Window Film Blog
Bright blue painted front door

5 Great DIY New Year’s Resolutions

It’s another new year – and if you’re like most of us, you’re thinking about what your goals are for this upcoming trip around the sun. (For help with this grab our 2023 Resolution Planner!) And while you’re getting your personal resolutions on, don’t forget about your home! We’ve got five great DIY New Year’s resolutions to get you started on your #housegoals for 2023.

DIY Resolution #1: Upgrade Your Powder Room

I don’t know about you, but I think the powder room is a great place to take some risks in your home design. While you might play it safe in some of your larger gathering areas like the living room or kitchen, the powder room is a great way to add some pizzazz with design.

Wallpaper

Pale Blue Wallpaper With Birds In A Powder Room
Source: The Zhush

Today’s wallpaper has nothing to do with your grandmother’s house! With bright, bold, colorful patterns and sophisticated designs, wallpaper can add instant drama to a powder room (White Lotus, anyone?). If you’re afraid to go whole hog with the wallpaper, consider just an accent wall, or use wood paneling in the space to limit the wallpaper’s coverage. And with so many peel-and-stick options on the market, wallpaper has never been easier to install!

Ceiling

Powder Room With Dramatic Black Painted Ceiling And White Molding
Source: decorpad.com

The ceiling of the room has become the fifth wall. Add some excitement to a small powder room by doing something unexpected on the ceiling, like a wood treatment, a metallic paint, or yes, I’m going to say it again, wallpaper! Another way to add some interest is to add a molding detail.  Crown molding, a coffered ceiling, or a tray ceiling are all great options!

Floor

Geometric Patterned Floor Tile In Powder Room
Source: @richlandbuilds via Instagram

Add some interest to your powder room with your choice of flooring. This is another area where you can go with something bold because the space is small. There are so many interesting tile options available – such as tile that mimics wood flooring or tiles that evoke old world patterns. This can be an especially great choice if the rest of the room is neutral and you bring in an unexpected design with the tile.

DIY Resolution #2: Paint Your Front Door

Bright Blue Painted Front Door
Source: HGTV

What color to choose?

May we suggest Pantone’s color of the year for 2023? It is called Viva Magenta and we think it would work beautifully with a beige, white or gray home.

But, if that’s not your style, a good place to start is with the color of your house. Look for hues that will complement the main color on your home. Apartment Therapy has a great guide to complementary colors that explains the color theory in a simple way. And Better Homes & Gardens has done a lot of the work for you with their guide to exterior color palettes for the home.

How to paint the door

Painting the door itself is an easy DIY task, but as with everything, preparation is key! You’ll want to remove the hardware and sand the surface of the door before applying your chosen paint color. HGTV has a great step-by-step guide with all the info you need to get the job done right.

DIY Resolution #3: Update Your Interior Door Hardware

Crystal Knob On Interior Door From Emtek
Source: Emtek Crystal Knob via elocksets.com

After tackling your front door, it’s time to turn inside to your interior doors. Interior doors are often overlooked as a design element but there is nearly always one in view from most rooms in a home. Updating the look of your interior doors can really freshen up the look of your home.

And one of the easiest ways to make a change to interior doors is to change out the hardware.

Chances are you are living with the same hardware that was installed on the doors when the house was built. But there are new and more modern finishes to discover and exciting shapes of knobs and levers as well as styles from rustic to farmhouse to antique to consider. Check out these manufacturers’ sites for some inspiration: Schlage, Baldwin, and Emtek.  

And don’t forget to swap out the hinges in the same finish as your hardware for the complete look!

DIY Resolution #4: Upgrade to a Programmable Thermostat

Nest Programmable Thermostat On A Wall
Source: Nest via crateandbarrel.com

As energy costs continue to soar, a smart home upgrade is to swap out your old thermostat for a new one.

Even if you don’t still have the old analog dial type – a ten year old digital thermostat may not be offering you everything it could. Today’s thermostats are not only programmable – products like Google’s Nest thermostat learn your habits and adjust for you so you don’t even have to think about it.

The Nest has a feature where you can opt into a service that matches you with renewable energy sources right from the thermostat.

And it has other features like monitoring your HVAC system to catch issues before they become a big problem.

What’s more, Nest and other digital thermostats can be accessed from anywhere. So if you forgot to program it once you’ve left the house for vacation, you can easily do it from an app on your smartphone.

And installing a programmable thermostat is an easy DIY job that will pay for itself within the first year from your energy savings. Plus there may be rebates available to you through your electricity provider.

Installing a digital thermostat is easy and there are many online tutorials that will walk you through the steps including one from Nest and non-brand-specific instructions from Lowes.

DIY Resolution #5: Install Window Film

Comfortech 45 Comparison Scaled -
Source: Concord Window Film

Another great money-saving DIY project is installing window film in your home.

Window film (or window tint) is an upgrade to your existing windows that controls heat, prevents fading, reduces glare, blocks harmful UV rays, saves energy, and adds daytime privacy to your home. Window film has many benefits including increasing your home’s comfort and saving you money on your HVAC costs. Most commercial buildings have been using window film for years to improve comfort and save energy – get the same for your home!

And installing window film has never been easier than with DIY kits from Concord Window Film. Created in three sizes: (1) for single and double hung windows, (2) for casement or gliding windows, and (3) for patio/sliding glass doors, each kit contains two pieces of film pre-cut to fit most common window sizes. Then for larger window sizes, we offer rolls of film in six sizes.

Plus, we’ve taken the guesswork out of choosing window film for your home. Our ComforTech™ Ceramic Series window film is professional grade film that is perfect for residential applications. It’s 2-ply thick with a dry adhesive that’s easy to handle. It’s made with nanoceramic technology that gives the film its beautiful and long-lasting natural color that won’t fade or discolor over time.

Our film comes in five beautiful shades so you can choose the one that’s right for you. Start exploring window film at windowfilm.com and order a sample kit to discover the shade that’s right for you!

Want more information on window film? Get our free window film guide that has everything you need to know to get started!

2023 Resolutions

We think these five DIY resolutions are a great addition to anyone’s home goals for 2023! We wish you fun and success in getting your home in shape this year!

And if you want some help planning your personal resolutions, grab our FREE resolution planner!

Picture Of New Year'S Resolution Planner

Connect for News, Deals and Product Info