25 Easy Remodeling Ideas to Transform Your Home

There are times when you look around your place and have the need to change the scenery a bit. Not completely renovate the entire place, but maybe add a touch of color here or make something crafty to hang on the wall there. Take a look at your countertops, tile, carpet, and flooring options, and see if you have room for improvement. Honestly, it could be as simple as applying a new bead of caulk. Just know that finishing touches are where the money accrues!  Here is a list of 25 ideas to hopefully inspire you when you get that itch to change something. They’re relatively easy, inexpensive, and most of the things needed can be acquired here at Builders Surplus. Grab a nice, cold drink and allow me to entertain you with a nice, crafty list. Enjoy!

1. Remodeling Ideas – Paint your Interior Doors

Add some color to your interior doors to brighten up your household. Go bold, or play with more neutral colors. Either way, it’s a simple, cost-effective way to switch things up a bit.

2. Add Trim to Your Windows

Framing your windows is an excellent way to add elaborate detail to an otherwise plain feature. You can frame it entirely OR simply put up a piece of moulding at the top to give it a refined look.

3. Update your Cabinet Hardware

Give your kitchen and bath cabinets a new look by switching the old hardware with a new, sleekly finished look. Now, it may not seem like much as you read this, but I can assure you that once you’ve switched them out and take a step back, you’ll be surprised by the difference!

4. Apply a Different Stain to a Wood Finish

If you’re like me, seeing the same color day in and day out can become a monotonous routine, but there’s always a way to break that slump. Simply apply a different colored stain of your choosing to the wood finishes in your home, like your bannister rails, cabinets, and trim!

5. Chalkboard in your Kitchen

One of my favorite remodeling ideas, and this one is actually becoming quite popular as a kitchen trend. A bit quirky, yes. But think of all the possibilities – no more forgetting stuff at the grocery store and then there’s always the sweet message or two. Pretty neat!

6. Mirrors on your Closet Doors

You can create some depth to your bedroom by hanging mirrors on your closet doors. Not only that, but you don’t have to spend time getting ready in the bathroom. No more “hogging up the mirror.”

7. Build Shelves in your Bathroom

An excellent DIY project for a beautiful, weekend afternoon. Building and installing shelves of your own gives you the ability to amplify your style in your bathroom AND alleviates wasted space. See that relatively blank wall there? Make it useful by hanging some shelves. Great visually and functionally.  

8. A Floor Renovation

This idea is great if you have carpet in certain parts of your house because getting rid of it is relatively simple as opposed to tile or hardwood floors. Good news! If this is something you’re looking for, we have a plethora of brilliant styles of tile and marvelous hardwood flooring to give your house the sophisticated look you’ve been looking for!

9. Install a Backsplash

You can do so in your bathroom or kitchen, but either way, backsplashes add to the overall design of each. It’s a finishing touch that doesn’t take too long, isn’t expensive, and once again, we have a number of products here at Builders Surplus that are low-cost AND low-maintenance. It’s a win-win, right?

10. Put in a Pull-Out Kitchen Faucet

This addition is almost purely for functionality, but whoever said they wouldn’t use this if their house came with it is downright insane. Simply put, a pull-out kitchen sink makes doing that dreaded chore that much easier. A bit of technology that anyone could get behind, in my opinion.

11. Liven the Atmosphere with Plants

Throw in some greenery around the house, and let nature run its course. It’s one thing to have added decor and make it your own style, but if there’s one element that you can never (usually) go wrong with, it’s having some plants around the house. In the corners or on the sink in the bathroom.

12. Let there be Light!

Recessed lighting is truly brilliant. There aren’t any outrageous fixtures hanging from the ceiling. It’s just a small, circular instrument snuggled into the ceiling, and boy, can it emit some rays! When done right, it is magnificent.

13. Use a Barn Door

Cover pantries or closets with a Barn Door. At Builders Surplus, we love this door style, it’s rustic, it’s unique, and it’s relatively easy to install!

