Recently I spent some time with the young lady who was an intern for me and, as she was talking about her bleak job outlook, I found myself trying to strategize with her about her future—perhaps looking in the “mirror” in a different way, taking control and making her own opportunities.

She and her peers are so excited at this point in their lives and they have just accomplished a great feat—graduation! I would never want to shut them and their enthusiasm down with a curt, “Well, you know, NOBODY is hiring right now, have you thought about the food services industry?” So, I say to those of us who they turn to for advice, help them think outside the box. Don’t say you don’t know anyone who is hiring (that’s probably true in the curatorial field), but tell them to create a job by selling their knowledge to someone who does not usually think they need a person with this education helping them with their business.

Thinking outside the box, as it were, is the best way to come up with a job or business that will match their skills. Real Estate, local government, and Historic Preservation Societies are the first place one would think of that would need the skills of a young historian, especially if they are willing to piece together their jobs in a small “chunk” size that will be more affordable in today’s economy. For example, tell them to pitch to a real estate office that often has historic properties to sell, a service researching the information about what is available tax wise to someone who purchased this property. They could also add a history of the house for another fee—the trick is to keep the fees small and make money by volume. These days a simple, “You know you can get a tax break by buying this house,” does not cut it, people want to see a report or evidence that it can benefit them tax wise to purchase this home. A new graduate could charge a flat fee and work for many realtors. Or how about contacting a set designer or art director through the website, www.setdecorators.org and send a letter offering to do research for them for their next project that features historical interiors, architecture or material culture.

Deciding where their interest lies is a major component in this next piece of advice. The best way to find out their passion and gain valuable experience is to volunteer at a historic site near where they live and get to know the staff so that they will be the first in line when a job does come around. Suggesting that they hone their skills in grant research and writing is something else that is currently very needed and with few people schooled in the proper way to go about the process. They have just graduated with the skills to research and analyze historic properties so connecting with a local appraising office is a place they could give out their cards and sell their ideas.

To her credit she was very respectful and listened as I came up with two or three ideas that she could put into action immediately. I am sure I sounded like I was very naïve as I spun the ideas and tried to get her excited about their potential to, if not make a living wage, at least be something to keep her active and engaged in her quest to find the perfect fit for her.

I have been very lucky in my career and I think it is because I have always done what I wanted to for the most part. I was blessed with an optimistic outlook no matter what befell me. I forget that lots of people do not have an entrepreneur’s constitution, and to be successful you certainly need a strong one.

This being said, I have also learned that when you float an idea that seems “out there” you definitely are blessed to have someone listening to you who takes the idea and without prejudice helps you flesh out the pluses and minuses of the proposal. These people are few and far between and I have found that when you find someone with great patience and listening ear, hang on to them as a friend or contemporary…or marry them as I did.

I have no idea whether or not she has gone on and taken any of my advice. I do know, however, that she knows that she can always find a willing listener in me if she needs one.

I have many visitors to our site asking about this beautiful period . They will find design elements throughout their Victorian homes especially carved on the fireplace mantels that are expressly Aesthetic in origin and baffle the homeowner as to what inspired this design.

I thought you might like to learn a little about this period overall so I have taken the text on the period from my website,www.thehistoricinterior.com and placed it here on my blog. The text is by Judith Gura, a very talented writer and scholar who also wrote a must have book “The Abrams Guide to Historic Interiors” from which this text is attributed. Hope you enjoy and that this helps you find Aesthetic period details in your home.

The Aesthetic interior is beguiling in its exoticism, and almost dizzying in its mix of color, pattern, and decoration. It resists classification, mixing elements from diverse sources in idiosyncratic renderings according to the designer’s whim and client’s preference, but it invariably provides a surfeit of visual stimulation. It is either the subject of instant attraction, or immediate dislike.

Wallpaper is at the height of fashion for Aesthetic interiors, in coordinated patterns that enable designers to create intricate decorative effects. On walls divided into three sections—dado below, field or filling above, and frieze just below the ceiling—a different pattern and variation of color is applied to each area. The dado pattern is the most intense, the frieze the most elaborate, and the field the most understated, since it also serves as background for hanging paintings or prints. The frieze is often defined by a wood rail that serves also as a shelf for china display.

