Interior design is not just about building a home that is new and current. It is also about preserving and respecting an older home’s character.
Acquiring a home that has stood the test of time provides many advantages. Most of these properties are made of high-quality materials. Moreover, timeless features like stained glass windows and hardwood flooring will make these old homes valuable.
Creating a modern look with these old-fashioned residences is not easy. The project can even become too expensive. The Interact Group, an interior design and fit out company, can help you furnish an old house to create a comfortable and beautiful living space for you, your family, and pets.
If you have a property with time-earned character, here are the professionals’ tips which can efficiently address issues that need improvements, while highlighting your home’s past, present, and potential future.
Table of Contents
1. Use Paint to Hide Imperfections
Beautiful molding, door details, and trim are some of the features that can make you fall in love with older homes. These properties were built during different eras when finishing touches carried a particular personality and polish.
Reputable interior designers recommend applying a simple coat of paint to highlight and preserve these details. You can use a single color for the ceiling and walls, while a glossy hue is recommended on the trim to slightly call attention to it. As for the doors, use a bold shade to make them stand out.
2. Conceal Awkward Windows with Drapes
Older homes have quirky windows in uncommon places, but you can subtly clean up the look of the room without demolishing the window and blocking natural light with a full wall of drapery. Even if the windows are high and thin, the edge of the room can feel polished and soft.
3. Expose Vintage Trim
An excellent way of letting vintage window trim get exposed is to use in-window shares. They add a bit of modern touch that will keep the look and feel fresh and new without taking away the integrity of the space.
4. Use Open and Airy Shelving Units
These shelving units are the best ways to add extra storage and display space for your books, baskets of odds and ends, and collectibles without hiding the antique architecture with big bookcases or built-ins.
5. Take Advantage of Stained Glass
If you have beautiful stained glass windows, make them clearly visible. Help them stand out by painting their surroundings with white. Also, interior fitout experts recommend adding opposing geometric-shaped wallpaper as this can make the scenery more vibrant. But make sure, though, that the geometric shapes are similar.
6. Get Rid of Outdated Hardware
Remove and replace your grandpa’s faucets, knobs and handles. There is no reason for you to keep old and outdated hardware when they are no longer functional. Know also that updating it is not too expensive.
You don’t have to replace all of these in one day – you can start slow. By replacing some small pieces like outlet covers and cabinet handles one by one, you can gradually revive the look of the space.
7. Consider Undertaking a Floor-Facelift
For sure, floors are the most damaged area in your old house. The severity of the damage will indicate if it needs repair or replacement.
Let professionals do the job. If your floor needs replacing, interior designers recommend modern finishes as they are practical and beautiful. Also, they match any kind of setting.
8. Create Zones
Finally, another recognizable feature of older homes is their uncommon room layouts. This refers to the long and narrow spaces that do not allow you to do anything. You can actually use these to create zones.
Break the uncommon room layouts into multiple zones. Use open-sided pieces of furniture so they won’t look small. This is also an excellent solution if you want to give every member of your family their own private space.
Bear in mind that not everything about an old house is unlikeable. There are several things that deserve to be kept simple since they aren’t replaceable. Some of the vintage elements that you must keep include oversized stone fireplaces, wrap-around porches, and other pieces that can’t be found on the market today.
Let professional interior designers help you preserve your family’s tradition while improving your place’s overall condition. This way, the home can last for many more years to come.
AUTHOR BIO
Shane Curran, CEO at Interact Group LLC
Interact Group is a design-led interior fit out company that aims to set new standards in the UAE interiors market. Driven by their dedication to total customer experience, the company’s mission is to bring truly specialized teams to complex design and fit out challenges, utilizing their unmatched ability to deliver spaces efficiently and above expectation.