Your home – the space between four walls where you
build a life, the rooms that are filled with messes, meals, and memories – tells
the story of you and your family. It certainly needs to be functional, but we
all dream of a house that also represents our personal style and aesthetic.
Realistically speaking, home renovations may not be top priority when planning
a budget, but we still want to enjoy the space we live in. Luckily, it doesn't
take a full home remodel to love your house. We researched various options to
spruce up your space while holding on to your spare change.
Splurge vs. Save
Dena: We all love a good deal. We also
love a good “dupe” – the “look” for less, if you will. Shopping online makes it
simple to find a similar or almost exact item at a lower price. A great tool is
Google Lens. It allows you to input a photo and search for similar items. We
tested this function to find these splurge or save pieces:
Appliance
Trends
Kitchen renovations are a common project.
We asked the experts from Town Appliance what’s trending in appliances. Meir
says that most people outfit a new kitchen with the standard, mid-level
appliances, and let the fashionable kitchen trends come through the cabinets,
countertops, and floors. Built-in appliances look very nice and provide a
functional, sleek look but tend to be pricier. Moreover, built-in appliances
should be done all at once, when a new kitchen is put in, rather than one at a
time.
Most appliance purchases are replacing a
broken one. When upgrading your appliances, better quality and more features do
cost more money, but high-end products are actually rated to last longer. When
buying an appliance “what’s worth the upgrade” is a subjective question.
Skimping on quality is usually not worth it when it comes to upgrading from
plastic knobs to metal, a plastic keypad to glass, additional grates, and
fingerprint resistance. One oven will not necessarily last longer, but the
experience while using it will be so much better if customers upgrade according
to their preferences.
Tip: Meir says that the self-clean
function can damage ovens, so it is recommended to self-clean only before
Pesach. Still, if the oven can be kashered the old-fashioned way, that is
preferable for the oven’s longevity. When it comes to reliable Sabbath
modes, there are many options. The Star-K GE zman technology is compatible with fridges and ovens. (Information
on the Star-K website.) Since an appliance is a costly purchase and should last
a while, it is best to speak to a professional who can help you make an
educated decision.
Do It Yourself
One way to beautify your home without
spending a lot of money is to do it yourself. DIY is an immense industry, with
instruction widely available, in magazines YouTube tutorials – even videos and
workshops at such retailers as Home Depot and Lowe’s.
Michal Dorfman, a longtime Silver Spring
kindergarten teacher, is a veteran DIYer known to come up with projects on the
fly. She shares how she repaired the concrete on her patio that had been
damaged by the cicadas. She first tried power washing it, but that did not do
the job. Self-leveling cement did the trick, but once the project had her
attention, she decided to add more detail to the area. She bought concrete
paint and a stencil and created a beautiful design. She repeated the stencil,
and it turned out looking like patterned tiles. You can use this method in
bathrooms by painting your existing floor a base color and stenciling over it. This
method also works great for backsplashes and shower tiles.
A perfect DIY project for experts and
newbies alike is painting thrift store finds like dressers, tables, and chairs.
To finish off that totally new look, we recommend adding fun knobs to the
dresser. A variety of them can be found at Anthropologie, Home Depot, Amazon,
and more.
Michal also DIYed her kitchen backsplash
with mosaic tiles that come on a sheet. She used tile glue and grout to
complete the project. If you get stuck on more involved projects like these,
Michal says video tutorials are super helpful.
Five Essential Tools
and How to Use Them
Of course, when taking on do-it-yourself
projects, you need the proper tools. We asked Ammi Adame, who works in property
management and also has a passion for construction, to list the top five tools
everyone should have in their home:
·
Laser tape measure: A laser tape measure allows you to quickly and
accurately measure distances. It is very helpful for measuring furniture, hanging
curtains, and doing home renovations.
·
Hammers:
Hammers are a versatile tool used in almost every project, including hanging
pictures, assembling furniture, and framing.
·
Pliers:
Pliers are good for gripping, bending, and cutting wire or other small objects.
They come in handy for making small repairs around the house.
·
Utility knife: A utility knife can be used for cutting cardboard,
opening packages, and slicing through materials like drywall or insulation.
·
Cordless impact drill: A cordless impact drill is a powerful tool that can
be used for drilling holes, driving screws, or removing bolts. It can be
particularly helpful for home improvement projects or repairs.
Small Updates, Big
Impact
Small updates can make a big impact. New
hardware on kitchen cabinets can modernize a space without a major price tag. Projects
such as painting a mirror frame or adding wallpaper to the back panel of a
bookshelf are smart ways to work with what you have while freshening up your
space. Changing throw pillows is one of the best tricks. Mix pillow textures,
shapes, and colors to create a whole new look for your living room sofa or
guest bedroom. Wall art is another way to take your decor to the next level,
and you can easily swap it out periodically for something new.
