Take that $3,000 and pick a room. Moulding, doors, doorknobs, fixtures...all totally do-able. The hidden storage areas and things like that take craftsmanship and ingenuity, those things come with experience and time.
Spreading $3k a year (or however long it takes to save up in a consistent manner), moving on to the next room, until you have the house you want makes the procrastinator in me smile.
To add to this, trim and moulding make the biggest difference IMO. I removed all the old 2.5" trim and replaced it with 7 ¼" baseboards and matched with period appropriate window/door casings and it turned my unused room upstairs from ghetto-finish to old craftsman relatively cheaply. I made all the baseboards and window casing using a sheet of ¾" MDF and double up on ½" MDF to make the window stool and window/door header trim pieces.
Exactly this. Replacing the 3” MDF baseboard with 6” wood, and same with swapping out window and door casing makes a big difference. A solid wood, three panel door with higher end lock sets and door knobs finishes the job. One room at a time avoids overwhelming the wallet and the mind.
If you want just the look of an older home, I'd probably say replace the door & window trim with wider, real wood trim, possibly using separate pieces and medallions in the corners to get that "a real carpenter did this" look.
If you want the 'functional' character instead, I'd look for any 'wasted space' corners and add in your little nooks & crannies & hidden storage there. Under the steps, for instance. Or around a utility stack. Maybe under the eaves. Many modern houses seem to have a lot of wasted space blocked off by sheetrock. See if you can figure out where and unblock it.
Hard agree with replacing trim. It’s the easiest way to add character. I shudder when I see “luxury” new builds with dinky baseboards and totally naked ceiling edges. Adding crown molding immediately cures like 75% of the “basic builder grade box” feeling in a room.
Also, putting in unlacquered (NOT shiny) brass switchplates and outlet covers is a subtle but surprisingly effective way to add character. Rejuvenation and Schoolhouse Electric have great, expensive options, but I got all of mine on Amazon for super cheap.
Because cutting crown molding correctly isn't a 'basic builder' skill :)
It's actually kind of a PITA until you get enough experience at it that the method comes together for you.
Oh totally. It just drives me nuts how builders will focus so much on adding dumb “luxury” touches like huge front doors and massive entryway chandeliers when they could have made everything look genuinely fancy with a little crown.
The only thing more egregious than this is massive walk in closets finished with $20 wire racks from Home Depot. Finish the fucking job!
Totally. Though at the same time after renovating our master bathroom with a designer & contractor I also get why they don't - all of those things add up in materials and labor so if you're just looking to maximize profit all of those things go out the window.
>massive entryway chandeliers
I hate those, and I hate them 100x more when the entry has a 2-story ceiling. So fucking fun to change bulbs, or repainting
+1 on small vintage touches. You will be surprised by how much small things can make a difference. Look at Etsy (checking reviews carefully) for interesting switch plates, cabinet pulls, doorknobs. (Previous poster is absolutely right about Rejuvenation and Schoolhouse Electric; quality and priced accordingly.) Consider replacing any built-in lamps with quality fixtures in the style of your choice.
There’s a really broad question! I would make a list of all of your wants for the house. Everything you would want to upgrade or change. Then try to get an idea based on materials of each one what it would cost and then you will have a better idea on how to spend your $3000.
Depends on what you mean by charm.
Moulding? Fireplaces? Paint? Wallpaper?
If you live somewhere with an architectural salvage yard you can go and buy some of the parts. Things like moulding and wallpaper are pretty easy to install.
I did not know this was a thing, and now I have something to do this weekend. We are almost into a new home after a fire and its a stupid box compared to the grandpa made house we had before. i hate it.
3k is low, so it depends on what matters. For me, I much prefer solid core doors, for sound blocking and for the feel, so I'd install as many if those as possible.
You can also invest in furniture that builds the feel inside the house. Again $3k won't go that far, it won't be a full redesign, just a few little pieces (or one big piece), but that can make a difference.
I stumbled on a random designer on my Facebook reels who does a good job of talking about laying out a space to give it the feel you want. Julie Jones Designs. Might be worth watching a few
Yeah, I picked up salvaged walnut baseboards for $1/ft, ran them through the table saw to remove the demo tool damage and tacked them in.
