Spring Your Home’s Value

It’s Spring Cleaning 2.0

This cost of living is constantly increasing, yet the places we call home can remain stagnant in value. Sometimes a tight budget or pressed time  can be seen as reason to keep home looking stale and uninspired. From eroding paint to raggedy furniture and crowded corners, this outline will help you increase the value of your space and achieve a more chic, thoughtfully edited home, without emptying your wallet.

1. Think open: Try hanging pots and pans with wall-mounted hooks or a hanging rack. Another option is to create open shelving by removing a few overhead cabinets. Both are easy ways to increase the visual space of your kitchen.

2. Update cabinet handles: Replacing generic or old cabinet handles in the bathroom and kitchen can do wonders. When shopping, look for handles that are functional but also keep in line with the overall aesthetic of your space.

3. Get new outlet and light-switch plates. These fixtures are notorious for getting dirty over time. So, either replace the plates or paint the plates, after a good rundown of rubbing alcohol, the same color as the surrounding wall.

4. Refresh the trim: Beat-up, dirty looking trim gives a subtle impression that the whole house is dingy. Eradicate this by repainting the trim. This will give your space a sharper look.

5. Get the nitty-gritty: Use grout paint pens to give bathroom tiles, and subsequently the bathroom, a fresher look.

6. Fix-up the front yard: Spend time weeding the yard and laying down dark mulch. The point here is to keep the landscape simple and attractive.

Circle Circle, Dot Dot

Interior designers have decided to double up on the trendiest print: circles. This season, it’s more about mixing various circular patterns, than it is about a single print. It might sound overwhelming, but if executed correctly, you’ll end up with a chic space that looks ahead of the curve. The trick is to mix the print from small to large, for example: a small pattern should be something like a micro dot, a medium pattern could be a polka dot and a large pattern could be basic graphic circles. The technique of mixing two to three different sizes, going from small to large, will keep things tidy and interesting. Polka dots translate well as wallpaper so, try it out on the entry hall or the dining room.

Also, keep in mind that any compact room with little upholstery can be transformed with a lively mix of circles and dots. If you’re not feeling quite so adventurous, just try adding circle print or dotted pillows, of various sizes, on to your couch; this technique is both easy to live with and far more interesting than basic pillows. The point is to exercise your creativity, so don’t be afraid to venture past walls and upholstery in order to consider other surfaces for dot decor. What about a charming polka-dot printed tabletop or wooden chair? Enjoy the process and you’ll be spot on, every time.