Growing up, we lived in a gorgeous century-old Craftsman house loaded with period details. Some were beautiful and functional, and they stayed: original hardwood flooring, woodwork, pocket doors, window seats and a quirky small built-in secretary desk. Other artifacts were not so lucky — such as the first Craftsman light fittings, which were sold at a yard sale. Years later, after realizing that the lights likely would have brought a fantastic price if sold to the right buyer, most of us regretted ditching them. But the simple reality was, that the lights were … old. They were rusty and dusty looking, and to be completely honest, they reminded us of tin cans. We’re much happier living with fresh light fixtures that functioned correctly and suited our style.
The first Craftsman front porch with its trademark pillars also got the heave-ho, and that change, more than any other, shifted the expression of our house. However, some of my favorite memories of that old house are hanging on our fresh front porch, with its trellised sides, roses and fragrant jasmine providing both an intoxicating scent and a little bit of privacy as we sat outside in the evenings. I’m convinced some preservationists would cringe at our devastation of a perfectly good first porch. But that’s the thing — it’s easy to look in from the outside and tell others how to treat their previous residence, but it’s the family who lives there who have to experience it daily.
If you have an old house, how can you decide what to preserve, change or let go of completely? Here’s help.
Amy Renea
Structural changes. Let us start with issues of safety. Older homes can have underlying structural issues that have to be addressed to maintain the house sound. A leaky roof, rust issues and other difficulties can unfortunately mean letting go of a gorgeous old plaster wall or authentic floor — but taking good care of those issues sooner rather than later will limit the harm.
If there’s extensive damage, and the decision is between gutting and ripping down, then think carefully about the pros and cons of each choice before deciding. Should you opt for a teardown, you can still attempt to save as many original details as you can (windows, doors, floorboards etc.) and put them to work at the new house.
Ben Herzog
Plumbing and electrical upgrades. Along with structural issues, in case your previous house has very old pipes or wiring, leaving it as is can be unsafe. Bringing all your electrical work around code and getting aluminum pipes installed can help protect your house and family.
Fredendall Building Company
A note on historical houses. If your house is listed on the historical register, that’s a completely different ballgame. Most historical districts have strict requirements about creating any sort of modifications to the exterior of a historical residence, such as changes to doorways, windows, roof projections, siding and additions, amongst others. It is possible to discover certain guidelines for your state throughout the National Register of Historic Places.
Ingrained Wood Studios
The floor plan. Some houses — such as colonials and Victorians — have been built at a period when people favored having many small rooms, rather than the open plan that has become popular today. And while knocking down a wall or two might not substantially affect your home’s unique character, attempting to induce a completely new layout on to your old home isn’t something to be dismissed.
Choosing a major whole-house remodeling job can be expensive as well as labor and time intensive. If you decide to undertake a larger remodeling job, seek out a pro with extensive experience working with older houses in precisely the exact same style as yours.
Find an architect or a builder near you
VOH Architects
Woodwork and built-ins. Wherever possible, preserving fine original woodwork would be worth the attempt. Wood is becoming increasingly more costly, and the amount of craftsmanship in older houses is a lot greater than what you generally find at a new construction. This might include flooring, trim, molding, fireplace mantels, bookcases, china cabinets, staircases and more. If you have to replace a few flooring, attempt to have the newest flooring stained and paired to the old for a seamless transition.
Light fittings. The lighting fixtures shown here were first to the house, circa 1890. Light fittings of that age won’t be usable as they are, but they can be professionally restored and rewired to work with modern electrical systems. If you want to maintain a period appearance, and you’ve got access to your home’s original fittings, it might be worth having them restored.
Adrienne DeRosa
Doors and windows. Original windows and doors have a tendency to be created from solid wood, and are in keeping with the general proportions and type of the house. If you can keep them, do old windows can be treated to provide better insulation. If you have to replace badly damaged doorways or windows, you might want to look into salvaged replacements in other older houses. Otherwise look for new bits that match the size and proportions of their previous ones to maintain your home’s character.
Hardware. First cabinet latches, door components and drawer pulls offer a glimpse to the first style of your home. Even if you must tear out a badly damaged door or cabinet, attempt to save the latches, knobs and even hinges to reuse elsewhere in your house.
Mary Prince Photography
Plaster. Engineered plaster walls possess a rich appearance that ultrasmooth drywall just can not match. Plaster walls are also generally quite insulating — easier to leave them as is if potential.
Evens Architects
To paint or not to paint? Compared to issues of completely eliminating period details, you may think simply painting your existing woodwork or masonry would not ruffle any feathers, but a few people will still be miffed if you cover up first woodwork. In the grand scheme, I say this is a style decision, and you should not let anybody make you feel bad about painting. It is a fact that if someone in the future wished to show the first woodwork again, it would take some work — however it will still be there, and that’s the important thing.
A closing note: If you do choose to let go of any of your home’s original details, take the time to bring them to an architectural salvage yard. That way others who are renovating older homes can benefit!
Inform us Do you reside in an old house? Have you ever changed — or will you prefer to change — any one of your home’s first details? Share your tales in the Comments section.
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