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NORTHJERSEY.COM ❚ THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019 ❚ 1H
A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION OF THE RECORD
Homescape
Designed For Living:
Holiday decor
with staying power.
INTERIOR DESIGN ❚ HOME IMPROVEMENT
3H
Home
inspection:
Surprises could
short circuit sale
TREASURED OBJECTS
Costly repairs are best
made before listing house
By FRAN J. DONEGAN
SPECIAL TO HOMESCAPE
B
serves as a blank canvas for his
creativity. Filled with a mix of his
grandmother’s furnishings, family
heirlooms, favorite art, and vintage
finds from around the world, it exudes
Richter’s personal style. “Creating a
sense of place has always been deeply
important to me. Decorating with vin-
tage pieces adds texture and history,
but it also personalizes a home.”
The book also explores the vintage uying a house can be an exciting, as well as a very
anxious period. There is always the chance that you
will discover a high-price problem once you move
in. And sellers aren’t immune from those feelings.
There is nothing worse than a home inspection uncovering
a problem that could convince a prospective buyer to walk
away unless you fix it.
It is common knowledge that buyers should arrange for
a home inspection by a qualified inspector before closing
the deal. But sellers could also benefit from an inspection
before actually putting the house on the market, especially
if they suspect there may be a problem.
“They can call a home inspector to check the house,”
said Frank Lesh of the American Society of Home
Inspectors. “The only thing they have to sell is the inspec-
tion service because they don’t do repair work. If nothing
is wrong, fine. But if there is a problem, the inspector will
tell you.”
Here’s a short list of possible problems that could lead
to expensive repairs.
OUTDATED OR
FAULTY ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS
There probably aren’t many houses around with out-
dated knob and tube wiring, where ceramic knobs hold the
exposed wires in place. But if it is in a home, it needs to be
replaced.
Some symptoms of potential danger in modern electri-
cal systems include dimming or flickering lights, especially
when a large appliance like the compressor in a refrigera-
tor kicks in and the lights dim. That is a sign that the elec-
trical system in the home can’t handle the demand placed
on it.
“Your nose is a good tool,” said Dan DiClerico, a hous-
ing expert at HomeAdvisor. “Any faint burning or unusual
smells require further investigation.” HomeAdvisor is a
service that matches homeowners with contractors. The
costs mentioned in this article are from HomeAdvisor.
Other warning signs include:
n Buzzing or crackling sounds when you turn on a light
n Overstuffed fuse boxes
n Charred electrical outlets and light switches
Minor problems can be fixed for $100 to $200, but a full-
scale rewiring can cost $3,500 to $8,000 for an average
home, more for larger homes.
ASBESTOS PROBLEMS
First the bad news: Asbestos is a known carcinogen and
until about 1980 it was part of dozens of building materi-
als. The good news is that most asbestos is in a safe form.
Asbestos is dangerous when it becomes airborne and you
breathe in the fibers. Some products that may contain
asbestos include some types of vinyl flooring — the tiles are
usually 9 by 9 inches — insulation on boilers, furnaces and
steam pipes and acoustic ceiling tiles, among others.
“If the seller knows about it, they have to disclose it to
the buyer,” said David Barthold from the Ridgewood office
of Coldwell Banker. “It has to be encapsulated so that it
does not become airborne.”
“As long as it is sealed and encapsulated it does not
pose any danger,” said DiClerico. “In fact, trying to remove
it, may create an even greater hazard.”
Any kind of removal should be done by a certified asbes-
tos abatement contractor. Costs for removing insulation
from a boiler and exposed pipes can start about $2,000.
But large complicated jobs can run as high as $15,000 to
$30,000.
BLACK MOLD
Mold is everywhere, and most of it is harmless, even
beneficial. But black mold is a health hazard and the one
that gets all the press lately. Mold needs something to
feed on, such as cellulose products, like wood and paper,
See VINTAGE LIVING, Page 4H See HOME INSPECTION, Page 2H
Moved from his New York City apartment to his new small town home, treasured objects, like the painting of favorite
actress Gene Tierney by artist and friend Sioux Krause and the art deco glass block and chrome mantel, reside in Bob
Richter’s TV room, which is personalized with two chairs passed down, respectively, from family and his antiques mentor.
