Show off your inspired renovation

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Western Pennsylvania is known for its affordable, older housing stock. It’s one reason we top so many lists when compared to other cities our size. We’re not as wellknown for our ingenuity and hard work in making an old house fit a modern lifestyle. But we should be.

For the 12th time, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Design Center Pittsburgh are sponsoring the Renovation Inspiration Contest, which honors well-done renovations of houses and commercial buildings in Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland counties. The entry deadline is midnight Feb. 23.

Prizes include free design consults with an architect or designer affiliated with Design Center Pittsburgh and seeing your project featured in stories and photos on the cover of the PG Sunday Home & Garden and Real Estate section. But by far the best prize is tickets to nearlyevery city house tour in 2018.

Last year’s winners are looking forward to the last piece of their prize: much-coveted tickets to the Old Allegheny Victorian Christmas House Tour this weekend. For old house lovers, there’s no better reward than seeing what a kindred spirit has accomplished — for free!

Winners and runners-up are chosen in four categories:

• Small residential — renovation of the exterior or one or more rooms of a house at least 50 years old. Projects must cost $50,000 or less.

• Large residential — renovation of the exterior or one or more rooms of a house at least 50 years old. Projectscost more than $50,000.

• Younger residential — renovations of the exterior or one or more rooms of a house 25-50 years old. No limit on cost of project.

• Commercial — renovation of a residential or commercial building for commercial use. No limit on cost of project.

Entrants can make use of professionals in design or maintenance. Professionals may enter this contest on their clients’ behalf with their clients’ consent.

To enter, go to http://biz.post-gazette.com/renovationcontest/ (yes, we’re still updating it) and fill out the online entry form. Then download up to 10 photos, including a few before pictures to show the transformation, and write a short essay about how you did it. In the essay, discuss how the renovation meets three criteria:

• Appropriateness — Construction, scale and materials should fit the building and neighborhood.

• Functionality — the space should be usable, not a museum. Extra credit for using environmentally friendly materials and techniques.

• Imagination — creativity in solving typical old-building problems.

Captions for the 10 photos can be at the end of the essay. Captions do not count against the 250-word limit. Entries must be submitted no later than midnight Feb. 23. Winnerswill be notified by March 23.