Dealing with awkward later additions is often a challenge in restoring a historic house. This 1883 Shingle Style house had several generations of boxy additions to one side and a large cut with concrete retaining walls in the land form it sits on, to access a garage added under the house.
With a few relatively minor alterations, the architect made the additions feel better related to the original house and minimized the effect of the garage and retaining walls. None of the square footage gained by the earlier additions was lost. As part of the project, the house was returned to its original color scheme, as documented in a 19th century magazine article about the house.
The Davis House redesign is a case study in Chapter 3 of Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners. The chapter focuses on designing your project. The house is also one of the 13 featured houses photographed by noted architectural photographer David Clough and presented between the how-to chapters, most with historic, before, and during restoration photos.
The 720-page hardcover book now available in bookstores and from online retailers (it is currently 35% off on Amazon!). Signed copies are available directly from the author on this site.
Your local bookstore can order copies from their W.W. Norton rep.
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