8 Creative Ways to Update your Home for the Beginning of the Year
BWS Marketing • February 17, 2020

Starting the new year with pleasant changes is an excellent way to set the pace for months to come.

Updating your home won’t just improve its appearance. It’s a wonderful opportunity to bring positive emotions into your life.

If you are looking for inspiration, these creative ideas can help get you started.

 

1. Painting the Wood Trim

If you have interior wood trim in any or all of your rooms, it’s time for some tweaking. Many people tend to forget about the trim and leave it “as is”. However, painting it could transform the way your house looks and feels.

Paint the wood trim white. It can modernize the space substantially. Start with one and see how it goes. While you are at it, consider painting interior doors white as well. The more white you add to your home, the brighter and larger it will appear.

If you have wood-stained cabinets that seem to be showing their age, consider painting them white as well.

2. Major Decluttering

Minimalism has been gaining popularity over the past several years. If you want to follow the trend, it’s time to do some serious decluttering.

Anything that’s collecting dust on tables or shelves has to be removed. Consider sending all the stuff you don’t use every day to the basement. Better yet, arrange a garage sale. Things that you haven’t touched in over a year should go.

3. New Cabinet Handles

One of the cheapest yet highly effective ways to update your home is to replace cabinet handles and knobs. These elements lose their shine with time. By investing in handles with a creative shape, you can transform the way your kitchen and bathrooms look.

If you think that it’s time to replace or repaint the cabinets, start by replacing handles. You may save time and money.

4. Creating Open Space

While open space may not always work for offices anymore, it’s on top of the “must-have” list for homes. Many homeowners choose open floor plans for kitchens and dining rooms. Is it possible to create an open space without major reconstruction?

All you have to do is remove bulky furnishings and add some mirrors. Mirrors do an excellent job creating an illusion of large space. If you aren’t ready to get rid of large cabinets, consider painting them an off-white color. These hues create a light and airy impression.

5. Considering Custom Blinds

Anything custom-made brings an extra zest to your home. When it comes to blinds, they can transform any room with minimal changes.

Custom blinds are decorations with benefits. You can choose colors and patterns to add brightness to the room. Meanwhile, well-fitted blinds can create the illusion of extra space.

6. Replacing Light Switch Cover Plates

Light switches undergo loads of wear and tear. White plates turn gray and unappealing. Silvery faceplates get covered with scratches. Replacing them only takes a few seconds. Meanwhile, the effect you’ll see will be astounding.

7. Hiring a Professional Cleaning Service

No matter how well you clean your home, professionals can do it better. Each house or apartment needs some serious expert scrubbing at least twice a year.

You’ll be amazed at how new, fresh, and updated your home will look after such a cleaning.

8. Adding Printed Photos

As the digital era is changing the way we live, printed photos still have an immense appeal. Take the time to choose the best pictures and print them out. Buy frames and hang these photos on your living room or bedroom walls.

Updating your home doesn’t have to be time-consuming or expensive. A little creativity mixed with the right inspiration can achieve miracles. For more ideas, please contact us today.

 

 

