5 Easy DIY Home Upgrades On A Budget

When we first bough our house there wasn’t a lot of money left over for major home repairs but every year we save up a few dollars for upgrades.  Some are small – others (like the spare room turned laundry room) are major and require planning.  All them, however, help to turn our house into our home.

Since we work six days a week most of our DIY projects happen on a Sunday but even tough we don’t have a lot of time our small changes have made a big difference.  One of the first things we did was replace the hardware on the kitchen cabinets.  The cabinets themselves were in okay shape but the original hardware was not the most attractive and since it wasn’t the best quality either it was already rusty.  We chose a sleek stainless but this is a great opportunity to experiment with different metals like these beautiful brass ones!

We also replaced some of the light fixtures.  They were builder grade and pretty boring (not to mention starting to corrode).  Before installing the new lights we added ceiling medallions for a fancy touch.

Speaking of ceiling medallions, this One Kings Lane tutorial shows you how to use them to update plain closet doors.  These are infinitely more glamorous thanks to the fabulous colour and detail.  You can get the tutorial here.

How else can you update plain doors? With simple strips of molding, white paint and new hardware.  See step by step how these doors were transformed here.

Last year I also replaced all of the switch covers on our outlets with clean bright white ones. The old ones had turned yellow with age, a couple were cracked and most of them were splatted with years of paint.  It’s amazing what a difference this simple change made!   Ours were pretty simple compared to these stunning ones from Anthropologie but these were too beautiful not to share.

Next to a kitchen, the bathroom is one of the most expensive spaces to renovate.  Trust me – I know. We had to gut ours twice in two years.  But you don’t have to spend a lot to give it a new look.  Add a pop of colour with a painted vanity.  I love this one from House of Turquoise.  Just remember to scrub your surface clean with a degreaser before starting.  Perfumes, hairspray, lotion and make up can all leave a film that paint won’t stick to.

Have you tried any of these DIY’s?  Leave me a comment below!

To see more of these beautiful spaces don’t forget to click on the photos to be redirected to the source and Pin your favourites for later!

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HAPPY PAINTING!