A kitchen designed by Bethany Adams in an historic Cherokee Triangle home in Louisville, Kentucky

Owning a Historic Home Is a Beautiful, High-Maintenance Relationship

Owning an historic home is like being in a relationship with with a good looking and charismatic, but needy partner. Is it worth it? True love always is. But, oh! the patience and maintenance required.

Why Infrastructure Comes Before Interiors in a Historic Home

These beauties require their basic needs to be met—box gutters, HVAC , drainage—before you can ever even think of sprucing up the interiors. And like every great beauty, she’ll insist that you keep everything that makes her gorgeous, and just give her a little tweak here and there.

Why You Need a Designer With Historic Home Experience — Not Just "Traditional" Style

That’s why, when it comes time to hire an interior designer, it is essential that you choose someone with experience in historic homes. Don’t be confused by a portfolio full of traditional designs—”traditional” and “historic” are not synonyms. There are many new construction homes that are modeled after historic architecture, but as these homes were built from the ground up, the process of design is very different.

What Sets a True Historic Renovation Expert Apart

A true expert in historic renovations understands the most sensitive way to add effective HVAC to a home with original marble floors and plaster moldings. She’ll know who to call to refinish the floors, repair the hardware, and upgrade the electrical.

Mixing Historic Architecture with Bold, Modern Furnishings

Many designers are skilled at selecting furnishings and finishes that would be harmonious in a traditional interior. Few designers understand the alchemy of mixing historic architecture with mid-century modern furnishings, antique Chinese Art-Deco rugs, and rich, saturated colors.

What Sets Bethany Adams Interiors Apart in Historic Renovations

This is what sets Kentucky interior designer, Bethany Adams Interiors, apart. It’s the rich architectural knowledge and background of historic homes combined with the artistic flourishes that make these grand ladies sing again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do historic homes need infrastructure work before interior design begins?

Historic homes typically need foundational needs addressed first — box gutters, HVAC, and drainage — before any interior design work can move forward. Skipping straight to finishes and furnishings without resolving these underlying systems risks damaging the original architecture you're trying to preserve.

What's the difference between a "traditional" style portfolio and real historic home renovation experience?

A traditional-style portfolio often includes new construction homes built to look historic, which is a fundamentally different design process than renovating an actual period home. Genuine historic home experience means understanding how to work within original architecture, materials, and structural constraints — not just replicating a historic look from scratch.

Why does HVAC design require extra care in a historic home?

Adding effective HVAC to a home with original marble floors and plaster moldings requires a sensitive approach that avoids damaging those irreplaceable original materials — something a designer without historic home experience may not know how to navigate.

Can historic architecture be paired with modern furnishings, or should everything match the home's period?

Yes. Historic architecture can be mixed successfully with elements like mid-century modern furnishings, antique Art-Deco rugs, and saturated color — but doing this well takes a specific kind of design expertise beyond selecting furnishings that are simply "harmonious" or period-appropriate.

Why does experience restoring original materials, like a historic wallcovering, matter when hiring a designer?

A designer with historic renovation experience knows specialty resources — like sourcing a wallcovering that matches an original from decades earlier — that most designers wouldn't know to look for, which is often what makes a restoration feel seamless rather than patched together.If your historic home deserves a thoughtful next chapter, Bethany Adams Interiors can help bring it to life.

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