How to Create a New Old House

Work with an architect experienced in building colonials, Victorians and similar homes. Don't take her word for it. Request photos of interiors and exteriors she designed so you're confident she knows her way around an authentic sun porch, period ceiling, building and flooring materials that emulate the past. Supply the architect with photos of period houses so she knows exactly what you want. You can also buy blueprints to save money and ask the architect to make changes to customize the home.

Hire a contractor with experience working on vintage homes. Explain your desire for authenticity so, for example, the tongue-and-groove paneling you desire winds up being just that. You're custom-building your home to reflect a specific era, so every detail -- from hardware on bathroom vanities to wood rather than Pergo floors -- must work in harmony. Verify your contractor's experience. Ask to see photos of retro-style homes he has built to assess his skills. Work with your contractor to obtain the necessary municipal permits required to start the project.

Consult with a house historian before picking interior and exterior colors if you're a purist. Lots of hobbyists and professionals research period colors; find one through your local historical society. You can also travel to Boston, Baltimore or New Orleans and take photos of homes whose colors have already been researched by current owners. You may have to clear the exterior color picks you make with a homeowners' association eager to make certain the neighborhood isn't populated with block after block of blue houses.

Create the right landscaping environment for your home. Landscaping that's too 21st century disrupts the look and feel of an old new home, even if your landscaping plans are simple. Contact a community botanist fascinated with Old World plants (start with a local botanical garden or community plant club) and have him point you in the direction of trees, shrubs and flowers that represent those growing at the time your house style was in vogue.

Spare no detail in the interior of the house. There are many vintage bathtubs, toilets, kitchen and bathroom sinks on the market. They cost more because not everybody is buying them. Specialty and restoration shops are conduits for chain-pull toilets, farm sinks and appliances that were popular back in the day. Make certain the fixtures you choose are also styled to emulate the era you're matching. Installing a modern faucet on your claw-foot tub could undo your hard work in a heartbeat!