Simple upgrades can drastically improve the feel and function of your home. Read on for clever tips, projects, and products that offer a big payoff for a small investment in time and money.
1. Dressed-Up Door
Block drafts and highlight the entry with a curtain on the inside of the front door.
Lush Decor’s Mia Panel Pair in eggshell white with silver and black stripes, about $40, and Talon Valance in gray, about $20; wayfair.com
2. Surprisingly Luxe Lighting
Wire up a rustic lantern over a dining table as a striking substitute for the typical chandelier.
Hampton Bay Hanging 3-Light Outdoor Aged Iron Lantern, about $60; homedepot.com
3. Cozy and Practical
Cover a ceiling in cork for a cozy effect that also absorbs noise. Trim cork sheets to size. Spread adhesive on ceiling, position cork, and roll into place, securing corners with brad nails.
Natural Tan Composition Cork, about $3 per square foot, and Forbo adhesive, about $10 per quart; bangorcork.com
4. Noticeable House Numbers
Adorn your door with house numbers in an oversize fancy font so that friends can find you easily. Stick-on vinyl decals in a range of fonts and colors make it simple.
Similar: From $10; etsy.com/shop/vinylizeit
5. New Sliding View
Rehang an existing door, or a new salvaged one, as a space-saving slider using barn-door hardware for a chic industrial look.
Barn-door install kit, about $95; hardwareworld.com
This article originally appeared on This Old House.
More from This Old House:
- 20 Budget-Friendly Bath Ideas
- 88 Quick and Easy Decorative Upgrades
- 13 Thrifty Ways to Give Your House Vintage Charm
- How an Alleged Spy Balloon Derailed an Important U.S.-China Meeting
- Effective Altruism Has a Toxic Culture of Sexual Harassment and Abuse, Women Say
- Inside Bolsonaro's Surreal New Life as a Florida Man—and MAGA Darling
- 'Return to Office' Plans Spell Trouble for Working Moms
- 8 Ways to Read More Books—and Why You Should
- Why Aren't Movies Sexy Anymore?
- Column: Elon Musk Should Not Be in Charge of the Night Sky
- How Logan Paul's Crypto Empire Fell Apart
- 80 for Brady May Not Be a Masterpiece. But the World Needs More Movies Like This