14. Add Ledge Stone tile

Another favorite here at Builders Surplus, this style of tile is excellent for backsplashes, but the look, to me, is perfectly epitomized around a fireplace. There’s just something about the stone look by a fireplace that makes it warm and inviting. Can you say, “good book by the fire?”    

15. Switch out your Countertops

Now, I can understand if this seems a bit destructive, but in all actuality it’s not, and it doesn’t really matter which style you choose to upgrade them with, it will still be with it. Here at Builders Surplus, we have a number of options to choose from. Choices sure to spruce up your kitchens and baths in no time!

16. Install a new Front Door

Your front yard is the essence of curb appeal, right? Installing a new front door, whether it’s fiberglass, or maybe even an iron door, the look will enhance your curb appeal sevenfold and provokes a more inviting, welcoming aura.

17. Apply a Fresh Bead of Caulk

Noted as one of the many finishing touches in any household, sometimes it’s prudent to strip away the old and apply the new. You can do this around bathtubs, countertops, and windows!  

18. Switch out your Door Hardware 

These little mechanisms often go unnoticed, but I can assure you, as soon as you update them you’ll appreciate the look and functionality. Most builders put in standard hardware, so if you’re looking to spruce things up a bit, don’t be afraid to make a change. This is another one of those easy remodeling ideas, for sure.

19. Lay down Tile on your Front Porch

If you have a concreted front porch, then this look is perfect for you. My father and I installed a brilliant looking tile on my parent’s front porch, and it turned out fantastic.

20. Put on a New Roof

Fact of the matter is, shingles fade over time. It is because of this that I suggest you look into a metal roof. Now, your first thought might be the sound of the rain pounding above you, but there are sound barriers that alleviate that nuisance. Above all, this is one of the more noticeable remodeling ideas because of its significance in curb appeal.

21. Paint the Garage Floor

Unless it’s your thing, concrete can be kind of bleh. So the garage floor can be perceived as the usual, un-changing thing that you just merely have to deal with. But painting it completely changes the look of your garage. I should know, I did it last summer. It’s easy, pretty fun really, and extremely low-maintenance.

22. Look at New Windows

Windows have been known to deteriorate over time, and once they do, they will give you nothing but problems. Take a good hard look at every window in the household and take note of air seeping through the seems. Also, it may just be time to update them. Bring in natural light in style!

23. Get some New Light Switch Covers

Maybe you’ve just painted your walls, and Almond light switch covers just don’t seem to blend in with anything anymore. Or, you want to be quirky. There are tons of ideas and styles out there to add a gentle hue to your room. Make it your own!  

24. Put up a Skylight

Hands down one of my favorite remodeling ideas. If you’re a fan of natural light like I am then this is perfect for you. Bring the outside world in by installing one of these bad boys. I can promise you won’t regret it.

25. Install New Cabinets

Want to really change the look of your kitchen? Bring in a batch of new kitchen cabinetry, and you’ll surely achieve that. Plus, we have lines from the most brilliant brands here at Builders Surplus like Wellborn, Waypoint, and our very own, Ginger Creek!  

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Builders Surplus is a full service renovation company with locations in Louisville, Kentucky, and Newport, Kentucky, which also serves Cincinnati, Ohio. We are the leading provider of Ledge Stone, wall tile and backsplash tile in Louisville, Newport, and Cincinnati. We specialize in interior design, kitchen design, bathroom remodel, building materials, and home improvement. Interior Design and measurements come as a free service to our clients. We sell building materials ranging in every price point, from unfinished kitchen cabinets to top of the line Wellborn cabinets. In addition to interior design, we also offer installation services. If you have any questions or would like to set up a free design consultation with one of our interior designers, we would encourage you to do so. We love sharing our knowledge with clients & potential home renovators. We write about interior design, home decor, decorating ideas, and home improvement. We hope you’ll check back in for our next article! Happy Renovation! Written by: Chris Chamberlain