Long Beach is a great Southern California city if you love diverse architecture. In this city, you’ll find everything from Victorians to Craftsman bungalows to Spanish Colonial Revival homes to post-WWII ranch-style homes. Although older homes like these come with certain charms that you won’t find in many newer homes, homeowners often have to make compromises. Older homes are notoriously short on storage. Their primary bedroom likely doesn’t have an attached primary bathroom. Their washer and dryer may be inconveniently located in the garage or some other out-of-the-way location. The kitchen could be closed off from the rest of the house, and there may be “wasted” square footage in the form of a formal sitting room or a little-used formal dining room.
According to Mark Grisafe, owner and lead architect at one of the architecture firms in Long Beach, CA, “So many of the older homes we work on at Grisafe Architecture have elements that just don’t make sense for a modern family. You might think you have to just deal with the way your home was originally designed, but you could be surprised what an experienced and creative architect in Long Beach can accomplish! Transforming your Long Beach home doesn’t have to mean increasing its square footage. In many cases, an architect can work within a home’s existing footprint and simply reimagine how the space is used.”
When you want to reimagine a home in this way, it’s important to work with an experienced architecture firm in Long Beach, CA. Changing the floor plan of a home isn’t usually as simple as they make it look like on home improvement shows on television. It often involves careful calculations to ensure that the home will remain structurally sound after the renovation is complete.
In addition, you don’t want to take away from the original charm of an older home in the process of making it more amenable to modern living. Instead, you want to enhance the home’s original features with thoughtful new design choices. An architect who is knowledgeable about the characteristics that make up the various architectural styles can guide you toward a design that stays true to a home’s style, but still provides you with the amenities you’re looking for in a home. There’s no reason why an older home can’t have things like a spa-like bathroom, smart home technology, or a gourmet kitchen. It’s all about how you incorporate them!
If you live in a historic neighborhood in Long Beach, be prepared for a lengthy approval process if you plan to make any changes to the exterior of the home. Long Beach’s Cultural Heritage Commission reviews all proposed renovations to homes in these neighborhoods and can be quite strict. Any changes that aren’t in line with the original style of the home will likely be denied. Working with an architecture firm in Long Beach that is experienced with historic home renovations is key!
