The Delicate Art of Making a 1907 House Smarter

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At the very end of 2025, my wife and I bought our first home, a 1907 Craftsman in the heart of Portland, Oregon. It’s a beautiful old house, listed on the National Historic Registry, and is largely unchanged from the day it was built. This is exactly what we dreamed of in a house. It’s loaded with history and vibes, mostly unmessed with across the decades. We’re now simultaneously updating and restoring the home with a limited budget, big ideas, our own style, and plenty of sweat equity.

The place we moved into was the level opposite of a “smart home”—and figuring out thoughtful ways to integrate modern technology into this old house without sacrificing aesthetics or ruining the vibe is the...

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