Are you wondering how you can give your home a new look without the costly and extensive repairs of a total redesign? If you're willing to put in a little sweat equity, there are a variety of DIY home improvement ventures you can take on that will help improve the aesthetic of your spaceóno experience required.
The best way to picking the best DIY home improvement task is to first focus on what you're trying to achieve, and second how much time you want to spend completing the project. While these projects are anything but difficult, some will require additional time than others. None of these projects should take you more than a weekend or two, and most of them can be done in just a couple of hours or less.
Do you have your tools handy? Here are some DIY home improvement ideas for improving your home in London, Ontario without losing your mind (or savings).
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Change outdated fixtures
It's incredible what a new light fixture can do for a room. Replace those frosted glass fixtures for string lighting complete with Edison bulbs; balance a crystal fixture over the master bed; dispose of your old ceiling fan fixtures and replace them with fans that are more modern and energy-efficient. As long as the wiring is readily available, replacing the fixtures is a quick project that can be completed relatively quickly and liven up space.
Go for a yellow glow
Since we are on the topic of light fixtures, you can completely change the ambiance of a room by replacing any strong white bulbs with calming yellow ones. Opting for LEDs will ensure that your new bulbs will last a long time. Pro-tip: if you want to be able to set the mood at the dinner table, or while the family is together watching a movie in the living room, swap out the light switches for dimmers so you can adjust the brightness of a room depending on the activity and time of day.
Liven & increase the utility of unused corners of a room with shelving
We all have those blank corners in a room that we don't entirely know what to do with. A simple house hack to liven the space and also increase its utility is to simply add floating shelves. It can immediately create visual interest in a corner, especially when paired with a couple of interesting looking plants or books!
Hack your furnishings
When we are stuck looking at the same spaces day in and day out, we don't realize the potential that already exists within the space. Instead of buying more furnishings or replacing older furniture, simply repainting older chairs, tables, etc can provide a whole new aesthetic and liven a space up. Try repainting that old coffee table a solid white colour to add some brightness to a dark room or reupholstering that old and dated sofa.
Bring the outside in
Plants are an excellent way to give life to a dull space. Even if you do not consider yourself to have a green thumb, there are many plants available that can handle a little bit of neglect, and some that don't even require much sunlight. Place them on shelves, hang them from the ceilings - there are even certain types of succulents that do not require much sunlight and would be a great addition for a finished space in the basement or a bathroom.
A fresh coat of paint goes a long way
With regards to DIY home improvement ventures, hardly anything updates your space more significantly than a few layers of paint. Add an accent wall in your bedroom or living room; ground a space such as the living room with a painted ceiling; paint your kitchen cupboards. While you have your paint bucket handy, go around your home and look for areas to touch up. If you are feeling ambitious, try adding a cool pattern as an accent wall to turn a boring wall into a conversation piece. For inspiration, check out some ideas on Pinterest or Youtube.
Front Entrance
The entryway is one of the most used spaces in a home, yet one of the most underappreciated with regards to design and attention. Get more out of your entryway with a couple of simple redesigns, for example, introducing a bench and hooks for a speedy DIY mudroom or adding a new rug to improve the comfort and enhance the style of the space. Search for pieces that give both style and function, and mirrors the language of the other design elements of the home.
We purchase properties across London Ontario in as-is condition. Find out more here
Get savvy
Technology and innovation have brought a great deal to home improvement, so why not utilize some of these gadgets? From self-programmable thermostats to camera-enabled doorbells, there are a lot of smart home features that flawlessly integrate into your existing wiring and systems while offering significant changes as far as your home's efficiency and design.
Make your cables disappear
Chaotic cablesóhanging off the TV, dispersed around the nightstand, winding from your work area to the divider, and so on are an unattractive extension to your home. Get them out of the picture and with DIY tricks causing them to vanish. There are a variety of clever alternatives for concealing lines and smoothing out your space.
Spruce up the tile and grout
It's difficult to avoid recolouring on the tile and grout in your bathroom, however, it's shockingly simple to cure. Use an accredited tub and tile restoring kit and follow the instructions to your tile and grout looking similarly in the same condition as they did when they were first installed. Your restroom floor with shine and will resemble a new tile, without the expense of installing a new tile floor.
Arrange your storage spaces and/or closets
Here's a DIY home improvement task that doesn't require any devices or cost any money however will have a huge impact in your home. As you would do before a move, organize your house and sort items such as clothing into one of three piles: keep, throw, or give. If you need to, you could purchase some new storage containers, or you could work with what you have and simply empty down your closet so you have enough space for everything.
Change existing cupboard / door hardware
New cupboards are costly, however new cupboard hardware can give a new look and feel to the kitchen and washroom for much less cash. Measure the length between the drill openings of your existing hardware to get the proper size and down to your local hardware store to pick hardware that matches the existing dimensions. Pick a style that compliments the current style of your cupboards while giving them a great new look. You can do this for closet doors, cupboards, and even existing door handles (if your cabinets are painted white, try adding black hardware. A lot of houses in London, Ontario that have been updated tend to follow this style!).
Mirrors
Mirrors bring all the more light into rooms and cause spaces to seem bigger than they truly are. Purchase a couple of mirrors that you like (antique shops are an incredible spot to begin your hunt!) and hang them in areas that you think could use some visual interest. While you're working away, if any existing mirrors could use updating, now may be a good time to switch them out for updated ones!
Transform a space into an office
If you've needed your own home office yet couldn't discover the space, transform a space in a room where you can complete work. Having a dedicated area to perform your work in the home whether its a space within a space or an entire room, will help you maintain work clutter to one area of the home.
In some cases, it's the littlest of changes in your home that have the greatest effects. Tackle (at least one!) of these DIY home improvement ideas and see just how much you can refresh your space without committing a huge amount of cash or time in to these projects.
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