4-y5j6VkIOnzAcG5B9EDc25hmryKz7W4KXmfjMiHVatB2wwucHh_H2xYUMf1zA8a_ls2N2FSmToqJ7bc3SySLij4/s400/2012-04-08+09.23.58.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Front yard view of piazza, April 2012. </i></td></tr>
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If you've driven by 920 Cedar Brook Road recently or looked closely at some of the photos in this blog, it's obvious that the house, beautiful as it is, needs some TLC. It's still strong and solid, because it was built to very high standards. Miraculously, it's also almost entirely original. There are no awkward upgrades or additions to undo. All of its wonderful woodwork and original parquet floors are intact.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDkf_eSRXRS82L7p7M4okN1ApZ3upDNm_YOkf1m8HQ7-tzlR4QJe45FqbyEapFnd9A8TzY2GD03pEPHwagDsOOc4Qalq6zcGKXpuL2kKNaVjqIlOY0vLVkGz18JwIXFEBUUa1JH3lKa2g/s1600/Side+hall.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDkf_eSRXRS82L7p7M4okN1ApZ3upDNm_YOkf1m8HQ7-tzlR4QJe45FqbyEapFnd9A8TzY2GD03pEPHwagDsOOc4Qalq6zcGKXpuL2kKNaVjqIlOY0vLVkGz18JwIXFEBUUa1JH3lKa2g/s320/Side+hall.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Original parquet floor detail, side hall. </i></td></tr>
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That being said, there's work to do. So I'd like to focus the next few entries on resources and ideas that may provide some help in planning...and perhaps spark your imagination, too.<br />
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<b>Part 1: An architect's perspective.</b><br />
I've often wondered what potential buyers are thinking when they first walk in the door. But lately, I've also tried to imagine some of the questions they'd have. Where would I start, if were the new owner of this elegant 14-room house? How would I identify which projects were most important? How could I be sure the changes I made were right for the original structure - and would also preserve my investment for the future? <br />
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I decided to look for someone who could help me address questions like these, and recently, talked to an architect with years of experience renovating historic homes in New Jersey. <br />
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<b>Susan Rochelle</b>, AIA, was kind enough to review this blog, and then chat with me by phone about some general guidelines she follows when updating older and historic homes. First of all, she says, "the best older house to buy is one where very little has been done to it." This saves a huge amount of time and trouble down the road - because you're not doing things like replicating missing woodwork or pulling layers of linoleum or vinyl flooring off original hardwood floors. <i>As mentioned above, remarkably little has changed inside 920 Cedar Brook since 1914....as far as I know, the only missing features are some of the original first floor and hallway light fixtures, and the French doors to the library. (I've already begun trying to track down sconces that are a better fit than those in place right now - see notes at bottom of this post.) </i><br />
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In addition, Susan offered some practical tips about where to start as the next caretaker of a historic home. Step one, she says, is "to make sure the house is water tight. If there's any doubt about the roof, make the necessary repairs. This is essential for protecting your investment in everything else you do inside the house." <i>My parents replaced the roof around 1990, as I recall, and when I was in the house a year ago, I did not see any current signs of water issues - but Susan's advice is obviously wise.</i><br />
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She also stressed the value of making sure the siding is properly painted, as this will protect the wood substrate from the effects of moisture. <i>I have to be honest here - a new paint job is clearly overdue for 920 Cedar Brook. The current yellow color is new in the last 10 years, but it does not appear to have been done very well, and is already peeling and chipping. Yes, repainting a big house is a big job, but replacing the siding would be a much bigger one. </i><br />
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Susan's philosophy about updating period homes was also helpful to hear. Even in old homes, she said, "we still have to modernize. We want the things we want, in order to live comfortably and efficiently. But there are good ways to modernize, and there are bad ways." The key, she believes, is to be sensitive to the home's character and original structure in planning and executing upgrades. In her experience, working with professionals who clearly understand the home's construction will help to minimize how much disturbance is made to its existing fabric, and keep both old and new elements harmonious. <br />
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I am very grateful to Susan for taking time out of her busy practice to talk through my questions, and hope you'll check out her Web site at <span style="color: blue;">http://www.susanrochellearchitect.com</span>. There's a lot of great information on it, as well as examples of many kinds of renovation projects. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK9eYcDUjhnaR4I-n_su8V3KZqTuAIjW2dKW5pquYoehaYzcp7qJ5Oi56YAe_IitP8JVMwp1X8RirjADgemiNy6mlJbrpV1r1HbgmsSZ_Mid8Br_YDrt6xdQ_JflEg4qrrHraUvV0RBkw/s1600/IMAG0727.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK9eYcDUjhnaR4I-n_su8V3KZqTuAIjW2dKW5pquYoehaYzcp7qJ5Oi56YAe_IitP8JVMwp1X8RirjADgemiNy6mlJbrpV1r1HbgmsSZ_Mid8Br_YDrt6xdQ_JflEg4qrrHraUvV0RBkw/s320/IMAG0727.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Foyer, view of upper front door detail, November 2011.</i></td></tr>
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In the next post, we'll explore some other possibilities inside the house that I can't stop dreaming about. What might a new kitchen look like? Or updated
bathrooms...light, bright new paint and wallpaper in the foyer...a contemporary laundry space in the back wing?<br />
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After that, we'll go outside. This is such a huge property, with so much potential. Nearly empty of trees and shrubs
now, there are many ways the grounds can be transformed into lush,
beautifully planted spaces that surround and complement the house. <br />
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<b>A quick word about the light fixtures...</b> <br />
Okay. I will admit I'm still having a hard time getting over the fact that the original light fixtures, especially the beautiful, neoclassical torch sconces that used to adorn the columns in the foyer, were replaced with shiny, lacquered, Victorian-ish lights that (no offense, but seriously) you can probably buy right off the shelf at your local Home Depot. It's just plain wrong.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20_m8PG4Nx0F0hUF7pvzF47QJPbyFPKgnzMRKo9MXTz5qYv9dbvIo71UdQJr9FrrI89_TKG6gitJjwlB3Hp4oKnFnrYX3ZsJ_wsOpR3Qvc1z_QWp4xYP3EiOmTOANVNGvkIUI6innZBE/s1600/Sconce+detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20_m8PG4Nx0F0hUF7pvzF47QJPbyFPKgnzMRKo9MXTz5qYv9dbvIo71UdQJr9FrrI89_TKG6gitJjwlB3Hp4oKnFnrYX3ZsJ_wsOpR3Qvc1z_QWp4xYP3EiOmTOANVNGvkIUI6innZBE/s200/Sconce+detail.jpg" width="155" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Original sconce, foyer.</i></td></tr>
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<b>I would like nothing better than to help the home's next owner find suitable replacements</b>, and have already started hunting for them. The most expensive route is probably a good architectural salvage company. But if you really want authentic, 1910s-era brass fixtures, this is definitely worth the effort, in my opinion. Then there's Ebay, which I know from (hours and hours of) personal experience, can take enormous patience when you're looking for something very specific and uncommon. But that doesn't mean you can't find something fabulous...eventually.<br />
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A more logical and accessible option is Rejuvenation.com, one of my favorite period home resources. I discovered tonight that the Rejuvenation site even has a blog post about Colonial Revival era lighting: http://blog.rejuvenation.com/stories/a-century-of-lighting-styles-colonial-revival-part-1. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYSYuwpccDNO5egh3tInBWf-wAmDLXQRvJDo8NfLymXbDibuHnqk2O0ZSlLEG0-MtYnS8Ro5n1Z-_HqvsQknlGi2iHpPRwpQ3CRiydLshHWxD6ddQJi7M572cYSosbE8Yp4mlwfTsATWU/s1600/Colonial+Revival+Sconce.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYSYuwpccDNO5egh3tInBWf-wAmDLXQRvJDo8NfLymXbDibuHnqk2O0ZSlLEG0-MtYnS8Ro5n1Z-_HqvsQknlGi2iHpPRwpQ3CRiydLshHWxD6ddQJi7M572cYSosbE8Yp4mlwfTsATWU/s200/Colonial+Revival+Sconce.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Fields Classic Torch wall bracket, Rejuvenation</i>. </td></tr>
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Rejuvenation carries some simple, elegant sconce options, including a torch-style design, which can be ordered in several different finishes that seem right for the house. Personally, I'd probably go hunt down vintage etched globes to top off the fixtures, but Rejuvenation offers some very nice globes as well. It's definitely worth a look.<br />
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Meanwhile, I'll be watching Ebay and hoping I hit the vintage Colonial Revival light fixture jackpot.<br />
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<br />Liz http://www.blogger.com/profile/10923792396204078189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363027812455824006.post-57907875929160787452013-03-14T23:22:00.000-07:002013-03-26T14:02:50.786-07:00Blueprint for a Colonial Revival garageLike many garages of its era, the garage for 920 Cedar Brook Road was sited at the back edge of the property. It was designed at the same time as the house, so it shares similar colonial revival architectural details. And like the house, it's large. It's a two-story building, with a spacious ground level footprint that would have accommodated two sizable 1910s-era automobiles. Sometime later, an additional single-story bay was built, increasing the capacity to three cars. (The drawings below show the original configuration.) <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS0v2BKuQyhC6jIbme0nFlNgcm3hmMosWPMp9OD_nZKs2Zvlz2dG1SE_cYGQltB38AHiM2Ag8ua8TVjTGvE1dJ0vE6Lu9_hxQAlSieaUthAg1Di29UkUEIJqtT1_AYGG5KB9cm8XIbaKs/s1600/Garage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="529" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS0v2BKuQyhC6jIbme0nFlNgcm3hmMosWPMp9OD_nZKs2Zvlz2dG1SE_cYGQltB38AHiM2Ag8ua8TVjTGvE1dJ0vE6Lu9_hxQAlSieaUthAg1Di29UkUEIJqtT1_AYGG5KB9cm8XIbaKs/s640/Garage.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Original drawings for the two-story garage at 920 Cedar Brook Road. The door in the side elevation (top right, first row) opens into the back yard. Image reprinted courtesy of
the Local History Collection of the Plainfield Public Library, NJ. </i></td></tr>
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The garage's heavy sliding doors, detailed with inset panels and small windows across the top, still moved smoothly enough for adventurous children to operate in the 1970s. But we actually preferred to slip in and out through the "secret" hinged opening that was built into the left-hand door panel (see blueprint detail, below).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTzvUgK4XNjvC-OmgSBWR7HLHZYlq_cSFsdh9632_bA23xbRp7fAvtuy9WOU_mt2qmC2mDDWIofeNsHVW33eyPI6c0mUV5uqW2lGy3wUQ5SyicxY88uWBjGH8HG20uxxp1to2gy2eFxxA/s1600/Garage+door+detail.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTzvUgK4XNjvC-OmgSBWR7HLHZYlq_cSFsdh9632_bA23xbRp7fAvtuy9WOU_mt2qmC2mDDWIofeNsHVW33eyPI6c0mUV5uqW2lGy3wUQ5SyicxY88uWBjGH8HG20uxxp1to2gy2eFxxA/s640/Garage+door+detail.jpg" width="601" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Detail of main garage doors. Note hinged panel at left, which is accessed by a small inset lock. Image reprinted courtesy of
