Restoring An Older Home While Honoring Its Design History

Homes, in many ways, have personalities. Not only is their character defined by the renovations, decorations and utilities implemented within or exterior to the property, but also how those shift over time.

It’s easy to see how this permeates a unique story, such as a renovated cottage that used to function as the village smithy, or perhaps even deeper renovations where the previous building’s intent was clearly designed for a purpose, such as people who live in milling houses.

As Charles Eames once said, ‘Innovate as a last resort’ and it’s become something of a mantra over here. We’ve seen far too many overdone renovations where the value of a home’s character was overlooked while attempting to bring it up to date. Instead, we urge our renovation enthusiasts to start their plans by honoring both its original history as well as aspects of its evolution rather than attempting to modernize for the sake of modernizing.

While it obviously depends on the kind of home and how it will be lived in, the following ideas are great starting points to ensure your innovating for the right reasons - and not just for the sake of something ‘new.’

Stripping Back The Additions

Sometimes, the best idea is to strip a home back to its basics, and truly letting the fundamental design shine. For example, taking out a false ceiling, so the beautiful wooden beams can once again shine in a rustic farmhouse, will no doubt help it regain the era from which is was designed.

The same could be said for exposing the brickwork after treating it in a property, or if you wish for a little more security, adding brick slips to a more formatted design to emulate the same look. Restoring the open fireplace, but this time with a wood burner or by using Visalia furnace repair, you’ll have made a great investment in preventing your energy bills from rising this year too. Providing the home is still safe, stripping back additions from over the years could be healthy.

Know What Modern Standards To Keep

Of course, restoring an old home isn’t all about taking out every piece of design applied to the property over the years if they’re integral. For example, it’s unlikely we’ll tear out a staircase bannister unless we hope to replace it.

So - what modern standards to keep? Kitchen cabinets that fit the space and can easily hide modern appliances like the dishwasher and a waist-high refrigerator can be simple and easy. Maybe you wish to keep the same aesthetic as the pull-chain toilet basin, but a new model rather than an older basin fitted in the 50s. Also, formatting a home for the future might require some carefully hidden and design-appropriate smart home features, like a front door camera next to the doorbell.

Replenishing Characteristics

In some cases, paying homage to the home and its origins can be a nice way to return the home to its roots, and replenish its character. So for example, you might decide to rename the home based on its initial design, such as calling it ‘The Mill’ if it’s in a rural area where individual house names like that are appropriate.

This might also entail a beautiful handmade wooden sign, commissioned by your local carpenter, to sit beautifully at the front of your door. Now you never need to miss a parcel thanks to the delivery driver not knowing if you’re in the correct house or not.

Blossoming Strengths

It’s unlikely the home is perfect in every single implement - but it will have stunning strengths that you may be hard pressed to find in your local area. You may have wonderful views from your living room, inspiring you to implement some bay windows for maximum sightlines and natural light.

Perhaps the home has a long driveway leading to its car parking area, and planting trees either side could be a lovely way to introduce that space with some theatricality. It’s often the little trimmings that make a huge impact too, for example large victorian door knockers can be fantastic for heightened doors.

In some cases, you may even be able to fit your renewed decorations and renovations within a similar era. So if you hope to replace the front door, you might be able to source some reclaimed wood from a time closer to when the home was built. Having this fashioned into a beautiful arched doorway is the perfect means of greeting guests to your home, and adding some true authenticity to the space.