Sacramento Historic House Blog

If you happen to be in London September 20 & 21st of this year, do check out the Open House London event. It’s a rare opportunity for fans of historic architecture to get a look inside buildings that are privately owned. Here’s a bit of info from the website:

Open House London, the capital’s highest-profile architectural showcase, provides opportunities for people to explore more than 650 of London’s exemplary buildings and to meet the architects, design teams and building users on site. Celebrating design excellence in the capital, this unparalleled event takes place on the third weekend of September every year and is completely free of charge. It attracts worldwide interest and has inspired similar programmes in New York and Dublin.

This section tells you all you need to know about the event, the information you will need and how to get it, and also has a programme search facility live from mid-August and up to the event each year.

For more info click here.

Wouldn’t it be great if Sacramento could launch something similar? I don’t know about you, but I could get pretty excited about wandering through some of these downtown Victorians turned law offices or the old Masonic building without feeling like I’m intruding. My last posting about the Governor’s Mansion open house was a step in the right direction!

Some news from the most excellent Sacramento History Blog:

The Sacramento Old City Association (SOCA) and the Governor’s Manison State Historic Park invite you to a sneak preview of the current 3rd floor restoration at the Governor’s Mansion, never before open to the public, this Saturday, May 10. Recent efforts have unveiled stunning original 1877 detail inside this historic house.

The Governor’s Mansion was originally constructed as the home of Albert Gallatin in 1877. It was California’s official governor’s residence from 1903 until 1967. Over the past year, scaffolding has concealed the extensive restoration work going on outside the mansion, and inside, the third floor has undergone a similar transformation. This event includes a complete tour of the mansion, including the newly accessible third floor.

Governor’s Mansion State Historic Park is located at 1526 H Street in Sacramento.

Admission: FREE to SOCA members, $20 to non-members (or join SOCA for $25.)
RSVP REQUIRED: Call (916) 455-2935. Space on this tour is EXTREMELY LIMITED. All ages are welcome. The event begins at 5:30 PM and will last until about 7:30 PM.

Donations encouraged; will go to the 3rd floor restoration fund. Refreshments will be served.

http://www.sacoldcity.org has more information about SOCA and events like this one.

The new issue of Victoria magazine is calling to me from the living room, so I’m going to make this post brief. I’ll do a little link love and share some recent/not so recent finds with you.

Pomegranate Paradise from Jamba Juice – I don’t know if these things are actually “healthy” but it is from the fruit-only list, so it may not be too terrible. Yesterday was rather warm and after my walk I treated myself to this cooold drink – it hit the spot.

Instant Netflix documentaries – I’ve seen a few now but the best were Following Sean, Been Rich All My Life, and The Future We Will Create (inside the TED series).

Kiss My Face foaming handwash in Grapefruit & Bergamot – Smells a bit like Fruit Loops, but in a good way.

Personal blogs – Boho Girl, Kelly Rae, and Superhero are just a few of my daily reads.

Girls Guide To City Life (San Francisco) – Writer Anh-Minh offers good tips for visits to the Bay Area. I especially appreciated the Kezar lot parking suggestion when we last went to Amoeba Records in SF.

Cottage Girls – Antique shop on Fair Oaks and Palm in Carmichael. So cute. Bought two candelabras.

Cut out carrageenan – I used to think I was lactose intolerant until I discovered it was actually a sensitivity to the thickener carrageenan found in Ben & Jerry’s, Redi-whip, Silk soy milk, some Weight Watchers frozen meals, and other popular items (like my toothpaste!).

I recently posted an article on eHow about how to get the most out of your local art or history museum. Speaking of which… when was the last time you were in the Crocker? You might be surprised at their top notch collection and exhibits (no that’s not the new ad slogan!). Go for no other reason than to enjoy the architecture of the gallery and soak up the atmosphere. Stay for the exhibits (fall for the romance of Edwin Deakin until Sunday and then trace the evolution of figure drawing in The Language of the Nude).

