12 Home Shelter-in-Place Projects To Do During Covid-19

Perk Up Quarantine Time with This To-Do List

 

Getting bored is not an option while sheltering-in-place during this pandemic.

Think about the situation – positively! You’re not alone; virtually the whole world has been quarantining and observing social distancing. Why not put the extra time to good use and take on some home projects you have been putting off?

Yes, youve been binge-watching all the Hulu, Netflix, and HGTV programs you’ve missed and been catching up on your reading. But haven’t you always planned to reorganize your clothes closet and the kitchen cabinets, declutter the basement, sort out the pile of junk mail – and have been putting it off?  Now is the perfect time for these activities.

So dust off the boredom blues – go into action mode and be productive.

Here are some simple and inexpensive home projects to which you can give some of your attention while you have time on your hands. Weve organized projects into categories – from rearranging and organizing to decorating and improving.

 

Rearranging/Updating Spaces and Furniture

There are some changes/updates you can make in your home – and with your furniture – without the expense of a full renovation.

 

1.  Change up your living room

Years ago, when I shared an apartment in New York City, I had a roommate who had the practice of rearranging the living room every few months or so. I could come home to some surprises – one sofa against a bedroom wall and another one facing the window. Throws, side tables, and lamps switched around. Needless to say, the living room always looked interesting.

Pandemic or not, it’s quite exciting when the living room gets a new setup. An easy enough project to do while sheltering at home – and not too much of a sweat. And you can be quite creative with the rearrangement of your furniture, fixtures, and decor accents.

Everything may be the same old furnishings – but you can move the couch, bookcase, computer table, TV stands and position them in different ways to give your living a room a new layout.

 

 

• Punch up your decor: Get attractive and colorful sofa slip covers or protective throws, pillows, or cushions. Take out that salt lamp from its original box and put it on a side table. Change your curtains. You may want to check your linen closet and find curtains you bought a while back – just waiting to get out of their packages.

• Upgrade old furniture: You may have dressers and cabinets sitting in the basement or garage that need a little attention. Perhaps you planned a new paint color for that old dresser – or a varnish job for a table. If the reminder note for this project has been lying on the “to do next” or “neglected” pile for a while, now is the time to bring out the paint and paint brushes – and make the pieces presentable again. And that’s exactly what my niece is doing with three old dressers. She is currently repainting them and giving them some needed TLC

 

Cleaning/Organizing

In 2020, more than any other year, cleaning has been top of mind for virtually everyone. We make it a point to scrub and disinfect kitchen countertops, desks, tables, computer monitors, etc. Now, we can pay attention to the real cleaning and organizing that we have shelved for so long. We’re talking about clothes closets, kitchen and bathroom cabinets and drawers, mudrooms, and pantries.

 

2.  Tackle the clothes closet

How many times have we told ourselves to clean and organize our clothes closets – especially when seasons change? This is the time to go through that closet, sort clothes, and get ready to purge items you havent used in a while.

In early spring, one of the churches in my area sponsored a Lenten Project – instead of giving up something for Lent, why not donate a piece of clothing that has been sitting in the drawer or hanging in the closet – unused for a few years? So people were encouraged to purge their closets and armoires and donate an item during Lent.

It was a great incentive to start cleaning my closet and giving up items I had been holding on to – unnecessarily – for years.

 

3.  Clean up the entryway

You may have a back door entry with hooks on the wall for jackets and coats – or perhaps even a spacious mudroom. Either way, these areas can become disorganized and dusty with all the comings-and-goings of family members and guests. Make sure the shoe rack you’re using instead of shelves for footwear is cleaned and washed. Shake out the welcome rugs and mats – even give them a good hosing down in the yard.

 

4.  De-clutter kitchen and bath

Are the recyclable plastic food containers, foil baking trays, and grocery bags piling up in the kitchen? How about the party supplies that you’re storing for the next event? Much like clothes that have been sitting in your closet “forever,” make a concerted effort to organize those kichen drawers and – if you must – keep only a few those plastic containers and bags to prevent your space from being an eyesore.

While bathroom floors, showers, tubs, and toilets get at least a weekly or twice-a-week cleaning and scrubbing, cabinets and drawers are mostly overlooked and neglected. This is another item to add to the clean-up list while sheltering-at-home.

Open those drawers and empty out the contents before you start wiping off the inner surface. Wash those combs and hairbrushes and remove all the tangled hair. Wipe off spilled toothpaste, mouthwash, hair gel, creams, and makeup. Remove and throw out all the trash, and reorganize the clean drawers.

 

Creating/Adding Decor Accents

Home projects don’t have to be boring – or a drudgery. In fact, you can be imaginative and jazz up your home a bit with some simple touch ups.

