The patina is what catches me. every time. when looking at houses or antiques, when watching sailboats sail by. Those glistening perfect specimens are never what they seem to be. They certainly do not hold a soul. Patina is frequently destroyed in restoration projects. We cant seem to resist the urge to paint over the past. And when paint is so cheap we are tempted. It is in the patina where i see and feel the soul of the house, the antique the cloth.
When we bought our house ( 1880’s) and removed the two remodel we got back to the patina. The rough aze hewn beams and lime worn lathe marks. The pine floors were covered over and with it all the stories. Planks worn so thin you fell in the grove.
In keeping with the soul of the old house, we built a plank door 3 inches thick, with old strap hinges. We restored the one guillotine window that remained and fixed up the two over twos. We added a Rumford fireplace using slate and stones found on the property. We peeled away the modern renovations to find soul! We used the principles of conservation: repair and patch. Don’t remove restore.
A well worn home has soul. keep an out for those neglected homes. Under all the layers you will alway find soul.
Worlds End 
