Weekend Home Projects

Written by Milan Jara on 16th Sep 2014

Weekend Home Projects

I love planning out a quick DIY home improvement project and then basking in the results when it is over. I am one of those people who takes before and after pictures of each project to show everyone the difference. In my years of contracting and just doing basic work around the house, I have learned that simple projects can make a huge difference. You definitely do not need to take on a large remodeling adventure just to make your home feel fresh and new.

DIY Home Improvement

Photo by Will Merydith (Flickr)

Put Up a New Kitchen Backsplash

One of the things I have noticed in recent years is the growing number of DIY home improvement kits that are available at home improvement stores. A really fun and easy kind of DIY kit is a kitchen backsplash kit that can be installed quickly and make a big difference in the way your kitchen looks. As a tile expert, I would recommend a stamped tin tile kit. But anything that matches your kitchen decor and adds a new look to your sink is worth doing.

Change Up the Kitchen Cabinets

Giving your kitchen cabinets a new look can either be an easy DIY weekend project or a really easy weekend project. The really easy project is removing all of the old hardware and upgrading to new hardware. By simply putting in new hinges and handles, you can completely change the look of your cabinets. The easy project is replacing the hardware and painting your cabinets a new color. As long as you remember to use a primer coat before the actual color, you will be just fine.

Put Up Some Hooks

If you look around your house and see the kids’ jackets hanging on a doorknob and your keys starting to disappear into the mess on the kitchen table, then you just found the inspiration for a good DIY project. You can put up hooks and organizational items in your house to free up space and make things easier to find. You can do something as simple as installing chrome hooks in the hallway near the front door, or you can get a piece of wood and some stain and create your own hook masterpiece.

Put Lights In or Under Your Kitchen Cabinets

Lighting up the inside or the underneath of your kitchen cabinets adds to the look of your cabinets and makes it easier to use them. There are two ways you can add easy lighting to your cabinets. You can purchase battery-powered LED lights that are very easy to install inside or under your cabinets. The only drawback here is that you would have to keep changing the batteries, but some rechargeable batteries can remove a lot of the problems with cost. Another option is to install small LED fixtures in or under your cabinets that plug into wall outlets. You can also consider using LED rope lighting for a more even effect. You will have to get creative with the wiring, but that is all part of the project.

Instead of sitting around wondering what to do this weekend, you can change the way your house looks and feels with a simple weekend remodeling project. There are literally hundreds of projects you can do that will not take up your whole weekend and will fit right into your budget.

- Milan Jara

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