Colors, in wall covering, textiles, and carpets, lean toward deep, subtly shades, such as dull greens, browns, and blues, with citrine as a frequent accent. Often there are shimmery accents.

Window treatments probably have patterned fabrics, often in motifs that suggest the Asian influence, which is a common theme of this period.

In accessories, Japanese and other Eastern sources provide many of the forms as well as the decorative inspiration for striking ceramics and metalwork—the Aesthetic era produced many objects of exceptional charm and originality.

Chandeliers and lamps are as important, or more important, for their decorative value as for their efficiency as illumination. The concept of “art” furniture, rejecting the commercialism of most industrially made design, is an important contribution of the movement. Aesthetic furniture generally avoids the weightiness of most Victorian-era pieces, and its light-scaled forms reflect the influence of the Eastern aesthetic. The silhouettes of chests, exemplified by William Godwin’s Anglo-Japanese designs, may suggest Japanese cabinetry. Others might be painted or incised with images of stylized birds and foliage. Many items of furniture are painted or lacquered black or, later in the Aesthetic period, made of light-toned mahogany or satinwood. They are often carved with openwork motifs drawn from Oriental objects.

- text by Judith Gura, author “The Abrams Guide to Historic Interiors”

Recently I had the opportunity to visit “Boscobel”, widely regarded as one of the finest examples of Federal interiors in the country. Boscobel was originally located in Montrose, New York, about fifteen miles south of the present site, with views overlooking the Hudson River at Haverstraw Bay. It was built by States Morris Dyckman (1755-1806), a descendant of one of the early Dutch families of New Amsterdam. As a Loyalist during the American Revolution, States became a clerk for the British Army’s Quartermaster Department in New York. He and his family returned to England to wait out the War and after receiving a pardon from the new American Govt. they arrived back in New York in 1804. He immediately started the work on his mansion and sadly he died before the foundation was finished. His widow carried on and “Boscobel” was finished in 1809. Although no architect has been identified for the building, it has long been considered to be an outstanding example of Federal domestic architecture in America. One can assume that States was influenced by what he had seen in England, particularly the designs of Robert Adam (1728-1792) and his contemporaries. It is possible that he had the architectural plans for his new house drawn in England since construction was started within six months of his return to the Hudson Valley in the summer of 1804. Boscobel is distinguished by its delicate neoclassical detailing on the exterior, as well as for a unique architectural feature on the front facade–the carved wooden swags of drapery with bowknots and tassels installed between the columns supporting the pediment above the second floor balcony. Several other architectural refinements are used to help convey a feeling of lightness and airiness that make the house seem more elegant and graceful than many of its contemporaries. About one-third of the front facade is glass. The three part windows used on the first and second stories are slightly recessed to accent the central pavilion. Recent technological advances in the manufacture of stronger crown glass enabled the builders to use larger panes of glass and much thinner glazing bars. Another architectural feature worth noting is the closely fitted matched boards on the front facade, in contrast to the overlapping clapboards used on the side and rear elevations. This provided for a smoother surface probably meant to simulate masonry rather than wood on the dress front of the house.

