Source: Sergey Nivens/Shutterstock.com
There are a considerable number of advantages to purchasing a new home, such as contemporary kitchen appliances, large lot sizes, two-car garages and maybe even a pool.
However, one thing that many new houses lack is character. In fact, many newer homes exist in neighborhoods where they are virtually indistinguishable from the houses that surround them.
That said, if you are looking for how to make your new house look old, this piece has you covered. Here you will learn everything from quick decorating tips to give your home a more vintage feel to more immutable changes like building permanent fixtures into the house to give it that more established look.
Here are seven decorating and remodeling tips on how to make your new house look old.
Purchase Antique Hardware to Add Personality to Your New Home1. Install Crown Molding
When it comes to old homes, it's the small things that make a big difference. For instance, one thing that many tend to notice about older homes is the presence of crown molding.
Therefore, installing this trim inside your home can make it feel much older and supply it with a bit of personality.
Crown molding comes in a variety of widths and can be simple or extravagant in design. Therefore, you should really know the feeling that you are going for beforehand.
Fortunately, while it does require someone a little handier and more skilled, you can learn to install crown molding on your own.
2. Switch Out Hardware
From door knobs to kitchen cabinet knobs and pulls and beyond, there is a lot of hardware in your house. Any contemporary pieces serve to give your home a more modern appearance than you want.
This means that swapping out all of your home’s hardware for antique pieces that still fit with the style of the home is a fantastic tactic for making your new home look old.
3. Change Lighting Fixtures
Any builder-grade lighting fixtures around your home do nothing to add age to the place. Therefore, changing out every lighting fixture in the house for something a bit older is a fantastic way to make a newer home look older.
Source: Dpongvit/Shutterstock.com
Fortunately, there are tons of vintage and antique lighting fixtures to choose from, thereby providing plenty of options to match your home’s feel.
4. Substitute Light Switch and Outlet Plates
Again, when thinking of how to make your new house look old, it's the little details that matter most. This means that swapping out light switches and outlet plates for those with a brass or nickel finish will help to make your home look like it's from a different era.
5. Install a Built-In Bookcase
Built-in bookcases and the like can give a home a more elegant, traditional and stately look. However, built-in bookcases are also extremely useful as they add more storage space to the home.
Additionally, you can style such an amenity to your liking. For instance, lining a built-in bookcase with beadboard will give a more rustic feel, while rich and dark woods evoke a more refined, elegant kind of vibe.
Get Some Decorative Wood to Give Your Home a Warmer, Cozier Feel6. Lay Out Worn Rugs
If you are trying to figure out how to make your new house look old, rugs are a must-have item.
However, not just any rug will do the job. Instead, you need to seek out something that has some actual wear to it and has seen some usage. Fortunately, there are a variety of places to buy vintage rugs online.
Source: Ursula Page/Shutterstock.com
That said, do be careful as many faux-distressed rugs are being sold on the internet that almost assuredly do not look nearly as good in person as they do through the screen.
7. Install Paneled Doors
Similar to trim work, paneled doors give a home a more traditional feel.
Therefore, if you want your new home to look old, ditch those builder-grade doors and install paneled doors.
Making Your New House Homey
Old homes have the personality that we love, the craftsmanship we miss and the attention-to-detail that we rarely see in today's houses.
However, just because your home is new doesn't mean you can't get that old-world feel. At Van Dyke's, we have everything you could need to give your home a vintage look and feel. Contact us at (800) 237-8833 or browse our online catalog.