Small Ways to Update Your Home

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The little things make a big difference, whether you’re selling your home or staying put
BY STACY DOWNS
McClatchy Newspapers

he tiniest home improvement can make a huge difference. Even replacing a dumb old doorknob. “A doorknob is a preview of what’s to come inside the house,” says Susan Fehlig, design consultant and owner of Turn Key Interiors in Leawood, Kan. “If it’s in rough shape or if it’s out-of-date, the rest of the home might be, too. When a Realtor is fumbling around to open the front door, potential buyers already are making up their minds. And the same goes for guests.” The good news is that a doorknob is so simple to replace that you needn’t possess the skill set of a do-it-yourself weekend warrior. And it’s an inexpensive project that certainly doesn’t involve taking out a loan. This type of upgrade is cheap and easy. Make “dump the frump” your rallying cry. Think about updating the uglies. You know, that bad brassy fireplace screen or those beat-up kitchen cabinet pulls. And, of course, that unattractive front doorknob. “It doesn’t matter how big or small a project is, but you feel empowered,” says Krista Williamson, owner of K2Workshops in Overland Park, Kan., a home-improvement business that specializes in teaching homeowners how to fix electrical and plumbing problems. “It sounds cliché, but you feel proud because you’re taking charge. I love it when my family tours visitors around the house and points out things I’ve done.” These uncomplicated upgrades that don’t require

much more than a flathead screwdriver can be major mood boosters. One Friday, I came home from work and saw my husband had installed a new brushed-nickel doorknob. I was ecstatic. “Goldie,” my nickname for the tired but brassy doorknob, had finally bitten the dust. She had been the first part of my house I had resolved to get rid of when we had moved in seven years ago. But bigger projects had always grabbed our attention, and I had learned to live with her, as many homeowners do with their uglies. However, Goldie had always bugged me. She wasn’t gold in the sense of Donald Trump bling or in the up-and-coming sophisticated brushed gold hardware finish. Goldie was shiny in parts, worn out in others and definitely clashed with the fresh apple-green paint inside the house. In retrospect, it makes sense that Goldie and the other uglies were bothersome, because I touched them and looked at them every day. As a home stager and design consultant, Fehlig looks past the “house blindness” many of us develop and sees a home environment with a fresh eye. Paint is her top suggestion. She tells homeowners to paint switch plates and air-return vents the colors of the wall. She freshens up brass lamp bases (the color of Goldie) with paint made specifically for metal. “It saves money to try to save the hardware if you can,” Fehlig says. “I use oil-rubbed bronze or brushed nickel colors of paint, depending on the house.” Fehlig suggests updating the uglies in the kitchen and bathrooms first since they’re the rooms that sell a home.

BEFORE

AFTER

1. Buy the doorknob. 2. Drop off the knob with your house key at a locksmith who will make sure your existing key fits the new lock. 3. Remove the old doorknob. If the mounting screws are not visible, look for an indent on the trim plate. Inserting a screwdriver under the plate will pop it loose, revealing the two mounting bolts. 4. Install the new doorknob. PROJECT DETAILS

■ Cost: A new doorknob starts at about $25. The locksmith’s work costs between $5 and $10. ■ Tools required: A screwdriver. ■ Time: 15 minutes or so to install.

TA M M Y L J U N G B L A D / T H E K A N S A S C I T Y S TA R / M C T

INTERIOR Towel bars: Replace beat-up bathroom

Window treatments: Ditch the dingy sheers for some new, cleaner drapes. EXTERIOR House numbers: Replace the small

hardware with more classic finishes such as brushed nickel. Furniture knobs: An old chest of drawers can look fresh and fun with new knobs. Kitchen hardware: New pulls and knobs can update a kitchen without expensive new cabinets. Lamp shades: Drum shades offer a fresh look. Paint: Fresh paint, in an updated color, can give a room a whole new look.

black old-fashioned numbers that are difficult to read. Light fixtures: Make sure they coordinate with the style of the house and illuminate your new house numbers. Mailboxes: A modern-style mailbox can update a house. Landscaping: Some new mulch and a few flowers really help with curb appeal.

TA M M Y L J U N G B L A D / T H E K A N S A S C I T Y S TA R / M C T

In dark-colored rooms, paint the switch plate the same color as the walls so that it doesn’t stand out.

TA M M Y L J U N G B L A D / T H E K A N S A S C I T Y S TA R / M C T

Replacing house numbers and light fixtures can give a new look to your house’s exterior.

PROJECT DETAILS
■ Cost: A paintable wooden
switch plate with a single switch starts at $2.

■ Tools required: A screwdriver. ■ Time: Five minutes or less
after it’s painted the same color as your walls.

Not easily found, and that’s the point. Painted switch plates blend into the wall, a good thing because you don’t want to draw too much attention to switch plates because they’re not a pretty focal point. Standard beige or white plastic switch plates can make a room look unfinished because they seem to jump right out of the wall — especially in a room painted in vivid or dark colors. Those types of switch plates also show dirt and fingerprints.

■ Anthropologie sells vintageinspired hardware such as furniture pulls, www.anthropologie.com. ■ Chiasso offers modern address numbers, mailboxes and towel bars, www.chiasso.com. ■ Lutron makes modern dimmer switches, www.lutron.com. ■ Restoration Hardware sells classic furniture and cabinet hardware, switch plates and address numbers. Tip:

Order through stores to avoid shipping costs, www.restorationhardware.com. ■ Rejuvenation sells classic interior and exterior lighting and hardware according to the style and period of the home, www.rejuvenation.com. ■ And don’t forget Home Depot (www.homedepot.com) and Lowes (www.lowes.com) for home improvement classes and all kinds of materials.

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