We are in the process of moving and have recently purchased one of those cute little country home plans that is the perfect size for the two of us. It is an older home so we want to fix some things up. Since the weather is too cold to work outside we have started on the interior. There are some great trends for 2011 that I have read about and hopefully we will have the time to get them all done before spring rolls around.
The kitchen is a galley-style with a cozy breakfast nook. The countertop needs to be replaced but the cabinets are in pretty good shape. I read in a magazine article that varying cabinet and counter height adds interest to a kitchen. This could easily be done since we will be removing them so we can change the finish. So many of the new cabinets with detailed woodwork almost look like furniture. While I really like the style I don’t think we can make it work with what we have. I want to keep the quaint cozy feel so I plan on keeping the old cabinets and adding a vintage-style finish. This is very popular right now and will work perfectly with the existing cabinets. Another trend that is “hot” right now is to paint your cabinets. Some great colors for 2011 are earth tones that create a comfy, cozy feel to your kitchen floor plan.
Other great ideas to update your kitchen are to add new hardware. Drawer and cabinet handles get old and scratched so changing them out will add a clean, updated look. Also putting shelves and dividers in cabinets and drawers will help you organize spices, silverware, serving utensils, etc. and will make finding things much easier.
Our new home plan has two baths. One has been updated and requires no work but the master bath could definitely use a facelift. Some things that we would love to do would be to remove the vinyl flooring and add a tile floor. The large square tiles are the newest craze and there is less grout making the floor easier to clean and also install. Once thing for sure, since we are going to replace the floor we will definitely add radiant flooring. With a heated floor it not only makes stepping out of the shower onto a warm floor a wonderful feeling, it also helps with energy efficiency.
Another quick fixer-upper is to replace or even paint lighting fixtures. Make sure you use metal surface primer and paint and always disconnect the fixture from the power source or turn off the breaker. Since electric lighting burns up to 25% of the average home energy usage, a great way to save money is to use LED bulbs in all your fixtures.
Above are some great tips to update the interior of your home. As you cross them off your list the weather will be warming up and projects outdoors will occupy your time. Think about updating exterior decks and patio surfaces with a new finish. There are many color and styles to choose from that will resemble the real deal with much less maintenance and installation time. We are thinking about a great way to enjoy the outdoors without getting “bugged” by pesky insects is to enclose our porch or patio to create a screened-in porch. By the time we add trendy patio furniture and an outdoor area rug it will be time to sit back and relax and enjoy our wonderfully redecorated home.
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