the Local History Collection of the Plainfield Public Library, NJ. </i></td></tr>
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Inside, the garage was just as much of an adventure. An enclosed
staircase at the rear led up to the second floor, where a wood-paneled room was apparently used by the chauffeur during the day (see second floor detail of
"Man's Room," below). A huge double window opened onto the garage
space below, and the room itself was large enough for perhaps a bed, chairs and table. There is also a built-in closet, and as you can
see from the chimney, the garage was once heated.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf5khF7LOINDcZjzYfchsZmDXFy5boiJCUadVxybHC_KpXSS8osQiMcdnA9uY5PR44Zg3Gqas7A71u7TFppBqgj0epn03fGX8wYxQAiMDZSlfYDKFoywEBjvVJ3HTu1VAdBQI8fRIWKgI/s640/Garage+second+floor.jpg" width="449" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Second floor garage detail. Image reprinted courtesy of
the Local History Collection of the Plainfield Public Library, NJ. </i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Side porch entrance, April 2012.</i></td></tr>
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By the late 1960s, when my parents moved in with two cars and three small children, they found it more practical to park in the driveway, and the garage became more of a storage space for lawn equipment and bikes. But imagine the vehicles that must have rolled out of that elegant old building back in the day. Summoned by a phone or bell, the chauffeur would have donned his cap and warmed up a beautiful Packard or other fine automobile from the period, and headed up the drive to collect members of the Hunstman family at the covered side entrance of the house. <br />
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Sadly, the old garage has fallen on hard times. Garages from the early part of the 20th century era are fragile structures, and finding an original one still standing is somewhat miraculous, according to the research I've done. So while this one will need to be rebuilt, the good news is that because the blueprints exist, it can be restored faithfully. In addition, I suspect that many of the original materials inside - paneling, interior and exterior windows, steps and doors - can be salvaged and repurposed.<br />
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With a little thought and effort, I believe this little gem of automotive architectural history, designed with just as much care and attention by Messrs. Marsh and Gette as the main house itself, can be successfully recreated and shine again. <br />
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Liz http://www.blogger.com/profile/10923792396204078189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363027812455824006.post-21476325876312601562013-03-07T21:37:00.000-08:002013-04-02T21:29:45.907-07:00Downstairs, upstairsHere is the next set of blueprints for 920 Cedar Brook Road. <br />
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As mentioned in the previous post, the original drawings don't completely match the house as it was built. There were once some very grand plans for a two-story porch at the rear, and an additional third-floor bedroom was supposed to open off a hallway at the top of the main staircase. For reasons we will never know, those ideas were not approved by the Huntsman family, and the design for the rear of the house was scaled back.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY5ge2bUV9DjSn2FahEpZDPo9l81635-TJUlD4ptjglP2948dmAFzi2sArgDdKzG7tD2ONgYW1skGEOwXaAJTKpbTka8vPaBVQoMpA8jTGAEs-Ru9q7oPFz4vB19_riT4RnO2qd_88tug/s1600/Rear+elevation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY5ge2bUV9DjSn2FahEpZDPo9l81635-TJUlD4ptjglP2948dmAFzi2sArgDdKzG7tD2ONgYW1skGEOwXaAJTKpbTka8vPaBVQoMpA8jTGAEs-Ru9q7oPFz4vB19_riT4RnO2qd_88tug/s640/Rear+elevation.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Original rear elevation for 920 Cedar Brook Road. Image reprinted courtesy of
the Local History Collection of the Plainfield Public Library, NJ. </i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPJjE_Win00sxA21QiYiz0zR0nyvuBbvwSPm26v_OxT8Ss199lD30_0L2vGgqr-TRZ1KcDj9J6p-Sd2bmYuO5SWT49bCfm6r3lLyJoDydVQOvnZjKnBuSFYZciD3hhgjVGTlm7HUpqi_Q/s1600/2012-04-08+09.30.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPJjE_Win00sxA21QiYiz0zR0nyvuBbvwSPm26v_OxT8Ss199lD30_0L2vGgqr-TRZ1KcDj9J6p-Sd2bmYuO5SWT49bCfm6r3lLyJoDydVQOvnZjKnBuSFYZciD3hhgjVGTlm7HUpqi_Q/s640/2012-04-08+09.30.10.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Rear elevation, April 2012. The final blueprints were modified to this much smaller porch design. The drawing above proposed a large two-story porch, as well as more elaborate windows on the upper floors. </i></td></tr>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Of course, the home's final layout is still abundantly spacious. It includes five bedrooms on the second floor, another huge family bedroom on the third floor, plus the two smaller "Servant's Rooms" on the third floor. And according to the drawings, there was once another servant's room on the first floor. This was adjacent to the kitchen, and included a built-in dresser. Was this room used by the cook? The chauffeur? We'll never know, but it's fun to wonder.</blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_iWR380gVsrKxPaXlnSZumGI_mCQ2RxVoFLV5i5uLfoVTp6MEq00Bxw3cMqEvdv24XNIUH-HIoWXcJgmpP22DLlX4vCz55HtwoaVBL16FyBng8srIiAEDTbFH0tjmIwzCziIyF_OEBx8/s1600/Kitchen+and+butler%27s+pantry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_iWR380gVsrKxPaXlnSZumGI_mCQ2RxVoFLV5i5uLfoVTp6MEq00Bxw3cMqEvdv24XNIUH-HIoWXcJgmpP22DLlX4vCz55HtwoaVBL16FyBng8srIiAEDTbFH0tjmIwzCziIyF_OEBx8/s640/Kitchen+and+butler%27s+pantry.jpg" width="436" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Detail from first floor plan for 920 Cedar Brook Road. Interesting that both a coal range and a gas stove were specified in the kitchen. Image reprinted courtesy of
the Local History Collection of the Plainfield Public Library, NJ. </i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc9FhUooM_ntEPeI9oZ2e3KejhG58I-3LFxDgh_kYkrkVNrity5zoRvSNrFqdqxEKA_R2gV8MGEgxSEdXmOhvrsPpc3utW4kMdqPbBupACD_6CY2ElY74JsRo6OnEmCn0fIHD-RS4sXqY/s1600/IMAG0744+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc9FhUooM_ntEPeI9oZ2e3KejhG58I-3LFxDgh_kYkrkVNrity5zoRvSNrFqdqxEKA_R2gV8MGEgxSEdXmOhvrsPpc3utW4kMdqPbBupACD_6CY2ElY74JsRo6OnEmCn0fIHD-RS4sXqY/s640/IMAG0744+-+Copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kitchen view, November 2011. Most of the original cabinets and drawer fronts are
still present, with some stripped and/or refinished.</i></td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNOGnnhP5KFsCLf43gFakvp6ZJGDwk1I_IW-25ETXNcmW0EWOh_MOwODywG2OtqbndrJ57Z_AHcvgfdrvzdpqv2sSx8B14DhjmxIZvdPvWpkIEnSVEn3VXG21TnFVM4LMQs2N4fZRkZmI/s1600/2012-04-08+09.32.19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNOGnnhP5KFsCLf43gFakvp6ZJGDwk1I_IW-25ETXNcmW0EWOh_MOwODywG2OtqbndrJ57Z_AHcvgfdrvzdpqv2sSx8B14DhjmxIZvdPvWpkIEnSVEn3VXG21TnFVM4LMQs2N4fZRkZmI/s200/2012-04-08+09.32.19.jpg" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The back porch, April 2012.</i></td></tr>
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Regardless of who slept there, the room behind the kitchen is no longer a separate space. As you can see in the image above, the walls have been removed, courtesy of a remodeling project completed by my parents in the early 1980s. The kitchen itself is already a very large room (15'8" x 14'10")...with the extra 10'2" x 8'2" included, it's huge space, full of light and possibilities. And yes, it's due for an update. But it could be such a showplace! Note in the drawings that it includes two very large closets, one of which was used to keep foods cold before modern refrigeration. And just to update the status of the "Servant's Porch," as it's noted in
the drawings, this is actually just a regular (but very nice) back
porch. It's one of the two main access points to the back yard.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF9SzQtWM4NQLt8v4yOm6fwtT4SObQTh-i3RV-bqD3BZ8gGmNn4xm42bMESoKq8FFW_JYgDFGxbheejUzI0iRECq2Zh5S0Pacu_jp43cWab45-O52Pa5TTlZb7EgmdePX_7f09rfl8W4M/s1600/IMAG0745.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF9SzQtWM4NQLt8v4yOm6fwtT4SObQTh-i3RV-bqD3BZ8gGmNn4xm42bMESoKq8FFW_JYgDFGxbheejUzI0iRECq2Zh5S0Pacu_jp43cWab45-O52Pa5TTlZb7EgmdePX_7f09rfl8W4M/s200/IMAG0745.jpg" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Butler's pantry, Nov. 2011.</i></td></tr>
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<br />
<br />
The butler's pantry, just off the kitchen, still has its original
built-in glass front cabinets and large copper sink. I imagine this was
used to store china and silver, as well as to organize food before it
was brought into the dining room. The Huntsman family, of course, would have
summoned their next course via the buzzer plate on the floor, which was
wired into the kitchen signal box. (Not quite Downton Abbey but still a
lovely remnant of a forgotten American lifestyle...and lots of fun for
children to play with in later decades.)<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Moving up. </b>As you explore the second floor, you'll see that the master bedroom is labeled "Owner's Room," and has adjoining rooms on either side that open directly to the main hall. It includes a very large dressing closet with a mirrored door and large bath. Down the hall is the other main bedroom, labeled "Mother's Room." According to the 1920 Census records, Mrs. Maud Huntsman's mother lived with the family during this period; I don't think it's a crazy guess to imagine that this room may have been built for her. It also has its own private bath. <br />
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What's missing, however, is the "Sleeping Porch," that would have opened off the back hall. There's just a normal window there now, but the sleeping porch seems like such a romantic idea. I imagine it would have been screened, and filled with the scent of flowers from the backyard below on warm summer evenings. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7s1ITiLWnFvcgJQBKaaedOlxENAdrs9h3qiZx3gpcZzmgmSZvhAgS7FM4sFbeb_E-g3XRXQxD18xhml3EkPE9i8MKE42N9PhnldxJPsbQnkExmef7lXBhXndSvQ06U7daPq1tDwZJRrI/s1600/Second+floor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7s1ITiLWnFvcgJQBKaaedOlxENAdrs9h3qiZx3gpcZzmgmSZvhAgS7FM4sFbeb_E-g3XRXQxD18xhml3EkPE9i8MKE42N9PhnldxJPsbQnkExmef7lXBhXndSvQ06U7daPq1tDwZJRrI/s640/Second+floor.jpg" width="630" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Detail from second floor plan for 920 Cedar Brook Road. The sleeping porch was never built. Image reprinted courtesy of
the Local History Collection of the Plainfield Public Library, NJ. </i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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<br />
The back wing held the children's play area and sewing room. The playroom is actually a bright and cozy bedroom now, and the sewing room could easily be re-purposed into anything you imagine - an office, studio/crafts room, family room, or a sunny, spacious laundry room. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsfPiGXnYFRv3kT1qXOu8ZqxzGE2Fzwgh2zlupIaFswlqCDwRtOMAp4afruv_QvQZ4wLroIAYoQ6A_36yDw2EW3qH0tSy4qtZePbBVyg-FmOXuuk9A_k0eUaiKFDLbnNEO6DDJbRaGDbU/s1600/IMAG0737.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsfPiGXnYFRv3kT1qXOu8ZqxzGE2Fzwgh2zlupIaFswlqCDwRtOMAp4afruv_QvQZ4wLroIAYoQ6A_36yDw2EW3qH0tSy4qtZePbBVyg-FmOXuuk9A_k0eUaiKFDLbnNEO6DDJbRaGDbU/s200/IMAG0737.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Third floor tub. 1970s yellow-orange paint (sorry)</i>.</td></tr>
