It’s amazing how quickly time flies. One minute you’re a young couple with a toddler and another on the way. Then in a blink of the eye your kids are graduating from high school and nothing inside your house has changed. Same old walls, same old couch! You are way overdue for a new look, but the thought of a whole home interior remodel can be overwhelming. Here are some little changes you can make that give big results! You can also check out a recent condo remodel we did for an empty nester couple that moved from their large family home to a modern condo in St. Louis’ Central West End, here.
Paint Interior Walls for a Fresh Look
One of the easiest changes that makes a huge difference is putting a new color on your walls. A fresh coat of paint is an affordable way to completely transform any room. Depending on your level of expertise, you could do this project yourself or hire a professional company. To make a smaller room seem bigger, paint the walls white or another light color. This will create a more expansive feel. Painting an accent wall with a different color will further enhance the space. Check out PPG’s color of the year for some color inspiration.
Make Your Kitchen Look Freshly Remodeled by Updating Your Backsplash and Cabinets
Isadora Rondon, a designer at Mosby Building Arts, suggests “adding a backsplash of unique material like mosaic to really make your kitchen feel like it was newly remodeled.” She also recommends painting your cabinets a fresh bright color or adding new hardware (knobs) to make a visual statement. Rondon added that simple updates such as buying coordinating dish towels, or colorful appliances, like a red Kuerig, will brighten up your kitchen.
Refresh Your Mantle to Make Your Living Room Feel Brand New
Before
After
If you’re looking to transform your living room and it has a fireplace, think about ways to refresh the mantle area. A hearth area originally built with a painted frame will look brand new with a stone front. Or consider changing the overall configuration (for instance, bring the stones up to the ceiling). If you have a builder-grade wood mantel shelf, consider adding a larger, heartier shelf constructed with more substance.
Homeowners Love Built-In Bookcases
Built-in bookcases have been popular for decades. They are a great way to make a space look established and pulled together. Consider incorporating built-in bookcases in living rooms, family rooms, and home offices to provide additional storage capacity, as well as decorative opportunities. Or if you’d rather, frame the sides and top of a doorway with shelving.
A New Front Entrance Will Add Curb Appeal
Painting or replacing your front door is an excellent way to add a lot of pizzazz to your curb appeal. This update applies to your garage door as well. Select a fun color that stands out to make an extra big splash!
Lighting Can Have a Huge Impact
While lighting is not usually at the top of homeowners’ minds when it comes to remodeling projects, it’s actually very important to the overall feel and functionality of a room. Plus, lighting usually affects your mood, both good and bad. Rondon says, “Combining natural light with additional white light in your home office can help with focus and alertness while working. Adding dimmers in your living room or family room creates a cozier feel.” Also think about adding lights to your exterior, along the pathway or front entrance. Landscape lighting is a relatively small change that makes a bright contrast.
The moral of the story here is to not underestimate the power that smaller design projects have when you are bored with your older look. You don’t need to undertake a big remodeling overhaul to make rooms in your home look modern again!
The team at Mosby has many ideas to share and would love to help you breathe life back into your home. For all of your remodeling projects, large and small, call us at 314-909-1800.
Isadora Rondon, Designer