As you might expect, we hear a lot of reasons why people fall in love with their houses. Of these, one of the top contenders is a home’s original features. What are these, and what form do they take? Let’s have a look.
By definition, original home features are unique. They were either tailor-made by the previous owner, or they’re so old that they’re seen as ‘rare’ or ‘antiquated’. Original features range from small details in the skirting boards, whole fireplaces or the entire house. Let’s take a look at some of these and establish what makes them so special.
If you’ve moved from place to place, you’ve probably encountered sash windows at some point in your life. They’re an older method of window design that use large panels (or sashes) to slide up and down, rather than in/out. Sash windows are quite common in listed buildings and are beautiful to look at. Unfortunately, they’re also rather cold. The single glazing and loose openings make them pretty bad insulators. If you see one in a home viewing, bear this in mind.
We love original features because they take us back to a distant past. Fireplaces are a perfect example of this. In an age of central heating, we don’t necessarily need fireplaces anymore.
However, Victorian and Edwardian households saw these as a necessity. To us, they’re are a luxury. We crowd round them at Christmas, decorate the mantlepiece and use them to add a splash of cosiness to the home.
What is cornicing, exactly? If you’re lucky enough to live in an older or stately home, look up. The cornice is the chiseled patterns made around the edges of a ceiling, or on the top of the house. Like heraldry, cornicing adds a personal stamp to the family or household. They’re not the most obvious of original features, but they certainly bring a level of grandeur to the place. While it’s possible to have a plasterer create cornices for you, many buildings boast unique patterns and therefore are more desirable.
As we said earlier, original features can be very creative. If you’ve got anything particularly interesting in the home you’d like to share, let us know!