Two new townhouses in Center City, Philadelphia went up at a similar pace, became occupied around the same time and wound up looking identical. Featuring no architectural trim, they presented simple bland faces to the street, adorned only by white workaday front doors and garages. One sunny spring day, Mickey Galatola could stand it no longer. Grabbing a paint brush and a can of blue-purple paint, she set to work draping her entry door and garage door in a welcoming violet hue. After all, hadn't her neighbors painted theirs' a classy forest green a few weeks ago?While they may have chosen to move into new homes for the larger closets, higher ceilings and straighter floors, the two neighbors missed the textures and patina of an older home. Painting what little exterior details you do have is a good way to add charm to the outside of your home, as is adding touches like window boxes. But inside, where you might be frustrated by a lack of character, a myriad of possibilities awaits.
"Broadly speaking, two things contribute to a new-construction house not feeling like home," says Ann Sample, interior designer and author of New Spaces, Old World Charm. "Those are: all of that extra space that you thought you'd love, and a lot of missing details." Here are some ways to get that lived-in look:
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