Time Capsule House For Sale

[sudsmaster]

The house is only about 1100 sq ft above grade. Granted it has a full finished basement, but I don't think it's legal to have a bedroom below grade. So the home's total square footage has some limitation built into it. The 1/3 acre lot however is nice to have.

Regarding the kitchen cabinets... OK, I was just thinking that steel or painted cabinetry was more common in the 1950's than the natural wood look.

This house I'm living in was built in '41. Around 1965-75 the previous owners took the original kitchen cabinetry (solid painted wood) and put it into the patio kitchen. Then they remodeled the main kitchen to built-in cooktop, wall oven, dishwasher. The cabinets are very good quality solid stained and varnished birch doors and fronts; the shelves and sides are very good quality plywood with birch veneer where it's exposed. The drawer slider roller bearings finally started to wear out, but I've been able to update them with off-the shelf ball bearing sliders. I'll have to refinish the cabinets around the sink area since the varnish isn't especially waterproof. I'll probably sand, restain, and then use a good polyurethane top coat.

I'm kind of shocked when I go into a Home Depot or Lowe's and see the crap they sell for kitchen and bath cabinetry. Aforementioned particle board structurals, along with cheesy paint and hardware. I can't imagine the stuff lasts more than a few years with normal wear and tear.

PS-I'd rather have the original 1941 kitchen back in the main house, so I could have a vintage gas range (Wedgewood or O-M) but it would be cost prohibitive.

 

[rustyspaatz]

Sudsy- (call me a serial quoter)
"I'm kind of shocked when I go into a Home Depot or Lowe's and see the crap they sell for kitchen and bath cabinetry. Aforementioned particle board structurals, along with cheesy paint and hardware. I can't imagine the stuff lasts more than a few years with normal wear and tear. "

LOL. so true. (I couldn't have said it better, so I didn't.)

Maybe it's better to let the younger, who really aren't mature enough to know what they want, buy the tacky particle board stuff. Save the good, solid wood for those who appreciate its historical and quality aspects.

Have you ever seen these 'Before and After' shows or picture collages where some Pompous, 30 year old, thinks they have hit the big time and they are going to remodel and "do it right".
I don't even bother with the after pics. I haven't for about 10 years now. Usually they take a perfectly fine kitchen that may need a little clean up and paint. They use strategic camera shots to make it look of questionable quality.

Then its onto "the finished" crap. Something a repressive green color, stainless steel XXXXX, ugly, over bearing cabinets. Cuteness, quaintness, charm, and warmth were thrown out in the dumpster. Like I say, I don't even bother with the After pics.

picture- all I see is particle board cabinets, particle board flooring, unusually large cookware and hardware ? When is the niceness being delivered?

 

[polkanut]

Reply #44

The back door and basement door in my great-aunt & uncle's house faced each other so Uncle Wally could go straight down into the basement and not track any dirt into the rest of the house.  Aunt Elberta was a very fastidious housekeeper.

 

[NYCWriter]

Yes ...

"The house is only about 1100 sq ft above grade. Granted it has a full finished basement, but I don't think it's legal to have a bedroom below grade. So the home's total square footage has some limitation built into it."

Agreed.

But back in the '50s, it wasn't unusual for houses to have "only" two bedrooms. That was actually the norm for many homes. In the '50s, THREE bedrooms was a big deal. Four bedrooms were for "executive" or "well-to-do" homeowners. Any more than four bedrooms and you were now into the world of the "rich".

 

[davey7]

Nice house, though the tile counters seem more California or western to my eyes. Don't know anybody around here with anything but formica (or approved equal) from that era.

 

[circlew]

"Bedrooms below grade"

In this area at least, it is not against code to have a bedroom in a basement - as long as there is proper egress provided. This means that there has to be either a window of sufficient size, with a window well with steps to grade, a door in the room opening to exterior stairs going to grade, or a door opening into a protected (fire rated) interior hall or stairwell (with automatic sprinklers) with direct access to grade.