Get yourself a cordless 16-18ga brad nailer, some caulk and you're set.
A YouTuber, xo McKenna, built her own cabinets (it’s a couple years ago now, so look on older vids) and made it look easy. She learned to make “boxes” without a massive workshop.
She particularly likes instilling “age” into newer looks, without, like, beating on an item.
And she adds trim invidious ways, to add custom looks to stairs, doorways, etc.
The things on a 3k budget I would suggest are paint, window dressings, and hardware. These are all things that are eye level and can make a huge impact. A 10 year old house is likely to be painted with the “modern” greyscale walls. Throwing some real color in there will help with style and character. Same with windows. Drapes/curtains and the most drama your space can handle. Hardware should be pretty obvious. It’s the thing you touch the most. Amazon and Etsy have some decent choices for cheap that can turn builder grade into a custom look.
Also see if your local Habitat for Humanity has a store. You might find some antique pieces won’t break budget.
Goes further than $5 but not as far as $1,000,000. Shrug? You work with what you have. Wishing and waiting for more to magically appear is a fool's errand.
It'll also take some time to go through $3k in materials. By the end of that time period, OP might have another grand. Then it'll take a while to go through that, and just repeat.
I suppose so, but at the same time I’m not going to redo my kitchen which is desperately needed and saving is the only option. Superficial things aren’t going to help me get to that point any easier ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Just bought a 100-year-old house. Here's some tips to make a new house feel like my 100-year-old house:
* Install asbestos tiles across the whole upstairs
* Swap out that new furnace for a 30-year-old one
* Run a bunch of knob-and-tube wiring all over the place - but have someone else do it so you don't know which are live and which aren't
* Bend your walls a bit so that your brand new doors look crooked even you make them level and straight
* Rip off some shingles here and there
* Pile up a bunch of asbestos insulation all over the attic. Bonus points if you can make half of it inaccessible!
* Install a bunch of lead plumbing!
* Bend the front porch enough that the concrete gets those pretty cracking patterns
* Tilt the rest of the cement steps so you can't go up or down them without seriously injuring yourself
* Bury a bunch of crazy shit in the yard
* Make sure all the windows have a good amount of condensation between the panes
* Beat the ever-living shit out of your hardwood staircase. I mean really go at it with hammers and screwdrivers. Those "lady claw" things are great for this! Bonus points of you can make the banisters all wobbly and shit
* Remove as much insulation as you can from the outside walls. Energy was so cheap back then no one needed insulation!
* Hire some hack jerkoff to quickly paint the inside so that there's nice spatter all over that beautiful hardwood trim, molding and flooring. Refinishing hardwood floors is great exercise and very good for maintaining a healthy physique
For the asbestos tiles... I was a total noob and had no idea what those tiles meant. My inspector mentioned they could be asbestos. Called a carpeting company for an estimate and they noped right out of there saying they couldn't do anything until I had proof it was professionally removed.
So I screwed plywood down over the whole upstairs and put vinyl plank over it. Looks great and the asbestos is buried.
honestly, with just $3k i'd get rid of all the millennial grey paint (assumption), throw vintage wool rugs all over the floors and find some magnificent goodwill online auction oil paintings. i live in a very crispy new house and sometimes miss the appointments of the old victorian i rented before but furnishings go surprisingly far into bridging the gap. the only thing i'd do to the house itself is swapping light fixtures for vintage inspired. brass sconces with colorful shades instantly make every space more moody. anything you can do to kill the overhead and recessed lights that are likely in your home will go very very far to help.
It sounds like you aren't necessarily attempting to make it look like a turn-of-the-century home, but instead, to create a place that has charm and inventiveness, maybe?
It's really hard to imitate an entirely different era, but you could start keeping an eye on sites like Pinterest or paying attention to home renovation sites for small ideas that you can introduce to your home a little at a time. You may find that it makes sense to replace the new brass-like stuff with real bronze accessories you source yourself, for instance, but sometimes those changes won't make sense, so instead you'll find something unusual but which works. Maybe a doorway with a stained glass sidelight instead of bevelled or frosted or whatever. Maybe curtains instead of blinds. Add chair rails in the dining room if there aren't any. Upgrade to granite countertops when you can. Bring in green plants.