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<b>From the top.</b> Up on the third floor, there are three more rooms - the large "Guest Room" (mine, growing up) and two charming smaller ("Servant's") rooms. There's also a huge cedar closet (labeled "Storage Room,") and two full baths - each with an original deep soaking tub. As mentioned before, the "Boy's Room" at the back, does not exist. This would apparently have been built above the sleeping porch. There is also only one main hallway, right off the top of the stairs. A small closet was placed where the opening to that imaginary rear hallway would have been.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyFM6E2ectrr7_9Qp6wCaNGAuUU5v-3v4GUMpd0dG8lZUtO2ZcAXQGP64y8_JgQNj8CwgKUf_ciRKEkmCVuiaAA_HTeWVZ4Of4nU-Uo5V9PiWlfS5MJHoBpUPLDRro_gRbCZ2vIuCCCNg/s1600/Third+floor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyFM6E2ectrr7_9Qp6wCaNGAuUU5v-3v4GUMpd0dG8lZUtO2ZcAXQGP64y8_JgQNj8CwgKUf_ciRKEkmCVuiaAA_HTeWVZ4Of4nU-Uo5V9PiWlfS5MJHoBpUPLDRro_gRbCZ2vIuCCCNg/s640/Third+floor.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Detail from third floor plan for 920 Cedar Brook Road. The design for the rear boy's bedroom was eliminated prior to construction. Image reprinted courtesy of
the Local History Collection of the Plainfield Public Library, NJ. </i></td></tr>
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<b>You should visit the house in person to see its final design! I
can recommend an excellent local resource who knows the house well and
would be happy to guide you. </b><br />
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<br />
<br />Liz http://www.blogger.com/profile/10923792396204078189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363027812455824006.post-90718395580368458002013-01-14T23:04:00.000-08:002013-01-16T22:19:32.116-08:00Back to the drawing boardAs 2013 begins and 920 Cedar Brook Road officially enters its 100th year, it seems like a perfect time to look back at the architectural features that make this house so special. Fortunately, I have recently received permission from the Plainfield Public Library to publish some of the original blueprint images, which are dated March, 1914, in this blog. <br />
<br />
This current entry is of one of several that will focus on the floorplans and details of the house and garage.<br />
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The fact that these images exist at all is something of a miracle. I am extremely grateful for the extraordinary efforts
made by the Plainfield Library to preserve and digitize the
architectural history of so many of Plainfield's beautiful homes, including the house I grew up in. The library's Detwiller Collection is simply an amazing archive of information - not just for for the residents of Plainfield, but for anyone who is interested in the architectural heritage of the 20th century.<br />
<br />
Interestingly, however, it is also clear that the set of drawings filed so many decades ago by the architects who built 920 Cedar Brook Road underwent substantial changes before construction began. I may never know why the drawings were altered. I only know that there must have been a great deal of discussion between the clients and the architects. And in the end, the design was scaled back significantly. But more on those particulars later. <br />
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Just to go back to the basic history of the house for a moment (see also "The Huntsman Mansion: A Jewel in the Queen City"), 920 Cedar Brook was designed by Augustus Marsh and Otto J. Gette, the architectural firm behind many of Plainfield's prestigious homes during the early 20th century. Marsh & Gette were commissioned to build the home at 920 Cedar Brook Road by John and Maud Huntsman, who, according to the 1910 census records, were already residents of Plainfield. They lived a few blocks away on Watchung Avenue prior to taking ownership of their new mansion on Cedar Brook Road.<br />
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And it was indeed a mansion. Certainly not the largest of its time, but a very substantial home that reflected the success and stability of its owners and offered gracious living spaces and a wealth of fine architectural details that even now, can clearly be seen to have been executed by master craftsmen. It also reflected what was already one of America's most beloved historical styles - the Colonial Revival.<br />
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There's much to say about that subject, too. But for now, I'd like to just post a few images from the blueprint file. We'll start inside, on the first floor.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_uQOw4nQktY3A-79Iz8qzduzqM22657m6KG79xBS5GsUEzUhtGZit-jWGSWNzZ8evrjKeb8q8Jw28loItOZ7GZ9wgz7h909qSAkR4Tq4Euh4D8o2853HdMV-F5yhMt_lZYuI8wF44zA/s1600/R0205-F0170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="606" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_uQOw4nQktY3A-79Iz8qzduzqM22657m6KG79xBS5GsUEzUhtGZit-jWGSWNzZ8evrjKeb8q8Jw28loItOZ7GZ9wgz7h909qSAkR4Tq4Euh4D8o2853HdMV-F5yhMt_lZYuI8wF44zA/s640/R0205-F0170.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First floor plan for 920 Cedar Brook Road. Image reprinted courtesy of the Local History Collection of the Plainfield Public Library, NJ. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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I realize much of the detail of the plan may be lost in translation, although the scale of the house is apparent. So here are a few important things I'd like to highlight. First of all, the room sizes. On the far left is the living room. It opens to the piazza, via two sets of French doors that flank the fireplace. The room measures 25'2" long (front to back of the house) by 16'2" wide.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6z31BKw4by7KSgtVk8OXPrC54l_r759wh4XC2GnHiYmbl41F2tcP8bPSugxjDg4NOrMVEKV_VONwmSDNnI6QcvNqMpXcMvPFKAHhzGy6f2PJHWbcKCSjR7kuJwHcNj2Hcuo4sClmBd9c/s1600/2012-04-13+08.38.48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6z31BKw4by7KSgtVk8OXPrC54l_r759wh4XC2GnHiYmbl41F2tcP8bPSugxjDg4NOrMVEKV_VONwmSDNnI6QcvNqMpXcMvPFKAHhzGy6f2PJHWbcKCSjR7kuJwHcNj2Hcuo4sClmBd9c/s320/2012-04-13+08.38.48.jpg" width="296" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Living room, about 1969.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvgECH-hF_bxtz1guUqsOilA8DN-ABj9tJMRrVEpUZDXk1htWt1_VngFpGSAEBwkPwpQ-WE6s8KvZ9QHvE2zYEH557uBxN4x_ExnYdetuu3sHO9A2GEymkZn31wPZ6tb-E7BuGZF9NI-U/s1600/Gray+doorway+to+living+room+hi+res.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvgECH-hF_bxtz1guUqsOilA8DN-ABj9tJMRrVEpUZDXk1htWt1_VngFpGSAEBwkPwpQ-WE6s8KvZ9QHvE2zYEH557uBxN4x_ExnYdetuu3sHO9A2GEymkZn31wPZ6tb-E7BuGZF9NI-U/s400/Gray+doorway+to+living+room+hi+res.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View into living room, early 1990s. That's our sweet elderly dog, Gray. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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It's a big room. And I can tell you from experience that there are many ways to arrange it. Initially, my mother placed a single, very large sofa against the far wall overlooking the back yard. Various chairs were grouped around the fireplace, and her cherished baby grand piano took up one of the corners. There were lots of open areas for all of us (and our friends) to play. Later, she moved that same sofa to face the fireplace, with bookcases and lamps behind it and some new occasional chairs grouped in the corners. Her last arrangement was my favorite: a red sofa and matching loveseat formed a lovely unit around the fireplace; matching leather wing chairs were placed near the rear windows, with my parents' vintage walnut table between them; a Colonial style chair-and-a-half/loveseat was tucked beneath one of the front windows; and a game table with an inlaid chess board occupied the other front corner. This is the way I still remember this room. Similar to the foyer, the walls were covered in a pale gold wallpaper, the woodwork was gleaming white, and brightly colored drapes framed the four windows. <br />
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The proportions of this room must have been ideal for entertaining in the second decade of the 20th century. I could spend far too much time imagining how it was furnished back then. But it's just as versatile today. And I must also mention that what I remember most about this room is the fireplace. I don't think a cold winter day ever went by without a fire laid in that hearth. We stored a big pile of firewood in the yard just down the steps from the piazza door, always keeping enough dry logs and kindling on the piazza itself, within easy reach of the living room's French doors, to keep the fire crackling from dusk 'til late evening. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLOyb_XR7xAHDVCVmDRmvOUMK675nGM3nz3b50QC-htMS0_73u-KFiJOskp1xpcGUrGnhGfQETJ5b9XHgr3V_vL20QWA_MhBWa9erC02T7PoBJDE6sx3Ly4TQBICwkfV-iAvvm9YsTrKc/s1600/Foyer+Christmas+tree+sconces+hi+res.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLOyb_XR7xAHDVCVmDRmvOUMK675nGM3nz3b50QC-htMS0_73u-KFiJOskp1xpcGUrGnhGfQETJ5b9XHgr3V_vL20QWA_MhBWa9erC02T7PoBJDE6sx3Ly4TQBICwkfV-iAvvm9YsTrKc/s400/Foyer+Christmas+tree+sconces+hi+res.jpg" width="383" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas in the foyer circa 1970s. Note original light fixtures.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Moving into the foyer. This is the room that isn't really a room. And yet it's an integral part of what makes the house so open and lovely. First and foremost, it's the perfect place for a very large, beautifully decorated Christmas tree. It has two charming windowseats (with radiators underneath) and an elegant beamed ceiling. It sets off the curving lower steps of the staircase perfectly. And if you have a very large dog, an Irish Wolfhound, for example, he or she will feel entirely at home on their oversized pet bed in one of the corners. Without ever feeling cramped. The foyer is 12'6" deep by 21'2" wide. One can also set up an indoor putting mat, play a lively game of indoor football with small children, or dream up dozens of other things to do in this space. When my sister celebrated her wedding in the house, this room was the center of the reception. It was perfect.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi42eehfycu4WqyxUTaZDmTJoxRlrTyPhVE2RP9JDWVHdMr84bp1TcdNfqU5rxtMYJz7AQZkFZzRyy7WSGEp1to1qNxUtRw4sHTsX9O4vUtN5vXicf_Sodo1KZU0JeZ5U2_WwSioSDRL2s/s1600/IMAG0726.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi42eehfycu4WqyxUTaZDmTJoxRlrTyPhVE2RP9JDWVHdMr84bp1TcdNfqU5rxtMYJz7AQZkFZzRyy7WSGEp1to1qNxUtRw4sHTsX9O4vUtN5vXicf_Sodo1KZU0JeZ5U2_WwSioSDRL2s/s320/IMAG0726.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Current view of foyer into dining room. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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The foyer connects on the other side to the dining room, which is as wide as the living room (16'2") but not quite as deep (18'2"). Like the living room, it has a fireplace and four windows. It also shares the same tall, sweeping carved arches to the foyer as the living room. It connects to the side hall via a swinging door. I will confess we did not use this room every day. But when we did, it was always special. The original light fixtures were still there during our tenure - old gas lamps that had been converted to electric, with delicate etched and frosted globe shades above and long, faceted prisms dangling below, catching the candle light from the table along with the orange glow of the fireplace.<br />
