Top 6 Easy & Affordable Ideas to Modernize Your Home
If you ask me, it should be the Top 50 things to update your home as there are SO many ways to save money when redecorating and updating. However, for the sake of short attention spans, the BEST bang for your buck, and the amount of time it takes me to polish off a bottle of wine, I’m going to stick to the Top 6.
The ONLY things that changed in this huge kitchen were the light fixtures and painted cabinets, yet it looks like a whole new space!
To make the list, these ideas need to be as follows:
- affordable (buck)
- impact (bang)
- easy (peasy)
Are you ready Betty?
1. HOME UPDATE IDEA – INTERIOR DOOR KNOBS & HINGES
APPROXIMATE COST: If you do some smart shopping you should be able to do each door for under $50 (hinges and handle).
It’s shocking how many homes have been fully renovated yet the homeowners didn’t think to change the door hardware…CHANGE YOUR DOOR HARDWARE PEOPLE!
I’m going to give you a few examples below. And if you like the STYLE, but not the finish, still check it out as most handles have different finish selections.
HOWEVER, watch out for this particular one…
I actually don’t mind the style of it this door handle. However, you won’t be updating your home; you’ll be backdating it. This style was WAAAAY overdone in the early to mid-2000s and can look a bit dated compared to cleaner-lined options (especially in an oil-rubbed bronze finish).
Black is a SUPER trendy choice of door hardware. However, you can also get this style in different metal finishes. Clean and simple…
Schlage Solstice Series non-locking / Solstice Series locking
This one has a slightly more traditional vibe, with a modern approach…
Schlage Accent Lever, Traditional
If you’re shifting your home from outdated to updated, but don’t want too modern, this is a good transitional style…
Torino lever non-locking / Torino locking
Read about my experience with SCHLAGE HERE
2. HOME UPDATE IDEA – CHANGE YOUR CABINET HARDWARE
APPROXIMATE COST: $200 (approx. $5-6 per handle). Average 30 handles per kitchen. Of course, you can ALWAYS spend more or less, but there are enough options out there, and that price range should satisfy most styles.
WHERE SHOULD YOU SHOP FOR AFFORDABLE CABINET HARDWARE?
I’ve got some great hardware ideas from Wayfair in this blog post HERE. However, even Home Depot and Lowe’s have some great ideas.
WHAT’S THE BEST METAL FINISH TO UPDATE CABINET HARDWARE?
There is no ‘best metal finish’. Sure, there are TRENDY ones, but they’re irrelevant if they don’t actually suit your kitchen. The best metal finish for your kitchen should complement the colour or stain of your cabinets, as well as the surrounding light fixtures (keep reading for a few more specifics).
Is Black Still a Trendy Finish For Hardware, Light Fixtures & More?
WHAT’S A TRENDY HARDWARE STYLE?
The trendiest hardware style is the one that SUITS the style of your kitchen cabinets. There’s nothing worse than a country-style arched cabinet door with sleek-lined modern hardware. Check out this blog post for hardware ideas to suit your door style HERE.
EXTRA NOTES
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make sure to measure the distance between the holes, so you get hardware that is the right size
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if you have knobs, consider handles instead. Buying a template like this one from Home Depot will make your life ten times easier
- and don’t just focus on the kitchen, do the bathroom, laundry room cabinets and CLOSET doors as well!
HOW DO I PICK THE BEST METAL FINISH FOR MY HOME?
Look to your existing metal finishes – light fixtures, cabinet hardware and metal stair spindles, as clues for what finish to choose. If none of those is updated (in other words, they’re probably brass), then choose black. Black is great as a transitional finish when you have gold or antique brass. This works great if you’re on a budget and can only replace a few things at a time.
Black is the most flexible hardware finish if you’re transitioning from an outdated style to an UPDATED one, but can’t afford to replace everything at once.
