How to Maintain the Character of your Period House

The answer may seem obvious, but clients still ask me this question regularly. Many new period homeowners are eager to restore original features to their properties, maybe reintroducing a fireplace in a bedroom or installing sash windows. Before doing any of this, it's essential to understand what would have been in place initially. This post is not so much about paint colours, curtains, and upholstery (although these can all be used to great effect to add a touch of history to the interiors) but more about the fabric of the house. Notice how I use ”restore” instead of "renovate". There is a fine line between restoring and renovating an old house!

Image credit: @among_thebarley_fields

Restoring a period house requires a delicate balance between the past and the present. It is totally possible to enhance your living experience by incorporating modern amenities without compromising the house’s character. The aim should be to blend modern fixtures harmoniously with the historical features of the house while at all times preserving your property's unique identity. The main thing to remember is always to be authentic to the building as far as possible.

Learn more about your home

Before making plans, try finding out as much as possible about the building. When was it built? Which period does it belong to? Whether your house is Tudor, Georgian, Victorian, or dates to a later period, you must understand the characteristics of your period home. Once you know what makes your home specific to a certain period, you can work out what needs to be removed, restored, or replaced.

Take a closer look at the existing architectural features and determine whether any original details are missing. If possible, see what you can learn from the parish council, online research, your local library, and even the online census records.

You could also employ the services of a heritage consultant who researches buildings for homeowners and architects. They’ll be able to tell you quickly what’s original and what’s not, and if your property is listed, what you can and can’t touch. Talking to other homeowners on your street or neighbourhood is also a good idea in the research stage. Comparing notes on the interior of your period property will help you to identify whether any of the original features in your house have been removed or altered over time. Chances are your neighbours will have dealt with some challenges and obstacles you’re bound to stumble across, so learning from their experience can help things run more smoothly for you.

If your house is listed, you should be able to find it on The National Heritage List for England (NHLE). It is England's only official and up-to-date register of all nationally protected historic buildings and sites. https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/ When a house is listed, the owner must apply for Listed Building Consent for most types of work that affect the ‘special architectural or historic interest’ of the building. Your first point of contact should be your local authority, which will put you in touch with the conservation officer. Both the interior and exterior of a listed building are protected by law. You’ll need consent for any alteration to internal walls, ceilings, or anything structural, so interior design for period properties can take much more planning than for a non-listed home. You must submit a written and visual plan when you make a listed planning application and before doing this, it might be worth considering speaking to an interior designer or architect specialising in period properties. You could read more about listed houses in the post 'Thinking of Buying a Listed House?'

Once you have an idea of what the house looked like initially, you can start thinking about possibly restoring or replacing some of the original features. Original plasterwork, fireplaces and tiling are always worth restoring. These can be inexpensive and make a massive difference in a period property where you are trying to maintain the character. They’re statements worth investing in, and many suppliers specialise in reclaimed, original period features.

Make the most of your Fireplace

It is always worth restoring an original fireplace in a period house, even if it is purely ornamental. The fireplace would have been designed as an essential feature and focal point in any period home as it was the only source of heat and, together with candles, a light source.

If you live in an area where an open fire is against modern safety regulations, don't automatically assume that your original fireplace has to be replaced with a contemporary one. Please keep the original in place, even though it is ornamental, so you don't lose the focal point in the room. You could look into the possibility of using a bioethanol insert in your original fireplace.

Another option might be to install a wood-burning stove, as the owners of this 15th-century cottage have done.

If you're considering this, investigate the environmental implications of burning wood before committing; there are also regularly updated law changes to consider.

In early Tudor homes, large inglenook fireplaces often provided space for benches and shelves to keep food warm. Later 16th and early 17th century Tudor fireplaces often featured a decorative over mantel above the fireplace surround.

If your period house has lost its original chimneypiece, you will have to decide whether to buy a modern reproduction or a salvaged original. In my opinion, the following advice from The Georgian Group applies to all period homes, not only Georgian ones:

"...make sure that the chimneypiece is wholly appropriate for your own home. Oversized and over-elaborate chimneypieces can look ridiculous in a small space. Remember, too, that the position of the fireplace was governed largely by the function, not the appearance of a room. Thus the less important a room, the smaller and plainer the fireplace. Unfortunately, this basic common sense is often forgotten today.

