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builder-basic upgrades that make a HUUGGGEEEEEEE difference
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items Your builder was trying to finish a house, not decorate YOUR house. These are the hardware swaps, bathroom upgrades, lighting details and little changes that can make a builder-basic house feel way more intentional without immediately tearing the who...
Sections
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start with the hardware
the bathroom does not have to stay like that
lighting changes a lot
for when you want to do a little more
start with the hardware
Cabinets can be perfectly fine and still look like the builder picked everything in 12 minutes. Hardware is one of the easiest places to give them a little personality without touching the actual cabinets. I bought these brushed gold sunburst knobs t...
10 Pack Brushed Gold Flower Cabinet Knobs
This is such a tiny detail that you don't notice it until you change it, and then the plain plastic plates look VERY plain. I bought the single, double, triple and quad plates in this satin nickel collection so the hardware looks intentional through ...
Franklin Brass Classic 1-Gang Light Switch Cover Brushed Nickel
I apparently decided the builder did not get final say over my door knobs, because I bought this style more than once for multiple doors. The crystal detail does a lot more for a plain door than you'd think. This is the privacy version with a lock, f...
coolnews Brushed Nickel Crystal Door Knobs
This is the front door version of the same idea: a crystal glass knob and deadbolt set in matte black. I bought this one in 2021. The builder's brass or silver entry set is easy to ignore, but it's the hardware everybody touches first. Stock was low ...
coolnews Matte Black Deadbolt & Glass Knob Set
the bathroom does not have to stay like that
Builder towel bars and paper holders are usually plain chrome or plastic that never matches anything. This set replaces the towel bar, paper holder, towel ring and robe hook in one go, in brushed gold stainless steel. The towel bar comes in two piece...
USHOWER 4PCS Brushed Gold Bathroom Set
The shower head the builder picked is not a lifetime commitment. This 8-inch brushed nickel rain head screws onto your existing shower arm, so it is one of the easiest swaps on this list. It's a water-saving model, so some reviewers find the rainfall...
Moen 8-Inch Brushed Nickel Rainshower 6345BN
Gold bathroom sconces with clear glass tubes, sold as a set of 2. Hang them on either side of the mirror or turn them sideways above it. At about $238 this is the splurge on the list. It replaces the builder light bar, so it is hardwired. Depending o...
22.8" Brass Wall Sconces Set of 2, Dimmable
lighting changes a lot
Builder bathrooms usually get a plain bar light or a frosted shade that nobody chose on purpose. This one swaps in brushed gold with clear glass shades, which changes the whole mirror wall at once. It's hardwired, so depending on your comfort level, ...
3-Light Brushed Gold Bathroom Vanity Light
If the builder left you with one basic pendant or nothing over the island at all, textured clear glass with brass hardware gives the kitchen a real focal point. This listing is a pair. Stock was low when I checked, and the cord is long, so measure yo...
CASAMOTION Glass Pendant Light, Clear Globe
The porch light is the first thing anyone sees and the last thing the builder thought about. This one is matte black with a brass accent and seeded glass, which looks a lot more chosen than the standard coach lamp. Depending on your comfort level, th...
Globe Electric 1-Light Outdoor Wall Sconce
Teardrop brass frames with frosted white globes, sold as a set of 2 in brushed gold. The glass is small at about 6 inches, so these work best as a pair beside a bed, flanking a mirror or down a hallway. They are hardwired, so depending on your comfor...
KCO Lighting Brushed Gold Teardrop Wall Sconces Set of 2
No wiring at all. These are rechargeable and battery powered, so you mount them and skip the electrician. Gold finish, sold as a set of 2 with a remote. This is the one to look at if you rent or you just do not want to open a wall. They are 4.0 stars...
iThird Battery Operated Wall Sconces Set of 2
A 3-light gold semi flush with a hammered glass drum shade. The hand-pressed glass catches light a little differently on every fixture, which is what keeps it from looking like a builder dome light. It was about $64 when I checked. It is hardwired, s...
Modern Gold 3-Light Semi Flush Drum Light
A gold semi flush with crystal rods, about $30 when I checked. It measures about 11 inches wide and 7 inches tall, so it suits an entry, hallway or small bedroom. This is the cheapest way on the list to swap a flat dome light for something with spark...
Crystal Gold Semi Flush Ceiling Light 11In
A 2 pack of milk glass globe pendants in brushed gold. Each shade is about 7 inches tall and 6 inches wide. The rods let you hang them anywhere from about 21 to 50 inches, so you can set the height over an island or a dining nook. At about $80 for th...
MQMQA 2 Pack Modern Globe Pendant Lights
for when you want to do a little more
A builder kitchen faucet works fine and looks like every other one on the street. This Delta in champagne bronze makes the sink look chosen instead of default. It involves plumbing, so depending on your comfort level, this may be one to have installe...
Delta Finnridge Brushed Gold Kitchen Faucet
A plain frameless builder mirror is one of the things that makes a bathroom feel like nobody finished it. A slim brushed gold frame fixes that without touching the vanity. This link opens on the 40 x 30 inch size and there are lots of others, so meas...
TokeShimi Gold Bathroom Mirror 40x30 Inch
A tree branch chandelier in soft gold with K9 crystals, 32 inches wide with 10 lights. This is a statement piece for a dining room or a tall entry, so measure your ceiling height before you order. It has 4.8 stars across 110 reviews. A fixture this s...
EGM Gold Tree Branch 32" 10-Light Chandelier
Hand blown swirled glass globes on a gilded brass frame, 20 inches wide and about 14 inches tall. The clear glass keeps it light looking over a table or in an entry. It comes with a 24 inch adjustable chain, so you can set the hanging height. It is h...
Nordic Bubble Ball Glass Chandelier 20in
A 6-light chandelier with layered glass petals in a soft blush tone on a gold frame, 20 inches wide. Check the photo, because the glass reads pink and not clear. The hanging height runs about 14 to 33 inches with the chain, and it comes with 6 bulbs ...
WMK 20" Gold 6-Light Glass Petal Chandelier