New Year, New Project; Reno Jobs For 2020

As we head into 2020 (eek, a new decade), there’s never been a better time to make a list of what reno jobs you want to take on at home. New year, new and improved home, right?

1. Paint

A lick of paint has the power to transform a room like nothing else can. It has the highest rate of ‘value add’ per dollar spent, so this should be your number one point of call whenever you need to freshen up a space.

Start with a colour palette that suits you best, I try to work from a 60/30/10 rule. Think 60% of your space should be a primary tone – nothing too offensive. Whereas 30% or your surfaces could be a secondary colour and the remaining 10% an accent. This formula sits balanced in a space as long as you follow a few simple colour rules. Pick colours that relate to each other, they could be complimentary, contrasting, triadic or monochromatic. The relationship of paint colours to the rest of the surfaces in your home is paramount to making a space feel resolved and considered.

2. Splashback

Don’t be daunted by seemingly big tasks, if broken down into a few simple steps, something like re-tiling a splashback in a kitchen or laundry can be an easy job. After a few Youtube tutorials, and a bunch of love from Uber Eats, your kitchen could look like a million bucks in less than a week. Carefully remove any old tiles with a hammer and wide chisel, be careful around GPOs and switches and take your time gluing the new tiles on. There’s something about clean new grout in a kitchen that just screams fresh.

3. Deck

If you’re like me and your deck is dry and covered in splinters from too much Summer sun, it may be time to refresh your deck. Jokes aside, no one like’s a splinter in the bum and a well-oiled deck is a safe deck. There are a few ways to tackle this, though. You can simply re-oil a dried-out deck, you could replace the timber boards, or you could plane or sand your existing timber. Either way, a bit of love thrown toward a deck will pay off when the party season kicks-off.

4. Feature wall

There’s nothing like getting your hands all dirty, splintery and having something pretty special to show for it at the end of the day. Arming yourself with a circular saw, a nailgun or impact driver and a bit of creativity can see you whip up a beautiful timber backdrop worthy of any Block or House Rules reveal. Spotted gum, Tassie oak, Victorian ash or a beautiful blackbutt feature wall can easily lift a space and bring heaps of character to a room. You may want to create a timber batten look, a chevron pattern, or just go all nuts with timber going everywhere.

A bit of effort will easily translate into a result worthy of a filtered out Insta post.