If you do buy a reproduction, ensure that the style as well as the size is applicable to your own home. Many modern 'period' products are sad, clumsy pastiches of genuine historical precedents. Many, too, are in bare pine - in stark contrast to Georgian (and Victorian) practice.

It is worth noting that, according to the Georgian Group, there is no evidence that the Georgians left wooden chimneypieces unpainted. They were painted to match the paintwork on doors and windows or painted to look like stone or marble. This is also true for wooden fire surrounds during the Victorian period - waxed or varnished pine would not have been used.

Original Floors

There is nothing quite as beautiful as original period floors, and it's very often possible to restore these in a period house. For wooden floorboards, contact a professional for advice before installing underfloor heating. Depending on the state of your floorboards, installing insulation between the existing joists might also be possible. Again, make sure you obtain professional advice.

After machine cutting was introduced during the 1830's, wooden floorboards would have been more accurately cut, but before this, most boards were hand-cut and irregular. So you must take the time to find out what the original floor in your house would have looked like.

Original wooden floor in an Arts and Crafts house

Patterned encaustic tiles were widely used by the Victorians for display, particularly in porches and hallways. It’s essential to check for cracked, chipped or missing tiles and look for signs of damp or mould that could cause problems.

Image credit: Pinterest Period Home and Interiors

Plasterwork

Very often, the lath and plaster in a period home cannot be saved due to water damage.

If you notice loose plaster on your walls or ceiling, it’s always wise to consult an experienced professional to determine what caused the damage.

Dado Rails, Picture Rails, Cornicing & Ceiling Roses

While you're doing any restoration work, be sure to protect any original cornices and ceiling roses. Remember, old plasterwork doesn’t always handle vibrations well. Ceiling roses can be carefully removed, stored, and then reinstalled. If you think your cornice or ceiling rose might have to be restored, it is worth contacting a professional to undertake a thorough survey, including checking for potential water ingress points above and below the ceiling. Where the cornice or ceiling rose cannot be saved, a specialist can make a template to reproduce it.

Just a quick note on ceiling roses. Do not automatically assume you must add a ceiling rose to all the rooms in a period house. Only reinstate a ceiling rose when you are confident that there was one originally. Less important rooms like servants' rooms, attic rooms and less important bedrooms would have been more plainly decorated. It's usually pretty straightforward to see whether there used to be a rose on the ceiling, as you can tell from the unevenness where the ceiling has been repaired.

According to the Victorian society:

"You can usually tell if a rose has been removed, from unevenness where the ceiling plaster has been patched. When reinstating ceiling roses, align them with the centre of the chimneybreast (which may not be the geometric centre of the ceiling)."

Where the dado rail is still in its original place and in reasonably good condition, it will be worth restoring. If the dado rail has been previously removed, and you'd like to replace the original, remember the following:

If you can see where it has been removed, replace the rail at the same height. To determine the original height, look for bumps or old fixing holes in your plasterwork.
Do not place the dado rail too high; this can make the whole room feel wrong. Some carpenters will give you a specific height or advise you to divide the height of the wall into three and fit the rail a third up the wall. I've even heard someone say that you should measure the back of your chairs to determine the height of your chair rail. The simple answer to this question is that there is no set rule. There cannot be a "one size fits all" rule to tell you where to put your chair rail because it all depends on the ceiling height. It's all about proportion. The dado rail should fit proportionally into the room, so let your ceiling height guide you.

As I said in a previous post (A Quick Guide to Dado Rails), before the 18th century, the function of the dado rail was to protect the expensive wallcoverings from the chairs kept against the wall when they weren't being used. These days, the point of the chair rail is not functional but aesthetic: to add interest to a room. It divides the wall space and makes experimenting with colour, texture, and pattern easier.

Historically, during the early 18th century, panelled walls and the dado and picture rail were often painted in one colour. I love using the same colour on the whole wall, from the skirting board to just below the cornice. When you paint everything, the skirting, the dado, and the picture rails in the same colour (using an eggshell in the same colour on the woodwork), it makes the room appear bigger. It creates a calm, elegant atmosphere with a contemporary feel.

Windows

Windows in period properties would mostly have been made of wood, which deteriorates over time. You cannot simply replace or alter the windows of a period house without considering the correct period and style; you'll remove too much of the house's character. Replacing or altering historic windows can have a significant effect not only on the building itself but also on the overall visual appeal of the street and the local area. Before replacing the windows of your period home, you should explore repair options first. This approach helps preserve the building’s heritage and can be more cost-effective.

