My Victorian Home

 What do you do with a bunch of kids on a foggy, wet weekend?  First, you take them to the beach.  Disregard the wind and moisture.  Kids don't notice, I promise.  Get donuts.  Find seashells, dig in the sand.  Go home.  Clean up.  Then go to the kid's museum!  It's fun, and they can split up and do different activities. 

 If you live in a storm zone, you might have shutters. If your house is colonial or Victorian, you might have shutters. When we bought our house, we had no knowledge of the different types or how much they cost. To our great chagrin, we have learmed!  There are two types we used on our home: Bahamas and colonial. They each fasten differently to windows and protect in slightly different ways.  Then there’s the issue of shutter dogs. I’ll add pictures of these metal things, often s shaped, that hold the shutters in place.  Also, since our shutters are protective and not just decorative, we learned about latching systems.  Originally, I bet shutters and all their hardware were plentiful and cheap. I imagine carpenters populated Galveston and constantly manufactured all sizes of shutters. It’s not uncommon to have 6 different window sizes requiring all different shapes of protection.  It’s hard and pricey to buy all the shutters needed, so we worked with a coup...

 Several of our chandeliers are original. They are not shaped like ships and imported from Italy, but I’m quite taken with them.  This fixture is in the bathroom, probably the earliest BR in the house. The glass is etched and there are curlicues of metal.  One of these days, I'll try polishing it all with brasso and see if it can be brightened up.  The rod it hangs on is also more elaborate that those one picks up in Home Depot currently. I'll try to get a closer-up photo of each of the following.  Meanwhile, know that this light is in a room with a clawfoot tub and a toilet tank of brass or copper.  Julie asks, "Do you ever think, when you are taking a bath in there of all the other people in the last century who also bathed in there?  And whether they are still hanging around?" Why, no, Julie, I don't but NOW I WILL. Thank you very much!  Entrance Light Dining Room chandelier I wonder whether this one was originally  fitted for gas?  I...

 When we first moved in, we prepped quickly to host Thanksgiving. But the old worn-out oven wouldn’t heat! I was panicking. We purchased an oven online, had it arriving one day ahead of turkey day. To my consternation, the fitting wasn’t a match with the gas fixtures. The installers said they weren’t allowed to put it in unless they had authorized parts from the stove maker. I understood but — holy holiday horros! Our wonderful Sunday School teacher, C, came by and helped us go to a local hardware. He was able to connect it.  I get a bit frustrated at the lack of prep surfaces.  Otherwise, everything is fairly functional in this smallish kitchen. There is nothing like a gas oven, and I’m so glad we have one here.  My dishwasher is on life support. It’s gotten stuck in the wash cycle. But I have this wonderful pressed tin ceiling and vintage-look wallpaper that compensates me for any other deficiency. It’s my happy place. I also like the separate space from the other ...

 If you have a moderate size house built awhile back, you might have very few closets. Bigger homes may have space to add closets. Not us. We’ve had to get creative!  I found a lovely armoire in Facebook marketplace. The owners wanted only $35 for it. They had cut a hole in the back to accommodate connections for a tv. I don’t care! It’s great. No one but me sees the hole. My off-season clothing goes there, plus anything my guests would like to hang.  A neighbor gave me a chest, which I’ve refinished. I keep all my linens in here. I like to use tablecloths for different season, napkins, placemats, all the old fashioned table settings. Upstairs, we use a foot locker that’s been in Sam’s family for years. We also have my mother in law’s China cabinet as a bookshelf.  I love books! I’m constantly sorting books to give away so I can get more. Even though I use electronic books, there is nothing like a paperback to read by the beach or in the tub. Many books go in those l...

 As we adapt our modern furnishings to fit our home, there’s evidence of previous heating methods. There is a lovely fireplace in the front sitting room. It has a brick chimney, but has probably not been used for years. There are also outdated gas hookups in all the rooms.  I wonder if they connected to those accordion style heating pipe things?  We typically set chairs over them so we don’t break our toes on the protuberances. Surely we could remove those? In the basement, I use the pipes (not connected) to hang clothes on. I’m hoping the pipes no longer connect to gas sources. We do have modern central heat and air conditioning.        The house is not airtight. It’s always the same humidity inside as outside, according to our electronic sensors. We use Google Nest so we can start up heat or AC from miles away if a cold front or heat waves rolls in while we travel.       Our house is not an air bnb, but we let friends and family s...