Photos: At Home with Gloria and Tom Bratkowski in Old North St. Louis
The home of Gloria and Tom Bratkowski in the Old North St. Louis neighborhood will be on the Old North House Tour on Saturday, Sept. 21.聽
Tom and Gloria Bratkowski pose for in front of their home on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024 in Old North St. Louis.聽Their 1886 house is next door to Tom's childhood home.
Tom and Gloria Bratkowski鈥檚 home, originally constructed in 1886, is next door to Tom鈥檚 childhood home in Old North St. Louis.
Tom and Gloria Bratkowski pose for a photo on the couch in their living room at on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. Their 1886 house is next door to Tom's childhood home in Old North St. Louis.
Two matching slate fireplace mantels remain untouched in the living room and dining room. Although stone, when originally installed both were painted to look like wood. Each feature three small hand painted murals of country scenes on the front panel over the firebox, and original etched mirrors cover the opening when the hearth is not in use.
The slate fireplace of Tom and Gloria Bratkowski holds a hand painted mural under its mantle in the dining room of their home at on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. The Bratkowski's removed the fireplace and moved it several inches down the wall as apart of the renovations of their home.
A ceiling medalion sits in the middle of the living room in Tom Bratkowski's home at 1209 Hebert St. on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. Bratkowski repaired the medallion and its identical twin in his dining room, both of which were original pieces of the home.
In the living room, original tri-fold wood shutters rise 10 feet, almost to the 12-foot high ceiling. When folded, the shutters can be hidden in recessed nooks inside the window frames. All woodwork is pine with a dark varnish.
When Tom was restoring the residence, he was careful not to compromise any of the original and extensive woodwork, which is an example of the craftmanship of the late 1800s when the home was constructed.
An armoire sits at the end of the dining room table in Tom and Gloria Bratkowski's home on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. The armoire originally belonged to Tom's grandfather and the dining room table originally belonged to Gloria's grandmother.
A ceiling medalion sits in the middle of the dining room in Tom Bratkowski's home on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. Bratkowski repaired the medallion and its identical twin in his living room, both of which were original pieces of the home.
Vintage heirloom furniture and collections fit perfectly throughout the historic residence. The dining room table belonged to Gloria鈥檚 grandmother. Four chairs were inherited, while the others were purchased in local antique shops. Unseen in the octagon-shaped room is a tall hutch that was Tom鈥檚 grandparents. On top of the small cabinet are family heirlooms and photos.
Light shines through the original stain glass of a second floor bathroom in Tom and Gloria Bratkowski's home in Old North St. Louis. on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. Many of the stain glass windows throughout the Bratkowski residence are original to the late 1800s home.
The bed in an upstairs bedroom belonged to Tom鈥檚 parents and dates to the early 1900s. The vintage quilt was purchased at a church bazaar in Old North St. Louis. The small, framed sampler on the nightstand reads: May all who come to my door, sweet welcome find, and peace of mind.
Tom did all the tile work when he renovated the bathrooms. The sink is original to the 1886 home.
A gazebo sits in Tom Bratkowski's backyard on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. The gazebo has been apart of the home since Bratkowski was a child in the neighborhood.
A hand carved wooden wall decoration hangs from a wall in Tom and Gloria Bratkowski's home on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. Tom's father carved the decoration by hand.
Tom Bratkowski's Packard player piano sits in the livingroom of his home on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. The piano originally belonged to Bratkowski's aunt.
A player piano that belonged to Tom鈥檚 aunt is in the living room, next to a cabinet and a collection of 75 rolls of music. The 1923 piano emits a melody so loud it can be heard (and enjoyed) from the street outside. 鈥淲e turn it on whenever our family is here,鈥 Tom says.
A stained glass ornament depicting the eight pointed star of Old North St. Louis hangs from a chandelier inTom and Gloria Bratkowski's home on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. The ornament was made and gifted to the Bratkowski's by Tom's daughter.
An antique rotary phone hangs from the wall of Tom Bratkowski's office at his home in Old North St. Louis on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. Bratkowski still uses the phone, which is wired into the home's landline, to answer incoming calls.
Tom Bratkowski's collection of vintage washboards sit on an unused staircase in his home on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. In addition to the washboards, Bratkowshi's collection includes boilers and agitators originally used in the handwashing of laundry.
A hand carved wooden wall decoration hangs from a wall in Tom and Gloria Bratkowski's home on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. Tom's father carved the decoration by hand.
Pine molding lines the 10-foot-tall doorways of Tom and Gloria Bratkowski's home in Old North St. Louis on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. The Bratkowski's kept as much of the original woodwork of the late 1800s home intact as possible.
Tom Bratkowski rehabbed a house just two doors down from where he grew up.聽