The house was almost lost in the 1950s when it was declared “excess” by the federal government and sold at auction to a demolition contractor for the sum of $35. In a dramatic, last-ditch effort led by Benjamin West Frazier, funds were raised to acquire the remaining portions of the structure, dismantle it, and move it piece-by-piece to its new home in Garrison, New York. It was stored in barns and other vacant buildings until a twenty-six acre tract of land with sweeping views of the Hudson River, West Point and Constitution Island came on the market in Garrison in 1956. An anonymous donation of $50,000 received in June 1956 allowed the newly incorporated Boscobel Restoration, Inc. to acquire the property and begin the restoration. The original anonymous donation of $50,000 received in 1956 for the purchase of the land came from Lila Acheson Wallace, who, with her husband DeWitt Wallace, had co-founded The Reader’s Digest. The Wallaces became Boscobel’s most prominent and generous patrons. But in addition to her financial backing, Mrs. Wallace served on the board of directors and took a strong personal interest in the restoration. She was particularly influential in the landscaping of the grounds and the furnishing and decorating of the interiors. In 1959, she brought in the Roslyn, Long Island, landscape architectural firm of Innocenti and Webel to provide an appropriate historic setting for the restored house. She also brought in William Kennedy and Benjamin Garber, the interior designers who decorated the offices for The Reader’s Digest, to furnish the house. Since both concerns worked for The Reader’s Digest Corporation and for Mrs. Wallace personally, they reported to her and her advisors as they proceeded with their plans. The intent of William Kennedy and Benjamin Garber was not to accurately furnish the interiors of Boscobel based upon historical research. Instead, they tried to create elegantly decorated rooms that complimented the beauty of the architecture. The items they selected represented the very best of the late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth centuries to conform to the taste and standards of States Dyckman as established by his own purchases in London. Because States lived in England for such a long time, they also felt it would be appropriate to The intent of William Kennedy and Benjamin Garber was not to accurately furnish the interiors of Boscobel based upon historical research. Instead, they tried to create elegantly decorated rooms that complimented the beauty of the architecture. The items they selected represented the very best of the late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth centuries to conform to the taste and standards of States Dyckman as established by his own purchases in London. Because States lived in England for such a long time, they also felt it would be appropriate to furnish the house mainly in eighteenth-century English and European antiques, which they acquired over several years both in America and abroad selecting and assembling appropriate personal and household effects for each room. By the mid-1970s, new information came to light about States Dyckman’s original furnishings that led to the decision to totally redo the interiors of the house so they were more historically accurate. Information found in the Dyckman family papers, States Dyckman’s recently discovered household inventory of 1806, and from examples of surviving furniture owned by the Dyckman family revealed that contrary to the Kennedy and Garber assemblage of mostly English furnishings, Boscobel was originally furnished with pieces made by New York cabinetmakers of the early nineteenth century. Berry B. Tracy, Curator-in-Charge of the American Wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, was hired as a consultant to research the new interiors and oversee the installation. Mr. Tracy worked closely with Frederick W. Stanyer, executive director of Boscobel. The English pieces were replaced by an outstanding collection of Federal period furniture made mostly in New York City. The reproduction carpets, paint colors, wallpaper, fabrics and window treatments used were all based upon documented period examples. The objective of the reinterpretation was to restore the house to the way it would have looked while Elizabeth Dyckman lived in the house from 1808 until her death in 1823. When the house reopened to the public in June 1977, after six months of intense restoration work, Boscobel was featured in a cover article by Rita Reif in the Home Section of The New York Times on July 21, 1977. The headline read, “The Tour de Force Of Redecorating Boscobel.”

Today, Boscobel is considered to be one of the nation’s leading historic house museums. It features an important collection of decorative arts from the Federal period with high-style furniture by Duncan Phyfe and other recognized New York cabinetmakers of the day. Many of States Dyckman’s original purchases of English china, silver, glass and part of his library have also survived and are on exhibit in the mansion.

I was so fortunate to be given a tour by the acting curator Judith Pavelock, she was generous with her time and I was enthralled with the amazing history of this beautiful house.

Bosobel is, as all historic house museums, a challenge to fund and operate, from what I experienced, the Dyckeman’s would be so pleased with the stewardship of the staff. I urge you to visit and support this American treasure, it is so worth the effort and if you are a student American Decorative Arts it is a must.

much of the above text was taken from a history written by Charles T. Lyle.

www.boscobel.org

Of course the use of period antiques are the best way to furnish your period home, but how do you know if what you are buying is authentic or period correct. Finding a reputable dealer in antiques of the period that you are interested in is the best way to find your way through the intricacies of appraisal and purchase.

