A glimpse of my Christmas Past. In the 1990s, I installed several Bradbury & Bradbury reproduction Victorian wall and ceiling paper roomsets for others. Inspired, I attempted to mimic the effect of those gorgeous papers (which I could not remotely afford at the time) for myself on a budget of $500. This room was the result. Robert Diamante photo.
The room was designed to look its best at Christmas, although it looked great without the tree and decorations. The trains are Lionel standard gauge from the 1920s and 1930s. I designed and built the tree stand to show off the metal Lionel station and allow the trains to run under the tree. This photo was taken for an article I wrote about it for “Classic Toy Trains” magazine.
I left this apartment 26 years ago, but I think of it every year during the holiday season. I have always loved creating spaces with a period feel, even if they are not “museum correct”
“Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners” is not a decorating guide but will help you do everything that comes before decorating and covers the basics of paint and wall and ceiling paper for historic houses.
It is the perfect holiday gift for the old house lover on your list!
Signed and personalized copies of the award-winning and bestselling 720-page hardcover book are available in our online bookshop at YourHistoricHouse.com/shop/.
Our shop also carries select preservation and restoration titles by other authors. Save on cost and shipping with our multi-book combo packs!
“Restoring Your Historic House is also available in bookstores nationwide and from online retailers.
© Scott T. Hanson 2025.
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