The first renovation on the list says it all. Before the big projects that grab the headlines about top home improvements, before the title Top Renovations That Increase Property Value, even, there it is in bold, clear lettering: Home Remodel. Not that you’d need the top spot to know it: The shiny new appliances, sleek countertops, and open layouts all point to the renovation, one of the key upgrades for any home. But it’s not just about the big changes here: Between quick updates like fresh paint and stylish new fixtures, remodels tell a focused, slightly more modern story of homeowners learning that small changes can make a big difference in their living spaces.
Kitchen upgrades
It’s a shame that the kitchen must be renovated without the classic charm of the old wooden cabinets. But there’s a great new option in modern sleek cabinets. The stylish design matches the elegance of the old cabinets while adding a fun touch to the space, paired nicely with a younger, more vibrant color palette for the walls (pale blue). The modern cabinets and new wall colors create a notably fresh atmosphere in the kitchen, but there’s a reason for it. As the renovation continues, we’re clearly meant to appreciate why homeowners are moving towards more contemporary, open, and lively kitchen designs.
Bathroom remodels
As the bathroom remodel indicates, there’s a curiosity here about the fixtures, literal and figurative, all of these spaces have – and why they have them. It’s a design complexity suited to a project with the visual sophistication and practical needs of a modern home – it’s not for nothing that the homeowner ends up choosing a sleek, new bathtub. Every bathroom has been badly in need of an update, but this is one of the few times we see it actually happen.
The remodel doesn’t introduce any groundbreaking elements on the level of a heated floor, which was an original luxury that became popular long before modern home improvements. Instead, it builds on the earlier design’s foundation, roping in another popular upgrade: the rain showerhead. The tile work in week 2, “And Be a Spa,” is practically a rain shower solo installation mission. That might seem a little early for focusing on just one fixture, but it’s perfectly in line with the remodel’s mission: This first phase is all about the homeowners learning what they like – and showing them, the interior designer, and the contractor that they can trust the new design choices.
Landscaping improvements
The trade-off for this emphasis on planting and garden design is a yard that feels more like a small park with a few flower beds than a lush botanical garden. The focus rarely goes beyond the main features: When we’re not by the new pond or stone pathway, we’re near the flower beds or at the patio. It’s smart to go modest in scope – “modest” being a relative term for a project where a fountain centerpiece is surrounded by an intricate hedge maze – when you consider the landscaping plan only has a few months to make the yard look amazing.
But that time limit also makes it disappointing that there’s some repetition in the plants chosen: Both the rose bushes and tulip beds come from the same nursery – and you’d better believe they each form a different (yet similar) focal point in the garden by project’s end. The tulips go one step further in the usual garden theme of “What blooms first: The rose or the tulip?” proudly showing their bright colors and tall stems modeled after the roses. Pity that the 3D-printed garden gnomes look as out of place among the real plants as the plastic flamingos (and every other decoration) do – the natural elements in the old garden looked far better.
Energy-efficient windows
At least the sleek, insulated windows fit within the eco-friendly, modern sensibility of energy-efficient homes. The new windows may share the old house’s focus on reducing energy waste (that home’s architect, Jane Smith, is a consultant here) but its design is more charmingly innovative. The reference points reach even further back than the previous double-pane inspirations: The triple-pane windows offer superior insulation, creating a warmer, cozier atmosphere in the winter months. It goes with the home’s efforts to reduce heating costs and improve sustainability, as well as features like low-E coatings and argon gas fills. Not a day goes by without some form of noticeable energy saving, but the comfort never gets better than the warmth felt from sitting by the large, sun-filled bay window on a cold day.
Adding a fresh coat of paint
This can’t help but invite comparisons to the classic charm of a fresh paint job. The new color scheme does so much to brighten up the room, but its muted tones are a far cry from the vibrant, original colors it replaced. Adding a fresh coat of paint does itself no favors when, say, a section looks like it’s been unevenly applied, or when a spill happens on the floor, then gets cleaned up leaving no stain behind. (To be fair, given the inconsistency of DIY projects, this could be seen as a common mishap.) And while it can’t match the original paint job’s grandeur, the new paint can better reflect the personality of the homeowner: The living room is now a soothing blue, and the kitchen is a cheerful yellow; there’s also a playful mix of colors in the kids’ rooms. (And before you criticize any of this, remember: Before the current trend of neutral tones, bright and bold colors were in fashion, and even today, personal taste varies widely.)
It all speaks to the adaptability of paint – which homeowners took advantage of then (does the name Benjamin Moore mean anything to you?) and continues to today. The surfaces can, and should, change with any makeover to give new life to old spaces – what’s important are the essential characteristics, and what they bring to the home: the living room as a place of comfort, the kitchen as a hub of activity, the kids’ rooms as spaces of creativity. Few things transform a home as well as a fresh coat of paint. Fortunately for us, that hasn’t changed with this new paint job.
Conclusion
This article brings together the best ideas for home improvement, albeit on a smaller budget and with some unique twists. You’ll find fewer major remodels here, but in their place are some smart updates and the occasional splurge on something special. The kitchen remodel stands out as a key upgrade – its modern look and efficient layout eventually form a perfect team with refreshed (but fundamentally the same) bathrooms, living rooms, and outdoor spaces.