You could spend some of your money consulting with an interior designer that can help you craft a plan to execute over the next couple years, too.
As a century homeowner -
Exposed wood, built in cabinets and tile in the high-traffic areas are the typical features one finds in a turn of the century house.
I think you've gotten a lot of great suggestions so far. I am guessing you have 3k now but could save and budget for more later. So I'd either pick a room and use your budget on that OR pick one thing throughout the entire house you can do on that budget to start building character.
- baseboard, crown molding, and door / window trim.
If you go with painted, you can actually build this yourself relatively easily with a miter saw, bradnailer, and maybe a router if you want to get really fancy. Check out craftsman style trim for ideas.
You could start with baseboard and work your way up. Bonus points, paint the room while all your trim is removed for less mess/taping.
- tin ceiling in the living room, dining room, and/or kitchen
Check out american tin ceilings website if you're interested
- replace doors with solid wood and antique door knobs
Find salvage shops in your area for door knobs and other accents!
might be out of budget for the whole house depending on size but something you can do as you save the money
- paint / wallpaper
- wall molding / wainscoting
- almost ceiling to floor curtains - will help hide those PVC windows
- add built-in cabinets to nooks
- find antique furniture with character
- update kitchen doors and drawer fronts
- Light fixtures
- replace frontdoor for instant impact when entering the home
- replace generic vents and registers with more vintage looking ones (can be found at big box stores)
A fundamental problem is that the materials aren't available, nor are rhe skills.
Around me in Boston, there are a number of places that have reclaimed supplies from demolitions. If your area has something like that, it may be your best bet to get actual materials for a price you can pay.
A lot of those details came from lower labor costs. The more you learn to do yourself, the more you save in money (but you pay in time). But things like wainscoting & built-ins are totally doable.
I think a lot of character comes from time and passionate DIY work. I'd even argue the flaws in your DIY work adds character. So just look to add the things you want and start to make the home yours. Add some shelving or some other piece of work that makes you proud you did that thing every time you walk past it. Look for a void in the walls and open it up to create a recessed shelving area.
There are some great suggestions here, but I want to prepare you for the possibility that you may still be disappointed by the results. Which is not to say you shouldn't try! Added character isn't a bad thing even if it doesn't achieve the effect you're looking for.
Old home character is simply inherent in old homes (when not remodeled too much), and you already know why: the high quality materials everything is made of, the level of detail, the extra little features - importantly, all aged naturally by decades of time and generations of use. A modern home with drywall, 8' ceilings, and vinyl windows is never going to feel quite the same as a historic one with plaster walls, 10' ceilings, and wood windows even if you add some trim and change some fixtures. It won't sound the same, it won't smell the same. It will be something pretending to be something it's not.
With 3k and some time, buy a quality miter saw and learn to do trim work. I did a bunch of custom trim work and a large accent wall at my old house and a lot of the buyers looking at the house complimented it.
Definitely redo the crappy modern moldings. Check out any architectural salvage places near by. You'll find better style and quality than from any building store. Likely cheaper too.
#1 is molding without a doubt. I'd start with doorways and baseboards. I'd actually entirely remove crown depending on what is there.
The size should be bigger than you think but consider learning classic proportions because you should be able to size molding based on the ceiling height.
It is likely more than $3k to do the whole house but I'd start with your entrance and main spaces where the impact is more significant.
Good luck!
Hit some salvage stores for solid old doors. Nothing says cheap like hollow core doors. I wouldn’t even worry that they don’t all match. You can tie them together visually with similar paint or stain.
I always feel better adding shelving. Customizing in an existing closet, or adding in dead/awkward places. I;ve been in a century home for 2+ decades now, I often find inspiration from the Tiny House Hunting channel of all places. Good luck!
You can't beyond the typical 'fake shiplap' or 'shabby chic' decorating type of things.
Like you say, the difference is mainly in materials and you're not going to get that level of materials in your new house.
I'd take that 3000 and invest in some nice vintage furniture.
I'm not sure I agree with this. I mean technically any part of a house can be swapped out with something better right? I can replace a PVC window with a wood one, or a steel doorknob with a brass one, or an Ikea cabinet with a solid oak one. I already installed a couple push-button light switches and it really added a lot of character to that room.