Some periods are more affordable than others And certainly much easier to find. The Victorian period is the most prolific as many of these pieces were machine made and mass produced. The arts and crafts period is next having been fabricated in the early 20^th century and there are still many fine pieces to be found. The Colonial and Federal periods are the ones that I feel you will be paying the most for although it is true, one of a kind handmade items will be costly whatever the period. Search the web for appraisers and dealers that have professional affiliation with either of these two organizations.

http://www.isa-appraisers.org

http://www.appraisers.org/ASAHome.aspx

these organizations will give you the names of antique dealers that are reputable and knowledgable.

The following is a short list for what to keep in mind when shopping for antiques.

Although bargains and good deals may be had when buying certain antiques, the first rule of thumb is to be highly suspicious of bargains when shopping for antiques. This is the initial and sometimes the most costly lesson any collector needs to learn. You must not set out to haggle with the dealer.

Step 2

The antique you buy should never be solely for investment purposes. Most antiques have proven to be a solid investment for most antique collectors. In addition, the items have been historically a wonderful hedge against inflation. The thing to remember, however, is the increasing value of the item is dependent on changing preferences within the market.

Step 3

You must be wary of heavily restored antiques. It goes without saying that most antiques need care as well as periodic restoration. However, an antique that has been excessively restored will show no signs of its age and thus cannot be fairly judged in determining the authenticity and antiquity of the piece. It is therefore advisable to stay clear of items that have been overly restored or excessively refinished.

Step 4

Be leery of reproductions or fake representations. Consider the demand of particular items. When demand rises to very high levels, reproductions and fakes are the by-products of such demand.

Step 5

Do not barter over price. Most dealers consider their prices rigid and firm. Today’s dealer marks her prices up according to a fixed percentage in order to secure a profit. Wrangling over price is part of the old business of antiques. Unless you find such a rare situation, it is advised you accept the dealer’s price as established with no room for flexible negotiating.

Step 6

In order to attain the best value, it is highly recommended you learn all that you possibly can about antiques. You may do so by subscribing to periodicals and reading books on the subject. Visit museums and well-regarded antique shops.

Step 7

Manage your range of collections. In other words, it simply is not possible for you to collect antiques in every category. Narrow your focus to a reasonable level. Choose one or two eras and one or two preferred collectibles within an era. If you collect too extensively over too broad a range, it will only prove to take away from the enjoyment you’ll find as an organized collector.

Step 8

Many times you may be journeying about and find a monstrosity of an antique you greatly admire far from the area of your home. Resist the temptation to purchase it, unless you have access to a truck. Moving such an item can be more of a problem than you may have anticipated.

Step 9

It is important to trust your initial instincts. This step, of course, comes with experience as well as persistence.

Step 10

Collect solely for pleasure. Collecting and owning items of rare or great beauty should be your only motive. Men throughout history have collected antiquities. If you choose to be a collector of antiques, do not resist. There are few hobbies more rewarding–even if you must do so on a budget.

I thought since many had written me and asked about the basics of what they needed to “do it themselves” for either drapes or wallpaper and also paint I decided to use the blog for this week to give you this basic information. You can find so many fabric sources on the web, either use one of the ones featured under “Textiles and Trim” or “Window Treatments” on our site www.thehistoricinterior.com or use the company’s products as a guide to find similar fabrics at your local fabric store.

I hope this helps you for whatever project you might have, don’t forget to email me if you need any other advice, I am always happy to help if I can

How much Fabric do I need?

For Throw Pillows:

The general rule of thumb is half a yard for 14 to 18 inch pillows and 1 yard for 19 to 24 inch pillows. If you want to add a ruffle, you will need at least another half yard.

For Upholstery:

CHAIR SEATS: 3/4 yard of 54″ wide fabric is enough to re-cover 2 standard chair seats. So 3 yards will be enough for 8 chair seats. Each 3/4 yard gives you two 27″ by 27″ pieces of fabric to work with. If the repeat is large or a pattern has to be centered, you may need more.

