More than 120 windows refurbished in two months have restored the beauty of an urban mansion over a century old

An old house in Bucharest, an urban mansion located on Frumoasă Street near Victoriei Square, has had the chance for an inspired and careful refurbishment. It's a late 19th-century house with generous windows and doors and impressive ornamentation. The opening to the street is relatively small compared to the size of the house, which stretches far back. Tall, rectangular windows allow passersby to catch glimpses of the stately chandeliers in the evening. The main entrance is on the side of the building and unfortunately almost invisible from the street. The doorway, over 5 m high, is a combination of carved wood with imposing details, carefully restored original elements, glass and wrought iron. Much to the delight of those who love old houses, the building has been rebuilt for quite some time. However, the exterior windows and doors have not been maintained and over time have faded, overshadowing the beauty of the house. This fall, the house has regained its full luster, with all exterior woodwork refinished by Holze, which manages to professionally salvage and restore wood from old houses.

A witness of Bucharest for more than a century

The building is a historic monument in heritage. A plaque on the side facing the street tells us that N.D.Cocea, a Roman lawyer, journalist and publicist, lived here for the last part of his life. But the house was built much earlier, the building permit being issued in 1896 in the name of a lady, Maria Fărcășanu, about whom not much is known. It is known, however, that she lived in the house she built-0, and is mentioned in a series of deeds from 1918.

Much better known is N.D.Cocea, the father of actress Dina Cocea, whom older people probably remember. In addition to his journalistic work, N.D.Cocea was known as a supporter of the socialist movement and a supporter of communism. He had a very "colourful" life, with many adventures that graced the pages of social publications.

But let's go back to the house. It is built in eclectic style, a style favoured by many architects of Bucharest at that time, with geometric or floral motifs around the doors and windows. The cornice and friezes are also beautifully ornamented, as are the breezeway between the basement and ground floor. The house consists of a high ground floor, basement and attic - all habitable - and covers an area of approximately 1500 m². It has been very well restored, preserving all the decorations typical of the old houses of late 19th and early 20th century Bucharest.

Wooden doors and windows give the house personality

The entrance to the main building, the one visible from the street, is through an impressive wooden door. In fact it's a whole building, with skylight above, double door access and two fixed sides. All are glazed, with the side parts protected by a discreet wrought iron grille. The door is ornamented with carvings, the side jambs of the movable parts ending in capitals reminiscent of Corinthian columns. The door opens on to a marble staircase, at the end of which is a wooden glazing with sandblasted glass with floral patterns. The outer door and windows are of oak and the glazing and inner doors of resinous wood.

The house continues into the rear courtyard with a less ornate body, attached to the main one with a round, hinge-like construction. The windows, without the elaborate decoration of the front ones, appear austere. Attic, which spans the entire area of the house, has dormer windows with a round window at the front and a rectangular arched window at the rear.

The current windows of the house are not the original ones. The old ones probably could not be saved and were replaced during the original renovation with oak windows that respect the original geometry, but are fitted with double layers of double glazing. Unfortunately, the new windows were not maintained and the weathering over time destroyed the finish, even the wood in places. But now they have been completely redone and the house is looking fresh again.

Reconditioning of windows and external doors

The restoration was a tour de force for Holze because everything had to be done as quickly as possible before winter came. Everything - around 120 windows and the massive front door - was rebuilt in less than two months. Unlike house in the Television DistrictThe intervention this time was done there, "on site", because the windows could not be taken to the factory. During all this time the building continued its activity as before. The building is the headquarters of a company that has not ceased its activity and has not moved during the refurbishment of the windows.

In the courtyard, a tent was set up in which a small workshop was set up. Each window was brought in and the old finish coat was sanded down to wood. The entire finish was redone by applying a coat of walnut-colored impregnant, then exterior-resistant primer and varnish. The impregnator and primer were applied by brushing and the final lacquer by spraying to achieve a uniform and nice looking surface. Irreparably damaged parts were replaced. During refurbishment the glass was protected. The heels were re-fitted in position, making it impossible to remove them. It would have deteriorated the overall appearance and a general refurbishment of the house was not desired. Finally, gaskets that were no longer serving their purpose were replaced, drip traps were fitted and insulation was installed where necessary.

The main door was the real stumbling block. Because it was a busy building it was not possible to erect scaffolding. So all the rebuilding was done from a 5m high ladder. But they did it! In order to finish everything within the timeframe, they worked from morning till evening. They were trying to use the time when the building was not being worked on to do work that could be disturbing. They stayed on good terms though, so I don't think they bothered much 😊 They worked with passion and a desire to protect and restore a valuable house to Bucharest and that showed in the final quality of the work.

Now, the house on Frumoasă Street, an urban mansion that defines Romanian architecture from the period of the construction of old Bucharest has regained its charm. When I finished my visit, I walked across and looked at it for a long time from the sidewalk across the street thinking of times gone by, of lords and ladies, balls and couples dancing under glittering chandeliers. A bygone world and a house like a mute witness. A legacy that should not be lost.