On Old-House Row, the Original Details Are the Upgrade

Ask designers what actually moves a buyer through a historic house, and the answer increasingly has nothing to do with the kitchen. Operable shutters, original moldings, an antique mantel still in place — these are the features professionals now rank above a full remodel. The reasoning is simple: a new kitchen can be installed almost anywhere, but the details original to a house cannot be recreated once they're gone. For buyers drawn to America's older neighborhoods, that permanence is turning out to be the real luxury.

With reporting from Veranda.