Owning a traditional home means the house probably has distinctive features that you love. But when you are ready for a few updates, you may want to consider adding features like the following that can make your comfortable home even more enjoyable.
Modernized Fireplace
Exchange the work of managing a wood-burning fireplace for a convenient electric fireplace. Instead of stoking the ashes by poking the wood, you can flip the switch and sit back to enjoy a lovely and relaxing electric flame. You won’t have to clean up the hearth afterward or worry about animals and insects coming down the chimney. A consistent, reliable electric blaze not only looks nice and feels great but also adds a modern accent to your living room. To find the best one for your project, visit Tim Arnold’s guide on home solutions.
Staircase Railings
Handrails that are worn, faded, or chipped can be replaced for newer options that will streamline the staircase as well as provide added style and safety. You can choose from various materials, like aluminum, wrought iron, wood, or vinyl. Coordinating all of the railings in your home with the same design will create a streamlined effect that is upbeat with a fresh new look. You can search for Stair Railings Near Me to choose the levels of railings and colors to blend with your home.
Upgraded Flooring
Install new flooring in some or all of your rooms where it is most needed. A bright new carpet can change the entire look of a room, adding color and texture that coordinates with the furniture and décor. Check out the trending colors for this year and choose a pattern that works with the house without straying from the overall design. You may want to think about real wood floors with area rubs instead of carpeting, which could enhance a more rustic look or a country feel for the house if that is your goal. With countless types of linoleum flooring Seattle, tiles, carpet, and area rugs to choose from, you can add a few slipcovers for the furniture and decorative pieces in the room to make it look completely different.
Creative Lighting
Like flooring, your home’s lighting can be changed to a modern style that fits with new furniture or freshly-painted rooms. Track lighting is great for work areas or recreational spaces like the basement or family room. Wall sconces add ambiance and atmosphere lighting to a bedroom or dining room, for example. Suspension lights in the kitchen or living room create a center point of light that brightens the entire area and can be adjusted with a dimmer switch.
Laundry Room
Adding a laundry room to a traditional home will not only update the structure but also make your life easier by having laundry equipment on the main floor for convenient access. You don’t need to designate a complete new room for this purpose, nor do you have to add a room to your existing structure. A fair-sized closet near the kitchen or bathroom can provide the plumbing access needed for a laundry area. This type of renovation can add value to your home if you decide to sell it in the future or have it appraised for a home equity credit line. If you are planning to make a renovation to your house in order to sell it out, you can also consider selling in its current condition to a real estate investor like The Local House Buyers.
Half-Bath
Similar to a laundry room, a half-bath can be installed in a relatively small space. All you need is room for a toilet and a sink along with a towel bar. A half-bath added to a standard bathroom in your home comes in handy when you are raising kids or entertaining guests. If the main bathroom has a problem, it helps to have a spare half-bath. This type of addition also may increase your property value.
Home Office
Now more than ever, a home office can serve a useful or necessary function for many people who are working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even if you are able to work at an office or on the road, having a home work area helps when you have to finish a report or contact clients after the regular workday. When a sick child keeps you home from a job, your home office lets you do some of your work if needed while caring for your family member. Maintaining your traditional home’s quaint charm, you can add a home office in the same style by converting an extra bedroom, the attic, part of a refinished basement, or partitioning off part of the dining room. Add a door for privacy and quiet when needed as well as a desk and chair, and you can take care of business.
With basic upgrades like these, your beloved traditional home can become an updated oasis that meets your twenty-first century needs.
