Home Restoration vs Renovation: What’s The Difference?

24 Nov Home Restoration vs Renovation: What’s The Difference?

Homes periodically require significant work — materials age, colors fade, and tastes change. Whether your home was built in the 1890s or the 1990s, we can help you return it to the original architecture or change it into your own vision. That’s the question of restoration vs renovation.

Definition of Restoration vs Renovation

Restoring a property means to return it to its original condition, or its condition at a particular point of time. This is the project loved by architecture buffs and history lovers. When an older home has been altered by previous owners or fallen to disrepair, restoration work returns the home to its original styles, colors, and finishes.

The word renovate comes from Latin and means “to make new again.” People sometimes use renovation as a catch-all term for major home improvements. However, the term most specifically means replacing materials and fixtures with new ones — whether the results are in line with existing style or completely out of character.

Restoration vs Renovation: Examples

Restoration projects are most common among older American homes from the late 1800s to early 1900s, as well as iconic Midcentury and Craftsman homes. But all homes may be considered for restoration projects. Options for restoration vs renovation are more limited because restoring only means going back to the original — without choosing a finish or color from another era, and certainly without changing function or layout.

Examples of restoration projects:

• Refinishing the floor to match its original material and color
• Replacing or repairing doors and windows
• Restoring cabinets, fireplaces, and other carpentry to original condition
• Sourcing original or replica small parts such as doorknobs and staircase newels

Renovation work has a wider range of possibilities. You might work within the original context of the home’s style to avoid clashing esthetics, but you can feel free to change surface materials, colors, trims, and any other details. Sometimes the question is not restoration vs renovation but rather a combination of the two. Other times circumstances might call for a complete renovation, when the original architecture and interiors were not iconic or worth keeping.

Renovation examples:

• Replacing an entire kitchen or bathroom with new structures and appliances
• Replacing windows or doors with modern options
• Refinishing floors with a different material or color

Which Should I Choose — Restoration vs Renovation?

You might be feeling torn between restoration vs renovation because you feel bound to honor and preserve the original architecture — but modern life and your personal preferences call for renovating. Sometimes a restoration is best, with modern furniture and personal decor providing the burst of contemporary style. Other times we can combine restoration efforts with smart, on-point renovations.

Most importantly, you should try to avoid awkward juxtapositions of differing styles to an extent that bothers the eye or hampers the functionality of the home.

If you are buying or living in a home that needs updates or repairs, contact us to discuss your ideas and plans concerning restoration vs renovation. We can make it new and make it yours — or restore it to the architect’s original vision.