You taking a staycation over the holidays? Have time on your hands and a lonely toolbelt? Maybe all you need to get into action and work off all the cookies and fruitcake are a few ideas. To that end, why not consider a few quick makeovers or easy-to-handle projects to spiff up or add value to your home. Here are but a few to mull over while you’re sampling the mulled wine.
Entry Facelift
Wash down all your entry way lighting fixtures as you remove your holiday decorations. You’d be amazed what some TSP can do, or polish for your hardware. Remove the door handles, repaint the door interior, and hit the windows with cleaner. Rent a floor polisher and spruce up your wood entryway or add an area rug.
Design Shrine
Install New Lighting
Start in the kitchen. In these dark winter months, you’ll certainly appreciate new track lighting, can lighting, decorative LED lights, chandeliers, pendant lights or recessed lighting. While you’re at it, consider accents that match your stove hood or metal appliances. Copper, stainless steel, or bronze cookware hooks and hangars are easy to install and can give your kitchen a fresh look. Or, consider installing under-cabinet lighting.
Try New Kitchen Hardware, Too
Speaking of new hardware, why not add affordable, new hardware in the kitchen? Knobs with new backplates can add a lot of shine, weight, or presence. Or add cabinet and drawer pulls that match or complement your décor. Pulls go on easily with a few screws, so you won’t be overworked while you transform your post-holiday blues into happy accents. Hinges are easy to replace, too, and really finish off a cabinet project. Plus, new hinges can add stability.
If you can’t stand the cabinets for another season, you can always change out the doors or have them refaced. Just by refreshing cabinet doors and drawer fronts you can completely transform your kitchen. There are budget solutions as well as pricier fronts if you’ve cancelled your holiday vacation in favor of staying home and building up your budget.
Spruce Up the Bath
Even if you’re strapped for cash after all the gifting, why not consider quick, inexpensive bathroom makeovers? Replace tired lighting fixtures, add a new faucet to change the décor, or—if you have the money—put in a new bathroom sink. Or, if you do nothing over the holidays, have a great time with family and friends!
Your readers may find the before and after photos of these bathrooms and other renovation projects inspiring.
Clean the grout on every surface and dust/vacuum places that have had furniture on top of them for who knows how long. Get rid of your old appliances in place of all those new ones you got for Christmas! I like the idea of cleaning, if not replacing door knobs entirely…I don’t even want to know what kind of germs are on them and you touch them everyday.
[...] at the work surface or counter-top where you want it most. Newer model under-counter sets include LED lights, an energy efficient alternative to traditional bulbs and [...]
[...] for a project? View my post on Snappy Makeovers for The New Year, or the one about the Return on Investment for Home Improvements. Those should get [...]