We all desire the creature comforts of a well-designed, cozy home. While there is a lot of do-it-yourselfer's out there who work tirelessly in their houses and seem to be upgrading or renovating continuously this isn't possible for those who don't understand the difference between a drill and a table saw. Of course, the latter mentioned group of individuals could hire someone to update their houses for them, including messy and expensive renovations.
Anybody who has done a significant renovation can testify to the unexpected expenses and huge mess it creates. How can we upgrade our houses while bypassing major renovations? We want upgrades that all people can do, not only those handy do-it-yourselfers. Here 10 updates you can do yourself or with a helper.
Let's look at ten creative ways to upgrade your home without ripping down walls or going overbudget.
1) Open Up Space In Your House
Open floor designs are on the top of the list for home buying and homeownership. Homeowners need an open floor plan where the kitchen, family room, and dining room share one vast open area. Additionally, formal dining rooms seem to be going from style. Here is the opportunity to make space in your house, making it more appealing to you and your customers.
How do you do this? Without tearing out walls, you ask? Making your home seem airy and open can be easier than you think. It's often as easy as getting rid of more extensive, heavier furnishings or shifting furnishings around the room to determine what positioning gives the maximum open space.
If you're attached to the enormous armoire, cupboard, or another bulky furnishing that's taking up plenty of space, then think about painting it a warm off-white color-- this can allow it to "disappear" into space, tricking the eye to believe the room is more airy and open. Another trick of the eye that provides the illusion of open space is mirroring.
Mirrors, when placed opposite windows, reflect light to space and make the room look more open. In case you've got a formal dining area that you don't use, then look at turning it into a cozy den, crafting room, home office, or library with a dining room. This will make the current space you've more usable and creates an entirely new space in your house that you never had before (with no messy renovations!).
2) Add New Light Fixtures
Proper lighting can bring a room to life. A poorly lit room seems small, dark, and cramped, while a brightly lit room appears spacious, airy, and inviting. There are many methods to brighten up your house with lights. Some of the simpler ways are as simple as purchasing table lamps and floor lamps for your home. Strategically place a few tall floor lamps in dark corners and observe your room come alive. Layer this light with lamps on side tables, which makes the space feel comfy and cozy. If you wish to get adventurous, you can replace all of those outdated ceiling lights with the magnificent modern masterpieces available on the market. Of course, this last part might ask that you hire an electrician for installation, but if you are skillful, replacing a ceiling fixture is something that's not too complicated. Whether you keep it simple with flooring lamps or go all out and replace all of your ceiling fixtures --update your home with tons of bright lights.
3) Cabinets: Update Door Handles And Drawer Pulls
Nothing dates your kitchen and baths more than old, worn, and filthy handle knobs and pulls. There's no excuse not to upgrade all of your cupboard and door handles when it's genuinely so easy to perform, and there are a lot of ways to upgrade your cabinetry. Various finishes are selected, like bronze, aged copper, brushed nickel, and glistening stainless.
With so many new choices in the marketplace, it could be tough to choose what adequately suits your dwelling. Don't worry too much about the abundance of alternatives. After all, you can always buy a couple of distinct styles to recognize what works best in the room. Also, there aren't any steadfast rules for selecting cabinet knobs and pulls.
A country kitchen can look stylish and updated using very contemporary stainless knobs, even though a modern kitchen can seem trendy and diverse with more vintage-style knobs. The design choice is all up to you, so get out there and begin updating your kitchen and bathroom cabinets now.
4) Change Window Treatments
Windows seem to be overlooked lots of the time. Homeowners struggle to know what style would suit the room best, making them give up and leave the windows bare or only install easy blinds for privacy. Here's the thing-- windows beg to get dressed! By leaving your windows uncovered, you're missing out on an utterly spectacular layer of decorating.
Those who are fortunate enough to enjoy mountain or sea views may assert this fact, but smart window panels could frame even the best perspectives. Windows may be dressed to perfectly match your style and taste. You can go bold and pictures with geometric drapery panels, or minimalist with bamboo shades, or beachy with sheer white sheers---the options are endless.
If you're stressing about all of the possibilities, then have a cue from the color schemes that you currently have in place. Sometimes the easiest alternative is to just match curtain panels into the color of your walls-- doing so creates a look that goes with almost any style.
5) Utilize Your Outdoor Space
Sometimes we forget to check outside our doors for unused space. Even if your home does not have a big front porch or remarkable backyard patio there's still space to be utilized. You simply have to be inventive. You can make a wonderful outdoor space by beginning with an outdoor rug to define a "space" outdoors.
