Many people love historic homes—and for good reason! They are typically beautifully crafted and have a level of detail not seen in modern homes. Things like ornate trim, custom built-ins, and wood windows give historic homes a special charm that’s difficult, or even impossible, to duplicate in a new structure.
Living in and restoring an historic home is not for the faint of heart, however. Dealing with old plumbing and electrical systems, as well as rooms that were designed with a different way of living in mind, can be challenging. When renovating an historic home, there is always the tension of wanting to preserve what makes the home special, while still making it comfortable for a modern family. And then there’s the challenge of what actually can be changed in homes that are in designated historic districts.
As you can probably imagine, doing any type of renovation on an historic home takes a tremendous amount of expertise, patience, and creativity. Getting architectural plans approved under normal circumstances can be a challenging process. It is even more challenging when you’re dealing with an historic property, as the plans need to go through an extra layer of approval. In the City of Long Beach, plans travel through the Cultural Heritage Commission to make sure the proposed renovations won’t compromise the historic nature of the home.
In our many years of experience as architects in Long Beach, we have worked with multiple homeowners wanting to update their historic properties. These are projects we welcome—despite their inevitable challenges. We love helping homeowners take these beautiful and historically significant homes and turn them into showpieces that are also highly functional for modern living.
Here’s what one of our past clients had to say about working with Grisafe Architecture on her historic home in Long Beach:
“Mark met the challenges of working in a historic district and delivered a beautiful home. He listened to our thoughts and designed just what we wanted: a home that was both aesthetically pleasing and functional. Additionally, he was a pleasure to work with and always friendly and open to our thoughts. I would recommend him to anyone looking for an architect.”
Lisa L., Long Beach, CA
Grisafe Architecture has a distinct advantage when it comes to working on historic homes, as our owner and head architect, Mark Grisafe, currently sits on the Cultural Heritage Commission in Long Beach. Doing so has given Mark great insight into the regulations that apply to historic properties in Long Beach. He is able to leverage that insight on behalf of Grisafe Architecture’s clients and provide them with expertise that not many other Long Beach architects can provide.
If you are looking to renovate an historic home in Long Beach, contact a Long Beach architect with extensive knowledge and experience working in historic districts. The team at Grisafe Architecture would love to help you preserve what makes your home unique, while also making it more functional for your everyday living.
