Some houses keep their secrets behind a wall panel. In a house built in 1709 in New England, creator J Sea Edit pulled back a panel and showed a small hidden room, arranged to suggest an earlier way of living with simple furnishings and everyday objects. The creator notes the house was built in 1709, so it is not a 17th century room, but it feels like one.

That was just one of the details in a tour described as cozier and less formal than some of the other homes seen on the channel, though absolutely full of the details the creator loves. After the tour, J Sea Edit took viewers along on one of the creator’s favorite Sunday traditions, treasure hunting at a big outdoor antique market.

The Tavern Room At The Front

The tour starts at the old front door, with a tall case clock right inside the entry. The first room, the creator says, operated as a tavern at some point in its history. The creator asks you to imagine people coming in from the cold, gathering near the fireplace, having a drink and catching up. The wallpaper there is green, and another house on the channel had a gray version of the same pattern. A pantry full of blue and white pieces held the creator’s attention for a good while.

Upstairs, the creator points out wide floorboards, which are always noticeable in old houses, and a faded rug laid over them. Neither has to be perfect, the creator says, and the same goes for the cream plaster walls, which have texture even without color and which would be fine left exactly as they are.

Names Scratched In The Glass

One bedroom has paneling around the fireplace with blue and white tiles, and a small table and chairs where the creator would curl up with a book. Then attention turns to the needlework on the bed linens, a detail that is easy to miss when you take in a whole room.

The window glass is where the house gets personal. If you look closely, names and dates are scratched into the panes. Someone left their mark there, and now we are looking at it all these years later. The creator finds that more interesting than a room where everything is perfect.

The Secret Room And The Back Stairs

Behind the paneled wall sits the little room, and the surprise is a highlight of the visit. The creator names the walk down the back staircase as another favorite part, with brick, thick beams, an arched doorway and a tapestry on the wall. The creator says there is so much character in that one view.

The formal dining room is grander, with another fireplace, more paneling, woodwork around the windows, shutters tucked into the window surrounds and little window seats. Portraits of King William and Queen Mary hang there, a very different feel from the tavern room where the tour began. The creator calls it a good house to visit on an autumn day, with old floors, lovely woodwork, blue and white, and a surprise behind the wall.

Sunday Mornings At Todd Farm

The next stop is Todd Farm, a huge outdoor antique market with lots of different sellers. The creator has been going since childhood, and says that if you know Brimfield, you will recognize the idea. Quite a few of the vendors are familiar, but the lineup changes every week, and you never know what someone will bring.

This week the haul was L.L. Bean bags. The creator says the household has a little problem with them, with old ones, new ones, different colors and every size, and they use them for everything. The creator also found three little books for a dollar each: a picture book published in 1953, bought for its darling illustrations, a nautical journal from the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston with paintings by Fitz Lane, and a book called the Boston Money Tree.

The little books are a good example of why these markets are fun. The nautical journal carries paintings from the museum’s collection, including one by Fitz Lane, a favorite of the creator, who calls it a little bit of the museum to bring home for a dollar. The creator has not read the Boston Money Tree yet, and says part of the fun is bringing something home and taking a closer look. More Sunday mornings, antique shops and estate sales around New England may follow if viewers ask for them in the comments.

Tips For Your Own Antique Market Trip

The advice is easy to borrow, whether your nearest market is in New England or elsewhere. Here is what the creator and general market habits suggest.

• Bring cash and bring a bag. The creator usually brings well-worn Bean bags, though this week the household needed a bag to hold the bags.
• Slow down. Sometimes it is worth stopping at a table you might otherwise walk past.
• Do not hunt for one item. The best finds come when you are not looking for anything specific.
• Go often. The vendors change every week, and going regularly helps you hone your eye.

For anyone who loves old houses, the visit is a reminder that the best details are often small: a name scratched into a window, a faded rug, a panel that opens. The creator loves old houses and old things, and says there is always something more to learn.

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