After last week’s whirlwind—electrical upgrades, hedge planting, and our well calling it quits—we spent most of Week 3 in recovery mode. Some of the chaos has resolved: the electrical work is nearly done, the 110 skip laurels are mostly in, and we’re moving forward with hooking the house up to town water.

But despite the slower pace, we did move forward on a decision we’ve been circling for years: Do we keep the built-in corner cabinet in the dining room—or do we remove it?

A Polarizing Old House Question

Ask any old home enthusiast about making major changes, and you’ll get a passionate response. Maybe even two.

There’s a wide spectrum when it comes to preservation philosophy:

On one end are the purists—those who aim to restore everything to its original period-accurate form.
On the other, the modernizers—folks who want clean lines, updated layouts, and are less concerned with historic accuracy.
Most of us live somewhere in between—trying to balance respect for what came before with what we need now.

Sean and I have always leaned toward preservation. When we bought Robins Hollow, we agreed early on that the original character—the hardwood floors, the plaster walls, the intricate millwork and original windows —was the soul of the home. Even though the house isn’t listed on a historic register, we’ve approached our renovations with care and a long view.

We also read a memorable piece early on about what really gives old houses their charm. Spoiler: it’s the woodwork—floors, windows, baseboards, trim. Not perfection, but patina. Not new, but intentional.

That’s why this decision around the corner cabinet wasn’t easy.

But What If the Millwork Isn’t Original?

Here’s the thing about old houses: not everything that looks old, is old.

The corner cabinet in our dining room was built to mimic the original moldings, but it never quite got there. The proportions were a little off, the details a bit flat. It gave more 1890s Georgian than 1897 Victorian.

We debated for years:

Is it historic enough to preserve?
Is it functional enough for how we live to justify keeping?
Is it getting in the way of the symmetry and feeling we want for the space?

The answers, it turns out, were no, no, and yes.

The Italy Realization

View from our balcony steps at Follonico, a Tuscan country house.

If you’ve been following along, you’ll remember we took a trip to Italy last year that deeply impacted our design philosophy. Walking through homes and public spaces that had evolved over centuries, we saw how beautiful old buildings were adapted to meet modern needs—without losing their essence.

It was a reminder that preservation doesn’t mean freezing time. It means making thoughtful choices that respect the bones, but also allow a house to support the people who live in it now.

That’s what gave us the confidence to let go of the cabinet.

Cabinet Removal: A Decision Made

This week, we officially removed the built-in corner cabinet. And once it was out, we knew we’d made the right call.

Behind the facade, we found scrap wood and filler pieces—clever reuse of on-hand materials, but definitely not the craftsmanship we associate with the rest of the house. The back was framed in leftover boards, and the whole unit was tacked into place more like a patch than a permanent feature.

With it gone, the room immediately felt more open. The architecture made more sense. The windows breathed. We gained something that’s hard to retrofit into an old house: balance.

Restoration, Not Renovation

We often come back to an article from the Brownstone Boys where they caution renovators to treat old homes as restorations, not just renovations. (Highly recommend reading the full piece here.)

That’s been our guiding principle at Robins Hollow. But part of restoring a home is also removing the things that don’t belong—even if they’ve been around for a while.

That’s the story of this corner cabinet. It tried to blend in, but in the end, it never quite fit. Now that it’s gone, we can begin to reimagine this room with clarity.

What's Next

We’re heading into paint prep and plaster repair next week—and yes, the walls took a bit of a beating during demo (as they always do). But it was the ceiling that bore the brunt of the electrical work.

With mixed emotions, we discovered that a former owner had covered over the original plaster with drywall. On one hand, it’s disappointing—plaster brings a certain depth and softness that drywall just doesn’t replicate. But on the other, patching drywall is something Sean’s done before, and it will likely be easier (and faster) to repair.

We’re also inching closer to finalizing our moody paint color and waiting with real anticipation to finally pull up the carpet. We’re so curious to see the hardwood underneath—and even more excited to get one step closer to having all the wall-to-wall carpet out of the house.

And, in true Robins Hollow fashion (and the spirit of last week’s scope creep), we’re considering going ahead and removing the remaining carpet in the foyer and up the front stairs at the same time. Because when you’re already knee-deep in renovation dust… what’s a little more?

Let’s Talk: What Would You Have Done?

Have you ever wrestled with a decision like this—whether to keep or remove something in an old house that might be original, or might not? We’d love to hear how you approached it.

Drop a comment below or join the conversation on Instagram @robinshollow—we’re always up for a respectful old house debate.

And don’t forget to check out our stories and reels for behind-the-scenes from the demo.

See you next week!

—Lisa

One Room Challenge Week 3: Corner Cabinet Controversy & Making Space for Symmetry