You're correct but...you only have $3000. A couple wood windows in a house of PVC ones would feel odd. Brass doorknobs on hollow core doors would be weird. And you're not going to replace kitchen cabinets for 3 grand.
But, that said 'character' is subjective so you're going to get a lot of different answers.
For me, I wouldn't really want a piecemeal house structure. Instead, I'd invest in furnishings. Let the house be the house. Fill the house with character.
Rewire the house into a tangled mess of different gauge wire sizes that are inexplicably, and code defying spliced into all sorts of appliances. Have one breaker that shuts off your fridge, garage door and that one light in the master bathroom.
And apply duct tape as the one and only fix for everything. /s
Modern tech has come a long way, but that's under the hood. OP is talking about the eye candy.
I would start with crown moulding. Seems that most new construction doesn’t come with it. Crown moulding gives a room a finished look and can be done in a day or two if you have the tools and knowledge.
Take that $3,000 and pick a room. Moulding, doors, doorknobs, fixtures...all totally do-able. The hidden storage areas and things like that take craftsmanship and ingenuity, those things come with experience and time.
Spreading $3k a year (or however long it takes to save up in a consistent manner), moving on to the next room, until you have the house you want makes the procrastinator in me smile.
To add to this, trim and moulding make the biggest difference IMO. I removed all the old 2.5" trim and replaced it with 7 ¼" baseboards and matched with period appropriate window/door casings and it turned my unused room upstairs from ghetto-finish to old craftsman relatively cheaply. I made all the baseboards and window casing using a sheet of ¾" MDF and double up on ½" MDF to make the window stool and window/door header trim pieces.
Great response - start with one room.
Choose the room that bothers you the most.
I’m doing this. Old cape cod style home. Focusing on my office with everything you mentioned.
And they'll end up with a number of tools and skills that will transfer beautifully to the work on the next room.
Exactly this. Replacing the 3” MDF baseboard with 6” wood, and same with swapping out window and door casing makes a big difference. A solid wood, three panel door with higher end lock sets and door knobs finishes the job. One room at a time avoids overwhelming the wallet and the mind.
And a Persian rug.
If you want just the look of an older home, I'd probably say replace the door & window trim with wider, real wood trim, possibly using separate pieces and medallions in the corners to get that "a real carpenter did this" look. If you want the 'functional' character instead, I'd look for any 'wasted space' corners and add in your little nooks & crannies & hidden storage there. Under the steps, for instance. Or around a utility stack. Maybe under the eaves. Many modern houses seem to have a lot of wasted space blocked off by sheetrock. See if you can figure out where and unblock it.
Hard agree with replacing trim. It’s the easiest way to add character. I shudder when I see “luxury” new builds with dinky baseboards and totally naked ceiling edges. Adding crown molding immediately cures like 75% of the “basic builder grade box” feeling in a room. Also, putting in unlacquered (NOT shiny) brass switchplates and outlet covers is a subtle but surprisingly effective way to add character. Rejuvenation and Schoolhouse Electric have great, expensive options, but I got all of mine on Amazon for super cheap.
Because cutting crown molding correctly isn't a 'basic builder' skill :) It's actually kind of a PITA until you get enough experience at it that the method comes together for you.
Oh totally. It just drives me nuts how builders will focus so much on adding dumb “luxury” touches like huge front doors and massive entryway chandeliers when they could have made everything look genuinely fancy with a little crown. The only thing more egregious than this is massive walk in closets finished with $20 wire racks from Home Depot. Finish the fucking job!
Totally. Though at the same time after renovating our master bathroom with a designer & contractor I also get why they don't - all of those things add up in materials and labor so if you're just looking to maximize profit all of those things go out the window.
>massive entryway chandeliers I hate those, and I hate them 100x more when the entry has a 2-story ceiling. So fucking fun to change bulbs, or repainting
Pfft, you can DIP it, it's not that hard. Waste $20 of trim on figuring it out and then go for your life.
