Dear Danica, How Can I Make My 1850’s House Look Old Again?

Dear danica,

We bought our home in 2023. It is from 1850 but has been updated and stripped of the beautiful character. The exterior of the house if where my dilemma lies. I am wanting to add a front porch and separate the windows on each side of the door with a single door (no side lights). I am thinking about coming straight off the front section. I want to make the house feel old again with a colonial and farm feel. I don’t know if you have any ideas or suggestions.

– Haley

The timing of your question couldn’t be better. Lately I’ve been devouring Brent Hull’s videos on how to fix historic homes that have been stripped of their original character and his recommendations are fresh in my mind!

Your home is so charming and I have lots of ideas on how to make it look and feel old again.

Why I Would Not Recommend Adding A Porch

You mentioned a few changes that you want to make to the front elevation of your home: add a front porch, divide the windows, remove the sidelights, and add a colonial feel. I am fully on board with most of those ideas, but I do have one note about adding a porch.

I totally understand the desire for a front porch, but if you want to stay as true to historic colonial architecture as possible, I would not recommend adding one. Pre-railroad folk houses and historic colonial homes have one very distinct feature: they have a flat elevation. Some Tidewater South, Dutch Colonial, elaborate Federal, and Colonial Revival homes may have a porch or portico, but most colonial homes do not. Since a front porch is not a common characteristic of colonial homes, adding one would be a major architectural detour.

MY THOUGHTS ON THE FRONT ADDITION

I assume back in 1850, when your house was built, it had a traditional Cape Cod structure: a door in the center with two sets of windows on either side. At one point, I’m guessing the dormers and the bump out on the front elevation were added on.

My fear with adding a porch onto the addition is that it would create a nesting dolls effect: big house in back, medium addition in the middle, and little porch in front. If it’s the charm of a porch that you’re after, I would recommend making the current addition look like an enclosed porch with the help of proper windows.

What I Would Do To Make The House Look Old Again

REPLACE THE WINDOWS

As you had mentioned, I would focus on the windows of your home. Windows are one of the most effective ways to bring back old home charm. If you want to lean into the enclosed porch feeling for your addition, I would recommend wrapping all the walls in windows with divided lites. Similar to this.

If you’d rather emulate what the home’s original structure once was, I would replace the existing windows in the addition with 2 sets of 6 over 6 double hung windows (spaced appropriately apart) on either side of the door. One or two windows on the side walls of the addition would be great too.

As the budget allows, replace the rest of the windows in your home with 6 over 6 double hung windows.

SWAP THE FRONT DOOR

I like the idea of replacing the front door and I have no opposition to removing the sidelights since you’ll have plenty of natural light from the windows. When you swap the door, I would recommend removing the storm door. For ideas on the type of front doors that are most appropriate for colonial homes – read this article.

REPLACE THE WOOD STEPS & LANDING WITH STONE OR BRICK

If this were my home, I would replace the wood steps and landing with either stone or brick. As for the railing, those aren’t overly common on colonial entries. The more you can disguise the railing (thinner material or painting it the same color as the house) the better.

OTHER CHANGES THAT WOULD MAKE A BIG IMPACT

I would recommend painting the brown cedar shake siding on the front gable the same color as your siding. Add classic exterior sconces like these! And as the budget permits, add more plants and bushes to the landscaping.