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The other room I'd like to mention is the library, which also opens off the foyer. On the blueprint, there's a door indicated between the library and living room. By 1968, this had been converted to an inset bookcase on the library side, which is still there. It has an arched top and at least three shelves, and if I remember correctly, it also has some built-in storage below, with doors. You would never know there had once been a door in that space; it was an interesting surprise when I first looked at the plans. <br />
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The kitchen is such an interesting subject I will save that for the next entry, with a closer look at that portion of the blueprint. For now, I'd like to close with this front elevation view of the house - and note that with the exception of the balcony over the side door, nothing here was altered from the architects' original vision. The house today retains the same graceful proportions and details.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC6s2frKrD64myYyRJHSfdjCWgZOGh0vSPjfysRh142ejkpkvNDzMFMxvJ6RqCytfeseX76Rc9H0lEdyIaPMp3lNMbmH0hXIfGqru1UzQ9M-a77bvODYdS8fC8OSVgWKGaghuLBkagk_U/s1600/R0205-F0165.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC6s2frKrD64myYyRJHSfdjCWgZOGh0vSPjfysRh142ejkpkvNDzMFMxvJ6RqCytfeseX76Rc9H0lEdyIaPMp3lNMbmH0hXIfGqru1UzQ9M-a77bvODYdS8fC8OSVgWKGaghuLBkagk_U/s640/R0205-F0165.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original front elevation view of 920 Cedar Brook Road. Image reprinted courtesy of the Local History Collection of the Plainfield Public Library, NJ. </td></tr>
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<br />Liz http://www.blogger.com/profile/10923792396204078189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363027812455824006.post-53088478726412716362012-05-27T20:15:00.001-07:002012-05-29T11:09:22.797-07:00For the record<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLX3IRb5IT7k5NK3C2yfopQ9fCrpR0UWzj8HcSUDvQWqDPOa7xL5OR12GZTiji5zW0utjAvDPKyMng4lWqq24WIgCB8Nn1axIKFX3wpEw9JCDQyhppWNJhkHIf8avroKfoc-CYktSGv_U/s1600/Third+floor+view+to+main+bedroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><br />
I've recently realized that there are a couple of facts in the MLS listing for 920 Cedar Brook that need a bit of clarification. I'd just like to be sure anyone who's reading this blog has the right information, and isn't confused by details in the MLS that don't match what I've described here.<br />
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First - let's start with the MLS number. It's 2794663.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyv0dq81HlyKmRXAZEvMojO4iEidHSNUx9qktMCewiiwv4xmyF-MFst5V1tTnz1dghyphenhyphen6y32lnOumexuRRK2w6hwSqejfMX9pmgytFGTsCiOlwP3Sb3rzS97A9u2uK61bDbpTstOAR0gNY/s1600/920+Cedarbrook+sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyv0dq81HlyKmRXAZEvMojO4iEidHSNUx9qktMCewiiwv4xmyF-MFst5V1tTnz1dghyphenhyphen6y32lnOumexuRRK2w6hwSqejfMX9pmgytFGTsCiOlwP3Sb3rzS97A9u2uK61bDbpTstOAR0gNY/s320/920+Cedarbrook+sign.jpg" width="220" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">House number at the end of the driveway </td></tr>
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Now...if you were to search for the number, you will find the house listed as 914 Cedar Brook, not 920. I am a bit confused by this myself, and don't know where that number comes from. All I can think is that it's based on some old property records somewhere that maybe had a range of numbers for that parcel of land. I'm just not sure. What I do I know is that the address on the front door is 920. It's been that way as far back as I can find records.<br />
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Another point of clarification: <b>The house was not built in 1905.</b> <b>It was built in 1914.</b> This is the date on the original blueprints on file in the Detwiller collection at the Plainfield Public Library (viewable at http://www.plainfieldlibrary.info/Departments/LH/LH_detwiller.html. Enter "Huntsman" for owner's name and "1914" for year.)<br />
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The MLS listing also doesn't clearly explain what bedrooms are where. It states that there are 3 bedrooms on the second floor, and 4 or more on the third. I
don't want anyone to be confused about this, so here is how the
bedrooms are arranged. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjIU1S1cPOnqwgcfbInu_tnS7ljK4LPa8LnyIP_dQ23di8gBOj5PoqQ8zVQOW3oj2VFAPtEYoQaHExcHoJL68Qj5LnFhah-NuLrHmqsR1P3PIhG1EwzLB6g9c-w234JlltmeHuEnu8Q78/s1600/Second+floor+view+to+master+bedroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjIU1S1cPOnqwgcfbInu_tnS7ljK4LPa8LnyIP_dQ23di8gBOj5PoqQ8zVQOW3oj2VFAPtEYoQaHExcHoJL68Qj5LnFhah-NuLrHmqsR1P3PIhG1EwzLB6g9c-w234JlltmeHuEnu8Q78/s320/Second+floor+view+to+master+bedroom.jpg" width="202" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Second floor view to master bedroom</td></tr>
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<b>The house has 8 bedrooms. </b>There are 5 bedrooms on the second floor. There are 3 bedrooms on the third floor.<br />
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Starting on the second floor: The master bedroom is on the left side of the house as you look at it from the street (the same side as the piazza). Opening off the master bedroom, there is a large, lovely bedroom or sitting room that is directly above the foyer. This room could easily serve other purposes...we used it as a playroom, a music room, and an office at different times. This room opens directly to the main hallway as well as to the master bedroom. <br />
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The next bedroom is at the back and shares the master bath. It's a bit smaller but it's still a very nice room and overlooks the back yard. It opens to the main hallway (see the picture above - the light coming in from the right side is from this bedroom). This would be a nice baby's room. Or a study. Or, you could use this group of rooms for several children's rooms with a shared bath, as we did.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj449_dWVrdfa9SNyuksCDaIz5CWgftlRCZwu4gAfaRBRj-tyPoiqPRAsFRgTPxRWzj9T4YehRfF_tarhNUrYENWT-9acRZL5wmajhJmEvcOEVmp-O3NLwb7RAbZc_k4lh_IYvKqLYgPoc/s1600/Second+floor+view+to+bedroom+and+sitting+room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj449_dWVrdfa9SNyuksCDaIz5CWgftlRCZwu4gAfaRBRj-tyPoiqPRAsFRgTPxRWzj9T4YehRfF_tarhNUrYENWT-9acRZL5wmajhJmEvcOEVmp-O3NLwb7RAbZc_k4lh_IYvKqLYgPoc/s400/Second+floor+view+to+bedroom+and+sitting+room.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doorways to 4th bedroom and sitting room (seen from stairs to third floor)</td></tr>
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The 4th bedroom is at the opposite end of the house (see the doorway to the left in the adjacent image). It is similar in size to the master and is another large, lovely and bright room, with 2 windows over the driveway and 2 facing the front yard. It has its own private bathroom. (By the way, both bathrooms have large closets.)<br />
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Finally, there is the 5th bedroom on the second floor - the airy room at the end of the back wing. We used this as a guestroom and it's one of my favorite rooms in the house.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhThPq42DP66EY988l-ek-yBgFfuTCNoH__31k_I-x3i4jgNZB67NoTVRLcVYAI84rlwaexhxzBDUcb84ncg5d-3tF6qC5biP-sNW4TlIbYXhkrUdeE2ibyx-xL1LNRdDH4_nL0doBWXnU/s1600/Second+floor+view+to+landing+and+back+hall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhThPq42DP66EY988l-ek-yBgFfuTCNoH__31k_I-x3i4jgNZB67NoTVRLcVYAI84rlwaexhxzBDUcb84ncg5d-3tF6qC5biP-sNW4TlIbYXhkrUdeE2ibyx-xL1LNRdDH4_nL0doBWXnU/s320/Second+floor+view+to+landing+and+back+hall.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Second floor with view to back hall at right</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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I need to mention that there's one more room in the back hall. It's not counted as a bedroom, although it's certainly large enough. (I believe its original purpose back in 1914 was a sewing room.) It has a huge closet that runs almost the full length of the back wall. Because my grandparents usually stayed in the back guestroom when they visited from Chicago, my mother had a half bath installed in this room. I don't know if the plumbing for that is still there, but the room is certainly large enough for a combination bath/sitting room. Or any other purpose. I think, for example, it would make a great office or workshop. It's roomy, it's cheerful, and it's right off the back stairs to the kitchen, so it would be pretty convenient for grabbing coffee or lunch while you were working. <br />
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(By the way...the windows in all the upstairs rooms are well placed in terms of light and cross ventilation. In fact, most of the bedrooms have windows on at least 2 walls. The exceptions are the second floor sitting room/bedroom and the middle bedroom on the third floor.) <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjgzAXHSFzeLPu7ZI-mGdBEUbZzYwDSlo37UH1xjku3OAgJvwC1FqBzJG0c_esiyVmt7mp6uDxzMnHs4NvWP2O9-Sy-jLGhUk6kNCtBcvCKkhqyyL0ALJi93SHlUUzFJCtOhzB6P9-UuU/s1600/Third+floor+middle+bedroom+alcove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjgzAXHSFzeLPu7ZI-mGdBEUbZzYwDSlo37UH1xjku3OAgJvwC1FqBzJG0c_esiyVmt7mp6uDxzMnHs4NvWP2O9-Sy-jLGhUk6kNCtBcvCKkhqyyL0ALJi93SHlUUzFJCtOhzB6P9-UuU/s320/Third+floor+middle+bedroom+alcove.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Middle bedroom alcove, third floor</td></tr>
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<b>Moving up to the third floor:</b> There are two smaller bedrooms at the top of the back stairs (the original servants' rooms) that share a cozy bath with a clawfoot tub. At the opposite end of the house, above the master bedroom, is a delightful guestroom that has windows on 3 sides - overlooking the front, side, and back yards. This room is very private and peaceful and has its own bath just down the hall, also with a big clawfoot tub. It may also be the largest bedroom in the house - though unfortunately I don't have the exact dimensions of any of the rooms. But I'm trying to see if I can find them. I'm also hoping to get more pictures soon, especially of the kitchen and breakfast room, as well as some of the other rooms I didn't have a chance to photograph last November. (The rest of those images are in the "Details, details, details" post from 2011, if you haven't seen them.) <br />
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<b>One last note: </b>the price has recently dropped to $259,900.<b> </b>To the best of my knowledge, the house is still a short sale, and I suspect the bank is trying to move things along. But as I've explained before, I'm not legally involved in the property or the real estate details. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEf_IDD1MufHot4DvZ_2Yql07h3fmxP0g-KczVVoMfLu1mFQk-4s64TAraFK8m4QTgSyDBQLCnJMUVsd7H7Mk_nRp0IVrrCg3b1KLCYwR8sXh7ADIjwoFjF5AIRTD1Xd17Bpw89KfZkfM/s1600/Second+floor+view+down+stairs+to+foyer.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEf_IDD1MufHot4DvZ_2Yql07h3fmxP0g-KczVVoMfLu1mFQk-4s64TAraFK8m4QTgSyDBQLCnJMUVsd7H7Mk_nRp0IVrrCg3b1KLCYwR8sXh7ADIjwoFjF5AIRTD1Xd17Bpw89KfZkfM/s400/Second+floor+view+down+stairs+to+foyer.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View down front stairs from the second floor landing</td></tr>