 

5.  Face-lft a photo gallery and wall hangings

Tired of looking at the same framed artwork in the living room, kitchen, or bedroom? You can switch out these hangings for a little variety and “change of scenery.”

You can do the same with the family photos on the wall – if you don’t have a gallery of family photos, you can start one; or if your favorite family pictures are already on your wall, you can reposition them for a different viewing perspective.

 

6.  Wow with wallpaper

Wallpaper is a big trend in 2020 and is back in lots of spaces in the home. Designers are using and recommending wallpaper in bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and bathrooms.

This should be an exciting home project that can be simplified by using wallpaper in focal points of a room – like above the headboard in the master suite, above to to side of a kitchen backsplash, a small bathroom wall, or a hallway.

You can choose patterns and designs in the trending shades of 2020 – browns, mustards, golds, corals, terra cottas, sage greens, and even certain red hues.

If you’re more ambitious, adventurous, and not daunted by getting on a ladder, you can make your bedroom ceiling more exciting with different themed wallpaper. Perhaps you want to look up and see the planets and stars, a Japanese zen garden, snow-covered cobblestone streets, or any nature-themed image. You can purchase removable themed wallpaper – and start your project.

 

7.  How about a cozy reading nook?

We talk about getaway spaces in the home where you can have private time all to yourself and far from the noise and chatter of daily family activities. Even if you live alone, you need that space where television or the kitchen cannot intrude.

Find a space that’s all your own. It can be in your room – but also a special place elsewhere in the hosue where you can hole up with all the good books that have been on your “to-read list.”  All you need is a comfortable sofa – a rocking chair may work – an ottoman on which to rest your legs, some throw pillows, a blanket, and a pile of books. 

 

8.  Get a room with an accent

If you’re handier with a paint brush than measuring, peeling, and sticking wallpaper on the walls or ceiling, then you should consider painting an accent wall, especially in smaller rooms. A freshly-painted and cheery wall will not only make the space seem bigger and airier but help lift up your spirits during quarantine days.

For the accent wall, think of colors that make you happy – bright tones like orange, brick red, and classic blue, or calming tones like soft browns, pumpkin spice, and sage green.

 

9.  Change it up with hardware

Tired of looking at the same drawer pulls and knobs in your bathroom and kitchen? Or if it’s like my kitchen with no drawer pulls and knobs – adding them is the option. New hardware can give both the bathroom and kitchen a new look.

Who says that you have to stick with the tried and true standards? There are several trendy knobs and pulls in funky designs and colors that are sure to jazz up the kitchen or the bathroom.  Be brave and adventurous – and try the new fanciful ones. Remember, you can always switch back to the old ones. Just be sure that the knobs and pulls “match the same hole configuration” that are on your current furniture. 

 

10.  Bring greenery inside

Now that the cold weather is upon us, outdoor gardening is unlikely. So why not bring some potted plants and other greenery inside the home? Experts recommend air-purifying plants – and the kind that can thrive in an environment that does not get a lot of sun – for homeowners who keep their blinds shut most of the time. But part of the reason for having plants in the home in the first place is to brighten things up, so keep those blinds open and get as much light as possible during the winter to prevent seasonal affective disorder (SAD), or winter depression.

Some recommended easy-to-care-for houseplants include

• Spider plant

• Snake plant, or mothers tongue

• Aloe vera

• Cacti

• Pothos vine, or devils ivy

• Philodrendron

 

Perking Up Your Home’s Exterior

Now, that you’ve spent time organizing and jazzing up your interior space, don’t forget outdoor projects that can make your home more attractive.

 

11.  Make a focal front door

Let’s start with the front door. I’ve always wanted to do this project. One of my big plans one summer was to paint the front door of my sister’s house a very bright red – to give a bold contrast to the square-shaped white house. While that project was never accomplished, I have my eyes set on my front door.

This is an easy enough project – get a can of your favorite paint color, paint rollers and brushes for the trim. And, you’ll have a brand new and amazing front door.

 

12.  (Window) Box your flowers

If you want to add more curb appeal to the front of your home, think of a window box. While you can purchase these items, it may be an exciting home project to build your own. A little research on the Internet will yield websites with tutorials on building simple window boxes – and the kinds of plants and flowers with which to fill them.

For example, you can choose healing plants, fresh herbs, and for the ultimate in curb appeal, colorful blooms like petunias, daisies, begonias, geraniums, and even roses. So don those garden gloves and embrace this home project!

 

Certainly, there are more home projects waiting to be tackled. But be sure to start with those that bring you joy, excitement, and a sense of adventure.

 

Sources:

• Curbed
• Readers’ Digest  
• Country Living