Timeless Designs for Your Craftsman-Style House, Tudor, Colonial, and More
We consider a home historic when it was built in 1940 and earlier. These homes were designed and built with character and details that reflected the era. Unfortunately, older homes don’t always work perfectly for modern families in their original states, which is why they must be remodeled at some point.
However, home remodeling doesn’t have to ignore these homes’ stories. Rather, it can become a conduit for maintaining historic charm and features, while improving functionality.
Consider these four home renovation ideas when you’re planning to modernize your historic home, while still preserving its charm and illustrious story.
Subway Tile Backsplashes and Shower Stalls
Subway tiles were born in 1904 in New York City when George C. Heins and Christopher Grant La Farge used 3-inch by 6-inch rectangular tiles in a subway station.
Since then, it’s become one of the most popular design elements. Not only is subway tile stylish, but it’s also timeless – it won’t be out of style, ever. Porcelain subway tiles are also more affordable than natural stone or decorative glass, which means you can still get a big impact from your kitchen backsplash while allotting your home remodeling budget to other features.
Many historic homeowners choose the classic running bond pattern, but the geometry of subway tile allows for a little creativity, such as herringbone, horizontal, or vertical arrangements. And don’t think you have to stick with stark white. Many historic home styles don’t stray from pops of color, which means you can opt for a more brilliant hue for your backsplash, paired with neutral and natural cabinetry and countertops.
Solid Wood Custom Kitchen Cabinets
Long before the days of engineered woods and particle boards, kitchen cabinets were hand-built from solid wood. These long-lasting and durable cabinets were made to perfectly fit spaces and required a keen attention to detail during construction.
These solid wood cabinets are very different from the flat-pack engineered cabinets at big box hardware stores and home furnishings conglomerates. For the newer, lower quality cabinets, you must hinge your hopes on your kitchen walls being the perfect length to fit – this may require that you trim out your cabinets with additional boards or spacers to create a cohesive look.
Master craftsmen ensure your fully custom solid-wood cabinets are the perfect fit and address your storage needs in a thoughtful way.
Custom Millwork Created by Master Craftsmen
Older homes like craftsman-style houses, Victorians, and Tudors are known for the signature millwork throughout. Whether it’s simple lines and wide trim, or intricate designs like “gingerbread,” custom millwork is often at the heart of a home’s character.
Because millwork is an architectural lynchpin, if you want to protect your home’s story, you’ll want to collaborate with a home remodeling company that specializes in faithful reproductions of original woodwork. These skilled companies can recreate the original millwork using the proper tools and will never purchase mass-produced engineered trims from the local hardware store to install in your home.
Even if your home has been remodeled since it was built and does not retain many of its original features, historic home renovation companies can return it to its former glory with their expertise in custom millwork.
Working Around the Home’s Defining Features
Those who appreciate architectural design understand that homes in certain eras were built the way they were for a reason. Even a midcentury-style ranch has its own signature style that harkens back to the height of popularity of arts and crafts design. So even older home architecture styles, like the Victorian or the Tudor, have defining features that denote them as that specific style.
A historic home with such features as leaded glass windows, steel window casing, slate roof tiles, and wide oak trim, for example, should keep those features throughout the home remodeling process. Historic home remodelers can clean and repair existing features like these to ensure their longevity – or replace them only when absolutely necessary with the equivalent material.
Why a Typical Home Remodeling Company Shouldn’t Touch Your Historic Home
A home remodeling company only concerned with updating your house using the most modern, trendy design elements – such as sparse and overly-clinical walls without any features whatsoever – is not one to hire when you’re ready to carry out your home renovation ideas. Older homes should be treated with kid gloves and a concern for preserving their stories.
Historic home remodelers also know to expect the unexpected when it comes to older houses. Because they’re better prepared for what they may find in the wall or attic of your historic home, they’ve already planned for it and won’t be taken by surprise.
Finally, a historic home remodeler understands the why and how behind every architectural decision made in your home – and this knowledge is what ensures the integrity of your home’s structure and layout, while still adding the modern functionality you want.
Architectural Craftsmen: Master Craftsmen with Intimate Knowledge of Older Homes
When it’s time to bring your historic home into the modern era while still maintaining its distinction with period-appropriate updates, contact Architectural Craftsmen, an award-winning design and remodeling firm.
And because every team member holds at least one National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) certification, you know that we have demonstrated that we meet or exceed the highest industry standards and continue to learn every day.
Let’s chat about your home renovation ideas, and we’ll tell you how we can make your dream a reality. Send us a message online, or call us at (913) 963-2246.
