Anybody lucky enough to have a vast and majestic heritage house should put all efforts into restoring its previous glory before time takes its toll. Homeowners who have inherited an old-fashioned and seemingly tedious dated house should not worry, as nowadays there are numerous means and ideas you can incorporate to make that heritage house look new again. Besides bringing the house’s old flair, renovating a home with a rich heritage history can be utterly fanciful and rewarding. In order not to make it a financial burden, here are all the things you should know and do if you want to do a complete heritage house renovation.
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Keep the traditional features
Heritage homes are truly one-of-a-kind architectural masterpieces. For that matter solely, it would a real tragedy to completely demolish its interior and exterior because that would mean you are demolishing its tradition and history. Even if some house features are no longer fashionable, doesn’t mean you should rule them out. Consider giving a nice facelift to a classic exterior, adapt the outlook of the home to serve its new purpose, keep the original features that made the heritage home look unique and sophisticated, and maybe add a touch of trendy amenities. Don’t destroy the entire vibe to follow new trends, but keep architectural style to the fullest.
Conduct a thorough renovation inspection
Before you get your hands dirty, you need to have a clear insight into what exactly needs to be renovated. There can be an abundance of unexpected problems when restoring the heritage house, and one of the most paramount features to deal with first is the roofing. Hire a professional heritage roofing service to inspect the roof to the very detail and identify any problems early on. Next, you need an expert building inspector to assess the construction aspects. When it comes to apparel, very often those types of houses are in poor condition and you may need to thoroughly rejuvenate them. Lastly, besides conducting cosmetics check-ups, make sure that you hire experts to check whether there are any leakages, plumbing issues, termites, or any other unsafe areas.
Avoid copy/paste
Although it may look highly exquisite to keep the heritage home’s outlook, it doesn’t mean that you need to copy every single detail. It’s essential to look at home’s history and tradition, but you should put your personal touch when redecorating a heritage home. Nowadays, most contemporary homes look far-fetched, but you can just alter a small feature to make it look chic. Old houses mainly focused on having hardwood floors, but you can instead place modern marble tiles, for instance. Another idea is to create an open-plan kitchen or add a touch of vivid wall hues to spice up the dark cabinetry.
Implement a genuine style
If you don’t want the home to look tedious and too traditional, you can mix the different styles and come up with a cosmopolitan take on a historic property. This signalizes that you can both keep the vintage look from the outside, and go for modern and eclectic style from the inside. You can even mix styles, decades, patterns, and materials to make it highly genuine if you are confident enough. Most heritage homes resemble some historic era and you can similarly keep the French-style kitchen, but place British-inspired artwork. Don’t be afraid to contrast the original parts of the home with the new ones. The more you mix styles, the more unique will the house look.
Find a harmonious blend
There’s no denying that an older home should have similar-designed furniture and accent pieces that adequately complement its past and tradition. However, if your preferences fall far from that notion then you should strive to find a happy and harmonious medium of the old and the new. Consider incorporating modern accent pieces that will perfectly accompany the home’s historical vibe. You can restore the old furniture and then hang a cutting-edge TV. Opt for having things custom made like cabinetry, Ottomans, shelving, etc. But at the same time choose new materials in a more posh and vivid design that match the scale of the old design and use the same colors. By closely blending the old and the new, you will help bring about a successful renovation that will restore the heritage’s house old flair.
Don’t neglect the costs
Some professionals reckon that restoring a heritage house is as expensive as building a new one from the scratch. This can vary in many aspects, however, you shouldn’t underestimate the costs. Renovating a heritage property can be a challenging and expensive endeavor because some materials are hard to get. Plus, the house which has stood the test of time probably needs to be totally re-modeled and inspected which demands a lot of different contractors.
Heritage home renovations and alterations are one of the most perfect ways of preserving history and applying sustainable practice. By reshaping instead of demolishing, you help look after the environment and tradition at the same time.