Accent Your New Home

Many want to personalize their new home. Whether that home is brand new (just built) or new to you (previously owned), many want to take this home they have purchased and add personal touches. Having just made a major outlay for this home, funding is not unlimited.

There are some simple things you can do over the weekend to start putting a personal accent on your new home. For example, most cabinets in kitchens and bathrooms do not come with door and drawer pulls. Some prefer this look, but this approach has the downside of wet and dirty hands discoloring your cabinet drawers and doors over time.

You can purchase single hole (knob) or double hole (D shaped) pulls for your cabinets and drawers in a classic design, something whimsical, or something handmade and unique. Bring them home and be doubly sure you like them before drilling holes (or having somebody drill holes), as holes cannot be undrilled. Make sure all door bottoms are aligned before doing any drilling. If doing many, a jig is helpful tool to ensure the holes are in the same place on every door and drawer.

Lighting is another option to personalize your home. Whether you have the lighting fixtures from a previous generation in a new to you home, or basic builder grade lights in a brand-new home, lighting provides a wide range of possibilities for accenting your home. Fixtures that take an LED ‘Edison’ type bulb have the modern benefits of LED, which run cooler and use less energy, with the classic look of a bygone era. There are entire stores dedicated to lighting fixtures, so there are plenty of choices for creating a distinctive look.

In the bathrooms you may also find that the towel bars, toilet paper holder and medicine cabinet do not fit your taste. If this is a new home in a new neighborhood, they likely look like every other towel bar, TP holder and medicine cabinet on your street.

Painting, be that an accent color on a wall, or a full paint job, allows you to project your personal color palette upon the home. A full interior paint job is not a weekend project, but it is something many homeowners choose to do themselves. Especially younger couples. They can knock out one room at a time until the interior is painted.

None of these are structural projects, nor expensive along the lines of replacing the flooring, a new roof, or remodeling the kitchen or bathrooms. Those may be needed or desired in time, but with a few accents your new house becomes a home for you and your family.

If you like these ideas, but simply do not have the time or desire to do add accents to your home, know that Mr. Handyman is here to help. For folks moving into new homes we can hang pictures and mirrors, assemble closet organizing systems, install door and drawer pulls, and outfit your kitchen and bathroom with anything you need installed. We also can help with privacy needs, including installing mini-blinds, curtain rods and curtains, or plantation shutters.

If you want an accent color on a wall, we will happily paint it. If painting is part of your plan, we strongly suggest we tackle that before handing things, or installing things, on that wall. As time goes on we are also happy to return and handle ongoing maintenance needs, and any repairs that are needed.

Mr. Handyman loves making your new house into your new home.