Scandinavian Tudor is NOT a thing. And those are diametrically opposed philosophies. You’d do much better to spend your 500-600K in moving to a different house. Or if this is the perfect location and you don’t mind throwing that much unrecoupable money at this project, then you need to hire an architect. Yesterday. One who will honor the bones of the home rather than trying to make it into the pop flavor of the month and ruin it.

http://www.remodeling.hw.net/cost-vs-value/2018/

@Sophie-Wheeler

Yours was an incredibly snobby and unhelpful comment, full of misplaced assumptions. Our exterior is Tudor. Our interior happens to have some Mediterranean details. And we DO have an architect; we are simply looking at Houzz for more ideas. Please take your nasty condescension elsewhere. If you are indeed a "Pro", I can't imagine I'd want to hire someone with your attitude.

I think the best way to do this would be to keep the bones, wood etc of the house original and to tie it in using similar aesthetics. Then instead of painting the house in traditional 1920's color, to instead use the Scandinavian whites and bring in your aesthetic with furniture, window coverings etc. (Please do not paint any original stained woodwork!)

The worst thing you could do is try and fight the house style by going contemporary. For the kitchen, putting in white shaker cabinets with modern pulls can bridge the gap between contemporary and traditional.

I would for the staircase use a traditional style to the house but maybe paint it in white. Up in the attic is where you can go completely contemporary.

Here's a Swedish blog that has lots of pictures of modern furnishings in apartments that are at least 100 years old, but many much older than that. It might provide you some inspiration at least from the pictures. Let me know if Google translate doesn't work well for you and I can help translate.

http://studiokarin.blogspot.com/

@Lyfia

That blog has a lot of what we like! Successful blends of old and new. Thanks.

I think the simple clean Scandinavian lines marry well with Tudor Revival houses as long as the Scandi aesthetic doesn't become too unrelentingly severe or too pristinely "humble". Tudor Revival houses have to have a bit of subtle glamour,I think. (in Sweden,that subtle glamour is sometimes there in the massive ornamented tile stoves) When we reno'd our tudor kitchen,we returned the butler's pantry to it's previous 1921 perfection since the original cabs and marble countertops were in it and in remarkable shape,but gutted the rest. (a bad circa 1975 re-model). We chose simpler cabs than the ones in the pantry (in cream vs the pantry's mahogany) some glass inserts,soapstone, a Danish rosewood table (circa 1960) and hardwood floors. The hardest part was finding the pulls and handles. Eventually went with some Ashley Norton ones because I wanted a little tiny nod to the slight Mediterranian-ness in the house and they made one that suited.

At the end of the day,I think that styles from across the globe and across different eras,just have to be speaking to each other not shouting past each other,if you know what I mean? Good luck on your changes, a clear vision and reliance on natural materials will serve you well. And of course,the adorable pup enhances any decor.

And since it is the day for links... http://keltainentalorannalla.blogspot.co.uk/

Here are some pics for inspiration. Not exactly scandinavian but nice mix of traditional and modern.

I am sorry but I am confused by your mention of incorporating "Mediterranean details original to the home". Your photo of your dog is adorable, and I wish I could reach through my computer screen to pet those velvet ears. But it wasn't helpful in understanding the look you are going for. I lived in Boston years ago, and older homes there with a Tudor aesthetic didn't have any Mediterranean details. Just trying to understand you in order to help you. More photos or inspiration pics that you've saved would be good.

I love Tudors and it nearly brings me to tears to see a Tudor "redone" into something she isn't, so my only idea for "transitional design" (I'm not even sure what that is, lol) is to only do things that are super temporary, like furniture, drapes, housewares, etc.

Sorry if that wasn't much help. :-(

I think the dog and sleeping man picture is showing the door shape that is sort of Med/Moroccan.

Our interior is not Tudor styled at all, so this might not be the precious preservation violation that some are suggesting. "Mediterranean" comes in the form of pressed plaster crown moulding (grapes, braids, etc), also around our fireplace, and several arched doorways similar to the one in the dog pic.

I'm not at home and it's the best photo I had on hand that showed the interior. Thought that would be better than no pics at all.

Our goal is to keep those original touches while adding more contemporary warmth that are afforded by our reno project. If you think that's somehow blasphemous (I can't imagine why, since that's the history of art and architecture: the reblending and rematching of inspiration and styles) I guess I ... really don't care?

Thanks to everyone who actually had something constructive to contribute.

@ M Miller Look at the picture of the doorway in the OP's room. That kind of thing,along with various other arches, are a part of many Tudor Revival homes along with thicker plaster walls. Since the original style was an amalgam,a picturesque of the late medieval with a boatload of influences (including fanciful gothic,Moorish,Spanish among others), noting vaguely mediterranean leanings seems about right to me.

