FOLIO LINE FOLIO LINE M c C l a t c h y - Tr i b u n e

The little things make a big

difference, whether you’re selling
your home or staying put
BY STACY DOWNS
McClatchy Newspapers
he tiniest home
improvement can make a
huge difference. Even
replacing a dumb old
doorknob.
“A doorknob is a preview of
what’s to come inside the
house,” says Susan Fehlig,
design consultant and owner of
Turn Key Interiors in Leawood,
Kan. “If it’s in rough shape or if
it’s out-of-date, the rest of the
home might be, too. When a
Realtor is fumbling around to
open the front door, potential
buyers already are making up
their minds. And the same goes
for guests.”
The good news is that a
doorknob is so simple to
replace that you needn’t possess
the skill set of a do-it-yourself
weekend warrior. And it’s an
inexpensive project that certain-
ly doesn’t involve taking out a
loan.
This type of upgrade is
cheap and easy. Make “dump
the frump” your rallying cry.
Think about updating the
uglies. You know, that bad
brassy fireplace screen or those
beat-up kitchen cabinet pulls.
And, of course, that unattractive
front doorknob.
“It doesn’t matter how big or
small a project is, but you feel
empowered,” says Krista
Williamson, owner of
K2Workshops in Overland
Park, Kan., a home-improve-
ment business that specializes
in teaching homeowners how to
fix electrical and plumbing
problems. “It sounds cliché,
but you feel proud because
you’re taking charge. I love it
when my family tours visitors
around the house and points out
things I’ve done.”
These uncomplicated
upgrades that don’t require
much more than a flathead
screwdriver can be major mood
boosters. One Friday, I came
home from work and saw my
husband had installed a new
brushed-nickel doorknob.
I was ecstatic. “Goldie,” my
nickname for the tired but BEFORE
brassy doorknob, had finally
bitten the dust. She had been
the first part of my house I had
resolved to get rid of when we
had moved in seven years ago. AFTER
But bigger projects had always
grabbed our attention, and I had
learned to live with her, as
many homeowners do with their
uglies.
However, Goldie had always
bugged me. She wasn’t gold in
the sense of Donald Trump
bling or in the up-and-coming
sophisticated brushed gold
hardware finish. Goldie was
shiny in parts, worn out in oth-
ers and definitely clashed with
the fresh apple-green paint
inside the house.
In retrospect, it makes sense
that Goldie and the other uglies
were bothersome, because I 1. Buy the doorknob.
touched them and looked at
2. Drop off the knob with your house
them every day.
key at a locksmith who will make sure
As a home stager and design
your existing key fits the new lock.
consultant, Fehlig looks past the
“house blindness” many of us 3. Remove the old doorknob. If the
develop and sees a home envi- mounting screws are not visible, look
ronment with a fresh eye. Paint for an indent on the trim plate. Inserting
is her top suggestion. She tells a screwdriver under the plate will pop it
homeowners to paint switch loose, revealing the two mounting bolts.
plates and air-return vents the 4. Install the new doorknob.
colors of the wall. She freshens
up brass lamp bases (the color
PROJECT DETAILS
of Goldie) with paint made
specifically for metal. ■ Cost: A new doorknob starts at
“It saves money to try to about $25. The locksmith’s work
save the hardware if you can,” costs between $5 and $10.
Fehlig says. “I use oil-rubbed
■ Tools required: A screwdriver.
bronze or brushed nickel colors
of paint, depending on the ■ Time: 15 minutes or so to install.
house.”
Fehlig suggests updating the
uglies in the kitchen and bath-
rooms first since they’re the
rooms that sell a home.
TA M M Y L J U N G B L A D / T H E K A N S A S C I T Y S TA R / M C T

INTERIOR Window treatments: Ditch the dingy

Towel bars: Replace beat-up bathroom
hardware with more classic finishes
such as brushed nickel.
Furniture knobs: An old chest of
drawers can look fresh and fun with
new knobs.
Kitchen hardware: New pulls and
knobs can update a kitchen without
expensive new cabinets.
Lamp shades: Drum shades offer a
fresh look.
Paint: Fresh paint, in an updated color,
can give a room a whole new look.
sheers for some new, cleaner drapes.
EXTERIOR
House numbers: Replace the small
black old-fashioned numbers that are
difficult to read.
Light fixtures: Make sure they coordi-
nate with the style of the house and
illuminate your new house numbers.
Mailboxes: A modern-style mailbox
can update a house.
Landscaping: Some new mulch and a
few flowers really help with curb
appeal.

TA M M Y L J U N G B L A D / T H E K A N S A S C I T Y S TA R / M C T

In dark-colored rooms, paint the switch plate the same color as the walls so TA M M Y L J U N G B L A D / T H E K A N S A S C I T Y S TA R / M C T
that it doesn’t stand out.
Replacing house numbers and light fixtures can give a new look to
your house’s exterior.

Not easily found, and that’s the point.

PROJECT DETAILS
■ Cost: A paintable wooden
switch plate with a single switch
starts at $2.
■ Tools required: A screwdriver.
■ Time: Five minutes or less
after it’s painted the same color
as your walls.
Painted switch plates blend into the wall, a ■ Anthropologie sells vintage-
good thing because you don’t want to draw inspired hardware such as furniture
pulls, www.anthropologie.com.
too much attention to switch plates because
they’re not a pretty focal point. ■ Chiasso offers modern address
Standard beige or white plastic switch numbers, mailboxes and towel bars,
plates can make a room look unfinished www.chiasso.com.
because they seem to jump right out of the ■ Lutron makes modern dimmer
wall — especially in a room painted in vivid switches, www.lutron.com.
or dark colors. Those types of switch plates ■ Restoration Hardware sells classic
also show dirt and fingerprints. furniture and cabinet hardware, switch
plates and address numbers. Tip:
Order through stores to avoid shipping
costs, www.restorationhardware.com.
■ Rejuvenation sells classic interior
and exterior lighting and hardware
according to the style and period of
the home, www.rejuvenation.com.
■ And don’t forget Home Depot
(www.homedepot.com) and Lowes
(www.lowes.com) for home
improvement classes and all kinds of
materials.

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