Touring Elaborate Foursquare built in 1899 | This House Tours

[@StevenTorrey]

A house built in 1899 will not meet modern expectations for insulation, electrical, heating, plumbing standards, Remodeling an older building while updating/modernizing and still retaining the historicity of the house and whatever of that history can be salvaged is no small task. The architects; designers have exceeded themselves. Kudos to a job well done.

[@ThisHouse]

Well said!

[@thedesken]

I agree 👍

[@janedoe805]

I absolutely love, love love that entire home?

[@larryroberts4071]

I'VE SEEN SEVERAL OF YOUR VIDEOS ON THE OLDER RESTORE HOME, YOU ALWAYS MAKE IT VERY INTERTESING WITH THE BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND YOUR ENTHUSIAM. THANK YOU VERY FUN TO SEE THESE OLD HOMES SHOWN

[@johnvonundzu2170]

A beautifully restored/reworked house! Whoever is responsible really deserves high marks. Here's hoping a future owner finds a sensitive architect to replace the lost front porch - it would make a big difference from the street.

[@marciafallon7653]

A stunning old home. How wonderful that the current owner has magnificent decorating taste and the resources to restore ( and update) the home as it should be. Thank you!

[@chuckandmax7313]

What a beauty, I noticed right away the old wavy glass in the windows and the decorative cartouche over the main window, oh how stunning is the front entryway and so large, I really love the mirror and bench and the white trim is stunning. The new owner did a great job on recreating the home. The dining room is stunning with its beautiful ceiling and I love love love the pocket doors with the glass panels. The living room is lovely and I’m still loving all the white woodwork. They did a stunning job on the kitchen it’s fresh and updated and really fits in the house. The powder room is modern and fresh. This house really does lend itself to its modern upgrades without feeling like you have lost all the original features. The upstairs landing is very spacious. The master bedroom with the brickwork on the fireplace is fantastic, I really like the French doors and the amount of light in the room, the master bath is superb and although there is not a lot of historic things to look at it’s still fabulous the third floor is wonderful I love the blue trim and the window seats. The Delphi tile in the bathroom really accents the blue trim and I love all the space upstairs the attic is a gem. Usually I feel sad that the home isn’t in original condition but this home lends so well to its upgrades and is so fresh and modern while still holding on to the spirit of the home, it has great vibes and would be a great place to raise a family. Anyone would be lucky to land this grand old lady she’s sleek and up to date and willing to stay current to todays trends. Nothing in the home had a feeling of kitsch like country barn doors or the like, they really used the finest materials to breathe new life into a home that will continue to raise families for generations adding to its history of loving its former occupants. I could see myself moving in today. You didn’t really show the back yard though or whether or not there was a garage, that’s always a must have for me. I loved this tour Ken, once again you have outdone yourself.

[@dewdrop3302]

@ ChuckandMax I couldn't have said it better! Thanks for saying it all for me.

[@ThisHouse]

Thank you for another wonderful and heartfelt comment! I completely agree with everything you said and could have seen myself living in this house exactly the way it was. There was a detached 2 car garage and a good sized back yard (you can see those in the zillow link in the video description). It was really cold that day so we made the decision not to do much filming outside. Glad you enjoyed this one, cheers! -Ken

[@chuckandmax7313]

@@ThisHouse I did enjoy it, as I enjoy all your content, I think I’m your biggest fan. Having a garage and a yard makes that home even better, I could see myself living there to. I should make a point to come to St Louis one day, now that I’m in Texas it’s not so far a drive as from California

[@twistoffate4791]

I liked the third-floor bathroom with the blue & white detail, as well as the step-up windows up there.

[@stephanierodriguez1555]

Absolutely gorgeous! Thank you for the tour!

[@ThisHouse]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@betsyh2503]

What a beautiful, gorgeous home, the homeowner did a fabulous job. Thank you for the tour! Edited to add: I looked at the listing expecting 1 million + for the price, I was surprised that wasn’t the case! Wow! I hope the next homeowners take good care of this home.

