Your home's structural design includes a significant effect on its inside plan, indeed as your individual tastes alter over time. Reviving homes by honoring their uniqueness, will need preparation and imagination. Start by diving into your home's history- determine when it was built, who the builder was, and the building impacts of that time.
Walk through your house, observing original features like hardware, and windows. Use this information to make thoughtful design choices that complement your home’s history. Consider whether you’ll preserve original elements like trim or incorporate modern touches. Decide on lighting and tile styles that reflect the home’s period. For furnishings, choose between keeping a historical feel, blending old and new, or opting for modern pieces. Consulting with a designer can help balance these elements, ensuring a cohesive and respectful design.
Embrace the Unique Features of Your Historic Home
The distinctive characteristics of an architectural style should be highlighted rather than concealed. For example, if you own a Craftsman home with beautifully stained wood trim and coffered ceilings, embrace the deep neutrals typical of the style, such as dark greens and earthy tones, which reflect the movement's focus on honest and simple craftsmanship.
If your home features well-preserved old-growth pine floors, reconsider fully carpeting the space. Instead, use runners and area rugs to showcase the floor's beauty while providing comfort. Antique furnishings in your home might only need a new coat of stain to look more vibrant and refreshed.
Planning the Historic Home Decor
Before starting a decorating project, it's essential to have a detailed plan. When updating a historic building, you may discover previous decorating choices. For instance, removing paint or lime plaster might reveal numerous layers beneath, providing insight into the home's historical decor trends. Essentially, create a strategy before renovating, ensuring it respects the house's heritage.
Choosing the Color Scheme for Historic Home
Numerous resources are available to help you choose suitable paint schemes. Many paint manufacturers offer specialized collections tailored to particular historical periods or architectural styles, ensuring they draw inspiration from reputable sources. Alternatively, you can use color strategically, if you prefer bolder choices, opt for a vibrant piece of furniture while maintaining historically accurate walls and floors. select a strikingly bold color and paint the walls from floor to ceiling with your plan and imagination, giving your historic home a blend of modern life.
Modernize the Home Systems
Certain features that were once indispensable have become obsolete over the past century. If your fireplaces are no longer functional or practical, consider converting them to gas for easier maintenance instead of sealing them off completely. If you don't require a functional fireplace but still want it visible, you can fill it with pillar candles for ambiance, place a potted plant for decoration, or use it as a small storage nook.
Fireplaces often serve as focal points in rooms, and showcasing them can help maintain a cohesive look in your space. Modernize the electrical, heating, and cooling systems that are now essential. There are services available that can upgrade these systems without compromising your home's historic charm.
Blending Old and New Elements
Comfortable goods encompass the furnishings you'll incorporate into your home, and there are various methods to consider when selecting them. Your options range from creating a blend of contemporary elements with vintage ones such as Abraham Lincoln’s infamous rocking chair, the very seat he was sitting in when assassinated on April 14, 1865. Choose pieces that evoke the era when your home was originally built. Incorporate a few vintage items alongside newer furnishings. Opt for a striking contrast by using modern furniture in a home with historical architecture and moldings.
There is no absolute right or wrong way to decorate older homes, but a mix of both old and new elements often works well. Consulting with an interior designer can guide you in deciding where to start and what might look best as a combination of old and new details. Typically, opting for sleek and minimalistic contemporary or modern furniture can seamlessly infuse a traditional household with a touch of modernity without causing discord between the two aesthetics. A modern bohemian bedroom decor would inject the place with vibrant elements without drowning out the classic nature of the vintage home. Aim for luxurious textures, crisp designs, and muted hues, avoiding extremes in either direction to strike the right balance.
Using Rugs at Your Unique Space
When uncertain, opting for a rug suits uniquely shaped areas well, as their natural shape complements odd corners or serves as a focal point in larger spaces, even when placed atop another carpet. In addition to space, rugs offer an opportunity to introduce color to areas within a home lacking defined walls for accenting. This strategy works effectively for residences featuring unconventional or open layouts where room demarcations are unclear. Simply place them anywhere to have a sense of belonging.
Enhancing Your Historical Home Outside Surroundings
Embracing the decor style to your historical home extends beyond indoor decor to encompass your outdoor space, reaching from your curb to the property line. Maintaining a vibrant garden that complements the aesthetic requires dedication and attention to detail.
Roses are often associated with gardens, but there are additional elements to consider. Utilize flowers or plants in a single color scheme arranged in oval or kidney-shaped planting beds. Enclose planting beds with lush green grass. Explore options such as Coleus plants, African violets, Hybrid tea roses, and Wisteria. Incorporate paths to connect outdoor spaces or create intimate garden areas.
Opt for gravel pathways to naturally complement hedges and colorful plantings. Embrace ornamentation with features like pergolas, gazebos, birdcages, fountains, and trellises adorned with climbing vines. Experiment with a variety of plant colors. Consider the local climate, in areas with low water or humidity, minimize grass areas or eliminate them to focus on hydrating plants and flowers. Choose drought-resistant options such as the Peppermint tree, White bougainvillea, Fortnight lily, Ornamental sage and lavender.
Conclusion
Decorating the kitchen and bathroom in an old house presents unique challenges, as these rooms must honor the home's heritage while meeting contemporary needs. Maintain the historical appeal by preserving or replicating original cabinetry and incorporating timeless tile designs. Modernize by incorporating new appliances, fixtures, and countertops, seamlessly blending the past with current needs. Thoughtful upgrades can respect tradition while meeting contemporary standards.
