Replace Dated Light Fixtures
You could renovate your home to perfection, but a builder grade flush mount (I’m talking about you boob lights) or a dated chandelier will be the only thing you see. Either spend $200-$300 on a few flush mounts that look beautiful or splurge on one show stopping light fixture that *makes* the room. You may be surprised how much of a difference new lights make. Check out these 20 lights I love!
Add Wainscoting
Wall treatments are perhaps the #1 way to give character to a home. Drywall is not memorable, but tongue and groove planks, beadboard, wallpaper, and decorative mouldings are! Take notes from the mudroom above. The vertical tongue and groove wainscoting topped with a Shaker peg rail is what makes this mudroom so charming.
If the budget allows, do a wall treatment from floor to ceiling on all the walls! If the budget is tight, you can stretch your budget by doing that same wall treatment only 1/3-2/3 of the way up the walls.
Avoid doing “accent walls” with your wall treatment (i.e. a paint color or wall treatment on only one wall). Accent walls tend to look like the homeowner ran out of money and couldn’t finish the rest of the room. Instead, continue the wall treatment on all the walls or, if the budget is tight, decrease the amount of material needed per wall so you can continue the wall treatment on all the walls. (i.e. wainscoting instead of floor to ceiling).
Add Window Grilles
I remember when my mom took out the removable window grids in my childhood home and it was shocking the difference that it made. The same is true of the reverse. Adding window grilles to your existing windows will dramatically increase the charm of your home, both interior and exterior.
There are many companies such as Andersen and Fix Home that sell premade and custom insertable grilles that fit most windows. Start with one room and work your way through the whole house as the budget allows.
