Something Old, Something New
Image credit: Amblin Entertainment/Universal Pictures.
Congratulations! You just bought your dream home- a charming old house decked out with historical elements and enviable craftsmanship. But there’s work to be done (there always is) so what should you tackle first? The windows, flooring, roof, update your sewer line and/or HVAC system? Or maybe should you delve straight into re-configuring the rooms, taking down walls, decorating and/or adding finishing touches?
The answer really depends on your budget and the advice you get from your inspector, but you will definitely want to do whatever you can to avoid reliving the nightmare that Walter and Anna from “The Money Pit” experienced when they purchased their stunning fixer upper.
Throughout my years as a designer, I have worked with various clients who have made both cosmetic and more in-depth updates to their older homes and each of those projects has taught me valuable lessons that I would like to share with you.
Remember why you first fell in love. It is so easy to feel overwhelmed with all the changes and upgrades, that you might start wondering if it was even worth all your time, money and effort. Take a step back, breathe and just playback the quirky details that had you at hello.
The quirks of this cape style house could’ve been seen as a challenge but instead worked to our client’s benefit as we were able to tuck a beautiful and functional home office into their bedroom.
Pay homage to the time period and style of your house. This does not mean that you have to furnish your 1930s colonial house in an art deco style, or your Victorian era house with Victorian style furnishings. Instead, respect the beauty of the era while adding modern (updated) personal touches.
This 1930s Georgian Colonial living room got quite the bright update with bold patterns and colors.
Hire the right team. There are architects, contractors, and mill-work fabricators who know and then there are those who don’t. Do your research, visit the homes they’ve worked on, and speak to their past clients. When you meet with these professionals, make sure it feels right and that they understand and appreciate the beauty of your old house. You could also knock on the door of an old home in your area that was brought back to life and ask the owners who their team was.
It took quite the qualified village to make this bathroom transformation happen.
A very 1930s style before.
Plan in phases. If you can make all the necessary changes at once, great! If you can’t, don’t stress. Come up with a logical and economical plan and timeline with your professional team so you don’t waste your time or money on doing things twice.
Don’t be scared to say no. While you will most probably choose to preserve and restore the original mill-work, you might not want to keep the antique claw foot tub in your bathroom or the quirky elf fireplace in your backyard (see caption below), and that’s ok. There’s nothing wrong (but everything right!) about making this new old house, yours.
As we prepare for a complete transformation to the backyard of a 1930s Georgian Colonial, we continue to wonder what this very interesting and unusual structure is and are sorry that it just doesn’t fit in our plans.
Be sure to leave a comment below to tell us about your favorite house quirks.