The Arlington Arts and Crafts Project: Design Strategies for a Complex Historic Renovation

The Arlington Arts and Crafts Project: Design Strategies for a Complex Historic Renovation

When Emily and Nick Deldon walked up the spongy porch steps of the 1909 Arlington, Massachusetts house on a spring morning in 2013, they knew its square footage, lot size, and construction date by heart. What they did not yet know was that this steep-roofed, architecturally eclectic home would become the subject of a major This Old House television project and a master class in how to navigate a complex historic renovation. For building professionals and homeowners alike, the Arlington Arts and Crafts house offers valuable lessons in architectural identification, structural planning, and period-sensitive design. The journey from a cramped 2,433-square-foot property with a galley kitchen to a thoughtfully expanded family home demonstrates the importance of patience, research, and creative problem solving. In this article, we explore the key strategies that made this renovation possible, from decoding the house architectural style to engineering a multistory addition that honors the original design. Whether you are planning a similar project or simply appreciate the craftsmanship of early 20th century homes, the Arlington project provides insights that apply to a wide range of residential historic renovations.

Decoding the Architectural Style: Identifying an Arts and Crafts House

One of the first challenges the Deldons faced was identifying the architectural style of their new home. The building presented a puzzling mix of features that seemed to belong to different traditions. The steeply pitched roofs and the stucco with half-timbering in the gables suggested Tudor influences, while the heavy quartersawn oak front door and simple blocky interior moldings pointed toward the Craftsman style. An arch top dormer and turned stair balusters added yet another layer of complexity to the architectural identity.

The Accidental Discovery

It was Emily Deldon who solved the mystery through an unexpected online search. She Googled the name of a neighborhood street and discovered a town in England with the same name. When she started looking at photographs of the area, she noticed that many houses resembled her own. Suddenly the architectural puzzle fell into place. The house was an Arts and Crafts style home, a designation that explained its eclectic mix of features. Although the Arts and Crafts movement is better known in America through its Craftsman and Prairie style interpretations, it actually began in mid 19th century England. In 1909, when the Arlington home was built, New England architects were taking their design cues from across the Atlantic.

Key Characteristics of Arts and Crafts Architecture

The Arlington house exemplifies several defining traits of the Arts and Crafts movement. These features are worth understanding for anyone involved in historic home renovations, as they influence everything from material selection to addition design.

• Steep roof pitches with prominent gables: The Arlington house features dramatic rooflines that create a storybook silhouette, a hallmark of the English Arts and Crafts tradition.
• Natural materials and honest construction: Quartersawn oak, stucco, and half-timbering are used in ways that express their structural role rather than hiding it.
• Handcrafted details: Simple blocky moldings and substantial woodwork reflect the movement emphasis on skilled craftsmanship over mass produced ornamentation.
• Integration with the site: The house relationship with its half acre lot and surrounding neighborhood was a key factor in the Deldons decision to purchase the property.

Why Style Identification Matters for Renovation Planning

Identifying the correct architectural style is not merely an academic exercise. It has practical implications for every stage of a renovation. The style determines appropriate window proportions, roof shapes, siding materials, and interior trim details. For the Arlington project, recognizing the Arts and Crafts pedigree guided decisions about the new porch design, the shingle siding selection, and the addition rooflines. Builders and architects working on similar homes can learn from this approach by researching the architectural context before making design decisions. For a deeper look at how other Craftsman era homes have been updated, see this article on restoring a 1925 Craftsman Sears kit house while preserving its character.

Solving the Addition Challenge: Engineering Space Within Constraints

The most significant design challenge of the Arlington project was how to expand a house that was very nearly just one room deep. With only a pantry turned galley kitchen at the rear, the Deldons knew they needed a substantial addition to create the open plan living spaces their family required. However, the narrow footprint and steep roof geometry made conventional expansion strategies difficult.

The Problem with Box Additions

Multiple design build firms struggled with the same problem. As Nick Deldon recalls, the contractors kept drawing different versions of boxes tacked on to the back of the house. These box additions did not respect the complex rooflines or the Arts and Crafts character of the original structure. The challenge was to add significant square footage without creating a design that looked like an afterthought. This is a common dilemma in historic renovations where the original building proportions do not easily accommodate modern open plan layouts.