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I simply love this house because I grew up in it. It's beautiful, spacious, solid, and comfortable. There are wonderful details around every corner. And while it's a big house, it's also warm and welcoming and a pleasure to live in. <br />
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Wouldn't it be nice to come down the front stairs every morning with this lovely view at your feet? With the shades up in the dining room (doorway at left), the intricate parquet floor would be even more beautiful. <br />
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But seeing 920 Cedar Brook in person would give you a much clearer sense of its character than I can ever convey here. So I highly recommend a visit! And if you need the name of a realtor to call in the area or any other information about the house, just send me an email. I'll be happy to help. <br />
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<br />Liz http://www.blogger.com/profile/10923792396204078189noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363027812455824006.post-58204372950034646922012-04-28T12:39:00.004-07:002012-04-28T12:39:47.944-07:00It's backUpdate: 920 Cedar Brook is officially back on the market. For the past few weeks, it was listed as under attorney review. But that offer apparently did not progress any further, and the house is available. It's still waiting for the right owner. <br />
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<br />Liz http://www.blogger.com/profile/10923792396204078189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363027812455824006.post-76261171804533431432012-04-21T21:32:00.002-07:002014-07-31T21:11:13.687-07:00Now and then<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcQAGz6NE1J4ZmHfezhedeFEdisAXSPPQoK3e-HDRBz8T0d_iQ3Hi1_5YUUlXW7kpkKfQ-yPzWCpmH0oI0c_SXVMNawMoZoUPhXRWzhwp6wjBlemrb-whpV7E-WUadG47kOlFpuYeWQkw/s1600/Tulips+April+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvQO3Gdx2FQaYLYpNzCg6zldecLg71a1IRhSYJRRIgS2bOqvvnFPhT23lkE-cAKc3TaTPhMr80aHyoIIZKYKL712XtTA4m5PF9-uIPLFi-E0vUPbmqUjavt7vfWhHKwcSGOYEapOvYbuw/s1600/Daffodils+rock+garden+April+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvQO3Gdx2FQaYLYpNzCg6zldecLg71a1IRhSYJRRIgS2bOqvvnFPhT23lkE-cAKc3TaTPhMr80aHyoIIZKYKL712XtTA4m5PF9-uIPLFi-E0vUPbmqUjavt7vfWhHKwcSGOYEapOvYbuw/s320/Daffodils+rock+garden+April+2012.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NOW: A few daffodils in the old rock garden. </td></tr>
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Standing in the back yard at 920 Cedar Brook two weeks ago, it was nearly impossible to remember where all the trees and shrubs and flowers used to be. The only thing I could recall clearly was the magnificent old magnolia that used to carpet the yard with thick, pink waxy petals every spring. We lost that tree about fifteen years ago, and my memories of everything else seem to have faded along with it. <br />
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Fortunately, some of the old photos my sister and I just found have brought the yard back to life. The terraced flower beds my mother designed...the lovely, shady rear corner of the yard...the thick shrub border that used to screen the pool from the driveway. There's even a picture of the ancient flowering crab apple in the front yard - which is still alive, though under serious threat from heavy overgrowth of ivy around its trunk.<br />
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It was a wonderful surprise to find these pictures, not just because they fill
in the missing colors and textures in my memory, but because seeing how pretty the yard used to be softens the
harshness of the current landscape. There's a gorgeous acre+ of gently
rolling property surrounding the house. Just imagine what a lovely space
this can be again. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9M5zbuEjj6jGdgMeLLb56UZ87gbKNDy34DVew0pRSktkXYXMfCbpKm32oOH-v7nhdtPPmfR3k011Oaz51QunyA6GHiH1qr9EiFTcQBoRvgLR4-sY4FLILWPGKaK7nM5yB_1nuY7V82U/s1600/Back+corner+of+house+April+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9M5zbuEjj6jGdgMeLLb56UZ87gbKNDy34DVew0pRSktkXYXMfCbpKm32oOH-v7nhdtPPmfR3k011Oaz51QunyA6GHiH1qr9EiFTcQBoRvgLR4-sY4FLILWPGKaK7nM5yB_1nuY7V82U/s400/Back+corner+of+house+April+2012.jpg" height="263" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NOW: Back view across the empty yard. The grass has mostly overrun the railroad ties that framed the flower beds and the steps leading down into the lawn. This would all look lovely rebuilt with some nice blue stone or brick. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHwFYepHn1R72GoH0_-9YDBbqZlmvcTrjdIyxekXfyeYD6w_06JtkaVbL1DyM-vez0uUD2CGlZ9-0PqkeJ9MQcSNtngU-dJPvN5PRYY0fi-YF_95z_Iy460VdewxA0ZXdv2OmqvrB3SqQ/s1600/Back+corner+of+house+with+magnolia+1990s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHwFYepHn1R72GoH0_-9YDBbqZlmvcTrjdIyxekXfyeYD6w_06JtkaVbL1DyM-vez0uUD2CGlZ9-0PqkeJ9MQcSNtngU-dJPvN5PRYY0fi-YF_95z_Iy460VdewxA0ZXdv2OmqvrB3SqQ/s400/Back+corner+of+house+with+magnolia+1990s.jpg" height="311" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">THEN: Back view with the old magnolia in full bloom, a newly built flower terrace, and early tulips in the background. This image dates to the late 1980s or early 1990s.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBgqDh8Pd-yEIGlywNJrMHxrzy28KF5_gHmkJeb4am4X9mttavTrOwNAPqNJcWhOuJlZhja6JL0l1VgHtkuucSYlIIt8Rtsmx21qxYT02ZgA_CsTR_-_iRemlGu0oZUPyPPA1PR_Aq2dc/s1600/Pool+view+to+driveway+April+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBgqDh8Pd-yEIGlywNJrMHxrzy28KF5_gHmkJeb4am4X9mttavTrOwNAPqNJcWhOuJlZhja6JL0l1VgHtkuucSYlIIt8Rtsmx21qxYT02ZgA_CsTR_-_iRemlGu0oZUPyPPA1PR_Aq2dc/s400/Pool+view+to+driveway+April+2012.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NOW: The pool, looking towards the driveway. Imagine a line of lush shrub roses interspersed with some stately columnar evergreens in place of this forlorn, falling-down fence... </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTnnC7X1llmdK_B3VK-_tT1s-qi84jVY5I7aAbCUXrtz3nm_6BmPGSVjFblCPL8YIOPFr9sBP-ut_6GmeraGHxBskytnEfpRdmn0W1fvxBYzi4bLDsl-5ImKmYrTeB0Tq3dbGOHH9DvQ/s1600/Pool+view+to+driveway+1990.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTnnC7X1llmdK_B3VK-_tT1s-qi84jVY5I7aAbCUXrtz3nm_6BmPGSVjFblCPL8YIOPFr9sBP-ut_6GmeraGHxBskytnEfpRdmn0W1fvxBYzi4bLDsl-5ImKmYrTeB0Tq3dbGOHH9DvQ/s400/Pool+view+to+driveway+1990.jpg" height="281" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">THEN: The pool (and some visitors), sometime in the early 1990s. This is also looking towards the driveway. There were lots of mature shrubs as well as some flower beds along the edge. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0fSGrFPyYDaeFwNgsWXd5VxgWqfPfwhlOS9LFGwVK_Tev4dkrixRGM8zZ36ZMVm5E1HEQ8TQwoCWKsiqgJ2a5nU3kR2WGt0wkaZ_tOQe6CaXXSEZgc5yUEh6qApK0-w4dRlkwZds8WSo/s1600/Rear+corner+back+yard+April+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0fSGrFPyYDaeFwNgsWXd5VxgWqfPfwhlOS9LFGwVK_Tev4dkrixRGM8zZ36ZMVm5E1HEQ8TQwoCWKsiqgJ2a5nU3kR2WGt0wkaZ_tOQe6CaXXSEZgc5yUEh6qApK0-w4dRlkwZds8WSo/s400/Rear+corner+back+yard+April+2012.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NOW: The back corner of the yard, which slopes down from the pool. The garage, to the right, has seen better days and needs to be replaced. The white building on the left is the neighbor's garage. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR4NEC9_UfvWENYlRF2SHJJI6lip5Lf_i4jygPHb6PjkdeZQ28V_ByPMJoq3MslG6SPZfaMcmYDRSupRVr6JP7p9ZKMSSFmngW_Cy3eTEokVffI_1KfVXSIAzgtmtDPNY8-k8YYxJVFPM/s1600/Rear+corner+garden+1990s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR4NEC9_UfvWENYlRF2SHJJI6lip5Lf_i4jygPHb6PjkdeZQ28V_ByPMJoq3MslG6SPZfaMcmYDRSupRVr6JP7p9ZKMSSFmngW_Cy3eTEokVffI_1KfVXSIAzgtmtDPNY8-k8YYxJVFPM/s400/Rear+corner+garden+1990s.jpg" height="282" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">THEN: The same corner, the first spring after some new flower beds and a flagstone path were installed. Eventually there was more soil and mulch added and it was all so pretty and shady. That's the same neighbor's garage in the background. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcQAGz6NE1J4ZmHfezhedeFEdisAXSPPQoK3e-HDRBz8T0d_iQ3Hi1_5YUUlXW7kpkKfQ-yPzWCpmH0oI0c_SXVMNawMoZoUPhXRWzhwp6wjBlemrb-whpV7E-WUadG47kOlFpuYeWQkw/s1600/Tulips+April+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcQAGz6NE1J4ZmHfezhedeFEdisAXSPPQoK3e-HDRBz8T0d_iQ3Hi1_5YUUlXW7kpkKfQ-yPzWCpmH0oI0c_SXVMNawMoZoUPhXRWzhwp6wjBlemrb-whpV7E-WUadG47kOlFpuYeWQkw/s400/Tulips+April+2012.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NOW: With so little else to brighten the landscape the day I was there, it was wonderful to find a handful of my mother's tulips still bravely blooming, tucked into a sheltered spot near the basement steps. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6V7pfaFxJjYCqSaAsuE5gSdfrI3TSl0ikRnXLIxYvk9ojUU_V2GLHA4Eg9Y7l0OfsZbXwpAXi0X_rdmSF5ke2aSx_1tmCHSKtQ6zrGWF_PUQg31Y7Z_2AybgOQo443hoTG5V2m7tuqag/s1600/920+Cedar+Brook+1990s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6V7pfaFxJjYCqSaAsuE5gSdfrI3TSl0ikRnXLIxYvk9ojUU_V2GLHA4Eg9Y7l0OfsZbXwpAXi0X_rdmSF5ke2aSx_1tmCHSKtQ6zrGWF_PUQg31Y7Z_2AybgOQo443hoTG5V2m7tuqag/s400/920+Cedar+Brook+1990s.jpg" height="313" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">THEN: The front of the house as it looked in the early 1990s, the original black-and-white scheme newly upgraded with a fresh coat of white paint, new red-brown roof and matching shutters. It really set off the brick steps and walk. And of course, the old crab apple was as pretty as ever.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK3SdrOTe4QBye_9ONJ-vjqpT0ZHNwF6QLUmRT5s84ku0mSTtgQoXSAC2n3RgCKRr8JCMvnNAH3IpJhYdEhquuy2acz5OdGbM9uqD74AhPY_qQPs9jyO8V-v00PobC4IakevBxsiIWXfE/s1600/View+across+back+yard+from+garage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
Liz http://www.blogger.com/profile/10923792396204078189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363027812455824006.post-67074928841816550642012-04-18T15:00:00.003-07:002014-07-31T21:12:35.770-07:00From the beginning...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The back yard as it looked in the late 60s. The attic fan is still there. </td></tr>
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A quick update on the status of 920 Cedar Brook: according to a realtor friend who was kind enough to look in the MLS for us last weekend, the house is "in attorney review." Given that the house is also a short sale and bank owned, I don't know how complex this process might be--or what the odds are the sale will move forward.<br />
<br />
We all have our fingers crossed.<br />