I know this has nothing to do with your post, but I love the photo of your pooch. Too cute.

Do a Google search - I saw some great blogs and pictures showing a mix of Scandinavian style in a tudor home... there's great ideas out there!

I love that cool archway! Are the doors shaped like that too? I would keep that....

Cute puppy!

When you get a chance to post more photos we can do our best to help you out...

@hollybar

That is precisely the case; you nailed it.

@mark1993

Thanks, we think so too. :)

@Debbi-Washburn

I'll definitely add more photos tonight. And I love the photos you posted. Very much the balance we are going for. Thanks for the vote of confidence!

I hope the second pic that Debbie posted is not what you're going for since it has none of the details of your charming home. It's a contemporary house devoid of the details.

Might I suggest you also post on The Old House Forum?

I didn't take the second photo quite so literally. But it has elements we find appealing. We'll definitely not want to erase the details that give our home uniqueness. It's why we love it (and why I'm posting here at all ... to be thoughtful about design).

Yep. That attitude is just a mask for some deep-rooted issues. Sad.

Here are more photos that show some interior detail.

rubynellcherry

"Yep. That attitude is just a mask for some deep-rooted issues. Sad"

What?

I'm scandinavian, I grew up there. Here are some of the differences that make rooms look scandinavian/back home to me: large, large windows. Natural light everywhere. Minimal window coverings. Furniture that sits lower, never fussy. Clean lines, never over decorated. Light wood, modern fireplaces (which are still used for retaining heat and helping warm up houses during winter). Name brand furniture or a very close replica....too much money is spent on furniture ;) I love mixing styles, I say go for it!

Those details are absolutely stunning and are really unique. I love those doorways.

Gene Yoon - From my time on this forum, any, and I mean ANY, comment from Sophie Wheeler is one to be listened to and carefully considered. You are lucky to have received a comment and I would respectfully advise you to reconsider how you respond to what you consider negative feedback from this forum.

No. No one is "lucky" to receive derisive comment and judgments based on wild assumptions. Any expertise she may have is undermined by that. Delivery matters, and hers was piss poor in this instance.

Please explain what you mean by wild assumptions. (Oh my, will this become a cat fight?)

We are living in this house. We are not moving. We are doing this renovation. We have an architect. We care about how this will be designed. We are not spending "500-600K". Full stop. No cat fight.

I know - this forum can seem/be very tough. Goal should always be a more functional layout. However.....the more time you and DH put into this, the more you will get our of it. Post layouts (including dimensions) of each room you wish to review. Sometimes the feedback makes you CRAZY - because you now have 10 more things to figure out - but you end up with an amazing layout - and will pat yourselves on the back regularly. Good luck!

No words.

Its all good. No need to justify rude responders pro or no. Everyone has a bad day, but some have more than most. Lets all just coexist and take the good with the bad.

The archways and moldings are incredible! I think it will be a bit challenging in your existing areas - but certainly can be done - your new areas upstairs will obviously be easier for you to design how you like since they will be new. I would invest some money in an interior designer to help you. Even if it is to just take care of the main living room and dining room - that might give you enough insight to do the rest on your own...

What a great project! I look forward to the before and after photos...

I don’t think you have a good handle on remodel costs for your location if you don’t think you’ve listed 500K worth of work. It’s an old house. Attic living has scads of building codes that you will now be required to comply with. Insulation. Head height. Egress. Stair access. Those new stairs are a big issue and BIG expense. Modern rise and run requirements will eat up a lot of floor space and require a lot of structural alterations.

“Just” a plain middle of the road kitchen in your area is 70K. Upscale will be 2x that. A Houzz photo level kitchen will be 2x the upscale price. 2 Bath remodels would be 50K. You do not have any infrastructure to be remodeled. You have to create all new.

You are not going to be able to live in the home while all of this work is being done. Add 9 months of housing elsewhere. Add in new landscaping for what gets torn up by construction. Add in repair of the first floor when it’s damaged by the work in the attic. If you have to tear off the roof and do dormers to get that required head height? You will get water damage at some point.

Most old homes don’t have a modern fully grounded 200-400 amp service that will be more than needed for your plans. If you don’t have that? Time to heavy up the service and a new panel from your utility provider. Old knob and tube or brittle cloth shellac wiring? Gotta go and be required.

Same with plumbing. Old galvanized plumbing will need to be 100% replaced, or there’s no point of even planning an upstairs bath. Copper of that age can be full of pinhole leaks. Cast iron be rusted away.

