That is amazing, I would never be able to tell that wasn't an old house. The kitchen is to die for, I love it.

Wait till Igloochic see's it, I think she will especially love it.

.....Jane

I was precisely thinking of Igloochic in the back of my head!

oh my- that bedroom is amazing

LOVE that house. WOuld take it in a minute! I am not so sure about the kitchen though. It is a lovely kitchen, but I think does not really have the same vibe to me as the movie kitchen.

WOW!!! Thanks so much for sharing (I'll spend many hours drooling over all the details when I have time)!

Jaw-drop kitchen, first time that's ever happened to me. Never had the slightest inclination to paint my cabinets cream but the urge just hit me. Don't like the other linked one as much though.

Good tin ceiling in the one room too!

Thanks for the link,

KarinL

Thank you so much for sharing that ttodd! I also love the 'Practical Magic' kitchen and would dearly love to have a home that would fit with that style of kitchen.

What a wonderful new/old house.

Oh wow. Droooooooooooooooooooool. I love everything about it.

I really want to like this house, but there's a lot that DOES say "new construction" to me. The exterior proportions are just a touch off-kilter - some bits are too overscaled, some underscaled, some spots are under-decorated in comparison to others. Let's not even begin to discuss the ballroom-flat, scraped-bare lot with one scrawny tree and a few puny evergreens for landscaping... one of the features of Gothic Revival residential architecture was the incredible landscaping! Really, if you have the bucketloads of money to spend on a custom house like that, you can afford to drop some on appropriate landscaping, especially if you're going to try to suggest it as a (pretend) old house.

Some aspects of the interior are very well done, like the woodwork in the stairhall, although the stark white walls look unfinished. Papered in a rich blue to complement the stained-glass transom window and the silvery ceiling, ohhhh yes. I would hazard a guess that a good chunk of the stairhall and library may very well be salvaged material from another house, tackled by a very competent refinisher, and three (hundred) cheers for them if that is the case. If it's new-built, the craftsmen did do a hell of a job. The pale-blue-and-blinding-white room is rather jarring; I would guess it's supposed to be a "ladies' parlor" to mirror the "men's library" across the hall, but it's TOO much contrast. Most of those walls would have been wallpapered, faux-painted or stencilled rather than blank stretches of plain paint, and there should be much, much more artwork on the walls. In that period, bare walls were such a sign of sheer poverty that it was outright embarrassing! (I think it was Magnaverde who once posted a picture here of a rough-built bachelor shanty from the Western frontier in the 1870s or so that was surprisingly prettily decorated, complete with things like picture postcards tacked to the walls.) And frankly, it's just depressing to see so much dull beige wall-to-wall carpeting. It looks wrong. Bad designer, no designer biscuit.

The carpeting didn't win my heart, either, nor the brick wall in the bedroom, but I did like the kitchen. It's an interesting choice for a new build, and I did wonder how much was architectural salvage. I'd guess that landscaping will come in due time--anyone know where this place is?

>I really want to like this house, but there's a lot that DOES say "new construction" to me.

Yes, that was my reaction, too. I'd never think it was an old house, never.

Does anyone know where I would be able to find that backsplash tile? THAT is exactly what I want for a backsplash in my kitchen and I can't find it. Can't wait to show DH what I've been talking about. I couldn't remember where I once saw it, it must have been the movie years ago, and I keep telling DH my vision and he has no clue what I am trying to explain without a picture.

Thanks for posting ttodd!!

Love the whole house BTW, when can I move in? I'm packing now ;-P

If I didn't know.......it's gorgeous! ;o)

Thanks Johnmari. You saved me a lot of typing.

That house would not fool anybody and I do not believe the story the designer told in the article that someone from the local historical society came by to inquire when the house was built. That house is in the same category as those fake Victorians mushrooming up in suburbs.

The landscaping is horrific. Even if those plantings mature it will still look 'off' just like that white picket fence.

Beautiful home! The exterior does look new though. But the interior and all that paneling..wow! Now I kind of wish we'd paneled the new room. lol.

I guess the title says it all "new-old" There were some elements that I loved: like the tin ceiling, paneling, curved entry molding, blue room,windows, etc. However the wall-to-wall carpet and cheap looking rug in the master really looked out of place. It's beautiful for what it is; however, I agree, it doesn't look like a historic home. The staircase was a little over-the-top for me as well.

Thanks for posting it Tiffani! I enjoyed looking....would not have found it otherwise...

Thanks for posting -- really interesting -- but IMHO -- I agree with Mari -- many of the elements are simply jarring. I keep wanting to "fix" things .....

Jan at Rosemary Cottage

kf#(9qw rj^3np 'agsd 8 vn+$e9 'D987!

Darn, looks like all that drooling messed up my keyboard.
What a fabulous house...

