Door to Door Blog

How to Do Home Reno on a Budget

Having a vision for your home is one thing…and having the budget for it is another. However, just because you can’t afford that complete kitchen redo right now doesn’t mean you can’t still make meaningful upgrades to satisfy your renovation urges while you save up.

Here are eight home renovation ideas you can do on a budget:

1. Paint your kitchen cabinets. It might not be the full upgrade you were hoping for, but painting your kitchen cabinets is a great way to breathe new life into your kitchen without the big price tag.
2. Change out a light fixture. Old light fixtures instantly date a room, but are easy and affordable to upgrade to a more modern look.
3. Swap out hardware. From door handles to cabinet pulls, trade your old, worn knobs and hardware for something trendier.
4. Wallpaper an accent wall. Once regarded as dated, wallpaper has made a huge come back in home décor trends — and, as a bonus, stick on wallpaper is super simple to apply.
5. Upgrade your doors. Do you have scratched, dented or warped doors? Upgrading to new doors is an easy way to change the look of an entrance without breaking the bank.
6. Change out your window treatments. While your window treatments are a small portion of your décor, changing them up can make a big difference to the look and feel of a room.
7. Add board and batten or crown molding to a room. Both of these projects instantly add dimension to your walls and can be easily DIYed at an affordable price.
8. Add built-in storage. Adding shelving or replacing a pedestal sink with a vanity is a great way to add beauty and function to a room in your home.

As a final reminder, renovations don’t have to be expensive or complicated to make a big difference in the visual appeal and livability of your home. Try one of the above budget updates and see how good it feels to renovate and save.

Ready to upgrade your doors?

2020 Door Trends to Shake Up Your Style

Looking for a subtle, low-maintenance way to shake up your home’s style? Look no further than the biggest door trends of 2020. Changing up your door is the perfect DIY upgrade that can be accomplished in an afternoon, but still make a significant difference in the look and feel of your home. Whether you’re interested in interior or exterior, these are door trends you’re going to want to try out.

Here are our top three favorite 2020 door trends to look out for:

Bright, bold colors

Particularly for front doors, choosing a bright and bold color is a great way to put a signature look on the façade of your home. Gone are the days of doors blending in with a home’s exterior — in 2020, it’s all about standing out. Consider emerald green, deep purple, teal or even yellow as a welcoming entrance to your house. Or, rather than painting an accent wall in a room, consider simply painting the door for a burst of color. 

Metallic and matte black hardware

If you aren’t ready to commit to a full door upgrade, consider just upgrading the hardware to a more modern look. Shiny metallics, like gold and copper, and matte black finishes are very in right now and can make your door instantly feel more polished. 

Multi-slide patio doors

The modern, functional appearance of a multi-slide patio door can help brighten your home and give it a more open feel. Natural light is a big style winner right now — with window walls suddenly all the rage — so don’t be afraid to capitalize on this trend with your doors as well.

Need more style inspiration? Check out our collection of interior doors.

What’s Your Style? Hardware Finishes Edition

Choices, choices. With so many great hardware finishes to choose from, how do you know which style is right for you?

We all know that swapping out your door hardware can be a quick, inexpensive way to update the look of the doors in your home. However, you want to make sure your chosen hardware matches your established style and fits with the décor of your home. Here are a few questions to consider:

What other hardware is visible in the room?

Does your door share a space with drawer pulls or light fixtures? Consider how your chosen new hardware would look with the existing hardware already in the space. For instance, if you have polished chrome drawer pulls, you may not want an antique brass doorknob.

How do you feel about mixed metals?

Contrary to popular belief, mixing metals doesn’t have to be a décor no-no. In fact, when done intentionally, it can be quite visually appealing. Just try to find metals that still complement each other, rather than clash. Often, stark opposites work the best here — picture matte black hardware with polished brass drawer pulls, for instance.

What style inspiration does the rest of the room follow?

If you have a modern styled room, it might not make much sense to outfit it with an antique-style hardware set. Similarly, if you’ve decorated a room with earth tones and traditional décor, chrome hardware may stick out like a sore thumb. Do you best to imagine how your décor style will match up with your hardware style. 

What type of feel are you looking for?

The shape and feel of your doorknob can make a big difference. Picture yourself turning the doorknob every single day. Do you prefer a leverset or a knobset? How would opening and entering a door with each type of hardware feel? Pro tip: if you have small children, they’ll be able to open a leverset door on their own earlier.

Our final piece of advice: browse choices with an open mind. Narrow it down to a few that feel right to you and take your time considering how they’ll look on your door. Remember, hardware isn’t permanent, so don’t feel too much pressure. With so many lovely choices, you really can’t go wrong.

Shop hardware.

How Often Should You Change Your Air Filters?

