It’s natural to get bored when experiencing the same thing over and over. You wouldn’t want to wear the same clothes for every day of your life, which is why most of us get rid of our old clothes and buy new ones over time. In the same sense, this is why we cut our hair, travel to new places — we all want to experience new things over time. So why do we feel guilty or worried about changing our homes over time? Many people hesitate over even looking into home remodeling ideas because we’re trained to see home remodeling as an unnecessary luxury. Often, we only renovate our houses when we absolutely must, not simply to make our homes more like what we would actually want them to be. Most of us can’t afford to buy a new home when we’re tired of what we already have — but we can afford to remodel.
One of the main reasons why people often choose to remodel their homes is that they don’t find their homes to be sophisticated enough. This is because, when we buy our homes, we of course buy what we can afford. What we can afford is often not as sophisticated as we would like it to be, especially when we’re buying our first homes. So — if you’re not quite ready to move on to another house, but you want to update the home you have and make it more sophisticated, why not give some home remodeling ideas a chance? Making your home more sophisticated and more up to date is not just a matter of making it more akin to your own evolving personal tastes. It’s also a matter of adding value to your home. A house that is more sophisticated will certainly have a better market value, down the line, than a house that is sold just as it was bought years before. Taking on new home remodeling ideas shouldn’t simply be viewed as a luxury, but something that can ultimately help you recoup the investment that you put into your house, and perhaps make money besides. While you may not be thinking about selling your home right now, it could very well be a possibility down the line. So don’t feel guilty about updating and remodeling your home — it could very well benefit you in a multitude of ways. But how should you about it? Which home remodeling ideas are worth considering?
1. A Whole Kitchen Remodel
Most people don’t remodel all of their home at once. Rather, they move room by room, moving forward with different home remodeling ideas over time. Of course, certain rooms are more popular to remodel than others — and they’ll yield a higher return on the investment in turn. At the moment, the most popular types of rooms to remodel are the kitchen and the bathroom. While you don’t have to remodel your bathroom or kitchen — if you do decide to remodel your kitchen, it’s likely a good idea to move forward with a whole kitchen remodel, rather than updating one part or the other. An updated, sophisticated kitchen can revamp the entire atmosphere of your home while adding a glass shower to your bathroom doesn’t affect much of your house’s overall feeling in comparison. Think about how much time you spend in your kitchen, of course, before moving forward with a remodel. Every remodeling decision you make should be relevant to you and your needs. Therefore, if a kitchen isn’t a big priority to you — don’t remodel it. However, adding in a pizza oven or a kitchen island can present a degree of design flair that is difficult to replicate in other areas of the house. Kitchens can potentially be great sources of light as well, especially if they connect somehow to the outdoors. Walking out of your kitchen through a pair of French doors, right onto a patio or deck, can add a sense of freedom to your home; an array of windows can provide a good deal of natural light as well. Of course, you could also spring for an outdoor kitchen — which is certainly less easily found than a whole interior kitchen remodel. An outdoor kitchen is, as the name suggests, as much a part of your yard as it is a place where you can cook, eat, and socialize. You certainly won’t find an outdoor kitchen in just any home, which is why it’s one of the more unique home remodeling ideas you may consider. An outdoor kitchen won’t necessarily appeal to everyone; but if you’re growing bored of the kitchen you have, then an outdoor kitchen could be an alternative means of sophistication.
2. Adding A Decorative Edge
Of course, not all home remodeling ideas involve overhauling a room in your house. You can also update your home, and make it more sophisticated, by adding a decorative edge. This could involve a paint job — and for a lot of people, home remodeling ideas start there. It can be difficult to feel as if your home is sophisticated if your living room is an outdated shade of blue, for example. A lot of people also find beginning with a paint job is easier, and less expensive, than starting out with more intense home remodeling ideas. You can see if you’re really committed to the idea of a remodel first, before moving on to something more complicated. You may want to decorate your home with floral arrangements as well; these can, in addition to building visual detail in your home, create a sensory experience. Of course, floral arrangements are temporary. If you’d like to invest in more permanent decorations for your home, consider fine art. Fine art isn’t cheap, and it’s very personal. What may fall into your tastes might not appeal to everyone. However, decorating your home with fine art can add a sense of sophistication that is difficult to replicate in any other way. It’s a way of making a home uniquely yours — and though it might not necessarily provide the same permanent alterations to a home that other home remodeling ideas can, an investment in fine art is an investment nonetheless, just like remodeling a home.
