My renovation list right now: 3 small-budget updates that make a big difference
More color, texture, and personality! This fall, my list includes three easy, budget-friendly renovations—tiling the backsplash, building a full-wall bookshelf, and making a slatted headboard. By doing them myself, our home feels even more like ours, writes digital content developer Anni Alatalo.
1. Bathroom backsplash tiling—a small job, a big change
When we built our current home, I was adamant about having a bathroom without any tiling. My reason was mostly visual: I didn’t want more than one material on the wall (don’t ask me why). Now, three years after moving in, I realize I was wrong. Water splashes, layers of hair spray, and toothpaste stains are much easier to clean off a glossy tiled surface, which also protects the wall—even though it’s not truly a wet area. Plus, tiling would bring some much-needed character to this plain space.
Because the area is small, I’ll need only a relatively small amount of tiles, tile adhesive, and grout. It’s easy to find them in discount bins, on social media renovation groups, or in outlet stores at a bargain—or even free. By using someone else’s leftovers, I could get quality tiles affordably—or make a bold choice I wouldn’t have picked at the store.
2. A full-wall bookshelf can be built with glued wood panels and paint
A few years ago, I painted three old Ikea Billy bookcases with chalk paint in a deep, dark yet elegant bright green. The bookshelf is large, but my books barely fit. Although the new paint job turned out great, I knew right away the project wouldn’t end there—I wanted to extend it all the way to the ceiling and over the doorway so it would cover nearly the entire six-meter (about 20 ft) wall. This fall, I’ll build a bookshelf from floor to ceiling, wall to wall. More space and atmosphere!
In my opinion, a bookshelf wall is a wonderful decor feature. In capable hands—like my partner’s, who is a carpenter—it can be made quite affordably from glued panels, screws, wood glue, and furniture paint. This renovation will be a shared project, but I’m responsible for the design and painting.
3. A headboard extending to the ceiling—on a budget
One year ago, we painted all our bedroom walls dark blue. I’ve been happy with the result, but from the beginning, I wanted to soften the dark ambiance with lighter wood. A floor-to-ceiling slatted headboard would create the contrast we want, so that’s on our renovation list.
If you’re willing to invest more, this renovation can be made simple by purchasing ready-made acoustic slatted wall panels for just under a hundred euros each. However, my partner and I tend to challenge ourselves and cut costs by building the headboard from scratch. We’ll wax the raw slats in a light oak shade and attach them to frames painted in the same dark blue as the wall.
We’re planning to install LED strip lights behind the slats. And if we feel like taking on more of a challenge, we’ll add floating nightstands alongside the slatted headboard.
