A trendy, open floorplan can be tempting when you own a historic home. The space you have may feel too close or dark to be liveable. Before knocking down walls and installing track lighting in your Victorian, take a look at these five simple tips for historic home preservation and design:

Tip #1: Keep the floor plan clean and simple.

There is a certain hierarchy of public and private spaces that houses generally follow. Public spaces (like a front entry) often lead to other public spaces (like a living room or dining room), then to more private spaces (like a bathroom or bedroom).

Don’t remove walls in an attempt to “open up your floor plan” and end up with one giant room. Instead, half walls or columns can be utilized to keep the room open, yet allow a little separation and flow to your floor plan.

Tip #2: Keep the history in your home consistent.

Modernizing your home doesn’t mean you should give an ultra-modern interior to an Arts and Crafts home. You can upgrade your home, change the way the space flows, but keep touches of the original period.  A transition from an older home on the outside to a modern interior is jarring and can reduce the home’s value.