Life, Styled
Home improvement spending is surging as homeowners take advantage of low-interest rates to tackle overdue projects. However, homeowners aren’t spending their remodeling dollars recklessly. They’re investing in projects that save energy, add value, and make their homes more comfortable, functional, and livable.
Whether you plan to sell in the coming months or are simply ready for an upgrade, you’re probably wondering which home improvements will pay off in 2021. Let this information from Greenbrook Design guide you as you prepare to remodel your home.
The Top Home Improvements For 2021
Today’s trending home improvements reflect many of the changes brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, with outdoor living, home office, and kitchen and bath renovations topping homeowners’ to-do lists. These include projects like:
- Landscaping.
- Fence installation.
- Deck/porch/patio remodel or addition.
- Interior painting
- Flooring installation.
- Lighting installation.
- Minor kitchen and bathroom remodel.
- Home office additions.
- Energy-efficient improvements.
Of course, popularity isn’t the only factor when deciding to undertake a renovation. You also want to know what a home improvement project costs and if there’s any way to save a little cash along the way. Read on to get the lowdown on the leading home improvement projects.
What To Know About These Top Home Improvement Projects (Part 1)
When you want to revamp your home but don’t know where to start, Greenbrook Design is here to help. Here’s what to expect from these trending home improvements.
Outdoor living renovations
Spending more time outdoors is great for the body and mind — not to mention your sanity while cooped up at home. These are the projects with the biggest impact on your outdoor enjoyment.
Totally DIY-able: Landscaping
From building raised garden beds to installing drought-tolerant lawns, homeowners are getting their hands dirty in the backyard this year. Not only do landscaping projects improve curb appeal, but they’re great for getting close to nature, too. Test your green thumb with fun, affordable landscaping projects like creating a pollinator garden, installing landscape plants, or building a DIY water feature.
What To Know About These Top Home Improvement Projects (Part 2)
DIY potential: Building a deck or patio
Decks are enjoying a moment in the spotlight as homeowners lean into the outdoor living trend. According to CNBC, wood decks give a 66% return on your investment, which runs around $5,000 to $7,500 for a professionally installed deck. Composite decks, increasingly popular due to rising lumber prices, are close behind at 63%. While building a traditional deck isn’t a project to DIY, handy homeowners can construct a floating deck or create a patio out of pavers, flagstone, or gravel.
Don’t DIY: Installing a fence.
Fencing is another major backyard project homeowners are undertaking this year. The average price to install a fence is $4,500, but this varies significantly based on the property size, fence material, and geographical location. If you want to be sure you’re getting a good price on a fence company (because you’ll need one), shop around and tell your fencing contractor about underground utility lines in advance.
Kitchen and Bath Remodels
Minor kitchen and bath remodels are a safe investment for homeowners, but think twice before splurging on a major overhaul. Buyers value modern kitchens and bathrooms, but custom remodels rarely pay off. Instead, focus on mid-range projects with mass appeal. Three projects where you can’t go wrong include:
Totally DIY-able: New light fixtures
Changing out light fixtures is one of the easiest — and most impactful — projects in a kitchen or bathroom. As long as you have a few basic tools, including wire strippers, a screwdriver, and a ladder, you can quickly swap a light fixture for a new style. Just be sure to shut off the electricity first!
DIY potential: A kitchen island
Kitchen islands add prep space, seating, and define a kitchen in an open floor plan. The price of installing an island depends on the type of island and whether you need to remove a wall. A traditional island with plumbing and wiring costs around $5,000, while a basic island or rolling cart is much more affordable. Prefer to DIY? Islands made with stock cabinets and countertops are simple to build yourself. If you’re adding a sink or cooktop to your island, hire a licensed professional.
Don’t DIY: Eco-friendly appliances
ENERGY STAR appliances use less energy and water than conventional appliances, making them the go-to choice of budget-minded and eco-conscious consumers alike. Expect to pay $4,000 to $6,500 for a mid-range kitchen appliance package with slightly higher prices for gas appliances. Luckily, most stores offer delivery and installation (including free local delivery from Home Depot and Lowe’s), so there’s no need to do the heavy lifting yourself.