If restoring your windows is impossible and needs to be replaced, contact an experienced professional for advice. Many dedicated professionals can repair and restore historic windows while respecting the building and its period. If your house is listed, you must consult your local planning department before undertaking any work to determine if Listed Building Consent is required.

If you want to replace the single glazing to prevent heat loss and noise, you can install slim double-glazed units while keeping the original sash window. The hidden weights on the side of the window should also be adjusted, as the double-glazed panels are heavier than the single ones.

If you need to restore, repair or replace your windows, contact an experienced professional for advice. Many dedicated professionals can repair and restore historic windows while respecting the building and its period. If your house is listed, you must consult your local planning department before undertaking any work to determine if Listed Building Consent is required.

The Staircase

This is an essential feature in most period houses and is always worth preserving or restoring!

Larger medieval houses would have had a staircase, but sometimes a ladder was used in other, less important houses. Tudor houses didn't all have feature staircases, and they were often enclosed by walls. Dog gates were often found in Elizabethan houses to stop dogs from getting upstairs.

Example of a dog gate at Haddon Hall

Stone and wood were the primary materials for staircases in Georgian houses, with stone used by wealthier homeowners as it was much more expensive than wood. From the beginning of the 18th century, wood was most commonly used for staircases, and for steps, balusters, and handrails in ordinary houses. Pine was the cheapest and would have been painted in the widely used "stone" colours. More expensive elm or oak would have been left unpainted to show off the expensive wood. Throughout the 18th century, Mahogany was very popular for handrails.

Most grand Regency houses had light, airy staircases with thin iron balusters and dark wooden handrails with skylights fitted above the stairs.

Image credit: @oliverthorntonhome

The elegant iron and wood Regency staircases fell out of favour during the Victorian period and carved or turned wooden balustrades became popular. The area under the stairs were often boxed in and panelled to replicate Elizabethan staircases.

"There is no standard position for stairs in Victorian houses. In larger terraced housing they were usually positioned up against the party wall towards the rear. Guests could admire the elaborate balustrades and posts, yet the owner only had to pay for one side and when out of sight upstairs it could fall back to a cheaper, simpler design."

- Trevor Yorke

Image credit: @among_thebarley_fields

Doors

Where previous owners have removed or changed the internal doors and you have to replace them in a period house, it is worth remembering that the doors in Georgian, Victorian, and some later houses would not all have been the same. Doors to the attic bedrooms, for example, would have been different from the main reception doors.

"Georgian doors were invariably painted, and never left bare or varnished. Some humble internal doors, away from the principal rooms, may have occasionally been left unpainted in Georgian homes, but even these would have been given repeated layers of wax polish."

- The Georgian Group

Although it is possible to find doors for your period house of the same period, it is unlikely that you will find exact copies of the original doors. The reclaimed doors probably won't fit into the existing opening, but a good carpenter can work around this. However, I would say that if your house is listed, or if you need to replace the door to a main reception room, for example, it is worth consulting a specialist to make replacement doors. Remember to check your doors carefully before you start. During the 1960s, many original doors were covered with hardboard to hide the panels.

If your house is a listed building or in a conservation area, you must consult your local planning office and the relevant government authority before replacing or undertaking any repairs or refurbishment work on doors.

Original door in an Arts and Crafts House

While historic windows will add value and character to your period home, getting the front door right is just as important if you want to maintain your home's traditional charm.

If the original front door has been removed or replaced with something a bit more modern, it is worth sourcing an original door that is in keeping with your house's style and period. And don't forget the door furniture! Original, unique door knobs and knockers are relatively easy to find at auctions or antique markets. But it's worth noting what The Georgian Group says about Georgian door fittings:

"Despite what many firms are keen to imply, fittings for external Georgian doors were, at least before 1810, rarely of polished brass, but were invariably made of cast iron and painted black."

Image credit: Adobe Stock

Maintaining the authenticity of period features requires careful attention and ongoing care. Enhance your home's period features by celebrating the character that comes with age. Rather than aim for perfection, embrace the subtle unevenness of floorboards or the weathered look of quarry tiles, for example. This wear and tear will add depth and personality to a period property.

And it is always worth investing in professional restoration and conservation services to keep period features in excellent condition. Whether repairing a damaged ceiling cornice or restoring a historic fireplace, skilled tradespeople can revive these architectural features while maintaining their original charm.