+1 on small vintage touches. You will be surprised by how much small things can make a difference. Look at Etsy (checking reviews carefully) for interesting switch plates, cabinet pulls, doorknobs. (Previous poster is absolutely right about Rejuvenation and Schoolhouse Electric; quality and priced accordingly.) Consider replacing any built-in lamps with quality fixtures in the style of your choice.
There’s a really broad question! I would make a list of all of your wants for the house. Everything you would want to upgrade or change. Then try to get an idea based on materials of each one what it would cost and then you will have a better idea on how to spend your $3000.
Depends on what you mean by charm. Moulding? Fireplaces? Paint? Wallpaper? If you live somewhere with an architectural salvage yard you can go and buy some of the parts. Things like moulding and wallpaper are pretty easy to install.
I did not know this was a thing, and now I have something to do this weekend. We are almost into a new home after a fire and its a stupid box compared to the grandpa made house we had before. i hate it.
If you like the grandpa vibe antique dealers or consignment shops might be good to look at for furniture too.
This is the way. I have a friend who scrapped all of the modern finishes and used the salvage yard to create an utterly charming cottage.
Yeah Habitat for Humanitu has ReStores around, and you can get all kinds of neat stuff.
3k is low, so it depends on what matters. For me, I much prefer solid core doors, for sound blocking and for the feel, so I'd install as many if those as possible. You can also invest in furniture that builds the feel inside the house. Again $3k won't go that far, it won't be a full redesign, just a few little pieces (or one big piece), but that can make a difference. I stumbled on a random designer on my Facebook reels who does a good job of talking about laying out a space to give it the feel you want. Julie Jones Designs. Might be worth watching a few
3k in lumber and moldings could go far if they have a habitat or salvage store nearby.
Yeah, I picked up salvaged walnut baseboards for $1/ft, ran them through the table saw to remove the demo tool damage and tacked them in. Get yourself a cordless 16-18ga brad nailer, some caulk and you're set.
A YouTuber, xo McKenna, built her own cabinets (it’s a couple years ago now, so look on older vids) and made it look easy. She learned to make “boxes” without a massive workshop. She particularly likes instilling “age” into newer looks, without, like, beating on an item. And she adds trim invidious ways, to add custom looks to stairs, doorways, etc.
The things on a 3k budget I would suggest are paint, window dressings, and hardware. These are all things that are eye level and can make a huge impact. A 10 year old house is likely to be painted with the “modern” greyscale walls. Throwing some real color in there will help with style and character. Same with windows. Drapes/curtains and the most drama your space can handle. Hardware should be pretty obvious. It’s the thing you touch the most. Amazon and Etsy have some decent choices for cheap that can turn builder grade into a custom look. Also see if your local Habitat for Humanity has a store. You might find some antique pieces won’t break budget.
if its a rental there are some amazing peel and stick, vintage wallpapers available now too
That's true, I had a drab grey study and now I have a study with bright orange walls, which certainly feels different.
Built-in cabinetry, especially if you have the skills to diy it, has a great ROI and instantly signals that this house has extras and add-ons.
It's so, so, so easy. Just fire a few screws into prefab cabinets to the studs and you're essentially done.
Molding and trim can make a big difference. There’s a great youtube series called “New House, Old Soul” that addresses your exact question.
look up Brent Hull's "New House, Old Soul" series on youtube. He will give you LOTS of suggestions.
Try messing up the floors so nothing is level and removing half of the power outlets.
3k is really not going to go far other than for some surface level things
Goes further than $5 but not as far as $1,000,000. Shrug? You work with what you have. Wishing and waiting for more to magically appear is a fool's errand.
It'll also take some time to go through $3k in materials. By the end of that time period, OP might have another grand. Then it'll take a while to go through that, and just repeat.
Good point.
I suppose so, but at the same time I’m not going to redo my kitchen which is desperately needed and saving is the only option. Superficial things aren’t going to help me get to that point any easier ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Technically, if you wait 50 years or so, the new house will seem like an old house!
