Back in 2006 when the economy was booming homeowners couldn’t get enough of the bigger is better mentality. Houses grew to enormous sizes, and square footage became the status symbol at every party to show off. After the economy tanked, and folks lost most everything, or saw folks lose everything, a shift started to occur. People realized they didn’t need all that stuff, nor did they need 8,000 sq feet to house it. What a lesson learned. Many of my friends experienced it. Losing millions can definitely humble a person and really get you back to whats important. A nice little cottage thats easy to maintain and has character.
Here in Nashville the craftsman bungalows particularly in the 12 South neighborhood and in East nashville are full of cute homes with lots of charm. So popular that many are now going for more than the big house out in the suburbs. But there is something to be said about living in a quaint 1800 square feet. You learn to live with less, and by golly, you actually have money to put away. What a win win!
This little farmhouse in Leipers Fork, Tennessee above was built in the early 1900’s. It lacked all sorts of curb appeal and love. But this wasn’t a time for modern upgrades. It’s all about honoring the original home and architecture to help it stand out. I wanted this home to have curb appeal and wow factor. I also wanted to know how to get to the front door!
Unfortunately many homeowners get into these charming little spaces and start to remodel without a plan. It’s always wise to update to modern conveniences, however, be sure to stick to the houses’ original lines. If you’re looking to freshen up your home to make it more functional there are certain things that should be focused on:
3 ways to instantly revamp a vintage home
- Curb appeal. Add foliage and beautiful landscape to your home. A drab front yard with one bush and a lawn won’t show your house off.
- If gutting and expanding, stick with the classics. This isn’t a place to go modern so keep with simple lines and do some research to the items that were popular in the time the house was built.
- Rethink your spaces. Older homes are quirky and come with spaces that may not fit modern times. Think about how you live, and use the spaces accordingly. An old storage space could become an office space, or a formal dining room could become a comfortable spot to read and hang out.
- Most older homes come with amazing yards. Dress them up, landscape, add lighting, a pergola, a fountain and make it a cozy sanctuary.
- Light it up. It’s no secret that most older homes have terrible lighting and low ceilings. I myself was shocked when I visited Graceland in Memphis to see that Elvis’ kitchen had one flush mount light for the entire space. How anyone kept all five fingers is amazing! Adding light makes the space feel larger, expands the ceilings and also helps you see.
After a little TLC, this house came to life. I had the contractor beef up the columns, gave them more weight and scale, and we added a trail to the front door. With a little landscaping this beauty came to life. We continued the theme into the house. Keeping with the original architecture we stuck with the basics and made sure the items we selected, could have been found back when it was built. We even had the cabinets built on-site, just as they would have been made back then!
So if you’re remodeling or adding some love to your vintage home, be sure to:
- Add curb appeal
- Add beautiful landscaping
- Rethink the footprint
- Utilize the land for an outdoor living space
- Update the lighting
Vintage homes are well built and come with a lot of charm. Give them some love, and they’ll come to life!
Need help with your space? If your home’s lacking in beauty and you don’t know where to start, give us a call! We help people all over the US. [email protected] or 615-750-2763
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