The First Project

We realized that the bathroom was in really good shape when we looked closely at it. We spent our first weekend cleaning, patching, sanding and painting. We figured that not only would this project realize itself the quickest, but that we would also be able to take a shower once in a while. The bath is also home to our laundry station. There is a washer/dryer in the wall, with a great folding counter. Underneath the counter are drawers for linens and a pull out hamper.
Cleaning out all of the old caulk and re-caulking gives the tub's edge a new life. Between this step and cleaning the tile and grout, we could immediately see a whole new life in this room.
The cabinetry and built-ins that make up the bulk of the space were manufactured by the Stark family business (more on this in a later post) and remain in very good condition. The original lacquer on these cabinets has been affected by the moisture of the shower and we had to scrape and paint these. There are a few issues with the hardware on the drawers and the doors that hide the up/down washer/dryer combo. I will need to replace some of this to make things run smoothly.
The bath also contains the one odd window in the whole house. There is a vinyl double hung contemporary window in this space and is awkward in relation to the other originals. I will be contacting a New England company that specializes in crafting historically accurate window sashes and doors. I will blog more about this when the time comes.
With the bathroom almost complete, we are able to see the possibilities for the rest of the house. We are looking forward to completing this room and moving on to the living room soon!

About the Owners

We were married in September of 2007 and immediately began searching for a home. We were looking for something that satisfied our artistic interests and had a sense of character that was out of the ordinary. Kathrin has a Bachelors degree from Drew University in Art History and is a native of Easton. She currently manages a recording studio in Manhattan full time. Her dedication to research is exemplified in her thesis on St. John the Divine Cathedral in New York City. Todd has a Masters degree from Rhode Island School of Design in Sculpture and grew up in nearby Califon, New Jersey. He currently teaches in the foundations department at Parsons School of Design in Manhattan and is a partner in a Design/Build company in Brooklyn, New York. He has worked on a number of restoration projects and also spent a summer working for a window sash and door maker in New England. We are hoping that with our combined interests and experience that we can put this property on the map as one of Easton's finest restorations.

A quick note on the builders

The house was built between 1857 and 1859 by two brothers; Joseph and Daniel Fulmer. One was a blacksmith and the other was a whitesmith. It is unclear right now which brother was which. It is clear that the two of them had a family business which was run out of a small building two doors down the street. I will be posting more on the history of the house on a daily basis. I would like to give credit for my current resources to Tom Jones of Easton, Pa. He has written an extensive pamphlet on the history of the house and has done considerable research. I am referencing his writings for much of my initial posting. We would like to thank him for all of the hard work he did in acquiring this information.

Here she is!

We are very excited to get to work on this historic beauty. Our budget is limited, so we intend to work on one room or project at a time. We want to post what we learn so that other restoration buffs can learn from our adventures. We will spend our time between our projects on the house and talking to others in Easton who are doing the same thing. We are also hoping to reach out to people who are looking for a great place to restore and show them that Easton Pennsylvania is a great place to move. Check in often as we hope to be updating you on our progress!