In the market for an historic Victorian??Posted on | May 21, 2010 | 2 Comments In a conversation with a long-time customer the other day, we got word of a Victorian home for sale. While there are, of course, many houses on the market these days, (including some older ones), I asked the owner if I could post this one on our blog since the house happens to be a Newsom Brothers design.
Now even if you’re not from California, and not as familiar with the 19th century domestic or commercial architecture of Joseph and Samuel Cather Newsom, you have still probably seen what is perhaps their magnum opus of residential designs, the William Carson Mansion in Eureka, Ca. now the home of the private Ingomar Club.
Its been called “the most photographed Victorian in America”, (and it probably is), owing to the fact that it is most exuberant residence the two brothers ever put on paper. But then most of the Newsom’s houses are exuberant and often eccentric in the most appealing way. By the way, the Carson Mansion is NOT the house that our customer is selling, but the one below is, and it is also from the imaginative minds of the Newsom Brothers. Here are a few pictures provided by the seller of the house, located in a historic neighborhood in Stockton, Ca.
The facade is a nice combination of Stick Style and Queen Anne, which would make sense since it was built in 1888.
The front hall, (looking partially into the front parlor) appears to retain all of its original detailing, and amazing stained glass. It also has its original newel post lighting, parquet flooring and pocket doors.
You can see the “heft” of some of the trim and wainscot in this room, and notice the very generous frieze space and ceiling (just in case you happen to know a good source for Victorian wallpapers…). Lastly, it’s marker outside…
So you can own Stockton’s “best example of Victorian architecture” and for only… ready for this… $200,000! It’s really a steal, especially given its pedigree as a Newsom Brothers design!! By the way, I learned that the house is zoned for commercial use also, and has a fully finished basement living area. So if you are in the market for a painted lady or would like to learn more details about the house or to see it for yourself, you can call Kathleen @ 209 470 6019. Thanks to all our B&B visitors!Posted on | May 11, 2010 | 1 Comment We want to thank everyone who turned out for our Open House event on May 1st! Is was a great success with a lot of enthusiastic oooohs and aaahhs and many questions about the process of silk screen printing.
It was an excellent opportunity to acquaint some of our first time visitors with the company; the most common reaction being “I had no idea that wallpaper was made this way”! Of course, this is just one method, but probably the most exciting to watch since the design is “built up” before your eyes. Julian, (in the blue smock above) and Burt offered printing demonstrations through the day, and both are veteran craftsmen who have both printed perhaps a hundred miles of paper over their last 25 years! There was heavy traffic around the “seconds” table, and while Mom & Dad looked around the kids had fun creating their own wallpaper on one of the tables.
We all had a terrific time and hope everyone who visited left with a greater appreciation of hand printing and the people who put it all together here at Bradbury & Bradbury. Thanks again to all our visitors and a special shout out to Beverly, June, Lisa, Burt, Julian, and Celine for their hard work that day. Our thanks also to Liz and Colleen for the confections!! Check out a detailed first hand account from one of our visitors at Retro Renovation! Category: Events
Tags: Bradbury & Bradbury > Open House > Retro renovation > Silk Screen Printing > wallpaper Join us for our Open House!Posted on | April 15, 2010 | No Comments
See the link above for directions and more information. Please be aware that we will not be open on Sunday May 2nd. VPA presentation at the Kimura HousePosted on | March 22, 2010 | No Comments I just had the wonderful opportunity to speak to the Victorian Preservation Society of Santa Clara County a very friendly non-profit group of folks dedicated to the preservation of historic homes, (including those built after the Victorian era) in that community.
The presentation took place at what I learned was a recently designated historic landmark, the Kimura House, (above) located in the heart of San Jose’s old Japantown. Our evening was hosted by members James Williams and Lance Shoemaker who had recently purchased the Kimura House property after the death of the last of the resident family members. I encourage you to read the fascinating background story to this elegant house which is detailed on the VPA newsletter link here, (click on the pdf of the March 2010 newsletter)… Surviving members of the Kimura family have been helping the current owners with research and history of the house and are said to be keenly interested in its preservation. To start, all of us at the presentation that night were treated to a tour of this charming old Italianate, with some of its over 100 year old interior decoration still in place. Of course, the thing that got my attention the most was the remaining wallpaper. Two complete Victorian roomsets are still in evidence, parts of one of them in the dining room, (which the homeowners had preserved in place before stripping the other decayed remains). The fill paper below (which was more easily photographed) was an abstracted filagree of metallic gold line work, with ivory colored insets on a acidy beige background. James had actually found the short-lived manufacturer’s name on the selvedge of the paper and then tracked some of their story from a Google search. This style of paper was a typical product for them, for they had specialized, according to their advertising, in “gold and ivory patterns on beige grounds”!
The other set, all three pieces being illustrated here, was hung in the remarkably intact finished basement of the house.
Along with the wallpaper, the basement still has its original mouldings and a carved marble fireplace …
Back upstairs, the owners had kindly left another area of wallpaper in the front entry for us all to study, which has several layers, the floral one in the picture being an Arts & Crafts paper designed as many were, to look like a woven textile, which was remarked to look more like a “pixilated computer rendering” than a typical bungalow-era paper.
After the tour, a brief history of the Kimura House was given and then the lively group of about 30 in attendance were treated to a “sneak peek” of some of the Bradbury & Bradbury projects we have in the works, and it was great to get their positive feedback and suggestions, which are always appreciated. I last spoke to the group in 2006, so it was a great chance to catch up on how things have gone for everyone over the last few years. I had a great evening with the VPA members and it was exciting to see so many original intact wallpapers and the beautiful Kimura House! Thanks again to the VPA for the invitation and to James and Lance for hosting the evening for us. Category: Events, Victorian, Wallpaper Stories
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Tags: Arts & Crafts wallpaper > Kimura House > San Jose Japantown > Victorian Preservation Society of Santa Clara County > Victorian wallpaper |
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If you are in the Bay Area next month you will have an opportunity to visit our wallpaper factory on Saturday, May 1, from 10-5 for an Open House, in tandem with the Arts Benicia annual 
