Exploring and old house

[look 171]

Originally Posted by Tervuren

I would say that given how the customer decided to use shaved 2x4's that the customer wasn't all into spending that much either.

I think the customer fell for something without realizing the cost and restriction.

He had 580,000 budget that we can't blow up. This was a time where the economy was slowly coming back up form the recession. The home was purchased for 860k, if I remember correctly? His thinking was to move into it and when the economy comes back, sell it and more on to something bigger and better things. This was 2005. The designer and the owner knew what he was getting into and understood his money would go toward a certain items, stay within them to preserve the details from the original architects which we did. Talk about cursing salvage yards and chrome shops.

[Bill Douglas]

Here's a 120 year old place I've just finished a makeover on. I'm exhausted, it's the second one I've done in 12 months and I do everything myself.





https://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=1912382867

[speeder]

That's a beauty, Bill Douglas!

[Bill Douglas]

Thanks, kind words.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by look 171

I cut my teeth around those old home in Pasadena doing their woodwork and finish carpentry during college. Moving on to small remodels that grew into much larger ones. We did nothing but rehabbing grand old homes for 10 years then the economy kick everyone's butt and people stop spending. We did 9 grand old homes in 8 years, all were in Pasadena but one. While they aren't as intense as having to look for period correct glass like you did, sometimes it isn't possible and it can't made. The job must move forward people needed to move in. These jobs take 3 times as long and 10 times more complex, with blown budgets, always, but still they need to get done and within a reasonable amount of money. From your description, only few owners or houses out of a thousand have the time and budget luxury. Chemosphere was one. I much rather work on those because there's no time nor budget constrain making it a lot less stressful.

Old Ferrari, G and G or not, the owner's pocket always have the say so and how deep of a restore they want to go. 15-20 years ago, 700 k was a lot of money spent on a remodel on a home worth 1 mil+. I chased after them because it was fun, and I discovered that I was up to the task. I moved on to the west side during that time working for a bunch of movie folks and most I come across weren't interested in restoring old homes but love the shiny new designer stuff. That kept us going for many years and much easier to control. I am getting done with them too and slowly moving back into Pasadena and La Canada due to west side traffic. I am not really interested in restoring an old house anymore, unlike before I was chasing fame within that community. Depending on the owner and the designer, ofcourse. I still do some work in Los Feliz and Silverlake. Maybe I will run into you sometimes.

Which Lauther house did your friend restore? There's a Lauther house within walking distance from my home and I love to restore that to the teeth. Its in pretty bad shape. Since I am out of the loop, they would never hire me.

After reading your latest posts, I apologize for the assumption I made from the earlier one. It does sound like you understand restoration very well. And you are correct, it's all about the $$ when it comes to what lever people want to go with these things.

The guy I know has worked on at least a couple of Lautners and I've worked on one, the Garcia House when Vincent Gallo owned it. I was not part of the big renovation that happened later when the current owners bought it.

Here is an amusing video compilation of Lautner houses used in films in L.A.:

[vonsmog]

It would be cheaper to build a new house just like the original post house, then it would be to restore this one. I once owned a 4100sq/ft. home originally built in 1838, and then redone in the late 1800's to this huge Victorian mansion. Fancy wood everywhere, open Rosewood staircase, stainglass windows everywhere. But what a money pit! you could never make the people in the village happy with what ever work you did on it. They all had their own option on how to spend my money on the place. Paid $215k for it as a foreclosure, which was empty for over 5 years, and sold it 8 years later for $475k and never been happier to sell something. The headaches and lawsuits for the town and village were just too much to take. They were worried about how it looked, not that the foundation was crumbling. Made a profit, but still not worth dealing with the historic A-holes, who have no concept of restoration and its cost.