3. Converting Your Basement
Chances are if you have a room in your house that is unfinished — the perfect candidate, therefore, for a total remodel or conversion — it’s your basement. Of course, many of the same ideas that can be applied to basements can also be applied to other unfinished rooms in your home. Basement-related home remodeling ideas to come with certain requirements, of course. One of the first steps of converting your home is basement waterproofing. Many basements are susceptible to water damage, and therefore they must be waterproofed before you move forward with any other types of remodeling and renovations. For that matter, you should make sure that your basement hasn’t already been damaged before moving forward. The last thing you would want is to move forward with a remodeling project when there are structural issues at play. Once your basement has been properly verified as sound and fit for remodeling, there are plenty of different home remodeling ideas that can apply to that type of space. You may want to turn your basement into an additional bedroom. Some convert their basements into entire apartments, which not only is perfect for when a relative is visiting — but depending on where you live, could provide additional income from a roommate or Airbnb guests. With that being said, a smaller basement could also be converted into an office, or perhaps a game room. The options are really dependent on what you’re looking for, and the specific space that you’re dealing with.
4. Opening Your Floor Plan
You don’t necessarily have to add to your home to make it more spacious. Many people favor more open floor plans in this day and age — it creates a sense of freedom and creates a sense of expansion even when a home has not actually gained any square footage. Another reason why people often like these floor plans is that they essentially involve taking down walls, and combining spaces. While this is sometimes easier said than done, depending on your home, it can often be a good idea. Of course, this type of remodel should be done with a contractor’s help and advice. You may like the idea of opening up your floor plan — but if you do so too impetuously, you may very well end up damaging your home more than you help it. Aside from the spaciousness that an open floor plan offers, however, there are other benefits to consider. An open floor plan allows people to interact more freely. This is one reason why people love the idea of their kitchens opening into their living rooms. They often make it easier for people to socialize. This is why it’s especially favored for family homes. You don’t have to choose an open floor plan, of course. While a lot of people do find that they make a home more sophisticated, if they don’t appeal to you, then they don’t appeal to you. Remember that you should choose the home remodeling ideas that appeal to you, and not those that you think will appeal to other people. Yes, you’ll want your home to appeal to others, especially if you plan on selling it down the road. But your opinion takes the highest priority.
5. Adding Smart Technology To Your Home
You may not think of adding smart technology to your home as a way of remodeling your house — but in fact, it’s one of the easiest ways to add value to your house. People expect homes that they buy today to have some degree of smart technology — though not all older homes are outfitted with it. Having lights that can easily be dimmed, remote monitoring technology, and sensors that can be linked together may not seem like an obligation to homeowners today. But in the future, smart technology will be as straightforward and expected as cotton towels in the bathroom. It often makes people feel more secure, for example, to have technology that allows them to monitor who’s on the doorstep. Being able to sync the sensors in your home to, say, apps in your cell phone may not be something that you need to do — but it’s a nice addition to have. The beauty of smart technology is that it’s on the rise. While you won’t be expected to have it in a home you’re putting on the market tomorrow, adding it will put you ahead of the curve.
As we’ve discussed, home remodeling ideas are remarkably personal. What stands out to you as sophisticated or chic won’t necessarily appeal to everyone else. Your priorities may range, depending on what you prefer in a home. But nonetheless, you should feel fully confident in whatever ideas you choose to move forward with. Yes, it’s a good idea to invest in improvements that offer a return on your investments. But it’s still your house — you bought it for a reason. Keep the space uniquely yours — whatever that means to you — and you’ll be much more likely to be satisfied in the long term. Take the advice of others, but keep in mind that sophistication is in the eye of the beholder.
AUTHOR: CAROLINE SIBLEY
Caroline is a freelance content creator and creative writer. VCUArts alum with a focus on the arts, travel, and culture.