The Three Story Solution with Matching Rooflines

The breakthrough came with a design that added a three story structure at the rear, topped with a steep gable roof that mirrors the existing rooflines. This approach ensured that the addition felt like a natural extension of the original house rather than a disconnected appendage. The ground floor houses a new kitchen and family room, the second floor contains the master bathroom, and the top floor provides a craft room. A hip roof caps the family room extension off the three story addition, creating visual interest while maintaining consistency with the overall roof design.

Structural Considerations for the Addition

Building a three story addition on a narrow lot requires careful structural planning. The Arlington project involved several key engineering decisions:

1. Foundation reinforcement: The existing foundation had to be evaluated and reinforced to support the additional load of the three story addition.
2. Roof load distribution: The matching gable roof required careful load path analysis to ensure proper weight distribution through the new structure.
3. Lateral stability: With a slender profile, the addition needed shear walls and proper bracing to resist wind and seismic forces.
4. Floor system design: Open plan living spaces on the ground floor required engineered floor joists that could span longer distances without intermediate supports.

Preserving Interior Character While Modernizing Systems

A critical aspect of the Arlington renovation was preserving the existing interior character while bringing the home into the 21st century. The Deldons were committed to maintaining the vintage plaster and paneling that gave the house its soul, even as they updated mechanical systems and reorganized the floor plan.

Exterior Insulation Strategy

One of the most innovative decisions was the approach to insulation. The crew installed new shingle siding on the exterior, which allowed them to add insulation from the outside. This strategy preserved the interior plaster and paneling that would have been damaged or removed in a conventional interior insulation retrofit. The approach is particularly valuable for historic homes where original wall finishes contribute significantly to the character of the space. It also improves thermal performance without reducing interior room dimensions, a common complaint with interior insulation methods.

Kitchen and Bathroom Modernization

The existing galley kitchen was entirely inadequate for a growing family. The addition allowed for a proper kitchen on the ground floor with direct access to the new family room, creating the open plan layout that modern families desire. The master bathroom was relocated to the second floor of the addition, providing generous space for fixtures and storage that the original floor plan could not accommodate. For more ideas on updating historic homes, explore this guide on selecting authentic reproduction hardware for historic home renovation projects.

Porch Design as a Showpiece: The Arts and Crafts Entry

The original porch was boxy and unremarkable, offering little indication of the architectural character within. The renovation plan called for a complete replacement that would transform the entry into a showpiece reflecting the Arts and Crafts design of the house. The new porch design incorporates several signature elements that any building professional working on period homes should understand.

Design Elements of the New Porch

The replacement porch features a flared shingled base that grounds the structure visually and provides a solid transition from the foundation to the walls above. Beefy wood columns support a flared copper hip roof, creating a substantial entry that announces the home architectural ambition. The copper roof was chosen not only for its aesthetic qualities but also for its durability and the beautiful patina it will develop over time. These columns are proportioned to match the scale of the house, avoiding the thin spindly look that can diminish a period design.

Lessons for Porch Restoration Projects

For contractors and homeowners planning similar work, the Arlington project offers several takeaways:

• Proportion matters more than ornament: The beefy columns and simple roofline create more architectural impact than fussy Victorian trim work ever could.
• Material quality shows: Copper roofing and solid wood columns are investments that pay off in longevity and appearance.
• Match the house style: A flared base and hip roof were specifically chosen to harmonize with the Arts and Crafts aesthetic of the home.
• Consider the entry sequence: The porch is the first thing visitors experience, making it worth the investment in quality design and construction.

The Arlington house demonstrates that the best historic renovations are those that honor the original design intent while meeting modern needs. From the careful identification of the Arts and Crafts style to the engineering of a sympathetic addition, every decision was guided by respect for the building character. For building professionals, the project reinforces the value of thorough research, creative problem solving, and patient collaboration with homeowners. The Deldons waited three years to find the right design solution, and that patience paid off in a renovation that preserves the soul of a 1909 home while making it work for a 21st century family. For more examples of Craftsman era renovations, read about how a 1908 Craftsman bungalow gained a modern indoor outdoor great room and how one team approached adding space to a historic 1920s bungalow without losing its character.