As a preservationist, I love when people make modern additions to historic homes. Instead of feeling as though they can’t live in a piece of history, they respect that piece of history and adapt it to their more modern lifestyles. Case in point, this c. 1875 double fronted Victorian in Richmond, England. Typical of the time period, this home had large formal rooms in the front, and the rooms that are more important for 21st century life – like the kitchen – were small and dark. Well looking at this beautiful front door and its surround, you wouldn’t think that the rear of the house looked like this … What is so wonderful about this addition, is that there is absolutely no confusion about what part of the house is old and what part of the house is new. Often, when people make additions to historic homes, it is unclear to the visitor what is old and what is new. As preservationists, we believe that you should be able to distinguish between the old and the new. An addition like this allows the family the wide open, functional, modern spaces they craved … While retaining, and not truly altering, many of the original 19th century elements of the home. So, what do you think?

Photos via Dwell.com