Well everyone, GREAT site. We are in the process of redoing our home in A and C as best we can to turn around and sell it, and then build our own home just how we want it. I have a few questions and here they are.

1) In order to redo the base and window trim, I am left with either replacing the windows or painting the window frame and then using the standard oak trim. We have a craft white, dark green type scheme along with our traditional furniture and just can't figure what looks good.

2) I am a BIG fan of the silver look with regard to lamps and what not. We have a few of the old pharmacy type lamp in distressed pewter but I'm not sure if this is in line with the overall style. We get a ton of compliments on it and while we think it looks great, is it too off base with the theme?

Thanks for anyones feedback!!!

Traditionally, a lot of A & C houses put all of their money into trim in the dining room and the palor or front room. That was often white oak, red oak or fir finished to look oak. Some owners put in quarter sawn white oak for floors---it is more stable and does move with the weather changes. Fir was often used for window trim.

On the second floor, owners/builders often used fir or paint grade wood and just painted everything white. All the "show" was downstairs in the public rooms--boxed beamed ceilings, window seats, and built-ins.

In the first A & C house that we built, we had solid fir doors trimmed with pine and white oak floors, fireplace mantels and built-in bookcases. Everything was stained a dark cherry but the floors were a medium warm oak.

I was never pleased the way it looked together. I felt that I should have bit the bullet and used white oak every where. The pine trim just always looked out of place.

As far the the silver lighting fixtures, go for it. Not all original A & C houses were earth tones (oranges, browns, golds, army green, etc.). There is range of cool blues/grays that was used. That palette would look good against the silver tones.

Good luck and have fun.

Bev.

thanks for your reply! I agree the oak is the way to go even if is does cost more...lost more. Thanks again.

We were trying to save money when we built the house. I always regreted the use of stained pine for the window trim. The fir was closer but it was a differnce.

Maybe you could use the fir upstairs to save money and oak downstains for the public rooms.

Bev.