10 Stunning Homes That Expertly Blend Historic and Modern
This month, Curbed is teaming up with the National Trust for Historic Preservation on #ThisPlaceMatters, a social campaign celebrating personal landmarks that people cherish and would love to keep around. While it’s not always possible to preserve a beloved old structure, there are often opportunities to protect the essential spirit of the historic building. Here now, 10 homes around the world proving that remnants of history—timber beams, stone trusses, gothic windows and more—can mix in with the modern day, and to brilliant effect.
This 1880s warehouse-turned-live/work-space in Philadelphia stayed true to its industrial roots while getting a net-zero energy retrofit; the original brick facade and ceiling beams now co-exist beautifully with new super-insulated walls and rooftop solar panels. (Photo by Jaime Alvarez)
Interior designer Jacqueline Morabito’s 18th-century home in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France blends historic origins and modern luxuries: the white-washed space flaunts, for example, the original ceiling beams, while keeping state-of-the-art amenities more concealed (underfloor heating, anyone?) (Photo via Automatism)
Abandoned for two decades, this historic stone building on the Swiss and Italian border has been turned into a modern lakehouse; most of the stone masonry was preserved but new glass walls also let in natural light and lake views. (Photo by Hannes Henz via Wespi de Meuron Romeo Architects)
This lovely 1754 stone mansion in Spain has been rescued from ruins in an overhaul that kept the exteriors and structural frame but modernized the interior with bright and open spaces. (Photo by Manolo Yllera via Elle España)
This traditional alpine barn turned modern loft home keeps the original floor plan, structural frame, and porch, while sporting new local spruce in most other places, creating a minimalist but polished feel. (Photo by Tomaz Gregoric via Designboom)
An early 20th-century dairy in Barcelona, Spain was recently converted into a loft-style residence after a thorough renovation melded original ceiling beams and a central brick pillar with new glass walls and a suspended walkway. (Photo by Lluís Corbella and Eva Cotman via Dezeen)
Over in Hobart, Australia, two young architects revamped a 200-year-old barn with a juxtaposition of the old and new: original sandstone exterior vs. sleek new windows, original timber posts and joists vs. new timber flooring, rough brick walls vs. streamlined Danish furniture, and so on. (Photo by Sean Fennessy via The Design Files)
In a recent renovation converting this circa-1880s chapel in the English countryside into a dreamy holiday home, contemporary furnishings were incorporated into a backdrop of original fixtures like gothic windows and timber trusses. (Photo by Chris Humphreys via Designboom)
Design power couple Steven Harris and Lucien Rees Roberts’ renovated 15th-century fortress tower in Croatia boasts original unfinished stone walls that provide a dramatic backdrop for their covetable collection of midcentury furniture. (Photo by Scott Frances via Arch Digest)
An early 20th-century former office building and brand new extension combine to form this rad Mexican residence; the two sections are visibly joined on the second floor by a concrete staircase and library. (Photo by Rafael Gamo via Dwell)
via Curbed
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