Sunday, December 20, 2009

First major snow of the winter

not much really, just 4" in front of my home. Ed Hanna said it could be anywhere from 4"-8" or more, so as it usually goes, winter in the Valley is unpredicable.

so, why is this decidedly un-ugly home featured on this page?

go back 2 posts and see if it looks familiar...

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Saturday, December 12, 2009

there must've been a sale...

what else could explain the undersized windows on the home on the right? You'll ntice the white house has the typical 3 tall window layout on the 2nd floor, whereas the blue house was 'renovated' with windows completely out of proportion to the height of the house.

Proportion is very important on an old house, because the ceilings are so tall you cannot use new home-scaled doors and windows. So, while this home might not necessarily be 'ugly', it is funny looking.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Negativity and whatnot


So at least twice now I've been told my blog is 'negative'.

"why don't you focus on the nice homes of Easton?"
"you're perpetuating a negative view of the city"

Well, whatever.

Lots of people know there is something, there are somethingS, wrong with our little city. But where to start? You can talk to people who have lived here for years about the architecture, the glorious former mansions, the style long lost, and they look at you like you have two heads. Sometimes you get the opportunity to 'school' someone on the gem of a home they just bought, how they should strip the paint off the banister or save the original double hung windows, and in that moment, they suddenly 'get it'.

The purpose of this blog is to get more people to 'get it'. Get the coolness of a tall entry door w/ a transom above it. Get the look of bead board paneling. Understand cast brass hinges, 3 or more on a door. Understand the need to preserve, rather than renovate.

I want to draw attention to the gems hidden under the tin. The stately grandeur that was unceremoniously cut up into so many cramped cell like apartments. One of my inspirations is from Old House journal magazine. They have a feature called 'remuddled' (instead of remodeled) where they 'feature' a less-than-ideal old home.

If some think this is negative, well, you're being too simple and can't see beyond your nose. There is much to be gained by talking about the things some would rather not. There is more value in this town than just cheap properties for rent. People need to reside here, take pride in ownership, notice what is wrong and do something about it.

This is one of the ways I'm doing something about it.