I WANT TO CHANGE ALL OF MY HARDWARE AND DON’T KNOW WHAT FINISH IS BEST
This is where trends come into play, especially if you’re concerned with resale. Here are a few things to consider when choosing a new metal finish for your home…
- Do you like high contrast or low contrast? If you have white cabinets or doors, black or oil-rubbed bronze will create a high-contrast look whereas polished nickel or gold will be lower contrast.
- Does your home suit curved, rounded lines, transitional lines or a more sleek, straight profile? The style of your bedroom doors and kitchen cabinets can give you great clues. If your doors have arched or curved lines, your hardware should pick up on this or at least be transitional (in the middle). If your doors have square, 90-degree angles, you might go for a transitional or more sleek style.
- If you change your door handle, you will want to change the hinges, so they match. There are several different hinge profiles, so be sure to take one of your original hinges to the store with you to get the right size.
- Black and gold are currently the trendy, popular hardware finishes for cabinets and plumbing fixtures.
- Black is the most popular finish for bedroom door hardware, followed closely by polished nickel.
- Black hardware is the most popular metal finish for wood doors (bedroom or kitchen cabinets).
- Don’t forget to update your closet door knobs too!
3. HOME UPDATE IDEA – PAINT A FEATURE WALL
Approx cost: $100 (paint, brush, roller, etc…)
Paint is one of THE least expensive ways to change your space! On a small scale, you can choose to do a feature wall or nook. On a larger scale – the whole shebang!
If you don’t know WHERE to do a feature wall or what colour to choose, I have a FULL blog post on this topic right HERE.
HOW DO I CHOOSE THE BEST PAINT COLOUR FOR MY ROOM OR ENTIRE HOME?
Okay seriously, that’s an entire book unto itself. Colour is VITAL to the aesthetic and emotional health of you and your home, and any choice should not be made lightly!
If you need help with choosing a new paint colour, I’m here for you and have DOZENS of blog posts related to paint colour, for example:
The Best Gray and Greige Paint Colours
The Best Neutral Tan Paint Colours
The 5 Best Off-White Paint Colours
And many more…
4. HOME UPDATE IDEA – PAINT ANY WOOD TRIMS & DOORS
APPROXIMATE COST: Under $100 (paint, brush, rollers)
This applies to homes built in the 60s – 90s when there was an overabundance of narrow dark wood baseboards, window casings and doors. In some modern or old homes, this look can be striking and dramatic as the quality and scale of the wood is often better. However, in others, this dark wood sucks the living daylights out of a room.
Ummm, is this hard to do? No. Is this labour-intensive? You bet your booty it is!
STEPS TO PAINTING WOOD TRIMS & DOORS
1. Tape off walls and floors and lay down dropcloths – you don’t want to spend more time cleaning up from your paint job than you spent doing it.
2. Fill any holes with wood filler and let it dry.
3. Lightly scuff sand with 220 grit sandpaper – just a basic exfoliation is good.
4. Use a primer like Zinsser oil base primer (I know, it stinks and takes longer to dry but it’s most likely to ensure the adhesion of your paint). Many of these wood trims have an oil finish on top of them and aren’t going to take new paint easily. If you prefer a non-oil primer, I totally forgive you.
5. Apply 2 -3 coats of paint. Brush only where necessary and do the rest with a 10-13mm nap 5″ roller.
AND REMEMBER, paint can take up to 3 weeks to properly cure.
Be kind and gentle. If you hit it the wrong way it CAN peel off, but give it time and with the proper prep work it should be rock solid.
WHAT’S THE BEST WHITE PAINT COLOUR FOR CEILINGS, TRIMS & DOORS?
While my three favourites are Sherwin Williams Pure White, Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace and Benjamin Moore White Dove, there are a BUNCH more gorgeous options out there…
The 4 Best Sherwin Williams White Paint Colours
How to Pick the Best White for Your Trim/Cabinets
The 8 Best Benjamin Moore White Paint Colours
The ULTIMATE GUIDE to White Paint Colours
WHAT’S THE BEST PAINT FINISH OR SHEEN FOR TRIMS & DOORS?
