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10 Ways to Add Class to a Builder-Grade Home

June 4, 2013 by Valerie Ott 20 Comments

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.

1. Add trim to flat-paneled doors

Home Made Modern

2. Add door casings

A Charming Nest

3. Moldings, moldings, moldings…

Picture frame molding (Crazy Wonderful)


Chair rail and wainscoting wallpaper (Home Made Modern)


Board and batten (Ana White)

4. Make kitchen cabinets look custom

The Idea Room

5. Add built-in bookcases

Centsational Girl

6. Build a window seat

This Old House

7. Replace door and cabinet hardware

Beneath My Heart

8. Spray paint those brass ceiling lights

Make It & Love It

9. Paint over that oak

House Tweaking

10. Frame those frame-less mirrors

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.

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Filed Under: Budget Decorating, Home Made Style

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Comments

  1. Julia @ It's Always Ruetten says

    June 6, 2013 at 3:01 am

    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

    Reply
  2. Val @ Home Made Modern says

    June 7, 2013 at 2:56 am

    Thanks for coming by, Julia! Have a great weekend…

    Reply
  3. J Young says

    June 7, 2013 at 6:03 pm

    Some great ideas, I especially like the kitchen cabinet idea to make them look custom 🙂 So easy!

    Reply
  4. Toni Barsi says

    June 9, 2013 at 2:33 am

    Wow, such clever ideas! Definitely pinning this for later. We're house-hunting right now, and I'm sure these will be useful!

    Reply
  5. Val @ Home Made Modern says

    June 9, 2013 at 2:33 am

    Yeah, we're definitely gonna try that one out. Thx for stopping by!

    Reply
  6. Val @ Home Made Modern says

    June 9, 2013 at 2:34 am

    Good luck finding your home! Thanks so much for stopping by, Toni!

    Reply
  7. Lori J says

    June 10, 2013 at 12:19 pm

    Val,
    GREAT tips! I don't know which one to start with! LOL

    Thanks for sharing

    Lori

    Reply
  8. Abby Lawson says

    June 13, 2013 at 12:53 pm

    Ooh these are great tips! Pinning! I popped over from House of Hepworths–thanks for sharing!

    ~Abby =)

    Reply
  9. Reduce, Reuse, Renewed says

    June 17, 2013 at 1:59 am

    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!

    Reply
  10. Anonymous says

    June 17, 2013 at 12:22 pm

    all great ideas and i would love the same.

    Reply
  11. Shelley Robertson says

    June 18, 2013 at 4:06 am

    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

    Reply
  12. Alyssa@Clever Nest says

    June 19, 2013 at 2:40 am

    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

    Reply
  13. Jason&Jamie Koenig says

    June 19, 2013 at 2:40 am

    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. 🙂

    Reply
  14. Carissa Rasmussen says

    June 22, 2013 at 4:03 am

    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:)

    Reply
  15. Jannah Delfin says

    July 17, 2013 at 8:28 pm

    I appreciate all of the information that you have shared. Thank you for the hard work!
    – home builder Concord MA

    Reply
  16. lola davis says

    October 18, 2013 at 3:03 am

    Thanks for sharing! This page was very informative and I enjoyed it. Home builder Concord MA

    Reply
  17. spencer shawn says

    February 1, 2014 at 2:46 am

    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!

    Reply
  18. Sheldon Smith says

    February 27, 2014 at 2:00 pm

    This technique you shared is excellent. Install Crown Molding

    Reply
  19. Rachel Cook says

    December 15, 2015 at 2:05 am

    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

    Reply
  20. Valerie Ott says

    December 15, 2015 at 2:06 am

    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.

    Reply

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