What We Can Do For You

James Crisp is a high end local architect in the Millbrook, New York, area specializing in restorations and new construction that has an authentic old look.

Old Growth Materials for Restoration of a Restaurant & Tavern

The Stissing House in Pine Plains, New York, is a large inn with many small dining rooms dating from 1782. It was a major inn in the 1800’s, since Pine Plains was a major railroad center at that time. By 1997 only the original barroom remained open and served food and drink and was a haven for drug dealers and motorcyclists, who would drive right into the bar. All the other rooms were uninhabitable. The town of Pine Plains decided that it should be torn down and be replaced by a gas station.

This did not sit well with Dale Mitchell. He purchased the building, attracted investors, to the project and began a restoration of the total building. Besides the barroom the only other intact room was the ballroom, one of the only two original ballrooms in the country. Only the ceiling required plaster work which was beautifully restored by a local artisan.

AVW was asked to replace the floors in the tavern. We used an original 1700’s tapered floor in the tavern. We did a reproduction hand-planed beam in the barroom.

Red wood from Burgundy wine tanks from the Taylor Winery located in the Finger Lakes was used to panel this room, which provided a rich reddish patina with a lingering scent of Burgundy wine.

A reproduction tapered Eastern White Pine floorboards in widths of 15- 30 inches was installed in the party room above the tavern.

Years later a second bar area was built upstairs to service special parties. Our Vintage Heart Pine flooring was installed throughout this area.

Reproduction for a retrospective at MOMA
The Museum of Modern Art in New York City was holding a major retrospective of Jackson Pollock’s work in October of 1998. The retrospective included a re-creation of Pollock’s original studio. Antique & Vintage Woods was given the opportunity to take a picture of the original studio and re-create it for the museum opening. AVW made an exact replica of the studio out of old barn wood and barn beams. It was then transported by truck in pieces to MOMA and then erected inside the museum for the opening.

A Theatre-in-Residence
One of our clients wanted a theatre on their estate in the countryside of New York State. It features beams and barn doors made totally of Antique Mushroom Wood and a floor of Antique Heart Pine.

Hand hewn barn beams were used throughout. These woods in combination with luxurious leather chairs are a sight to behold.

Ragamont House Antiques
We provided the floors for the restoration of this old inn in Salisbury, Connecticut, which was turned into an Antique Center of Fine & Decorative Arts. It is also the private living quarters of the owners. In the kitchen and bedroom area, Vintage White Fir was chosen.

In some of the upstairs hallways and in one of the downstairs rooms, we used Antique Mushroom Wood.

Painted Porch
In a small town in Sheffield, Massachusetts, there is a collection of antique shops that line the highway for at least 3 miles. One of our favorites is a shop called Painted Porch. They specialize in French and English country antiques. Antique Heart Pine was chosen by the Solomons for their kitchen and family room. They loved our products so much that they asked to display some of our samples in their own showroom for their customers to see.

Carriage House and Stable
In a Victorian community in Dutchess County a massive restoration of an old carriage house and stable is underway. Pictured is the master bedroom, originally a hayloft, a 6 inch face select grade of White Oak with hand eased edges was installed. This floor was placed over radiant heat.

Our recycled old brick was used for the end wall in the bedroom.

Restaurant Reproduction Project
PJ Clarke’s on Manhattan’s east side restored their second floor with our 24 inch faces of hand sawn beams and our Mushroom Wood paneling for their ceiling.

Other notable clients include:

Richard Gere’s Home
New York State
Antique Oak Floors

Robert DeNiro’s Compound
New York State
Mushroom Wood and Hand Hewn Beams

Gramercy Park Hotel
New York, New York
Mushroom Wood and Spruce Beams

Neiman Marcus (Eskandar)
New York, New York
Tobacco Barn Oak and Signature Wide Board Heart Pine

Bergdorf Goodman
New York, New York
Tobacco Barn Oak

Southbound Restaurant
Westchester County, NY
Mushroom Wood