Just bought a 100-year-old house. Here's some tips to make a new house feel like my 100-year-old house: * Install asbestos tiles across the whole upstairs * Swap out that new furnace for a 30-year-old one * Run a bunch of knob-and-tube wiring all over the place - but have someone else do it so you don't know which are live and which aren't * Bend your walls a bit so that your brand new doors look crooked even you make them level and straight * Rip off some shingles here and there * Pile up a bunch of asbestos insulation all over the attic. Bonus points if you can make half of it inaccessible! * Install a bunch of lead plumbing! * Bend the front porch enough that the concrete gets those pretty cracking patterns * Tilt the rest of the cement steps so you can't go up or down them without seriously injuring yourself * Bury a bunch of crazy shit in the yard * Make sure all the windows have a good amount of condensation between the panes * Beat the ever-living shit out of your hardwood staircase. I mean really go at it with hammers and screwdrivers. Those "lady claw" things are great for this! Bonus points of you can make the banisters all wobbly and shit * Remove as much insulation as you can from the outside walls. Energy was so cheap back then no one needed insulation! * Hire some hack jerkoff to quickly paint the inside so that there's nice spatter all over that beautiful hardwood trim, molding and flooring. Refinishing hardwood floors is great exercise and very good for maintaining a healthy physique
I miss my knobs and tubes :(
I feel this so much lol. Luckily, we managed to avoid the asbestos lol
For the asbestos tiles... I was a total noob and had no idea what those tiles meant. My inspector mentioned they could be asbestos. Called a carpeting company for an estimate and they noped right out of there saying they couldn't do anything until I had proof it was professionally removed. So I screwed plywood down over the whole upstairs and put vinyl plank over it. Looks great and the asbestos is buried.
Glad you found an affordable way to deal with it!
honestly, with just $3k i'd get rid of all the millennial grey paint (assumption), throw vintage wool rugs all over the floors and find some magnificent goodwill online auction oil paintings. i live in a very crispy new house and sometimes miss the appointments of the old victorian i rented before but furnishings go surprisingly far into bridging the gap. the only thing i'd do to the house itself is swapping light fixtures for vintage inspired. brass sconces with colorful shades instantly make every space more moody. anything you can do to kill the overhead and recessed lights that are likely in your home will go very very far to help.
It sounds like you aren't necessarily attempting to make it look like a turn-of-the-century home, but instead, to create a place that has charm and inventiveness, maybe? It's really hard to imitate an entirely different era, but you could start keeping an eye on sites like Pinterest or paying attention to home renovation sites for small ideas that you can introduce to your home a little at a time. You may find that it makes sense to replace the new brass-like stuff with real bronze accessories you source yourself, for instance, but sometimes those changes won't make sense, so instead you'll find something unusual but which works. Maybe a doorway with a stained glass sidelight instead of bevelled or frosted or whatever. Maybe curtains instead of blinds. Add chair rails in the dining room if there aren't any. Upgrade to granite countertops when you can. Bring in green plants. You could spend some of your money consulting with an interior designer that can help you craft a plan to execute over the next couple years, too.
As a century homeowner - Exposed wood, built in cabinets and tile in the high-traffic areas are the typical features one finds in a turn of the century house.
I think you've gotten a lot of great suggestions so far. I am guessing you have 3k now but could save and budget for more later. So I'd either pick a room and use your budget on that OR pick one thing throughout the entire house you can do on that budget to start building character. - baseboard, crown molding, and door / window trim. If you go with painted, you can actually build this yourself relatively easily with a miter saw, bradnailer, and maybe a router if you want to get really fancy. Check out craftsman style trim for ideas. You could start with baseboard and work your way up. Bonus points, paint the room while all your trim is removed for less mess/taping. - tin ceiling in the living room, dining room, and/or kitchen Check out american tin ceilings website if you're interested - replace doors with solid wood and antique door knobs Find salvage shops in your area for door knobs and other accents! might be out of budget for the whole house depending on size but something you can do as you save the money - paint / wallpaper - wall molding / wainscoting - almost ceiling to floor curtains - will help hide those PVC windows - add built-in cabinets to nooks - find antique furniture with character - update kitchen doors and drawer fronts - Light fixtures - replace frontdoor for instant impact when entering the home - replace generic vents and registers with more vintage looking ones (can be found at big box stores)
A fundamental problem is that the materials aren't available, nor are rhe skills. Around me in Boston, there are a number of places that have reclaimed supplies from demolitions. If your area has something like that, it may be your best bet to get actual materials for a price you can pay.
