Home Remodeling Tips

Home Remodeling Tips - Match Your Home Hardware

Home remodeling projects are every homeowner’s worst nightmare. Visions of plumes of dust, stained and ruined carpets, overall disorder and chaos cloud your mind when you begin to think about undertaking a project. But not all do-it-yourself projects have to be that way. In fact, one of the easiest, least stressful home renovations you can do is simply replacing and matching your home hardware. Home hardware essentials include: cabinetry, door knobs, door stops, handles, hinges and screws, as well as floor registers. Follow these home remodeling tips and you’ll have successfully completed one of the easiest and effective makeovers ever!

Tip #1: Act Like a Knowledgeable Handyman

Whether you know your way around a toolbox or cringe when you hear words like “wrench” and “screwdriver”, replacing your home hardware is not too complicated. Instead of hiring an outside professional, you will be able to complete this project – which will end up saving you lots of green in the long run. Like any professional, before you begin a project, you evaluate the situation, amass the tools and equipment necessary and estimate costs. Therefore, the homeowner should survey each room (bathrooms, kitchens, bedrooms included) to see what exactly needs replacing. Check for cracks, scrapes and other damages as well as loose screws or mismatched pieces. Write down everything on a piece of paper so that you will have an accurate estimate of parts you’ll need to purchase. Next, do some research! Find out what typical parts cost and examine your budget so you can determine where the finances for this home project will come from.

Tip #2: Get Bold With Styles

Believe it or not, these seemingly small cabinet hardware pieces (knobs, hinges, locks, etc) add more to your room’s style than you can imagine. While stripping and re-hanging wall paper or painting your kitchen can be daunting, simply change or enhance your home’s style will unique, bold cabinet handles. Handles are typically offered in the following materials:

Brass

Chrome

Nickel

Stainless steel

Colored glass

Iron

Bronze

Next, you will match the material with the finish that most suits the room and your own personal style. Dark, elegant finishes include oil rubbed, burnished, weathered and antiqued. For a lighter look, simple polishes or matte finishes are clean and sleek.

Tip #3: Match Color with Function

For bedrooms, colored glass door knobs are ideal, especially for children. You might even consider allowing children to choose their own colors and help them feel involved in the project. However, limit their options to a few colors that match the existing decorations.

Kitchen and bathroom cabinet knobs should be easy to use and more importantly, easy to clean. One of the easiest and stylish choices is to install stainless steel drawer pulls and knobs, with matching hinges and floor registers. Contrarily, living rooms and family rooms yield a softer, less utilitarian feel and should be reflected in the hardware as well. Dark finishes work well with both sophisticated and casual furniture and designs.

Tip #4: Safety First

Like any good handyman, safety precautions are always observed. Safety should take precedence in this project as well. Install sturdy lock sets or locking mechanisms where they are necessary. Places such as the food pantry, medicine cabinet, bedrooms and closets should be properly secured to avoid any possible accidents. Metal lock sets should match your handle’s finish. If you do not wish to install knob locks, consider using drop down latches to secure an area. Drop latches are great for outside bedrooms, especially if you have any sleep walkers in your home! Finally, for homes with infants and toddlers, plastic door grips are a great solution for restricting access. These “locks” can easily slip over your existing knobs and handles, though not drawer pulls. Drawer pulls can be “locked” by installing drawer snaps that are installed inside the drawer and make it impossible for children to open.