I agree with Mari.

To me, this house looks like they threw some gingerbread and porch railings onto a typical McMansion style, then used features akin to a German restaurant inside. I love old houses and the Gothic Revival style, but I'm not liking this.

I'm sitting in my Gothic Revival house right now, built in 1848. The builder of this new house has a good handle on parts of the style, but there are other parts that are just wrong ... count me in with the critics here. What's lacking the most is the sense of 'vertical' that is so important to the GR style. My house was stripped of its ornamentation 40 years ago, but its proportions still scream Gothic. That said, I DO love the kitchen.

Connie

You're welcome!

Well a member of a local historic society doesn't mean an historical expert.

That said the outside does look new (I agree w/ the height propprtions being 'off') but heaven only knows where they are at w/ the landscaping. If they just got done building it last year after a 2 year build, well, I'd guess (and it's just that) that landscaping wasn't the first thing on their minds.

Now about the interior: I think it's pretty darn amazing on the inside! The hall, entry and library look pretty dang good me - I say Bravo! Is everything perfectly right on - no but I can't imagine how much that build must have cost as is let alone if it were done precisely to an exact replica of a Gothic style home.

When they tried to plug all of the info into the computer to get my our homes value they couldn't capture it all. The numbers didn't go high enough because more highly decorative homes simply aren't built like that anymore and I live in a meager thing.

So again I say Bravo! Job well done for hopefully what they were looking for and could afford and give them a few years to landscape and then let it fill in. Hopefully they will take their time and enjoy the evolution of planting!

From someone that lives in a "fake Victorian", though out in the country not the burbs, I think it's a beautiful home, though I'd prefer it all have all been done in stained wood. Just my preference. The kind of materials, as in quality of & sizes of solid woods, along with the quality of craftsmanship that was readily available over a hundred years ago for the "real thing" are very lacking today. If you do have a source of good quality solid woods in true to measured sizes and someone with excellent wood working skills you'll find it's cost prohibitive to most of us. Even some with buck loads of money. Boy would that be nice, though I would hope if I did I'd be philanthropic first before I built such a lavish home.
My hubby and I know that our home will never stack up to the real thing. He loved me enough to build the home of my dreams. He didn't care for VICs at the beginning, though he did liked the floorplans with my changes. He also took time to learn and teach me new skills along the way to make it as beautiful as we can.
Remember, most of us look at our homes differently then others do. Some see their own homes through rose colored glasses where others see many flaws. Then there are those that look at their home as lacking when others see only the beauty. If it makes the owners happy to feel they have a historical "worthy" home, then so be it. Happy is good as long as their happiness doesn't harm others.

ttodd, thanks for sharing. I love houses that are different, and even if this isn't an exact historical replica of the GR style, it's still beautiful.

I'm with justgotabeme - my home will never be a historically worthy country farmhouse, although I love the charming elements of the style. But, I wouldn't want it to be an exact replica either. I like a nice big closet. :o) I do incorporate antiques, reproductions and other inspirational items into my decor, but still enjoy the modern luxuries of a new home.

In any case, homes as ornate as the GR style are not the norm any more. It's fascinating to research architecture across time. Here is a a really great link for anyone who is interested in learning and seeing more about the GR style:

Here is a link that might be useful: Gothic Revival Style

Jan, you said it so much better than I. Thanks for the link too!

Justgotabme, very well said! It's insulting to me when someone refers to other's homes as "faux/fake." It's like their house is inferior even with the best designers, architects and all the money in the world.

Sorry, just had to get that off my chest. lol. Have you posted pictures of your house before? I'd love to see it.

Thanks Oakley. Design styles of all kinds have been copied over the years with each designer's, painter's, sculptor's, etc very own interpretation of them. We all are inspired by others and when we copy them, even in our own special way, it's still a form of flattery. I grew up wanting to be a fashion designer so was always followed what was "new". One of those new ideas was peplum added to fitted jackets and dresses. I was surprised when my Mom said they were popular when she was about my age in the forties. She even had photos of herself wearing dresses with a peplum.
So as the sayings go, "What goes around comes around" or "Comes Full Circle" so does the styles of homes.

By the way Dan Fogelberg did an album called Full Circle. He didn't write the title song, but wow did he make it his. (He played all the instruments on that CD.)

Here is a link that might be useful: Peplums are Back

What really bugs me about this house, what really screams "this is unabashedly inauthentic!" is the unfinished tin ceiling. Tin ceilings were never intended to remain shiny metallic and unfinished. They were created as an affordable alternative to carved and molded plaster ceilings, and as such were originally painted white to mimic plaster. To use them unfinished like this looks just "off" to me, no matter what style of house you're working with.

That said, the kitchen is awfully pretty--it's nice to see new construction with some imagination. :)