Remodeling a Brownstone or a Pre-War Apartment?
When to Restore and When to Replace
If you are considering renovating a brownstone or a Pre-War apartment, you may be told that restoring old floors, doors or lighting is too expensive and that you can save money by buying new. In reality, the decision to restore or replace is much more a personal and aesthetic decision than a cost-based one; with some research and focus, pre-war details can be saved within a reasonable budget, gaining you an enhanced and aesthetically pleasing environment.
As an interior designer and preservationist, I clearly favor salvaging and restoring historic detail of what remains of our brownstones and pre-World War II buildings. But I also am cost conscious. Remodeling involves prioritizing and balancing costs and benefits, spending more here, spending less there. If the overall look you are going for is traditional, transitional or eclectic, by restoring and repurposing original materials, you will gain an interior space with character and warmth, while reducing the burden of extra waste in our landfills, in addition to other environmental benefits.
The decision to restore instead of replace flies in the face of the much-loved American principle that “new is always better than old.” Often times, this adage reflects faulty reasoning. If you are comparing prices, make sure you are comparing apples with apples, materials with materials, quality with quality.
Consider this: older materials are often higher in quality. For instance, old wood paneling or floors have a tighter and more interesting grain than new wood (even compared to the same species). Old wood has a patina that only comes with age; even if your wood paneling is stained, painted or distressed, a good restorer can remove much of the damage without destroying the patina.
The before and after photo of the brownstone below shows a missing panel in a 12’ high pocket door. The owners wanted to be able to close off the kitchen in the event of a rare, formal dinner, but they wanted natural light to reach the dining room area most of the time. They saved and refinished the doors, and missing pieces were recreated and carefully installed and stained so that one could barely detect the difference between the existing and new. Admittedly, this step is more expensive, but if it saved the set of doors so they had the functional benefit of being able to close off the kitchen. To replace the 2” thick, 12" high carved doors would have been prohibitive.
If you are wondering if you should replace the floors, there are many factors to consider: if the nail heads are showing, then likely the floor has been sanded for the last time and you really have no choice but to replace. If the floor boards are creaking, a floor expert can tell you if it’s possible to spot-secure the sub-flooring. In any case, if you replace your floors, don’t rush the process--keep in mind that it’s important that new floorboards have to sit on site for a week or more to acclimatize since new wood is grown, cut and delivered for quick use, and it often shrinks and expands as it settles in.
Original floors have an absolutely beautiful luster and patina which take years to develop. If you absolutely have to replace them, use the original pattern as a reference and try to duplicate the same patterns and wood types. If there is nothing left of the floor to know what was there, ask a neighbor if you can look at his apartment—neighboring brownstones were usually built by the same builder and the same materials and similar patterns were used; if you live in an apartment building, see if you can find someone in the building in which original details exist.
The photos below show a Pre-War apartment that had been gutted in the 1980s. The owners did not like the red, Brazilian cherry floors. We looked at other apartments to verify what the original floors looked like and decided to install clear oak floors, similar to the original, pictured, right.
Of course, buying a new door at Lowes will be inexpensive, but the cost to buy, ship, install, and the dumpster and demolition related fees of removing the original belies the concept that buying new is always cheaper than restoring the old one already in place. Often new doors have to be special ordered anyway (and therefore more expensive) because the ceiling of most brownstones and Pre-War buildings are higher than standard sizes and taller doors are more appropriate and in scale, though they are more expensive.
Even if you decide to jettison old doors, don’t overlook removing and polishing the original hardware. Old hardware also is usually of superior quality, dollar for dollar, than buying new. It is less expensive to clean a pair of original door handles or lock set which you already own for $35 than to buy new brass hardware for over $100 each, and the color and beauty of the vintage hardware is unsurpassed. If you want a silver nickel finish but you have yellow brass, you can even have the brass ones dipped, like the andirons shown here.
There are many local salvage yards where you can find 19th and early 20th century hardware, mantels, banisters, fences, gates and lighting. If you don’t have the time or energy to look for them yourself, find an architect or interior designer that is knowledgeable and willing to do it for you. Sometimes vintage items are less expensive than new similar items, and the style will be consistent and look like it belongs in your new home.
Finally, if you like historic detailing, look for architects, contractors and interior designers that actually like historic buildings and know something about them. If they love the set of 2001 Space Odyssey and you love Pride and Prejudice, it might not be a match made in heaven. Buying and renovating any house or apartment (even new ones) is a difficult process not unlike giving birth – it hurts a lot but is more than worth it in the end! A year or two down the line, you can admire the intricacy of the carvings and take in the warmth and inviting atmosphere that a restored and decorated brownstone or pre-War apartment can offer.
Coming UP on future blogs from Sustainable Homes+Yards
Brownstones—stack effect and ventilation
Hidden Environmental and Economic Benefits of Reusing and Repurposing in the Construction Process
Window Replacement Issues
Energy Efficiency and Insulation
Decorating a Brownstone—Maximize the Positives
