This content was originally published on OldHouseOnline.com and has been republished here as part of a merger between our two businesses. All copy is presented here as it originally appeared there.
The master bathroom in the restored Oregon bungalow is an authentic re-creation of a 1920s bath. Built-in cabinets flanking the sink interpret the simple, white-painted millwork of the period, as do the medicine cabinet and framed mirrors. Why not let the past inform suitable design today?
It’s not difficult to research design elements of houses built after 1910 or so, as many catalogs and magazines recorded every aspect of homebuilding. Dining-room sideboards, room-dividing colonnades, entry doors, and especially cabinets and built-ins for kitchens, butler’s pantries, and bathrooms may be patterned on these period examples. Antiquarian booksellers often have the primary documents for sale. Increasingly, vintage illustrations and entire books are archived on various internet sites, too. Go to archive.org for a start.