[@ThisHouse]

I'm so glad that you enjoyed this tour and really hope that the next owners cherish it as well. Thanks for watching, Ken

[@vickiephilpitt7697]

The views from the 3rd floor windows were facinating and looks like a really nice neighborhood so the house shouldn't be on the market for too long. Kudos to everyone.👍

[@markwagner4909]

I love a 4 square home with hip roofs

[@tinaweiss9345]

This is a gorgeous home. I love all the woodwork and natural light that shines through. Absolutely charming.

[@rivers613]

Thank you Ken!

[@amandab.recondwith8006]

This is THE house I want to live in!! It's your BEST!!

[@theworldwidecatholicchurch]

While I haven't managed to watch this whole video yet as it has only been public for a Short time. I just want to say that I love this Channel and the videos posted on it!

[@ThisHouse]

We're so glad that you are enjoying the videos, thanks for watching!

[@theworldwidecatholicchurch]

@@ThisHouse You are very much welcome! And at the time of posting that original comment of course, I hadn't been able to watch the full video yet as it had come out only 1 minute prior. But I must say, I did indeed enjoy this video as well as every single other Video on this channel!

[@court5231]

That was actually a really elegant remodel! Especially understanding the limitations the owner had remaining! Great video! You're very classy! 🥰

[@mikebarry1514]

Thank you for the home tour.loved the craftmanship door hardware.Saint Louis has some beautiful historic homes that i previously was not aware off until your channel.

[@ThisHouse]

I'm so glad that you can discover St. Louis' rich architectural legacy through our channel, thanks for watching! -Ken

[@amandab.recondwith8006]

I grew up in a big Edwardian house. For years, no one thought about the door knobs or the old fashioned push-button light switches and their plates. One day when I was in high school, I looked at the front door latch and had a thought. I got some saddle soap and a cloth and rubbed it, and out came this gorgeous shiny brass! I spent many hours going over the whole house wiping off the grime of 100 years from these fixtures, and they all turned out to be made of solid shining brass! My mother was dumbfounded and my dad gave me an extra allowance. If you live in an old house, check out your door fixtures and you may be very surprised! 😁

[@dcnunez100]

This home is gorgeous, so much natural light! Btw, Ken, you look sharp!

[@jenniferisaacs239]

Beautiful!

[@ThisHouse]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@matthewmcmahon1702]

Just now seeing this, but as a realtor I got a chance to go and show this property to a client back when it was on the Market.

[@ultraviolettp3446]

That house is fabulous! I love the understated look - usually I don't like painted woodwork but this is stunning in the white against the beige/green wall covering. This is one of my favorite homes you've covered. Once again you did a great job!

[@matthewrabida1182]

I live in st louis its great to see these beautiful historic homes great video you should check out alton il also its full of beautiful houses and mansions in the historic district

[@ThisHouse]

Glad you are enjoying our videos! We recently toured the Beall Mansion in Alton. Here is the video kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpqwqJ6kma2Bnqc

[@phyllisarrington7436]

I did enjoy it. Thanks fir for posting.

[@BusyMom2mv]

The good video to show this Beautiful house, thanks

[@mikenixon2401]

We always enjoyed CWE. Went to showings dreaming "wish we could afford this."

[@rosepelzel4244]

Lovely with a lot of potential!

[@thedesken]

Absolutely stunning. I could move in tomorrow 😁

[@davidward805]

Another great video! I really like the way that you do the videos. And I also like your choice of music very much.

[@sylviamayo379]

OMG !!!!!!!! Just Awesome, Awesome, Awesome Wish I could afford the house I would buy. I really love everything about it, as well as the third floor for my Arts and Crafts. Thanks very again I really love your Channel and looking forward to the next THIS HOUSE.

[@ThisHouse]

Thank you so much, glad you liked it!!

[@JR-gh8lp]

This is stunning!

[@rebeccavalicoff1581]

This house is tastefully done!

