Another "This is a house" thread:

[speeder]

Here is this week's, (and last week's and next week's) project. People who have seen my other work-related threads know that I have a real fondness for houses built in the 1920s and I try to work on them exclusively, but of course I take whatever comes my way. (With gratitude, usually).

This house belongs to a friend, he bought it in the mid-'90s for a relative song compared to its current value. It is one of the best houses in Hancock Park, a historical district of Los Angeles, and that is saying a lot. There are myriad examples of the best early 20th century architecture everywhere you look there. It is inside of Fremont Place, the oldest gated community in the city. There's only one way in and out, there are no street signs and you can leave your keys in the car and your doors unlocked. Crime is non-existent, the guard shack and entrance is less than 100 yards from the front door. It is Shangri-La. No traffic noise, ever. The only sound from the back yard is the occasional helicopter passing by.

It is built better than anything I've ever seen, the present over-all condition is fantastic. A finish carpenter buddy that I have over doing some jobs says that it must be built on bedrock. There isn't a crack anywhere, the cellar is dry and the doors open and close like brand new. It's Fort Knox, but also a little like a 1927 Duesenberg.

L.A. guys, a little favor: If by chance you recognise the house, could you please not ID the owner? I respect people's privacy and just wanted to share some pics of a great house w/ my fellow connisuers here. TIA.

[speeder]

OK, I spoke too soon. Need to re-size some pics here due to my *new camera* screw-up last week. Sorry, be back in a minute...

[speeder]

Brick house, metal windows, slate roof, big pine trees:


Back yard:




Motor court (most important part of a house):

[speeder]

The windows and doors, which I am refinishing, are simply unbelievable. Check out this hardware:



Solid copper or brass that had been painted over, it will be brought back to original:



Solid brass or bronze(?) thresholds, each of these must weigh a ton:

[speeder]

Lots of great details, unbelievable build quality. Check out this pocket door, solid steel, weighs a ton but operates as well as it did in 1927:



One of my favorites, the dinner bell:


Lots of French windows:

[Sapporo Guy]

this place is awesome !!!

How much was the selling price back then?

[speeder]

All of the hardware is getting cleaned-up and polished, it goes from black as coal to looking something like this:

[speeder]

It takes a special kind of nut-case w/ OCD to want to take apart old locks like this and refurb the insides, polish everything and replace, but that would be me. Clients call me "Rainman", as in 'tard.



Check out the original work bench in garage in mint condition:

[speeder]

The young guy, (Nikolai), and the old guy, (me).

[look 171]

Speeder,

How's business?

I did some work in that area a year or so ago for a certain movie people. We had some stuff stolen off my sub's truck in front of our very eyes. These ba!tards would drive up to the job and just take thing off the truck and drive off. This happen in West Hollywood also. They had the balls to backed up into the drive way and did about 1500 bucks of tools. Nice to have the guard there.

Nice hardware. do you have a source for nice old hardware like that locally?

We ripped apart this big old place in Pasadena, and almost all of the beams and joist were vertical tight grain Doug Fir. You don't see that everyday.

[gassy]

Very cool Denis. Thanks for the pic--beautiful house. While my house pales in comparison, it's a cool Chicago bungalow built in 1921. Those pics make me want to continue my restoration projects. I think I'll start with a dinner bell. That's cool...keep the pics coming.
Christian.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Awesome Dennis, thanks for sharing. I also have a particular affection for old houses, they really don't build them like they used to.

[Rot 911]

Dennis, our house was built in 1926 and we have 2 sets of french doors to our back patio and casement windows that are all made out of bronze that have been painted over the years. Look a lot like the ones you show in the pictures. How would you suggest I remove the paint? I don't want to take the doors off for fear they may not go back into place correctly.

[berettafan]

jeebus; i look in the garage and see a $12k toy and i'm like "boy this is indeed the good life".

what on earth must that be like?

[notfarnow]

Thanks for sharing those, speeder; the craftsman era homes are my favorite too. Amazing how quality & craftsmanship never goes out of style, huh? Makes you wonder which houses being build NOW will be worth preserving like that.

Originally Posted by Kurt V

Dennis, our house was built in 1926 and we have 2 sets of french doors to our back patio and casement windows that are all made out of bronze that have been painted over the years. Look a lot like the ones you show in the pictures. How would you suggest I remove the paint? I don't want to take the doors off for fear they may not go back into place correctly.

Can't you pop the pins out of the hinges?

For getting paint off brass hardware, I learned an AWESOME trick in This Old House Magazine: put the hardware in a old crockpot overnight with soapy water. Works like a charm; paint pretty much peels right off. Just be sure to use an old one, Mrs Notfarnow was not impressed to find a hearty stew of doorknobs and striker plates brewing in her favorite soup cooker.

[The Gaijin]

That is just an awesome house.

[Pazuzu]

Originally Posted by notfarnow

For getting paint off brass hardware, I learned an AWESOME trick in This Old House Magazine: put the hardware in a old crockpot overnight with soapy water. Works like a charm; paint pretty much peels right off. Just be sure to use an old one, Mrs Notfarnow was not impressed to find a hearty stew of doorknobs and striker plates brewing in her favorite soup cooker.

Ah! Now my collection of appliances that will have to go in the garage has expanded! So...lets see...dedicated fridge, oven, stove, dishwasher, and now crock pot!

[notfarnow]

Originally Posted by Pazuzu

Ah! Now my collection of appliances that will have to go in the garage has expanded! So...lets see...dedicated fridge, oven, stove, dishwasher, and now crock pot!

Ha ha, I just convinced my wife that we need a new dishwasher... partly because I want the old one as a parts washer. It's going to look funny under my workbench.

[masraum]

Wow, that house is amazing. I'd love to have something like that some day, but don't see it happening. I'd prefer mine to be on lots of land out in BFE. Maybe on the east coast somewhere.

[stomachmonkey]

Now that is a house.

Stunning.

I love the iron balcony over the dinner bell.

Good stuff.