Don't settle for New construction Ugly

I know you have heard me say this before but you don't have to settle for what I call builder boring & boring =ugly. Maybe you think the before photos are perfect if so I am probably not the blog for you! This house was a new construction builders spec house that had a great layout but sat on the market for over 2 years without a buyer. The inside had typical brown cabinets in the kitchen and the bathroom. The bathroom had cultured marble tops, so awful and  light fixtures and brushed nickel faucets. I consider brushed nickel conservative everyone has this type of finish. Or I don't want to be different. It's not for me. Anyway, I don't claim to know why builders pick the selections they do but in my 12 + house  flips of my own and many other updates and renovations  for clients. I am convinced with a little bit of thought and really not much more money you can have a really unique home. Yes you can find tile at Lowes and Home Depot it doesn't have to come from Italy. You can find cool lights online. You can pick chrome or now even soft antique gold plumbing fixtures. It is all in how you mix it up.
You don't have to use what I call the "lick and stick" mirror. The one without a frame of any kind around it. Trim is cheap to add around the mirror. Or at the very least you could buy a mirror at
www.homegoods.com or www.tjmaxx.com or even www.shadesoflight.com  or easier yet www.target.com
This picture below is the bathroom before with brown ugly cabinets, cultured marble tops and brushed nickel faucets. We painted the cabinets, pulled off the 'lick and stick' mirror, changed the faucets to chrome and added two arm library lights in polished chrome from www.circalighting.com 
Plus I found a remnant of granite in Absolute black. Now you have a house someone wants to buy and live in!
Happy Sunday
xo
SJ
Before brown boring cabinets 






New granite tops, painted cabinets
Love these mirrors I found at a local furniture store




2 comments:

Judy said...

My thanks to Joni Webb/Côte de Texas for featuring your work recently. I devoured your archives last week. You have a great eye, make such smart choices and with a sensitivity to normal world budgetary constraints. Great tips and inspiration here. I'm a fan!

Judy Brown
San Luis Obispo

momof3 said...

I also found you thru Cote de Texas and have blown thru all your posts. PLEASE keep them coming! By the way, I live in Charlotte NC now but was born and raised in Knoxville!

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