This Old House Hour — Season 15
## The Belmont House & The Honolulu House: Season Overview Prepare to be transported to worlds of privilege and intrigue as *The Belmont House* and *The Honolulu House* intertwine for a season steeped in secrets, ambition, and breathtaking estates. *The Belmont House*, set against the backdrop of Newport, Rhode Island’s Gilded Age, follows the Van Alen family as they navigate the treacherous waters of high society – grappling with shifting alliances, hidden debts, and the ever-present pressure to maintain their opulent lifestyle. Expect lavish parties, simmering rivalries, and a growing sense that beneath the glittering surface lies something far more fragile. Simultaneously, across the Pacific in 1920s Honolulu, *The Honolulu House* unveils the story of the Kawaiahoe family, powerful landowners whose legacy is threatened by changing times and burgeoning political tensions. As modernization clashes with tradition, the Kawaihoes must fight to protect their ancestral home and influence, facing challenges both from within their own ranks and from outside forces eager to seize what they have built. This season explores the parallels between these seemingly disparate families – their struggles for power, their devotion to legacy, and the sacrifices demanded by a world on the brink of transformation. Through stunning visuals and compelling characters, witness two distinct eras collide as both houses confront the enduring complexities of family, fortune, and fate.
The tour begins before a stunning example of Victorian architecture, followed by a visit to the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities to delve deeper into the architectural style. Next, we arrive at the house itself: Dean …
Under the supervision of a state official, the asbestos abatement team begins removing the house's shingles. First, the master carpenter visits a laboratory to confirm the presence of asbestos in the roofing material, and the homeowner cons…
The host journeys to a specialized landfill, designed for the safe containment of hazardous materials – a place where, for instance, the asbestos removed from the Gallants' home is ultimately deposited. Returning to the house, Richard Treth…
They found Dean working to remove the damaged wood shingles, now exposed after the asbestos siding had been taken down. Earlier, the master carpenter and general contractor had surveyed the building, identifying the shingles requiring repla…
As the men employ a new airgun and flexible nylon hose to secure the base of a turret, Dean considers various approaches to restoring and enhancing the energy efficiency of the building's windows. Afterward, we observe a residence where a c…
Dean experiments with methods for removing paint from the window castings: a heat gun, a heat plane, and chemical strippers. Meanwhile, upstairs, the master carpenter replaces the aged window band moldings with fresh material. Lauren and ki…
The host arrived to find the crew preparing to rebuild the gutted kitchen. First, however, the plumbing stack needed relocating, a task demonstrated by Richard Trethewey. Tom Silva explained how previous work had weakened the framing, outli…
The master carpenter, his horse a steady rhythm against the Wyoming landscape, journeyed into the Washakie Wilderness of northwestern Wyoming. There, carpenters employed by the US Forest Service were meticulously restoring a log cabin liste…
West of Boston, under the guidance of SPNEA’s Andrea Gilmore, our host explores a historically accurate eight-color paint scheme. Andrea is at the Belmont house to advise homeowner Lauren Gallant on her paint selections. The team examines t…
Our master carpenter shares a trick for concealing nails when installing shingles, while our general contractor constructs a cedar and fir deck for the new back entrance. On the front porch, the carpenter begins replacing the outdated, mism…
A busy day at the construction site saw arborist Matt Foti and his team remove four conifers that had long obscured the house and contributed to its dampness. Inside, the crew installed new windows with true divided lights. Meanwhile, on th…
Russell, our host, is currently finishing the initial wiring for the kitchen. Lighting designer Melissa Guenet outlines her vision for illuminating both the kitchen and the new bedroom. Meanwhile, Larry Torti and his team are installing a t…
The scene unfolds with the application of fresh paint, a backdrop to Tom Silva's meticulous restoration of the porch trim, where he installs proper fascia and wood gutters. Elsewhere, our master carpenter journeys to Martha's Vineyard, draw…
The host visits with landscape contractor Roger Cook as he and his team install a plastic drywell in the tight space beside the garage. Inside, homeowner Dean Gallant is insulating beneath the kitchen floor with breathable, poly-wrapped ins…
The host arrived to find the crew installing a rubber membrane roof on the garage, while homeowner Dean Gallant assisted Roger Cook in laying a concrete block terrace just outside the back door. Elsewhere, artisans Peter Mattison and Charle…
The master carpenter examines the newly installed retractable awnings as the host meets with storm window installers, who are carefully safeguarding the leaded glass with bespoke units. Within the house, Sarai Stenquist and her assistant, B…
The host found the crew fishing for the last vestiges of the porch's historic detailing, a remarkable duplication achieved with the aid of a home movie provided by the previous owner. Charlie installed a new downspot, utilizing a more secur…
The house nears completion. The host’s arrival coincides with Don Franklin of DeAngelis Iron Work installing a new railing on the front stairs. Inside, lighting designer Melissa Guenet presents her finished work in the newly renovated powde…
A team arrived in Honolulu, Hawaii, to commence an eight-episode series documenting the renovation and expansion of homeowner Christiane Bintliff’s beachfront bungalow, a structure dating back to the 1930s. The house occupies a portion of a…
The day begins with a climb up Diamond Head, offering a panoramic view of Honolulu. At the job site, our host meets with contract supervisor Roland Lagareta to discuss the intricacies of permitting and the upcoming demolition. Our master ca…
The program begins at the Punchbowl, a dormant volcano crater that serves as the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, a final resting place for Americans who perished in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. There, the latest addition to …
The program begins at Hanauma Bay, a marine crater teeming with life that draws thousands of visitors daily, presenting a significant conservation challenge. There, project superintendent Rob Varner guides us through the newly constructed a…
The program commences at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, a 1927 landmark affectionately called the Pink Palace, and one of the first luxury hotels to grace the Waikiki beachfront. On the grounds, our master carpenter details how the addition's si…
The program begins at Aloha Tower, a landmark constructed in 1921 and now part of a revitalization project spearheaded by the same organization responsible for Baltimore’s Harborplace and Boston’s Faneuil Hall. There, the host observes trea…
The program begins at Halekii heiau, an ancient Hawaiian temple on the island of Maui. Situated amidst an industrial park and rows of new homes, it stands as a poignant reminder of the ongoing conflict between progress and historical preser…
The trip concludes in Hawaii. The episode opens in Kalapana on the Big Island, a town and its famed black sand beach largely consumed by a 1992 lava flow from the Kilauea volcano. At the residence, landscaper John Mitchell and his team are …
