Work at home for weekend warriors

If you look around your house or apartment and start to list all the improvements you could make, you might just give up before you even start. Home improvement can be overwhelming when you approach it all at once. But take a weekend here and there to tinker on various projects and you’ll be surprised how much you accomplish.

1. Install a simmer switch

This takes very little money and just a basic understanding of wiring. Or check out YouTube to watch the experts do it. You’ll want to install a dimmer — and set the mood — in every room of your house.

2. Rethink storage

Break out of the drab cupboard and expose your dishes, spices, and canned soups. Open-shelving can be done in almost any room in the house. If you want to show off your extensive library just look into the DIY shelving kits. You and your living room just got a lot smarter.

3. Design a gallery wall

Pick up a bunch of picture frames in various sizes. You can go to the thrift store or the department store, it’s your budget. Fill the frames with photos, clippings, scrap wallpaper, whatever you want. Place frames on the floor to figure out how you want to cluster them together. Go big and take up a whole wall or create small groupings. It’s attention-grabbing and can be done regardless of how much space you have.

4. Give your backslash some life

It’s impressive what a few vibrant tiles can do to a kitchen. Play around with pattern ideas and color schemes, glue those suckers to the area behind your kitchen sink and under your cabinets, and you’ll feel like you remodeled the whole kitchen.

5. Splurge if you can

This is for those that have the ability to drop some serious cash on their upgrades. Think about what room you like best. Are you an aspiring culinary whiz in the kitchen or a studious worker in the den? Do you primp for what seems like hours in the bathroom? Find your favorite spot and make it even better. Install that open range stovetop or television that pops up from behind a bookshelf. Go nuts.