Translation from English

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Restoration and Renovation- old Midtown houses

There is a trend in the renovation of old houses now towards something more like "Restoration" than just renovation...

A lot of people LIKE the period detail of old houses ( some of which have been badly updated in the past) and in current renovations they often go out of their way to try and recapture the historical look of the houses-- architectural detailing and windows and window treatments, etc.

People do this not just because it is mandated by local community authorities ( as it is so tediously in Greenwich Village, for instance, where so many older structures have been "landmarked")...they may also feel a restoration feel is classier and improves the dollar worth of the building....

Of course, all kinds of styles of renovation of older buildings are applied as gentrification in Manhattan goes further and further all the time. ( And of course, sometimes less interesting structures are demolished and newly designed ones put up....with mixed results).

Other detail also shown here is where in an interesting renovation someone decided to get "artistic" with the new fencing around the house ( maybe to detract from the fact that it looks like security concerns were definitely on their mind and they didn't want the place to look too much like a grim fortress in some respects).

 

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