Looking back when first bought our 1950’s rancher beyond the age and a few charming details, our house didn’t have the character associated with most older homes. Instead, it had dated 1980’s kitchen, chipped tile counters and cracked tile floors. I wouldn’t call those details charming. When we re-built our home after a house fire, I knew I wanted to add the charm and features of an older home. Not every older home or new build has built-in character; today I’m sharing four ideas to add character to your home.

Four Ideas to Add Character to Your Home

ONE. Add Built-ins to Your Home // Adding built-ins to your home adds instant character to a room + storage solutions for small spaces. One of the projects I’m most excited about around my house this year is adding built-in bookcases in my living room, sharing more details about the project Wednesday. Bookcases can be expensive to add to a home, an affordable way to incorporate them is using pre-finished cabinets, or Ikea bookcases. Building them into the home with hacks can transform an entire room.

TWO. Add Moldings to Doorways & Walls // Don’t underestimate the power of beautiful moldings and how they layer in character to doorways. I also love pretty moldings on walls; they quickly transform a plain wall into a lovely design feature. Adding embellishments to doors and walls is an inexpensive upgrade.

image via Katrina Blair (My Dining Room)

THREE. Paint Interior Windows Black // Instead of leaving windows plain, consider adding some visual interest by painting interior widows and girds (if exposed) black. Black window panes add a nice contrast in a room.

Four: Paint Interior Doors // A simple weekend and affordable upgrade to interior doors is painting interior doors to add visual interest. One of my favorite updates in my home was painting the interior of my front door grey; it added so much life to my living room + my door was too pretty to stay basic white. FIVE.