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In the meantime, on my last visit to Plainfield, my sister and I dug through a large pile of old boxes and discovered a treasure trove of photos...some of which I didn't even know existed. And as luck would have it, a friend of mine at work has recently started a neat little photo scanning business. She just finished digitizing about 30 images for me. So here's a quick look at the house in our first years there. I will do another post shortly with more recent pictures of the front and back yards. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIm7rYO4XQT2r6rycZaAsCHjfUCqf9C9ALiwjBxVyuyUBHdyElsAB9dE_MQivek25wLexlWrXtiVggdophwIFz9dyOOaTBg2yf81dWdRfFEhbSwd9oOk-U706p4wx_voOzft6Kdmr7pvs/s1600/LB_03.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIm7rYO4XQT2r6rycZaAsCHjfUCqf9C9ALiwjBxVyuyUBHdyElsAB9dE_MQivek25wLexlWrXtiVggdophwIFz9dyOOaTBg2yf81dWdRfFEhbSwd9oOk-U706p4wx_voOzft6Kdmr7pvs/s320/LB_03.jpg" height="319" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summer 1968 - the year we moved in. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVR81tDU2ka9QUdczYkclgLzC4LGiD-SmlXNa93934zrv9H7KrEaeqvVpfEBqOs3_dqA5X2GCy3s7mMyHFg1uMwMehy8PQzSgMOESQdxMDY8wumnoPKVPdXUHzOjhqlh5LDDkskOk2w_8/s1600/LB_10.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVR81tDU2ka9QUdczYkclgLzC4LGiD-SmlXNa93934zrv9H7KrEaeqvVpfEBqOs3_dqA5X2GCy3s7mMyHFg1uMwMehy8PQzSgMOESQdxMDY8wumnoPKVPdXUHzOjhqlh5LDDkskOk2w_8/s320/LB_10.jpg" height="319" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My mother's first big project: The pool!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSV5QK919Hrq2thzoUpCrcpfGAjTV2ldUMhBeKNpSJXuyrfw_n2b7skKFPP7_xpwKCKzBsICO5WpK1XvCUjGXcIcSr2eepBQL24WLgy0PhimFOAtGKDRp8x-RGe8NnhSkJveJFCnB_XLA/s1600/LB_07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSV5QK919Hrq2thzoUpCrcpfGAjTV2ldUMhBeKNpSJXuyrfw_n2b7skKFPP7_xpwKCKzBsICO5WpK1XvCUjGXcIcSr2eepBQL24WLgy0PhimFOAtGKDRp8x-RGe8NnhSkJveJFCnB_XLA/s320/LB_07.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We lived in that pool all summer, every summer...and so did our friends.. This image is from about 1970. Eventually all our own children enjoyed it as much as we did. I wish I had a picture of my mother floating on a raft, coated with Bain du Soleil...iced tea glass in hand... She loved her house, but the pool was her favorite room. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside, right after we moved in. This is one of the large front bedrooms. Love that 40s wallpaper! (My mother was not a fan; it was quickly replaced.)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMw2bCTFGWZIKOt4pAdYh9F347AmR70tsOU4pSjhgwLP0jDR-8xigZ15RSxt09sv_nzRf_FsAJAk0BneFfLgffViIQAYij1oJkwGvYLi44gxNylO4JlA1JH2qzKhbrVdFBdyzqKEbh7_0/s1600/LB_38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMw2bCTFGWZIKOt4pAdYh9F347AmR70tsOU4pSjhgwLP0jDR-8xigZ15RSxt09sv_nzRf_FsAJAk0BneFfLgffViIQAYij1oJkwGvYLi44gxNylO4JlA1JH2qzKhbrVdFBdyzqKEbh7_0/s320/LB_38.jpg" height="320" width="316" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dining room with 1940s/50s formal style.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw03odmzpGNjVoFdm60rO6slt4FZfPoGjAObi0L_lFfnD3bkIwAKA9wBqT1oxe4rBhbwz2n7IZAscGKSbtKnJrfiU6yLn0g55dbZXODmKoFqEmSH6qSveDQGUxopr6gQItAd7j6YfV4EU/s1600/LB_36.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw03odmzpGNjVoFdm60rO6slt4FZfPoGjAObi0L_lFfnD3bkIwAKA9wBqT1oxe4rBhbwz2n7IZAscGKSbtKnJrfiU6yLn0g55dbZXODmKoFqEmSH6qSveDQGUxopr6gQItAd7j6YfV4EU/s320/LB_36.jpg" height="320" width="317" /> </a></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dining room after re-wallpapering and painting. It was a great place for a birthday party.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe5oUvlQq4F6PJqlOyvAdi8FvGc-UflYZM0KUJPE5JW3BOwIFR1UN8iT8gVuZEwvhvgGXNM_GNFA5foiUykkzcPTyvfWoQWHNlfEWSPIgnHdWauXrvLSLwy4aK6OPSl2d0PDYYl1jjWAM/s1600/LB_08.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe5oUvlQq4F6PJqlOyvAdi8FvGc-UflYZM0KUJPE5JW3BOwIFR1UN8iT8gVuZEwvhvgGXNM_GNFA5foiUykkzcPTyvfWoQWHNlfEWSPIgnHdWauXrvLSLwy4aK6OPSl2d0PDYYl1jjWAM/s320/LB_08.jpg" height="320" width="316" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The foyer as it was in 1968, before the floors were stripped and refinished.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM4smYcGWO4NNkkefyQR05TPVkwNVc3cT5LE0wCQj8F9R2EViDrXW3NXqI1-k5QQpOY9yjBZFGlvyITd7VtnqlVnmJqZbkSx5tigGodt0EIa9JYcwA6U1kihswrAAoonyZW8xGd1mmegE/s1600/LB_04.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM4smYcGWO4NNkkefyQR05TPVkwNVc3cT5LE0wCQj8F9R2EViDrXW3NXqI1-k5QQpOY9yjBZFGlvyITd7VtnqlVnmJqZbkSx5tigGodt0EIa9JYcwA6U1kihswrAAoonyZW8xGd1mmegE/s400/LB_04.jpg" height="397" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My mother and grandmother in the foyer on Christmas morning, a year or so later. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6BlztxX6pTs7-h59NhO9Nz7Hde-hJePePDlSpFBiR0byL0itSqfucCrmxLann94OwV1vN12PU8MXZb65_oJ5Uv2ZkdphyphenhyphenkqFpIF8BzBJigwVG3_eBKeNcplSUZLVnwFmEHxrzim7kyQc/s1600/LB_22.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></td></tr>
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Liz http://www.blogger.com/profile/10923792396204078189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363027812455824006.post-72060569281175477292011-12-24T12:03:00.000-08:002011-12-25T08:28:51.824-08:00All I want for Christmas...<i>It's been a quiet year here inside 920 Cedar Brook Road. The sun still beams through my windows every morning, and I can hear the sounds of the neighborhood--dogs, cars, laughter, children playing--all around. And people still come and go occasionally. They wander up and down my stairs, pointing and talking. I wait patiently, hoping they will stay and brush away the cobwebs and echoes. But then the door closes, and it's quiet again.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Sometimes it's difficult being a house.</i><br />
<br />
<i>And now that it's Christmas, it's a bit more difficult. Christmas was always special here. There's nothing quite like being dressed up with sparkling lights and holiday finery to make a house feel elegant...and loved. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>I've lost count of all the Christmas mornings that have unfolded in a rustle of fancy paper and ribbon and boxes and gleeful children, but there have been many. And every year, Santa knew just what was on everyone's list. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>So perhaps this is a good year to make my own Christmas list. It's a little more complicated than most, but if Santa and his elves can get a good head start, maybe I'll get everything I'm dreaming of...maybe even before next Christmas. After all, I've been a very good house. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>I'll start the list with...</i><br />
<br />
<i><b>1. A new family</b></i><br />
<i>This is the most important thing of all: a family who will bring me back to life. If possible, a dog and cat would also be nice. Dogs love racing around the backyard. Cats love chasing each other up and down the stairs. They also have three levels of windows for birdwatching.</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6NyHqKWzatbkwKJJ5t7_PufE-vR5oTtrKdUOZYYGttLfhGEemzQlov_Rp86yTnjwO1qSqPH75amWhtHPduHZVY8C1qoyXWHNKos3gYjydzy2Y2ixTTU7PtQXu-1eENKUfASh81FysIAM/s1600/Side+porch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6NyHqKWzatbkwKJJ5t7_PufE-vR5oTtrKdUOZYYGttLfhGEemzQlov_Rp86yTnjwO1qSqPH75amWhtHPduHZVY8C1qoyXWHNKos3gYjydzy2Y2ixTTU7PtQXu-1eENKUfASh81FysIAM/s320/Side+porch.jpg" width="213" /></a></i></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The side porch, off the driveway</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><i><b>2. A fresh coat of paint</b></i><br />
<i>My facade has good bones and many elegant details, but it's looking a bit shabby; the last coat of paint wasn't my best color and it's already peeling. Some proper scraping and sanding is definitely in order. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>3. Window dressing</b></i> <br />
<i>I'm not sure why, but a number of shutters were removed recently and not replaced. (Some of these are stacked in the garage.) Others were not hung correctly and have come loose. It's really quite embarrassing. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>4. Porches, please</b></i><br />
<i>Weather can be hard on old railings and columns. But they're very elegant when they're neat and freshly painted. A good carpenter would be very welcome, especially before the piazza gets any looser or more worn out.</i><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGkOWxO4wQA2PibjcpxJSQM61vBECHTc7lcVpjjlA5TJf3eRHyuXL6-ff0tWlSdY5FkXsuynGP15xtYHFYo24VYxRsQDXYLRbcXoW4UTKorkIdLpgSELjYcFtET00PjRwfuzQ0QTjQTQU/s1600/Piazza.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGkOWxO4wQA2PibjcpxJSQM61vBECHTc7lcVpjjlA5TJf3eRHyuXL6-ff0tWlSdY5FkXsuynGP15xtYHFYo24VYxRsQDXYLRbcXoW4UTKorkIdLpgSELjYcFtET00PjRwfuzQ0QTjQTQU/s320/Piazza.jpg" width="320" /></a></i></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The piazza and front landscaping</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><i><b>5. A pretty yard </b></i><br />
<i>Thankfully, the old rhododendrons were replaced with new evergreens in the front, but the shaded garden in the back is gone, as are the beautiful flowers and terraces that used to surround the pool. There's ample space for more flowering trees and shrubs all around the yard. The elegant herringbone brick walk in the front yard needs to be uncovered. A new back fence would also be nice. </i><br />
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</i><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiixfkBlCGf_1Ox7A1acE1JY3BXVcGJTWTWh5oUvYnpv_FboyqX98iEUFdhHZPC34EHQ84HIn20kPvibozTgp4UvC8PHviA-zrZKJXmNwB5WiH2_VUo50TZ2H8zTOU5o7f8jTO9oz3Jwjk/s1600/Third+floor+bedroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiixfkBlCGf_1Ox7A1acE1JY3BXVcGJTWTWh5oUvYnpv_FboyqX98iEUFdhHZPC34EHQ84HIn20kPvibozTgp4UvC8PHviA-zrZKJXmNwB5WiH2_VUo50TZ2H8zTOU5o7f8jTO9oz3Jwjk/s320/Third+floor+bedroom.jpg" width="320" /></a></i></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Third floor bedroom</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><i><b>6. Smooth ceilings and gleaming floors</b></i><br />
<i>Most of the ceilings have begun to flake because the paint is so old. On the driveway side, water has also gotten in around the chimney in two places, causing some discoloration. All the hardwood floors could use a proper sanding and buffing to shine again. </i><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh96kdhZUNf5ywediX3BEkFpCpR3_Tjsq90xJEK1-Htb8hdAC_lcVs1poTDauLly1p9IAocVEjcgBN3TJlYJf3WfGl3LY7wmOKymRhRAbMKYOVLRDwhJ7wGKl3Nuvdaikhi1hvLYdgaFPY/s1600/View+from+top+of+back+stairs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh96kdhZUNf5ywediX3BEkFpCpR3_Tjsq90xJEK1-Htb8hdAC_lcVs1poTDauLly1p9IAocVEjcgBN3TJlYJf3WfGl3LY7wmOKymRhRAbMKYOVLRDwhJ7wGKl3Nuvdaikhi1hvLYdgaFPY/s320/View+from+top+of+back+stairs.jpg" width="212" /></a></i></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>View from top of back stairs</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><i><br />
</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>7. Paint, paper, and polish</b></i><br />
<i>The walls are square and strong, and the woodwork is solid, but an elegant makeover is definitely in order...from top to bottom. The original light fixtures need to be restored, and the rooms redone in more classic colors and patterns. Some things have also happened in a few places that simply need to be fixed (starting with replacing the long section of plaster in the bedroom that was recently converted to an entertainment room). </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSSz7bnDTGdhbqUWDj3zbl77wPiBBmAfFEkikwvE-Jf1_hzB3cp0xQoPAtg1aSCwfeG3kCs1WQQF7qN3uksXZvGImvhjQM_NWv413LhkmPNklz2YRxQptobgQEkF9V1NhMMB3dSCnINJ4/s1600/Kitchen+corner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSSz7bnDTGdhbqUWDj3zbl77wPiBBmAfFEkikwvE-Jf1_hzB3cp0xQoPAtg1aSCwfeG3kCs1WQQF7qN3uksXZvGImvhjQM_NWv413LhkmPNklz2YRxQptobgQEkF9V1NhMMB3dSCnINJ4/s320/Kitchen+corner.jpg" width="256" /></a></i></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A corner in the kitchen</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><i><b> 8. A new kitchen</b></i><br />
<i>It's been a long, long time since anyone did anything to brighten up the kitchen. But it's huge, with lots of windows, two pantry closets, and a big breakfast room. Some elegant granite counters would be nice...perhaps some glass-front cabinets to match the butler's pantry...a classic black and white tile floor....there are so many possibilities. There's also ample space for a nice island in the center, perhaps with shelving for display or cookbooks.</i><br />
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</i><br />
