Team
A house is only a home when you love living there, but home improvement can be incredibly expensive. A little bit of time and some creativity can help transform your house into a home. Here are 9 ways to upgrade, improve, and change your home without breaking the bank.
Get Creative With String
String wrapped statement pieces, light fixtures, and even furniture are popular and really transform a room. Generally cheap cotton string, twine, or even yarn are appropriate for these projects. The biggest investment here is your time, so these projects are best done while chatting with a friend or watching TV to distract yourself from the clock.
Visual Fixes Really Pop
While every little thing that you know is wrong can really get to you, picking one or two of the bigger projects and finishing them can make your home feel a lot more finished. For example, re-painting the front door and changing the hinges out will have more of a visual and mental impact than replacing the floorboards that are already hidden by your couch. Unless you are intending to sell soon, focus on fixes that will make it feel like home now, so you feel more comfortable saving up for bigger fixes in the future.
Fixing stairways, painting walls, replacing old windows, replacing window treatments, and getting rid of old wallpaper are all areas where you can improve a home without a lot of money. Take a look at the areas that you like the least in your home and see if there is one component that stands out from all the rest. Change that, and then see if you feel like the rest still needs to be changed.
Replace Small Hardware
Cabinets, closets, doors, and drawers are things we often overlook, but that completely change the look of a room. If you don’t want to replace the pieces themselves, replacing the hardware such as handles, pulls, or knobs can completely change the look of the piece. Pair this tip with a fresh coat of paint or full front decals for a complete makeover.
Make Your Own Abstract Art
Abstract art is about the way you feel, the things you think, and the effort that you put in. There is no wrong way to create, and as long as it speaks to you, you are doing it right. Get some canvas and have fun creating a one of a kind statement piece to liven up a room. You’ll not only make the space look great, but have a great conversation topic the next time someone asks you about your home.
If you don’t think that painting is for you, mixed media projects such as decoupage, diamond art, or even sand art are all fun alternatives. Some people go thrift shopping for old pieces and then dress them up, giving them new life for much cheaper than a new piece of art. If you really want to make the space work for you, consider changing out art with the seasons to give your home a more finished and updated look.
Embrace Color
Statement walls and pieces call attention away from areas you don’t want people looking. Consider painting an entry wall, an area of a room that looks too dark, or even a wall in your kitchen. Brightly colored throw pillows or vintage furniture can make a shabby room look intentional. Don’t go overboard, remember that a quick pop of color wows people, but too many clashing colors makes a space feel busy and claustrophobic.
Grout is Cheap
Tiles are in a lot of places, bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, kitchen backsplashes, the list goes on and on. Most of the time tile is held in place with grout, and while there are a number of products on the market to whiten, paint, or disguise old grout, replacing it is actually very cheap and provides a longer lasting visual and structural improvement. The process is messy, so you will want to block out a day for each area you do, but you can make the area look amazing and protect your wall or flooring from water damage with just a bit of elbow grease. There are different colors of grout available, and you can even add in glitter and other components available online to truly customize your space.
Use Rugs To Fill Space
If you don’t have the money to replace floors or want to keep a space more minimal, area rugs cover problem areas, define spaces, and make a room feel warmer. Consider several smaller rugs rather than one large piece to really pull a room together.
Replace Moulding
One thing that makes homes look dated and often shows the ravages of past use is moulding around floorboards, doors, and windows. Style change and many homes that were built in the past look cheap or outdated with the moulding they now have. Homes where people have had pets, smoked heavily, or had very active lifestyles may also show damage to the molding, making it important to completely replace these pieces. Thankfully, moulding is generally very easy to replace, cheap, and can completely change the look of a room in just a few minutes.
For extra contrast, paint the molding before putting it in, creating a pop of color to brighten up even the smallest spaces.
Focus On Lighting
If your electric wiring is in good shape, then your lighting is one of the most important components of your home. A good lighting fixture does more for a room than great floors or the most amazing furniture. Focus on finding pieces that speak to you and set the tone. Don’t forget to use bright light bulbs for small spaces to really open them up and chase away the shadows.
