1. Leave moldings and doors

“The No. 1 mistake is that the owners take out all of the moldings and doors and they put in new,” says Candis Meredith, co-author of “Old Home Love,” with her husband Andy. “It’s the biggest tragedy because you’re taking out that character and just replacing it with the cookie cutter materials.”

2. If you have to replace, mimic

If you do have to replace or remove moldings or doors, Candis suggests you do what you can to make it look like what was there. “Modernize everything else, and you’ll find that the doors and the windows and the trim and the moldings start to look new and fresh when everything else feels new and fresh,” she says.

3. Be wary of trends

“Open concept is in style, but if you’ve got a beautiful historic home with multiple parlors, one of the worst things you could do for the character and the history of the home is to just blow it out and make it open concept with some beams,” Andy says. “Consider keeping those original rooms, because a lot of thought went into the way they used to lay out houses. A lot more than we put into the homes today.”

4. Think about the builders

“Think about it in its original state, and try to think about why they built it that way,” Candis says. “Then try to be as true to that as you can while still making it a home that you’re comfortable in and that you love.”

5. Brighten it up

“Paint the walls white and get lights on,” Candis says. “Lighting is the No. 1 thing that can make an old house feel new again.”