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Status updates: Pros bring homes into modern era while preserving character
Mar 07, 2010 (Albany Times Union - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
Many people prefer the character and design of an older home. But they don't want to forfeit use of new technology and ways of living.
How do you have both?
Redesigning an old home to accommodate these upgrades -- better entertainment options, modernized environmental controls and upgrades in bathroom and kitchen designs -- has a two-fold impact.
The changes provide increased ease of living in the present and a financial investment that in the long term should bring a better price when a home is sold.
"It's not about a good investment; it adds to the quality of life," said Jennifer Leidig, vice president of Ambiance Systems, which installs environmental controls and entertainment systems.
"We've seen a resurgence in installing our systems into existing residences," Leidig said.
A home may have once had a fireplace in the kitchen for cooking and another in the living room for additional heating. Outside, shutters hung ready to be closed to fend off a storm.
The wood, pipes and plasterboard are still part of the modern house. But now, you can also toss in the evolving technology that is part of everyday life at work and increasingly at home.
For instance, just as lights in an office can be set to be turned on and off by computer, that same opportunity exists in homes. Even the ever-present light switch on the wall can be done away with when it's set to work remotely. This also improves energy efficiency by reducing waste.
"Old houses have a lot of character," said architect Michael Curcio who lives in an 1840s farmhouse on Hop City Road in Ballston.
Marc and Jennifer Leidig, owners of Ambiance System, know what can be done with 21st century technology in a vintage home.
"This is a 1863 Victorian house retrofitted with cutting-edge technology," Marc Leidig, Ambiance's CEO and president, said about their Pearl Street home in Saratoga Springs.
A programmable thermostat regulates HVAC systems in a home or a wireless network enabling telephones, computers or related equipment to operate remotely without coils of wires everywhere are some instances of changing technology in the home.
"You define what you want. It's a question of the better use," said Curcio, who now specializes in residential architecture through his business, Michael Curcio Architects, whose Web home page at http://mcurcioarchitects.com.
Putting space to a better use may involve expanding a bathroom to provide more space or reconfiguring existing space to install facilities such as a laundry room to meet modern demands. That 19th century character can be retained even while a home is adapted to suit modern lifestyles.
Curcio appreciates historic structures. He's managed projects that include restoring and building an addition to the Blair House, the President's guest house in Washington, D.C., and the restoration of The Mount, Edith Wharton's home in Lenox, Mass.
Curcio points to changes in his own home, where he lives with his wife, Anne McCartt, when discussing the impact of remodeling a house.
The kitchen and bathroom remain at the heart of a home when it comes to changes. And, yes, expenses are involved that can't be changed once the money's been spent.
"The kitchen is important to a lot of people. If the family gets together, it's in the kitchen," Curcio said.
Curcio's home has a remodeled kitchen with upgraded amenities, but he hasn't decided whether to install an island, which would dominate the center of the room. Right now, there's a kitchen table. Curcio points out that there's an expense to building the island and to removing it if a decision is made in the future to pull it out.
"The island came about because people didn't have time to sit down for a meal," Curcio said.
Upstairs, the bathroom was expanded and a laundry room put in. It's popular these days to have the washer and dryer on the same story as the bedrooms and where dirty clothes are collected.
Back on the first floor, Curcio transformed an attached pottery shed into his office. It's a bright, airy space, but he concedes that the exposed beams and unfinished look that capture the room's origins might not appeal to another homeowner seeking a more finished look.
That's why, when it comes to making decisions about what to do with a building, the owner shouldn't wing it with back-of-the-envelope sketches. Proper planning will control construction costs.
"Hire an architect," Curcio said.
Many people shy away from doing this for fear of the expense, Curcio noted. But this can be controlled.
"Establish a scope of services and a price not to be exceeded," Curcio said.
Placing guidelines on the project design will reel in costs and get the professional insights needed to make a proper investment.
Just as an architect can be deployed to direct planning to make the most of an investment, the same applies when it comes to making the most of what current technology has to offer.
Marc and Jennifer Leidig have been in the business of combining lifestyles with technology since 1985, when they founded Ambiance Systems, now headquartered in Clifton Park. Their Web site is http://www.ambiancesystems.com.
Entertainment, environmental and climate controls are things that people don't want strewn around with multiple wires and remote controls anymore.
"It's clutter," explained Jennifer Leidig, the company's vice president.
That means everything is hidden away. The devices are built into the walls. The large flat-screen television in the family room or den may be the only evidence that this is the center of where everything takes place.
Holding up a smart phone, Marc Leidig said, "They don't need to have multiple controls."
The "smart operations" of a home can now be fully intertwined.
"It's very integrated the way we're going," Leidig said. "We're about making things disappear."
Disappearing means that devices and equipment are built into cabinets and walls. They're not seen, but their functions are on display at the push of a button.
Placing the systems inside walls or columns takes them out of sight and preserves the architectural integrity of the room without overwhelming with equipment that otherwise would draw attention by its placement in the open.
From one handheld device, the Leidigs can control the music in different locations of their home. It's possible to play different radio stations from across the country in different rooms.
At the same time, in the family room, the flat-screen television can show a slide show of the family vacation, play a movie from a video library or tap into a network to watch whatever's playing. Or perhaps a show will be recorded.
It generally costs from $5,000 to $10,000 to install home systems. Price varies by how elaborate the system is that is selected.
The Leidigs said that the value invested in upgrading a home to the wireless world is having a definite impact on a home's value. They said that the money put into the control and entertainment side of a home is repaid in future sales just as kitchen and bathroom renovations add to the selling price.
Kenneth C. Crowe II can be reached at 454-5084 or by e-mail at kcrowe@timesunion.com
To see more of the Albany Times Union, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to
http://www.timesunion.com. Copyright (c) 2010, Albany Times Union, N.Y.
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