21 Easy Home Projects to Tackle While You’re Hunkered Down

Update spaces without buying anything new…

Surely, you’ve binge watched as much television as you can and created a new recipe book with all of the pinterest items you’ve tried. Instead of spending more time on the couch, why not take on some projects that could help you enjoy your home more, if not increase the value. Here are 21 easy home projects to tackle while you’re hunkered down.

Some of these projects might require items from the store. Be sure to read up on the social distancing and mask requirements of the retailer before heading out for your shopping. Keep yourself, and others safe by taking advantage of any curbside pick up or delivery options.

Refresh

Sometimes splurging on new furniture isn’t a possibility. Instead rearrange your current items around for a fresh perspective in your room. This can give you just enough change to feel new while not requiring an outlay of a big chunk of money. Move the bed, switch the couch and shift your desk. Your home will feel like a different place while utilizing the same items you already have.

Host a family dinner party. We know social distancing is in place, but that doesn’t mean you have to relegate yourself to paper plates and pizza. Take the opportunity to break out the recipes and fancy dinnerware for an evening. Set your kitchen up as a ritzy space and linger over dinner and wine. Your family will thank you for it.

Bookshelves are often left untouched. Now that we have more time on our hands, you might be reaching for a good book or puzzle from the shelves. Take an afternoon and give your bookshelf a facelift with paint. Adding a color to the back of the shelves creates a fun peek-a-boo effect once the books are replaced. If you are more brave, paint the entire bookshelf a coordinating color for the room it’s in. Even banged up or out of date shelves can look on trend with this type of treatment.

Clean

While most cleaning these days is centered on disinfecting, and rightly so, deeper cleaning can make your home feel fresh. Tackling some of these projects will give you a sense of accomplishment and a clean house to boot.

Vents take on a lot of dust overtime. Taking them down and cleaning them will not only reduce allergens in your home, it will also increase the efficiency of your HVAC unit. Sometimes the vents are stained and can’t be corrected with soap and water. If that’s the case, grab a brush and paint and start painting them. Once they are fully dried, reinstall them for a clean look.

Baseboards collect dust like no other area in the home. They are an often skipped area when it comes to cleaning and painting. Use your time at home to sponge off the baseboards and add a fresh coat of paint. Since it’s probably been some time since they were last updated, you’ll have an instantly more clean feeling home.

While we regularly clean the bathroom and vacuum the floors, go deeper while we’re stuck at home. Go into hard to reach areas to clean up long-forgotten messes. Move the furniture, vacuum under the bed and sweep out the pantry. This is a good time to check on the walls, paint and floors in these areas. You could uncover potential issues before they wreak havoc on your home. (Hello leaky window.)

Attack your under your sinks with the same fervor. Go through bathroom and kitchen sink areas and get rid of expired items. Add some organization items to keep clutter cleaned up. Wipe out cabinets and look for water damage. For those looking for a bigger change, this could be a good time to consider a cabinet painting project. Rather than replacing outdated cabinets, add a new color to create a contemporary feeling. While this project is messier and takes more know how, specially trained crews are happy to help.

Organize

There is no shortage of home projects to organize. Cleaning up extra clutter yields big results. Add stylish storage solutions to your home. This will help keep the messes at bay even after we go back to normal life.

Even the most organized person can have a messy closet. It’s so easy to just close the door and ignore the clutter. Purge what you no longer need, and clean out the interior. While it’s empty this could be a good time to repair any damage to the walls and repaint it. While you could use the same color as the room, you can also go wild and create a retreat with new colors. Add glitter finishes, stripes, mirrors and more for a perfect boudoir.

Entryways and mudrooms have become the catch all for items that need to be put away. Some of these items might not have a real home to be put away. Your entryway or mudroom surely has backpacks lying around that haven’t been touched in months. Tidy up by looking at organization tactics. Purge knick knacks and clean thoroughly. Add some hooks and mats for backpacks, jackets and boots. Give the kids a craft opportunity to decorate a nameplate for their area.

