For the work that's hard to find anyone to do.
Some jobs only come up in old houses, and very few people still do them. These are quoted case by case. Tell me about your project and I'll let you know how I can help.
Decorative painting
Faux bois
Quoted case by case
Faux bois (French for "fake wood") is the old craft of painting a surface so it looks like real wood grain. It shows up all over historic homes: doors, trim, mantels, and built-ins, often painted to make an everyday wood look like oak or another fine hardwood.
It's very hard to find anyone who can still do it well. I've completed more than a dozen faux bois projects, including many full rooms. Most often that means matching new woodwork to a house's existing faux bois, or repairing damaged graining: replacing the wood itself, then painting it so it blends with the original.
Research
House histories
Quoted case by case
A deep dive into your house's real story. I dig into historic plat maps and other records, and read the house itself, to pin down when it was actually built and how it has changed.
Online listings often get a house's age wrong, sometimes by decades. That matters: a design built around the wrong era will never feel right in the house.
For homeowners
Make design decisions based on what your house really is, or just get to know it better.
For realtors
Give a notable listing a clear, accurate snapshot of its history before it goes on the market.
For designers & architects
Start your design from the right era. I'm happy to be brought in on someone else's project.
What you get: a written report with everything I'm able to find, usually including historic plat maps.
Not every house has a well-documented story. Many were home to modest families living modest lives, and that's part of the history too.
Have something specific in mind?
Send a few photos and a short description. I'll tell you what's possible and what it would take.