Although there are other books about renovating old houses, this is the first that prioritizes the identification and preservation of the historic, character-defining features of a house as a starting point in the process. That is the purpose of this book: to describe and illustrate a best-practices approach for updating historic homes for modern life in ways that do not attempt to turn an old house into a new one. The book also suggests many ways to save money in the process, without settling for cheap or inappropriate solutions. Scott Hanson is a historic-building preservation professional and has 40 years' experience rehabilitating historic houses. He has illustrated this authoritative book with hundreds of step-by-step photos, illustrations, charts, and decision-making guides. Interspersed throughout are photo essays of 13 restored historic houses representing a range of periods and architectural styles: Italianate, Victorian, Queen Anne, Federal, Colonial, Colonial Revival, Greek Revival, Ranch, Adobe, Craftsman, Shingle, and Rustic. With interior and exterior photography by David Clough, these multi-page features show what can be achieved when a historic home is renovated with a desire to preserve or restore as much historic character as possible.

A house is considered historic if it is typical of its period, usually more that 50 years old, and significant in either design, materials, workmanship, setting, and/or association. This work provides advice on the ongoing care and maintenance of such properties, and in the preservation of the qualities which make such homes unique.

"Plain talk for restorers, from soup to nuts (and bolts). Here's thorough, practical advice that's sensitive to both history and budget".--The Old House Journal.

Profiled cities include: San Fransico, St. Paul, Chicago, Marshall, Portland, New Yori City, Savannah and Galveston.

"By and large, various historical interiors are recreated for educational purposes and are connected with museum operations. The book is written with museum houses in mind"--Page xi