When new housing developments are built, all of the houses all look similar in order to save time and building costs and to give the development continuity. While this may have saved you some money when you purchased your home, after the 4th time driving around the block because you can’t figure out which house is yours, it hits you. I should make my house look different.
Sure, you could go ahead and paint your house chartreuse and make it really stand out, much to the complaints of your neighbors, or you could do something a little more subtle. A little more classic.
A historical home has a timeless warmth and charm that everyone loves. The decades or centuries of lives that lived and loved within its walls show in every little scratch on the floor, every nick in the woodwork. Every layer of paint tells a story. If you want your house to feel old and warm, even if it’s brand new, there are some things you can do to add historical charm inside and out.
The Interior
Hang Real Paintings
The prints or mass-produced might look fine but nothing beats the real thing. Be sure to have them framed in antique or antique-looking wood frames.
Use Natural Woods and Metals
Get rid of that modern-style furniture or anything with plastics. Choose a few classic antiques instead.
Try Chalk Paint
You don’t need to spend a lot of money on antique furniture to look like you did. Try yard sales, thrift shops, or consignment stores for pieces you like and try your hand at painting and distressing them. Chalk paint or milk paint work well for creating that old “chippy” look and many different techniques can be found online to make furniture look much older than it is.
Use natural fibers.
For your linens, sheets, table cloths, and window treatments, use natural fibers like cotton or linen. Subtle, muted colors will look older than bright ones, and a few embroidery or lace details here and there will add interest and charm.
Install Crown Molding
Crown molding makes any room old-fashioned and elegant.
Put up wainscoting
Beadboard or wainscoting looks great in bathrooms, dining rooms, and living rooms and pairs beautifully with your crown molding.
Install built-ins
Built-in bookshelves and cubbies not only make a house look older, but they also give you plenty of areas to display old books, antiques, or photos in decorative picture frames.
The Exterior
Replace lighting fixtures
Instead of your current modern styles, opt for ones that look more like lanterns. You could even by flickering bulbs to make them look more authentic.
Add decorative trim
Old Victorian homes have a lot of interesting trim work along their porches, railings, and eaves. Don’t go overboard―unless you’re going for the gingerbread house look―a few details will add interest and character.
Install a brick walkway
Straight or winding, a brick walkway gives you the feel of walking on an old cobblestone street as well as gives the front of your home a splash of color.
Age your front door
Use milk paint for an old, worn look and replace the hardware with real antique knobs and hinges or buy new ones that look old.
Install copper gutters
Copper gutters add warmth to any home. The shiny-penny color is stunning and over time, transforms into a lovely green patina. Copper gutters will make your home a classic beauty that stands out from the rest.
Copper gutters are not only chosen for their sheer beauty but also for their durability. With proper installation and regular maintenance, copper gutters can be the last gutters you’ll ever have to buy.
With a few changes, your home can go from looking like every other house on the street to a turn-of-the-century charmer that stands out above the rest.
At Gutter Pros, our technicians have years of experience installing and maintaining copper gutters that are beautiful and functional. Call us today at (314) 656-7195 and we’ll help you decide if copper gutters will be a right fit for you and your “newly old” home!