How To Enjoy Your Local Museum

Step 1
Visit the web site of the museum and sign up for their email newsletter. This will make it easier for you to keep track of upcoming events and exhibits. So many times I have heard about events after the fact and I wished I had someone sending me a gentle reminder. An eNewsletter does that.

Step 2
Become a member. Even at the basic level, members enjoy benefits such as free access to the museum and traveling exhibits, discounts at the museum shop, special invites to parties and lectures, as well as the great feeling of having contributed to your local community and supported the arts for future generations.

Read the rest of the article at eHow…

Thought you might like a sneek peek at my new project… Romantic Film Locations. It’s a travel guide (armchair or otherwise) to the beautiful locations featured in romantic films like Atonement, Bridget Jones’s Diary, and Amelie. I’m a bit slow in getting it updated, but feel free to have a look around and email any comments or suggestions to td {at} romanticfilmlocations {dot} com. Hope you enjoy it!

I love a charming, magical cottage – as I’ve mentioned before. Not having the means to own a historic house can be disappointing but there are ways to experience the feeling of owning a magic cottage, without the 30 year mortgage. One possibility is to rent a house. Not for long term, mind you, but a short holiday stay. Just to get a taste of the house being yours.

The UK is well known for its holiday cottages. You can spend a week in the Welsh countryside, sleeping soundly in the quiet night, exploring local villages, eating artisanal cheese and heirloom wheat bread, sipping whiskey made by a women-run mill, and just be at home away from home. France and Italy have gites and farmhouses for rent, if you are looking for a slightly different historic flavor.

In her fabulous book England As You Like It, Susan Allen Toth recommends renting historic cottages and flats from preservation organizations such as The National Trust or English Heritage (both UK based). It can be a bit pricey if it’s just two of you staying in an eight bedroom estate house, but there are a few little places you can rent for the same price as an impersonal business hotel.

Here are a few that caught my eye (disclaimer: this is not a review as I haven’t stayed at any of these places… yet!):

Mortuary Cottage in Devon, England
Photo and Description from the National Trust site:
“This cosy 200-year old cottage approached down narrow Devon lanes on the edge of the hamlet of Loxhore, near Arlington Court, on the banks of youthful River Yeo. Unusual name dates back to the Second World War when it was set aside for air-raid victims – fortunately it never needed to be used. There is a secluded garden behind the cottage.”
[200 years old, on the banks of a youthful river, with a secluded garden? Who cares if the name is a bit creepy? Plus this cottage is near the lovely Barnstaple which has good markets and friendly pubs.]

Ivy’s Cottage in Somerset, England
Photo and Description from the National Trust site:
“Ivy’s Cottage is a delightful cosy thatched cottage situated on the picturesque Selworthy Green and offers pretty views of the surrounding countryside. This is a perfect opportunity for a quiet break in the beautiful surroundings of the Holnicote Estate and Exmoor National Park. The Holnicote estate offers miles of footpaths through fields, woods and moorland with an abundance of wildlife and rare species. Ideal location for fishing.”
[You had us at “thatched cottage”.]

Refectory Cottage at Rievaulx Abbey in Yorkshire, England
Photo and Description from the English Heritage site:
“Built in the early 20th century for the custodian of the Abbey, but using reclaimed abbey stone, this cottage is a reminder of the original medieval masons who built the Abbey. Their marks can still be seen on many of the blocks used in its construction. Tucked into a corner of the car park, the cottage stands conveniently close to the entrance to the Abbey and a short walk from the River Rye.”
[While the cottage is not quite as old as the others, this is certainly a historic site and in one of the most beautiful parts of England.]

This is just a sampling of the fairytale locales where you can rent a holiday cottage in England. Hopefully it has stirred up some spark of desire for a chance to experience the magic of a historic house, however briefly…

This site talks a lot about the exteriors of historic houses, but I thought it would be great to chat about interiors for a bit. I’m a fan of local interior designer Katie Denham and her design blog katiedid, so I contacted her with a few questions about old houses and what she likes best about Sacramento.

Q. Hi Katie, thanks so much for letting me interview you for the Sacramento Historic House blog. First off, how are you?

A. I am great! Busy at work and busy with family life, and busy with our house remodel!

Q. You are a Sacramento based interior designer and you blog about design at katie-d-i-d.blogspot.com… what else should we know about you?

