A sampling of some of this year’s tour stops…
[thethe-image-slider name=”htour2014″]- An 1898 transitional Romanesque Revival/Neo-Renaissance style four-story limestone and Roman brick townhouse reveals a fabulous contemporary floor-through garden level housing an extraordinary spacious kitchen/family room with projection TV, copious built-in storage, and half-bath. Elegant vintage light fixtures and a wealth of intact original woodwork and decorative stained-glass grace the floors above.
- A 1910 limestone two-story townhouse features museum quality oil portraits of family members dating back to the mid-19th century; a fabulous south-facing, light-filled kitchen with ingenious storage that opens out to a balcony; and a private deck off the second floor.
- The interior of a 1922 “in-progress” freestanding Flemish-bond brick home, with an elaborate triangular central portico and carriage house, displays exquisite leaded-glass windows and a marble fireplace. Areas have been reconfigured to create two grand spaces: a master bedroom/office oasis with adjoining serene spa bath, evoking an impressionist “Monet-like” feel, and an open dialog between the dining room and kitchen.
- The parlor floor and rear garden of a picturesque circa 1914-15 neo-Tudor row house on a charming cul-du-sac awaiting landmark designation. It retains its Mission-style brick fireplace, decorative foliate plaster ceiling molding and handsome leaded-glass windows.
- The top-to-bottom renovation of a three-story 1908 brownstone. Its garden floor and basement exhibit a totally modern ambiance—airy and bright where custom cabinetry keeps everything hidden behind closed doors. A mullioned glass wall with sliding door makes the rear garden the focal point. In the floors above, mid-century furnishings are paired against a foil of vintage decorative woodwork and elaborate fretwork Four new skylights flood the third floor with abundant sunshine.
- A former trash-strewn 60 by 100 feet vacant lot is being transformed by community residents into a multipurpose garden and community gathering space. This now fully functioning garden, with raised beds and a “hoop house” for nurturing seedlings, is growing organic fruits and vegetables and teaching children about growing their own food.
- A unique turn-of-the-twentieth century semi-detached wood frame house, with a charming sun porch and generous front and rear gardens, showcases a superb vintage tin ceiling with impressively wide cove molding and a narrow winding staircase to the upper floors. Although still a “house-in-progress,” a bathroom and kitchen have been refreshed in keeping with their past.
