Have you noticed that houses are selling faster than pancakes lately? But even more, home improvement sales are doing quite well, showing a healthy 22.6 percent increase over last year. Reasons for this surge have to do with people being home more, having more time on their hands, seeing more clearly what needs to be done, or maybe they are just tired of seeing the same old thing. Besides not everyone can afford to just up and move to their dream house; or maybe they are already there and it’s just time for some updates or repairs.
Of course, watching home improvement shows — such as the one I recently discovered where the young couple is trying to restore most of their town, one house at a time — often involves ripping out entire walls. Surely, if they can do all of that, I can muster up the courage and energy to take down wallpaper, spackle, and paint. Especially since I have not figured out how to get one of them to come and redo my house for one of their shows. Wouldn’t that be grand?
Before coronavirus, many of us were really satisfied to live with things as they were since we probably weren’t home all that much. Work life and home life were, for most people, clearly defined and in separate locations. But since the end of March, many of our homes have become ‘our everything space.’ Our homes have become our offices, classrooms, home movie theatres, stay-cation locations and outdoor entertainment centers, to only name a few. Increased cooking and dining at home has put more importance and enjoyment on mealtime gathering places.
While the new arrangements have their pros and cons, they have brought challenges when it comes to space, noise levels, and privacy. Zoom has brought a new level of unexpected happenings to office meetings and awareness of surroundings. It has caused many to rethink open-concept and become more intentional about home space.
Maybe you are thinking of just a refreshing look before winter. There are some ways to improve your indoor space that are not expensive but can lead to great results. Some do not cost anything except elbow grease, energy, and time.
Tips that can help a tired look become fresh and make your space more useable are:
cleaning areas or items not cleaned very often
rearranging furniture; changing out some well-used décor items such as photographs, pillows and wall art; packing away or getting rid of clutter.
painting walls or maybe just doing some touch ups.
utilizing your storage better (to make room for all those extra supplies you have stocked up on. Think going upwards in your closets).
If you have a dining room that you use just a few times a year, could it be made into a multi-purpose area (i.e. home office, study area, play area, relaxation getaway, etc.)?
If you feel closed in or in the dark, lighten up by painting walls, changing out light fixtures, removing light blocking heavy window coverings, adding some cheerful color to your décor; maybe add a small plant or two to bring in some nature.
add an exercise space, even if it is just a corner in the basement or garage.
Just some intentional small things can make a huge difference, brighten things up and bring some good feelings. Have you been saving things for a special occasion? Bring them out and use them. You and your family together is your special occasion.
If painting is not your thing, check with your extended family, friends, neighbors or other community resources for a painter or handyperson who does a good job, is trustworthy and is within your budget. Or another plan is to ask for volunteers in your pod to come do the work. Who knows? You might get lucky. However, things that might cause contention between you and other family members might be worth the price of hiring out.
It has been my experience that even the professionals will pass the buck when it comes to stripping wallpaper: “Sure we can do that, but let me tell you how to take it off.” Translation: call me when you are done. Hint: mixing two parts hot water and one-part liquid fabric softener to spray on the paper helps before tackling it with a sharp putty knife to scrape.
So, let the fun begin! At least if I do it now, I can go outside for a break and enjoy the view when I get to the ‘it gets worse before it gets better’ part. Motivation to get our nest looking good before winter.
