Are you looking around your home and noticing that, well, maybe it could use a touch up here and there? Perhaps it’s all this time spent indoors over the last 18 months, but many people are continuing on the trend and starting new home improvement and interior design projects. And perhaps finishing up some old projects, too.
Some interior designers have predicted that more people will be looking for design help than ever before in the post-COVID world precisely of all the time spent indoors. With more time to observe flaws and shortcomings around the house, the motivation to begin a redesign can become more urgent than it might otherwise.
Fortunately, sprucing up your space and making it look better doesn’t have to be a super costly, or even super involved, endeavour. Here’s a few simple ways to revitalize your living space.
Fix Your Roof
Laying down a new roof probably isn’t the first thing you think of when making that list of home projects, but maybe it should be. Your roof is,after all, the first line of defense when it comes to your home versus the elements.
A new roof can get pricey, which may make you want to avoid looking into it. But it’s definitely better to replace a roof on its way out rather than a roof that already has problems. A new roof will not only look better, but it’s also likely to add value to your home – the average cost recuperation is 68.8%, and if you decide to sell, a newly roofed home is more likely to sell faster compared to a home with an older roof.
Choose Neutral Paint Colors
It’s well-documented that certain colors influence your emotions, so picking out good tones for your decor will be essential for improving the feel of your home. If you’re looking to brighten things up, it may be tempting to use lighter shades of the color spectrum on your wall. One thing to consider, though, is the power of the neutrals.
Neutrals can sometimes get a bad rap for being boring (how many houses have you lived in where all the walls were white?). But before you put up that jewel tone colors of paint that you have, consider that neutrals can be classy and chic as well.
Neutrals (white, black, gray, beige) can go with any decor, help to create any atmosphere, and can be mixed and matched at will. Also on the plus side for neutral shades is that they’ll never go out of style, unlike that candy-apple green that you painted in the kitchen. And should you decide to sell your house in the future, you’re much less likely to have to paint over and cover up the neutral walls.
Match Your Furniture
One of the simplest – although not cheapest – ways to update your home is to buy new furniture. But even this venture doesn’t have to become a really expensive one. It may be simplest to pick a room or two to spruce up and then let the others follow.
When picking out new furniture, it’s important to remember that matching all the pieces together to create a cohesive, curated look is very important. And maybe don’t start with an area as high-profile as your living room. Try starting with areas that typically don’t have a lot of furniture, like the dining room.
Dining rooms have a variety of furniture options, and having the same style helps tie the whole room together. And while there’s a lot of furniture options, it’s still a concentrated enough area that perhaps you can just get everything together as a set.
Upgrade Your Backyard
Backyard entertaining is a growing trend, and a great way to create a space to relax and enjoy a little of the outdoors.
One of the great things about upgrading your backyard is that there are so many projects to choose from. This can be overwhelming, but looking at it in a positive light, there’s a lot of variety to choose from when it comes to how you want to work with your space.
A patio or deck is a backyard essential. You’ll need a place to sit and relax, after all, and patios can be a great investment when it comes to your home’s resale value. Consider adding a dining table as well, or a fire pit for added ambiance. And don’t forget the options of installing a pool, a hot tub, or even a hammock.
Paint the Exterior
While you might be working those neutral colors redoing your interior design, don’t forget to take a lot and inspect the exterior of your home too.
Besides your roof, your outside walls too are constantly battling the elements. Depending on the climate you live in, your exterior paint can fade, chip, streak or otherwise need some TLC from all the weather happenings. Many experts recommend repainting the exterior of your home every 5-10 years, so regular inspections on the paint condition can be a good idea.
Change the Small Fixtures
There’s the saying “it’s the little things that count,” and when it comes to upgrading your home, this is definitely true. One simple and relatively inexpensive way to achieve a new look is changing out and replacing the small fixtures all around your home, such as cabinet hooks, handles, and knobs. Towel racks and paper towel dispensers can be a great simple fix too, as well as doorknobs.
If you’re sticking with a classic look, just a new version of the old fixture will do. But if you’d like to add a touch of chic or ultra modern, try starting with a new design for your kitchen cabinet handles and see what you think.
Embarking on a home project can sometimes seem like an intimidating process at first, but when you hone in on a few specific areas and break it down into steps, it becomes a more manageable task. And it’s really surprising to see how much of that “new home” feeling you can recapture with a few simple and carefully chosen upgrades.
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