SOFA WING CHAIR TRADITIONAL CLUB CHAIR
3 cushion with arms 5 to 7 yards CHAIR 5 to 6 yards
6 ft sofa 10 yards Upholstered Back
7 ft sofa 11 yards and Seat
8 ft sofa 13 yards 3 yards
add an extra 2-3 yards
if you want a ruffled skirt
or if the back is taller than usual


LOVESEAT CHAISE OTTOMAN
6-7 yards 7-9 yards 2-3 yards

For Curtains and Draperies:

For curtain width, measure window or door plus any additional coverage outside of casing. For fullness the window/door width should be, at minimum, doubled. For extra fullness and a custom look, multiply the width by 2.5 or 3. Add another 2 to 3 feet for hem and to match pattern repeat. (The larger the repeat, the more you need to add.) Divide your final width measurement in half to get the finished width for each panel. If the width per panel is wider than the fabric (usually about 54 in.) you may have to sew two lengths of fabric together to get enough width. For example, if you are making draperies for an 82 in. wide window area, you would need 2 pieces of fabric for each panel, and 4 pieces for the pair.

For length, measure from the top of your rod to the point where you want the panel to end. Add approx. 30 in, to this measurement for the rod pocket, heading, and hemming. To measure for the rod pocket or casing, take the diameter of the rod and add 1 inch. To add for the heading, or the part of the panel that sits above the rod pocket, take the height you want it to be, double that and add an extra half inch for seaming. So if, for example, you want a 1 inch header, you need to add 2.5 inches. For a 4 inch header, you would add 8.5 inches.

For Round Tablecloths with 10″ drop: For Round Tablecloths with 29-30″ drop:

30″ diameter Fabric = 1.5 yards Trim = 4.5 yards 30″ diameter Fabric = 5 yards Trim = 8 yards
36″ diameter Fabric = 3.25 yards Trim = 5 yards 36″ diameter Fabric = 5.5 yards Trim = 8.5 yards
48″ diameter Fabric = 4 yards Trim = 6 yards 48″ diameter Fabric = 6 yards Trim = 9.5 Yards

Estimating How Much Paint to Buy

Before you begin painting your home’s interior walls, ceiling, woodwork, doors, or windows, you need to estimate the amount of paint you’ll use. Estimates require specific calculations for each surface you want to paint.

To estimate the amount of paint you need in order to cover the walls of a room, add together the length of all the walls and then multiply the number by the height of the room, from floor to ceiling. The number you get is the room’s square footage. Is that math class coming back to you now?

Now you have to determine how much of that square footage is paintable surface area. Because you use a different paint on the doors and windows, subtract those areas from the room total. No sweat, just subtract 20 square feet for each door and 15 square feet for each average-sized window in the room. You end up with a number that is close to the actual wall area you have to cover with paint.

Now for the clincher of the math problem. Divide the paintable wall area by 350 (the square-foot coverage in each gallon can) to find the number of gallons of paint you need for the walls. You can round uneven numbers; if the remainder is less than .5, order a couple of quarts of wall paint to go with the gallons; if the remainder is more than .5, order an extra gallon. Of course, buying in bulk is usually more economical, so you may discover that 3 quarts of paint cost as much as a gallon.

Examples:

The following examples walk you through the calculations for determining how much paint you need for a 14-x-20-foot room that’s 8 feet tall and has two doors and two windows.

Ceiling paint estimator

Use the following formula to estimate the amount of ceiling paint you need. Double the result if the ceiling requires two coats.

1. Multiply the length of the ceiling times its width to find its area.

14 × 20 = 280 square feet

2. Divide that number by 350 (the estimated square feet covered per gallon) to figure out how many gallons of paint you need.

280 ÷ 350 = .8

For this example, you want to buy 1 gallon of ceiling paint for a single coat.

Wall paint estimator

Use the following formula to estimate the amount of wall paint you need. Double the result if the walls require two coats.

1. Add together the length of each wall. 14 + 20 + 14 + 20 = 68 feet

2. Multiply the sum by the wall height, to find the total wall area. 68 × 8 = 544 square feet

3. Subtract 20 square feet for each door (20 × 2 = 40) and 15 square feet for each window (15 × 2 = 30) to find the actual amount of wall area you’re painting.

