How to Add Design Personality to a New Build on a Budget

Uncover how interior designer Amber Guyton added style and personality to a newly built Atlanta Craftsman without blowing her clients' budget.

By: Kamron Sanders

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Photo By: Brittany Bah Photography

Photo By: LaJoy Cox Lewis

Photo By: Brittany Bah Photography

How to Give Your New Build a Stylish Upgrade

Adding personality to a new build while sticking to a budget can be challenging, but interior design firm Blessed Little Bungalow proves it’s possible in this newly built Atlanta Craftsman. Click through to see designer tips for bringing a unique and memorable personality to the blank surface of a new build.

Designer's Finance Background Serves Her Clients' Budgets

Amber Guyton, Blessed Little Bungalow’s founder, is a former financial technology professional turned full-time interior designer who believes “loving your home shouldn’t require spending a fortune."

"Because of my career background working in financial services and my own personal journey paying off debt and building financial freedom, it's important to me for clients not to overextend their budgets or feel pressure or buyer's remorse when furnishing their home,” she says.

Newlyweds Saw the Value in Hiring an Interior Designer to Outfit Their New Build

Blessed Little Bungalow's clients for the Atlanta Craftsman were newlyweds Shani and Greg, who had just begun building their first home when they met Amber through friends. Thinking about hiring an interior designer for your own room or whole-home project? Personal recommendations can also be the best when deciding if a designer can deliver results on budget.

It Pays to Start Early and Have Your Designer Collaborate With Your Builder

"Initially, I helped the clients select their design finishes with the builder, which included everything from interior paint colors, cabinetry, lighting and plumbing fixtures, countertops, tile and built-ins," explains Amber. "Once all of these elements were decided on, I selected all of the furniture and decor in each room of the home." This turned the once-blank slate into a warm and inviting home filled with color, texture and visually intriguing details.

An Interior Designer Can Help Create a Cohesive Style

"Most of the furniture is midcentury modern or contemporary with a dash of glam," says Amber. "If I had to name [the house style], I'd call it a Contemporary and Comfy Craftsman."

Making Space for Pets in a Newly Built Craftsman House

To ensure the clients' large dogs Duke and Brocko are right at home in the spacious and comfy Craftsman, Amber opted for durable rugs that could stand up to the dogs' paws and set aside ample space in the living room for dog beds and food bowls.

An Interior Designer Can Help Clients Stick to a Budget During the Build Process

Whether renovating a home or commissioning a new build, expenses can quickly get out of hand. The homeowners "were already incurring a lot of costs with the home purchase, down payment and closing costs, window treatments and everything else that comes with purchasing a house," says Amber. "I wanted to make the design process as easy as possible for them, help them prioritize purchases and give them options at different price points that would make them feel comfortable financially."

Prioritizing Purchases Can Help Keep Costs Lower

To stick within a budget, Amber advocates prioritizing purchases by sticking with a specific formula. "I encourage clients to start where they plan to spend the most time. This is usually the living room, master bedroom, kitchen and dining spaces," she says. "Furniture such as sofas, beds and dining tables can be the most expensive, so start there and focus on investing in quality pieces that will have longevity."

Paint Can Transform an Interior on a Budget

To make a big impact on a small budget, paint is your best friend. Amber chose Sherwin-Williams Tricorn Black to give the kitchen cabinetry a modern look.

Swapping Builder-Grade Lighting Makes a Big Difference

While not as budget-friendly as paint, swapping builder-grade light fixtures for statement lighting is an effective way to dramatically change the look of a new build. If possible, plan with your builder beforehand to cut down on waste, or simply sell or donate the original fixtures. Having a designer involved in the process can mean cheaper, generic fixtures chosen by the builder will be upgraded with statement-making lighting.

A Neutral Base Will Let Color and Detail Shine

"[The clients] wanted the home to maintain the 'new house feel,' feeling modern, clean, cozy, and welcoming," explains Amber. "So we kept things bright and neutral, embraced a black and white foundation, and added pops of color, texture, pattern and brass elements throughout."

A Holistic Vision Helps This Home Feel Picture Perfect Yet Welcoming

After getting to know Shani and Greg and their wants and needs for the home, Amber drafted her vision. "I wanted it to feel as picture-perfect as a model home but inviting to anyone that walked through the door," she describes. "I think we did a great job of achieving that, and you can really feel it when you're sitting at the center of it all in the living room."