The average home suits satin finish on trims and doors. If you want more thoughts/details, read here: The Best Paint Finishes for Any Surface in Your Home
When painting doors…
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always remove the handle/knob before you paint the door, otherwise, you’ll spend many tedious hours painting around handles and end up with a less-than-ideal finish with brush marks
- only use a paintbrush around the hinges (and tape those hinges off).
Keeping your wood trim and doors? Check out this blog post for some great coordinating paint colours –The Best Paint Colours for Dark Trim
5. HOME UPDATE IDEA – PAINT THE INSIDE OF YOUR FRONT DOOR
APPROXIMATE COST -$50
A FEW REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD PAINT THE INSIDE (AND OUTSIDE) OF YOUR FRONT DOOR
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In our previous home, the entryway had THREE doors that all looked the same and were all shut 95% of the time (front/garage/suite). This created an opportunity to single out the main door and paint it a key colour. If there is any door confusion at all, then pick out your main door and give it some TLC.
- Your front door is a direct backdrop or in the SAME room as your living room or dining room. This is a great opportunity to add an accent colour and personality and REFINE your entryway, especially if you don’t have a defined entryway.
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If you have a back door (not including a sliding door) that leads out to your garden/backyard and it’s located in a major room (kitchen/family room/dining/etc…)
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If you have a pantry door in your kitchen that stands out in comparison to your cupboards (ie: you have espresso or wood cabinets and a white pantry door or white surround with a glass insert). Painting your pantry door will reduce the level of contrast in your space which will add to the flow and overall appeal OR it will add visual interest if you have all white cabinets/trims/doors.
To read more about the best paint colours for your front door, check out this post… The Best Paint Colours for the INSIDE of your Front Door
6. HOME UPDATE IDEA – GET RID OF THOSE BOOBY LIGHTS!
I actually wrote an entire blog post on this as I’m so passionate about it (no pun intended with the boobs reference). Boob lights instantly advertise the age of your home and are one of the LEAST expensive ways to update a space – so why not change ’em!
My favourite transitional light fixture is this one…
And it’s hard to beat the price! Click HERE
Is it thrilling and exciting? HELLS no, but it’s affordable and simple and is a great choice for hallways, closets and secondary bedrooms – common locations for ye ole booby light.
Want to read more about boobs? Well, you’ve got the wrong site! Want to read more about updating booby lights? Check out this blog post… Budget-Friendly Lighting Updates
Well, that’s it my funny friends. My Top 6 Update Ideas. If I’d done the Top 50 I’d be about 10 bottles in and flat on my face at this point, so ‘cheers’ to moderation!
READ MORE UPDATE IDEAS
Bathroom Update Ideas: High-End Look, Low-End Price
6 Ideas to Update Your KITCHEN On a Budget
How to Add Curb Appeal to the Exterior of Your Home
The New Era of Laminate Countertops and Why They Rock
Need help finding your room’s BEST paint colour?
Check out my Online Paint Colour Consulting, I’d love to help!
Chat soon,
Article originally written in 2016, awesomely updated in 2022
Pingback: Kylie M Interiors - Changing Lives One Room at a Time - The SITS Girls
Great tips! And great sense of humor…stopping by from SITS and so glad I did.
I love these ideas! Yay for making things look amazing with a little bit of money. Thanks for giving me some ideas I’d never thought of (first time home owner! This is all so new to me). I can’t wait to start planning my first room make-over.
By the way. Wanted to let you know I’m stopping by from SITS!
oooo, you should do it!!!! The only thing to keep in mind is that if it’s a panelled door then you will see ALLLL the dust collection in the little corners – other than that it’s such a fabulous look!!
Visiting from SITS
Great ideas, I have been toying with the thought of painting my interior doors black, love the look in pictures
Wow! These are all great tips! I love the cabinet hardware in the kitchen but we definitely need to do some painting. Hopefully this summer. I know it can make a big difference. This might have given me the little push I needed to just get it done! Following you now!
