What better way to pass the cold, dark fall and winter days than diving into a home improvement project that will brighten up your living space and distract you from the uncomfortable outdoor weather?
Here are 10 indoor DIY projects that require little more than rudimentary skills, basic tools, and access to YouTube, where you can find how-to videos on just about anything.
Lay new laminate flooring
Laminate floors are a DIY enthusiast’s dream, as they do not require any joints, mortar or glue. All you really need is a T-square, a tape measure and a utility knife, because the laminate pieces snap together in tongue and groove format. Laminate floors come in a variety of colors and styles, including a wood finish that looks great in almost any room in your home. Laminate is warmer than tiles, durable and water and scratch resistant. Buy some extra boards to avoid mistakes.
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Change your lights
You don’t have to be an electrician to replace your old lights with new ones and you will be surprised how new lights can change the whole look of a room. Make sure you turn off the power to the circuit that contains the light you want to change before you begin. Unscrew the old plate for the old bracket to expose the wiring. Make a note of how it got connected (take a picture on your cellphone), then replicate it with the new device. You can find detailed instruction videos online.
Tile the walls
Add a tiled mirror to your kitchen or give your bathroom shower or tub a high-end look by removing and tiling the plastic edging. Yes, it’s grout and you’ll need to borrow or invest in a tile cutter, but it’s more durable and attractive than Surround. Note: If there is no cement board behind the edging in the bathroom, you will need to attach it to the walls first. You can find full videos online and lots of creative tile design ideas on Pinterest.
Build a better closet
You don’t have to live with the traditional rod and shelf cabinet. You can remove the shelf and bar and maximize that space with a closet system tailored to your personal needs (i.e. more space to stack sweaters or store shoes). Best of all, you don’t even have to do the mental arithmetic. You can have it professionally designed for $ 5. Go to closetmaid.com, click on “Design” and follow the instructions to enter your closet dimensions and storage settings. A few days later, based on your feedback, you will receive two designs with a list of components to buy (from Closetmaid, of course). Then just join the parts together with simple tools and a little bit of weld property.
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Convert a room
Which room in your home is making you shiver or has become practically useless? How could you reuse it? In my house it was a playroom that was outdated when the kids grew up. The pandemic and the need for remote classrooms have spurred us on to turn the playroom into a class / craft room. It took less than $ 1,000 to lay a new laminate floor, paint, and build a desk / work station with some IKEA filing cabinets and additional pieces of lacquered wood for a desk. We painted the old playroom furniture to match and added some brightly colored carpets to put it all together. When no longer needed as a classroom, it can easily become a scrapbooking / crafting room.
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Revamp your fireplace
If you have a fireplace, whether it’s functional or decorative, it’s likely the focal point of the room. Start with a fresh coat of paint. And yes, you can paint bricks and it looks great. Replace decorative elements around it for a fresh look. Check out the thrift stores for interesting mirrors and / or vintage picture frames that can also be painted to match your room.
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Build storage racks
There is likely some place in your home where items are haphazardly stacked or space is wasted over things stored on the floor. Winter is the time to build storage racks that will maximize your available space. Building shelves yourself is nice because then you can customize your storage unit to suit your needs and maybe make it just wide enough to hold plastic containers. This is a job that requires an electric saw, of course, but shelving is a basic carpenter project for anyone with rudimentary DIY skills. Note: Make sure the shelves are level, stable and / or anchored to a wall.
Update your interior doors
When my husband and I expanded our house, he went to a building auction and came home with eight interior oak doors that I thought were a ridiculous and extravagant buy. I was wrong. Once stained and coated with polyurethane, they were beautiful and made our entire home look high quality. I’m amazed at how transformative something as simple as interior doors can be. If you can’t afford to replace your doors, embellish your standard interior doors with a homemade paneled door. You can make them look expensive by adding some moldings to give them a paneled look and applying a fresh coat of paint. Check out Pinterest or YouTube for how-to videos.
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Change your hardware or devices
Cosmetic changes like new buttons and handles and / or new plumbing fixtures can give a room a whole new look. Replace boring kitchen or bathroom cabinet hardware with something modern or funky. They are easy to replace when you get tired of it. Likewise, shiny new plumbing fixtures can make a big impact. Plumbing is a little trickier, but assuming you stick to the same faucet, which requires a simple replacement, is doable for the average homeowner.
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Add a board-and-slat wall
Board and lath is a modern type of paneling with thin strips of wooden strips (laths) that are placed over the seams of panel boards, which gives a rustic and at the same time chic look. The strong vertical lines add shadow, texture, and interest to a room. These walls look great in a mudroom, kitchen, bathroom, and even a bedroom. You can find detailed instructions and lots of great design ideas on Pinterest. Just search for “Board and Latten”.
Bonus: paint, paint, paint
There is a color for almost every surface in your home – including countertops, cabinets, appliances, fabric pillows, and concrete floors. Make sure to do your research before you begin and prepare the surface according to the instructions. Buy the best brushes, rollers, and paints that your budget will allow. When it comes to color, you get what you pay for. High-quality paint provides better coverage and lasts longer.
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