<i>The long outside wall can even accommodate a washer and dryer. And on a hot summer day, the pool is just steps away...</i><br />
<i> </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>Wrapping up</b></i><br />
<i>There are many more small things that could be added to my wish list, but this is already enough to keep the elves busy for quite some time. So for now,</i><br />
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</i><br />
<i><b>Merry Christmas from 920 Cedar Brook Road and thank you for sharing my story! </b></i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4hgfnV9mrrAnk9iM2XegNOzI3e_n1H2dwjUlwl053o-Xmn0oCdCwzX_V_2QeOi7GkWTfEVjtUKl2DXgqr-8hLhAR6QHxSTYFadRwQaHdCVy8O3qUaXLwyRcaQcW6sT0t3rrXbyJVo4rs/s1600/Front+door.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4hgfnV9mrrAnk9iM2XegNOzI3e_n1H2dwjUlwl053o-Xmn0oCdCwzX_V_2QeOi7GkWTfEVjtUKl2DXgqr-8hLhAR6QHxSTYFadRwQaHdCVy8O3qUaXLwyRcaQcW6sT0t3rrXbyJVo4rs/s400/Front+door.jpg" width="372" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Liz http://www.blogger.com/profile/10923792396204078189noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363027812455824006.post-74304659730245996032011-12-14T15:02:00.000-08:002011-12-19T10:01:12.493-08:00The Huntsman mansion: A jewel in the Queen City<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgu9Nxzz9SGuHh0J5mkvd0l2RzMIvan0_LW9XfH7Kmq2rzclzqLWGuJP8GfsZs_SEtxhsMTwChOmlaMFDBrdj1C4LD0lXZRhBi0VzF6N2Ac_znnuOoUph5_3CTY7okttUZFd-VRS3gpJY/s1600/Front+with+porch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgu9Nxzz9SGuHh0J5mkvd0l2RzMIvan0_LW9XfH7Kmq2rzclzqLWGuJP8GfsZs_SEtxhsMTwChOmlaMFDBrdj1C4LD0lXZRhBi0VzF6N2Ac_znnuOoUph5_3CTY7okttUZFd-VRS3gpJY/s320/Front+with+porch.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">920 Cedar Brook Road as it looks today</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I now have answers to all my questions about the house, thanks to some very kind and supportive people in the Planning Division of Plainfield's Public Works Department, as well as in the Plainfield Public Library. <br />
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I will start at the beginning... <br />
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The elegant house to which this blog is dedicated (and which now sits empty, waiting for its next owner) is in Plainfield, New Jersey. It was built in 1914 on Cedar Brook Terrace, later renamed Cedar Brook Road. The entire acre-plus property was once part of a large farm that was settled in the 18th century by the Webster and Martine families. The Martine house (or 1717 house, as it's often called), is still there, just down the street on Brook Lane. It is one of Plainfield's most famous early homes. <br />
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<b>The architects</b><br />
I have always wanted to know the name of the architect who designed this house. Now I do. In fact, there were two: August Marsh and Otto Gette. Based in New York, the architectural firm of Marsh & Gette built homes for many wealthy Plainfield families between the years of about 1905 to 1920. The online Detwiller Blueprint Collection at the Plainfield Library includes complete blueprints for many of them. I've also found a 9-page article in an issue of the <i>The Architectural Record </i>from 1917 that showcased three of Marsh & Gette's Plainfield projects: two private homes and a rectory. (One of those homes, I was surprised to discover, is the beautiful gray stone mansion that sits almost directly across the street from my house, at the corner of Watchung Avenue and Cedar Brook Road.) <br />
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I couldn't help wanting to know more about both men.<br />
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Augustus L.C. Marsh was a Plainfield resident. Independent of his collaboration with Mr. Gette, he designed "many fine residences in Plainfield," according to John Grady and Dorothea Pollard's book on Plainfield history and architecture. He is also credited with building the original Plainfield YMCA and the Elks Club.<br />
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Otto J. Gette lived in the New York area. I've found examples of his work in multiple resources, including a <i>Ladies Home Journal </i>annual book of house plans (<i>Journal Houses</i>, circa 1916). I suspect I've only scratched the surface, but I do know that in addition to elegant homes in Plainfield, he also designed some remarkable brownstones in Brooklyn and the magnificent Yonkers Bath House #4.<br />
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<b>The owners</b><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhPURzb5jyohNUG__G59_2Owp371YpfZk7a0Gcae1pK2K1aFJqZ-6JVZw87ZQJD5pBNG6Ag1dsD9WgTmxClMu6uTD9c6L5oKxAJILI2RR5-7ueA6pgyrbiaIJtECFQVyAp1YDMs-yB17g/s1600/1926+newspaper+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhPURzb5jyohNUG__G59_2Owp371YpfZk7a0Gcae1pK2K1aFJqZ-6JVZw87ZQJD5pBNG6Ag1dsD9WgTmxClMu6uTD9c6L5oKxAJILI2RR5-7ueA6pgyrbiaIJtECFQVyAp1YDMs-yB17g/s320/1926+newspaper+image.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">920 Cedar Brook Road as it looked in 1926</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The house was originally built for John F. Huntsman and his wife Maud. It is referred to on the blueprints as "The Huntsman Mansion." (If the 1930 New York Social Blue Book listing I've dug up is correct, Mr. and Mrs. Huntsman also raised four children there.) Mrs. Huntsman eventually sold the house to the Murchison family in 1943, who in turn sold it to my parents in 1968. This means that over the course of nearly a hundred years, the house has only had four owners. Its next owners will be the fifth.<br />
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The Head Archivist at the Plainfield Library sent me a link to the entire set of original blueprints. Although it's difficult to see the smaller details, there are 9 complete drawings, representing both exterior elevations and interior floor plans. Interestingly, there was apparently once a very elaborate scheme for the back of the house (a dramatic two-story porch with grand pillars) that, for reasons I will never know, was scaled back to the much simpler arrangement that exists today. <br />
<div style="text-align: right;"></div><br />
A quick footnote about the Plainfield Library: they have an amazing local history collection that includes everything from documents and photographs to books, blueprints, maps, newspapers, personal papers, and other important records for Plainfield and some of its surrounding communities.<br />
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<b>The town</b><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTUx5fTVHq48gEZUt4DoWKkOR9DVvOsPDGXC0EdW4jFOgiJ-CD9r9PSmAJMYyVVtMeDIDrZQG99SKzeyeaUlMQlOdpi0h0cMPHFiySyTq8-I-0SzeXQue9RcXYnMu7bHvtMoQ0tDZQweg/s1600/Plainfield+ad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTUx5fTVHq48gEZUt4DoWKkOR9DVvOsPDGXC0EdW4jFOgiJ-CD9r9PSmAJMYyVVtMeDIDrZQG99SKzeyeaUlMQlOdpi0h0cMPHFiySyTq8-I-0SzeXQue9RcXYnMu7bHvtMoQ0tDZQweg/s200/Plainfield+ad.jpg" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1927 ad (Credit: Grady & Pollard) </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Plainfield's architectural history is its own fascinating story, and I can't do it full justice here. But by the early 20th century, <i>The Queen City </i>had grown from its simple 18th century farm origins into a flourishing bedroom community for wealthy New York commuters. Since then, the city has seen its share of achievements and challenges, but it remains unique and beautiful...with wide, tree-lined streets and an amazing diversity of architecture. Fortunately, it also has an active Historic Preservation Commission, and several of Plainfield's mansion-era neighborhoods are now designated historic districts, including parts of Hillside Avenue and West Eighth Street.<br />
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All of Cedar Brook Road, which spans a long block on either side of the 1717 Martine farm house, has also been recommended for inclusion as a historic district. I hope this happens. Even in a city full of architectural treasures, Cedar Brook Road is special, and this particular house is one of its sparkling jewels.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1LfVap2VPwIsU21afjTaa8IcsEtuDa3UTEYXNQx14YL3TUaz4UF8sqADZmLd7sw5xBFUhHkoUk-ftKbexZn1whjzhtDI_q7qjSLui3JOJ1LqJ1zCvCZjVT3zTkVOs7WwHk7BLj7LDfe0/s1600/Library.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1LfVap2VPwIsU21afjTaa8IcsEtuDa3UTEYXNQx14YL3TUaz4UF8sqADZmLd7sw5xBFUhHkoUk-ftKbexZn1whjzhtDI_q7qjSLui3JOJ1LqJ1zCvCZjVT3zTkVOs7WwHk7BLj7LDfe0/s320/Library.jpg" width="209" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The library...waiting for new books</td></tr>
</tbody></table>My dream is to help 920 Cedar Brook find a new owner who will treasure its legacy and help it shine long into the 21st century. <br />
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Next up...the house has a long Christmas wish list, which will help me put some of its strengths and needs into perspective. For now, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks once again to everyone who made time to fill in the blanks and share the names and dates that define the house's early history.<br />
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<i>Credits:</i><br />
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The City of Plainfield, Department of Public Works and Urban Development<br />
Plainfield Public Library, Local History Department <br />
<i>Plainfield, New Jersey's History & Architecture. </i>John Grady and Dorothe Pollard, Schiffer Publishing Ltd., Atglen, PA 2008. <br />
1930 New York Social Blue Book<br />
<i>Journal Houses</i>, Issued by the <i>Ladies Home Journal</i>. Curtis Publishing Co., Philadelphia, PA 1916<br />
<i>The Architectural Record</i>, Vol. 41, 349-358 (courtesy of Google Books)<br />
Plainfield Garden Club, Member Page for Mrs. Frederick Washburn Yates (http://andyswebtools.com/cgi-bin/p/awtp-pa.cgi?d=plainfield-garden-club&type=4413)<br />
Building of the day: 849-855 Jefferson Avenue Web site (http://www.brownstoner.com/blog/2010/06/building-of-the-85/#849-jeff2-2)<br />
Rob Yasinsac's Yonkers Public Bath #4 online photo essay (http://www.hudsonvalleyruins.org/yasinsac/yonkers/bath4-1.html)Liz http://www.blogger.com/profile/10923792396204078189noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363027812455824006.post-13195057992506954972011-12-02T14:57:00.000-08:002011-12-15T16:14:00.649-08:00Details, details, detailsThe magic of this house has always been in its details. I'll start with the big ones first.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYeBiVsHZf1ZYxYVwrkrUHErk1WPrG7xkWTHf7EOPB8lO_jtle3RUZuhDEpnX7M6cPoY-tp0DWLiZaMxOQFftNHOSVIOaMOblQwXJuFZOQXhHTK5P97jbAvEnjy17cGWxqWA7rKa-rfew/s1600/Second+floor+staircase+view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYeBiVsHZf1ZYxYVwrkrUHErk1WPrG7xkWTHf7EOPB8lO_jtle3RUZuhDEpnX7M6cPoY-tp0DWLiZaMxOQFftNHOSVIOaMOblQwXJuFZOQXhHTK5P97jbAvEnjy17cGWxqWA7rKa-rfew/s320/Second+floor+staircase+view.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front staircase, second floor</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"></div>Bedrooms: There are eight, though I think one is theoretically the master bedroom sitting room. (It also works nicely as a playroom, music room, and office.) There are five bedrooms on the second floor, three on the third. My favorite has always been the guestroom at the end of the second-floor hallway, in the back wing over the kitchen. It's bright and cozy, with sloping eaves and windows on three sides that overlook the back yard. <br />
