DIY Renovations for Your Home

Updating your home doesn’t have to be expensive. Refreshing your space can be fast, easy, and cheap if you’re willing to tackle a few do-it-yourself projects. Focusing on the kitchen, the bathroom, and the entryway, typically the most heavily used areas of the home, provides the most impact.

IN THE KITCHEN

Backsplash. Installing a backsplash gives your kitchen an instant new look. Beadboard, tin tiles, wallpaper, and peel-and-stick tiles are inexpensive materials for your new backsplash. For kitchens that have an existing backsplash, paint it. Your painted backsplash doesn’t have to be a solid color. A pattern or custom design can be created with stencils or free-hand.

Cabinets. Painting cabinets and installing new hardware give kitchen cabinets new life. Replacing the cabinet doors is another option. New doors cost more than paint and hardware, however, they’re much cheaper than buying new cabinets.

IN THE BATHROOM

Walls. Crown molding tends to have a dramatic visual impact in bathrooms due to the relatively small space. Bathroom walls don’t have to be painted white to make the bathroom feel larger. Soft yellow, pale gray, and pale blue have a similar effect.

Faucets. Aesthetics aren’t the only consideration when you’re replacing your bathroom faucets. Motion-activated operation, anti-scalding features, and sanitizing technology are a sample of the features available on today’s faucets. They also have legally mandated water conservation technology. Replacing a decades-old faucet could result in a lower water bill.

AT THE ENTRYWAY

Door. An easy update for your front door is to paint it in a color that contrasts the home’s exterior. Add drama by replacing a traditional door knocker with one in an unusual shape such as a medieval lion head or a ladybug. A worn doorknob could be changed out for a new one.

Porch. Putting down a monogrammed welcome mat with the first letter of your last name adds class. So does a potted sentry plant at both sides of the front door. Help visitors locate your home by replacing worn house numbers. Consider adding porch seating to extend your living space.