Home Finishes and Upgrades can have a huge impact for minimal expense, elevating the atmosphere of any home. So, when you explore these tips you will hopefully be inspired!

There are many small and affordable projects that you can do that will change and elevate the look and feel of your home. Most of which can be done as DIY projects, completed in your spare time. Getting the idea? You’ve got this!

Painting is always an obvious project but did you ever consider the impact of crown molding or wainscoting on the walls. Or, how about those old doors and the molding around them? Lets not forget the baseboards and window molding. Whereas Lighting can have a big WOW factor as well. The list of possibilities just goes on and on.

Crown Molding

Sometimes called cornices, crown molding dates back to ancient Greece, where craftsmen and builders chiseled ornate moldings from travertine stone or molded them from plaster. Whereas, nowadays, crown molding is simply trim that separates the walls from the ceiling. They do add elegance and sophistication to any room.

It can also hide flaws and imperfections (if any) that may appear where the walls meet the ceiling. You may want help from a carpenter as the miter cuts for the inside and outside corners can be tricky. They do make, however, corner blocks that would work in some applications, allowing for straight cuts. These Must Have Home Finishes and Upgrades are worth the effort.

There are many sizes of premade crown molding available in simple to very elaborate designs. For large rooms with high ceilings, you may want to opt for a large crown molding. When laired with other trim moldings they make quite the statement. Therefore, you should consider what size and style fit your room. You don’t want to go over board. They are also available in different materials, Wood, MDF, PVC and polyurethane, Polystyrene, and Plaster. Go here to explore the differences:

Faux Beams

Faux wood beams, also known as artificial or fake wood beams, are decorative elements used in interior design and architecture to mimic the appearance of real wood beams. Unlike genuine wood beams, which are typically solid and structural, faux wood beams are typically made from lightweight materials such as high-density polyurethane foam, medium-density fiberboard (MDF), or a combination of wood particles and resins.

For our applications the only thing Faux is that they are not structural. They are made out of real wood.

The faux beams that we constructed for the main floor kitchen and hallway are designed and constructed 1×4 pine boards on the sides and 1×6 boards underneath slightly recessed creating a hollow box. Once you know the location the beam is to go, use a chalk line on the ceiling to know where to put your nail strips.

The beams are attached to the ceiling using 2×2 wood nail strips hung with butterfly anchors (also known as toggle bolts). Toggle bolts or butterfly anchors have wings that open inside a hollow wall or ceiling, bracing against it to hold the fastener securely. In the hallway, one of the beams was installed right over an electrical box in the ceiling so we used the opportunity to install a recessed light into the beam. They were finished in white paint.

The faux beams add dimension and style to any room. We finished the look with bead board wall paper to give the ceiling more interest. We applied the paper between the beams on both projects.

The next type of faux beam that we did is of a more solid nature. They consist of solid 2×6 boards mounted directly to the ceiling with the screws covered with screw hole plugs. These beams were given a rustic distressed look by beating the wood with both sides of a hammer, hammer head and claw side, in random directions. Great for getting frustration out. Then the wood was stained and the result is truly stunning.

Window Cornice Boards

Think of a cornice board as the tailored frame that dresses up your window. It’s an upholstered or unupholstered, decorative panel you mount above the window to conceal curtain rods and give everything a neat, finished touch. The short answer is: it’s your window’s style and insulation superhero.

We made our window cornice boards out of 1×12 pine common boards. The sides are 7 inches and the fronts are as wide as your window plus about 12 inches on each side so that draperies are partially on the wall. This creates a 3 sided box topped with a crown molding of your choice. They are mounted to the ceiling with corner braces. They can then be stained, painted or covered with any material you choose. We are using tension rods up inside the window cornices to hang the drapes.

The one below has a molding added to the bottom edge and is covered in the middle with beadboard paper for texture.

Baseboards for Your Home Finishes and Upgrades

Baseboards do what crown molding does up at the ceiling but down at the floor. They also protect the wall from kicks and furniture and the inevitable vacuum cleaner impacts to name a few. And let’s not forget they are attractive and give your walls a finished look.

Baseboards can be as simple as a flat 1×4, 6 or 8inch board run along the floor against the walls with miter cuts in the corners. You can top add shoe molding or quarter round to enhance the profile. The flat board option gives a clean simplistic look popular in the craftsman style decor.

