Pandemic Projects – Small changes have a big impact.

We are all in the same boat, spending so much time at home. Many of us are going stir crazy in our homes staring at the same four walls. I wanted to take this opportunity to show you how small changes do have a big impact on you and your home. I am calling these small changes “pandemic projects”. They are easy and most homeowners can do them and enjoy the rewards right away!

Let’s get started!

Colours of the Year:

Each year Pantone selects a colour or in this case two, to highlight in the Home Design Industry. This year’s selections are Illuminating and Ultimate Grey.
As a Designer, I want to show you how they can best used in your home.

Here are some easy, budget friendly ways to bring in the Colours of the Year into your home:

By having a touch of “Illuminating” and “Ultimate Grey” in artwork, pillows, a rug or tablecloth, you can bring in the “trend colours” without overpowering your space.

Use paint to create a more welcoming entranceway:

Most of us select a colour for our walls, paint them, add some artwork, perhaps a bench and mat for our entranceway. One thing we don’t necessarily think about is painting the back of our front door and garage door. What a difference it makes! As you can see, by painting the interior of the doors it really adds some warmth and interest to the space.

Change up those door knobs!

Are you tired of your basic door knobs? Do you have dated shiny, brass knobs? Why not replace them with an updated levered style in a brushed nickel finish? It may look like a small update but it makes a big difference!

Let’s move into your closet!

If you are anything like me you tend to wear the same clothes over and over again. They are the pieces that we feel comfortable in and love the style or colour of.

Here is a quick tip that will make a dent in the clutter in your closet.

Turn all the hangers in your closet backwards. Whenever you wear something, replace the hanger the right way. At the end of the season, you can see all the clothing that you tend to wear on a regular basis – I bet it will be a small portion of the clothing in your closet. Give away all the clothing that is still hanging on a backwards hanger.

How to style a hall table:

Sometimes we just need to shake things up a bit. One way we can do that is to restyle a hall table or dresser. I’ve taken step by step photos of the process of changing up my hall table and hope it inspires you. Everything that I used for styling the table was already in my home.

I’ve also created a quick video with some extra “tips” for you!

Video of styling the table – sending video in a separate email

Memory Photo of the Week:

One of the many, new traditions that I began when I moved was my “Memory Photo of the Week”. I had just moved into my new home and wanted my home to have a sense of “me”. I came up with the idea of selecting a special photo each week that brings back special memories, giving me joy and happiness. I place the photo on my stand which is located in my kitchen. I just love walking by the photo, looking at it and smiling. It’s amazing how something like this can lift your spirits – especially during our lockdown. You can tailor this idea into a new tradition for your family by having each family member select a photo and you can post them on the fridge. Take this idea and make it yours!

Privacy & Light!

This is one of my favourite Pandemic Projects! You can transform your front door or bathroom window in under 30 minutes! No special skills required!
Why would you want to do this project? By removing the blinds or curtains on your front door or bathroom window and installing peel & stick frosted glass, you maintain privacy, while allowing the light to come through, while giving a “cleaner, more modern” look. The film provides a surface that you do not have to maintain – which is always a nice bonus!

Purchase peel & stick frosted glass from your local building store. Clean the glass, measure, cut and place the peel & stick on the window. That is it!

Springtime Now!

It is surely going to be a long winter. You can bring a little bit of Spring into your home by “forcing bulbs”. This would be a great project to do with the kids.

Here is what you will need:
– Glass containers
– Small rocks
– Bulbs
– Water

Place some rocks in the bottom of each container, add the bulbs, add water to cover the rocks and wait for the bulbs to begin to grow!

I hope that these Pandemic Projects have given you some new ideas that you can use in your home during this lockdown.