Redecorating during lockdown

[Liv]

Hi everyone,

Since we’re all spending a lot of time at home, this seems to me like the perfect opportunity to be thinking of a decor update.

I thought it would be interesting if we could explore easy tips and tricks on how to make the most of this time by redecorating. 

Here are some ideas that I think could be fun and helpful to get the creative juices flowing:

Rearrange furniture - simply changing a room layout could be a great way of giving the space a fresh feel.

Change door handles - whether it’s the front door or the kitchen cabinets, adding new handles could make things look more interesting.

Paint - there are so many things that could be changed by a simple repainting project: doors, chairs, fences, cabinets and even staircases.

Apply wallpaper - much like painting, picking a fun wallpaper could make a room look a lot brighter and more inviting.

Repurpose objects (Upcycling) - An old stool that’s no longer in use could make a great bedside table. A wine rack could also be used as bathroom storage for towels and other small items.

Do you have any tips or ideas to share with the Community? Have you completed any cool DIY projects lately that you would like to tell us about? 

Feel free to contribute, I would love to know what you’ve been up to 🙂

Thanks,

Liv

[Melodie-And-John0]

Great job @Debra300 and hubby!  Amazing rehab of a tiny somewhat clunky space into viable marketable space.  Thats no small thing or task even if the space is small especially adding a window, its always a bit scary to take a saw to the side of ones home and cut a gaping hole in it.    It is awesome to have it available for your resting needs during the next round of renovations, good going, well deserved congrats on a job well done!  JR 

[Melodie-And-John0]

@Debra300 , it reminds me a little bit of a space I redid a full gut on that was a junkroom off of what was then our 2 bedroom suite.  I wish I had before pics but I usually forget to take them, it was plaster and lathe and falling apart, no insulation, single pane leaky windows, it was awful.  The entire room is only 8' X 6' with 2 windows so I had to get tricky and loft the bed.  What a pain in the behind trying to pup up full sheets of anything in such a tiny spot.  It came out nice, we call it the Nest and is a fav for kids and adults, now its a 3 bedroom suite that sleeps 5 instead of a space to keep garbage that nobody would pay for.   JR

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[Debra300]

@Melodie-And-John0,

That space looks great. If it weren't for @Liv saying that she wanted to see the progress of the project, I probably would have forgotten to take pictures, also.

I understand about the pain with working with an older house. The house we used to own in Oakland was built in 1922 with the same building materials as you mentioned. Over a 2 year period we gutted it to stud, and brought it up to 21st century specs.  We did all of the work except the removal of the living room and dining room popcorn ceilings that tested positive for asbestos.  Of course, we have only a few pictures of those projects, because we were so busy doing the tasks.  We learned a lot, and were very happy with the results.  When it was time to sell, it sold on it's first preview showing.  We never even had an open house.

[Melodie-And-John0]

Wow @Debra300 ,  You guys are pros.  Gutting and renovating a complete century old home in 2 years is a pretty solid accomplishment.  This is my 3rd complete home gut and rebuild as an adult.  Our place is about 4500 Sq' and built about 1810, we have been at it for the last 15 and still have 2 tiny and one large space yet to do.   It was nice to get the dining room off our plate early (thanks to Covid), that will help in lots of ways including saving on heat and cooling.   I think painting outside is coming up next, not my favorite but its a must do, stay well, JR

[Christine1]

@Melodie-And-John0 , Thanks for sharing. You have every reason to be proud.

Is that an actual heater under the bed, and adjacent to that bean bag? or is it just a fake image of flame?

Do your guests have access and control of that fireplace?

How do you ensure that the fire risk is managed?

I am thinking about my fire safety concerns.

Respectfully Christine. 

[Melodie-And-John0]

Hi @Christine1 , my pleasure, the pics don't do it justice cause its too small to get the right angles but its very usable, better than I had imagined.  The mini fireplace is a little electric heater with built in tip and overheat sensors, I tested it by tipping it over and laying a blanket over it, both caused immediate shutdown.  It cost much more than I wanted to pay but it fit the decor perfectly, guests run it without the heat just for the flickering fire effect.  

[David6824]

@Liv oh please, I repainted the bathroom and this made me a big back pain. but I really love the new grey space!

before:

and after:

Also, repainting the tiles rather than replace is much cheaper and result is pretty good, look brand new!

[Liv]

Love the colour choice, @David6824! It's looking great 😎

[David6824]

Thanks, glad to meet a lady loving antracite grey.  

[Melodie-And-John0]

Good job @David6824 , looks fresh and new, what type of tile is that?  JR  

[Robbie54]

Not sure about the ladies but sailors go for that kind of colour @David6824 

[Ann783]

.@liv 

I'm posting the before  and aftershot of our living room here.old living roomnew living room rug and cushions

[Debra300]

Wow @Ann783,

The new slipcovers, rug and wall art really add a pop of color and enliven the space.  For a minute, I though you had remove d the fireplace and install a new window, but I realized that the pictures are taken from different orientations in the room.  I think the red storage ottomans would have also worked nicely in the new design.

[Liv]

@Ann783 Thank you so much for sharing.

It's great seeing how adding some colour here and there can light up a room 🙂

The place looks lovely, I especially like the bit with the white piano and colourful art on the wall.
You did an amazing job!

[Fred13]

(Not sure if this post will work, considering we are at island and the WiFi is very iffy)

Today we finished Phase 1 to change our island..originally looked like this just this last Fall >

The new extension to the island primarily done during these last 3 months of being down & out let us to this >

I guess that transformation qualifies as a renovation. Yesterday after another day of non-stop work we asked ourselves how did it look before; honestly we forgot, had to look at the pre-picture to remember. And the old guests liked it, what were they thinking?! LoL