Ongoing projects regarding the preservation of The Homes interior are being explored as renovations on the exterior take place. The main endeavor taking place is the effort to replicate the interior spaces to how they once would have looked when the Coltrane’s lived in The Home. The original interior of The Home as it was found in 2004 was documented through photography before any alterations were to be made. From these images, it is clear to see that a full-scale restoration project needed to commence. The rooms would need to be completely renovated, which meant removing the drywall. These pre-renovation photos along with samples of wallpapers and fixtures serve as a way to preserve the state of the house in which it was found and inspire the restoration project.
Photograph of the living room fireplace prior to any restoration. 
Photograph of the A Love Supreme Room prior to any restoration. 
Photograph of the kitchen prior to any restoration. 
Photo of one of the bathrooms in The Home prior to any restoration. 
Photo of John and Alice’s Room prior to any restoration.
One exciting sample retrieved from The Home was the original colorful carpets located in Alice Coltrane’s meditation room. The carpets played an integral role not only in Alice’s everyday life, but also in her history as a person. Samples of light switch covers, and other wall fixtures were also salvaged to give the restoration team inspiration.
In addition to the fixtures, samples of wallpaper were taken from each of the rooms. The wallpapers each have their own special significance that they lend to the overall character of the home. The Coltrane’s had quite the colorful aesthetic, and it was often reflected throughout The Home. The wallpaper samples were taken so that the new walls could match the color and patterns of the original walls as closely as possible. As they were salvaging the wallpaper, workers discovered that there were in fact some instances where multiple layers of wallpaper were present.
Wallpaper sample that was taken from the A Love Supreme Room prior to any restoration. 
Example of how layers of wallpaper were discovered on the walls of The Home. 
A wallpaper sample from the landing closet. 
An array of various samples gathered from The Home. 
Wallpaper sample taken from the Boy’s Room of The Home.
This indicates that the wallpaper that was on the walls of The Home upon its discovery in 2004 might not be the same wallpaper that adorned the home when the Coltrane’s lived there. However, in some instances the opposite could also be true. Perhaps it was the Coltrane family who put layers of wallpaper over The Homes’ original design. Since no one can know for sure, the project team will have to reference old photographs and to think about what the best approach to restoration would be, restore the walls with the newest wallpaper, or the layer beneath?
One of the best examples of using photography as a reference to the past can be seen in a photo from the wall of Alices meditation room. In Miyashita’s 1969 photo of the wall, it is plain white color. However, in the 2004 photo taken once The Home was rediscovered, instead of the wall being white, it has a decorative wallpaper instead. Therefore, Miyashita’s photograph reveals that the wallpaper found on the wall of the home in 2004 was not actually a decision made by the Coltrane family. Miyashita’s 1969 photography of The Home will play an essential role in the restoration decisions that are to come.
While it may be difficult to formally archive and keep the samples taken from The Home, this documentation of the home’s original character through photographs serves as evidence of what the home was, and how The Home will be replicated in the future. A space that was filled with so much creativity and will soon be rejuvenated and will be ready to inspire a new generation with the legacy of the Coltrane’s.