Every homeowner has a checklist of home repairs they’ve meant to tackle. Some are quite involved and require perfect timing and an open schedule. But when you suddenly find yourself with a free and open weekend and want to accomplish some things around the house, what can you do?
Believe it or not, you don’t have to renovate an entire room at once. Instead, focus on a small project here and there. A free weekend is perfect for these types of minor updates.
From organizing your kitchen pantry to installing a new floor in the bathroom, here are five easy home updates you can do in a single weekend.
1. Create a Feature Wall
Find a wall in your home that could use an extra touch. Whether it’s a wall in the entry foyer or a wall behind the fireplace, consider how to draw the eye toward it. Start with paint chips and find a color that matches your home’s existing decor. Keep in mind that with a feature wall, you can choose a more fun, bright color instead of sticking with a safe neutral. You can not only paint in a single day, but once it’s dry, you can even hang artwork and accessorize areas, like the fireplace mantel, to complete your feature wall.
2. Organize Your Kitchen Pantry and Cabinets
Your kitchen could probably use a few updates, but it’s best to start with one project at a time. Don’t attempt to renovate your complete kitchen over a single weekend. However, there are a few weekend renovations that are quicker than others.
One easy project is to reorganize the pantry, cabinets and shelves. Take some cabinet organization tips from House Beautiful and before the weekend arrives, take note of your current organizational method. Is there a spot for everything, or is there that one appliance that inevitably stays on the kitchen counter? Rearranging your cabinets may offer you extra shelving space, allowing you to squeeze in something extra. As you assess your pantry and cabinets, also ask yourself if you could use any drawer inserts or containers to keep collections together, making it easier to locate. Rotating spice racks are a great way to keep everything neat and within reach as you cook.
3. Update Bathroom Hardware
Bathrooms are a smaller room in your home, making it an excellent place to start when it comes to weekend home renovations. For starters, you could re-grout any dingy tile and re-seal the tub surround to give it a nice clean look.
However, one easy weekend project for a bathroom is to replace outdated hardware, such as the showerhead, faucets, handles and cabinet hardware. Today, a popular hardware finish is satin brass, which offers a brushed, matte look more subtle than the ’90s trend and bold black. This update could apply to kitchen hardware as well!
4. Install New Flooring
While you may not be able to install new flooring throughout your entire home in a single weekend, you can start small with something like a bathroom, kitchen or mudroom. Choose proper flooring for the space with moisture-resistant or waterproof qualities. The best bathroom flooring could be anything from vinyl sheet to waterproof hardwood. Beauflor Pure vinyl plank or tile is a fantastic waterproof flooring option. Raintree Flooring also offers a variety of styles and will increase your home’s resale value.
Twenty & Oak recommends hiring a professional flooring installer. However, if you’re handy and prefer to go the DIY route for a more affordable option, we suggest at least going through a quality flooring dealer to steer you in the right direction in choosing the proper flooring for your space and to offer installation guidance and tips.
Find your perfect floor through our Floor Genius Quiz and take a peek around our virtual flooring showroom to get more ideas for flooring types and styles.
5. Add Landscaping and Update the Patio or Deck
If you have an outdoor living space, like a backyard patio or deck, be sure to update these areas as well. For starters, you could pull weeds and add some landscaping to spruce the area up. You could also build a vegetable garden to grow during the summers to have fresh produce. Scatter a few potted flowers around your patio or deck to bring some greenery into these areas as well.