If you want to do extensive renovations in your home but don’t have a lot of available cash, there are many inexpensive ways to give it a fresh new look. The kitchen and bathroom are a good place to start, as they are two rooms that your guests are sure to see when you are entertaining.
An instant refresher for your tub and shower can be accomplished by getting a bright and shiny enclosure that covers up the entire area. If you have had tiles around your tub, as many homes do, you’ll love the easy care of the new enclosure as its smooth surface is easy to clean, eliminating those tiresome grout lines that attract mould. If you have someone in the family who is good at carpentry skills, you can install the tub surround yourself and save labour costs, but even if you hire someone, you will still have a great new look at a reasonable cost.
A fresh coat of pain can do wonders as well. The bathroom should have a relaxing colour such as beige or pale pink, and a novel idea would be the addition of a blue ceiling, reminding you of the great outdoors as you lie in your tub. Watch for a sale at your favourite linens shop and buy some colourful, good-quality towels and facecloths too, perhaps matching them with new bathmats. And while you are at it, you may as well get a new shower curtain!
For a final touch, purchase a new toothbrush holder, cup, soap dish, and waste basket, and add a decorative touch such as a wicker shelf with a small plant or ornament on it.
The kitchen is another room that your guests see and where you spend a lot of time, so it’s nice to spruce it up too. You can start out by doing an entire cleaning out of your cupboards. Every household has out-of-date baking ingredients and cracked or chipped cups, glasses, and plates that should be thrown out or donated to charity. Scrub the cupboards down, inside and out. If you can afford a new set of dishes, go for it. At least add some pretty new serving bowls and platters. Get clutter-free by purchasing spice containers, shelf organizers and anything that will help you to keep your cupboards tidy.
A new coat of paint in the kitchen will also brighten up your home. Choose a primary colour and a secondary colour, and if your kitchen is quite large, the darker shade would be best on the walls, with accents in the lighter. Then purchase curtains placemats, tablecloths, tea towels and dish cloths in the secondary colour. These items are easy to sew as well, and offer a great opportunity to make some of your own accessories.
If your cabinets are old and you can’t afford to replace them, you can at least take each door, sand it lightly, fix any breaks or cracks, then paint or re-stain them. If you have painted cupboards, you can use your imagination and alternate your colours to give a border effect. Or cut out the centre of the cabinet door and replace it with glass so you can show off your pretty new dishes. Replacing the knobs on your cabinets will brighten them up too. If you have the financial resources available, now flooring will give the room a whole new look as well.
Refurbishing your kitchen and bathroom will not only give your home an uplifting new look, but will also increase the value of your home if you are thinking about selling it in the near future. But most of all, you will enjoy your renewed home when you are entertaining guests, as well as for yourself and your family.
