Renovating a historic home is a balancing act between preserving the past and making a property livable for modern family life. Few projects illustrate this challenge better than the 18th-century saltbox remodel undertaken by DIYer Jaime Costiglio and her family in Port Chester, New York. When the Costiglios purchased the Samuel Brown saltbox in 2013, they took on a house that had stood for nearly three centuries with all the quirks and character that come with such history. Rather than erasing those signs of age, Jaime approached each room as an opportunity to highlight the home’s original craftsmanship while adapting it for a family with three active children. Her methods offer practical inspiration for anyone considering their own historic home renovation. For homeowners drawn to period architecture, the principles behind this saltbox transformation echo those used in other vintage home projects, such as an Eichler home remodel balancing mid century heritage with modern living, where preserving original character guides every decision.
The Distinctive Anatomy of a Saltbox House
Before diving into renovation strategies, it helps to understand what makes a saltbox house unique. The saltbox form emerged in New England during the 17th and 18th centuries and is instantly recognizable by its asymmetrical roofline. The front of the house features two stories with a steep pitch, while the rear roof slopes dramatically down to a single-story height, resembling the wooden boxes used to store salt in colonial kitchens. This design was practical rather than purely aesthetic. The long sloping rear roof shed snow and rain effectively, and the single-story addition at the back provided extra space without the expense of a full second story.
The Samuel Brown saltbox, named after the farmer who built it, dates to at least 1740 and is one of the two oldest houses in Port Chester. A plaque from the Daughters of the American Revolution marks its age, though some historical accounts suggest construction may have been as early as 1660. The home follows classic saltbox proportions with its tall side facing south to capture sunlight and warmth. Inside, the original floor plan centers on a massive chimney that serves three fireplaces, including one in the living room that still contains a functioning bake oven. The house was built using post-and-beam construction, meaning heavy vertical timbers support the structure with wooden pegs and joinery rather than nails.
Understanding these structural elements is critical before beginning any renovation. Load-bearing walls, original joists, and historic masonry all require careful evaluation. A well-executed period remodel respects the original construction methods while upgrading systems for safety and comfort. As demonstrated in a best remodel 2014 inside a model remodel video, professional tradespeople often combine traditional techniques with modern materials to achieve lasting results in older homes.
Revealing Hidden Structural Character
One of the most dramatic transformations in the Costiglio saltbox came from a simple act of architectural archaeology. In the dining room, the ceiling was low and the space felt cramped. Jaime suspected that original timber beams lay hidden beneath a dropped plaster ceiling installed during previous renovations. On a hunch, she tore open the plaster to reveal hand-hewn wooden beams that had been covered for decades. The discovery transformed the room entirely. The exposed beams immediately made the dining room feel larger by adding vertical height, while the rich texture of the old wood brought warmth and authenticity that no modern material can replicate.
After cleaning the timbers and removing old nails, she had her contractor drywall the spaces between the beams to create a clean finished look. She repeated this technique in the master bedroom, where exposing the beams gave the upstairs space a similar sense of volume and connection to the house’s past. This approach of revealing rather than covering original fabric is a cornerstone of thoughtful historic renovation. The key steps involved:
- Carefully removing a small section of plaster or drywall to check what lies beneath before committing to full removal
- Inspecting beams for structural integrity, insect damage, and rot before exposing them fully
- Cleaning old timbers with gentle methods such as vacuuming and light scrubbing rather than sandblasting, which can damage the surface
- Consulting a structural engineer or experienced contractor when beams may be load bearing
- Sealing or treating exposed wood only when necessary, as many old timbers have survived centuries without chemical treatments
This philosophy of uncovering a home’s original bones rather than hiding them applies across many historic property types. Anyone working on a mid-century property can find similar inspiration by reading about balancing heritage and modern conveniences a guide to renovating mid century mod, where the same tension between old and new drives the design process.
Practical Kitchen Strategies for Period Homes
The kitchen presented a unique set of challenges in the saltbox remodel. The room itself was not original to the 18th-century structure. It had been added during a 1943 renovation that extended the back of the house by about ten feet. While the Costiglios were grateful for a functional modern kitchen, they found its rust-colored cabinets and dark finishes clashed with the Colonial character of the rest of the home. Rather than undertake a full expensive gut renovation, Jaime used strategic cosmetic updates to bridge the gap between old and new.
She painted the lower cabinets a deep gray using Benjamin Moore’s Iron Mountain to ground the room, while the upper cabinets were painted Simply White to help them visually recede. On one wall, she removed the upper cabinets entirely and replaced them with open shelving made from Douglas fir boards resting on iron brackets from The Home Depot. This simple change accomplished two goals. The open shelves made the small kitchen feel larger and more airy, and the natural wood of the shelves echoed the exposed beams elsewhere in the house. The wall cabinets that remained were painted white so they would blend into the background.
The table below summarizes some of the most effective low-cost strategies for updating a historic kitchen while preserving period character:
| Strategy | Application in the Saltbox Kitchen | Approximate Cost Level |
|---|---|---|
| Repaint existing cabinets | Gray lower cabinets, white upper cabinets | Low |
| Replace upper cabinets with open shelving | Douglas fir boards on iron brackets | Low to moderate |
| Change hardware | New knobs and pulls from D. Lawless Hardware | Low |
| Add natural wood accents | Open shelving and butcher block surfaces | Moderate |
| Update lighting fixtures | Wrought iron chandelier in dining room | Moderate |
Any kitchen renovation in an older home also raises questions about building compliance. Changing plumbing, electrical layouts, or structural elements can trigger requirements to bring those systems up to current standards. Homeowners should understand what must be brought up to code during a remodel understanding building code requirements for renovations before starting work, especially when altering existing spaces in a historic structure.
Furniture Crafting as a Preservation Strategy
A defining feature of this saltbox remodel is that almost every piece of furniture in the home was built by Jaime herself. This is not merely a decorating choice. It is a preservation strategy that allows the homeowner to control the scale, style, and materials of every furnishing to complement the historic architecture rather than fight against it. Off-the-shelf furniture from big box stores is often too large, too uniform, or made from materials that look out of place in an 18th-century interior. Handbuilt furniture can be sized precisely for odd nooks, angled walls, and low ceilings that define old houses.
Jaime started her DIY journey with little experience. She had never used a miter saw before 2007 and learned primarily through YouTube tutorials and trial and error. Her first major project for the saltbox was a four-poster bed inspired by a Pottery Barn design. She designed it with fellow blogger Ana White and built it from standard lumber. Since then she has built desks for each of her three children, nightstands, a homework station, a dining table, a coffee table for the patio, interior window shutters, sliding barn-door style window coverings, a mirror, and a side table converted from an old library card catalog.
- The dining table began as a castoff from a friend and was refinished to suit the space
- Twin beds for her daughters were rescued from a roadside and given new polyurethane finish and support slats
- A vintage cast-iron wall-hung sink rescued from an art school refuse pile became the centerpiece of the master bath vanity
- A discarded picnic table provided wood for an Old Glory sign mounted above the living room fireplace
This resourceful approach keeps costs manageable while producing furnishings that are authentically personal. It also means that when a piece is damaged or needs updating, the homeowner has the skills to repair or remake it rather than searching for a replacement that may not fit. For those who lack woodworking experience, starting with small projects such as shelves, picture frames, or basic benches provides a path to build skills over time, just as Jaime did.
Lessons in Letting a Historic Home Speak
Perhaps the most valuable lesson from this saltbox remodel is knowing when not to renovate. Throughout the house, Jaime deliberately preserved signs of age that many homeowners might rush to erase. The three staircases in the house have deeply cupped treads worn by nearly three centuries of foot traffic. A door in the dining room may be original to the 1740 construction, and Jaime freed it from layers of paint rather than replacing it. An old post saved from the 1943 renovation was mounted as a mantel over the dining room fireplace. These choices give the house a layered authenticity that cannot be manufactured.
Jaime also collected artifacts uncovered during renovations: a spool, a spoon, a tiny horseshoe, the business card of a 19th-century carriage maker, and handwritten lists left by previous residents. These objects connect the current family to the generations who lived in the house before them. Her contractor, Brian Smith, sums up her approach succinctly: She is not afraid. She will jump right in. That confidence, combined with a willingness to work with the house rather than against it, turned an aging saltbox into a vibrant family home.
In the end, preserving a historic home is not about freezing it in time. It is about making thoughtful choices that honor the original construction while meeting contemporary needs. The Costiglio saltbox remains a functioning, comfortable home for a 21st-century family, but it still looks and feels like an 18th-century farmhouse. When asked about working with a house where nothing is level and nothing is plumb, Jaime says simply: I just like all that character. That attitude, more than any specific technique, is what makes a historic home renovation successful. For additional perspective on reviving early American architecture for modern living, explore this colonial farmhouse restoration 18th century Pennsylvania modern design, which follows similar principles of blending period authenticity with contemporary comfort.