Home Improvement DIY

They are relatively easy to install; all it takes is assembling and mounting the hardware and door to a doorway. Transform the mood of the kitchen with a bold new backsplash in ceramic or glass tile. Just make sure the wall is sound before you start the installation. Choosing one color and clean-lined tile for the backsplash in a small kitchen keeps the look uncluttered and roomy. With flagstone or cement pavers, you can easily make an outdoor patio in a weekend, no mortar required. Add potted plants and outdoor seating, such as a bistro set or an eclectic mix of colorful chairs, to create a quaint backyard escape.

• (One manufacturer is Pro-Lab and charges $40; includes a postage-paid envelope.) Conduct the test in the lowest livable area.
• Beaded board lends a traditional touch to kitchens and bathrooms.
• Find your crowning glory.Hire a contractor to add crown molding, a chair rail, or wainscoting to a room or two — it’s a one-day job with architectural pow.
• Just follow the directions for planting, and keep it watered and mowed.
• It’ll cost you little to nothing beyond the cost of paint and caulk.

For an impactful weekend update, swap out the surface of your kitchen island. Give outdated floors a refresh with our step-by-step guide to painting and stenciling ceramic tile. All you need are a few basic supplies and a free weekend to totally transform the look of a laundry room, bathroom or anywhere in your home that’s plagued by old or dirty tile. You can do it all for less than $50 and with no special equipment.

Paint or Paper a Wall

If your bathroom is small, chances are it feels even more cramped with an opaque shower door and enclosure. Swap this out for a crystal-clear shower door to open up the room and make it feel bigger. Use track lighting in addition to other lighting in the room, since it’s more specialized. Replace a traditional ceiling light with tracks if you want to direct lighting on multiple spaces — like shelves, work surfaces, or gathering spaces — in a room.

Up Next: An Honest Day’s Labors

With 103 years in business, our family remains committed to the highest quality products and uncompromising attentive service. British homes tend to be dark, and those with lots of natural light feel larger. Even if you’re not planning on moving, adding these can promote a sense of wellbeing.

If you have a few worn/discolored areas on the hardwoods, touch them up yourself with a little water-based stain to make them less noticeable. And don’t forget about the charm of a nice throw rug when needed. If you’re up for a little sweat equity, roll up your sleeves and remove anything dead yourself. Just follow the directions for planting, and keep it watered and mowed.

Add a pendant to the entryway.Try something eye-catching and cinematic. It should take less than an hour to replace the current fixture, to the tune of about $100 for installation. Blue is as calming as the sky, silver reflects light, jewel tones are bravely bold — and just might work. Getting your lawn in order is a good ROI home improvement project. This home by Frances Merrill offers some great inspiration.

Having to buy whatever is available in an emergency, and paying financing charges and interest on top, will only drive up the cost of stuff you already don’t want to buy. Grab bars are one of the simplest ways to make an existing bathroom more accessible. Stylish designs can be found at your local home improvement center. The most important thing to remember when installing grab bars is to find the studs and mount the bars directly to them. Miss the studs and you’ll be pulling out more than the bars when you put your weight on them.

Improving the things you can’t see could be even more valuable than just making the place look better. Replacing your carpet means tossing out all of the old floor covering. Save several scraps of carpet, whatever kind, for use on the top of sawhorses, as a creeper mat for working on the car, to pad your knees while fixing your plumbing or use as drop cloths. The rain gutters on your house are more than just convenient.

Refinishing takes about a day and $200 to DIY, and once you sand down the floors, you can refinish them with a brighter stain to lighten up the room. Sand and refinish hardwood floors with a lighter stain. Place recessed lighting 12 – 18 inches away from the object you want to illuminate. Install track light between 20 – 40 inches away from the walls of a room. Declared one of the go-to neutrals in 2020 by Elle Decor, this subtle gray has the cool undertones that owners of small homes are hunting for.