Berwick South Project Reveal: Customizing a Builder-Grade Home with Thoughtful Interior Design

When our clients moved into their newly built home in South Tulsa, it was a clean slate—bright, spacious, and full of potential. But like many new builds, it came with standard builder-grade finishes and a white-on-white palette that felt flat and impersonal. They turned to our interior design team to add the warmth, texture, and personality that would make the space feel like home.

Our team at Kirkendall Design developed a design plan to customize their builder-grade home with thoughtful updates like a fireplace update, custom furniture, wallpaper, paint, hardware, and lighting. Join us as we walk through these simple yet impactful updates that make their newly built home feel more personalized and luxurious.

 

Living Room

The living room was our starting point. The original fireplace had a short run of gray tile that ended at the mantel, with sheetrock above—leaving the whole wall feeling unfinished. We extended the fireplace all the way to the ceiling using a dry-stacked ledgestone. The natural tones of the stone paired beautifully with the existing ash wood mantel, warming up the space and introducing a soft, European influence.

We carried that style through the furnishings: tailored sofas with a slipcover look, tapered arms, and durable high-performance fabric. Black accents throughout the room were a nod to the kitchen finishes, helping the open spaces feel cohesive. The coffee table, with its chevron detail and brass feet, subtly match the finishes on the dining chairs nearby.

Dining Area

In this open-concept space, the dining room sits in between the kitchen and living room, making the dining room light fixture a focal point. We replaced the builder-grade light fixture with a modern farmhouse-style chandelier with metal and glass elements. We intentionally chose a cerused ivory dining table to add a soft contrast to the white walls.

Kitchen 

The kitchen layout was well-designed and functional, but visually, the space felt flat. To add depth and pull the blue tones from the living room, we added a navy grasscloth wallpaper inside the glass-front cabinets. We also painted the walls behind the white floating shelves a muted taupe to add contrast and make the shelving be more visible.

Powder Bath

Tucked under the stairs, the powder bath felt a little too utilitarian—so we gave it a moody, elevated refresh. The existing black-and-white diamond tile was pretty, but the rest of the space was white. We kept the tile and wrapped the walls in a blue crosshatch-style wallpaper to bring in depth and texture.

We swapped the builder-grade vessel sink for a more traditional option, updated the hardware to satin brass, and finished it off with fluted glass sconces in a black-and-gold finish.

 

Primary Bedroom

We personalized the primary bedroom with a bold accent wall using a picture frame molding, painted in a spa-inspired blue-green.

For their furniture, we chose a neutral upholstered bed with tailored tufting and added swivel chairs in a crosshatch fabric styled in front of the windows. We customized the feminine silhouette of the chairs with a more masculine textile to create a traditional, elevated feel.

Lastly, we layered a thin-pile rug over the carpet to define the space and add visual softness—proof that yes, layering rugs over carpet can work, as long as you keep the pile low to avoid tripping hazards.

Primary Bath

The existing primary bathroom was bright and functional—but lacked unique  features. We added a grasscloth wallpaper in a soft jade to the wall behind the tub.

We replaced the builder-grade plate mirrors with a large black framed mirror and added sconces on either side. Above the vanity, we added an oval lighted mirror for a dedicated makeup station.

 

If your new home feels more like a blank slate than a reflection of your style, we can help. At Kirkendall Design, we specialize in full-service interior design that transforms builder-grade spaces into layered, custom interiors that feel personal and luxurious. Submit a design request to get started—we’d love to help make your house feel like home.