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Bathrooms: There are two full baths (complete with big cast-iron tubs) on the third floor and two full baths plus a half-bath on the second floor. There's also a powder room tucked under the front stairs. <br />
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Closets: There must be at least 20. That includes the massive linen closet, a walk-in master bedroom dressing closet with its own window, and a cedar closet the size of a small room on the third floor. In the back hall, there's a mysterious closet so narrow we could barely squeeze in sideways as kids. There are closets everywhere.<br />
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Porches: Five if you count the front entrance, which isn't technically covered but has a broad, brick entry area with a beautifully detailed overhang (pictured at the top). There's also a side porch off the driveway, a back porch, and an enclosed porch next to the kitchen. Finally, there's the large screened veranda that opens out from the living room through French doors. I grew up calling this "The Piazza," despite its remote connection to anything Italian. But that was the name we found on the blueprints, and it stuck. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2SKHOlE-YaoCzZVwj3vY9IpBMzUmDC87Ng0w62IgcBXyO2gSh3Cd2QOucmL9MoP4_rUwkXmJs2ESC1jK4Fgquvn0btlYzA4qV6X0rVaJM_n-KxS0Pbmg1zP1piHv3ZXo5SBHwMnGNsXU/s1600/Butler%2527s+pantry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2SKHOlE-YaoCzZVwj3vY9IpBMzUmDC87Ng0w62IgcBXyO2gSh3Cd2QOucmL9MoP4_rUwkXmJs2ESC1jK4Fgquvn0btlYzA4qV6X0rVaJM_n-KxS0Pbmg1zP1piHv3ZXo5SBHwMnGNsXU/s320/Butler%2527s+pantry.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The butler's pantry</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Then there are the details that trace back to the house's roots in another era. There's a butler's pantry with big glass-front cabinets, old copper sink, and plate-warming rack (which never really worked, but was still neat). Down in the endless basement, there's a dusty old-fashioned canning room, a laundry room, and who knows what else...I was never brave enough to really explore. Off the kitchen, there are back stairs that climb to "servants' quarters" on the top floor, with two bedrooms and bath deliberately built with plain, unadorned woodwork and simple fixtures to clearly distinguish the space from the "family" side of the house. <br />
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By the 1970s, it was hard for us to grasp that only a few decades earlier, such a different kind of life must have been lived here. A cook who prepared all the meals? (I'll bet she knew exactly how to make that warming rack work!) A chauffeur living over the garage? Maids or governesses who slept upstairs? It felt like a fairy tale, but the architectural evidence was there. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1JjhjUGuOCqC_pgdRDsU2nwjkwGUKk7IIKbOK8TYMtEXwuql6kq7dHFiYf_MQEbQaxzbzJsvY_2njtaK4M69QEnpiQonA9X2616gARJ47I_3zhpZBNbpPODHCHLhYEoyUjlHV2FfOHm8/s1600/Living+room+fireplace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1JjhjUGuOCqC_pgdRDsU2nwjkwGUKk7IIKbOK8TYMtEXwuql6kq7dHFiYf_MQEbQaxzbzJsvY_2njtaK4M69QEnpiQonA9X2616gARJ47I_3zhpZBNbpPODHCHLhYEoyUjlHV2FfOHm8/s320/Living+room+fireplace.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Living room fireplace</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Sadly, though, I don't think we really appreciated most of the important details about the house. We whined about dusting the parquet floors and washing the miles of intricate woodwork. Spending hours polishing old brass light fixtures* wasn't high on anyone's list either. But whether we could see it or not, all around us were bits and pieces of irreplaceable craftsmanship and elegance...the curving turn of the staircase, the classically detailed fireplace surrounds, the tall foyer archways, the beautiful carving above the front and side porches.<br />
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Last weekend as I walked through the empty rooms, I kept seeing things I didn't remember, thinking, "When did that get there?" After all these years, I was finally seeing the house for everything it is, and always was, and to be honest, it took my breath away. Which is why I'm here, writing this blog. <br />
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So bring your imagination and explore the house a little as it is now. I'm having a bit of trouble organizing and captioning images...but hopefully you will get the idea, and more importantly, see the house for what it can be.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*None of the light fixtures shown here are original to the house. They are either recent additions or replacements. The original double-sconce brass fixtures in the foyer had a beautiful, torch-like shape, with fine detail and round, etched glass globes. They were in perfect working order before the house was last sold. I have my fingers crossed they have been safely stored somewhere in the basement... </span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Images from the interior of the house</b>...</div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg40T-jczDHKlITLOslCANBpUMWInJ5DXHHErucI_zIaOrL-d16plZDhl0Pw8oxGwxS4kz39tbPzbX-lO2SiJ5bi_NfbZxclLENg6XoE-dB7ab30B9JCHrgIN9rC1mZAa8H7hzZD9pO7oI/s1600/Newel+post.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg40T-jczDHKlITLOslCANBpUMWInJ5DXHHErucI_zIaOrL-d16plZDhl0Pw8oxGwxS4kz39tbPzbX-lO2SiJ5bi_NfbZxclLENg6XoE-dB7ab30B9JCHrgIN9rC1mZAa8H7hzZD9pO7oI/s320/Newel+post.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Newel post detail</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3sQEjZdl9cv1jKXT2ZIa6YQNON8nn_Tkuclf46XtMDdhEefsBWlcXztLs5RndDwPjhvhbFwLvbLmFrNmfTdAhyqkjWr5_dKWKoKyW8t7qzlJdh5VulGDAS30Vu3vYnhFpks7HrtsS8n8/s1600/Staircase.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3sQEjZdl9cv1jKXT2ZIa6YQNON8nn_Tkuclf46XtMDdhEefsBWlcXztLs5RndDwPjhvhbFwLvbLmFrNmfTdAhyqkjWr5_dKWKoKyW8t7qzlJdh5VulGDAS30Vu3vYnhFpks7HrtsS8n8/s640/Staircase.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front staircase</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7EGurl59GcXOquDiUl6HzXjj9SxS8ADj2mUksSn-X6J6ucTYB0ppzDpwuDfS9Obboaxfv0jSOyp650EWVH5GG-FqsfH9Kb48FrJPT32QKXJGmBTN0kf_PmEm-OiGyF67_RkHTbnofYo/s1600/Living+room+corner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7EGurl59GcXOquDiUl6HzXjj9SxS8ADj2mUksSn-X6J6ucTYB0ppzDpwuDfS9Obboaxfv0jSOyp650EWVH5GG-FqsfH9Kb48FrJPT32QKXJGmBTN0kf_PmEm-OiGyF67_RkHTbnofYo/s400/Living+room+corner.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Living room, with French doors to piazza</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3qKE5iLirEQBukATZcC5gnBmgU6NHFDOfjDqqHvPqhT1TpbZjPqlce3co05XvGg90Bm3_1wzI4ssKzkznE3rbZ7NcDDEVXMKX1QFmgd6qVdT-3l-BfZmmCqVBdG1uN4Og0MZPJhB5weo/s1600/Kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3qKE5iLirEQBukATZcC5gnBmgU6NHFDOfjDqqHvPqhT1TpbZjPqlce3co05XvGg90Bm3_1wzI4ssKzkznE3rbZ7NcDDEVXMKX1QFmgd6qVdT-3l-BfZmmCqVBdG1uN4Og0MZPJhB5weo/s400/Kitchen.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitchen and breakfast room</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2LPCHRMpLjklWQ3PabXiMdWupN6n4z_4iT8SwB95JE6h1W4nybfM0ceoxFNx06-jnCqXmw4q5dhF4g73YGWqo1fHUGDYSUuwjZxwRH8hBIY0-uegFSpQJEfUI09W5gHKk-Mbi8K2YB8g/s1600/View+to+dining+room+from+foyer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2LPCHRMpLjklWQ3PabXiMdWupN6n4z_4iT8SwB95JE6h1W4nybfM0ceoxFNx06-jnCqXmw4q5dhF4g73YGWqo1fHUGDYSUuwjZxwRH8hBIY0-uegFSpQJEfUI09W5gHKk-Mbi8K2YB8g/s640/View+to+dining+room+from+foyer.jpg" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View into dining room from foyer</td></tr>
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</div>Liz http://www.blogger.com/profile/10923792396204078189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6363027812455824006.post-9009687958318858652011-11-26T23:06:00.000-08:002011-11-30T22:53:05.240-08:00More than a house...a framework for who we areToday, I had a chance to go inside the house where I spent most of my childhood. It was empty, just as it was the day we moved in. I was 9 years old that June morning. The door opened, and we were in paradise. There were two staircases, three floors, and enough rooms that we could play hide and seek for days and never run out of hiding places. There were mysterious bells that would ring in the kitchen when a button was pressed in the living room. We could shout down a tube in the wall at the top of the house and be heard two floors down. The yard was bigger than a playground. <br />
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This time the house was empty for different reasons. It's in foreclosure. No one has lived there for nearly a year. Its last owners--who bought the house from my elderly father 10 years ago--attempted and failed to renovate it properly, leaving behind a mishmash of quick cosmetic fixes and partially completed repairs. They did no permanent harm. But neither did they appreciate the house for what it was. I will save those details for a later blog.<br />
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My sister, my niece, and my partner Steve and I walked in this afternoon not knowing what we would find. Outside, shutters are coming loose, and the new yellow paint job is already peeling. But we were very grateful to the local realtor who was able to get us an appointment on short notice. I now live outside Chicago, a thousand miles away from New Jersey, and was only visiting for a few days. I'd driven by the house a couple of times already, and somehow, couldn't bear to leave without knowing what might have happened on the inside...even if I had no specific idea how to help or what to do next. <br />
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We wandered through all the rooms. The heat and lights were turned off, the shades were down, paint chips from old, dry ceilings were scattered like confetti. But the house somehow held itself with grace. The parquet floors were intact. The elegant carved woodwork and high ceilings were as beautiful as ever. The house was still the house, square and strong and solid. It's simply waiting.<br />
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We took pictures, noted problems, rediscovered details and favorite corners, reminisced, and finally left. The realtor said she'd heard there might be a contract, but it had been in review for a while. There have been other offers over the past year, and all have fallen through. It is not a kind economy for a 14-room Colonial Revival from the beginning of another century--that now needs many thousands of dollars of renovation work to shine again. And another winter is coming. <br />
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But I refuse to believe this is the end of the story. So today, I am starting a new chapter. I have never written a blog before, and I am normally a very private person. I don't even have a Facebook page (well, I did, but I never felt comfortable on Facebook, so I closed it). But I want to share the story of my house, because I believe houses frame our lives in such intensely personal and important ways, and that they should not be left to crumble. Houses like mine won't ever be built again, except by a handful of very, very wealthy people. All the beauty inside its walls is still so accessible and restorable. I realized today that writing the story of my house might be the only way to connect with people who can help, before it's too late. <br />
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There are actually many bits of the house's history that I don't know and want to find out--like who its original builder and architect were. I will post more details and pictures soon.Liz http://www.blogger.com/profile/10923792396204078189noreply@blogger.com1