Chic Home Upgrades You Didn’t Know You Needed (But Totally Do!)

Elevating your living space doesn’t have to be difficult. With a few chic upgrades, you can give your home an updated vibe without spending loads of time or money. Many times, the most unexpected updates can make the biggest impact.

Why Upgrade Your Home?

Adding simple, chic updates to your home not only helps increase property value in many cases, but it’s a total mood enhancer. Home is where you spend the most downtime, and if it’s not a place that makes you relaxed and happy with your surroundings, then it’s time to take action. Thankfully, updating your home can be simple and cost-effective. Many of these upgrades can be done in less than a day and with any budget.

Update Your Area Rugs

Rugs add instant warmth to a room and also provide color and depth to coordinate with any decor. Newer luxury rugs are also easier to maintain, with many being machine washable. Add a larger area rug to the center of a room, and place small rugs in doorways and transitional areas to separate the spaces.

Update Windows with Rainbow Film

You don’t have to replace your windows to give them a new look. Adding rainbow window film is a quick way to give them a stunning new appearance instantly. The holographic film catches sunlight and splashes dazzling rainbow colors throughout your home.

Replace Hardware

You don’t need all-new cabinets or furniture to give your home a classy upgrade. Replacing cabinet pulls, drawer knobs, and door hardware can elevate the look without a huge cost or time investment. If you want to complete the look faster or can’t find what you’re looking for, you can even paint your existing hardware.

Apply New Caulking

You probably haven’t given your caulking much thought, but adding new caulk to tubs, showers, and sinks throughout your home can give bathrooms and kitchens a fresh, clean look. It’s quick, inexpensive, and instantly makes a difference in how your home looks and feels.

Swap Out Dated Lighting

The right lighting fixtures can tie a whole room together. Replace old, dated fixtures with newer upgrades to instantly update any room. New overhead lighting can make a huge difference in the look and feel of a room, but isn’t often thought about unless something gets broken. You can also add a little personality to your space with new table lamps or even battery-powered wall sconces that look like the real deal.

New HVAC Air Filters

Swapping out old filters with new AC filter replacements may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of home upgrades, but they can make a big impact. Indoor air quality is up to 90% more polluted than outdoor air, according to some studies, and updating air filters can help keep it cleaner by filtering out allergens like dust and mold.

In fact, Shu Saito, an HVAC and Filtration Expert at All Filters LLC, tells us, “Replacing air filters might be the only thing most consumers do to maintain their air conditioners and furnace systems. But it’s also a relatively affordable preventive measure to help protect their system and manage indoor air quality.”

If you replace an old, dirty air filter with a new one, your home will smell fresher almost instantly, and you’ll reap the benefits for months.

Give Your Kitchen a Backsplash

Adding a backsplash or replacing an old one will breathe new life into a dated kitchen. Tiles can be purchased in a virtually endless number of colors and patterns. Or, if you don’t have the time or budget for real tile, there are peel-and-stick options that look nearly identical to the real thing.

Change Out Your Switch Plates

Replacing switch plates and outlet covers is a great way to update a room with little effort. Decorative options are available in nearly any theme, or you can go with elevated metal plates for an elegant feel.

Add an Accent Wall

Accent walls infuse any room with personality, and there are endless ways to do them. Paint one wall a bold color, add peel-and-stick wallpaper, or even create your own arrangement with family photos or wall art. Have fun with it and make it your own.

Add Outdoor Window Boxes

Window boxes are a great way to give your home’s exterior an upgrade. They’re not only beautiful on their own, but you can use them to swap out real or artificial flowers and greenery with the seasons. Today’s window boxes can often be fitted with self-watering planter box inserts, so you’re not adding more chores to your to-do list. The planter does most of the work!

Update Your Furniture with an Accent Piece

Adding an accent chest, table, or cabinet is a great way to give your home much-needed storage while creating a chic focal point. If you don’t have space or the budget for new furniture, choose an old piece and give it an upgrade with bold paint and new hardware.

Refresh Your Linens

New bedding not only elevates the look of your bedroom, but it will also be amazing to crawl into bed with crisp, fresh linens. Update your current sheets with hotel-quality Egyptian cotton or bamboo if it’s in the budget, along with a soft new duvet. For a budget-friendly option, cotton and percale sheets provide the soft luxury you want without the premium price tag.

Conclusion

It doesn’t have to break the bank to upgrade your home. A few small changes will add up and make your home more comfortable, decorative, and even more efficient. Get creative and start thinking about what improvements you can make to your property.