Then add a few comfortable outdoor chairs and toss pillows, a small fire pit, some hanging string lights -- Voila! You have added a new "space" to your home. If you need to get fancier, you can put down some brick pavers or flagstones, then coating it with the outdoor rugs, seats, etc. Or you could go all out and put in a large pergola, cover the sides with privacy curtains, put in an outdoor heater, some wine, some music.
Yes, this appears to be an excellent outdoor escape. The pergola setup may take the weekend to complete, but it will be worthwhile Sunday evening when you unwind outside with your glass of wine.
6) Design Curb Appeal With Your Yard
Landscaping is too often ignored. We plant a couple of trees and assume we're done. But, curb appeal is hugely affected by the sign of your landscaping. While not all people have a green thumb, making a few raised garden beds or plant more flowering shrubs and trees can be easy.
Begin a trip to your community greenhouse. Staff at these shops are full of ideas and knowledge about local vegetation. Ask them what plants grow best in your area and, more importantly, what plants are the easiest to look after. The majority of these garden centers have a landscape architect on staff who will design a landscaping plan for you, as well.
Best to begin slowly with the addition of a couple of flowering shrubs into your backyard, and then introduce a small raised bed around a walkway or front door. Don't forget to layer the peaks of plants with the tallest in the back, and read the planting instructions for spacing and extended heights. With patience and time, you'll have a beautifully landscaped lawn.
7) Add Easy to Hang or Remove Wallpaper
This is not your grandmother's wallpaper. No, we're talking about all the remarkable new removable wallpapers which are now hitting the market. We're also not talking about those tacky wall stickers that say, "Love You, Goodnight."
Instead, the new lines of removable wallpaper come in impressive patterns and images that will make your room seem like you hired an interior designer (and spent a fortune). These wallpapers can easily be removed simply by peeling off them (without injury to the wall underneath), and many can be reuse used.
For an easy weekend job, consider covering the primary wall of your bedroom with a calm pattern, or consider a living room upgrade by covering one wall with a funky geometric paper. There are a lot of online stores where these amazing wallpaper can be bought. Just make sure to read the fine print and get the brands that are top-notch and remove easily.
8) Give Your Bathroom A Facelift
Bathrooms get dirty and dingy quite fast. Begin a toilet overhaul with comprehensive cleaning. Yes, not lots of fun, but the glistening result will provide you new inspiration to spruce-up the rest of the bath bathroom. When the bathroom is spotless, look at the obsolete knobs, light fixtures, vanity, faucets, and shower curtains.
By merely changing out one or two of the most outdated things, you can make your bathroom seem modern and new. A fresh coat of paint can make a huge difference in the bathroom. Look around the toilet bowl and notice all of the glistening white painted trim and clean walls; the contemporary cabinet pulls; the trendy light fixture; the plush towels, the modern faucet; and add some plants, and these all add up to a new looking bathroom with without tearing cabinets, countertops or walls.
9) Create a Man Cave
Men are uniting everywhere in their man caves. Though some of us women do not get it, guys love to have a man-cave to escape, a room to call their own, a room to drink with the guys and watch the match in peace. Who can blame them? It does seem like an excellent escape. Men are a few tips for creating the greatest man-cave. First, find a place in your house you may use, while it's the garage, the basement, the garage, or an outbuilding or outdoor room such as a drop. Then you will need to decorate it and make it your ultimate escape. Add a TV, a pool table, a refrigerator, a pub, some darts, comfy chairs, rugs, pillows, music...etc. Getting the picture? Make it home. Thome. There lot of firms that customize garages into marvelous man-caves. They install wall units, flooring, and solid systems, basically turning the garage into a new area in your home. Ladies, maybe we could do the same using a craft room?
10) If All Else Fails Clean and Paint
Does this list make you tired? Is your house overwhelming you? Perhaps you should just start by just cleaning-up your main living area. A deep-clean can boost our mood and make our home more livable (and, more practically, inspire us to do more).
It seems clear, but a fresh coat of paint can take a room from drab to fab. Think about adding a punch of color on an accent wall, or simply brush up your trimming with a clean coat of paint. If your home already has a new coat of paint, then think about other things that could have a touch-up. Perhaps paint your ceiling a cool blue, or bring new life to an obsolete piece of furniture with a fresh coat of paint.
A thorough cleaning and a fresh coat of paint can go a long way when renovating our rooms without major repairs. As you can see, there are a lot of strategies to update your house without the cluttered overhaul or considerable expense of remodeling. Review this listing and the rooms in your home. Ask yourself what's the most obsolete feature(s) in your dwelling?
Then it's time to work! Replace old light fixtures, cabinetry knobs, window treatments, faucets, and faded paint. Or look outside the common rooms in your home by creating a remarkable outdoor landscape, outdoor space, or garage man-cave. All of these small upgrades go a long way to renewing your home, your soul, and your sense of well-being.