We often focus on what bigger
changes can be made when considering home design and décor updates. After all, that is what makes bigger
statements in eye-catching and overall appeal.
But what about all those random things around your house that could get a
boost as well? Let’s get on the hunt…
Let’s start outdoors with
your mailbox. If you want to change out
one fixture to reboot your curb appeal, a new mailbox or even new numbers can
offer change. For more of an investment,
a new front door would create a new focal point, or a fresh paint job in a new
color would help set it apart from the neighbors’.
Indoors, you could change the
look high and low with new crown molding and/or baseboards. A room with no crown molding looks more
upscale with the addition, and a standard baseboard look can be elevated with a
taller, sleeker version. In that same
vein, a new coat of trim paint with more luster than before can make your
home’s transitions clean and fresh.
You can change the (out)look
of any window with new blinds as a replacement to broken or dated versions or
as simply an addition for more light control.
As you’re coming in and out, replace door mats in and out to offer more
what-you-track-in control. A printed
door mat from a few seasons back has probably lost its shiny newness and may be
worn down to the point of not doing its job as well.
You know those sets of soap
dispensers, soap dishes, and toothbrush holders you registered for years
ago? Are they still sitting there? This bathroom threesome is an inexpensive
update for a new look around your sink.
You can also branch out and choose items not for those intended
purposes, like olive oil bottles, pretty plates, and short vases.
Drawer and cabinet pulls can
be a costly investment if done on a larger scale, but they are small pieces
that really can change the overall look in your kitchen and bathrooms. For a hands-on route, remove and paint what
you have, or select the costly pieces you love for a small area, like for a
dresser’s drawers.
What to see your living room
in a new light? Change your bulbs. Overhead recessed lighting, fans with lights,
and lamps can all change the look of a room depending on the bulbs. Explore your options in a hardware store if
you want to brighten things up or soften any harshness you see now.
You can go into obscurity to
find random little updates to make that will fit-and-flatter your home’s
style. Some DIY projects don’t receive
the glitz-and-glamour treatment that others do, but they can be just as
interesting and effective to pursue.
DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star August 31st.