This Living Room Is the Heart of the Home's Design

After all her hard work throughout the home, Amber favors the living room. "You can see the beautiful accent wall in the dining space, showpiece kitchen, fireplace and built-ins," she says. "With the open floor plan, the living room is the heart of the house between the kitchen and dining spaces. The couple has a lot of family and friends and loves to entertain, so while designing, I imagined how it would be easy for several people to easily navigate around the furniture floating in each space."

An Open Floor Plan Calls for a Carefully Curated Color Palette

Being able to see each individual space from the living room called for intentionality when crafting each room's look. "I kept the main floor color palette consistent, but I did so without it feeling too matchy-matchy. With open floor plans, sometimes it makes the most sense to keep colors consistent or at least complementary," offers Amber. Throughout the main floor, she stuck with a black, white and gray palette dotted with brass accents and coordinated shades of green. To pull this off in your space, she recommends you first "identify a foundational palette you like, then add accent colors that can easily be changed on top of that."

Two Sofas Emphasize Symmetry in This Living Room

Amber and her clients had originally planned on going with a U-shaped sectional in the living room but eventually landed on two individual sofas facing one another, which creates symmetry and preserves the line of sight from the kitchen to the fireplace.

An Oval Coffee Table Softens This Living Room's Stiff Lines

With so many square and rectangular elements in the living room, Amber opted for an oval coffee table to add some softness. This coffee table shape is also pet- and kid-friendly, meaning it's easy to navigate around.

Signature Craftsman Built-Ins Line This Living Room's Walls

Like many Craftsmans, this Atlanta home is loaded with built-ins, which created multiple opportunities for Amber to convey the couple's personality through decorative objects.

Stacked Books Make for Easy Styling of Built-Ins

One of the easiest ways to style built-ins is with a stack of books, says Amber. Look for books that mean something to you, serve as great conversation pieces or simply go for coordinating colors.

A Statement-Making Fireplace Screen Adds a Deco Touch

A gold fireplace screen adds an Art Deco touch to this modern Craftsman's living room. Interior designers can be great resources in sourcing beautiful objects that elevate even utilitarian items in your home.

A Unique Flex Area Makes This Dining Room Perfect for Entertaining

Between the kitchen and the dining room is a small flexible area with additional cabinetry and counter space. "This was something already in the builder's design plan," says Amber. "The couple has a large family and tons of friends and they love to entertain. With the open floor plan, I love how it floats in between the spaces making the layout very conversational." It's also an ideal zone for mixing and serving drinks, serving as a bar area.

Floating Shelves Are Outfitted as a Mini Bar

"We filled the shelves with a few bottles, decorative vases, wedding gifts and mementos gifted to the couple as newlyweds," says Amber. It's another opportunity to blend utility with personality in the space.

Accent Walls Add Character to a New Construction Home

"The Boardroom Accent Walls (a fellow small business in Atlanta) installed and painted the accent walls, and it's probably my favorite part of the main floor," says Amber. "They added these walls in the dining room and upstairs flex space to give the new construction home a bit of character and focal 'art' in each of these spaces." The dining room's accent wall has a calming cool tone that sets the whole room's mood. "I'm a big fan of Sherwin-Williams and this was their 2022 Color of the Year, Evergreen Fog. When discussing potential paint colors, I introduced it to Shani and Greg and they immediately fell in love."

Contemporary Dining Chairs Complement The Dramatic Accent Wall

Because entertaining was so important for the couple, a spacious dining table with comfy chairs was a must-have. Green fabric chairs with skinny bronze legs offer a contemporary look that complements and also makes the accent wall more of a focal point.

A First-Floor Guest Bedroom Serves as an In-Law Suite

The remaining room on the first floor is a guest bedroom that also functions as an in-law suite for the couple's parents or any guests visiting for an extended period of time who may need the privacy of a connecting bathroom and easy access to the downstairs kitchen.

A Blush and Taupe Color Scheme Makes for a Calm and Cozy Guest Bedroom

Amber carried the neutral background of the first floor into the in-law suite but opted for a blush and taupe color palette for the furnishings, giving the bedroom a calm and cozy feel.

