Renovating Historic Homes

“The team should formally review any home being seriously considered,” he says. “Within an hour, the home will be scrutinized for the design possibilities, the structural integrity and a ballpark budget.” Photo by James Martin. Copyright The Color People. And while most renovations include a team of designers and craftspeople in historic renovations it’s important to choose a team that has specific experience in working with historic properties. “It is absolutely essential to hire only contractors who specialize in historic buildings and love them,” McCormick, who is also a graduate of the Leadership Training Program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, says. “There are many nuances to historic homes that will be overlooked or destroyed by unknowledgeable contractors. For example, if you hire a painter to strip wallpaper and repaint, there could be an original mural under five layers of wallpaper. You will be devastated to come home and find that the painter painted over ‘that old stuff.’ You want a painter who would be thrilled to find that, even if it means he won’t get to paint the room.” A totally redone 1920s Bungalow brought to Earthcraft Standards. Photo credit and copyright: Frank Wickstead. But even the best laid plans can go awry in older homes. McCormick emphasizes this is one reason having a knowledgeable and respectful contractor is so important. “Proper respect and treatment of unexpected discoveries, creative solutions to problems that crop up, knowledge of historic building techniques and materials—these will all be addressed by the person on the job every day.” And of course, money is a factor, points out Houston, Tex.-based architect Karen Lantz. “It’s best to have the ability to mentally change directions in the project scope while keeping contingency funds set aside in your budget,” she says. Interior shot of the 1920s Bungalow. Photo credit and copyright: Frank Wickstead. Think Preservation before Renovation Part of what is different about historic home renovations is that rather than ripping things out, the first priority is to keep what is already there and restore it to its former glory. This means thinking hard about every design decision you make since it could ultimately affect the value of your home. “Really think about every surface you are going to touch,” McCormick says. “If your floors are hand-planed, and you decide to use a power sander, you may be destroying one of the features that makes the floor valuable and distinctive. Once a historic material is removed or altered, there is no going back.”

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