Because of the pandemic, we’ve been spending most of our time in our homes. So why not take the time to improve them? Our homes are now where we rest, socialize, work, and everything in between. So we might as well ensure that it’s an ideal place for doing all of those things.
Home improvement projects don’t just make home a better place to live in, but they can also help boost our well-being. In a time when we’ve been feeling anxious or depressed because so many things are out of control, we can take control over the state of our homes. Here’s a list of home improvements that are easy, affordable, and sure to lift your spirits.
Redo your walls
According to a 2019 report by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), repaints are one of the home improvement projects that make homeowners happiest. A full interior repaint has a joy score of 9.8 (out of 10), and an individual room repaint has a score of 9.7.
Apart from redoing the walls, it’s also important what color you’re going to put on them. Color psychology stipulates that we have psychological reactions to different colors. Bright warm colors such as red and yellow, for instance, excite us. We associate them with power, hunger, and even productivity. Cooler colors tend to have a calming effect on us.
Use color psychology in your home by painting rooms or filling them with colors that will trigger a desired psychological response. For a more relaxing sleep, paint your bedroom a forest or sage green or pigeon blue. To stimulate your appetite, fill your kitchen and dining area with reds and yellows. But if you’re on a diet, dress the kitchen with purples, grays, or browns.
You can still have fun with wallpaper even when following the rules of color psychology. Choose accent walls to decorate with floral printed wallpaper or whatever pattern you feel to complement your color scheme.
Add some crown molding
It’s a small and simple change, but this can help transform your home. Your choice of crown molding can serve to underscore your chosen visual theme – be it modern, victorian, rustic, etc. Crown molding application is also simple enough for you to D.I.Y.
Making more room for plants
Having plants to look after in your home is sure to lift your spirits – ask your friends who’ve been flooding your social media feed with pictures of their plants. Having plants close by is good for your mental and physical well-being. Not only do they filter the air and even lower the surrounding air temperature, but their presence can also decrease your levels of anxiety and depression.
If you’re worried about biting off more than you can chew, there are ways to look after a low-maintenance garden. Research plants that are native to your area and those that require minimal maintenance. Use self-watering planters such as this one from Dewplanter. It gathers moisture from the surrounding air and filters it to make clean water for your plants. You can also try your hand at hydroponics or soil-free gardening. It’s perfect for the indoors too because you won’t have to deal with mess and pests.
If you’re short on living space, hang your plants or build a vertical garden or living wall using a trellis.
Window replacement
Much like crown molding, windows help add cohesion to your home’s appearance. Updating them can help modernize your home and boost its curb appeal. Vinyl is one of the more affordable choices and has a joy score of 9.6. It also makes for a more energy-efficient home as they are better insulated than other window materials.
Step up your insulation
Although insulation is a less visible home improvement as it doesn’t greatly change any visual elements, it still garnered a joy score of 9.3 on the NAR survey. This may be because it can make a home cozier and more energy-efficient. A well-insulated home means that your HVAC systems won’t have to work harder to get your home to your desired temperature.
The easy ways to improve your home insulation include redoing caulking and laying blankets of insulating foam or vinyl on the floor of your attic. You can also apply weatherstripping to your doors and windows to keep heat from escaping through the cracks.
These days, our homes serve more purposes than they used to. Where once they might have just been places to go to after a long day and to rest in, they’re now also our workplaces, schools, and gyms. Thus, it’s even more important for us to make improvements to ensure that our homes can serve us well as multifunctional spaces.