When you purchase a newer or builder-grade home in a new development, everything is fresh, brand new and generally low maintenance compared to an older home. But there’s a trade off— one thing you’ll notice about builder grade homes is that sometimes they feel a bit “unfinished” and generic. Fortunately, there are a few ways to make a newly constructed builder grade home feel more lived in.

What’s a Considered a Newer or Builder-Grade Home?

A newer home is any structure less than 50 years old. A home more than 50 years old is generally considered historic. Builder-grade homes have materials that meet the minimum standards for materials and finishes to pass inspections. These items aren’t necessarily the best quality, but it allow builders and developers to meet building codes while also maintaining speed and providing an ideal profit margin. To be clear, a custom new construction home often doesn’t fall into the builder-grade category because you have a lot more control over the materials and fixtures being specified.

Adding Trim - Crown Molding, Casing and Wainscot

A lot of builder-grade homes don’t have trim around the windows at all, it’s just drywall. In some cases, this is for a more modern look, in others it just more cost effective. Trim around doorways is often missing as well, or is too small for the size of the opening.

Adding trim to a space brings the design up a notch—it’s like adding garnish to a dessert or nice shoes to an outfit. Traditionally, trim selection is related to the hierarchy of all the spaces in a home. A more prominent space like the formal living room will likely have a more ornate, larger trim when compared to a space like a powder room. Proportion plays a big role when selecting any trim.

Door + Door Hardware Upgrades

You’ll find a lot of hollow core doors in new construction. They’re flimsy and don’t block sound transfer as well. We have a lot of projects where our clients actually want to replace their hollow-core doors with solid wood doors. You can actually feel the difference every time you open and close the door.

If you update the doors in your home you may want to consider updating the hardware as well. However, if you change the finish of of the knob I recommend swapping out the hinges to match. If you’re an older homeowner or have arthritis a lever style knob is more appropriate.

Swap out the Standard Light Fixtures

Great light fixtures create drama and interest that can draw someone’s eye through the space. If you can see the dining room table or kitchen island from the front door, make sure you have something great to look at above those surfaces.

Most builder grade homes have mostly recessed lighting (or low profile ceiling mounted fixtures) and decorative fixtures in the kitchen, dining area and maybe at the entry. However, they tend to be generic fixtures that often don’t fit homeowner’s personal style. There are so many types of lighting to choose from that can help better define a space, highlight artwork or add interest to an otherwise boring ceiling or wall.

Upgrade your Kitchen Cabinet Hardware

There’s a huge difference between generic plastic hardware and true decorative metal hardware that actually has some weight to it. Higher quality cabinet pulls and/or knobs can make the whole kitchen feel a bit more high-end. You can have fun with finishes as well—nickel, matte black and brass are some of the standard finishes available on many different styles of hardware.

Swapping out hardware is also an opportunity to convey your personal style. Cabinet hardware styles range from traditional to ultra modern. For pulls, just make sure you pay attention to the center-to-center lengths. You want to make sure new hardware coordinates with the existing holes in the cabinet doors!

Add Some Color + Pattern

Typically, builder grade home interiors are painted some variation of white, beige or gray. An entire home painted the same neutral color can get monotonous very quickly. Also, why would you want the colors in your home to look like every other home on the block? Adding color is one of the easiest and more cost effective ways to add personality to your home. If you’re a bit timid about adding color to your space, start with an accent wall and go from there.

Custom Window Treatments

In most cases, a space doesn’t feel finished without window treatments that provide functionality, but also compliment the space. In kitchens and bathrooms they are materials that can soften a space filled with rigid materials. The treatment fabric for something like drapery or a roman shade is another opportunity to bring pattern and color into the space as well as texture.

Final Thoughts

Adding character to a builder grade home is about adding elements that show your personal style. Incorporating one or all of these elements will make your home feel a bit more customized. If you’re looking for guidance, give us a call!

Adding Character to a Newer or Builder-Grade Home