emilie_b's Profile

I think it looks light and airy!

Could you share the brand of the replacement windows? I'm looking for something with the same grid pattern and still affordable.

We just bought a 130-old house and have done a variety of updates, including an energy audit and insulation. Despite recommending MANY updates to make the house more energy efficient (most of which we took), the energy audit people said we should just stick with our original windows and the triple-track storms that were added at some point.

We have been refurbishinging the windows (stripping the paint and changing the sash cord). The updated windows are beautiful, do a fine job of keeping the heat in, and are likely to last another 100 years!

If you opt for keeping the wood look, you could consider using a gel stain. Gel stains contain a lot of pigment and urethane (as far as I can tell) and so they sit on the surface. That means that you can apply them without completely removing the old finish. (I haven't done this, but I have read about it online. I think it gives you a different look, with a less clear grain, but it's a lot less work than using a traditional stain.)

I am currently in the process of stripping off the layers of paint off of old trim in our "new" 1880 house. It looks to be in similar shape to your wood after the first round of stripping, but I have no doubt that it will look beautiful when I am done with it! (And it's a whole lot easier to finish it as it is now that to start stripping a new layer of paint.)

That said, it's obviously your choice about what you like in your own house.

I agree that the article hasn't addressed every possible issue involved in the fake vs. real debate, but that doesn't mean that the article is worthless! At the very least, it has more validity than the antecdotal evidence and emotionally-based opinions being expressed here!

"No, your life provides a small bit of anecdotal evidence in support of the study's conclusions. It doesn't confirm anything."

Just like all of the anecdotal evidence that contradicts the results don't prove anything either.

I haven't read the original article to see exactly what factors are accounted for. And, of course, an observational study can only detect a correlation, not a causation. However, many comments seem to be rejecting the results just because it doesn't match what they believe!

I rent an apartment in a fairly old house (1890's) and have used the fiberglass mesh tape along with spackle to mend cracks over doors and windows. This filled in the cracks fairly well, and they have not opened up again in the 1 1/2 years since we did the repairs. (I don't expect the repairs to last forever, though.) We had no expertise in this; I just read a lot of websites on how to repair plaster.

Thanks for the comments. In case anyone is interested, you can see the rest of the room here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/37886643@N00/tags/living/

The couch is in worse shape than it looks. It's 25 years old, so the fabric is quite worn and the foam needs to be replaced (which isn't actually that expensive to do); I made some covers for the cushions in the past, which is why that fabric is in better shape.

minimal4me, I have discovered exactly the point you brought up: it's very difficult to imagine large blocks of a fabric, which I learned when I reupholstered the chair in the room.

Some of you have suggested a light fabric, but I'm concerned about dirt showing. At one point I was thinking about a medium "mocha" velvet but I don't know if it would feel too dark and heavy for the room.