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We’ve finished renovating our rental units, but still have barely touched our own apartment and I was hoping for some advice. We have an 1899 brownstone that is approximately half and half with original details in fair-to-bad condition (beamed ceilings, mouldings and chair rails, doors), as well as later, ugly renovations (doors, formica, bad tiling, etc). The common areas are actually in pretty good condition and we’re going to keep all the woodwork in place, repainted.

The original apartment moulding is in such poor condition that I am tempted to just do a simple, clean renovation with modern millwork. However it seems sinful to pull out this old wood, as dinged up as it is. Is it significantly more valuable to have all original, stripped, patched woodwork in place, or does it make more sense to go for a clean renovation?

It’s sort of a philosophical question that I’m sure some of you have dealt with. Any advice?