5 Eco-Friendly Projects That Will Dramatically Upgrade Your Home’s Appearance

Buying a home is the largest single purchase most of us will ever make. The excitement of seeing your home for the first time, getting to move in and live there is unexplainable. The pride and sense of accomplishment is undeniable.

The only more exciting than buying your home, is building it. And modular homes in specific have been rising in popularity. Having the ability to have a house built in an eco-friendly environment, designed to your liking, and built for you – all within deadline is a luxury many Americans savor.

But after living even in your custom made home, in a few years or even a few months, the newness may be wearing off. What this means is that it is time for some fresh updates. Even just a few small changes can make a big difference.

After interviewing a modular home builder in California, here is what they recommended for quick, affordable, DIY upgrades to dramatically improve your home’s appearance.

1. Trim Your Windows

Many upscale and modern homes have special touches like Crown Molding and Window Trim.  You can actually add these yourself.  Go to the local hardware or home improvement store and ask for assistance.  Be sure to take measurements with you. If your windows already have trim consider staining or painting them with eco-friendly paint.

2. Paint or Stain Outdated Banisters

If you have stairs with oak bannisters, this is an easy fix. Naturally, oak will fade over time and lose its once pristine look. by repainting them, your home will radiate with that “newly purchased” vibe. Again, your local home improvement store should have several green choices to re-stain or paint banisters and give them a fresher, modern look.

3. Cover Ugly Laminate Countertops

You may not be able to afford to replace these with a nice granite or marble, but there are ways to make them look better. The easiest one is to repaint them. Thankfully the internet has aggregated many guides on how to re-do your countertops without actually replacing the material.

4. Paint Ceiling Fans

These are so necessary for good air circulation no matter what the weather is outside, but they are so ordinary and boring. Consider painting or restaining them to renew your homes vibe. One creative idea is to let your kids add their favorite sports team logos or story titles.  For a more upscale look, match your ceiling fan colors to your home’s tertiary colors. For whichever colors or designs you pick, the lighter the color the more vibrant your home will feel. For more public areas such as the living room, go with bright colors while bedrooms can afford darker colors.

5. Upgrade Plain Closet Doors

Those plain folding or sliding doors could do with a coat of paint or a design element.  If they have handles, consider changing the hardware to something different.  Or paint them a complimentary color. Upgrading your closet door will completely change the vibe in your bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchens.

Make It Fun

Let yourself enjoy some creative time. Bring your home decorating into the 21^st century and actually enjoy doing it. Home Depot has a Home Décor Ideas and How to Guides page that also lists DIY projects and they offer in-store workshops to their customers.  Look at the latest issue of House Beautiful or an Interior Design Magazine for current trends and ideas.  Go tour some new homes for sale and see what the latest decorators are doing and take pictures.

Let your imagination run a little wild and write down some of your ideas and then go to your local home improvement or even interior design store and see what they have that catches your attention within your budget.