This is a collaborative post.
If you are checking the marketplace, possibly via social media, for ways to make your home visually and practically more secure and pleasurable to the eye, there are many ideas out there on social media and in the latest magazines trending new items, for example, you may want to change your window frames from wooden to uPVC, aluminium or composite; you may also want good looking, hard-waring hardware, components and consumables to go with them.
Such long-term investments can sometimes come with a hefty price tag and not always have the longevity that you assumed would be inherent. It may be obvious, but timelessness and functionality are the calling cards that are advisable to seek when you are perusing the alternatives on the market. Leaving your personal stamp on the house being renovated is also not without its advantages.
This long-lasting appeal is imperative, since some design trends may require high maintenance or provide less usable space. If you are planning to move fairly quickly after a renovation, then providing an eye-catching image for new tenants may help increase the plausible price tag you can request. This latter matter is certainly true if you are planning a major renovation or big-ticket item which should have enduring appeal.
Cutting costs on bathrooms, for example, using prefab vanities (all-in-one bathroom storage and sink systems manufactured off-site and delivered ready for installation) often shows their price tag over time.
Simplistically, one could say that you get what you pay for. Some prefabs are decent, functional and beautiful in the general scheme of things and, with a bit of investment, will provide you with better longevity in the eye and the pocket.
Shiplap walls are reaching a point where, as nearly always happens, our patience has run a little thin on two major fronts. Designers are saying it is starting to feel tired, is pricey, is also surprisingly involved to install, not forgetting awkward to paint correctly too.
Behind this last remark comes the fact that the shiplap needs to be dead level, with the wall you are affixing it to having to be fairly flat, and the paintwork should be sprayed with an ultra-smooth paint finish for it to look special. As alternatives, use a creative paint colour directly onto the wall, unique artwork or even a good quality wallpaper to please the senses.
If you are looking to install decorative arches, it may not be apparent at first but this architecture (classically used in 1920’s Spanish colonial homes) can tend to show its age after a while. An alternative look is one where you use classic lines and subtle details that offer timelessness in the face of constant appraisal.
Though they look luxurious, large bathtubs can look good in print but don’t always fit in the selected environment. They can end up looking more decorative than functional in the worst-case scenario. A walk-in shower or bath is much more practical and long-lasting.
As with most of these recommendations, go with your heart if that is what you want. Be aware that some decisions should be thought of with a view to the future wherever possible.