The current owner of the Great Northern has been pushing to demolish the building — possibly the last grain elevator of its type in the world.
Tag Archives: Restoration and Renovation
What Designers Have Been Doing at Home During the Pandemic
Here’s what it looks like when the professionals take on D.I.Y. projects. (Don’t feel bad if they put yours to shame.)
You Can Still Own a Caravaggio, but It Comes With a House (and a Hefty Price)
A much anticipated auction for a $500 million villa in Rome that boasts a Caravaggio ceiling fresco failed to get any offers.
Custom 1951 Mercury Sells at Auction for $1.95 Million
The Hirohata Merc, a prime example of the custom car scene that blossomed in midcentury Southern California, notched two records in its sale.
They Remodeled Before Covid. Here’s What They Regret Now.
The live-work space in Jersey City, N.J., should have been ideal for lockdown. But hindsight born of a pandemic taught them a few things.
A Flea-Infested Former Convent: How Could They Resist?
The 1926 building owned by the Catholic Church looked as if it hadn’t been updated in decades. One Dallas family was charmed.
A Custom Mercury, With a Batmobile in Its Family Tree, Heads to Auction
The “Hirohata Merc,” commissioned in 1952 and one of the most famous custom cars of its era, is up for sale for the first time in over 60 years.
Reign of Coney Island’s ‘Mayor’ Ends in a Sideshow by the Sea
Dick Zigun, who spent decades restoring the Brooklyn enclave to its carnivalesque glory, is forced out of the organization he helped create.
How to Design a Home Gym That You’ll Actually Use
As the pandemic rages on, the safest place to work out is at home. Here’s how to create a personal gym you’ll want to spend time in.
As the Mayor Promised Millions for New Monuments, Old Ones Crumbled
Without dedicated funding for conservation, many of New York City’s public memorials and artworks are decaying from neglect.
From a Burger King to a Concert Hall, With Help From Frank Gehry
The Los Angeles Philharmonic’s ambitious new home for its youth orchestra is the latest sign of the changing fortunes of Inglewood.
Sardi’s Is Back After 648 Days, Its Fortunes Tied to Broadway
The caricatures are back up. But many shows are canceling performances just as Sardi’s reopens, a hurdle for a restaurant catering to the theater crowd.
These Churches Have Been Closed, but Their Artifacts Live On
In a warehouse on Staten Island, the Archdiocese of New York stores altars, statuary and other relics that can be reused in churches around the world.
A Savannah Home Melds Georgian Architecture With ’60s Flair
More than 50 years after their completion, the interiors of one couple’s august house remain a riot of century-clashing design.
Money Found by Plumber at Joel Osteen’s Church Is Tied to 2014 Burglary, Police Say
The discovery was revealed when the plumber called into a Houston radio show on Thursday.
Restoring a 1788 House in Charleston, S.C., With a Walled Garden
The stately 1788 home in South Carolina had expansive rooms and a walled garden. But it needed a lot of work — and that would take time and money.
Revitalizing Black Neighborhoods by Preserving Their History
Developers are repurposing deteriorated structures in historically significant areas in an effort to incorporate spaces for the arts, affordable housing and small businesses under one roof.
In Florida, a Gut Renovation in Shades of Grape
The overwrought moldings in their neo-Classical home had begun to feel stuffy, so they redid the whole thing — with an emphasis on food and wine.
Your Walls Don’t Have to Be Boring
Faced with a blank wall, most of us think paint or wallpaper. But there are more interesting possibilities to consider.
Don’t Throw Away That Ancient Pink Toilet. Someone Out There Wants It.
Retro-minded homeowners are driving across the country and paying thousands of dollars to restore or recreate a vintage bathroom or kitchen.
Ornament or Crime? With Painted Woodwork, There Is No Middle Ground
One real estate agent referred to the décor trend as ‘the great divider of people.’
Russia Reopens the Last Czar’s Palace, a Century After His Execution
The last home of Nicholas II has been restored and opened to the public as a museum outside of St. Petersburg.
New Arts Complex Aims to Build Community in Detroit
Anthony and JJ Curis are turning a church, its rectory and a city block into a cultural center and a legacy park for the artist Charles McGee.
The Austin Bungalow Had Charm. But It ‘Needed Everything.’
After noticing a realtor ‘sitting, literally head in hand, on the front steps,’ a Texas couple decided to buy the house. That was two renovations ago.