A. Well… I have a great family: husband and two daughters and an Australian Shepherd named Cooper. We are remodeling our house which was built in 1911 in Curtis Park.

Q. How do you generally work? Do you have a studio or home office?

A. I am currently the Senior Designer at Benning Design Associates and I also have a home office/studio that I use for fun and for special little projects… like blogging for example.

Q. Your home was built in 1911. What are some of the challeges you face with owning an older home? What are the perks?

A. The challenges are far outweighed by our love of older architecture. But there are always things that need repair. Closets are not huge. And bathrooms are never palatial without extensive remodeling. On the flip side, you can’t find a more solidly built house than the one we have. Constructed out of what we originally thought was redwood, we found out was clear Douglas fir which hardens with age. There was no termite or dry rot in any of the structure when we opened up walls for our remodel. And you cannot find the molding and architectural details in new construction that our house has. When I passed by the “for sale by owner” sign when I first saw it, it was love at first sight. It is what is termed an “American Foursquare” style house with what looks like some Georgian style detailing: columns and very symmetrical on the front facade.

Q. You have a tie to the Julia Morgan house, can you tell us about that?

A. There was a Designer’s Showcase House put on by the Junior League a few years back, and I had the pleasure of designing the Library with Bruce Benning of Benning Design. It was wonderful getting to work in a house designed by one of the great American Architects.( It was fun to see the living room in your blog banner.)

Q. Do you have any design tips for keeping the integrity/character of a historic house interior and yet avoiding that heavy museum look?

A. Yes! I think everything that is permanent should have strong ties to the original architecture. Windows and door quality are crucial in maintaining the character of the house. If changing windows to dual paned glass, one should be very careful to not cheap out with fake grids. This is where dollars should really be spent to get true divided lite panes. Even better, there are still craftsmen in Sacramento that can build them the old fashioned way. One other thing that I would caution, and that is with recessed lighting. I think it is OK in areas where function is important, like a kitchen. These areas are obviously more updated than the rest of the house. But I would stress that using recessed lighting in other areas can compromise the integrity of an older home. Use VERY sparingly.

And to keep things fresh and more current, my own personal aesthetic is to combine old and new but without being trendy. If something is well designed, it transcends being the fashion of the moment. With this is mind I like to mix up periods of furniture and throw in the unexpected. Interiors should always reflect the interests and personality of those who live there. If you like contemporary furniture, I say go for it! And maybe throw in an antique to tie things together. Have fun!

Q. Design blogs have really taken off in the last couple of years… why do you think so many of us are drooling over blogs like Decor8 and Yvestown and katiedid? 

A. Well thank you very much for including me in that list! Maybe it’s the age we live in. Information is readily available through the Internet and it is immediate. People can interact directly with the authors and ask questions. It is a great networking tool and a place for people that have common interests to connect in a way that is really impossible any other way. I get to connect with people from all over the world, see what is going on in Morocco, Sweden, Australia, India. It is just an amazing thing. And loads of fun!

Q. What are some of your favorite things about Sacramento?

A. When my husband and I first moved to Sacramento, I was struck by all of the trees in Midtown and the sidewalk cafes. It is a very charming pedestrian downtown/Midtown and it has only gotten better over the years. Second Saturday Art Walk is one of my favorite things. It is so fun to walk around midtown and see the people, art and music. The energy is wonderful. We are really getting some great restaurants downtown as well. I also appreciate the size of Sacramento. It has alot of the bigger city attributes: theater, orchestra, galleries, restaurants, etc… but it also has a very small town feel. I always run into friends at the grocery store and walking around town. I also love much of the architecture in the areas surrounding downtown and midtown. The Fab Forties, Land Park and Curtis Park remind me of Pasadena where I grew up. There is that nostalgic connection.

Thank you for taking the time to have this chat, Katie. Check back with the SHH blog for future profiles.