Old houses require regular cash infusions for care and feeding even without ambitious remodeling plans. When you go to remodel? Behind the walls is always something you didn’t plan on having to do. Sometimes it’s that old rotten sill plate that leaves the corner of the house being supported by only a doubled 2x4 king. Surely you’ve watched TOH? “Hey you gotta look at this!” Is a regular thing to hear when you start getting into the guts.

You need to re-evaluate your scope and budget. Architects are notorious for not having a good grasp on the commodity pricing of lumber that has gone up 40% sine the hurricane rebuilds have created a high demand. Labor prices have also risen because of the scarcity of skilled labor and the shunning of a trades career for anyone under 40.

Many times people who have visions of adding that second floor living find that it’s much cheaper to move. Or to plan a teardown if local regs permit it.

I appreciate your words of caution. Our contractor provided a detailed scope of materials and services after a top to bottom walk through with our architect, herself with 25 years experience and several attic renovations under her belt. Based on that, we are capping this at 250K. Our electrical and plumbing were updated in the 90s and 2000s. We are not planning on doing anything extravagant with the kitchen or baths, but it's still an opportunity to consider design choices carefully. Thanks for following up in a productive manner. I took umbrage because this post was about design advice, not an invitation for strangers to assume we are unprepared and naive.

Design advice should come from a paid local designer. One who has experience with, and who loves old houses. Not crowdsourced with input of A-Z opposites of unknown education and skill. Start looking at some local portfolios and hire a local ID.

But just your attic conversion with two baths and stair work is going to be well above your budget. You are getting the all too typical lowball quotes that rely on change orders to bring the total up to reality numbers. It’s what some contractors are forced into doing, because if they were honest about real costs, they don’t get hired. The cheap guy gets the contract. And the change orders begin. Beware!

If you are doing a cost plus contract, all of the risk is on you. Experienced fixed bid contractors tend to avoid old houses. Too many unknowns. If they do a fixed bid, it won’t be cheap.

Start your own spreadsheet of the actual materials that you would want used in the space. That gives you 1/8 to 1/3 of the price of the project. Renovations are all about skilled labor costs.

40+ years of experience will give a dollar bet that my numbers are a lot more real than your contractors. And the value part of the equation won’t be the usual 50% either if the history of the house isn’t honored. More like a 15-20% payback.

Gene, please understand that while you may not have been unprepared and naive, I'd say the majority of those who first post asking to do something like what you're doing are unprepared and naive.

I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

I get your points of view, but no one has acknowledged that there was a lot of rampant presuming going on. Understood that we may have cost overruns. But I choose to trust the professionals we've hired, which itself was a careful process based on client experience from people we trust. What one person calls "crowd sourcing" I call getting more data to consider, which itself does not preclude us from working with a design pro. This will be my last comment having to counter unfounded assumptions in a post that was simply a request for ideas. I guess I didn't know it would result in so much finger wagging.

Gene,thanks for the term "rampant presuming". I will steal it often. I hope you choose to share some more pictures of your home throughout the process.

That wasn't my point to you. You explained yourself and then I explained why we had responded the way we did. It was simply from past experience. It's the same how I pointed out how I would not get rid of those gorgeous 1920's details. Why would I say such a thing? Because so many people come onto these forums thinking they'll rip out anything that is from the period.

Your Tudor home is lovely. Please try to keep it as period correct as you can during your renovations. Good luck.

"But I choose to trust the professionals we've hired, which itself was a careful process based on client experience from people we trust."

I would suggest with all due respect that unless the projects of the people you trust were extremely close to the scope of your upcoming project, there is no way to be sure that your highly individualized project will progress in a similar fashion. I would certainly make sure to have enough in the budget for overages, and perhaps plan the project in stages so that the $250,000 cap is not reached before completion.

If I wanted more data to consider for a project like this, with the aesthetic you want, I would research online local Scandinavian design projects, and also contact the owners/managers of companies such as Reside in Boston, who are familiar not only with modern Scandinavian design but also local architecture.

You are getting the all too typical lowball quotes that rely on change orders to bring the total up to reality numbers. It’s what some contractors are forced into doing, because if they were honest about real costs, they don’t get hired. The cheap guy gets the contract. And the change orders begin.

This. I wish more people understood this. My husband is a builder, and it's not unusual after providing a comprehensive quote/estimate to not get the job. The builders who do get hired for these project end up either charging more, or cutting considerable corners to stay within the original estimate.

It is unfortunate that good contractors have to deal with going up against others who are not completely truthful... The best way to avoid as much of that as possible is details.... make sure everything is spelled out and put in writing. In a project of your size there are bound to be change orders, but try to have as much spelled out as possible.

I wish you much luck and be sure to take lots of before and afters!

Thanks, Debbi. Good advice.

Just wondering how this went... any update from Gene Y?

That was quick! Will look forward to your update.

Are you on budget too?