I've been longing for an arts and crafts home of my own, and I'm in the process of having a structural done on a great old house near Albany NY. It's a one and a half story stucco structure with a large front porch, porte-cochere, and sleeping porch on the side of the house. <br> <br>All the woodwork is original without any paint to strip, as are the wood floors. BUT it seems that the house had been divided into two rental units, and it's now so boxy and closed off I can't even envision the original floor plan. <br> <br>I'm asking for advice about whom to call to help me envision which walls can come down and how the original floor plan might have looked? As well as give me a (admittedly rough) estimate of how much it would cost to restore that floor plan. <br> <br>Does anyone have any recommendations for any experts in my area? Do I call a builder, an architect, or a preservationist? What should I do first? I've always lived in suburban subdivisions and so I don't know anything about assessing the possibilities and costs of something like this. <br> <br>Any advice and specific recommendations would be greatly welcomed. <br> <br>Susie <br>sdw1255@aol.com <br> <br>

Start with a call to the Historic Albany Foundation. In addition to having suggestions on how to figure out what your house once looked like, I am sure that they can steer you to sensitive repair people. In addition, the foundation has a warehouse of "spare parts" for older homes. <br> <br>Good luck. Enjoy your adventure. <br> <br> <br>Historic Albany Foundation <br> <br>