top of page
  • Writer's pictureHelen Jean Wils

⚜️ Beautifying Your Builder Grade Home ⚜️

Updated: Dec 21, 2020

Pictured here is the kitchen in my current home, which is the second one I’ve owned.

My first home was smaller, much older, and in need of many repairs and upgrades; still, I miss it sometimes. It’s not the drafty windows or dangerously outdated electric I pine for, but the charming details and unique character that doesn’t naturally exist in a builder grade home.


Don’t get me wrong, owning a brand new home is wonderful. You get a limited warranty, a fresh-smelling abode, and all of your doorknobs and switch plates match! I was content, for a while, with my home just as it was when I moved in. However, after making friends in my neighborhood and visiting their homes, I started developing déjà vu - “Hey, that (countertop, chandelier, floor, pendant light) looks familiar!”


Slowly, but surely, my husband and I began making little, inexpensive upgrades. Nothing crazy - a ceiling fan here, wainscoting there...


Let’s talk about what we did in my kitchen and how much it cost:

1) Backsplash (labor and materials): $450 2) Pendant lampshades: $60 3) Shiplapping the island to hide all those footprints and food stains (My husband bought and installed it.): $100 4) Potted plant because greenery is : $15


So, for around $600, you can make your kitchen a little more your own.


We love color and antiques, but I’ll be showing you some of my wonderful neighbors’ homes in the coming weeks so you can get a look at farmhouse, coastal, and classic decor...


1 view0 comments

Recent Posts

See All
bottom of page