A Cookie-Cutter New Build Is Now One-of-a-Kind

Name: Hannah Leonard, my husband and two kids
Location: South Jordan, Utah
Size: 1,775 square feet
Years lived in: 3.5 years, owned

My husband and I moved from Portland, Oregon, to Utah back in 2014 and settled on a beautiful, up-and-coming new community called Daybreak. I was six months pregnant with our first when we moved, so this is the home we became a family in. We decided to go with a new build so we could have control over the finishes. However we found that 99 percent of new builds we had seen looked so traditional and cookie-cutter that we knew we were going to have to do a lot of work ourselves to really put our own stamp on it.

Not only did we have lots of custom requests during the building process (including some structural), but after we moved in we changed out light fixtures, painted walls, installed backsplashes, put brick on the fireplace, pulled up floors, applied wood veneers to our kitchen island, and on and on. The finishing touches were all of our unique collections from our travels, as well as a number of original art pieces that I absolutely treasured. By the time we were done it was completely unrecognizable from any other new build in the area, and we truly feel we’ve created something one of a kind that is us in every way.

This is also the home where my home decor company Loom + Kiln was born. I started in a 100-square-foot room (or what most people would just call a closet) in the basement. As the company grew we tore down the wall into the garage and converted half of it to be a larger in-home office and studio I could work in as a stay-at-home mom!

It’s made for some tough winters parking outside for my husband, but we make it work! Not only is this the home we birthed and brought home our two children to, but it’s where Loom + Kiln began its journey and changed our life path forever. So for many reasons, this home will always be incredibly near to our hearts.

Any advice for creating a home you love? Do the research. People don’t truly understand what they love until they expose themselves to the realm of possibilities that are out there! Don’t just jump on the first trend you see on Pinterest. Look at hundreds and thousands of images to really develop your own personal taste and style! We have so many incredible resources to do this today. Also through that process you’ll discover many small companies that offer really thoughtful designs in furniture and home decor. And then when you start to put together your vision for your home, you won’t feel limited to the options that the few big name companies offer you.

Thanks, Hannah!

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