You're likely spending a great deal of time at home as you wait out the worst of the COVID-19 outbreak. If you're healthy, this may be the perfect time to take on a home improvement project that you've been delaying. You're not only giving yourself something to enjoy around the house, but you also may increase the value of your home. Here are a few DIY projects to tackle while you shelter in place.
1. Paint. This is one of the easiest DIY projects, and it can have the biggest impact on a space. Re-style a room with a fresh coat of paint, whether it’s a trendy blue or green, or a softer shade of gray or pink. Get some color inspiration.
2. Create a mudroom. Reinvent that entry space or nook off the garage door to create a mudroom. You can make it as simple as you want: Perhaps, add a bench and coat hooks or more built-ins. The Spruce offers step-by-step directions for building a bench seat(link is external) on your own. Also, consider purchasing hall trees online to help create the space.
3. Organize and declutter. Heed Marie Kondo’s mantra and tidy up your space. Tackle stacks of papers piled on your kitchen counter, your “I’ve been meaning to get to…” mound on your desk, or that closetful of clothes. A House Full of Sunshine blogger Karen Schravemade offers a budget-friendly way to cleanse your counter space(link is external) and take control of your mail by using a few wire baskets from the dollar store.
While you’re at it, organize all the food in the kitchen pantry you’ve stocked up. Here’s some inspiration.
4. Tend to the landscape. Spring has sprung, and that means your exterior likely could use some prepping for curb appeal. Create a lounge spot in your backyard, adding a sofa or Adirondack chairs, as well as a colorful outdoor rug and string bulb lights overhead. Finish it off with a fire pit for some cozy social distancing evenings.
5. Paint your front door. Create a welcoming entry. A fresh coat of paint on your front door can improve your curb appeal greatly, and it’s easy to do. Black is trendy, but so are other hues, like blue or red.
6. Update with smart-home tech. With everyone scared to touch anything for fear of germs, this might be the perfect time to add in more voice-controlled smart-home tech around the house. From keyless locks to remote-controlled lights, the options are rapidly growing. From mirrors to trash cans, practically any everyday home item can become a smart device. At January’s 2020 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the technology industry’s largest annual showcase, companies touted thousands of products intended to make homes more connected. Improvements in voice control—the ability to operate devices by speaking a command—was a big theme. The market for digital voice assistants, such as Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home, will include 8 billion products by 2023,
7. Update kitchen cabinets with knobs. Refacing a kitchen cabinet can be a mighty chore, but you can give your kitchen a simpler update by dressing up the knobs. Brass knobs and pulls are an easy way to add in some bling to your kitchen. Need help finding the right ones? Knobs vs pulls? Mix and Match. Black and gold quite popular.
8. Dress up a mirror with framing. Instantly update a space by adding framing to an unadorned mirror. This can be a simple DIY task that involves attaching slim molding strips in wood or a distressed silver finish, as well as gold, and gluing and securing them together on the mirror. Simplify this DIY task even more with companies like MirrorMate, which offers frames for this reason.