1. Paint the walls, ceiling and trim one color to hide imperfections. Often some of the first features that make you fall in love with an older home are beautiful molding, trim and door details built during a different era, when finishing touches carried a certain polish and personality. A simple coat of paint, then, is your first step to preserving and highlighting these details. I typically paint the walls, trim and ceiling one color, but with a slightly higher gloss on the trim to subtly call attention to it. With this palette in place, a bold shade like dark gray on the doors makes them architectural standouts.

Dressing the walls and ceiling in the same color is an excellent construction-free error corrector; it masks imperfections like sloped ceilings, dents, dings and awkward bulkheads while calling attention to beautiful floors, vintage staircases and quirky windows or other unique details.

2. If your trimwork is in good shape, paint it a neutral contrasting shade. If the existing trim is in great condition and you want to really show it off, a neutral or near-neutral contrasting shade (like a blue-green gray) will make it stand out, while working in every room throughout the home for a sense of consistency. Applying the same color to the ceiling helps to tie the look together as well, for a stately, architectural appeal.

Navy is another excellent option for highlighting details in a sophisticated way. It’s dramatic, like black, but less severe, with a great balance of modern cleanness and traditional elegance.

This is not to say that white walls are the only option. Pairing intricate windows with more pattern can also create a rich, stunning effect. Look for patterns that pick up on an aspect of the window or of a trim detail, like how this looping-print wallpaper echoes the circles and geometric lines of the window (and continues the blue tones).

In this redesigned Toronto house, not only did we feature the beautiful window trim with satin paint and sleek shades, but we preserved other unique details, like the unusual pass-through between the front room and the entry (to the left). Rather than filling or tearing open the large window, we filled it with a faux-iron decorative grate to keep the space functionally divided while maintaining and even adding to the visual charm.

5. Use drapery to conceal awkward windows. Older homes often have quirky windows in unusual places, but a full wall of drapery can be the perfect way to subtly clean up the look of the room without completely erasing the windows and blocking all light. Notice how the edge of the room here feels soft and polished even though the windows are a bit high and thin.