Expert Advice by Just Blinds

What Your Window Treatment Says About You: A Personality-Based Guide

April 23, 2025
Your selection of window treatment products and services is not merely about getting a job done. Rather, if you look hard enough, you can find direct correlations between the type of person that you are and the window treatment that you select. We have created this personality-based guide to help you best discover what kind of window treatment truly matches your spirit. The Dependable Type: Wooden Blinds You are the person that all of your friends can count on. You are the type of person who truly sticks to your plans when you make them, and you are the type of person who will choose wooden blinds for your home. Privacy is important to you when selecting your blinds, and that is why you find yourself pulled into the idea of putting up wooden blinds. Besides that, they happen to be highly functional, and that's not something that you are willing to pass up either. The Planner: Blackout Curtains Those who value truly getting the most value out of their blinds or anything else that they install in their homes will think very carefully about their options. For those people, going with blackout curtains makes a lot of sense. They want to gain as much value as possible out of their options, and they know that they can significantly improve their quality of sleep and so much more when they opt for blackout curtains. These also happen to be a great option for those who work night shifts or other odd hours and yet still want to enjoy their sleep. They need blackout curtains to help increase the quality of that sleep and allow themselves to get their day started right. The Tech Enthusiast: Smart Shades They roam among us: The type of people who are quick to adopt any new technology and get to work figuring out how it can improve their lives. These people are great because they are not afraid to take a risk and because they help to move our society forward. They simply want to get more out of each day, and they often do so by adopting and using the latest technologies. These individuals will gravitate towards smart shades for the following attributes: Innovation - Who wants to stick with the boring old ways of shading one's house? Smarter options are now available, and you better believe that the tech enthusiasts among us are willing to latch on to them. Efficiency - These shades are a more efficient option for those who care about that kind of thing. They can be easily activated and set up to open or close automatically (how cool is that?!). Progressive - The "cool" factor is a big deal for people who fall into this category as well. They might not admit to it right off the bat, but they care deeply about what others think about them. As such, they want window shades that have that cool factor attached to them. The Dreamer: Sheer Curtains Finally, we land upon the dreamer. This is the person who views every day for the possibilities that it can bring. They are not scared off by those with a negative attitude. If anything, they believe that they can change those people! Instead, the dreamer wants sheer curtains because they bring in soft light, open spaces, and bring about a feeling of possibility all throughout the house. Sheer curtains are the ideal option for someone who classifies themselves in this way. They will receive plenty of compliments on their curtains, and they will appreciate how open they are to the world.  Which kind of person are you and which window treatment option makes the most sense for your personality? For more inspiration and ideas, reach out and contact us today.

5 Unexpected Places Homeowners Are Installing Outdoor Shades

March 13, 2025
We all know and understand the concept of installing outdoor shades on a patio. It is the classic way to create a cool and comfortable space for yourself and your friends to spend some quality time together outdoors. There is nothing wrong with that, but it is limiting to think that the patio is the only part of one's property where outdoor shades are appropriate. There are some surprising and unexpected places where homeowners have taken to installing outdoor shades recently. We want to take a look at some of these to provide you with ideas for your next home improvement project. 1) Balconies Some homes are built quite close together, and some homeowners naturally feel like they would like to do more to protect their privacy. Although their neighbors might not intentionally be looking through their balconies, it is easy for the human eye to drift. Thus, some city-dwelling homeowners have made the choice to install outdoor shades in this area. On top of keeping prying eyes off of your property, outdoor shades also block the sun rays from your balcony as well creating a more comfortable space to spend some time. 2) Outdoor Kitchens One of the most delightful social experiences that someone can have is to invite over a large group of friends for a meal cooked outside. It gives everyone the opportunity to share stories, laughes, and a bit of food all at the same time. Of course, this is best done in an outdoor kitchen. Your outdoor kitchen is a space where you should feel comfortable and have the ability to entertain a large group of people all at the same time. This means looking at installing outdoor shades to provide an extra layer of protection from the heat of the sun. Thus, this has become another area where homeowners are quickly installing outdoor shades. 3) Poolside Lounges Now we are really talking! Who doesn't love to kick back with their favorite cold beverage and spend some time relaxing next to the pool? That is what you can enjoy more completely when you set up a poolside lounge with outdoor shades. Poolside lounges are meant to be a place where you can spend several hours at a time. However, it can get pretty hot while doing so if you don't put some outdoor shades in place. Get those shades up so you can let all of your worries melt away as you take in the smell of pool water and sunscreen. 4) Garden Areas Do you enjoy a little gardening in your downtime? You might like it even more after setting up outdoor shades that protect you from the excessive heat of the sun. Gardening is labor-intensive work and can take several hours of diligent labor to do it properly. However, you don't want to overextend yourself and end up getting physically overworked. Keeping some of the sun away is an excellent way to ensure that you don't overdo it. Just make sure that you check up on the sunlight needs of the various plants that you intend to put into your garden before installing outdoor shades. 5) Exterior Windows Did you know that it is possible to reduce your energy bills by installing outdoor shades? It's true! If you place outdoor shades on the exterior windows of your home, you can reduce the strain placed on your air conditioning by naturally reducing the overall temperature within your living space. This means less money out of your pocket and more money for working on your next project.  There are many interesting places where homeowners are installing outdoor shades these days. For more creative ideas on what you can do with yours, reach out and contact us now.