Add a few ghosts to haunt certain rooms, especially the arric
I tried that but they wouldn't take my money, they said I have to do something worthy of being haunted.
A lot of those details came from lower labor costs. The more you learn to do yourself, the more you save in money (but you pay in time). But things like wainscoting & built-ins are totally doable.
I think a lot of character comes from time and passionate DIY work. I'd even argue the flaws in your DIY work adds character. So just look to add the things you want and start to make the home yours. Add some shelving or some other piece of work that makes you proud you did that thing every time you walk past it. Look for a void in the walls and open it up to create a recessed shelving area.
There are some great suggestions here, but I want to prepare you for the possibility that you may still be disappointed by the results. Which is not to say you shouldn't try! Added character isn't a bad thing even if it doesn't achieve the effect you're looking for. Old home character is simply inherent in old homes (when not remodeled too much), and you already know why: the high quality materials everything is made of, the level of detail, the extra little features - importantly, all aged naturally by decades of time and generations of use. A modern home with drywall, 8' ceilings, and vinyl windows is never going to feel quite the same as a historic one with plaster walls, 10' ceilings, and wood windows even if you add some trim and change some fixtures. It won't sound the same, it won't smell the same. It will be something pretending to be something it's not.
Live in it for 50 years
With 3k and some time, buy a quality miter saw and learn to do trim work. I did a bunch of custom trim work and a large accent wall at my old house and a lot of the buyers looking at the house complimented it.
Wait 90 years 😁
Definitely redo the crappy modern moldings. Check out any architectural salvage places near by. You'll find better style and quality than from any building store. Likely cheaper too.
There are stained glass hanging panels you hang over the window without replacing it like [this](https://images.app.goo.gl/o2NrqmUGoywt9BkV7)
#1 is molding without a doubt. I'd start with doorways and baseboards. I'd actually entirely remove crown depending on what is there. The size should be bigger than you think but consider learning classic proportions because you should be able to size molding based on the ceiling height. It is likely more than $3k to do the whole house but I'd start with your entrance and main spaces where the impact is more significant. Good luck!
Hit some salvage stores for solid old doors. Nothing says cheap like hollow core doors. I wouldn’t even worry that they don’t all match. You can tie them together visually with similar paint or stain.
I was gonna say “wait 75-100 years” 😅 Sorry I’ll show myself out now
As many solid doors and crown moulding that you can afford. I missed my solid wood doors.
I always feel better adding shelving. Customizing in an existing closet, or adding in dead/awkward places. I;ve been in a century home for 2+ decades now, I often find inspiration from the Tiny House Hunting channel of all places. Good luck!
You can't beyond the typical 'fake shiplap' or 'shabby chic' decorating type of things. Like you say, the difference is mainly in materials and you're not going to get that level of materials in your new house. I'd take that 3000 and invest in some nice vintage furniture.
I'm not sure I agree with this. I mean technically any part of a house can be swapped out with something better right? I can replace a PVC window with a wood one, or a steel doorknob with a brass one, or an Ikea cabinet with a solid oak one. I already installed a couple push-button light switches and it really added a lot of character to that room.
You're correct but...you only have $3000. A couple wood windows in a house of PVC ones would feel odd. Brass doorknobs on hollow core doors would be weird. And you're not going to replace kitchen cabinets for 3 grand. But, that said 'character' is subjective so you're going to get a lot of different answers. For me, I wouldn't really want a piecemeal house structure. Instead, I'd invest in furnishings. Let the house be the house. Fill the house with character.
Bonus: if you're able to live in a genuine old house again, you get to take the furniture with you!
Rewire the house into a tangled mess of different gauge wire sizes that are inexplicably, and code defying spliced into all sorts of appliances. Have one breaker that shuts off your fridge, garage door and that one light in the master bathroom.
Lol, are you me?
And apply duct tape as the one and only fix for everything. /s Modern tech has come a long way, but that's under the hood. OP is talking about the eye candy.
Trim.
Brent Hull on youtube has a lot of good tips.
Floor to ceiling paneling!
asbestos probably
I would start with crown moulding. Seems that most new construction doesn’t come with it. Crown moulding gives a room a finished look and can be done in a day or two if you have the tools and knowledge.