Hey there! So…some of you may recall how I felt about our house when we bought it. I often referred to it as “the big beige box.” Our home is a builder-grade house circa the 1970s, and had been freshened up by its previous owner in that it had been given a coat of beige paint in every single room. The carpeting had also been replaced with builder-grade beige. On the one hand, we were grateful that we had a blank slate with which to start; however, it had absolutely no soul. We loved the neighborhood, though, so we figured we would add character over time.
I’m happy to report that we have been steadily working towards that goal, and the outside in particular has vastly improved. New siding and shutters, a new concrete driveway, and new landscaping have really changed the way we feel about our home when we drive up to it. The inside, too, has changed. Most notably, we have removed a wall between our dining room and kitchen and are working on completely remodeling that space. One beige wall and one brass light fixture at a time, we are trying to add some class to our home.
Here are 10 things you can do (some of these are on our list) to add some class to your builder-grade home.
Home Made Modern
A Charming Nest
Picture frame molding (Crazy Wonderful)
Chair rail and wainscoting wallpaper (Home Made Modern)
Board and batten (Ana White)
The Idea Room
Centsational Girl
This Old House
Beneath My Heart
Make It & Love It
House Tweaking
Sand and Sisal via Serenity Now
So there you have it! We’ve tackled a few of these projects like framing our builder-grade mirror and painting some stock oak cabinetry. Although we have a long way to go in transforming our beige box, we’re really happy with what we’ve done so far. It takes time…and since we feel this is our “forever home,” we’re exercising our patience and enjoying the journey, one set of before and after pictures at a time.
Great collection! I can't wait to be a homeowner and have always liked the "newness" of builder grade homes, so this will be super helpful one day (hopefully)!
Found you via the Whatever Goes Wednesday link party!
Cheers,
Julia
It's Always Ruetten
Thanks for coming by, Julia! Have a great weekend…
Some great ideas, I especially like the kitchen cabinet idea to make them look custom 🙂 So easy!
Wow, such clever ideas! Definitely pinning this for later. We're house-hunting right now, and I'm sure these will be useful!
Yeah, we're definitely gonna try that one out. Thx for stopping by!
Good luck finding your home! Thanks so much for stopping by, Toni!
Val,
GREAT tips! I don't know which one to start with! LOL
Thanks for sharing
Lori
Ooh these are great tips! Pinning! I popped over from House of Hepworths–thanks for sharing!
~Abby =)
Great round-up of ideas. We bought a fixer-upper and have a couple of these projects on our to-do list. Its so much fun to personalize the home!
all great ideas and i would love the same.
Ooh I love these ideas! Simple touches that go a long way! I would love to invite you over to link up at Party In Polka Dots!! I hope to see you there! It's just gone live for the week!
Shelley
http://www.piggyinpolkadots.com/2013/06/party-in-polka-dots-27-linky-sweet.html
great collection! I love all your ideas for making a home feel personalized and customized! Popped over from Not Just a Housewife, come say "hi" over at my place!
Alyssa
myclevernest.com
When we bought our house it was painted grey inside. The only room that had color was the dining room wich was an awful peach. We've slowly changed out house bug have alot of work still. I love all that you recommend to do, we're going to have to try some. 🙂
way to put it all in one succinct post! i love all those blog makeovers and tips! i wish i could frame my doorways, but they are all arched! i do plan to board and batten everything:)
I appreciate all of the information that you have shared. Thank you for the hard work!
– home builder Concord MA
Thanks for sharing! This page was very informative and I enjoyed it. Home builder Concord MA
My friend was telling me about the guys at Max Mark Homes. I think that I could use them. I hope that we can find something we like!
This technique you shared is excellent. Install Crown Molding
Hey, great list!!! My home is a small, 50's, popcorn ceiling ranch in the Northwest. However, my husband and I already started doing some upgrades to include: new interior paint in shades of grey, blue, and soft yellow, tearing out kitchen upper cab's to install open shelving. We also plan to revamp our tiny bathroom. Small touches make the difference. Does anyone else find popcorn ceilings painted white to be kind of cozy? Not sure if I want to take them out. lol
Hi Rachel! Sounds like you've done a lot of work! I love the colors you chose. I, for one, don't find popcorn ceilings as objectionable as some people so I say, if they don't bother you, put that project on the back burner.