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Refreshing your home’s style doesn’t necessarily require an expensive renovation. Often all it takes is rethinking a few decorative details. Try giving your home a stylish new spin with these do-it-yourself weekend projects.
Upgrade your entrance
Your entrance is a visitors’ first impression of your home, and a drab doorway can send the wrong message about your sense of style. You can easily spruce this area up without investing a lot of time or money.
The simplest way to enhance your entrance is to repaint the front door. A few coats of a bold color that contrasts with the door trim or your home’s siding will make the entrance pop and bring new life to your front entry. If you want to go further, you can add new hardware as well, like a complimenting door handle, peephole, knocker, or house numbers to complete the look.
Also, think about the area surrounding your front door. Potted plants, outdoor lighting, and weather resistant furniture such as a porch or bistro set can all add interest and create a more inviting mood.
Add or improve your lighting
Your lighting can make the difference between your home feeling warm and energetic or tired and lifeless. If yours falls into the latter camp, there are some simple steps you can take to brighten things up.
Start by cleaning any windows and skylights and removing or replacing drapery or other window treatments that are blocking natural light. Also consider adding mantle, table, or wall pieces with reflective surfaces. Items like crystal picture frames and glass tabletops will amplify natural light and instantly brighten a room.
If old light fixtures are adding more blight than light, consider refreshing rather than replacing them. Painting a stainless-steel fixture black creates a more edgy, dramatic look, and an aging lamp or ceiling light can be renewed with a simple, stylish drum shade. You can even revitalize a room with each change of season by installing light switches and outlet covers in complementary colors, choosing warm hues in autumn and cooler ones in summer.
Replace light switches and outlets
Light switches and outlets are virtually invisible to us even though we use them many times a day. But replacing plain or outdated fixtures is one of the easiest and most effective ways to reinvigorate your home decor.
Light switches and electrical outlets are now made with a variety of materials, including wood, aluminum, glass, stone, marble, laminate, and stainless steel, in a range of styles from elegant to rugged. They’re also designed to be energy efficient and easy to install. Whether your style is classic and natural or trendy and eclectic, adding switches and sockets that complement it will give the interior and exterior of your home a cohesive and sophisticated look.
To ensure your safety, always consult with a licensed electrician before changing your electrical installation.
These and similar DIY projects will amp up your home’s style without the time and budget investment required for a full-scale makeover.
