Winter shows up every year as your uninvited guest. He brings short days, low temperatures and post-holiday blues. Our activities move inside – at least when the snow melts – and as a result, we use our homes more. That forced inside time is a great opportunity to tackle interior renovations.
Here are some interior winter projects – some large, some small – that can add a little warmth to your winter.
Redo Your Walls
Walls often define a home, and changing them can be the most effective way to breathe new life into your house. The obvious choice is paint! The duller colors of winter can help you reconsider previous paint choices in a new light – literally.
If you do paint in the winter, be mindful of the fumes, even if you have to open windows! If it’s just too chilly for you, winter is also a great time to install molding to give your walls more complexity.
Check the Attic
Heat rises, and its final stop on the tour of your home is the attic. While it’s unbearably warm in the summer, an uninsulated attic has quite the opposite effect in the chilly months. Winter is the perfect time to get up there and check for holes in your insulation without breaking a sweat.
Most insulation can last a long time – 100 years, in some cases – but many utility entries in your attic are not sealed during construction. Patching them up can save you money over time.
Get Some Lights
The darkness of winter is a good time to change up your lighting. Lighting is a low-sweat, easy job that anyone can tackle. An LED light conversion may be the easiest of them all, and can net you significant savings over time.
LEDs are given unfair treatment for their cold, dentist-office look. In reality, most manufacturers offer “warm” LED bulbs that look a lot like your existing filament or CFL lights. The key is to aim for a lower color temperature.
Play With Your Kitchen
At the start of winter, kitchen projects might not be an option. But in January and February, after hungry family leaves town, it’s a great target for winter work. Those dead months are the perfect time for new appliances. You can also consider a backsplash for your countertops, giving the space year-round color.
If you’re going to be forced indoors, you might as well embrace it! This winter, take on those interior winter projects you’ve been putting off. When summer rolls around, you’ll be glad you did.