Yesterday I had the pleasure of talking with Jill and her father Rick (son of ‘Gramps’) of @GrampsOldSchool on ‘A Quarter Til Wine’. This dynamic and knowledgeable duo also happen to be on the premiere episode of the new show ‘Cheap Old Houses’. COH will premiere on HGTV and Discovery+ this coming Monday August 9th 9 pm EST, snag your 1 month of Discovery+ with code CHEAP30 here! As part of Cheap Old Houses show ourselves (catch @BlackHouseSeven at 9:30 EST August 9th) I equate these pre-premiere jitters to knowing a secret that will forever change the way we talk about homes, and our relationship to them and I.AM.PUMPED!

Our little old house community does things differently. We are passionate, and proud to be caretakers of homes that have been around much longer than ourselves, and rejoice knowing they will be around long after we are gone. A legacy in a nutshell. Part of growing this community is sharing just how beautiful this slow and steady pace can be and serve as an example of an alternative.

3 Things Historic Home Owners Need To Tell Their Contractors

Less is More

I asked Jill and Rick if they had any struggles communicating their vision with the various contractors and trades they sought to assist in their renovation. Luckily they had access to many ‘classically’ trained craftsmen, such as brick masons and slate roofers who lived only a few miles from the schoolhouse! Proving as a testament of a community coming together, just as they would have in the 1800’s. Jill and Rick did however, run into the age old story of a contractor trying to convince them that ‘ripping out the original floors’ was necessary and to that they say ‘less is more’. Keeping the markings of the past, the evidence of where the old school house desks were screwed into the floor was part of this building’s story, the desks that Rick’s father would have sat, and grandmother who attended the school as well, was important to keep. These parts were just as important as any other.

Historic Floor Plans  Matter

Take your time, even if that means a year of planning, to do the historic elements you’ve inherited justice. Working within an existing historic structure takes patience and when incorporating a modern necessity it most certainly takes creativity but the proof is in the pudding. I have never run across a homeowner stating “if we had just done things quicker…” but instead, acknowledging that the patience uncovered solutions that supported both the irreplaceable historic elements  and the modern conveniences they sought to add.

Original… First, Additions… second

This is a well recycled plea of historic homeowners and renovation professionals across the board and one that I would encourage anyone attempting a historic or period renovation to express from the very beginning. While each project will inevitably have its own constraints and requirements, one thing is certain, anything that is original should be given priority. Keeping, saving, leaving alone, whatever the appropriate remedy is, the irreplaceable bits have to be the most important part. If your contractor cannot get on board with this, or is certain that it is ‘cost effective’ to rip it out I would, at the very least, seek a second opinion (I myself would simply keep looking). Much of what is original was intended to be mended over its lifetime, not replaced (as modern consumerism has brainwashed us to believe). It must be understood by anyone and everyone that works on a historic home is that they are stewards and caretakers of this home, the goal is not to replace as much of it with modern building materials as they can....

the goal will always be… do what is needed and leave the rest be