For many homeowners, changing your air filters falls into the “out of sight, out of mind” category. However, making it a point to regularly change out your filters is important for both the air quality of your home and the efficiency of your HVAC system.

So, how often do you need to change your air filters? Unfortunately, there isn’t one fixed answer to this question thanks to several variables in play. Let’s break it down.

If you’re using fiberglass filters

This low-cost option is cheap for a reason — they just don’t last as long. While you’ll save money on the individual filters, you’ll need more of them to maintain air quality and avoid stressing your HVAC system. For most homes, this equates to changing your fiberglass filter every 30 days.

If you’re using pleated air filters

Pleated air filters tend to be made of higher quality materials and will last longer. Depending on the manufacturer and material, you might only have to change your air filters every six months of so — just make sure you check the product for guidelines.

You might need to change more often than recommended if…

Of course, there are other variables at play here to consider. Depending on your circumstances, you may need to change your air filter more frequently than recommended. For instance: 

• If you have pets who shed
• If you have allergies or other respiratory conditions
• If your house is on the larger side and has more air circulating
• If you live in an area with high air pollution

While it might seem like a tedious chore, maintaining your air filters is the best way to maintain the air quality in your home and ensure your systems are running properly. In fact, regularly changing your air filters can even reduce your energy consumption, contributing to lower utility bills. Do yourself a favor: stock up on a year’s worth of air filters at a time and set a calendar reminder. You’ll be glad you did. 

Looking for ways to improve the air quality of your home further?

Invest in new doors to better seal entrances.  

How to Keep Your Home Cool in the Summer Months

Tired of feeling like your air conditioner is blasting, but your home still isn’t cool? The problem may not be with your air conditioner — it may have more to do with how you’re insulating your home and utilizing certain areas.

Trying to cool a home that isn’t properly insulated wastes energy and drives up the cost of your utility bill. Luckily, there are small steps you can take to improve insulation, as well as best practices to keep your house cool in the hot summer months. Here are our five best tips:

• Check your windows. Adding weather stripping to your windows can help prevent cold air from escaping which, in turn, makes your air conditioner more effective. Further, closing your blinds when it’s particularly sunny or using blackout curtains can help keep the interior of your home from heating up too much.
• Make sure your exterior doors are well-fitted. If your exterior doors have warped over time, they may be letting in outdoor air — which can be a problem during both the hot and cold months. Consider upgrading to a new door that will keep your home better protected from the elements.
• If you have ceiling fans, use them. But make sure you’re using them properly. In order to be most effective, ceiling fans should run counterclockwise (if you’re standing under and looking up). If you don’t have ceiling fans, consider installing in the bedrooms or higher traffic areas of your home.
• Keep interior doors open. Unlike the exterior of your home, which you want as shut off as possible, you want the interior to be as open as possible. This allows air to better circulate and keep a consistent temperature throughout.
• Turn off lights and avoid the oven. Turn off lights when they aren’t needed, especially strong overhead lights. While it might not seem like they make much of a difference, the heat put off from bulbs can impact the temperature of a room. Similarly, avoid using the oven on really hot days. Instead, try grilling outside or using an appliance like a crock pot to prepare dinner.

Do you think your doors might be part of the problem? We can help.

Shop for better insulated exteriors doors today.

4 Tips for Preparing Your House to Move

No matter the circumstances, moving is stressful. Aside from finding a new place to live, preparing your current home to move can be a time-consuming endeavor. With so many belongings to sort through and the daunting task of putting your home up for sale, it’s easy to feel like your to-do list is never ending.

But don’t worry — you don’t have to do it alone. Here’s a short list of tips to help make the process easier: 

• Practice ruthless decluttering. Resist the urge to move belongings that you don’t need and haven’t used in years. Make trash and donation piles before packing even begins so you can start fresh at your new home with streamlined, organized belongings.
• Take small steps to improve the appearance of your home before putting it on the market. You don’t need to complete a kitchen renovation, but you do need to help your house put its best face forward in order to attract the right seller. Clean the carpets, wash the windows, and consider replacing scuffed and dented doors.
• Take it room by room. Try narrowing your focus to only one room at a time so you can avoid getting too overwhelmed. Pack rooms you don’t use as often first (like guest rooms or formal dining rooms) and save essential rooms (like the kitchen) for last. If you have an underused area of your home that can serve as “box central” as you get packed, that can help retain some normalcy in the other areas of your home until moving day arrives.
• Double check with your utility companies. Ideally, you want to experience a seamless utility transition from one home to the next. Double check that you have the correct turn off and turn on dates, so you won’t go without essentials like water and heat.

And one final tip? Take breaks and stay calm. Moving isn’t easy, but it will all be worth it when you are settled in your new home.

Get settled with new doors.