[@ThisHouse]

Glad you like it!

[@EdgarPerez-yv7et]

It’s so beautiful

[@colourwheel5703]

Love this house. ❤

[@yolandarodriguez2154]

Magnificent thank you 😊

[@dianacanales2526]

Absolutely Beautiful home!! I really appreciate the work you do with pointing out even small historical details, such as original hardware, creative use of the re-purposed original wood floors and the lovely design of the step-up windows on the third floor. Understanding that this home is more of a remodel than an actual restoration, I thought it was all very tastefully done and fell in love with it anyway. If I had been lucky enough to purchase this home, I would have exposed the original woodwork on the entire staircase. However, I loved the mirror to the right of the landing and the very useful bench in front of the main staircase. The paned pocket door was very impressive, as usually they are nearly always all wood. Stunning kitchen! I think even in restorations, the kitchen should be functional in order to make it comfortably livable, and loved how the design colors and style flowed with the rest of the main floor. I was surprised there was not a covered porch front entry. But maybe the new owners will consider adding that to the home. All the natural light from generous windows gave a really warm, inviting feel to the space. Wonderful tour of a stunning home!

[@Techdude9856]

i've been following since it came on the market pre flip..the design choices are very intresting

[@ThisHouse]

There were certainly some tough decisions that had to be made in restoring/renovating the home.

[@Lucinda_Jackson]

I really loved the house itself. It’s beautiful and very imposing from the street and has a great presence, excepting the ultra modern lights on either side of that magnificent entrance. I’m even surprisingly okay with the replacement door with oval glass. It has a nice layout and flow and I think the ground floor is lovely. I would have liked more trim and millwork in the original wood finish instead of white everywhere, but there are still enough great details and features left from the original home to give it a warmer feel. The pocket doors, windows, fireplaces, doors with transoms, etc all show the home’s charm. I don’t even mind the kitchen - a family still needs to live in the space and the kitchen needs to accommodate a current lifestyle. It could be made a bit less modern with a few different choices in decor, such as the lights and island seating. I’d say the first floor is a good blend of historic and modern and very livable and I liked it. I also loved the attic. The crisp blue and white (and that beautiful tile in the little bathroom!) are so appealing and, with all the windows, helps to keep things light and bright. Attics can often be a bit dark. And, as you said, painted woodwork wouldn’t have been uncommon in an attic space. It’s doubtful that it would have been a dark shade of blue - more likely it would have been white or cream with color on the walls - but I think it still comes across well as it helps to accentuate and show off the features of the rooms while breaking up the relentless sea of white in the house. Where things get lost, IMO, is on the second floor. All that remains leaving any of the home’s original character intact are the beautiful doors with their hardware. Everything else is a stark, very modern, white. One bedroom had a beautiful fireplace mantel and I think it’s pretty painted white (prettier when white against color on the walls IMO), but then they painted the apron tiles in front of the fireplace with flat, white paint! Who paints porcelain tiles? The originals should have been refurbished or replaced, not just had an odd looking coat of flat white paint slapped on both tiles and grout. Just a terrible shortcut! Then there’s the stripped down brick fireplace in the master bedroom. Also very modern and not something that’s at all historically accurate or even attractive in that space. The baths were done in a very modern and cold grey and white - which, aside from being a bad choice for the house, will soon be going out of style. The second floor just looks, frankly, like a generic, cheap, flip house. Oh, and there’s the matter of the absolutely drop dead gorgeous piece of original furniture in that bathroom. Why, oh why, did they place it in n a room with high humidity AND ruin it by cutting it down to fit that space?? Perhaps it had been cut down by previous occupants to fit that space? All in all, the house was lovely - just sad that the design choices were so inappropriately generic.

