The once vogue shirtwaist house comes from the predominant women's fashion of the late 19th and early 20th century of shirts tucked into the waist of a skirt. If you look at this house close enough you can see the same detail. The top portion is neatly tucked into the beautiful rocks below. These homes emerged during the late 1800's through the early 1900's. They borrowed architectural style from the Victorian era and then the Craftsman style homes.
The Shirtwaist homes have a distinctive cinched waistline mirroring the common style they were named after. They have a blocky two-three story design. The first floor is exposed brick or limestone and siding-wrapped second and third floors. They have at least two-three levels. Symmetrical in design- with a centered dormer window. In a true shirtwaist home the stairway inside is oriented on the side of the house. It will lead all the way from the upper levels to the basement. In most of these homes you find a door between the 1st and basement levels- which is close to the driveway. Kitchens are in the rear of the home, and the backdoor is in the kitchen. These homes also have amazingly high ceilings. All the bedrooms are in the upper levels. The closet sizes of these homes are small. Due to the slope of the roof the third level has beautiful unique spaces. The first floor is all your living spaces. Front porches are made of brick or stone, and they have a steep gabled roof.
This style of home can be seen in many neighborhoods in the Kansas City area. Many are found south of the Plaza in the old Waldo and Brookside neighborhoods. Other areas are:
Volker
Hyde Park
Midtown
Northeast's historic area
Westport
Items to consider when taking on any remodel:
Prep work for the exterior of this house is extensive.
o This may include-glazing old lead pane glass windows
o Hand-scraping of old paint
o This home traditionally uses 3-4 paint colors. This is important in keeping them correctly restored.
o Replacing damaged rafter tails- these are the exposed exterior of the homes wood structural truss. It projects beyond the perimeter wall of the structure.
Exterior colors of homes built during the late 1800's and early 1900's:
o Rose
o Peach
o Terracotta
o Olive
Beautiful interior colors:
o Victorian colors of brown, mauves, ambers, classic olive and mint greens
o Arts and Crafts Colors creams, pewters, hunter greens, brick reds, and taupe's
o The Jazz Age - these are my favorites- rose, reds, peacock blue, mauve, and winter whites.
The interior color choices that allow this home to shine are timeless. Remember to choose no more than 5 colors for your color scheme for the whole house, and have one main color per room with 2 accents to really make your home consistent in beauty throughout.
Furniture recommendations:
o Mid-century modern
o Turn-of-the-century antiques.
o Eclectic style with a slight rustic modern edge can be a great update to this interior.
o Stay away from overly modern furniture.
Looking for design help with your Shirtwaist Home? Let MJ Interior KC design the interior of your home.
MJ Interior KC
Michelle J McKown, Lead Interior Designer
913-303-7371
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