Thank you Michelle! Painting is such a life changer, visually, emotionally, everything! And it’s the cheapest way to redecorate! Send me some before/after pics and if you need any colour inspiration ideas shoot me a note and I’d be happy to tell you about some of my super fave colours 🙂
These are great tips. We changed the hardware on our cabinets and it made a big difference in our kitchen. I have been wanting to paint the interior of our front door for a while now – and your post has reminded me to do it. 🙂
Oh, you SOOO have to do it – you will be gobsmacked at the visual difference it makes! If you want any colour selection ideas shoot me a note and I can give you some of my personal faves (which really change on a monthly basis, but that’s okay 😉
These a great tips! I have some painting I’ve been meaning to do for a while. You may have just given me the nudge I need to get moving on it. Thanks!
If you have ANY questions in your painting adventures, please shoot me a note, I’d be happy to give you some food for thought and guidance!!!
I love your sense of humor woven in with your suggestions. Painting is definitely something I need to do in the kitchen. I changed the light fixtures and they were smaller than the originals, so need to paint that ceiling, and the walls. Thanks for the suggestions.
Thank you Sheila! You should read the things I ‘delete’ when I put my filter back on – it’s scary 😉 If you want any ideas for your kitchen, please feel free to send me a few photos and I’d be MORE than happy to give you some colour suggestions!
{Melinda} It’s amazing how dramatically a few, inexpensive changes can transform a room. Awesome tips!
Happy SITS Day!
Wonderful tips. The painting the wood trim and doors is a controversial topic in my home. I like the brighter look but the rest of the family feel you “never paint wood.”
Thanks for the tips.
Men in particular can be super funny about painting wood. My fave saying is ‘just because it’s wood – doesn’t mean it’s good!’ – there’s only the odd piece for me that actually looks good in it’s original condition (like floors….) and the rest…PAINT IT BABY!!!
Love your criteria! Right there with ya! I like the idea of painting the inside of the front door. That really made an impact!
Love your ideas! And the best part is ithat it is cost effective and easy to apply! Thanks for sharing 🙂 Happy SITS day! 🙂
Thank you! My focus is always on affordability (without sacrificing style) – a novel idea in the Design world!!!
Great ideas, Kylie! We are in the middle of a total kitchen remodel, but when the dust settles I would like to update the doors and door hardware on the rest of my first floor. Bookmarking this post for future reference. Visiting from SITS – have a great day!
I love these tips! One thing I definitely want to tackle in the future is repainting the walls in my house. Right now, they’re white, and it’s just so plain and boring. I would love to get some warm colors in here!
Ahhh, I’m a warm colour girl. Cool colours are great accent for me, but I live in a warm world most of the time. If you decide to paint and want some ideas for some SUPER DUPER fab warm colours, just send me a note and I”ll be happy to give you some ideas!!!
Great post, very inspiring! Thank you, and happy SITS day!
Its amazing what paint and hardware can do. I love to find hardware on clearance at World Market and Anthropologie. Sometimes I just buy them with no plan at all but to keep them inside a drawer. Until I decide to put it ON the drawer 🙂
Ooo, I’ll have to check those out, thanks for sharing!! I know, I totally hoard random things (I love feather toss cushions….) Thank you for visiting me on Sits Day, come back any time!!! I’m going to check out your site now!!!
I love these tips. And I love your honesty with the “kinda ugly” caption on the handles/knobs. Thanks for the tips 🙂
Thankyou Kelly! I do try to tread carefully with somethings, but other things are just too ugly to be kind 😉
I like the dark trimming. My parents have something like that and it does change the feel of the space. Enjoy your SITS day today!
Those are some AWESOME ideas!!! You have a gift for this stuff… obviously. I love those before and after shots!! Happy SITS day!!