544 – 70 = 474 square feet

4. Divide this figure by the paint coverage (350 square feet per gallon), and the result is the number of gallons to purchase. 474 ÷ 350 = 1.4

For this example, you want to buy 1 gallon and 2 quarts of paint for a single coat.

Woodwork paint estimator

Measure the length of the trim in feet, and multiply that number by 1/2 foot (.5), as a rough size for the width of the trim. Include all the trim around doors and windows, at baseboards, along the ceiling, and for any built-in furniture.

As an example, imagine that you have ceiling molding running around a room that is 14 feet wide and 20 feet long.

1. Determine the total length of molding around the room by adding together the length of all the walls that the molding covers.

Round the numbers off to the nearest foot.

14 + 20 + 14 + 20 = 68 feet

2. Multiply the sum by .5 for an estimated width of the molding.

68 × .5 = 34 square feet

3. Divide this number by 350 to estimate the gallons of paint required to cover the molding.

34 ÷ 350 = .09

The result in this example is much less than a quart, but you may paint other woodwork in the room the same color, so buying a full quart may not be terribly wasteful.

Door and window estimator

Use the same figure for estimating door coverage as you use in your wall-area calculations — 20 square feet = one door. Multiply the number of doors by 20, doubling the answer if you plan to paint both sides. Wall paint estimates allow for 15 square feet for each window. Use about half that window area to figure trim and inside sash — the glass isn’t important to the calculation.

For the room in this example:

1. Multiply the number of doors by 20. 2 × 20 = 40 square feet

2. Multiply the number of windows by 7.5. 2 Windows × 7.5 = 15 square feet

3. Add these numbers together. 40 + 15 = 55

4. Divide the result by 350 (the estimated square feet covered per gallon). 54 ÷ 350 = .16

Often, you end up needing to buy only a quart of paint, which goes a long way on doors and window trim

How much wallpaper do I need?

1. Step 1

Determine the square footage of the room. Measure each wall in the room and multiply the length times the width of each wall to determine the square footage. Subtract the square footage of the windows and doors to determine the actual square footage of the room.

2. Step 2

Determine the square footage of a single roll of wallpaper. The square footage of your wallpaper roll will depend on the width of the roll with varies from designer to style. If you order your wallpaper from a design center, they will be able to tell you how much square footage each roll covers. If you are purchasing stock rolls of wallpaper, the square footage will be on the label of the wall.

3. Step 3

Divide the square footage of the room by the square footage of the wallpaper to determine the number of rolls you need.

4. Step 4

Consider the pattern of the wallpaper. The pattern on your wallpaper roll will determine how much extra wallpaper you need in order to ensure pattern match from panel to panel. A subtle or small pattern means you will need just the normal 10 percent extra wallpaper. A large-scale pattern or bold plaid or other pattern will mean you need another 10 percent of extra wallpaper

1. 5

Remember that wallpaper is always sold by the double roll. This is important when you are ordering wallpaper from a design center. If you determine that you need 11 rolls of wallpaper, you will need to order 12 double rolls.

We are so pleased to announce the addition of a wonderful company to our Featured Artisan’s page. Heritage Lace has been around for awhile providing beautiful lace products for the home for over 50 years. I love companies that are based in long standing traditions of community and customer service and this is one of them.
Our site has a wide timeline for historic interiors from 1680-1930 and as such has only a handful of artisans and companies that have products that can span all the periods from Early American Colonial to Art Deco. Heritage Lace does this and beautifully too. These products could certainly be used for a Historic House Museum in any number of sites around the country and because of their affordability they are great for product placement in Museum gift shops. I really liked that so many of their products were under $50.00 and that they are 90% made in the USA is also important to me.
I have always said that a simple lace panel will give you a beautiful inexpensive look that will dress your window and give you the time to decide how or if you want to do a more formal treatment.
The nice thing about Heritage Lace is that even if you decided that you didn’t want to or could afford to add more to the window you wouldn’t need to, it is really that pretty a product.
Please take a moment and visit them on our Featured Artisans page or go directly to their website,
www.heritagelace.com but make sure you block off some time for your visit, I warn you once you get on it is hard to get off, you just want to see everything!

