Photo: Unsplash
These days, roughly 28 percent of Americans are working from home. If you’re looking for ways to fill your extra time at home, why not tackle a few basic Do-It-Yourself (DIY) home improvement projects? Here are six ideas for simple home renovations that don’t take much time, won’t cost much money, and won’t require a contractor.
Kitchen Cabinet Recharge
This DIY project is great because it is scalable. You can make a nice change with just a new coat of paint or a major facelift with new hardware, too. If you want to open up a small kitchen, consider removing doors and transforming cabinets into shelves. When renovating your kitchen cabinets you’ll want:
- An electric sander. This tool will be an important early step in painting or sealing cabinets.
- An electric drill. Cut the time to replace cabinet handles and knobs in half with an electric drill.
- Paint brushes of various sizes. Cabinets and shelves have many angles and narrow lines. You’ll need to use more than just a roller.
Backsplash Upgrade
Your kitchen and bathroom are two places where form and function truly blend, and the backsplash is a great example. You can both protect your walls from water, while also making a decorative statement with a vibrant splash of color. For a DIY backsplash you could use:
- Tile: From subway tiles to patterned, ceramic tiles, backsplashes can be the backbone of your kitchen or bathroom design.
- Vinyl Decal: Peel and stick vinyl is an easy and affordable way to add character to a kitchen or bathroom.
- Wine Corks: A fun DIY project for the wine lover who wants to finally do something useful with all the wine corks they’ve been saving over the years.
Fireplace Makeover
Simple upgrades to a fireplace’s aesthetics can transform a whole room. Give a dated fireplace and mantel a new look with a DIY project that can range from art deco to solid stone. Here are some tools you might need for different materials
- Glass Doors: You can add elegance to your fireplace with glass doors. You’ll need a drill, hammer, pliers, ratchet and gloves.
- Stone: Create a dynamic focal feature to your family room with a stone fireplace surround. You’ll need mortar, masonry scratcher, wet saw and grout.
- Mantel: Give your stockings a place to hang this year with a mantel. Many come packaged as a kit, so you can install one with just a screwdriver.
- Tile: Tile over brick to pull your fireplace out of the 80s. Once you decide on the kind of tile, you’ll need latex-modified thinset cement, notched trowel and a drop cloth.
Stairway Refresh
Create some drama in your home with a mini-makeover for your stairs. There are many ways you can refresh this major feature of your home. Consider a whole new look by:
- Adding a runner: With a sticky carpet mat, staple gun, carpeted runner (be sure it’s the right length) and a sharpie, you can make your stairs both decorative and safe.
- Painting the stairs: Create a new look by painting complementing colors on the stair and the rails. Accomplish big changes even on a small budget with just the basics— paint, painter’s tape and paint brushes.
Now is the time to take advantage of space to make little upgrades here and there in your home. Most homeowners have a to-do list a mile long— check some of those boxes without needing a contractor or carpenter with a handful of these basic DIY projects. Be sure to take before and after pictures!
