As you know, we recently finished a couple of major jobs in our own reno: a new kitchen and a new floor. The photoshoots for these are imminent so I look forward to sharing the before and afters soon!
Kitchens and floors are pretty major investments but there are lots of other things you can achieve in your home for a few thousand dollars which make a huge impact. Here are some of my top suggestions:
Lighting: When we moved into our nanna house we changed all our lighting, swapping old and very dated pendants for gorgeous new brass chandeliers with LED filament-style bulbs as well as rattan pendants from Beacon Lighting. Total cost including the electrician was less than $3,000 and the difference it made was priceless!
New lights and shutters in our living room (before we changed the floors)
Window treatments: We went for plantation shutters from DIY Online Blinds which aren’t the cheapest option but they make a huge difference (in our case, hiding some old and yellowing window frames which is a lot cheaper than replacing all the windows and the window treatments!). You could probably do all new matching blinds in your home for less than a couple of grand.
Paint: We had our whole house painted internally before we moved in (so much easier than moving furniture!). It cost a few thousand but it made the world of difference. We did most of our home in Haymes Greyology 4. We are now saving up to have the red brick exterior painted. This is a more expensive job but it really will be the icing on the cake! And then there’s the driveway (it never ends when you buy an older home!).
Walls painted in Haymes Greyology 4 in our bedroom
Doors: The last job on my list before Christmas is replacing all my internal doors, and my front door, with some new ones from Corinthian Doors. I’ve found the more we update things around here, the more the older/cheaper things stand out! It’s time for some quality doors and I’m confident they will make a huge difference. I can’t wait to share them with you.
Bathroom on a budget: With all the work we’ve been doing, we sadly can’t afford a full bathroom reno (or two!) just yet. But after Christmas we’ll be embarking on a family bathroom refresh on a budget which I hope you’ll all love. The idea is to have the bath and tiles professionally sprayed, paint the walls, replace the vanity and possibly tile over the floor, all for well under $5,000.
I talk more about these ideas in this latest video with Jess Aloi from our partners Latitude Financial Services.
For help achieving your reno dreams, speak to Latitude about your best borrowing options.
Carpet Court have recently expanded their offering into window treatments, so The Block judge and brand ambassador Darren Palmer put together some exclusive tips for us on how to choose blinds.
1. Always choose the blind option that suits your light requirements. For a room ready for sleep, I recommend a full block-out, but for living spaces you may not want to completely shut off the sun.
Carpet Court sheer roller blinds
2. Always choose the blind option that suits your privacy requirements. Daytime privacy can be achieved with a sheer window treatment, but nighttime privacy generally only comes with an opaque option.
3. Consider spaces that need both light and privacy, but having a sheer and a block-out option installed on the same windows.
Carpet Court roman blinds
4. Blinds and automisation go hand-in-hand, and for a little extra money you can install motors on roller blinds so you get that touch of a button convenience.
Carpet Court shutters
5. If you’re renovating or building, allow a rebate in the ceiling where windows are located so you can hide the tracks, rolls or mechanisms of your blinds to give your room the most streamlined look.
Darren Palmer
[contextly_sidebar id=”mUKwj7EXPkpdWmhAqCGAn0t1ijHHXX4b”]Carpet Court’s exclusive new blinds range, the Aria Window Concepts Collection, is designed to enhance contemporary and timeless interiors, with the added benefit of simple functionality and light control. There’s a range of on-trend blind designs, including neutral plantation shutters (my favourite!), simple shading, high quality window coverings and unique earthy timber venetians.
Darren says: “We’re seeing individuality as the major trend in interior design and the perfect contrast to an often bold or layered room are simple window treatments. Interiors that make statements whether in colour, texture or pattern all receive the perfect final touch with options from the new Aria blinds collection.”
The new range includes roller blinds, sunscreen blinds, roman blinds, vertical blinds, plantation shutters, timber venetians and panel blinds.
Whether you’re gearing up to sell your home, or thinking about long-term improvements for your own enjoyment, these simple upgrades can boost the overall look of your home – and property value. The best bit? They’re inexpensive and easy.
Let’s be honest. Nobody likes a dark, dingy home and there’s no faster way to drain value from a property than a gloomy room. Make your home immediately appear brighter and larger by painting the walls white and welcoming in light with the help of additional windows, skylights or bi-folds. The right skylight in the right place can instantly brighten a home and turn even the dingiest room into a bright space. Skylights are also relatively inexpensive, so are a good place to start.
2. Refresh the kitchen and bathroom
You don’t have to go all out with a full-scale renovation to make a huge difference in the kitchen and bathroom. Opt for a more affordable option and simply replace the cabinet doors or just add new cabinet handles, modernise the kitchen splashback, install new tapware or add a statement mirror in the bathroom. Extra storage in the bathroom is always a winner, but keep it simple to save money – some floating shelves or woven baskets look great filled with rolled-up bath towels.
They let in sunlight and welcomed breezes in the warmer months, but windows are often ignored as a cosmetic feature of the home. Keeping the glass panes sparkling clean can instantly make them more attractive, but adding new blinds or curtains can transform the look of a room. For a modern but cozy style, use plantation shutters or timber venetian blinds, and add an extra touch of luxury with curtains.
