Thanks. I guess my question is, how do I make traditional look a little less traditional, without it looking as strange as indoor barn doors? I don't know what "more modern traditional" looks like?

This looks like a beautiful home. I think maybe the current owners style though lovely may be too fussy for you. You can still honor the age and style of the home with a cleaner look. Removing the wall paper would be one way to go. The window treatments in the DR could be replaced. Staining the floors a different color etc. as for furniture, consignment shops should become your best friend. You don’t want to live in a museum but you are buying a certain style home for a reason

I live in an antique home and it‘s always a delicate balance of updating while still respecting the age of the home. Good luck in your decision

Love the house!

I have a similar age home and I furnished with a lot of family “heirlooms” both my from my family or from auctions. Online estate sales in your area are a great resource for us older home owners. Older furniture is just scaled better for 1900 homes compared to today’s farm house styles or restoration hardware furniture scaled for McMansions.

As to sofas please look for narrow arms and maybe apartment size pieces. 15 years ago when we moved in to my house I ordered my dream white over stuffed slip covered sofa and live seat from pottery barn only to realize that with no wall space due to 3 double openings, a large fire place and two large windows with rads underneath, they were way to bulky for my house. Measure not just length but depth. Those white sofas it turns out we’re the depth of a twin mattress! My present sofa is as long in the seating area but has thinner armrests and is not nearly as deep. More comfortable for sitting on but not as good to sleep on I guess but so much better in appearance overall for my space.

I removed 2000 sq feet of wallpaper when we moved in and recently have been adding so faux stencil” paper” painted and have used more current patterned removable stick and peel paper in the past in areas for I do feel texture and papered walls suit the homes age but I do not wish to ever remove paper again.

I quite like your living room paper!

I guess I don't see the previous owner's furniture as particularly fussy or needing to be babied. I grew up curling up and putting my feet on a lot of Colonial furniture.

I agree with Anna that the wallpaper is the biggest design element anchoring the house to to capital-T Traditional. Paint is not a-historical, and would lighten up the rooms a lot and let you take the house in a different direction.

I spent some time going down the rabbit hole of "updated traditional" and "mix traditional and modern furniture.

This one takes while to get to the point because it starts with a whole lot of definitions and example (ultimately helpful, but I found myself wondering if they were ever going to get to the point; they did)

https://skicountryantiques.com/blogs/news/definitive-guide-to-combining-antiques-with-modern-furniture

A fluffier version of the above.

https://laurelberninteriors.com/2017/06/04/mixing-modern-and-traditional-furniture/

Some nice ideas/approaches

https://flourishmentary.com/traditional-living-room-decor/

The piles of stuff on the ottoman are impractical for real life, but I loved this room. The architectural details are more neoclassical than Colonial, but you get the gist.

Here are a couple mock-ups without the wallpaper. The only furniture I changed was the coffee table for an ottoman. I added rugs and changed or added artwork. Just to give you an idea of what relatively modest changes can do.

It’s fun to dream and imagine living in a new home.

But, until it is yours and you share what furniture is coming with you, all advice is moot.

Good luck, Hope you get the house.

Beautiful home. Getting rid of the wallpaper will eliminate the overly fussy feel.

Many people live in homes that are "traditional" as there are many neighborhoods all over the US which were built 100 years ago. There are even homes that were built after WW II which are not mid-century modern but traditional.

If you actually purchase the home, I would suggest getting a designer to help you plan what to do. You don't have to get a soup to nuts designer if that isn't what you want but you could hire someone to help you plot your future action - space plan etc. There is no reason not to start now by just saving rooms that you find appealing - a good designer will be able to figure out the common threads and translate to the actual home as well as your budget.

I do think most of the people I know who live in "traditional" homes have fairly eclectic tastes - a mixture of contemporary with some vintage that they find appealing. As for the "elaborate" wood furniture - if that is truly your taste, it is now widely available for not much money because it is not currently trendy and all of the baby boomers who had it are dying or downsizing. I wouldn't furnish a whole room in the stuff but judiciously mixed in it could work. When I recently remodeled, I worked with my designer and got rid of some stuff and kept the stuff that still worked and then got new stuff.