The third floor: A Victorian Library
We started with this
And ended with this

Click on this photo to see a slide show of the steps we took. Keep clicking each slide (right side) to advance to the next.

The library is our dream room, something we've always wanted. It took us about 5 years to collect all of the pieces that would make it work.The last big coup was a pile of vintage mahogany molding we bought at a warehouse clearance. The project came out better than we thought it would -- which goes to show, you don't know until you try!



Vintage hardware makes any cabinet look more authentic. Our aim was to make the library look like it's always been there. There are two reading shelves, some vintage sconces, which are actually marriages of two lamps, a brass rail for the ladder, and a circa 1920 rolling ladder, which we bought online and drove to New Jersery to collect. We got three half-round stained glass windows cheap because they were damaged. I built frames for them and Jill repaired the glass. She did a great job. Click the window for a before photo.


The library has the best view in the house.



Third floor stairs before and after (the new balusters unpainted at this point).
Third floor bath before and after

