Exchanging your old light fixtures for a
modern LED fixture goes a long way to brighten your room. Updating your
curtains/blinds will also bring a new touch to your space. Ammi recommends
zebra blinds. They look good and offer variability, whether you like a lot of
sunlight or would rather have more privacy. Tip: To create the appearance of a
taller room, hang your curtains at the ceiling rather than at the window top.
Shop your Home
“Shopping” your home is a cost-free way
to redecorate. This process accomplishes two interior design refreshes: editing
and decorating. (The art of the edit is just as important as the design.) Our
spaces tend to accumulate a lot of extras and so the editing process not only
provides pieces to work with for the rooms you want to change up, but also
creates a cleaner, more modern aesthetic.
Start by walking through your home,
looking for the spaces you wish to edit and the ones you would like to
decorate. Next, gather items in categories from big to small, moving things
around one category at a time. For anchor furniture, think couches, shelving and dressers. Smaller pieces include end tables and chairs, and accents would
be mirrors, rugs, and wall art.
You’ll want to break up matching pieces. A
matching sofa and coordinating accent chairs can look entirely new when
separated and rearranged or placed in a different room. Layering textures helps
a room come alive; consider rugs, throw pillows, and blankets. Your kitchen is
probably the biggest treasure trove for decor. Decorative glasses can become mini
vases. Cookbooks stacked on the coffee table make for the perfect showcase.
Something to consider when shopping your
home are the spaces you’re looking to create – the “stations” that would be
most useful to you and your family. For instance, make a coffee bar using a
serving tray (or even a cake stand) and jars that are not regularly used. Place
the tray next to your coffee maker and fill the jars with coffee pods or
packets, little creamers, stirrers, sugar cubes, teabags – whatever fits your
needs best. Place coffee syrups, toppings, and even a vase with flowers on the
tray, too. Adding hooks for mugs gives the finishing touch.
A homework nook can take advantage of
corners which are often underutilized: you can purchase a corner or
"L" shaped desk- or maybe you have a nightstand that can be
repurposed. Add a comfy chair, a fun lamp (you can even DIY a plain lamp you
have lying around) and some colorful supplies and you have a designated space
that your children will be excited to work in.
Looks We Love
Shani: The dining room is reserved for Shabbos meals with
our families. It’s a place where our best tablecloths, dishes, and special
recipes make a weekly appearance. If you don’t have an obvious space for a
silver cabinet, you can build one into the wall between two studs, around 6”
deep, and it can double as an accent wall. You can construct one or even two
with a nice painting or mirror in the middle. Adding LED lights/tape in
bookshelves and around woodwork is not an expensive addition but makes a huge
impression.
Even if you are not a large family,
invest right away in an extending table. The table will grow with your family
and will also be useful when you invite guests. Lighting fixtures can be
expensive, but since they all come from China, you can get beautiful ones from the
Chinese website www.dhgate. com. Just make sure you find a reputable seller and
pay by a secure method.
Moldings are a beautiful feature that
that you can DIY. You can form squares on the wall with the molding and add
paintings, wallpaper, or even paint inside. (Textured paint is easy to
apply, and you can do it yourself!) Molding makes for a much more affordable alternative
to wallpaper, which costs a lot to install. Also, when you are buying chairs
for the dining room, try them out first to ensure they are comfortable! And
make sure they are easily cleaned by just wiping them down.
* * *
Daniella: The living room is a very important part of the
house. You likely spend a lot of time there, and it is also a space where
you will host guests. Velvet couches are attractive, easy to clean, and have a
fun texture. Throw pillows really add to the look, and they are inexpensive and
easy to switch out whenever you feel like you want something different. A
coffee table is important so that guests have a place to set something down.
Accent chairs add interest to the room but, more importantly, they offer more
seating. Bouclé fabric is super trendy right now, and using it on an accent
chair is the perfect way to bring in the style without committing to a whole
sofa.
* * *
Dena: A guest bedroom should be warm, inviting, and fun!
It’s a space to play with prints, patterns, and textures in your linens, rug,
and walls. Wallpaper adds a fun pop! Remember also that while the room should
be esthetically pleasing, it should be practical, too, and contain items that
guests will actually use. Always have a mirror in a guest room; this is so easy
to overlook. Comfy pillows and warm blankets ensure that guests will have a
comfortable stay. It’s really thoughtful and appreciated to have items such as
toothpaste and toothbrushes, and mini toiletries like deodorant and shampoo. A
box of tissues should be placed on the nightstand and plush towels on the bed.
Additional items to include in the room are a clock, fan, and Shabbos lamp.
Snacks and water bottles are always a nice touch. To really go the extra mile,
you can print zmanim and minyanim times for your out-of-town Shabbos
guests.
