Renovating a Historic Phoenix Home: What to Preserve, What to Modernize, and How to Stay Cool
Phoenix's historic homes have soul that newer construction simply can't replicate, the millwork, the proportions, the character of another era. But they also come with realities that catch owners off guard. After years designing in Coronado, Encanto-Palmcroft, and F.Q. Story, here's what we've learned about renovating these homes well, and the difference between a renovation that honors a home and one that erases it.
A modern twist on a historic home in the Encanto Palmcroft in dowtown Phoenix.
First, what makes these homes worth protecting
The details are irreplaceable: original wood millwork and trim, vintage hardware, solid doors, plaster walls, hardwood floors, and proportions you can't buy off a shelf today. A great historic renovation starts by identifying what to protect, because once these elements are gone, they're gone.
The realities to plan for
Old homes hold surprises. The ones we plan for most often:
Foundation and framing quirks that decades of settling (and sometimes amateur additions) leave behind.
Unpermitted additions from previous owners that have to be untangled.
Dated systems, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC that need updating to live safely and comfortably.
Small, choppy layouts and little storage, designed for a different era of living.
Older materials like lath-and-plaster, and sometimes lead or asbestos, that require care to handle.
None of these are dealbarriers. But they're exactly why historic projects reward an experienced team and a real plan instead of a guess.
What to preserve vs. what to modernize
We worked with architect, David Dick to re-imagine this1960’s Paradise Valley home.
The art is in the balance:
Preserve: original windows where possible (restore over replace), millwork, hardware, character-defining details, and the home's footprint and proportions.
Modernize: the systems, the kitchen and baths, storage, and comfort, the things that make a historic home genuinely livable today.
Done right, the updates disappear into the home and the character shines.
Keeping a historic home cool (without gutting it)
An Arizona summer tests a home built before modern cooling. There's almost always a way to improve comfort while respecting the architecture: smart insulation, careful systems planning, restoring original windows with discreet efficiency upgrades, and shade and layout choices that ease the heat load. The goal is comfort that doesn't cost you the character.
A bonus most owners miss: historic tax incentives
Arizona offers a State Historic Property Tax reclassification that can meaningfully reduce property taxes for qualifying homes in designated historic districts. If your home is listed or eligible, it's well worth exploring with the State Historic Preservation Office, a real financial benefit of owning a piece of history.
Getting to design this Eichler home for a young family in Oakland, CA was a dream come true for MCI back in 2018.
How MCI approaches historic homes
This is one of our true specialties. We've designed homes throughout Coronado, Encanto-Palmcroft, and F.Q. Story, including the Soulful Sanctuary home featured on this year's Encanto Home Tour, and we've brought historic buildings back to life through adaptive reuse, including DeSoto Central Market, Equality Health, and Reshoevn8r (both of our own offices have lived in historic downtown buildings too). We know what to protect, what to update, and how to plan for the surprises, so your home keeps its soul and gains the comfort and function it's been missing.
Own a historic home in Coronado, Encanto-Palmcroft, Willo, F.Q. Story, or beyond? See our historic home design work, or book a call to plan a renovation that keeps the character and loses the headaches.