Want to update your dated home without a major renovation? Discover eight affordable home remodeling ideas that refresh your space without breaking the bank!
The Power of Paint
Always consider the power of paint. It is more than just painting walls, as refreshing a space that way is a given. When touring a home, avoid being thrown off by the color and the finish of things because that can always change very easily with paint.
Maybe wood trim is dating the space. While some wood trim is beautiful and worth keeping, sometimes the trim has too much of an orange tone. Consider paint for the trim. One can paint the tile floor in the bathroom or the cabinets in the kitchen. It’s even possible to paint countertops. All of these different surfaces need a different type of paint, so wall paint is not suitable for brick, tile, or countertops. However, the right paint can be found to work for any surface and totally transform it.
Painting Tile
Painting tile is an incredible, though often overlooked, option. It is a more temporary solution, but paint can meet halfway. Transformations from painting tile, such as tile floor in the bathroom or tile around a fireplace, can be drastic and incredible. Consider this DIY method before ripping out tile altogether. That little upgrade with paint totally makes the space feel more updated.
Painting Brick
If brick in the home is throwing off the design or looking tired and dated, paint it either black or white. Usually, black or white is the way to go. Colors sometimes create an even worse effect, but black fireplaces are stunning and white brick homes are beautiful. A huge change with minimal money spent can be achieved just by using paint.
Updating Interior Doors with Molding
Interior doors might be the reason a home is looking outdated. It is a small detail, but flat panel doors tend to date a space. Simply get some wood molding and install some detailing onto the door. This will instantly update the door. Flat panel doors actually provide flexibility because one can choose whichever style to build off of. Trim can be used to build out a traditional style door or to make it look a little bit Farmhouse. There are many different things that can be done with a flat panel door.
This is something that can be done independently. Construction adhesive is needed to attach the wood pieces, and then paint right over top. This can be done on closet doors, bathroom doors, bedroom doors, and any door around the home that is lacking a little bit of detail. The look can be elevated with just some trim.
Modernizing Switch Plates
There was a time when builders were installing Ivory switch plates. Ivory switch plates are a sign of a dated home; they do not look fresh and tend to look dirty. Instead of ivory, switch plates can be updated in seconds just by going to the hardware store and buying a fresh white wall plate. Switch light switch plates and wall outlets, some of which are screwless, which are even better because they can just be popped right on for a seamless and clean look.
While white switch plates will upgrade the look of a home, one can also take it a step further and paint wall plates to match the wall color. A wall plate can virtually disappear just by painting it the same color as the wall color. If there is wallpaper in the home, wallpaper can also be put on the switch plate, so it’s not visible either. Do what works for the home, but if the ivory wall plates are looking tired and dirty, consider updating them. It is super quick, very affordable, and will make a huge difference.
Adding Trim and Molding to Walls
Plain walls can look forgotten, tired, and outdated. Adding trim and molding to walls can make them look up-to-date, timeless, elegant, and more expensive. It is a small detail that can be added to an existing home that will make it look 10 times better. If there is a plain boring hallway, consider adding some picture frame molding to frame it out and add some detail. Again, this is something that can be done without help, it’s budget-friendly, and it makes an extraordinary difference.
Picture frame molding can be installed independently by cutting all the trim, measuring everything out, and installing it with construction adhesive and a brad nailer. It’s the same way that trim would be added to doors. To make it even easier, install pre-made picture frame molding. Etsy shops, Home Depot, and Amazon sell pre-made picture frame molding, so there’s no building involved; it just needs to be installed.
There are many different styles of trim that can be done. It doesn’t always have to look so traditional. There are modern ways of doing this and modern trim details that can be installed. Picture frame molding is on-trend and extremely timeless. Wainscotting has been done on the walls for years, so it will always be in style and will make a home look incredible.
Updating Window Treatments
Dated window treatments can date a space without one realizing it until they are taken down. Sometimes, this is something that people forget about. The swoopy curtains, the heavy drapes, and the vertical blinds are an eyesore. It is highly recommended to spend a day removing the old window treatments and either keeping the window open and fresh and letting in a lot of sunlight or, for privacy and style, adding in some new window treatments. Roller shades, Roman shades, or even just some affordable curtains can be used. Hang them high and wide, and the look of the home will drastically change. Window treatments are not something that should be changed often. Hopefully, they will stay long term, so pick something neutral that will be desirable long term and that will work with the space and not date it over time.
Staining or Whitewashing Wood Tones
Wood tones usually date a space. If saturated orange Oak staircases and cherry wood kitchens are seen in a home, it is probably making the space look dated. Refrain from ripping out all these pieces and starting again, though that is something that could be done in the future. Think about what can be done with staining or whitewashing. Stain is affordable, and it is just another project that can be taken on without any remodeling. Try and keep with a stain color that is more in the middle ground, not pulling too gray and not pulling too Orange. This will neutralize the space, and having that neutral wood color will make the space look updated and make it easier to choose paint colors and choose decor and decorate.
If a very modern, Scandinavian minimalist look is desired, consider whitewashing to completely get rid of the warm tones of wood. Whitewashing is like staining; use a very watered-down either paint or a white stain. This looks incredible when it’s done to wood paneling or wood ceilings. Whitewashing will allow one to keep the wood grain and keep that texture without doing a solid coat of paint.
Carpet Removal
Carpet removal seems like a big job but is actually very doable. If there is wall-to-wall old, dated, flat, worn-out carpet or colorful carpet in the home, it needs to go. It can be done with an exacto knife. It is actually a very easy, doable thing that will make a huge impact in a home. Consider doing this if there are some original wood floors underneath and one wants to refresh it. The carpet can be ripped up, and the floors underneath can be refinished. That will be an instant, affordable change. This is also impactful if there is carpet going up the stairs. Rip that carpet up and just paint the stairs to make a huge difference. This will add an elegant detail to the home that will make it look Timeless, classic, and up-to-date. Don’t let carpet scare you; it is such an easy change that can go a very long way.
Framing Bathroom Mirrors
When it comes to bathrooms, the wall-to-wall frameless Builder grade mirror dates spaces. The more modern thing to do now is to have floating mirrors that are framed and styled and that work with the other metal finishes around the space. They tie into the design and make the bathroom look complete. However, if taking down that large mirror, potentially having damage in the wall, repainting, and then hanging new mirrors is not an option, just frame the existing mirror. Again, this is just with trim. It is something that can be done super quickly that will make the bathroom look complete, well decorated, and updated.
This is something that can be done independently, and mirror adhesive can be purchased that will allow the wood trim to stick to that mirror. Cut the pieces to size to fit all around that mirror, glue it on, and tape it on just to let it dry, and the mirror will be ready to go. Then, just finish it off with a coat of paint. Adding that trim border around that Builder grade mirror will instantly Elevate the look of the space and make it look up-to-date.
