Smart remodelling ideas for five rooms in your house

The housing market in Ireland has rebounded from the crash in 2008. Though some areas have recovered more than others, demand has pushed prices up steadily for several years.

For many homeowners, this is great news as they see the value of their home rising steadily. For others, it may mean the house they had their eye on might be too expensive now.

For this reason, the option to renovate might be a practical idea at this stage. You can increase its resale value and rejuvenate the spirit of your home. It could be a good opportunity to modernise and make your space more functional.

With that in mind, here are some ideas if you’re considering renovating your home.

Kitchen

The kitchen is the heart of any home. It’s where we cook, eat, socialise and entertain.

Remodelling can be done in stages while keeping a bigger design plan in mind. For example, here are three improvements you could do, without necessarily tackling them all at the same time.

1. If budget is tight, you can consider changing or painting the kitchen cabinets by choosing bright colours that will bring life back into the room.
2. Investing in a new kitchen worktop can be an excellent way to refresh its style and add years of service to the busiest room in the house.
3. Updating cooking and food-prep areas with a tile backsplash gives the kitchen a new look while protecting your wall from moisture. Tiling creates a visually appealing, long-lasting design choice, allowing room for your own creativity to shine through. Mirrored backsplashes are very much in fashion, particularly where there’s minimal or no natural light in the kitchen.

Living Room

The name says it all. We do a lot of ‘living’ here - relaxing, socialising, watching TV and most importantly, being with family.

Giving your living room design a quick refresh is a wonderful way to rejuvenate the space and it can be done without breaking the bank.

Paint is one of the most cost-effective ways to give a room a facelift. It’s got transformative powers and gives terrific value for money.

Two tone effects and contrasting colours - like a dark grey below with crisp white above - are very much on trend. This can help give a roomier affect too.

Replacing your furniture can also breathe new life into your living room. Keep an eye out for special offers furniture stores. Also, ensure your measurements leave enough to give your room a spacious look and feel.

The Hallway

If you have a tired carpet or worn tiling in your hallway, a new floor finish will do wonders for your visitors first impressions.

Carpet can be easily replaced and there’s an incredible variety of floor finishes to suit all budgets.

If a hard wood finish is what you would love but your budget cannot support it, vinyl tiles and wooden laminates are highly cost-effective options.

A great advantage of choosing a modern floor finish for your hallway is that they can be installed on top of the existing tile or cement finish.

The Bedroom

We often underestimate lighting when it comes to the look and feel of a room.

It’s a fantastic way to add ambiance and mood. Some well-placed lighting adds instant elegance to any bedroom.

Equally, storage is something that can breathe life back into a room. Whether it’s the master bedroom or the kids’ rooms, clutter can become stifling. Adding some slider drawers under a bed, or having some custom shelving added to an irregular corner or arch can relieve some of the existing storage burden.

The Attic

The attic is a prime opportunity to expand your living space. By remodelling a once dark and gloomy area at the top of your house you can create a bright and spacious bedroom, playroom or walk-in wardrobe.

The space along the attic’s low ceiling walls are ideal for installing built-in shelves, drawers, and cupboards. It’s important you begin by reviewing the building regulations associated with this type of renovation.

But once these have been met, an attic conversion can add significant value to your home and you get the most from your life’s investment.