Home improvements. They’re never-ending. And let’s face it – they can also be time-consuming, budget-breaking and a bit demoralizing.
But we all love the finished product and that feeling like we accomplished something good. Plus, home improvements are a necessity. We need to complete them to keep our homes both looking fresh and in good repair.
Not all interior home improvement projects are time consuming, nor do they have to be costly.
We have compiled a few home improvement ‘projects’ below that can be done relatively quickly, without breaking the bank, and will earn you a rewarding pat on the back. Plus, if you’re looking to sell your home, these items will help make make your home look updated so it will show better to prospective buyers.
Add a Chair Rail
What’s a chair rail? It’s just a skinny piece of molding that runs horizontal on your wall. Fun fact - Chair rails were originally installed on walls to protect them against the scraps and dents caused by chairs bumped up against them. You probably see more functional chair rails at a medical office, done in plexiglass. Today, chair rails add personality and character to a room. You want to put the chair rail about the height of your waist. We’ve seen some beautiful woodwork put on the bottom portion of the wall under the chair rail, but this takes a bit more time. A cool/classic design to consider is painting the chair rail the same colour as your wall and adding a textured wallpaper to the bottom portion of the wall.
Go LED
You would think changing a lightbulb takes no time at all, but when you change all your lightbulbs in your home, you’d be surprised. Going LED at home makes your space instantly look bigger and brighter. This is because LED lights are more even and brighter. They are also more environmentally friendly, so another benefit is that your hydro bill will go down. A long-term benefit is that LEDs last way longer than your typical lightbulbs, so you won’t be changing lightbulbs too often.
Update Your Handles on Cabinets
A quick way to freshen up any room is to change out your handles and knobs. Kitchens in particular instantly look better with new hardware. Depending on the age and design of your home, you can also visit your local antique store and find a bushel of knobs at a reasonable price. This is a great option if you have an older style or outdated kitchen. Just remember, if you’re replacing handles, not all handles have equal widths, so make sure you bring a current handle with you to the store.
Re-Stain or Paint Cabinets
This is not a one-hour activity (sorry!), but we had to include it because it’s a lot cheaper than getting new cabinets, and the end effect really is nice. Re-staining and painting cabinets has lots of prep, which takes up lots of time. As this project can take time, and because you want it done correctly, consult a paint store to get the right primer and paint for your cabinets. Another tip is to wash your cabinets with TSP to prep the material before you paint or stain them.
Install Under Cabinet Lighting
Under cabinet lighting adds a warmth to the kitchen, brightens up the countertops and makes the space appear cleaner. Because lighting has evolved a lot in recent years, there are many new options. Under cabinet lighting can be as simple as a strip of LED lights on their own switch, that can run off batteries. They come with doubled sided Velcro making it easy to adhere under your cabinets. And if you need to change the batteries, you just pull it off and re-affix when done.
Swap Out Light Switch Covers
Light switch covers tend to fade and take on a yellowish tone over time. Some just look dirty as they age. Swapping these out for newer covers, or even for something different (there are many different colours and designs now), will instantly freshen up a room. This is one of the easiest home improvement projects you can tackle, and one that is relatively inexpensive.
New Light Fixture
Light fixtures are true focal pieces, so you will want to spend some time thinking this one through. The variety of light fixtures is also a little overwhelming too. It may take some convincing, but a chandelier really does improve the light in a room. It reflects through all the hanging glass and adds sophistication. Safety First - When working on any lighting project, always turn off the power to the light at the breaker box. Also fully read the instructions on connecting the new light fixture before you begin.
Statement Wallpaper
Wallpaper used to be sold in enormous rolls and was impossible to install unless you were a seasoned professional. Today there are peel and stick statement wallpaper packs and just wallpaper sold by a small sized roll. This means you can make a 'statement wall'. In case you are wondering what a 'statement wall' is, it’s where you take one wall (usually the dullest one in the room) and bring attention to it by putting on a cool wallpaper design. We’ve seen people do this around their fireplace area, on a neglected wall in the kitchen or in the basement, and totally transform the space! Statement walls are best suited for larger spaces. Also, because wallpaper has a pattern it can have the effect of making a room seem even bigger. When you create a statement wall in a smaller room, it tends to make the room look busy and smaller.
Create an Accent Wall with Paint
Like the idea of statement wallpaper, but not a fan of wall paper? Well, you can also paint one wall a different colour to bring attention to it. We love seeing this is a bright, punchy colour, and the added benefit to this is that paint is easy to change.
Try a Curved Shower Rod
Fancy hotels and homes have curved shower curtain rods (and thick, luxurious shower curtains too...hint hint). Curved shower curtains not only look amazing, but they also draw the eye upwards which makes the room feel taller. This is a great interior home improvement project for any bathroom, but especially for those that are smaller. And if you splurge and get luxurious shower curtains, your bathroom will feel and look that much more luxurious and relaxing.
Seal Bathroom Tile
We like sealing our bathroom floor tile. Why? The effect! It makes the floor look shiny, which makes your bathroom look new and cleaner than ever. It’s also a lot easier to wash newly sealed floors. The sealer is just liquid wax. We usually get a tiler to do it for us (because we don’t trust ourselves), but it’s pretty simple. When you seal your bathroom tile you must clean the tile very thoroughly before you apply the sealer. Take the time to research which cleaner is the best for your floor tile, and make sure you follow the instructions on any products you use.
Shelving
New shelving, especially something like floating shelves, instantly freshen up your space because it gives structure to your items. In our opinion, floating shelves are nicer, and more modern looking. They come in so many different sizes and colours and can be used in any room. They also do not take up floor space and are perfect for displaying pictures or collectables.
Rent a Self Storge Unit
An obvious way to improve your home interior in under an hour is to rent a self storage unit! You can rent one in minutes from our website. Self storage instantly gets you more space at home, which will let you enjoy your home more, and freshen up your place. Check out our YouTube channel for lots of online tours of our Milton self storage facility, Woodstock self storage facility, and the various sizes of self-storage units we have for rent.
If you have questions about renting self-storage, please contact us! And don’t forget to like or follow us on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter to keep getting awesome tips, advice & tricks for self-storage and more.
Good luck on your next home improvement project!
Your friend in self-storage,
Storage Solutions