From there, we have many options available to us in materials and designs. Designs can be as elaborate as you can imagine with beautiful contours and detail. As with your crown molding, you want to consider the decor of the room to not over do it. You want to compliment the space without it looking out of place. You should be able to do this project yourself with a miter saw and nails.

Baseboard materials available vary. They are made out of a variety of woods, MDF (medium density fiberboard), and vinyl. Also available in several profiles including Rounded or Stepped Baseboard, Flat Baseboard Moulding, Sculpted Mid-Height Baseboard Trim, Sculpted Taller Baseboard Moulding, and you can stack and layer to make a bigger statement. Go here to see your options:

Window Trim and Casing

In Home Finishes and Upgrades, Windows are a focal point and can have a big impact on the decor of a room. Therefore, changing the window sills and the molding around the window can have a major influence on how a room looks. Even if you are going to have draperies, you still want to have attractive sills and moldings. What a difference this one upgrade makes in the atmosphere of any room in the house.

As with the baseboards and crown molding, There are many different sizes and profiles available for trimming out your windows. You can go with simple flat woods up to extremely curvy, sculpted, elaborate trim. Don’t over or under do it. Try and stay within the theme and formality of the room that the windows you are trimming are located in. You want all of the trim in a room to be cohesive.

When it comes to the window sills, you can use plane painted or stained wood or go with an upper end marble or granite. Cautionary note: If you have pets in your home, you may sustain damage on your window sills using wood due to their nails. I know my dogs like to jump up on the window sills to see what’s going on outside. That can leave scratches on the surface of your wood window sills. In that case, you may want to opt for a solid stone. Get inspired here:

Door Upgrades

In home finishes and upgrades, Doors have a big role to play. They are the first thing that you see up close when entering a room or house for that matter. A plane, flat, hollow core door does not have the same impact as a framed, paneled door. Again, there are so many choices and it can be fun and exciting choosing a new look. Huge impact! First impressions can influence how everything else is seen.

Bedroom Door

I recommend going with solid core or solid wood doors for the interior doors when possible. They are definitely heavier in weight and feel. They also provide a better sound barrier in between rooms which is usually a desired attribute. And they just have a more solid feel, hence the name.

Hollow core doors are great for closets. There is also the type of door to consider. One trend is Barn doors that hang from a top rail, allowing them to slide over door openings. Then there are French doors. They brighten any room and come in a variety of sizes, wood types, styles and glass pane configurations. Learn more here:

Closet Door

Front Door

For exterior doors, again, many choices. For your exterior you can select from wood, steel, fiberglass, or even iron. Smooth or textured surfaces and flat or paneled, available in several different configurations, with a little or a lot of glass or without glass. The choices are almost endless. The exterior doors on your home have a big impact on the curb appeal complementing your Finishes and Updates. Go here to see options:

Wainscoting & Walls for Home Finishes and Upgrades

Wainscoting is a fantastic wall treatment, typically applied to the bottom half of a wall, that can easily be accomplished with some wood paneling and/or molding, creating a raised panel appearance, applied to any wall. It ads detail and craftsmanship and has a huge impact, as most of these projects in Home Finishes and Upgrades do. You can go as minimalistic or elaborate in design as you want. It is a simple application that most anyone can do.

Dining Room

The chair rail can be as simple or elaborate as you want. To create a more substantial and elaborate appearance, use a combination of moldings stacked together. As seen in the pictures below. there are at least three different moldings sandwiched together. Be creative!

In the dinning room, we went for a more formal look. We used a decorative molding. It’s basically creating boxes or frames on the wall in the shape of squares or rectangles. We’ll call each one a panel. Measure the wall and decide how big each panel is going to be and how many are going to fit on the wall. You can mix sizes as well. For example, you could have a 12 inch wide panel followed by a 16 inch panel and then back to a 12 inch. Alternate across the wall. Of course you can also do all the panels the same size as well. You’ll have to do some math and see what combination fits best.

The picture below shows one style of pre-made wainscoting paneling that you can purchase at your home improvement center. This is our choice for the living room.

You can do just the bottom of the wall topped by a chair rail and leave the upper walls smooth or you can continue with panels on the upper walls as well in between the chair rail and the crown molding.

