If you own an older home in DC, its age and style have a lot to do with how you should approach remodeling it. A Victorian, a Federal rowhouse, and a Tudor were each built differently, and those differences matter once you start making changes. They affect what is behind the walls and how a new addition needs to be designed to fit.
Knowing what to expect from your particular style of home makes the renovation process much easier. It also helps you plan a realistic budget and create work that adds value and functionality to the house rather than clashing with it.
This guide walks through what to expect when remodeling these styles of homes and how historic district rules can shape the work.
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The floor plan is the first thing that tends to frustrate people about these homes. Victorians in Logan Circle, Capitol Hill, and Shaw were built narrow and deep, with rooms designed to stay closed off from each other. Opening up the kitchen and living area is a common renovation for these homes, and it is very doable as long as you know what structural support is needed to keep everything above sound. Before you lock in a layout, you also need to reorient how each level connects to the others for better flow between rooms.
A few key remodeling considerations for Victorian homes:
Symmetry is at the heart of the Federal style. New structures need to align with it to not disrupt the profile of the home.
These homes sit on narrow lots and have shared party walls, leaving little room to expand sideways. You typically have to do a home addition in the rear to add space, such as for a bigger kitchen or a primary suite. The narrow footprint of these homes means the interiors lack natural light, so you have to account for that during the design phase with your architect.
Repointing historic brick and matching old mortar requires a specialist. Using the wrong mortar mix can damage the brick over time and is noticeable from the street.
The materials are what define a Tudor. Half-timbering and leaded glass are specific details, and you need craftspeople who understand how a Tudor goes together to do them correctly. A mismatch is noticeable. Additions also need to match the existing rooflines. Tudors have steep gables that define the look of the home from the street, and new rooflines need to work with the originals.
Inside, Tudors have smaller rooms with warm materials and details like arched openings and window nooks. You can open up the floor plan, but the design needs to preserve the warmth and character of the original rooms.
Many of DC's older homes are located in designated historic districts. If yours is, you will need review and approval from the Historic Preservation Review Board before starting any exterior work. The review covers the following:
Sorting out the permitting requirements early saves time and money. You should work with a team that handles this task during the architectural design phase, since the review process can add several weeks to the front end of your project, depending on how much exterior work is involved.
Remodeling an older home requires a different set of skills than building new. You want a team that has worked on these homes before and understands how they were built. They should have access to tradespeople who can match original materials and know how to navigate DC's permitting process.
Choosing the right architect is one of the most important decisions you will make early in the process. A design-build firm is a good fit for this kind of work because the architects and builders are on the same team, working from the same understanding of the house from the start.
The defining features usually give it away. Victorians are ornate and vertical, with decorative trim and bay windows. Federal homes are built around symmetry and simple brickwork, which is why so many of the city's rowhouses fall into that category. Tudors have steep gabled roofs and half-timbering. If you are not sure, a design-build firm that works with these homes regularly can identify the style and explain what it means for your plans.
Yes, in most cases. These houses were laid out as a series of closed rooms, so opening them up means identifying which walls carry weight and adding the appropriate structural support before anything comes down.
If your home sits in a designated historic district, exterior work on windows, rooflines, and the facade will need review and approval through the Historic Preservation Review Board before construction starts. Interior changes generally have fewer restrictions. You should confirm which category your planned work falls into at the very beginning of the project.
It does tend to cost more, mainly because of the specialized trades and materials involved. Matching historic brick or restoring original millwork takes time and skill. Hiring an architect in Washington, DC, usually runs between 8 and 15 percent of the total construction cost, and that can vary depending on historic district requirements. Our remodeling cost guide covers realistic ranges for the rest of the project.
Rear additions and upper-floor additions are the most common approaches. The addition needs to be designed to match the proportions and detailing of the existing home.
Your Victorian, Federal, or Tudor already carries craftsmanship and beauty, and a renovation should add to it without taking away from its history or character. At Four Brothers Design + Build, we offer a full range of remodeling services that honor the architecture of DC's most enduring homes while making them genuinely comfortable for the way you live now. Browse our portfolio to see the transformations we've made in historic homes across the DC area.
Connect with our team to get your project started today.