In no particular order:

1. In which we buy a quaint old cottage - as you might have guessed, we are in an apartment. So this wish comes up… a lot. Questions about job stability and which country we will settle in make buying difficult. (a reason not an excuse!)

2. In which we return to Paris for a week – after catching a bit of The Hills the other night, sucked in by the beautiful shots of the city of lights, my mind started to race. Stay at the Relais Christine, visit the Jacquemart-Andre museum, ice skate on the Eiffel Tower (if winter), listen to some live jazz, sip kir royale at the Hotel Crillon bar, walk hand in hand through the Marais neighborhood, kiss along the Seine, and eat in sidewalk cafés.

3. In which I pay myself first – not getting a payroll check can really whacked out a person’s retirement contributions. I’m slowly getting back on track after reading The Automatic Millionaire. The essence of the book? Automatically deduct 10–15% of your gross salary from your paycheck (pre-tax) to go toward your 401k or 403b or SEP, etc…

4. In which I make health a habit – this too is challenging (for everyone, I would wager).

5. In which I make a greater effort to connect with friends and family.

6. In which I continue to grow my freelance career – in this economy, this really has become more of a wish than a reality. But I am undaunted.

7. In which I show more gratitude.

8. In which we rent a cottage in North Yorkshire for a summer – take long walks in the countryside, savor several pints and a roast dinner on Sunday at the pub, take photographs of happy sheep, lay in the grass and look for animal shaped clouds, attempt a Yorkshire accent, visit Whitby, get lost in the York shambles, and read a book in a cozy corner while the rain taps the windows.

9. In which I find a pet cause – I’m partial to The National Trust and the Jazz Musicians Emergency Fund but I feel I should find something locally. Does anyone else get overwhelmed by this?

10. In which we stop worrying and making obsessive lists.

*Photo courtesy of Ginger Elizabeth’s website. The macaroons are the blurry sandwich cookie on the botton shelf.

How much do I love the Parisian macaroons at Ginger Elizabeth (18th & L)? A lot.

Are they as good as the ones from Miette in the Ferry Building (SF)? Maybe even better.

Are they as good as macaroons from Paris? I think I better taste a few more, for judging purposes.

Happy Easter everyone!

In 1999, Pierce Brosnan and Renee Russo starred in a lively remake of The Thomas Crown Affair. The film was not a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination but it was entertaining enough. As was my habit in those days, I became quite obsessed with Russo’s character Catherine Banning who was supposed to be some sort of freelance art recover-er working for a large Swiss insurance agency. “How do you get that job?” I wondered.

Let’s face it, I think I was more interested in her clothes and glamorous lifestyle rather than what she did for a living, but the film did spark a renewed interest in all things art fraud related. I had read Thomas Hoving’s gossipy and fun False Impressions: The Hunt For Big Time Art Fakes and I was already familiar with web sites like Museum Security Network – a sort of digest of art crime related stories.

But somewhere along the line, I stopped following news of art world crime and developed new obsessions. Most of the crime being reported was WWII and Iraq war related and while important and interesting, those crimes simply didn’t hold the same armchair appeal as say the Myatt/Drewe con.

Does this con ring a bell? No, it didn’t for me either. But the scam was big news in Europe and NY Times writer Peter Landesman covered it in 1997 (article here). Landesman and ex-Met curator Thomas Hoving also chatted with Charlie Rose about it (you can find the video on YouTube).

In 1995 an artist named John Myatt was arrested for forging over 200 drawings and paintings in the style of 9 modern masters such as Chagall and Braque. So what? you might ask. Well, most of these paintings were sold by con artist John Drewe to some of the biggest museums on the planet. Of the 200 forged works, only 73 had been located at the time of the arrests. Police called it “the biggest contemporary art fraud the 20th Century has seen.”  The art world will feel the effects for many years to come.

So what’s the point of all this? Not sure that I have one exactly… but I’ve begun to work with a certain “expanding” museum in town and am renewing my interest in the art world. Will I soon be hunting down art thieves and wearing Celine designer duds a la Catherine Banning? Part Nancy Drew and part Christy Turlington? I seriously doubt it… then again, you never know.