Tasteful friends: vigorously Victorian in Cooperstown, New York $1.25M

i know v8fairy posted this.

those aussies love the late/ faux victorian.

Victorian houses are pretty on the outside but a horror on the inside.

I don't know what to make of the kitchen.

I could move right into this home and live comfortable. The restoration has been meticulous. I just wish there was an elevator.

here's a post colonial in oxford. no inside pics. i bet it is charlie rose's. but idc that muck to check it out.

This is an exceptionally pretty house, which has been beautifully and lovingly preserved by its owners. I particularly like the fact that the kitchen has been refurbished in a way that blends perfectly with the rest of the home's decoration and style, while showcasing very modern features in a relatively subtle manner. The same applies to the bathrooms, which have been VERY skillfully upgraded.

The foyer, conservatory and stairs are lovely, even though I've been surprised to see that they, alongside the rest of the rooms, lack the original moldings. They have worked around this by layering wallpaper, but the effect has been rather deleterious and the reception rooms look like they were inspired by the worst excesses of the Arts and Crafts movement. Also, the bedrooms could do with better wallpaper, softening edges with moldings (naked angles make everything look like a hideous McMansion) and less overpowering furniture.

The only downside are the construction materials. Everything except the load-bearing walls appears to be made out of wood, which will require increasing amounts of upkeep as time progresses and will make the property VERY expensive in the future, including insurance premiums to account for the risk of fires. I won't even talk about the annex, which is ghastly. However, I cannot deny that 95% of the property is truly fantastic.

It's a beautiful house inside and out, but the fussiness of the interiors gives me a headache. I don't think I could live there.

The kitchen island was a misguided attempt to meld a "Victorian" kitchen with the modern sensibility and utility of the ubiquitous island, which has no place in a Victorian house. I'd rip it out and relocate the sink.

It's a beautiful part of the state. I went to school up there and have often thought about moving back to the area.

I’m sorry. I just can’t.

It's like living inside a kaleidoscope.

Your eyes would eventually quit their job and look elsewhere.

Wow, just wow. OP you have great taste! Saved this in my Dream homes folder its that good. Like R4 I could move right in and be comfortable, I see a heat pump in the kitchen and solar panels on the roof so it seems to have been subtly upgraded with modern tech

The downstairs rooms are just fantastic, the upstairs ones less so, but that is consistent with how it would have been originally - Victorians reserved the most opulent interior decoration for the downstairs rooms that would be seen by visitors. That said, some more moldings as R6 suggests would be an improvement.

I actually dont mind the kitchen, its perfectly functional, but I'd possibly hide the. fridge and dishwasher behind wood panelling to match whats there and replace the tap with something period and ornate in brass. The upstairs carpet does need to go but that isnt a huge job, and creates an opportunity to put in something with a nice busy floral pattern, cant have too many patterns. I really like all the existing wallpapers, but especially the purple one in the upstairs lounge.

Property taxes are quite high, but the apartment rent will offset that, not sure if thats in the house itself or in the carriage house out back, possibly there's scope for two rentals?

Really not much wrong with it that isnt easily fixed, and its a fantastic house and reasonable value for what you get

The inside is too cluttered and Granny-esque, though I appreciate how beautifully it has been restored and maintained.

Cooperstown is a very pretty little town with a good used book store, the Glimmerglass Opera just outside town, a good farm museum, the Baseball Hall of Fame and the James Fenimore Cooper art museum. The library often features art from local artists. The hospital is new, big, clean and up-to-date. It’s a quiet, terrific place to spend two or three days.

The restaurants are mediocre, though there are a few high-priced, decent places to eat to within driving distance. It’s a Republican district and people up there have money. Otsego Lake is beautiful and this is one of the most lovely parts of NY State.

However, the winters are rough, and it is too far from NYC to be a weekend place. It’s a good five hour drive from NY, the train ride is beautiful but will only get you as far as Albany, still a 90-minute drive to Cooperstown. So not convenient at all.

Someone should turn it into a B&B like several of the other big old Victorians up there, and that’s probably what will happen.

All that wallpaper should be a crime.

[QUOTE]creates an opportunity to put in something with a nice busy floral pattern, cant have too many patterns.

Even more opportunity to throw off vestibular balance!

Put in new ceiling moulding and cut down on the busy wall paper. What is behind the oval windows on the half third floor?