[@ThisHouse]

Very well said. I wish that I would have been given permission to show the old real-estate photos in the video showing the 'before,' however, I wasn't able to get permission from the former photography company. That being said, here is a link to the old listing that shows the condition that the house was in when it was acquired by the current owner. I would be interested to hear if your opinion changes at all as to the quality of the flip. I was blown away by the transformation considering just how badly damaged many parts of the house were. I truly do believe that the current owner saved AS MUCH as she possibly could. Also, it is worth noting that in this specific neighborhood, poplar was used a lot for millwork and would have always been intended to be painted (something we learned after filming). Here is the link to the 'before' photos www.estately.com/listings/info/5266-washington-place -Ken

[@Lucinda_Jackson]

@@ThisHouse Thank you so much, Ken! I’ll definitely take a look in a bit and let you know my thoughts (You know I always do! LOL). I’m on my way out the door right now! 🎄

[@Lucinda_Jackson]

@@ThisHouse I was expecting much worse! It didn’t come across as being in terrible condition when it was last sold. Much of the work was in the downstairs with new floors and windows, a revamped kitchen and powder room, etc. And the work was all great! I already liked the first floor except for a few touches here and there that were simply a matter of differing choices. I don’t even have a problem with leaving the rest of the millwork painted there - windows and doorways would have been much more expensive and difficult to match so probably easier, better and perfectly fine to paint all of that. It’s the entry where I felt the loss of the wood. I grew up next door to a house somewhat like this one - less grand, or on a slightly smaller scale - and I always loved the wood. That mirror with the bench, the big storage bench along with the paneling behind it, and that newel post and staircase were all oak and very dignified and imposing in their natural state. It was awe-inspiring every time and I loved that the woman who lived there enjoyed having a little girl admire and explore her home! Maybe my reaction was colored more than a little by my memories of how it would have looked. You may find it interesting that, being on a slightly less grand scale, the servant’s staircase wasn’t a full set of stairs to the second floor, but led to a landing halfway up where the help would continue on the main stairs. As for the second and third floors, I pretty much stand by my original comments there as well. There was no reason I could see from the pictures (which may be the key) to remove the fireplace surround and mantel in the owner’s suite and strip the wall to brick except for some modern, urban coolness factor. I see that the fantastic built-in was, in fact, in that spot before and looks like it always was. And it looks like it was always awkwardly jammed into the corner. It’s difficult to see from the angles of the photos, but there may have been drywall applied to the old plaster wall there which makes it look as if it has been cut. Either way, I was clearly wrong there! I do hate, though, that it’s now in a bathroom… I think sometimes I forget how much additional work has been done that isn’t apparent at first - work that quickly eats up budgets. Like the removal of paint on the facade. I was worried about not feeling the light fixtures were just right when they had spent the time and money to preserve the building by removing the paint that was suffocating the building! And removal of the stair lift and it’s power “stuff” at the top of the stairs in the hall and those awful wads of electrical wires everywhere in what I think was the basement!! Thanks so much, Ken, for giving the link - I appreciate it as I appreciate your channel and all the hard work you do. 💕

[@ThisHouse]

That house sounds beautiful! The only time I have ever seen a maid's stair like the one you've described was in the tudor style house that I recently toured in the Central West End. It would have given guests the illusion that there was another staircase even though that was only partially true. As far as the reasoning behind exposing the brick in the owner's suite, I'm not sure why the mantle was removed. From what I heard, anything that was beyond repair was taken out from the home and what could be fixed was. I'm sure it would have been very expensive to have had that mantle replicated. Thankfully, there are photos of it. Maybe someday the new owners will have it restored. Yes, the removal of paint on the facade was something that I really wanted to highlight. Not having the ability to share those before photos in the video made me reconsider speaking about it. That, along with tuckpointing, would have eaten up a large chunk of the budget. I'm so glad that you appreciate this channel and the wok that we do! -Ken

[@sewforlife5728]

@@ThisHouse wow! I like the before better as far as the original kitchen I would have kept and done up. The light fixtures were more keeping with the house age. I love that the new owner kept a lot of original features and did a lot to bring those back, but where the house loses it charm is the decor is to contemporary, and where are all the window treatments? Even just some simple sheers would have suffice. Unless your working with a modern building with modern furnishings, no window treatments can really kill a room. I also notice in the old listing pics the bathrooms were more fitting to the house as well. They restored a lot of great features, well done, but then took away from that by making the decor so 2021 contemporary. It's kinda like, yes! We would love to have grandma and grandpa come live with us! It will be great to have them here! Then hide them in the attic .😬 You have to point out the historic features because the 2021 decor hides them.