Marble and Gold Details Give This Guest Room a Luxurious Look

Flashes of gold and marble on the modern nightstand and lamp offer a hint of luxury to guests' overnight experience. Certain materials and colors — leather, marble, gold, faux fur — signal luxury but won't necessarily break the bank if they are used in strategic ways.

Heavy Pillows Add to this Guest Room's Luxurious Vibe

Amber added an additional layer of luxury to the space in a clever way that can't be seen but is most definitely felt. "All of the pillows are heavy in weight and of good quality, which makes the space feel richer," she offers. In addition, it's all utilitarian, too. "Nothing pictured is 'too nice' to touch or sit on" she says.

A Matching Arm Chair Gives This Guest Room a Cohesive Look

A blush accent chair mirrors the color of the bedding, giving the room a cohesive aesthetic and providing a spot where guests can relax in private.

Turquoise Details Pop in This Black and White Bedroom

Upstairs, the main bedroom has a black-and-white color scheme that uses turquoise pillows to "pop" against the tall, dark headboard.

Black Furnishings Complement This Bedroom's Adjoining Bathroom

"I wanted to keep the primary suite gender-neutral with black elements that complemented the fixture and tile choices in the adjoining bathroom," notes Amber.

Two Benches Balance Form and Function

Two benches at the foot of the bed serve both a pretty and practical function. The addition helps visually anchor the foot of the bed, adding depth to the room's overall look, while also creating a space to sit, stash extra pillows or stage clothing and accessories as you get ready for the day.

A Cozy Sitting Area Makes This Main Bedroom a Private Retreat

A quaint sitting area beneath the window in the main bedroom is a relaxing spot where the couple can read a book or sip their morning coffee. When looking for ways to use excess square footage in a large bedroom, Amber says, "I love to see the headboard front and center when you walk into a bedroom. It should be the focal point of the room. Start there and build the remaining furniture and design around it."

Designer Goes Bold in Home's Second Guest Bedroom

Upstairs, the second guest bedroom has decidedly bold splashes of color, with flashes of red not seen in the rest of the house. "I like how each space has its own personality but all work under the same roof," notes Amber.

Mixed Pillows Employ Multiple Textures and Patterns

Amber opted for bold patterns, shiny metallics and luxe textures for the pillows on the bed. "I love mixing and matching different patterns and textures. I think it's important to layer them in each space as we did in the living room and bedrooms," explains Amber.

This Guest Bedroom Doubles as a Home Office

The bold bedroom has a dual function, serving as an office space for Shani. A small wooden desk with a mirrored top occupies the wall opposite the bed.

This Home Office's Color Scheme Is Inspired by the Owner's Sorority

Choosing the bedroom's bold, glam color palette was inspired by its primary use as a dedicated workspace for Shani. "Shani wanted to use her sorority's color palette (red, white and gold) and add elements that reflected her [identity] as a Black woman," says Amber.

Designer Helps Client Curate a Personalized Gallery Wall

Amber helped Shani curate a personalized gallery wall above her desk. "She already had a few pieces with motivational quotes and I purchased artwork from HomeGoods by Domonique Brown and Jessica Dixon that would provide color and inspiration," explains Amber.

An Upstairs Flex Space Make an Ideal Spot for a Writing Desk

Just up the stairs is a flex space connecting the bedrooms. "We created a small office space on one wall that would allow the couple to take Zoom calls and provide writing space when needed," says Amber.

Built-In Shelving Give This Upstairs Flex Space Visual Interest

In many new home designs, the flex space at the top of the stairs is often overlooked and simply operates as a wide hallway. Architectural elements like built-ins are a great addition for spaces like this, adding both visual appeal and functional storage.

Be Intentional When Decorating to Add Personality

"I encourage clients to fill [built-ins] with items they love," says Amber. "Be intentional. Whether that's with books, picture frames or special mementos, put items on display that have a purpose. It's so easy to fill shelves with a bunch of decorative objects and knick-knacks, but I like things to tell a story and mean something."

Designer Utilizes Clients' Family Photos in Their Home Design

"I love adding family photos in a home, especially with standing frames on surfaces and gallery walls. Sometimes it makes more sense to keep the family photos in the family room, couple photos in the master bedroom, degrees in the office and baby photos in the nursery ... but there are truly no rules," Amber emphasizes. "You are at the center of the design. Do what brings you joy and, if that means filling every space with photos, go for it. It's your house and your happiness comes first."