If you’re bored with the look of your house or feel like you’re not keeping up with the trends, there are lots of things that you can do to update its appearance. Changes don’t necessarily have to be major (although they can); even several small changes can make a big difference in the interior and exterior of your home.

Let’s look at several types of small renovations that you can make which can make a big difference in your home’s overall appearance.

Take a Look at Your Home’s Exterior

We spend a lot of time thinking about interior design, but many of us don’t pay sufficient attention to the outside of our homes. This is, of course, the first impression that neighbors, guests, and passersby get of your house, so you want to be sure it’s as nice as possible. Take the time to inspect your home’s exterior and its surroundings:

• Does your home need a fresh coat of paint? You might be so used to its current state that you don’t necessarily realize that it does. A new color – even just some trimmings – might really spruce it up!
• What is the state of your doors? Perhaps you’d like to just paint your front door to give it a nice contrast to the rest of the house. Or maybe your patio door could use some work. You can take steps to upgrade your sliding patio door and get one that fits in much better.
• Is your landscaping really what you want it to be? If you live in Canada, it’s easy to neglect this part of your house as you probably spend most of the year running to get inside, but remember that other people can see your lawn. It would be better for you and the neighborhood if it were nice, trim, and well-designed.

Consider Replacing or Renovating Your Stairs

Stairs are another home feature that people tend to ignore. Rather than simply decorating around them, perhaps think about replacing your stairs altogether. This could take different forms, from subtle to dramatic:

• If you’ve got old frumpy covering on your stairs, think about replacing them with hardwood. A small adjustment like this could make a big difference in the overall appearance of a room or entryway.
• Consider getting a new banister. There are plenty of cool styles out there, and replacing an old one could be just what you need to add some much-needed pizazz to an area (particularly if it is visible from rooms on lower floors).
• If you’re really feeling ambitious, think about knocking down a set of stairs altogether and building new ones. How cool would it be to have a winding staircase? Or perhaps a floating one? Browse around online and see what strikes your fancy.

Install Shelving in an Open Area

If you have stuff laying around on the floors of your rooms that could be better arranged, you should think about creating elevated spaces for them. Even if you don’t have an excess of clutter, installing shelves can be a fun and elegant way to create space for objects that you want to draw attention to.

Consider creating a minimalist-style room with just a few shelves in it, and find the perfect pieces of art to display on them. Think about the placement, spacing, and color of your shelves so that you can complement them in just the right way with the art you choose. As for those big, clunky items you just want to put away, overhead storage bins can be a lifesaver.

Change Your Lighting 

Lighting can make or break a room, without question. Take a moment to assess all your home’s lighting and consider the following questions:

1. Does the fixture provide adequate lighting for the spaces it’s intended to cover?
2. Are they using up too much energy? A switch to LED lighting can provide cost savings.
3. Are there particular areas that could use a special touch, either with spotlighting or perhaps a different type of lighting?

There are many subtle lighting changes that you can make. Track lighting for full rooms, pendant lights in the kitchen or dining room, or even chandeliers can make a world of difference in how rooms appear.

Subtle Changes Often Make the Greatest Impact

You don’t have to knock down your whole house to upgrade significantly. Regardless of whether people take conscious note of the specific changes you’ve made, they will feel the effects and compliment you on how nice your house is. And you won’t even have to break the bank to get it done.