Vive La Victorian!

From Houzz tour - Eoin Lyons Interiors

Why do Victorian's get such a bad rap?

For a long time, the housing market has viewed Victorians as being stuffy dark places where ghosts and mice like to dwell.  Oh sure, there have been the hold outs, the purists who love a curvy Queen Anne Victorian parlor and whose mantra is "more is more"!  But for many, Victorians spell formality and fussiness.  But that attitude is changing, as evidenced by some recent tours on Houzz and Apartment Therapy featuring Victorians in a fresh modern light. 

Houzz tours:

Victorian Home With a Modern Outlook

Victorian Home Takes On a Colorful Personality  

From Houzz tour - Eoin Lyons Interiors

These homes are graced with high ceilings, deep moldings and warm wood floors - a perfect foil for contemporary lighting and furnishings.  They transport the ordinary into the extraordinary.  Stripped of the layers of competing patterns, the Victorian's woodwork becomes the star.

From Houzz look book - Lisa K Tharp Design

Apartment Therapy tour: Nyakinyua & Ivan's Bohemian ChicVictorian Home

I lived in a Queen Anne Victorian as a child and I still remember the intricate molded plaster that decorated the dining room in a fanciful collection of fruit and cherubs.  That house sparked my passion for historic homes.

Here on the cape, our historic homes date as far back as the 17th century, but there are pockets of Victorians.  The Cape became a popular tourist destination during the Victorian period.  You may be familiar with the charming painted cottages on Martha's Vineyard.

Here is one of our listings for a Victorian period house in Harwich Port that is for sale at $699,900, well below appraised value:

232 Bank Street, Harwich Port

232 Bank Street, Harwich Port

Would you like to see other Victorian homes on the Cape? click here

Tales and Ales event - Historic New England

I'm obsessed with old houses.  There, I've said it.  Obsessed.  So when my husband and I decided that it was high time to take a little vacation for ourselves and get away, of course I went right on over to Historic New England's website to see what events were coming up.

I noticed one that had all the necessary elements for fun - old house, good food, micro brewed ales, stories from the past, music, and fellowship with other old house nuts.  Here is the description of "Tales and Ales" from Historic New England's website:

Tales and Ales, October 18

Saturday, October 18, 6:30 – 9:00 p.m. 
Swett-Ilsley House, 4 High Road, Newbury, Mass.

$35 Historic New England members, $60 nonmembers
In the late seventeenth century, Swett-Ilsley House served the town as Swett’s Tavern, one of three watering holes in Newbury. The huge fireplace and massive beams make a perfect backdrop for an evening of historic fun. Join your friends around a rough tavern table and enjoy traditional local brews from Ipswich Ale Brewery and a hearty tavern dinner while listening to true tales of sword fights, scandalous romances, and bloody brawls, all from Newbury’s storied past. Participants must be over 21.

Swett-Isley House, 4 High Road,, Newbury, MA

How could I resist that?  It was a fantastic evening - which easily explains why it always sells out.  The Swett-Ilsley House is the perfect backdrop for the night's festivities.  Ipswich Ale Brewery made a couple of kegs of beer especially for the event.  The musicians sat in front of the massive fireplace and the room was dimly lit with twinkle lights.  We ate our meal in the adjoining room at long tables with benches.  The dinner was served "family style". Umm, that is if your family eats with their hands.  In 17th century tradition, the serving platter had a knife stuck in the roasted chicken.  Guests carved off a portion of meat, flicked some roasted vegetables onto their own plate and dug right in.  It was warm and delicious - the roasted vegetables were beautifully seasoned with herbs.  The ale deliciously complementing the savory flavors.  While we ate, we were entertained with lively 17th century folk music.  Our table mates traded stories of their favorite Historic New England museums and shared other events that we should try.

Each of us were given little slips of paper with printed testimonies from late 17th century local court cases.  These became our windows to the past.  We were the actors in a 340 year old real life play, orchestrated by Historic New England's  illustrious North Shore regional Mgr, Bethany Groff.  If you ever wanted to be a fly on the wall at a 17th century court hearing (and let's face it, who hasn't?), then this is your event.

If your idea of our puritan settlers is that they were staid and boring - you'll be in for a surprise.



Here is the little slip of paper that I read:

Soooo, that's what the kids called it in those days "he gave me apples".


The evening ended with a very rousing rendition of "Wild Rover" complete with hand clapping and foot stomping, and a lovely ballad.



And did you notice that the price for all this wonder was only $35 per person!! (for members)
Historic New England runs many fun events throughout the year and is a treasure trove of information for New England heritage.  They own 36 house museums and have over 110,000 objects.  For membership info or to learn more, visit their website.

While we were in the area, David and I drooled over the other homes in the area and visited the farmer's market, some antique shops and of course, the Clam Box.
I'll leave you with this eye candy: