When approaching a modern remodel in a historic home, balance is everything. In Cincinnati’s oldest neighborhoods, where original wood parquet floors, ornate crown molding, and wide baseboards tell stories of another era, updating a space to create a modern historic home requires both restraint and daring. About 70% of the challenge lies in honoring the home’s existing style, while the other 30% is in how you apply a modern aesthetic.
When we remodel historic modern homes at NOLI, we enhance history, not erase it, by creating contrast and tension between eras: sleek square lines against carved flourishes, matte cabinetry beside glossy lacquer, warm-toned stone offsetting rich wood. Even color becomes a tool for conversation.
By pairing the leathery brown tones of antique floors with a complementary, contemporary hue, we can enhance both. With thoughtful design and strategic lighting to highlight each element, a modern historic home can feel both deeply rooted and refreshingly new, creating a dialogue between past and present.
Okay, fine. You’re probably reading that and thinking, “What does any of that even mean?” We get it. Us designers can wax poetic about the philosophy behind historic remodels all day long, but until you see one yourself, it can be hard to picture what we mean when we say things like “creating contrast and tension between eras” or “complementary hues.” Luckily, we have a few examples from our own NOLI project portfolio to highlight exactly what we mean when we talk about a historic home with a modern interior.
Historic Kitchen Renovation in Covington, Kentucky
First, let’s head to Covington, Kentucky, where historic homes are dotted throughout tree-lined streets. When we embarked on this kitchen remodel, we knew we’d want to create visual interest by pairing the warm wood tones of the original flooring with a clean, solid-colored grey cabinet, to create the past-and-present dialogue we discussed in Part I.
Here you’ll see that we kept the beautiful wood flooring and casings the same while staying true to the modern Italian NOLI style with custom-designed cabinets and appliances. By blending the new cabinetry with historic elements, we were able to create contrast within the kitchen that still felt seamless and natural. Plus, the addition of the slate countertops helped us bring in another element of nature, blending past and present, indoors and out.
Over-the-Rhine Dream Kitchen
Next, let’s take a look at another kitchen remodel, this time in Cincinnati’s iconic Over-the-Rhine. Featuring modern cabinetry and rich textures, this kitchen represents the perfect blend of contemporary design and historic elements.
Here, we used color to refresh the home’s original design by painting brick walls white and re-staining the wood floor to create a lighter palette. As the centerpiece of the room, we have the massive stone island, which, contrasted with the wood and the cabinetry, helped to create the tension that really makes a historic remodel sing.
A Stunning Kitchen Remodel in Clifton’s Gaslight District
Finally, let’s head to the Gaslight District, where NOLI worked with a couple to remodel their kitchen and lobby to create a warm, flowing design that welcomed guests and seamlessly connected to the rest of the home.
To honor the home’s historic roots, we kept the window casings and trim but removed all other casings inside the space. This added cleanliness and a modern flair to the existing space, which aligned with the client’s new, modern cabinetry and helped to create an expansive, engaging space perfect for hosting and dining.
As you can see, at NOLI, we have extensive experience undertaking historic remodels in neighborhoods like Over the Rhine, Covington, Mariemont, the Gaslight District, Mt. Adams, and more. If you’re about to embark on your own historic remodel, contact us via our website or stop by our showroom to get started.