Living and Home Office Renovations (Part 1)
When it comes to your home’s value, kitchens, bathrooms, and curb appeal are the money makers. However, there are lots of other home improvements that are worthwhile to undertake. While they may be less flashy than a brand-new deck, these home improvements are still a smart investment.
Totally DIY-able: click-together flooring
Click-together luxury vinyl tile and engineered hardwood are a DIY-friendly alternative to traditional flooring. Because click-together planks are installed as a floating floor you don’t need to attach planks to a subfloor. Homeowners who install their own click-together flooring only have to pay for materials, which range from $2 to $10 per square foot, depending on quality.
DIY potential: Interior painting
Painting sounds like a project that’s easy to DIY. In reality, getting professional-quality results from a DIY paint job takes more time and patience than most homeowners are willing to spend. That’s not to say it’s a no-go, however. If your walls are in good condition, you’re repainting a minor room like a bedroom or office, and there’s no chance your home contains lead paint, DIY painting is doable. Otherwise, shell out the $300 to $1,000 for a professional’s touch.
Since the invention of the light bulb, we have been able to brighten up our homes at any time of day. It has been great to eliminate shadows in areas where there are limited windows or even none at all, and allowed us to achieve more in a 24-hour period. Light fixtures have also developed from being just a practical tool into works of art, giving homeowners the chance to express themselves and add a touch of elegance to any room. Changing out a light fixture can completely alter or transform a room, and with so many sizes and styles, it can be hard to know which one is right for you. As we approach the close of another year, new home lighting trends for 2022 could provide helpful information for selecting your next light fixture that will perfectly illuminate your home.
Greenbrook DesignEvery area of the home has a purpose, a specific role to play in running a house smoothly, whether that is the living room where we relax or the bathroom where we get ready for the day. The kitchen is a place of preparation, the space where we go to cook for our family, but it is the dining room where it is served and enjoyed. This is the space within the home that gives families a designated area to gather around and dine together, as well as for activities like homework, bills, and fun things like family game night. It is a multifunctional space, which means it deserves some extra attention when selecting decor pieces. Let’s talk about the many elements you can use to give the dining room the love and beauty it deserves.
Greenbrook DesignThe world of interior design has run the full gamut of trends, from minimal to over-the-top and back again. Your home is meant to be your happy place, and a good design can affect the atmosphere. There are multiple styles to choose from, including modern, traditional, farmhouse, and transitional. Each possesses characteristics that make them unique in their own way, but sometimes what is offered is not enough, which is where the term mixology comes in, and no, we are not referring to the mixing of cocktails. There is a beauty when mixing and matching design styles, cabinets, and furnishings to create a space that perfectly reflects you. For a long time, designers were taught that things needed to remain within a certain realm of style in order for them to look good, but over the past few years, those boundaries have been broken down to make way for homeowners to express themselves in their own way. Out of this, there have been some new terms used to describe the shift in styles, such as grand millennial. If you like a few elements from multiple styles, then mixology may be your new best friend.
Walker Woodworking Is Biophilia Design For You? We love the looks nature inspires, which is why we have multiple products available for you to browse inside our showroom. From unique artwork to furniture pieces, we invite you to visit us and spend time browsing our 5,000 square foot showroom located in charming Uptown Shelby and find the inspiration you’ve been looking for to create the perfect environment in your home.
The world of design draws on multiple elements to create the perfect space for homeowners, a place that represents them and their particular style. Color plays a vital role in the design process, and its effects go beyond just adding a splash to the room. Color can affect our mood, communicate a message, lessen eye strain, and even play a part in remembering certain events. It also has the ability to influence the size of a room with certain colors, causing the area to feel larger, while other shades create a more intimate feel. Color selection can be a fun and rewarding process, plus it provides you with a great way to tell your story. More homeowners are discovering the beauty of contrasting colors, and this choice is gaining popularity in the design world. From two-toned kitchens to opposites in cabinets and tile, contrasting colors can spice up your design and make a stunning statement. Let’s explore more about what contrasting colors are and how they can help you tell your story.
Greenbrook Design
Greenbrook Design