Historic Home Remodel In Bend

When an older home is purchased, it’s not uncommon to want to remodel or renovate to modernize the home. For these clients, who had just purchased a home in Bend’s historic district, this was exactly the case. They bought a home originally built in the 1940s, which had an addition put on in the 1990s. The plan when purchasing the home was to modernize the home with a full remodel, while preserving the original charm of the home.

Goals For This Historic Home Remodel

These clients lived out of state, but planned to make this home in Bend’s historic district their primary residence once it was remodeled. They came to PGC Building + Design after being referred by their real estate agent, and already had a few goals in mind about how they wanted to accomplish their historic home remodel in Bend.

The primary goal was to modernize the home while maintaining its historic character & original charm. This included updates to both the original home and the addition that had been added to the house in the 1990s. Part of this remodel was modernizing the kitchen and creating more space. Another part of the remodel was to create a larger functional space that would be ideal for entertaining in the basement. For this remodel, we worked with Martha Murray Design to achieve these goals as well as add several other custom features, including a wine room, enhanced & upgraded laundry room, full outdoor kitchen, improved outdoor living space, and a fully updated primary suite.

“We hired PGC to do a custom remodel on our entire house and couldn't be happier with the results.  While there were a myriad of challenges to overcome due to the age of the house and the number of "surprises" we encountered during the process, the professionalism and ability to overcome stood above all.  The workmanship was top notch and the communication was beyond expectations.  To be able to still call your contractor a friend after the completion of a remodel is a rare feat indeed.  I would not hesitate to recommend my friends at PGC for a project of any size or scope.” - D. Allen, Houzz Review

Maintaining The Historic Character Of The Home

When remodeling a home in Bend’s historic district, there are regulations about construction due to Bend’s Historic Preservation Code. The type of permit required when renovating a historic home is dependent on this code. 

For this historic home remodel in Bend, the home was considered non-conforming because of the remodel it had undergone in the 90s. This simplified the permitting process versus another home that hadn’t previously been renovated.

It was also beneficial that a part of this historic home remodel included bringing back and maintaining historic elements of the property, such as adding the structural lattice back to the front porch. An element that was popular at the time the home was built in the 1940s.

As a main goal of this remodel was to preserve the original feel of the home while modernizing, we kept several other elements from the original build, enhancing them with modern elements, including: 

• Keeping the original fireplace with a rebuilt mantel

• Incorporating a new pergola over the hot tub with the same structural lattice style as the front entryway

• Preserving the original bathroom vanity in one of the bathrooms while upgrading the rest of the bathroom to a more timeless aesthetic

• Maintaining the original built-ins

• Using the original ceiling in the basement while updating the rest of the space

• Carried the rounded motifs from the original build into the remodeled areas

Highlights Of This Historic Home Remodel In Bend

Renovated Basement

The basement of this home went from a purely functional space with three separate rooms, including a laundry area, to a much larger open space built for entertaining, with a separate upgraded laundry room area. We also added a full egress to the basement as part of the update.

Highlights in the basement included: 

• Bar area in the entertainment space

• Wine cellar

• Upgraded laundry room with custom cabinetry and countertop for greater functionality

• Added low-voltage lighting

• Kept the fireplace, ceiling, and original floor system

• Redid the mechanical and relocated the plumbing to create more space

Primary Suite Remodel

For the primary suite remodel, these clients wanted to create a more luxurious and tranquil escape and eliminate wasted space. To do so, we reconfigured the space in the bathroom and bedroom and added additional usable elements.

Highlights of the primary suite update: 

• Carried the motifs of the original 1940s home into the updated space

• Added a custom closet with built-in storage

• Incorporated his and her vanities in the reconfigured primary bathroom for greater functionality

Modernizing The Kitchen 

The kitchen in this home served as the connection between the original rooms in the front of the house and the addition from the 1990s. Because it was a transitional space, it was important that the update not only modernized the kitchen but also helped blend these separate spaces to create a cohesive transition between old and new.

Highlights of the Upgraded Kitchen Remodel:

• Opened up the wall in the kitchen to make it larger

• Added luxury appliances

• Added a full tile backsplash and upgraded cabinetry

• Added layered lighting, including in-ceiling lights and undercabinet lighting

Interested in remodeling your kitchen? View more luxury kitchen remodel ideas.

Enhanced Outdoor Living Space

In addition to all the interior upgrades, a part of this historic home remodel in Bend was to enhance the outdoor living space. This included an upgraded area for the hot tub, which included the pergola to match the front lattice style of the home, a new outdoor kitchen, and additional outdoor entertaining spaces.

Highlights of the Enhanced Outdoor Living Space:

• Full outdoor kitchen with built-in mahogany cabinets, concrete countertops, built-in grill, and a custom-built metal pergola

• A built-in fire pit designed and created by a local artist

Photos Of This Historic Home Remodel In Bend

If you are looking for a remodeling contractor in Bend to help modernize your home, contact us.  Our team would love to help you design and build a new space that seamlessly blends old and new, incorporating your lifestyle, preferences, and the functionality you need in your home.