Incorporating original features into a renovation is the oldest trick in the book. In our 168th issue of OnOffice, we look at how on a practical level, it can save time, energy and often a great deal of money. There are also the more subjective benefits: giving a scheme a sense of place and history, an injection of character, a richness and depth that comes from layering the work of contemporary designers with the achievements of past craftsmen. Often, embracing the old is what makes it possible to imagine the new.