August 31, 2016
Simple DIY Home Updates
If you’re looking for great ways to put a little excitement into your home and show off your personal style, it’s a lot easier (and less expensive!) than you think! Once you’ve established the style of your home with the overall color schemes and major décor pieces, you can add a little extra verve by incorporating a some DIY bits and pieces that make your home truly your own. Large home supply stores such as Home Depot and Lowes offer a wealth of amazing options, but don’t forget to check hardware stores, flea markets, eclectic shops and online stores for fantastic pieces as well.
Stuck for ideas? Here’s some suggestions to jump start your creativity!
Lighting
Dial up the drama with a fantastic chandelier! Looking for old-fashioned elegance? Try a Victorian throwback style…or maybe something metallic and modern is more your speed. Nothing says “look at me” like a great lamp or amazing fixture. LED string lights installed under your kitchen cabinets not only add style, they make meal preparation easier. Add pendant lights or floor models where you want additional lighting – and give your home a decorative flair! Installing dimmer switches not only allows you to adjust the amount of light in each room to set the appropriate mood, they can also save you money.
Knobs and Handles
Give doors some “pop” with vintage glass, china or metal knobs, or exchange the serviceable but dull fixtures on your cabinets with super-sleek futuristic handles – it’s entirely up to you! This is one of the easiest ways to update your kitchen or add some excitement to your bath. You can even transform the dressers in the bedrooms – the possibilities are endless.
The Wonder of Paint
Painting a room or a hallway is always a quick and easy way to give your house a facelift. But you can also use paint to add visual interest to other areas of your home. If your tile backsplash doesn’t float your boat anymore, consider giving it a makeover with a couple coats of oil-based semi-gloss paint. If you have an older mirror that is cloudy or spotted, but you love the frame, turn it into a piece of art by painting the surface of the mirror with abstract geometric shapes, elegant swirls or your own version of an Impressionist garden scene. You can also use paint to transform your worn tile floor into faux parquet. Use two similar, earth-toned colors for the artificial “stones” and a white or cream paint to add your own “grout”. Seal with polyurethane to finish. You can even paint a permanent welcome mat on your front stoop or pull up the carpeting on your stairs and re-decorate with an eye-catching pattern such as this one.
Increase Your Curb Appeal
Brighten up the front of your house with a door of an eye-catching color. Red is always popular, or you can go with blue, green or…whatever! Few things make your home stand out more than a highly visible entryway. Add window boxes of blooming flowers or fragrant herbs to create interest, and consider installing a unique mailbox to set your home apart. If you really want your lawn to get some attention, think about seeding it with flowers! Scilla siberica bulbs are inexpensive to purchase and create a grass-like foliage that blooms in the spring.
You might even want to replace your standard issue street numbers with artsy ceramic tile versions or bright LED markers. You can also add an old-fashioned weathervane to the roof just for fun!
It’s All in the Details!
Quick little touches can make all the difference when it comes to freshening the look of your home. Switch out your switchplates to add some excitement, or give smaller windows a longer, larger look by hanging curtains above the upper window line, at ceiling height. Free up counter space in your bathroom by hanging a ceramic soap dish/toothbrush holder by the sink and add visual interest with new faucets and fixtures. If you’re feeling ambitious, you could replace one of your bathroom windows with one of stained glass. If you can’t find one that fits the size and shape of the existing window, try using decorative chains to hang the stained glass version in front of the existing glass. A stylish fireplace screen is not only a decorative asset, it also keeps children and pets away from the fire. Replace your nondescript, practical ceiling fans with ones that complement your décor or use larger pieces of scrap wallpaper to cover an interior door.
And remember, these changes take so little time to do and so little money to implement that you can swap them out as many times as you like. You may even consider selling accessories that no longer interest you on Ebay or Craigslist if they still have some life in them. Use the proceeds to help fund your next decorating project!
Increase Your Curb Appeal
Brighten up the front of your house with a door of an eye-catching color. Red is always popular, or you can go with blue, green or…whatever! Few things make your home stand out more than a highly visible entryway. Add window boxes of blooming flowers or fragrant herbs to create interest, and consider installing a unique mailbox to set your home apart. If you really want your lawn to get some attention, think about seeding it with flowers! Scilla siberica bulbs are inexpensive to purchase and create a grass-like foliage that blooms in the spring.
You might even want to replace your standard issue street numbers with artsy ceramic tile versions or bright LED markers. You can also add an old-fashioned weathervane to the roof just for fun!
It’s All in the Details!
Quick little touches can make all the difference when it comes to freshening the look of your home. Switch out your switchplates to add some excitement, or give smaller windows a longer, larger look by hanging curtains above the upper window line, at ceiling height. Free up counter space in your bathroom by hanging a ceramic soap dish/toothbrush holder by the sink and add visual interest with new faucets and fixtures. If you’re feeling ambitious, you could replace one of your bathroom windows with one of stained glass. If you can’t find one that fits the size and shape of the existing window, try using decorative chains to hang the stained glass version in front of the existing glass. A stylish fireplace screen is not only a decorative asset, it also keeps children and pets away from the fire. Replace your nondescript, practical ceiling fans with ones that complement your décor or use larger pieces of scrap wallpaper to cover an interior door.
And remember, these changes take so little time to do and so little money to implement that you can swap them out as many times as you like. You may even consider selling accessories that no longer interest you on Ebay or Craigslist if they still have some life in them. Use the proceeds to help fund your next decorating project!
