Making Traditional Homes Work for Our Modern Lives
If you own a home in the city of Denver, it’s pretty likely that your house has some weird quirks. From phone book nooks to coal delivery hatches, the homes in our city have evidence of past lives marking human development over the last 100+ years. Many homes in Denver were first ordered from the Sears catalog, delivered as freight via railway, and built by the homeowners on their land. Focusing on simplicity of manufacturing, standard shipping dimensions, and the skill of the average left us with homes that were easily constructed and designed to meet the needs of the greatest common denominator.
In the century since many of these homes first set their foundations, much has changed both in regard to lifestyle needs, and also in construction means and methods. In many ways, our world has globalized bringing in lessons learned from cultures around the world. We have standardized building materials, documentation, and project delivery processes. We ship materials like steel and stone across the ocean at lightning speeds wherever a project may call for it. And I think most notably, we have, as a community, lost the formerly commonplace skills of carpentry or handiwork and instead, anointed a class of builders to construct our homes for us.
Not only has our accessibility of materials and ways of building changed, but our lives have significantly changed as well. Our families have in many ways become smaller with just two generations living under one roof, however we tend to be more dispersed with each member of the family requiring their own room for sleeping, areas for grooming, and spaces for storage. The noise of technology has created a need for additional spots to step away to find solitude and quiet. And of course, the integration of technology in the workforce has allowed work to follow us home. From agricultural lifestyles, to commuters working a 9-5, to the very recent proliferation of work from home and flexible work opportunities, changes in labor have changed the ways we live and interact with our families and homes. The spaces within our homes are used more for work now than for any previous generation. Which brings us to the question - how do we make it all work?
Here we find ourselves, living in 100 year old homes with quirks that are synonymous with charm, on top of each other with no room to store the soccer gear, a beautiful entryway stair with hand-carved newel posts, 3 kids sharing one room, lovely carved wood pocket doors, and no air conditioning. We love the house, we love the neighborhood, but we hate how it all makes us feel. How will we make it work?
When we look at older homes, we can easily wear rose colored glasses and see the beauty within the details and craftsmanship. When you sit down with us to tell us about your life, the one current, and the one hoped for, we take these details into account. Some homeowners we work with have loved the built-in bar or bookcase in their home, it just needed to be relocated to the office or dining room, where it wouldn’t be the center of the kid’s play area. Most older homes have distinctly divided rooms where visual access throughout the house is at a minimum. When we open up these walls, we not only allow you to see what is happening nearby, but also allow light to flow freely through the space. If we consider crown moldings or coffered ceilings, we may leave those details in place and create a framed opening rather than removing a wall altogether. At times the details that at first seem sacred, might actually turn out to be a problem - wood that has been exposed to the elements and shows signs of rot, or that light fixture that, while beautiful, has dangerous wiring and needs to be removed. We must remember that while some things are worth salvaging, just because things are old, does not make them valuable.
Once we’ve decided where to keep the charm, we have to find more space. Looking for every square inch possible, we’ve found space where there was thought to be none. We’ve converted attic space into whimsical bedrooms, removed hallways in order to add bathrooms, and reorganized circulation to lend better privacy. When you can hold loosely what is in front of you, it’s interesting how new possibilities may reveal themselves.
No matter what type of home you live in, or what your design goals are, the path to a beautiful home is created by your own definition of beauty. We want your home to be your own - something friends walk into and say “this is so YOU!” A place that feels comfortable and unique and well suited to your daily grind. Add wallpaper or the crazy light fixture. Paint the cabinets your favorite shade of purple. Add a shelf where you’re always searching for a place to set down your coffee. Make a choice that makes you feel good, and the space becomes immediately “yours”, no matter how many owners have called it their own before. It’s rare someone will return to scold you about having removed the banisters.
Are you ready to discover what potential your home may have? Come design with us and find out what it might feel like to have a space created for your unique culture.