When it comes to home design, there’s nothing more tried and true than looking to historic design elements that have lasted for decades and sometimes centuries. Often it can be easy to dismiss them as we look to the latest and greatest trends and innovations, but perhaps instead we should be asking what historic design traditions we should bring back? And further, are there traditional design elements from the past that might actually save us money?
To answer those questions, we looked to two experts in historic home design. Interior designer Bethany Adams primarily works on historic homes, many of which are in her own neighborhood in Louisville, Kentucky, which has the highest concentration of preserved historic Victorian homes in the country. She says, “The puzzle of making design make sense historically and also for modern life is an exciting challenge.”
Also offering his expertise, William Cullum studied historic preservation and art history at the College of Charleston and now works as a designer with Jayne Design Studio in New York City, where he specializes in working on historic homes across the country. He is always on the hunt for antique design elements that inspire him, from stained glass transoms to Federal mantles, and then looking for homes for them.
Some of these historic design traditions are ones you would want to try to preserve in an old home, and all are timeless design choices that will never go out of style. And now for those historical design elements that might just save you money.
High Ceilings
If you are building a home, consider skipping the 8-foot ceilings and jumping straight up to 10 feet or taller like ones you often see in historic homes. From a practical perspective, with taller ceilings hot air will get trapped at the top of the room in the summer while cool air remains lower where you are spending time, lowering the cost to cool your home in the summer.
Plus, according to Adams, high ceilings add an “air of grandeur” to a room since everything is taller: taller walls, taller windows, taller floorboards. “Scale is more impressive with high ceilings, and it gives a psychological feeling of lightness,” she says.
Large Windows
The more natural light you have in a home, the less you will spend on your power bill to light the house during the day. Likewise, before homes had electricity, people relied on light streaming through windows, often large ones, to see during the day.
“Today with triple-pane windows you can put in a big window and don’t have to worry about heat loss and gain,” Adams says. “Also, large windows are impressive, and feeling connected to the outdoors no matter the weather is going to improve your overall well-being and your experience of living in your home.”
Painted Floors
Historically, painted floors date back to France during 15th century and were later a trend in the American colonies in the 1700s. Today, Cullum recommends the look on floors of any age. It can be both a cost-cutting way to refinish old floors that have been sanded so many times they can’t be sanded and stained again and also a way to add character to standard new flooring. Plus, paint typically isn’t any more expensive than the typical stain used on hardwoods. “Painted floors are interesting and atypical,” Cullum says.
Marble and Other Timeless Materials
Adams’s 1897 Victorian home still has original marble features on stairs and on wall panels that she says are “impressive and luxurious and gorgeous” more than 125 years after they were installed, so she recommends investing in timeless materials like honed marble that you will never have to replace, hence saving on renovations in future years.
Adams recommends selecting marble slabs for kitchen and bathroom countertops as well as kitchen backsplashes—plus, for the ultimate luxury, as shower walls. She also likes to install tile marble floors in bathrooms and kitchens, or if you want to add it in a smaller space, an entryway.
“Part of the appeal of any stone is it is a living finish and it gets better with age,” Adams says. “The first few scratches might break your heart, but if you can lean into it, it will patina beautifully with time. If you use a timeless marble like Carrera or Danby, you won’t be looking to do redo your bathroom in 20 years.”
Porch Additions
If you’re looking to add additional living space to a new or existing home, consider adding on a porch that comes with lower construction costs than a fully finished space. Historically, porches were added onto homes to increase residents’ health and wellness particularly during epidemics, and for decades, front porches were hallmarks of home design. Today, porches offer a good way to comfortably enjoy nice weather while providing extra living space.
Brick Exteriors
You might see brick on plenty of modern homes, but it can create a historic-looking design for an exterior of a home too. According to Adams, brick has a solid, lasting look that gives the appearance of luxury. She says, “The overall look of is one of permanence and is more regal.”
Though the material is an investment on the front end, you’ll never have to pay to have it painted, unlike a house with wood siding that requires a fresh coat of paint every few years.
Ribbon Driveways
A wide asphalt driveway might be the standard in neighborhoods today, but a drive around a historic neighborhood like the ones in Charleston will introduce you to ribbon driveways, where two strips of gravel or brick run up into a yard, one tread for each set of tires on a car. To build one, you use significantly less material than you would for a full-sized driveway and hence pay less money.
“A ribbon driveway looks way more charming,” Adams says. “You can imagine wagon wheels or carriage wheels going up the ribbon.”
Heavy Draperies
Heavy draperies were originally hung on windows, so they could be closed during the winter to keep the drafty cold out. While often they serve a purely decorative function in rooms today, they can still be used to keep out the chill and reduce your heating bill, particularly in colder climates.
Adams is quick to tout the both the practical and the aesthetic importance of adding a drapery to every space in a home. She says, “It adds a touch of luxury and softness to a room. It also makes a room feel less bare and lifts the eye from the furnishes up and out to the outdoors.”
Antique Lighting
Lighting companies and products abound today, but there’s something special about using an antique fixture like one you’d find in an historic home. Some can be expensive, but others you can find at thrift stores and shine up and add new shades to. Plus, Cullum notes, unlike a new fixture, you know an antique one has already proven its lasting qualities and in buying one you escape any fear of following a trend.
“I think there’s something very familiar and reassuring and personal about seeing wear and patina and embracing that,” Cullum says. “We are all stewards of these things. They existed before us and will hopefully exist beyond us.”
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