Add Architectural Character and Charm to a New Construction Home

So you’re ready to start your search for a new home?  Do you like the idea of buying a move-in ready, new construction home with a modern layout and all the amenities? Yet, you really fall for the charm and architectural style of a well-appointed older home? New construction homes are built with floor plans suited to today’s lifestyles, with open layouts, master suites, walk-in closets and lots of storage space. 

But unless you’re looking at high-end, luxury homes, they do not usually come with the architectural details of older, existing homes.  Asking a builder to upgrade a new model home with these extra features can be quite pricey.  Still, in the current real estate market, home buyers have some leverage to negotiate with builders, and it wouldn’t hurt to ask that some free upgrades be included in your new home purchase.  Adding architectural style to your new home will definitely turn up its charm factor  - and increase its marketability and resale value as well.

Worst case, if your budget doesn’t allow for the architectural details you love, don’t let that dissuade you from looking at new homes that meet all your other requirements. Who says you have to finance these features into the purchase price of your new home?  You can pick and choose features that suit the style of the home, add them to your home improvements list and complete them as your budget and schedule allow.

7 Ways to Add Architectural Interest to Your New Construction Home

Here are some projects to transform your new construction home into a well-appointed architectural beauty. 

Moldings, Moldings and More Moldings!

Add classic details like:

• crown molding
• 5-inch baseboards
• chair rail in the dining room
• architectural panel moldings in the living room and/or dining room
• picture molding
• ceiling medallions
• ceiling beams
• beadboard

Add or Enhance a Fireplace

• Beef up the mantle
• Add a mantelpiece
• Upgrade the hearth and surround tile

Built-in Storage

• Bookcases
• Shelving/display
• Window seats
• Breakfast nook

Custom Lighting

• Upgrade your dining room chandelier
• Add wall sconces in your dining area or flanking the fireplace
• Add a chandelier to your master bedroom or bath
• Install over the cabinet rope lighting for accent in your kitchen, or
• Install under cabinet task lighting in your kitchen

Paint On Architecture

• Tone-on-tone stripes to emphasize a room’s height
• Horizontal color banding to add dimension
• Faux crown molding

Dress Up Doors

With a trick of the eye, you can create the look of more expensive, traditional panel doors.  All it takes to transform a non-descript hollow-core door into an architecturally-elegant, old-time paneled door is a little paint and some narrow moldings.

1. To transform the existing doors in your home, remove the doors from their hinges, place them on supports and remove all the hardware.
2. Lightly sand, tack off and prime each door.
3. Choose two paint colors - one for the base coat and another slightly darker color for the “panel.”  Using a darker color will define the door panels and help them to recede and give the illusion of depth. The combination of cream for the base coat and a warmer beige for the panels results in a sophisticated and classic look.
4. First, using a small foam roller, paint the entire door surface with the base color and allow it to dry throughly.
5. Visit a home improvement or door store, pick out your favorite style, then sketch out the number of panels and their measurements.  Use these measurements to purchase moldings to frame in your panels. The goal is to select moldings that will create the effect of a picture frame.   You’ll need molding in two sizes - a wider one for the outside border and a more narrow one for the inside border.  Be sure to buy enough to create panels on both sides of the doors.
6. Next, measure, mark and use blue tape to tape-off what will be the panels for your door.
7. With the foam roller, paint inside the taped off panels with the darker paint color (beige) and allow it to dry thoroughly.
8. Miter-cut the outer molding to create the outer border of the panels.
9. Miter-cut the second molding to fit 2 inches inside the first.
10. Paint all molding pieces with the base color, let dry, then use wood glue and brads to attach the molding to finish off the door panels.
11. Fill the nail holes with putty and touch up the paint.

Decorate Windows

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