[@verbouwingikeesmee3152]

Very nice buikdibg and well decorated 🤩

[@vickiephilpitt7697]

Nice remodel of an ancient home. With all the white it's somewhat contemporary. Too bad they didn't strip the paint from the staircase and doors leaving it all natural to match the flooring and more true to the original time line. I guess that's the difference between restoring and remodeling. Also depends on what will sell quickest in today's society.

[@ThisHouse]

Those are all great points!

[@blkequus]

a typical HGTV fix up.

[@angelakaizer5980]

I’m obsessed with all the beautiful hardware, thank you for always pointing it out. What I don’t understand is why there are so many dead fireplaces? You say ‘obviously not working’ but why?

[@gregpendrey6711]

Ken mentions the escucheons were cleaned up. Maybe the trim was already painted. Refrigerator white 😮 esp. on the exterior. I can picture te outside trim tinted to mimic the tone of the stone accents.

[@carolyneasley8980]

Gorgeous home! The area looks familiar I believe it's Cates and Hamilton.

[@ThisHouse]

Very close! It is near Union and Delmar. Glad you enjoyed it!

[@squeakD]

Wow I need to go down and check our cities public records. My Victorian home is supposed to have been built in 1910, but we, think the house is actually older. All of the doors are original, with original hardware too. Our fireplaces are nearly identical to the house in this video, and the ornate oval knob on the front door is identical to every knob with skeleton keyholes in our home. We think the home was built in the late 1880’s or sometime in the 90’s, as it clearly looks pre 1900.

[@barbarat5729]

If it was built in 1910 that was the end of the Edwardian Era. Your home may very well be built in a Victorian Era style though.

[@squeakD]

@@barbarat5729 We found the cities records were wrong. Our home was built in 1888.

[@jrgnc1]

I suspect the living room was actually the original dining room since it's right off the kitchen. And there is no leaded glass in those oval windows.

[@ThisHouse]

Good point!

[@califdad4]

I've always been fond of 4 square houses, but not many in California. I do prefer a covered porch though

[@3tI8P-lj2lo]

The closet door is pine and the room door is oak.

[@3tI8P-lj2lo]

The floor in the bath is heart pine (which is pretty special). If the floor in the hall is the same, then it's heart pine, not oak. I love your videos, but please work a bit on your knowledge of building materials and forms. I saw you consistently refering to casement windows as double hung as well. Again, I love what you're doing, but it woudl be even better if you were using the correct names.

[@johnrobertford8049]

No hand rail on the bottom part of the stairs. Missing hand rails drive me crazy. :)

[@edcomedian357]

was there a closet in the owners bedroom?

[@TrevorTrottier]

Extrawide pocket doors on older houses makes that a parlour room rather than a living room, which is ironic considering the differing purposes.

[@ThisHouse]

Thanks for the information.

[@anthonyballard9051]

👍I love this house, but I wish you'd shown us the basement!... 😢

[@ThisHouse]

If you check the link in the video description, you can see a photo of the basement. It was a nice, clean, unfinished basement, but the lighting just wouldn't work with our camera.

[@anthonyballard9051]

@@ThisHouse Thanks!... 👍

[@josephwallace7287]

I wish Illinois wasn't so close to Saint Louis.

[@fionaokeefe1906]

St Louis is not a state it’s a city! You meant to say Missouri cuz that’s the state!

[@sherryseckler3494]

Must have found a special on white paint…..

[@the_resourceful]

Zero window treatments? Not even roll up shades? I love fresh daylight and big windows but Privacy is a must as well.

