Restoration completed in 1983. 

This 1883 Dayton Ohio Victorian cottage was my first true restoration.   Utilizing all of the techniques known to me at the time, I gave this house a stunning appearance.  And I did this on a $26,000 a year salary.  I stripped all of the white paint off of the woodwork and I accurately restored everything down to even the window sashes.  The windows in this picture were not done yet.  I also designed the three piece crown molding.  The wall paper was the most expensive item.  It was, at 1980s prices, $23.00 a roll and it took about 120.

It seemed that I had allowed myself this strange decadence.  But no, I really wanted these colors.  To this day, I still have these feelings of wanting richness.  The problem is that I cannot seem to counter the potential criticisms of many including my relatives in so far as having such dark walls.  "Light and airy"  are still the elements of this tripe belief system of decorating.  The least majestic suburban ranch with its hallow core doors, minimalism, and whiteness is still revered as a "lovely" way of life.  If I wanted a 4000 sq ft one room house with lightness, I will go outside.  In here I luxuriated in this warmth.  Today, I am feeling aw-inspired to do the same to another house.

The problem is friends & family and their juvenal top-forty soft rock burbite tastes.   Though they loved the dining room, I constantly heard from these people their strong urge to go to the basement and fetch some light colored paint.  Failing to find any, they would go to the paint store to get several gallons of the whitest white latex paint and then argue with me about painting this over.  Thank God, none of them ever had a key.

I no longer own this home.  In fact, it has been since 1985 when I last saw it.  It has probably and sadly been wrenched back into the mundaneness by one of the parade suburbanites who had a momentary flirtation with the idea living in the inner city.  I dare not go back to see what has happened to all that I had done for fear of what I might find.

It must be understood that I wrote the above text in the late 1980s.  When I referred to Burbites, I was then referring to the popular sterile decorating trend of the 80s.  Since then, I am happy to report that the current trend is that there is no trend.  Many are finding that the darker bolder colors are not offensive after all. 

But Wait!  25 years later, I went back.  What did I find?  The wallpaper is still there!