Home remodeling, if you can afford it, is almost always a sound investment. Even just updating your smallest bathroom can earn you back 60% of your home’s reselling value. Below are a few of our absolute favorite home remodeling themes and why we think they’re fabulous:
1. Vinyl Tile
So if you’ve just bought a new home but are thinking of home remodeling because the present kitchen design looks like something out of the 1970’s, have no fear. We get you. And we think you should look into vinyl tile. Vinyl tile is a great DIY option, especially if your general feeling is “I’m not exactly sure what I want, but I need to rip out this floor as soon as possible.” It’s affordable, easy to install, and it comes in hundreds of colors, textures, and styles. We’re especial fans of it in the kitchen, and like anything in neutral rustic tones that camouflage dirt, such as olive or oxblood.
2. Hardwood Floors
Natural hardwood flooring can last for over a century (that’s right, an entire 100 years), and can make even the dingiest living room look deluxe. For these reasons (and because a Swiffer consistently makes them look like new), we recommend looking into hardwood flooring the next time you find the cash to re-do the den. Just be sure your contractor knows to let the lumber acclimate to its natural environment for about a week before installation. Nothing ruins the hardwood floor effect faster than a warped plank. (Not to mention, what a splinter hazard)!
3. Non-Traditional and Space-Efficient Closets
If you do even preliminary Googling on your home remodeling journey, you’ll probably notice pretty soon that most closets look woefully inefficient. Sure, most have a hanger wrack, but what about all that dead space under the hems of the coats, or on the closet door? If you can, add some more interior shelving for your closets to maximize your space, or at the very least, a shoe rack. Sifting through the shoe sea on the closet floor is no fun for anyone.
4. Statement Carpeting
Since a lot of modern furniture is minimalist and hopelessly neutral, we like to spice up our rooms with one center piece item. A carpet is a convenient pick for this item since it’s usually big enough to be noticed and in the center of the room. What counts as a statement for you is subjective, but some cool ideas we’ve seen so far on our home remodeling journey are:
– Carpets that look like grass
– A white circular carpet with two yellow beanbag chairs attached so that it looks like sunny side up eggs
– Carpets with stone or water patterns
– Map or puzzle carpets
– Optic carpeting that conveys depth or movement
The best part about these suggestions is that, with the exception of the hardwood, they’re all relatively easy updates that require no more than a foray to a Home Depot or your local Home Goods. So get creative already!