Five Small Home Updates That Have a Big Impact

We spent six months renovating our house – gutting the kitchen, refinishing the floors, painting every surface.  But, some of the changes that had the biggest impact were actually pretty minor.  If you’re not in a position to take on a big home renovation right now, I’ve compiled some small updates that will make your home feel fresh – without taking a big hit to your wallet (or your sanity).

1.  New Door Hinges and Knobs

Our house was built in 1981, so, in keeping with the era, every door had yellow brass hinges and knobs.  I know that brass is making a comeback in a big way, but this brass was sad.  Since we were already painting all the doors, we switched out the door hinges and the knobs at the same time.  We opted for an oil rubbed bronze finish and switched from knobs to lever handles.  I now love the contrast of the dark hinges and handles with the bright white doors.  It looks fresh and clean.  Bye-bye 80’s!

Tip:  Make sure you measure your existing hinges so you know what size to buy.  For the handles, count (a few times) how many doors need privacy locks and how many do not.  You can save a few bucks by not buying a privacy handle.  

2.  New Outlets, Switches, and Switch Plates

Now, this is one that I didn’t think of, but my painter suggested it, and I’m so glad he did.  The outlets, switches, and switch plates throughout the house were a creamy yellow.  We were repainting all the trim white, so the yellow did not match.  We changed every single outlet, switch, and switch plate in the house to a bright white.  My painter also suggested that we switch from toggle switches to rocker switches, and it really did make the house look more modern.  (I know – my painter may have a future in interior design!)

3.  New Ceiling Fans

In Florida, fans are a necessity, but I don’t love the look of ceiling fans.  Our house had an assortment of crazy fans throughout.  Some had stained glass lights.  Others were way too big for the room.  So, we took down all the old fans and replaced them with simple white fans.  Visually, the white fans are less obtrusive and noticeable as they blend into the white ceiling.  And you know what? Fans really aren’t that expensive and are relatively easy to install yourself, if you have an extra set of hands.

4.  Paint Your Front Door

Our original front door was rotted and broken, so we installed a new front door.  But, you can make your existing door look like new with a fresh coat of paint.  We painted the exterior side of our front door black, but left the interior side white.  After living with the front door for a few weeks, I decided to paint the interior black as well.  Now, the front door adds a pop of color and dimension to the otherwise neutral foyer, and I love it!  (As an added bonus, a black front door doesn’t show as many dirty handprints.)

Just look at how these painted front doors add character to the space:

{via Pretty Handy Girl}

{via House of Turquoise}

{via The Inspired Room}

5.  New Cabinet Hardware

We got new hardware with our new kitchen cabinets.  But, we also replaced the pulls on the built-in cabinets in our living room and on the cabinets in our master bathroom.  At some point, we plan to remodel our master bathroom, but until then, I am settling for new drawer pulls (and maybe a new coat of paint on the cabinets at some point – shhh…don’t tell my husband).  Like door knobs, there are so many different styles and finishes for cabinet hardware.  You can really transform the style of your kitchen or bathroom, just with some new cabinet hardware.

S O U R C E S

Below are links to the products that we used when we made these small but impactful home updates:

Everbilt Oil-Rubbed Bronze Radius Door Hinge

Kwikset Balboa Venetian Bronze Door Lever

Hunter Builder Elite 52 in. Indoor White Ceiling Fan

Hunter Stonington 46 in. Indoor White Ceiling Fan with Light Kit

Leviton Decora 15 Amp Single Pole AC Quiet Switch, White (10-Pack)

Leviton Decora 15 Amp Duplex Outlet, White (10-Pack)

Leviton Decora 1-Gang Wall Plate, White (10-Pack)

Amerock Blackrock Oil Rubbed Bronze Pull

Liberty Venetian Bronze with Copper Highlights Davidson Cup Pull

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  I may receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link.

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