Don’t limit your efforts to the home’s interior. Real estate agents talk about kerb appeal for a reason – the external appearance of your home is the first thing people see and even those of us with the best intentions often end up judging a book by its cover. You’d be surprised what a difference a freshly painted front door (perhaps in bold red or yellow) and a scattering of pot plants can make. And while you’re there, why not paint the fence and replace any wonky guttering?
Aussies love the great outdoors and a home with a deck that can be used as an extra entertaining area, or a spot to unwind after a hard day’s work, is a surefire way to add value to any property. Done right, it’s like adding another room to the house and with the right additions, it can be used all year round. Consider installing an outdoor heater and a retractable awning, and your indoor-outdoor experience will be complete.
— Bessie writes for finder.com.au, one of Australia’s largest comparison websites. She is passionate about real estate, renovating, and helping Australians find better.
Mastering the look and feel of your home doesn’t mean you need a degree in interior design. It’s about understanding the simple changes that can refresh a dull looking space into one that is comfortable and inviting. As far as interior design elements go, window treatments are one of the easiest to implement in your home – and they don’t always have to cost you a fortune either.
There’s absolutely no denying the beauty of glass sliding doors. These days, many homeowners desire the opportunity to merge the outside world with indoors and contemporary glass allows this by visually connecting us with the vibrant surroundings. Unfortunately though, large panels of glass don’t come with privacy and temperature control, so a functional and appealing window treatment is important. Below, we check out the essentials tips to consider and what style will suit your needs best.
Before determining the right window dressing for your sliding doors, it’s important you identify your main concerns. Sliding doors are beneficial for letting a large supply of natural light into a room and offering quick and easy access from indoors to outdoors. Whilst this can be nice at times, it’s ideal to find window treatments that allow full control over the amount of light that enters the room and allows you to step in and out through the sliding doors with ease.
For some homeowners, the visual appeal of window treatments for sliding doors can be a big selling point. You want something that will complement your existing decor and bring life to the space, but is it functional too? Your choice of window treatments shouldn’t hinder the usefulness of the sliding door, rather it should look appealing, be convenient to use and meet your needs.
There is a huge variety of choices when it comes to the fabric material of your window treatments. Sliding doors aren’t just limited to standard vertical blinds so let your imagination run wild and get inspired by something that can offer your space that ‘wow’ factor. Materials can be patterned, textured and loaded with colour or simplified and neutral. When selecting your material, keep in mind what your main concerns are – this could simply be the appearance to change the dynamics of the room or much-needed privacy, natural light and temperature control.
Regardless of what window treatment you choose for your sliding doors, there’s a good variety of materials available to help you achieve the best look possible, without sacrificing function. To assist in deciding what fabric you should use, consider the room and its purpose. If the room is small, Panel Glide Blinds are an ideal option because of slim retractable mechanisms. These styles of blinds are specifically designed to retract to the side when opened whilst staying flat to offer a sleek and convenient appeal. They are also ideal for larger sliding doors without overpowering the room’s current decor and design.
For homeowners that are after something a little more elegant and dressed up, Roman Blinds combine the luxurious appeal of curtains with the smartly designed mechanisms of blinds. One of the biggest advantages of these styles is their versatility, making them look stunning in any space. Roman Blinds are made from thicker material so they’re beneficial for homeowners wanting the best of both worlds – privacy control and a sophisticated look that can be matched with almost all decor styles.
For most homes, temperature control is a big priority – especially for those in Australia subjected to the harsh summer sun. One of the greatest benefits of window treatments is their ability to help control the temperature in your home, resulting in better comfort and lower utility bills. As sliding doors let in a lot of natural light, it’s important to select a style and material choice that can keep your home cool in summer and warmer in winter.
UV rays aren’t just damaging to your skin, they also contribute to your furniture and floors fading inside if you don’t have adequate protection on your windows. The best window treatment for sliding doors to help avoid sun damage and maximise energy-efficiency are Roman Blinds because their thicker material options are effective in maintaining a regular room temperature. Roman Blinds can be available in blockout fabrics for extra protection or sunscreen materials which allow light to enter the room without the harmful UV rays and heat or jeopardising those outdoor views.
Both Roller Blinds and Panel Glide Blinds can provide a well-balanced combination of temperature control and contemporary design to boost the ambience of any space. Roller Blinds are also ideal for small spaces as they are simple without excess fabrics getting in the way. For especially sunny locations or to really dim down the flood of natural light through your sliding doors, opt for a higher level of material transparency to accommodate your needs. Like with the other styles of blinds, sunscreen fabric and blockout fabric is available for the ultimate protection.
Sliding doors make for a stunning interior design feature with their visual connections to the outside world but their biggest disadvantage is lack of privacy. And unless you live on a super large block with no prying eyes in sight, this can be a complete pain. This is where the right window treatments come in handy.
Especially for rooms like the bedroom and bathroom, maintaining an adequate level of privacy is essential for many homeowners. Blinds are a simple window solution that allows you to have unabated views of the outside scenery in an instant – when you want. For the best control of privacy opt for materials that are dark and solid in colour. Blockout fabrics are ideal too and offer a complete back out in space – perfect for shift workers that rely on sleep during the day and homeowners that seek a higher level of privacy and temperature control.
– Jayde Ferguson writes for Super Blinds Mart – an online store offering a variety of custom and ready-made blinds to suit any sliding door.