Living Room Mantel

Kitchen Coffee Bar

Set For a Dinner Party

It has been 13 years since we moved into our house here in Fredericksburg, Virginia. We loved the house early on even before the addition of a new kitchen with a fireplace and a backyard pool. Built in 1930, the Dutch Colonial has had many reincarnations since the first family lived within.

I was not so jazzed about the house at first, it faced a parking lot , the only one on our otherwise quiet street. It was in semi-restored state, the previous owners had decided to start from the top down so even though the attic had been wonderfully converted into two charming bedrooms complete with eaves and built-in bookshelves, the rooms on the first floor however were in a sad state. No kitchen to speak of and roughly plastered walls ( I laughed to myself a couple of years later as more than one client paid a great deal money for craftsmen to replicate an effect that I was so eager to get rid of) the floors in very bad shape and a really hideous living room fireplace mantel.

Through the years we have slowly made it our own, from our “Aubergine” ( designer-speak for purple) painted dining room to the new mantle in the living room, the house has slowly become something that feels “right”. Having married a public servant, all projects had to be done on long slow schedules, and my patience and design vision sometimes did not fall in step with the reality of our meager purse-strings.

However, this wonderfully quirky house had become our home and with two children we have had many wonderful memories here. Some of our best times in this home have been during the Christmas season and we have been honored to have been on the local Historic Homes Christmas tour as our home is one block from the famous “Sunken Road “ of Civil War fame. I have long been teased by friends and family for the 15 plus boxes of decorations in the basement. However, once they have been brought upstairs on the first Saturday after Thanksgiving , the tissue papers are unwrapped, boxes emptied and as everyone sees beloved decorations that have been a part of our Christmas memories for the past 29 years the grumbling soon stops .

As the decorating progresses and ideas flow,( I must confess usually after I get my hands on the newest issue of “Southern Living Christmas”), the house takes on the glow and shimmer that only Christmas reflected by candlelight can achieve. I usually take a moment at some point during the month of dinner parties, cookie baking and manic gift wrapping, and walk quietly through and savor the beauty of this wonderful house that has been such a blessed home.

Remember, your house should take many layers of memories and life in order to create the perfect home for you and your family. Patience truly does rule the day when decorating your home whether it is a historic home or your first apartment. Hopefully life is long and the story of your family and your own traditions need time to develop and take hold within the walls of your home .Whether you are the first family to live there or one of many families that have hung stockings from your home’s mantle, your story is but one more chapter in your homes history.

Sharing the season with friends and family is what this time of year is all about. Many of us know someone that have neither friends or family or are alone because of distance and /or circumstance. Those of us who are lucky to own a historic home can do much to make those who are alone or needy have a Happy Holiday and Merry Christmas.
Most of us who have a historic home have decorated it to the hilt. Sponsor a tour of the first floor of your home for the local Senior ‘s home or organization, especially if you do not have a local Historic Homes tour. Provide treats relevant to the homes history and give the Seniors an opportunity to add to your understanding of your home’s place in the history of the town by asking them if they knew or had memories of the families that lived in the home when they were young.
I f you have a home that is not suitable for a tour, then bake treats, again from your houses history and give them either to your local Meals on Wheels or the Seniors home. Seniors are not only the ones at this time that are in need. Many of the needy with small children or teens need support also.
You can combine a history lesson with your outreach when you give to the local toy drive a historic toy with a handwritten explanation accompanying it. Children have not changed that much over the centuries and something small, especially that they can easily carry with them, will always be a good choice. Teenagers are another issue. Those of us who have had our own teens know that even though they hate being different than their peers, they are also striving to be different. Give a young girl a small gift of needles, yarn and a simple instruction booklet. Tuck a modern tube of lip gloss in your gift so if you have a child that truly is not interested in any type of craft, your gift is not a complete bust. Teenage boys are no less challenging. I suggest a leather journal complete with pens and a small book of historic quotes that focus on success and personal growth. I think that one of our greatest gifts we can give a child is the expectation of excellence. By showing them the world that came before they can see their place in the world to come.