10 Small Changes That Will Make A Big Difference

As Lockdown drags on the motivation is hard to find isn’t it? I found this list the other day and think I was preparing it for a book but not sure it made it,  so I’m posting it here as it’s a list of suggestions for small things you can do that will improve your living space and, therefore, your life. I mean clearly not in the way that ending lockdown, winning the lottery or getting a pay rise and a promotion might, but it will help.

You know when you buy a new scarf or top and suddenly everything in the wardrobe feels rejuvenated? It’s that. Some are small, some are more labour intense. Have a look and see if any appeal to you.

1 CHANGE THE CUPBOARD/DOOR HANDLES

This is a simple job but will really make a difference. We always remember the touch points and texture and touch is one of those details that can be overlooked but shouldn’t be. There are so many different places to look these days. I have included a list of places over on Design Storey but, as regular readers will know, I am a huge fan of Superfront and have bought their handles before. The nude leather ages beautifully, the brass acquires a lovely patina or you could use the opportunity to add a splash of unexpected colour to a white or grey kitchen.

2 SORT OUT UGLY FITTED WARDROBE DOORS

A bit more like hard work this but don’t despair if you hate yours there are options. One of my neighbours lived with some horrendous purple lacquered affair for years before she got round to changing it and now they’ve moved. So do it now! You can paint – use a primer like Zinsser Bin 123 and Rustoleum paint. You can remove and hang some amazing fabric – if you do this make sure you hang it from the ceiling and extend it from wall to wall so it looks entirely luxurious. I have also been looking at padded doors recently. There are tutorials all over the place but essentially it involves making a baton frame, adding some foam and stretching material over the top. Katy Orme from Apartment Apothecary is currently in the process of cutting out the middle of her Ikea Ivar wooden doors and replacing them with cane. You can read how she did it on an earlier post at the link above.

3 PAINT THE RADIATORS TO MATCH THE WALLS

This is so simple, so fast and makes such a difference. I have to admit to there being some debate on this very subject in The Mad House at the moment. We have painted them in most rooms apart from the sitting room where I am keen to wrap the dark brown round the corner and The Mad Husband thinks the flat fronted radiators won’t paint as well as traditional ones. I’m adding this picture from my friend Tania (find her @thegarden.edit and if you need some garden work get in touch) and resting my case….

4 BUY A LARGE PIECE OF CARPET INSTEAD OF A RUG

I have spoken about this before but big rugs (and you should always buy the biggest you can afford) can be earbleedingly expensive and you can’t always layer smaller ones. That tends to work if you already own several that are broadly similar – Persian for example – but can be tricky to get right. There is lots of patterned carpet around and I have used this trick in my own house as well as advising others. A large piece of carpet (and ask the shop about hemming the edges) will always be more affordable.

5 INSTALL THE BIGGEST SHOWER YOU CAN FIT

British bathrooms are small. Most of them have a shower over the bath unless you have been able to convert a bedroom or cut up a larger one. But if you don’t use the bath and find climbing in over the bath somewhat stressful then think about removing and replacing with the largest shower you can fit in the space. The plumbing will always be there and any new buyers can always reinstall the bath. However, if that’s not a goer then think about whether you have space to install a second basin or to replace the one you have with a larger one so that two people could use it at the same time.

6 ADD MORE STORAGE TO THE BATHROOM

Staying in this room, we can probably all agree that there isn’t enough storage. If there’s no more floor space (trolleys are good for this as you can wheel them out of corner to where you might need them) then you have to use the walls. Make sure that mirrors have shelves or consider adding some narrow shelves if you can – don’t forget they only need to be as wide as a bottle of shampoo.

7 COVER UP A BED HEADBOARD TO RING THE CHANGES

Once again there are various ways of doing this. We had a padded headboard that was a very cold shade of grey. We also had a huge velvet bedspread that was taking up cupboard space. It was the work of an hour to marry the two and completely change the look and feel of the room. Again, if you want something more permanent (and less Heath Robinson) there are tutorials around. Try Melanie Lissack for advice and ideas.

8 INSTALL DIMMER SWITCHES

This is on my permanent list of jobs. I have one in the bathroom but I really need to add one in the kitchen. The other rooms in the house are mostly lit by lamps but those are the two rooms where it can really make a difference as you don’t tend to have lamps in these rooms so it can be hard to create atmosphere. If you don’t already have kitchen lights on different circuits (so you can turn them off over the sink while you eat dinner at the table for example) then putting the whole room on a dimmer can help.

9 DON’T FORGET UNDERFLOOR HEATING AND WALL-MOUNTED LOOS

Two things I don’t have and wish I did in my shower room. The former is self-evident (and I write this as the snow is falling past my window) the second is much easier to clean around not to mention the oft-cited argument that the more floor you see the bigger the room looks.

10 ADD MORE LAMPS AND CUSHIONS

If you don’t want to get the electrician round to sort the lighting then add lamps to your spaces. Tall ones, table ones, floor ones. Turn some of them on all the time and leave others for different times. There’s nothing wrong with allowing a corner to recede into the darkness – it can make a room look bigger when you can’t see the edges. And ring the changes with new cushion covers – they’re easy to store so you refresh seasonally or as the mood takes you and keep them for years greeting them like old friends when you bring them out from the drawer.