There’s a feeling in the design world that everything new feels soulless. While that certainly can be true, it doesn’t have to be. When I spoke to two expert renovators, Leanne Ford and Christina Salway, about the many ways to make a newly renovated space feel at home in an old house’s bones, I realized that much of the same logic could be applied to a newly built house. New builds get a bad rap, but there are plenty of ways to infuse them with that been-around-forever character. From salvaged materials to antique furniture, old soul can be manufactured—but it has to be done thoughtfully. Below, I’m sharing the one piece of advice from Leanne that stuck with me, in the hope that it can help you transform your newly built home into a storied space full of age and warmth.
Honor Your Roots
As Leanne put it, there is only one rule when it comes to adding age to a newly built home: stick to the source material. “I always encourage people to restore rather than replace whenever possible. Refinish the floors instead of ripping them out. Repair the windows. Keep the doors. Those layers of age are what make a home feel warm, grounded, and soulful,” she says.
But, in a new build, that logic can get a bit murky—stick with me, though. Your source material may be modern farmhouse or cottage-inspired. Whatever it is, go back to the original iteration of that style when seeking inspiration for furniture or finishes. In a new farmhouse, look to classic American farmhouse interiors. For cottages, look to English or French country homes. Embrace the mixing of eras. “You can bring old things into new spaces,” says Leanne.
Design with History—Not Against It
Where most people run into trouble is designing against the architecture of their home—it’s much harder to make a Cape Cod-style home look like a modern farmhouse than it is to make a Cape Cod-style home look like a lived-in cottage. Look to the cues of the house: What does the roofline look like? What style of windows does your home have? What about the exterior material—what is it made of? Each of these elements paints a fuller picture of your interior design options.
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Now, this is not to say that you can’t mix eras and styles, but you need a foundational visual language from which to work. Get creative with your soft furnishings, like drapery or upholstery; you can even use art from different eras—I love a modern painting above an antique sideboard in a living room. Once you’ve established your historical references, only then can you break the rules.
Anna Logan is the Deputy Homes & Style Editor at Country Living, where she has been covering all things home design, including sharing exclusive looks at beautifully designed country kitchens, producing home features, writing everything from timely trend reports on the latest viral aesthetic to expert-driven explainers on must-read topics, and rounding up pretty much everything you’ve ever wanted to know about paint, since 2021. Anna has spent the last seven years covering every aspect of the design industry, previously having written for Traditional Home, One Kings Lane, House Beautiful, and Frederic. She holds a degree in journalism from the University of Georgia. When she’s not working, Anna can either be found digging around her flower garden or through the dusty shelves of an antique shop. Follow her adventures, or, more importantly, those of her three-year-old Maltese and official Country Living Pet Lab tester, Teddy, on Instagram.
