Thursday, April 7, 2016

BESPOKE: EXPOSED BROWNSTONE REGISTERS


Renovators have become more sophisticated uptown these days since renovated townhouses with original details are in demand but one design element has sorely been neglected.  Some developers think that HVAC will add on million to a value of a home and thus install internal air ducts but do not plan accordingly on the aesthetics.

The top photo shows a beautiful house that sold on the market a couple of years ago that still has some great woodwork but look at what is in the middle of the wall. Another odd position we have seen recently is up on the ceiling of each room combined with the recessed lighting layouts which is also equally distracting.  So what is the best way to get these air vents in place without ruining the look of the room?

Aesthetics and positioning are two things that should really be researched to get the right balance if this is really the type of investment that one thinks is needed in a house.  These air registers are not new for prewar homes and one can get a more decorative brass or various finish options through restoration hardware type of outlets.  Warmer metal colors blend in with wood or even white enameled variations can be used for minimalist white walls.  As far as placement goes, below eye level is usually the goal.  Within the baseboard or just slightly above the floor in a wall panel is often a key position along with the actually floor close to a wall corner.

This Old House has more on the history and how-to for old registers which might be of interest to some: LINK

1 comment:

  1. Some brownstones have registers that once provided warm air from a cellar furnace that allowed warm air to travel up through ducting in the walls and out of the registers. These have long since been replaced with safer steam or other heating. These registers are low being just above the baseboard and sometimes still remain although redundant.

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