Colonial Williamsburg Project Unearths Foundation of First Baptist Church
Since last year, archaeologists have been excavating the foundation of the First Baptist Church, one of the nation’s oldest Black churches, in Colonial Williamsburg.
Matthew Rhys Hits the Seas
The actor bought a wooden boat on a whim. It has taken him on a journey.
The Philharmonic Is Out of Its Hall This Year. It Doesn’t Pack Light.
With David Geffen Hall under renovation, the orchestra — and eight of its cellos, six double basses, six timpani and two grand pianos — must move from hall to hall.
Bringing a Deathly Michelangelo Sculpture Back to Life
The restoration of a statue the artist created for his own tomb shines light on the psychology of the aging Renaissance master.
The Suburbs Beckoned, but They Found a Way to Stay in the City
When the rowhouse next door came on the market, one couple decided to remain in Washington, D.C., and merge the two houses. It wasn’t easy — or cheap.
Stabilized Notre-Dame Cathedral Is on Track for 2024 Reopening, Officials Say
The restoration effort is seeking to meet President Emmanuel Macron’s ambitious plan to reopen the cathedral five years after it was ravaged by a fire — just in time for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
3 Weeks After Hurricane Ida, Parts of Louisiana Remain Dark
As businesses and schools have reopened in New Orleans, ongoing power outages in communities just beyond the city put recovery out of reach.
How Old Is This Old House?
Property records don’t go back far enough to date some houses. But experts can pinpoint a house’s age by studying tree-ring patterns in the house’s timber.
Want to Increase Your Home’s Value? Start With the Entrance.
A few inexpensive changes can boost curb appeal — and your asking price. Here’s where to start.
Can a Green-Economy Boom Town Be Built to Last?
The race to make electric vehicles is turning some places into winners. Normal, Ill., is one of them. But it has seen good times go sour in the past.
A Vermeer Restoration Reveals a God of Desire
An image of Cupid was covered over in “Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window” for nearly 300 years. Now that he’s back on show, the famous painting looks quite different.
Before Renovating, They Had to Get Rid of the Current Occupants: Mice
Some $40,000 later, they could finally start thinking about updating the house they bought in Farmington, Conn.
Coast to Coast in a Classic Car
Bugeye Sprites and other small roadsters might not seem up to the task, but collectors with some time on their hands have eagerly made the trek.
Where Home Blends With Community
How co-housing in four places in the Netherlands and Belgium is helping people cope with rising costs, keep loneliness at bay and live more sustainably.
In London, a Tucked-Away House Where the Living Is Easy
Built around a garden, the home allows three generations of family members to look out for one another without sacrificing privacy.
Historic London Synagogue Fights to Stay Out of the Shadows
The 320-year-old Bevis Marks Synagogue claims that two new proposed office towers would block its sunlight and add to the sense of enclosure amid the skyscrapers of the financial district.
A Fellini Museum, as Lavish as His Movies
The exhibition spaces, which recently opened in Rimini, celebrate one of Italy’s most famous directors. But to some citizens, it puts tourism over local needs.
One Thing I Don’t Plan to Do Before I Die Is Make a Bucket List
Until my cancer diagnosis, I did not understand that one future comes at the exclusion of all others.
How Companies Are Trying to Coax Workers Back to the Office with Beehives and Garden Plots
The latest perks include harvesting honey and digging in the dirt, part of a growing effort to give employees access to fresh air, sunlight and plants.
A Derelict Warehouse as a Second Home?
Even his artsy friends were skeptical. But for $70,000, he knew he could find a way to make it work.
The Stress-Free Way to Hang Art
Why does hanging art make many of us so nervous? If you follow a few simple rules, it’s easy.
Out of Storage and Onto Walls, the Uffizi Spreads Its Brand
The gallery in Florence is lending artworks from its depots to smaller towns throughout Tuscany, increasing their appeal and strengthening its ties to the region.
When Kmart Moved Out, Churches and Flea Markets Moved In
The retailer’s former stores are being used by tenants that might not typically get a crack at such a large haul of commercial space at an affordable price.
How Do You Add On to the Perfect Small House? You Don’t.
They already had the ideal home in Marfa, Texas. So when they needed more space, they built another little house — to hold the bedroom.
For Two Designers, a Onetime Collaboration Wasn’t Enough
When they first worked together, renovating a home that had once been a church, they never imagined they’d eventually get married there.
The Ungovernable Catholic Church
Will the pope’s move against the Latin Mass fulfill his revolution or reveal the limits of his power?