[@fionaokeefe1906]

So true!

[@gloriasandone7134]

💚🙏🏼🇺🇸

[@mariakettlehut7399]

Too white for me. Prefer all natural woodwork.

[@stephenjburkhart6902]

To bad the wood is painted. Although, maybe it was completely beyond restoring.

[@sheilaisaacs981]

hello

[@patrickwalker2357]

It’s missing it’s front porch.

[@edcomedian357]

she painted everything Hate dining rooms up front

[@thomasgeorgecastleberry6918]

Single pane windows? Way to much painted woodwork, homeowner likes "white", probably eats lunch at White Castle. Still a beautiful house, your video's are fantastic. Forced air heat? Big Attic. Basement? Yard? Garage? What about AC?

[@janewasson4845]

Why why why paint that beautiful woodwork? If its a contemporary house that you want- fine. Don't destroy an old house!

[@fionaokeefe1906]

It’s an older home that needed work so what do you do you save what you can and the rest you have to restore and update! You know nobody trying to live in a decaying home!

[@janethope2452]

A skeleton key,for a closet which is empty with nothing inside .

[@loripowell7654]

Sadly….the home had beautiful wood throughout, but was painted white to make everything so modern & plain. Not much historic character left to admire….

[@stephanierodriguez1555]

Did we watch the same video?

[@sammyjo8109]

I felt the same way. Looks like a flip house inside. I would think it would bring down the price of the home. House has no character inside.

[@fionaokeefe1906]

@@sammyjo8109 most folks like modern style homes….if you want homes with character then I suggest you pack your bags and travel to places like Spain France Greece England Ireland Italy Wales and Scotland! Their homes date back to when Jesus was preaching in the temples!

[@irisheyes5890]

Never paint wood in old homes.

[@fionaokeefe1906]

The wood had rotted! So you would live in a rotted wooded house?!?

[@vernonsanders371]

iam not a fan of painted wood in historical homes eighter

[@colliecoform4854]

Beautiful house but it is a shame that so much of the wood was painted white.

[@ThisHouse]

Here are the "before" pictures if you would like to see how it looked when it was last purchased www.estately.com/listings/info/5266-washington-place

[@wbrandon7456]

House decor is TOO contemporary inside it defeats the purpose of an historical home. The outside very period of the past.

[@keridane9381]

Great videos, but nothing "of course" about informing your audience the fireplaces don't work. That's HUGE in my book. Of course, they're working, I'd not object to, but a non working fireplace is just a giant disappointment, always.

[@memo6733]

Most of the wood work was painted over with white paint bad idea.

[@patrickwalker2357]

The marble tiles on the fireplaces are very ugly

[@fionaokeefe1906]

Patrick, what kind of surround do your fireplaces have?!?

[@waiouru1971]

I don't like all the dead fireplaces I'm sorry.

[@fionaokeefe1906]

I didn’t know fireplaces could die, I guess it’s time to play harp from the tomb over them and write their obituaries!

[@johnsarkis5468]

It would have been nice to see the basement, & the backyard. Sorry to be critical, since it's a very nice home. But (for me), it just didn't have that WOW factor. And all the rooms seemed small, not very practical for today's families.

[@ThisHouse]

Glad you enjoyed it, and we always welcome constructive criticism. I'll have to tell my cameraman to tough it out in the cold weather next time. As far as the back yard and garage, you can see photos of those in the zillow link posted in the video description. Thanks for watching! -Ken

[@billy1673]

If you’re gonna spend all that money to restore a house you may as well get all the fireplaces up and running.🤦🏻‍♂️

[@bojacque6474]

They absolutely ruined that home.

[@mountopia77]

This was pathetic. This house is fake and mass produced with a 3D printed feel. Using old items for a "original antique look" just to up the price is cringey and insulting.

[@Michael-008]

Beautiful!

[@ThisHouse]

Glad you liked it!

[@lillianwilliams5510]

Beautiful!!