A few labels can go a long way in creating a more organized household. While you are adding storage items, add labels to each. This will help the family keep items where they belong. Take mismatched baskets and boxes and create a magazine style look by painting them all the same color. Choose an accent color or go neutral to hide the organizational tools. Add the labels and you’re set for success.

Walls

While walls might not be your first thought in cleaning and organizing your home, don’t neglect them. Dings and marks can nag on you without your realizing it. Work on walls for an overall update.

Wall hangings or old wall hanging holes give a messy look to a wall. Take a look at where your frames are placed and make sure they are pleasing to you. If they aren’t, take them down and fix them. While we’re working on the walls, take time to fill old holes from hangings past and paint the patches. A clean wall will give the look of a thought out and meant-to-be plan for your hangings.

Paint your walls in high traffic areas. Clean grease off the wall by the stove, scrub shampoo from bathroom walls and use a cleaning sponge to remove marks on hallways. If the paint looks drab, go through your paint cans and find the appropriate color. Touch up the walls that are particularly messy. Don’t neglect door frames and doors.

Use empty frames to do more than host a picture. Create an interactive note board by painting a frame with chalkboard paint. This convenient wallhanging can work to alert each other to where you’re going, needed groceries or whether the dog has been fed (since we all know he’s a liar).

Oftentimes, we let light bulbs burn out without dragging the ladder in to replace them. Create a good lighting source by replacing the bulbs that may have gone out.

Light bulbs aren’t the only reason our homes seem dim. Clean lamps to allow them to give more light off. Use a microfiber cloth or vacuum with cleaner attachment to remove dust and grime. Always make sure bulbs are off and cool to the touch before starting this process.

Clean curtains can make the room feel cleaner. Drapery stores suggest cleaning curtains at least a few times a year but most of us neglect that recommendation. Look at the care instructions on the tag and follow them to a tee. Some will require professional dry cleaning, while others will suggest gentle machine washing with mild detergents and hanging to dry.

Kitchens

Our kitchens are all getting a lot more use and in turn a lot more mess. Cooking and eating numerous meals daily for an entire family can take a toll on a room. Regular duties are enough, but tackle these bigger tasks to make the room run more smoothly.

Moisturize your wooden cutting boards. Using wooden cutting boards means you need to do some upkeep on them. This prevents cracking and warping, prolonging the life of your cutting board. To do this, wash them thoroughly and let them dry. Then apply a food grade oil like mineral oil or beeswax and let it soak in overnight.

Keep track of your essentials. Take stock of your liquor and spice cabinets. Remove duplicates and clear out those that are expired.

Small appliances that live on the counter will pick up a fair amount of mess just by being close to it. Use a warm sink of soapy water to sponge off the coffee maker, toaster and other items. Brew a few cycles of distilled water to clean the interior of the coffee pot. Take the trap from the toaster and brush crumbs away. Do not submerge any appliance in water.

Yards

Plants have had their spring growth cycle. Now is a good time to trim branches and leaves away from your home. If they are touching, they can create bridges for pests to head indoors. Remove leaves and plants that aren’t springing back to life.

Even with a small patio or balcony, winter surely brought some dust in over the months of cold. Sweep off the mess and leaves that might be lingering. If it’s necessary, use a power washer to clean stuck on crud off. Be careful using a power washer on wooden decks. Too much PSI can divot the wood and ruin it.

Your planters are surely ready to be cleaned and replanted for the season. Gather them together, discard remnants of last season and check for drainage holes.

Scrub your outdoor furniture. Dirt accumulates on your furniture, even if it’s covered or put away over the winter. Use a mild soap and warm water with a scrub brush to remove the mess. If metal furniture is beyond cleaning, use a wire brush to remove rust and add a new coating of paint to refresh the set.

Schedule an Estimate

If your projects are outside your range of capabilities, our teams are ready to help. Schedule an estimate appointment with us to discuss your painting projects today.