8 Weird Features in Your Old House–and How to Adapt Them to Modern Living

When you think of old houses, you probably imagine rescuing original hardwood floors, paneled walls, and wood trim from a shroud of gloppy paint. The product of skilled millworkers, these features can delight homeowners for centuries more once restored. But owners of historic abodes may feel like archeologists in their own homes when they stumble across more puzzling architectural elements. While things like dumbwaiters and milk doors all had an important function in years past, they're now less essential, and are considered part of an older building's inherent charm.

If you love storied homes, then you'll be delighted by these quirks. From a second set of stairs to a special produce cellar, we asked experts to unravel the mysteries behind some of the more intriguing things you might discover, including how they were used at the time and how you might use them today.

Prohibition Cabinet

If you're renovating your old home and you uncover a two-sided cabinet built into the wall between the kitchen and dining room, then you're looking at a prohibition cabinet. In the 1920s, homeowners would often hide illegal booze here. "There are so many good uses today for a hidden compartment," says Ellen Mirro, an architect and architectural historian at Studio TJP. "I'd use it to house a portable, fireproof safe for important papers."

Milk Door

Another puzzling recess you might see in the kitchen of an old house is a milk door. Your clue here is that it will be two-sided, with a door accessible from outside the home. "A small, often insulated door was built into the side of the house, where milkmen could deliver milk without entering the home," says Coates. "It often led directly to the kitchen."

A milk door was a staple in old homes before the advent of refrigeration and convenience stores. It was certainly better than leaving the bottle of milk on the stoop, where it might spoil, but we don't have much need for one today. Most homeowners keep the inside door as a nod to the period of the home but close off access to the outside.

Root Cellar

In some parts of the country, homeowners stored their produce in a root cellar. "Cool, underground rooms were used to store vegetables, fruits, and canned preserves to keep them from spoiling before refrigeration existed," says Coates.

Most old farmhouses had one. They had a dirt floor, and root vegetables were stored right in the ground to keep them from rotting. It helped preserve the harvest, ensuring a steady supply of food throughout the year.

Food Elevator

Known as a dumbwaiter, this was a space with a waist-high opening to a shaft in the kitchen. A rope and pulley system, or—even fancier—a push button, is a big clue. "[Dumbwaiters] were used to transport food, firewood, or other supplies between floors," says Matthew Coates, president and principal of Coates Design Architects. "Especially from the kitchen to dining rooms or servant quarters." Typically, they were only found in the homes of wealthy individuals.

If you're game, your food elevator can be restored with new mechanicals. However, many homeowners turn theirs into a built-in pantry.

Ice Box

The ice box was the place to store perishable foods like milk and cheese back in the day, but it's nothing like the expansive refrigerators we have now. "It was a small, built-in container, usually on a kitchen wall, that functioned as a precursor to the refrigerator," says Coates. "Large blocks of ice would be set in a bed of straw, keeping food cool for preservation."

Though standalone ice boxes are often made of oak and are sometimes worth restoring, the built-ins take up valuable storage space that most homeowners will find another use for.

California Cooler

If your home is located on the West Coast, then you may also see a recessed larder in your kitchen. Dubbed a California cooler, these cabinets were vented to the outside and located adjacent to a rear porch, according to Mirro. They were typically made of wood and used to store onions or potatoes.

Some may want to keep their California coolers and use them to store produce; others may find a different use for the storage space. "In a new renovation, a homeowner might want to keep it, while enclosing their porch to gain more usable interior space and storage," says Mirro. "I'd then open the former exterior, vented side and close the kitchen side to use the shelves for muddy shoes, garden utensils, and other items that may need to air out after being outdoors."

Secret Stairs

If your home has two sets of stairs, then you're walking in the footsteps of a wealthy owner who employed household staff. "Small, narrow, and often steep staircases were used by servants to move between levels of the home without being seen by the family or guests," says Coates. They've since been rendered obsolete.

A thoughtful renovation can turn a back staircase into something that's much-needed in older homes, like an extra bathroom and closet on each floor. However, many people find the stairs charming and choose to keep them.

Utility Sinks

Before the advent of en-suite bathrooms, it wasn't unusual for sinks to be plumbed right into bedrooms. Similarly, don't be surprised if your old house has a utility sink or a wash station in an entryway. "Large sinks or wash basins for boots and dirty clothes were designed for cleaning up before entering the house after working in the fields," says Coates. "They were essential to daily life on a working farm." Restoring an old utility sink can add an authentic touch to your much-needed mudroom.