Design, Debated: Is It Ever Okay to Remove Original Details From a Home?
Painting over hardwood floors may seem like a crime, but there's a line between preference and punishable offence
In the age of social media and interior influencers, we've grown accustomed to watching people renovate their homes in real time. This corner of the internet provides a wonderfully endless well of inspiration, but it also opens the door for critique. Let's be honest, we've all sighed with relief as we watch paint stripped off to reveal beautiful timber, or watched in horror while someone renders over original bathroom tiles.
There is certainly a reenergized passion for unique transitional interiors that showcase the character of both the home and the contemporary style of the people who live in it. So, is covering up or removing an interior's original, historical details a total design faux pas? Or is it simply a case of "their house, their choice"?
"I studied architecture and spent time working with a heritage architect in Melbourne, and that experience shaped the way I look at older homes," explains Susannah Cameron, an antiques expert, now based in Provence, France, where most homes are historic. "I've come to believe that owning a historic house is a form of stewardship. Renovation is what keeps these places lived in, but the best work honors the spirit of the building."
Are you considering changing (or removing) some of the original details in your upcoming renovation in order to embrace the latest interior design trends instead? Below, experts debate when to replace the original elements of a home, and when full removal is considered design blasphemy.
So, Should You Ever Remove the Original Details of a Home?
Most people choose period homes — whether it's Edwardian, Victorian, or Georgian — because they're drawn to that original style. So modernizing should work with those features, not erase them. Susannah Cameron says, "I think it's only reasonable to remove something when it's unsafe, beyond saving, or truly prevents the home from functioning well. If you want a modern house, don’t buy a historic one!"
A general rule of thumb is that the most important details to protect are the ones that make the house unmistakably itself. For instance, Susannah explains that in Provençal village houses, this includes river-stone walls, exposed beams, terracotta tiles, worn stone staircases, and painted wooden shutters that have weathered decades of Mistral winds. "Those elements aren't decorative — they're integral to the building's soul," she says.
In Art Nouveau homes, you may find decorative crown molding that showcases the building's history, or beautiful colored tile in the powder rooms of mid-century modern homes (and yes, it's back in style). In more formal homes, Susannah says, "it's the moldings, boiserie, draperies, and traditional proportions that give the architecture its identity."
These details anchor the building to its character and history. Removing them takes away the very language of the house.
Susannah Cameron is the co-founder of Chez Pluie, a trusted destination for French antiques, based permanently in Provence. With a particular obsession for antique pottery and a deep knowledge of European decorative arts, she sources soulful, timeworn pieces from brocantes and flea markets across France. Susannah holds a Bachelor of Architecture, Bachelor of Design, and Bachelor of Property and Construction from the University of Melbourne. Her eye for form, patina, and provenance is grounded in design training and years of hands-on experience in the field.
When It's Okay to Remove or Alter Original Architectural Details
The clearest sign of a well-done renovation is the balance in design between the structure's authenticity and a design that allows its owners to live comfortably today. For example, when people remove walls, a good way to keep the new open-concept cozy is to carefully match elements like beams throughout the room, so the ceiling reads as one.
"Furnishings can also help the original architecture feel grounded without overwhelming it," says Susannah. Rather than forcing ultra-modern colorways and glossy Space Age materials into a farmhouse-style home, think of how you can modernize the space without gutting it completely.
"Farmhouses come alive with long farm tables, radassiers (wooden benches with rush seats), confit pots, rattan, and landscapes," says Susannah. "And in grander homes, original moldings sing when paired with bold fabrics, carved marriage armoires, marble-topped consoles, and crystal chandeliers."
Preserve what genuinely defines the home. "But, these homes aren't museums — they evolve," says Susannah.
Home renovation expert, John Salvatore Gelfusa of HomeWorks CGO Inc., says, "We call it 'Respectful Reimagination'. We respect intentional, crafted design, and we reimagine the rest. A Frank Lloyd Wright home deserves unwavering respect, but a production house designed with all the passion of an accounting team is an invitation to reimagination."
In determining which original elements to retain, he suggests looking at each room individually. If a room can exist as its own distinct design environment, such as a panel-drenched office, it's best to preserve the original details and highlight the history.
There are certainly moments when removal is the right — or only — choice. For instance, when something poses a structural or health risk, when damage is too extensive to repair, when the layout makes daily living impractical, etc.
What matters is that the transformation feels coherent with the building’s origins. Imagination is essential. Susannah says, "The best renovations I see here feel both grounded in history and full of life."