The Timeless Look
of Vintage Living
Sentimentality adds meaning to sense of place
By BROOKE PERRY
SPECIAL TO HOMESCAPE
I
f you watch with a mix of admira-
tion and anxiety as neighbors and
friends discard everything from
old household objects to family
heirlooms, take note: such items may
be the key to creating a stylish and
far more interesting design aesthetic
for your home. “By layering your
home with things that connect us to
a time, or a place or a person, we’re
really setting a stage to tell a story,”
explains vintage lifestyle expert
Bob Richter, a designer, decorator
and star of the PBS series “Market
Warriors” and host of the web series
“Flea Market Minute.”
Richter has been collecting vintage
treasures since the age of six, when
a childhood trip to a flea market with
his dad sparked what’s become a life-
long passion. His latest book, Vintage
Living: Creating A Beautiful Home
with Treasured Objects from the Past,
delves deeply into the aesthetic and
emotional value of living with vintage
pieces year-round. On the heels of his
first book, A Very Vintage Christmas,
it’s an ode to time-honored tradi-
tions and the power of beloved family
objects to tell our own unique story.
“My journey into vintage living
began in the attic of my family’s
home. Ours was a treasure trove
and a history lesson. At a very young
age, the antiques buff, decorator
and historian in me were alive and
well, making discoveries and taking
notes,” explains Richter, who credits
two influential women in his life with
shaping and supporting his interests.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF DANIEL YUND AND BLAKE DRUMMOND
Vintage lifestyle expert and best-selling author Bob Richter stands among
a collection of vintage treasures. Richter has attended and been inspired by
flea markets and auctions for more than 40 years.
“My Nana and Sunny, a magnificent
New York antiques dealer, passed
along vast knowledge to me and it
added another priceless layer to my
life, home and work. I believe in mixing
things, and allowing color and shape
to harmonize. You can see it imprint-
ed in my design aesthetic, which
skews toward things from the 1930s,
40s, and 50s.”
Featured in his book, Richter’s
beautifully preserved Italianate town-
house, which dates back to 1859,
Ghosts of Christmas Past come to life at historic homes
By JOSEPH RITACCO
HOMESCAPE
H
istoric homes throughout New
Jersey will be decked out in
holiday splendor over the next
few weeks, offering visitors an
opportunity to see, hear and feel the
Christmas season as previous genera-
tions once did. Get in the spirit of the
season with a visit to the following
destinations, and while you’re at it,
maybe pick up a few home décor tips
for your own holiday entertaining.
HO-HO-KUS
Candlelight Tour of the Hermitage
DATE & TIME: Sunday, Dec. 22, 4
p.m. and 6 p.m.
LOCATION: The Hermitage Museum,
335 N. Franklin Turnpike, Ho-Ho-Kus
TICKETS: $25 per person
Enjoy an evening candlelight tour
of the Hermitage fully decorated for a
Victorian Christmas. Step back in time
and experience how the Victorians
celebrated the holiday season and the
history behind many traditions we still
enjoy today. These special docent-led
tours take visitors through both floors
of the fully decorated historic home
and are accompanied by a flute duo
playing traditional period music. The
evening concludes with cider and light
Victorian fare prepared by pastry chef
Kim Hendrickson.
A Victorian Christmas at the
Hermitage also includes tours through
January, which run Wednesdays
through Sundays at 1:15 p.m., 2:15 p.m.
and 3:15 p.m.
Other holiday events at the
Hermitage include a Tree Lighting
on Sunday, Dec. 8, a performance of
A Christmas Carol on Friday, Dec. 13,
and Saturday, Dec. 14, and Santa’s
Workshop on Sunday, Dec. 15.
For more information, visit www.the
hermitage.org or call 201-445-8311.
MONTCLAIR
Candlelight Tours of the Crane
House & Historic YWCA
DATE & TIME: Thursday, Dec. 5,
and Tuesday, Dec. 17, 7 to 8:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Crane House and
Historic YWCA, 110 Orange Road,
Montclair
TICKETS: $20 per person, $15
for members
A fun evening that begins with
period libations in the historic hearth
kitchen and continues with a tour of
the Crane House and Historic YWCA.
See the period holiday decorations
artfully designed by the Garden Club
of Montclair as Executive Director
Jane Eliasof leads special candlelight
tours that tell the history of our
holidays past from the 1700s to the
20th century. Spoiler alert: May not
be appropriate for young children!
See HISTORIC HOMES, Page 2H
PHOTO COURTESY OF NJBG
Skylands Manor is decorated floor to ceiling at NJBG’s
annual Holiday Open House in a display celebrating ‘Fantasy!’