I love all of these ideas and they are so true. Paint, hardware and a little creativity can go a long way in changing the look and feel of any space.
I sell some pretty cool hardware – knobs at this point will be providing handles shortly but they are hand painted and very unique. Check out my entire online home decor store. I would appreciate the support since it is a new venture of mine.
Once again, Happy SITS day and hope we can keep in touch. I’m a new follower.
xoxo,
Khloe
Ooo, I’m excited to check out your stuff and I LOVE to support a kindred spirit – I’m going to check it out right now!!!!
Great advice – can’t wait for the day when I graduate from home-renter to home-owner!
Thank you! I’m hoping to do a post soon on how to decorate a rented space – hopefully I’ll find some fun tips and ideas to help you out (without spending money 😉
Our kitchen cabinets don’t even have handles, so I guess the sky’s the limit when choosing options for those!! I would love to take the cabinet doors off and make them look nicer. Maybe I could get that done this summer…
If you decide to jazz up those cabinets, PLEASE feel free to send me a note AND send me some pictures! I’d be happy to give you some suggestions and tips!!
Saying hi from SITS! Great suggestions – I am working on several of them now and have the others on my list – especially the interior door hardware. Hope you are having a great SITS day.
Yay Beth, I’m so glad to hear that! Of course, if you have ANY questions, please feel free to shoot me a note and I’d be happy to throw some ideas your way!!!
What fabulous and easy ideas that look like major changes. Happy SITS Day!
I love how the after pictures brighten up the rooms! Visiting from SITS!
Love this!!! We’ve remodeled our home but have yet to change the door knobs. We are in desperate need of updating from the brass!!
Visiting from SITS!
Thank you Jessi! It is actually really bizarre what a difference just changing the hardware can do for your space! Thanks for checking me out 🙂
Ugghh, they say brass is coming back and I can agree that maybe in very small details or decorative accessories, but somehow I don’t see brass hardware coming back in style! You’ll be amazed at the transformation!
These are all great ideas. It really is crazy how painting a wall or a door can totally change the feel of a space. Hardware too is great because it’s such a small change w/a big impact, I’d like to be able to change mine out every year or so.
thank you Rachel and thank you for visiting my site!
LOVE these tips! When we moved in our kitchen & entryway were pink. Yep, pink. We repainted and it was like night and day! Our next project will be new hardware for the cabinets. Never thought about painting the front door either. Will definitely be doing that ASAP! =)
Thank you for commenting and visiting Sara! Good luck with your front door, it’s amazing what a difference you will notice – it’s one of those weird things where you didn’t know something was missing until it was fixed!!
Uhh, that hand knob IS creepy. I’m in the middle of selecting a new color for my living room right now. I’ve got one small segment of wall painted from beige to terra cotta. I love it & am going with it, but in a different finish. Happy SITS day!
yay, good for you! I loooove Terra Cotta and not just on pots!!!
Stopping by from SITS! I love all your ideas – we live in an apartment but I’ve flagged your blog for when we actually have a home.
Wow…old post, but still 100 percent relevant. I love your ideas. Alas, I own one of the 70’s ranch homes with DARK stained woodwork (which apparently was a must-have to go with all the Harvest Gold and Avacado lurking around.) While I admire the bright look of painted woodwork, we have lived here for 28 years and I am positive it is NOT gonna happen (I did paint the kitchen cabinets.) And although nearly every home in every magazine on earth has white woodwork, it’s actually not a “thing” where I live. Seriously, no one I know has it! Must be a quirky rural thing.
Anyhoo…after seeing your post about paint colors to work with the honey oaks (TONS of that around here) I was hoping you could do a post on working with dark wood. I’d love to read about it. Love your blog.
Now THAT is a fabulous idea – I will put it on my to-do list!! And thanks for visiting my blog! If you haven’t subscribed, please consider it as it’s free and then you can get my quasi-weekly updates (and I will write on that topic…)
Hugs, Kylie