I like to think of myself as fairly open-minded, but when it comes to houses I'm a total ageist. I love the sturdy feeling of older homes...even ones with failing plaster and weak plumbing, to which my loving husband will attest. Solid doors, arched doorways, real wood floors, and wide baseboards— they seal the deal.
I grew up in older homes, all of which gave off that sturdy feeling. Without being particularly fancy, they all had solid parts that were built to last. Sure the floorboards creaked and the faucets sputtered, but they had solid banisters that you could actually slide down, large windows, and glass knobs that actually stayed attached to the door handle. College years spent in cheaply made dorms and apartments built in the 70s and 80s were shock to my system.
So naturally, when it came time to search for my homes, I sought out that old, well-built feeling, which I insisted to my husband was "character." However, as a newlywed couple in our twenties, our options of old homes were limited, and now that we're settled in my husband likes to joke about the "cost of character." I got my plaster walls, my arched doorways, my fireplace, and my beloved baseboards, but our plumber knows our address by heart, we have a kitchen that gets crowded with two people, and we've spent more than a small fortune on energy-efficiency updates too.
And so, huge windows? Open floor plan? Polished Concrete floors? What architectural features seal the deal for you?
Images: 1:Leah Moss for Apartment Therapy: DC, Allison & Steve's Bethesda Masterpiece, 2: Leah Moss for Apartment Therapy: DC, Catrin & Chris's New Traditional in Woodley Park
Tina Wilson's Striking Style 
30 DIY Projects for the 3-Day Weekend
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Hose Jockey Wall Mount
20 Scrumptious Brunch Recipes 
Magic One-Ingredient Ice Cream 5 Ways: Peanut Butter, Nutella, and More
Comments (17)
1920s to 1930s old houses with original woodwork and unmessed-with details. When we were looking for our house, we were on a very tight time frame (basically had about two weeks from arriving from out of state to having on contract to buy). We looked at about 45 houses in seven days, and most had been moderately to seriously messed-with, or had the kind of damage that we couldn't deal with, like serious pet damage that our cats would react to. When we walked into the house we now own, it was clean and the details were still original--floors, woodwork, kitchen cabinets all from 1929 and not painted or stripped. We knew it was the right house. We were lucky that it was quite sound structurally, and all the work we've done has been superficial--painting, polishing, and renovating a bad bathroom update back to an age appropriate form. It was the unmessed with quality that sold us on the house.
hardwood floors and/or painted concrete floors! i will never live with carpet again. in general i find rental carpet yucky, but given that i also have a shedding dog..just ew.
but i also looove wood work, details around doors, old door knobs (i just moved to my first apartment with all glass doorknobs-- quite a treat!) and weird floor plan layouts.
Must have wooden and/or tile floors. Must have rooms with cross ventilation. Must have unique architectural detail (not creative enough to decorate w/o it) Our current home is 250 years old and full of "character", makes decorating easy.
There can't be enough architectural details. I love moulding (done right), tall ceilings, wood details like beams and coffered ceilings. Unfortunately, I couldn't afford one of those homes in California. Instead, my house was built in the late 80's with a hint of Spanish. I do love my vaulted ceilings (only in one room), spanish tiles, and arched window.
what a lovely space...where did you get that black and white art work above the bench? I really like it...
(first picture)
To me, it's more about how the space feels than specific details: the layout of the rooms, the flow, the light...
...then again - large windows, an interesting view and outdoor space are absolute "musts" for me.
I am about to begin a search for a home in the country after 9 miserable years of condo living. Number 1 requirement: wood-burning fireplace. Number 2: hardwood floors. I'd also love a front porch and a three-season room. If the house has a second floor, I want a beautiful wooden bannister.
If I can find a place similar to the one kariwk found, I'd be in heaven!
-big windows
-hardwood floors
-high basement ceilings
Those are three musts for when we buy a house. My boyfriend wants to turn the basement into a recording studio and hes very tall. I MUST have lots of natural light! And, I've lived with wall-to-wall carpeting. With two cats, its just too icky. Plus I love the look of wooden floors :)
Another huuuuge selling point for me would be a big covered front porch...but I guess its not a must :)
If I were rich, then a lovely Victorian completely mondernized only in regard to plumbing and electricity.
Sadly, I am not rich. So I satisfy my lust for well made wooden things with collecting 19th century furniture. Mostly from my family.
And when looking for a place to live, multiple windows are non negotiable items.
Add a wood burning fireplace and views of nature outside of those windows and you've got yourself a deal.
hardwood floors - I just hate carpet and dust
lots of sunlight - it's essential for my mental well-being
Thanks for your banister comment. I'd never thought about that - kids in McMansions and other cheap-slap-em-up homes can't slide down a rickety banister. Yet another reason to loathe cheap new construction.
I grew up in a modest, sturdy, old east coast home with a killer banister and other old details. As a renter, I only look at apts with hardwood floors, molding, and other details like built in hutches, vintage subway tile, and glass doorknobs. I let our landlord deal with the plumbing.
a dining room.
my husband and i recently sold our 1950's townhouse, and while shopping for a new house, i was really surprised by how few houses had a formal dining room. after the dining room, i would say that i am a sucker for hardwood floors, a fire place and exposed brick. in my new house, i got the dining room, hardwood floors and the brick - so i would say i am pretty happy.
Lots of things could seal the deal for me, but a windowless bathroom puts the kibosh on a deal quicker than any other detail.
Nearly all of the new construction I've seen has windowless bathrooms, it reminds me of a college dorm. Isn't that horrifying.
I live in an area filled with charming turn-of-the-century houses, and I thought when my husband and I were house shopping 1.5 years ago we would end up in one of these Victorians. We instead fell in love with a 1962 high ranch - especially its practical layout - and highly recommend this era of houses for having all the modern plumbing, electricity, and building codes, but before materials and craftsmanship got shoddy. And unlike our neighbor's 100 year old houses, we know exactly what is in our walls and how to make updates - a godsend for DIYers!
When I saw the original 1910 fireplace mantle in my current apartment, I couldn't sign the lease fast enough. I knew I was probably going to like the apartment even before I saw it in person, because I knew it had all original hardwood floors and a wonderful bay window in the living room, but the fireplace sealed the deal.
And the nice thing about renting is that all of the less-awesome parts of living in an old building (the maintenance, and things breaking, etc) is my landlord's concern! ;-)
I agree with Bepsf - some places have a good feeling and some don't - that's the key thing. But beyond that...
- Good natural light
- No carpeting
- Good flow between rooms
- Good layout in kitchen
BTW, although the home in Photo #1 has plenty of beautiful architectural detail, it's new construction.
Yeah, that first house is new...I remember the post and how much controversy it stirred up.
My musts are solid-core doors, windows with REAL (wooden, not plastic) mullions, hardwood and/or tile floors, high ceilings, and a good lot with mature trees.