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My History Fix

the Fun Side of History!

I LOVE SALE-ING!

March 17, 2014

What’s better than candy or flowers on Valentines Day? An estate sale of course!  This year I treated myself to a lunchtime jaunt into the past—I don’t normally make it to Friday sales, so this was a treat.

I subscribe to a couple of resale websites and found a sale very near to work. I was not only excited by the proximity and the selection, but from what I could tell this was a great opportunity to see a home with lots of original features.  (And some other vintage bits as well!)

I arrived two hours into the sale to find the place almost entirely cleaned out!  The house is now for sale, and I hope and pray it goes to someone who appreciates old and quirky over “open floor plan”…with almost 3,600 square feet there aren’t many small rooms.

There are a lot of post-sale pictures in the listing that give a better sense of what the house looks like (I recommend checking it out while it is still available), but here are some of the fun details that made my V-Day!

Keep in mind the house is in the process of being cleaned out, so there is clutter I didn’t feel the need to move!

The front door.  Love.

Front Door

Tons of original woodwork in this house, mostly unpainted.  This pass-through in the dining room…

Dining Room Pass-through

…led to this amazing cupboard in the kitchen…it just needs some TLC…and a drawer.

Kitchen Cupboard

Quite the mix of eras in the kitchen: original 1875 cabinetry, 1940s sink unit, 1970s cloth-backed vinyl wallpaper and vinyl flooring, and a modern refrigerator!

Kitchen Sink

Stunning stained glass door leading to a sunroom.

Stained Glass Door

The stairwell was papered (in the Forties?) with this romantic design.  What a job–there are three floors and the ceilings are 10 feet high!

Wallpaper

The radiator in the third floor hallway was the only one I saw (did they spend a lot of time in the hallway?), but the water tank was still in place in the utility room on that floor.

Water Tank for Rads

I just love the nooks and crannies found in old homes. The listing shows how these features relate to each other in the room.  I was trying to capture the space through the arch and didn’t think to get the big picture.

Nook Collage

I know Mom, I should have moved the vacuum!

Window

I. Want. This. Door.

Funky Door

Now here is one I am putting out for your consideration…what is this?  There seemed to be pulley mechanisms (note the cord creeping out of the bottom left door); I tried to open the other doors to get a better look to no avail.  My first thought was dumbwaiter, but I couldn’t find one.  This is in a bedroom.

What is it?

Of course I didn’t leave empty handed.  I walked out with this mirror and four books for $30!  SCORE!

mirror no reflect

I would love to hear about your resale finds and of course please tell me if you can ID my mystery picture—share your thoughts in the comments below!  Happy Hunting!

Filed Under: Architecture, In & Around New England, In Search of Stuff 6 Comments

<- A VISIT TO THE NEW YORK WORLD’S FAIR
3 AMAZING VINTAGE GREEN JELL-O DISHES ->

Comments

  1. kristin langeloh says

    March 20, 2014 at 6:24 pm

    I LOVE this blog!!! It is everything that I am obsessed with! Have already read every corner of it! Keep them coming—– Great job!

    Reply
  2. Jenny Evans says

    March 25, 2014 at 2:00 pm

    I’m coming sale-ing with you next time! Awesome post!

    Reply
    • Christina Branham says

      March 28, 2014 at 8:08 am

      Just let me know when Jenny Evans! 🙂

      Reply
  3. kk says

    September 22, 2016 at 9:36 pm

    That is a beautiful home! If you build a home today you are lucky to get trim around your windows. The art of craftsmanship has died in the mainstream.

    Reply
  4. Gene says

    October 2, 2016 at 3:40 pm

    A pretty amazing house! I love older houses.

    Several years ago, there was a tag sale at a house built in 1895 which is less than a mile from where I live. It has a tower, and sleeping porches on the 3rd floor-which is essentially a ballroom!

    There were multiple large rooms on the two floors below, lots of really lovely woodwork and lots of stained glass as interior fixtures. It had a stable with an upper story living space, and the house had a veranda porch which went half way around the house.. I would love to have a house like it, but who could even think about it on my income?

    Reply
    • Christina Branham says

      October 2, 2016 at 5:30 pm

      That’s half the fun of estate sale-ing, enjoying an old home without the cost of living in it! 🙂

      Reply

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