How To Refresh Your Home to Make It More Welcoming
-guest post by Alyssa Strickland, Creator of Millennial Parents
As the world continues to deal with the pandemic and its repercussions, you may be itching to refresh your home. Put the extra time you're spending there to use and turn your vision into your reality. Check out these tips from Maisonologie on how you can make changes to your home that improve both your home and your well-being.
Play with Decor
Simply decluttering, organizing and rearranging your furniture can significantly impact the look of your home. Boosting natural light, adding soothing scents and even some indoor plants will add a dose of positivity too.
Decor matters too. When you want to update your aesthetic, think about the colors, materials and designs that speak to you the most. Consider new throw pillows and blankets, whimsical planters and an ottoman. Or perhaps new cabinet and drawer hardware, brightly colored dish towels, stylish dishes or statement hooks. Check out Amal’s Room to find a variety of pieces that can add a special touch.
Paint the Walls
Something you can do at home on your own that's low-cost and high-impact is to give your walls a fresh coat of paint. Choose something bright to bring cheer to the indoors. If you don't feel comfortable painting an entire room in a bright hue, an accent wall can be a great solution to bring interest and colour to a room without eating up money and effort.
Painting goes best when you have good tools that make the process as smooth as possible. Choose a quality roller cover and brushes that will help the paint go on easily and evenly. Take the time to cover your floors and furniture with plastic to make sure you don't get paint on them. Use tape to protect edging and make your lines clean.
Focus on Floors
Like walls, floors make up a large part of the visual aspects of homes, and changes to them can have a huge effect on how a room looks and feels. Depending on what you're starting with, you may want to add carpet or hardwood flooring. There are many affordable DIY options on the market that make it easier than ever to replace or install your desired flooring on your own, with laminate options especially popular. If you do choose to install your own flooring, do your research to see which options have the best reviews, and carefully follow the directions to save you money fixing mistakes down the line.
There are benefits to hiring professionals to complete the project for you. You're likely to get the job done in less time, and you can rest assured the installation is being done properly. Many installers also offer continuing services should you have any issues and need repairs or replacements completed.
Create a Basement Space
A basement can be the perfect space for you to relax and practice healthy mental habits, especially in times of high stress. Renovating your basement and turning it into a place for mindful meditation, a home gym or even an entertainment center is a great way to give yourself the self-care you need.
If your basement is unfinished, you may have more work to do than a simple renovation, and doing it yourself creates headaches. Hire professional help to ensure a quality job. Where you live, what improvements you want and the materials you use will affect how much the project costs. If you are adding carpeting, ask your contractor to include a subfloor, as basement carpet is prone to mold.
Whether you're planning to stay in your home forever or looking to sell in the future, making changes to your home today can make your home more attractive for yourself or future buyers. Take steps to improve your home, and thus your mental health and you'll be grateful that you did in the days to come.
Alyssa Strickland created millennial-parents.com for all the new parents on the block. Alyssa believes the old adage that it takes a village to raise a child, but she also thinks it takes a village to raise a parent! Millennial-Parents is that village. Today’s parents can be more connected than ever and she hopes her site will enrich those connections. On Millennial-Parents, she shares tips and advice she learns through experience and from other young parents in three key areas -- Education, Relationships, and Community.