January 12, 2009

Salvage Chic (Part I)

About eight years ago, a friend and I started an architectural salvage company. One of our first clients was a super-stylish gal from South Africa, whom I will call Flip. One thing I've always admired about Flip is her unerring eye and her ability to see beyond the ordinary (and her incredible kindness).

I was invited to a baby shower at Flip's house on Saturday and when I got the invite, I knew that it would be such fun to see what she'd done with all of the goodies she'd gotten at our place and at Housewerks.

Flip lives in the same neighbourhood as David, in an 1870's era townhouse with 14-foot ceilings on the first floor and beautiful orginal details throughout. These houses are townhouses of the grandest style with rooms and rooms, but few bathrooms and even fewer closets. Flip's house is on a corner and gets great light through the long windows, which still have their original interior wood shutters. The easiest way to tell you about the house is to walk you through, room by room.One thing that has remained in this house are the mirrors in almost every room. The house has beautiful details and most are in excellent condition.One mirror in the front hall is nearly 14 feet high! In fact, it was so tall that I couldn't get a photo of the entire thing! Each room on the first floor has an amazing chandelier. In rooms this tall, the scale of the furnishings is especially important. Otherwise, things can look tiny.The hall has beautiful pale yellow tiles in a small herring-bone design with a border of green and cream. The pattern in the tile echoes the wood floors in the rest of the house. This image of the mirror in the entry hall reflects the doors into the living room, the fireplace, which echoes the doorway, and the mirror above the fireplace, which in turn reflects the hallway mirror. Aren't the doors amazing?
The living room has a stunning mirror over a marble fireplace. Check out the detailing around the ceiling. The room is a pale grey with gloss white details. An example of one of Flip's vignettes, between the two front windows.
The paint colour in the middle parlour is a bit darker than the front room. The fireplace in this room is on the opposite side from the one in the living room. Flip has placed a series of watercolours of chandeliers which came from Housewerks. I coveted these paintings. She even created her own floor lamp chandelier from crystals she'd collected while restringing the original chandeliers.You can see the original wood herringbone floor in this image.The detailing is surprisingly intact. You can see where the original gas line went across the ceiling.
One of the most incredible pieces Flip bought was a cabinet from the old Stieff Silver company in Baltimore. It's about 12 feet long and is solid as a rock. It's also one piece. It doesn't come apart. Flip uses it is a sideboard in the dining room and it's just perfect!
It was originally painted a rather garish blue, but it's been repainted and still retains some of the original patina. I would kill for storage like this!


On the huge refectory table in the dining room, Flip had some of her Christmas decorations remaining. One thing that I loved was two small white urns with strands of chandelier crystals spilling out of them, with fresh plants between them. Please excuse the poor quality of the pictures - I didn't want to use flash and it was a dreary day. I wish I had taken more pix, but the party got started and then my camera battery died.

Kitchens in houses of this vintage were usually small - the lady of the house certainly didn't cook and if there was a kitchen on the main floor, it was just really a pantry, the main kitchen was in the basement. In the picture of the house, the kitchen is where the bank of white windows are. Flip's kitchen isn't huge, but it's great-looking. She found three terrific lights to use for the room. They are perfectly scaled for the height of the room. The ceiling is beadboard and the cabinets go all the way to the ceiling. The appliances are stainless and Flip's found a marvelous farm sink to fit with the style of the kitchen.

Tomorrow, I will have the second floor and some of the exquisite details that Flip's brought into the house.

Flip - thanks for letting me take pix and write about your amazing house. You're a star!

19 comments:

  1. i am bowled over - we have nothing like this here in Houston! the house looks stunning - the mirrors and chandeliers. First blogger rule - never leave home with a fully charged battery.

    the picture of the chair between the windows - great photography. love this - can't wait for tomorrow!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is just amazing. I would love to live here! The Mirrors and lighting are georgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I lust for fine architecture. It is such a change from all of the “little boxes made of ticky tacky” here in Texas. Thanks for the peek.

    ReplyDelete
  4. omg meg, you were right -this house is amazing! I can't wait to see the rest! i LOVE the herringbone floors but I especially love the crested parlor chair between the windows!!! SO pretty!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'll bet the sound of the heels of a fine pair of dress shoes on those wooden floors under those high cielings is enough to give you goosebumps.

    What a house!

    Thank you for the pictures and thanks to Flip for being so cool.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Awesome house, love all the moldings and I would kill for those mirrors! Can't wait to see part II.

    ReplyDelete
  7. What a beautiful home! That was so nice of your friend to let you share her house with us. Can't wait to see the rest :-)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wow, what a feast for the eyes! Stunning - thanks for sharing these gorgeous pics! Tracey x

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wow - Love the light fixtures, the woodwork and everything else too!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Really great post and pics. Homes like these really represent the golden era of the Townhouse. Can't wait to see what's behind that great bay window.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Wow, what a fantastic house! Did she and her family restore it, or did they find it in that good condition?

    Thanks for showing us, and thank her for being so generous.

    ReplyDelete
  12. G... the house was subdivided into about six apartments, and there's even a kitchen on the 2nd floor just off the main bedroom. Lots of walls and doors were added and the are still being removed.

    They've done a ton of work on the house, but as with any old house, there's still a load of work to be done!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Wow! To say I love it is an understatement. The fireplaces and high ceilings (*swoon*) - I am a huge fan of the gray walls as well.

    ReplyDelete
  14. That is a stunning house -- inside and out. I particularly love all the windows in the kitchen.

    ReplyDelete
  15. You were so right! I am crazy about this house. Details are what are missing in newer homes. And these are some fabulous details.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I can't believe the details that were left even after being a rooming house (ours wasn't so lucky.) What luck. And she has quite the eye, it's true.

    Don't you love a townhouse? The best of all possible worlds. Especially if you have a country house as well...

    ReplyDelete
  17. I love this house! So wonderful to see so much character remaining, lucky Flip!

    ReplyDelete
  18. spectacular place loaded with so much - both posts #1 & #2 are a feast for the eyes - how on earth did they get that 12 ft cabinet in? I guess there were no stairs with corners.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Marnie... they may have brought the cabinet in through the back french doors.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for reading and commenting on Pigtown*Design. I read each and every comment and try to reply if I have your e-mail address.