Our homes have become more than just our personal sanctuaries. They’ve also become the place where we work or do business. More often than not, homeowners don’t have spaces that allow them to be productive at their jobs.
Necessity drove the building boom at the beginning of the pandemic. Lockdowns and the transition to work-from-home saw home improvement spending at “all-time highs.”
Porch.com, a website that connects homeowners with local contractors, surveyed home improvement trends in 2020. They found that 76% of people surveyed in the US carried out at least one home improvement project.
If you’re looking to embark on a home improvement project of your own, here are some brilliant (and budget-friendly) ideas to get you started.
Table of Contents
For the Bedroom
It’s possible to add interesting design features to your bedroom ceiling without having to use power tools. Get the illusion of wainscoting by applying trim to an area of the wall as an outline. You can then use paint to tie the wall and trim together, and the result looks high-end without all the cost. You can opt for prefinished millwork to cut down on labor time.
Another easy upgrade is those stylish HVAC covers, so they don’t look like an eyesore in an otherwise well-decorated room. You can purchase a jazzy grill online or make it yourself.
If you are looking for simple but fun lighting or wall decoration ideas, sites like NeonMama.com can be a great source of inspiration. Neon lights and signs can help to decorate the room and add a personal touch to the space.
For the Bathroom
Toilet paper holders and towel bars are typical bathroom accessories. Usually, they are nothing special to look at. However, these can allow you to make your bath a little safer.
Companies that specialize in bathroom components now make ADA-compliant toilet paper holders and towel bars that can safely be used as a grab bar.
For the Living Room
You can buy peel-and-stick wallpaper for $2, which can already have such a big impact on your living room. If you’re not brave enough to paper the entire room, pick a fun and eye-catching pattern to create an accent wall.
New window treatments can also give a pretty facelift to your sitting area. A combination of new fabrics or shades goes a long way to hide older windows (which would be a pricey renovation project). Pick a sew-it-yourself option and reuse the existing curtain rods and rings to save even more money.
Round off your living room’s new look by reupholstering an armchair, ottoman, or something similar. You can turn it into a statement piece by selecting fun and colorful upholstery fabrics.
For the Entryway
Using paint to renovate the path from one floor to the next can be both creative and budget-friendly.
You can make the main staircase in your home a showstopper by picking a pattern and painting that on the steps in a solid, attention-grabbing color.
Have an empty wall beside the door that you don’t know what to do with? Create a gallery wall that shows off your personality. Try mixing paintings and prints to achieve a more organic feel.
Perhaps a mini mudroom if you’ve got a bit more room in your entryway? All you really need are a seat, a shelf, and some hooks. You can combine and repurposed pieces with newer items, and if you’ve got the space for it, having a cubby for each family member will make weekday mornings more organized.
Conclusion
The experience of being confined at home due to a global pandemic has given homeowners a new perception of how they can enjoy and utilize their livable spaces. The good news is, home improvements need not be expensive. As shown by the ideas above, you can make any room pretty and more functional with just a few low-budget additions.
