Renew the Fantastic Elements in Your Historic Home while Upgrading the Outdated Elements

Historic homes are often purchased with the best of intentions. The new homeowners anxiously plan to update what needs to be updated while maintaining the historic value of the home. Let’s be clear and express up front that historic preservation and historic renovations are two completely different creatures. Let’s talk about each and look at a few examples.

Historic Preservation (or Heritage Preservation)

One of the most famously preserved homes in the United States is Mount Vernon in Fairfax County, Virginia. Mount Vernon was the plantation home of George Washington. No one currently lives in the home and it lacks modern conveniences of everyday life as we know it today. But the mansion itself has been restored to match the inventory taken when George Washington resided there.

Another immaculately preserved home is Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. The Chaeeauesque style mansion was built for George Washington Vanderbilt II in the late 1890s. It is currently the largest privately owned home in the United States although no one actively lives in the mansion itself. The architecture is simply amazing, and the preservation efforts are renowned.

Many less famous homes and buildings have been preserved throughout the decades leading from their construction. Some have been made into tourist attractions so that we may visit and enjoy the architectural genius involved in the construction of such beauty while others have been renovated to be used as bed and breakfast style accommodations for travelers, hotels, or even first-class restaurants.

Historic Renovation

Homes purchased for the sole purpose of historic renovation are generally purchased by someone who enjoys the architecture and fantastic wooden elements used 150 to 200 years ago. Very few people in today’s market put that much hard work and dedication into creating solid wood pieces with which to build and decorate a home. In fact, when you find a woodworker who creates solid wood pieces by hand, hang onto them – and let me know!

Renovating a historic home to make it pass today’s standards of living isn’t an easy or cheap task. Please don’t go into this type of project thinking that everything will flow smoothly from beginning to end; it will not. It is, however, possible to restore a historic home and maintain the fantastic elements from the era in which it was built. Solid wood walls with detailed trim may be cleaned, lightly sanded, and polished back to its former glory. It just takes a lot of work.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Certain rooms, such as the kitchen and bathrooms specifically, are going to require the help of someone with specific job skills. Electrical wiring and outlets, and plumbing issues are going to have to be addressed by an electrician and plumber respectively. The kitchen design and bathroom design will likely have to be mapped out by someone with experience in both fields.

I would love to meet with you and discuss your historic renovation needs. Older homes hold a special place in my heart, and some of the historic homes here in Vermont are absolutely breathtaking. I will help design your modern kitchen with an old feel using the latest in 3D technology. We will work together to create a kitchen that you can be proud of, and my building team will build it to spec using the materials you choose. Let’s get started!