About Us
Historic Preservation is my Passion
Hi I am Nicole. For 26 years I have lived and breathed a love for old houses. It began with a deep dive into preserving my own home, and my passion for historic architecture has only grown stronger as an appreciation for the craftsmanship and historic trades wisdom gained over these past couple of decades has led me to where I am today. I find hands on preservation to be the greatest joy in the journey of saving historic buildings. I am intimately familiar with several trades disciplines, as I have learned along the way, such as lime and gypsum plaster, historic masonry, wood care and finishing, even a dab of paint conservation, but I am most at home with historic window restoration and painting.
Saving Old Windows
I have been restoring windows in my own home over time, honing my skills and preserving original glass, wood, hardware and joinery. I repair deficiencies as I take the window down to its basic components, utilizing traditional methods wherever possible, such as dutchman repairs, linseed oil paints, restoration wavy glass if original or antique glass is unavailabe, salvaging and restoring original hardware, glazing using traditional linseed oil and whiting based putties and methods, traditional cotton sash cords and retying weights with restored pulleys, tuning up weatherstripping or adding new 100+ year traditional weatherstripping to improve efficiency, among many techniques and methodologies implemented by window preservationists.
Steward, Owner, Advocate
I own the W.C. Smith House, in Elberton Georgia. This endeavor has taught me the value of hard work, perseverance, and dedication to preserving this incredible home for future generations. 20 years ago, over a period of 2 1/2 years, I painstakingly stripped paint, prepped and painted this jewel with the help of my Mom, spouse, and family. This photo above captured several years ago by a passerby of me and my Mom Janice, the original painters who toiled and tirelessly devoted many nights, weekends, and countless vacations to bring this home back to life, reminds me of why I do what I do.