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Planning for a Historic Home Renovation

The most successful historic home renovation is the one planned in detail. Having a plan identifies the work to be done at the approved cost and at the expected quality level. Click through the slideshow for tips on how best to prepare for your historic home overhaul. This article originally appeared on Porch.com.

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The main living area functions as an easygoing lounge, ideal for entertaining, with a vintage billiards table and low-slung sofas from Ikea. The concrete flooring is durable and easy to clean—a rebuttal to precious French parquet.
The main living area functions as an easygoing lounge, ideal for entertaining, with a vintage billiards table and low-slung sofas from Ikea. The concrete flooring is durable and easy to clean—a rebuttal to precious French parquet.
An architectural designer and an artist harnessed the collective power of their design firm to remake a dilapidated mid-century gem into a hillside perch for their family.
An architectural designer and an artist harnessed the collective power of their design firm to remake a dilapidated mid-century gem into a hillside perch for their family.
New residential buildings are few and far between in England, so architects like Phillips have increasingly been charged with creating groundbreaking modern environments within the shells of historic houses. “People just find it easier to work within existing houses to transform them to be sleek, stylish and functional,” says Phillips. “Extensions have almost become a requirement for any homeowner who wants to be a part of modern living within the U.K.”
New residential buildings are few and far between in England, so architects like Phillips have increasingly been charged with creating groundbreaking modern environments within the shells of historic houses. “People just find it easier to work within existing houses to transform them to be sleek, stylish and functional,” says Phillips. “Extensions have almost become a requirement for any homeowner who wants to be a part of modern living within the U.K.”
The open-plan, double-height kitchen/living/dining area makes the most of the house's 1,700 square feet. The cabinetry is finished in polyurethane, the hardware is by Lockwood and Madinoz, the countertops are Caesarstone, the oven and cooktop are by Ilve, and the integrated refrigerator is by Fisher & Paykel. The pendant lamps are Richard Neutra by Kartell, the cushions are Marimekko, the dining chairs are by Herman Miller, and the "coffee table" is a trio of Alvar Aalto's Stool 60 by Artek.
The open-plan, double-height kitchen/living/dining area makes the most of the house's 1,700 square feet. The cabinetry is finished in polyurethane, the hardware is by Lockwood and Madinoz, the countertops are Caesarstone, the oven and cooktop are by Ilve, and the integrated refrigerator is by Fisher & Paykel. The pendant lamps are Richard Neutra by Kartell, the cushions are Marimekko, the dining chairs are by Herman Miller, and the "coffee table" is a trio of Alvar Aalto's Stool 60 by Artek.
The deceptive simplicity of the dining table and chairs, by Piet Hein Eek, and Tufty Time sofa by Patricia Urquiola for B&B Italia, enhance the authentic feeling created by the old gallery-style middle floor, supported by massive 400-year-old beams.
The deceptive simplicity of the dining table and chairs, by Piet Hein Eek, and Tufty Time sofa by Patricia Urquiola for B&B Italia, enhance the authentic feeling created by the old gallery-style middle floor, supported by massive 400-year-old beams.