Bedroom

We used a basic 1×3 flat wood board in the bedroom/hallway and went with ornamental moldings applied in a rectangular shape along the walls to create the effect of raised paneling in the dinning room. Topped with a chair rail molding to finish the look. You can also purchase wainscoting panels to accomplish the look. Another huge impact under your belt. Get some ideas here:

Hallway

You may have the desired effect by simply painting. Consider making one wall in the room an accent wall by painting it a complementing color or a few shades different of the same color. It’s always a nice look. You may also consider wall paper. You can do the whole room, the accent wall or the opposite. Mix and match. How about wainscoting on the lower portion and wall paper on top. There are so many combinations that you can come up with, just use your imagination and have fun with it.

As shown above, the wainscoting with paneling is on the lower portion of the wall with wall paper on the upper half giving the room a very stylish appearance.

Lighting for Home Finishes and Upgrades

In Home Finishes and Upgrades, Lighting is an important element in every room. Whether it’s task lighting or for ambiance the fixtures themselves make a statement. Lighting is one of my favorite things. The proper lighting compliments any atmosphere. From recessed lighting and ceiling fixtures to wall sconces and table lamps, lighting is where it’s at. It can make or break any look you’re going for. Variety and distribution are key.

Use dimmers whenever possible and be strategic in lighting placement focusing on big, main lighting first. You want to cast light onto the ceiling. If you don’t have lighting on the ceiling, consider using a floor lamp to do so. Lighting selections can cheapen or elevate any rooms decor. Lighting doesn’t have to break the bank either. Just make smart choices and your room will be complete.

Sometimes, you may have an older, outdated lamp or lamps that otherwise work fine. They just don’t fit the decor anymore. Well, fret no more! Some times all those lamps need is a little love. Some new LED bulbs, if they don’t have them already and a new hat. Lamp shade that is. You would be quite pleased, as I was, what new lamp shades can do for that outdated lamp. People will think you’ve gone out and purchased new lamps! It’s amazing! The larger shade is the new one, in case you were wondering. Can you beleive that these are the same lamps?

For homes with recessed lighting, there are some amazing retro-fit products available that allow for remote control via a hand held or App based control that allow you to dim or brighten, change color or even sync to music. And for those plug in lamp fixtures that don’t dim, there are solutions for that as well. Explore your options online or at your local big box store. And last but not least, always try to use LED. They are energy efficient, cool to the touch, and long lasting. It’s a win win with LED

How About Those Switches & Outlets?

Something as small as light switches and electrical outlets in the walls of a room that are outdated can have a huge impact on the overall finish. It is a detail often overlooked! Changing them and modernizing can be achieved simply and inexpensively. But the effect is well worth it in my opinion!

This home finishes and upgrades project can be done DIY. Some people are scared to death of electricity, and that’s ok. If you are, you may need to call an electrician which of coarse will cost extra. DIY is really quite simple. Even if you are new to the electrical world, it can be done. First and foremost, make sure that the circuit breaker for the area that you are working in is turned off.

A simple to use electrical tester can be purchased at any big box store or local hardware store. They have two prongs on them and inserting one prong into one of the slots on the outlet and the other into the other slot will illuminate the light on the tester if the power is on. No light will come on when the breaker is safely off. Without a tester, you can simply plug in a working lamp or radio and of coarse, when they go off, the power is off.

Next, especially for beginners, be a copy kat. Put the wires exactly as they are on the old outlet or switch on to the new ones. One by one if necessary so you don’t get the wires mixed up. Make sure all wires are secure Three way switches are a little more complex as there is an extra wire to contend with. And as with anything, if you have any doubts at all, consult a professional!

Small Projects With a Big Impact

So, in Home Finishes and Upgrades, we’ve covered various projects that can be done in any room throughout your home. Any of these projects, whether done on there own or combined with some or all of the other projects, are going to transform any room that you apply them to. Having a beautiful space to be in and relax in makes us feel good about ourselves and gives us a sense of accomplishment. I hope that you got some inspiration and are planning your next project. See you on the next project!

Check out how we updated our basement here:

Additional Resources to Check Out:

• Home Depot
• Bob Vila
• HGTV