Inexpensive Home Reno Projects/DIY That Are Worthwhile

Here is one for the standard 4" lights. They also come in smaller sizes.

https://www.costco.com/Feit-5%22–6%22-LED-Retrofit-Daylight-6-pack.product.100416622.html

Ahhh! Thanks BB. So not a different physical appearance (the light fixture itself) but LED “light”.

And it completely sealed so no dead insects or spiders accumulating around the lightbulb. :slight_smile: There are some other options, like these directional ones:

https://www.costco.com/FEIT-5%22–6%22-LED-Adjustable-Retrofit-Kit-Bright-White-6-pack.product.100417447.html

The LED can light replacements make a surprisingly big difference. Without the shadow lines around the bulb, they don’t grab your attention like the standard cans do. There are also versions with a flush lens instead of the inset lens.

If you’re looking for a completely different look, there are easy screw in pendant replacements available. This one allows you to choose your own shade: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Worth-Home-Products-Instant-Pendant-Series-1-Light-Brushed-Nickel-Recessed-Light-Conversion-Kit-PAN-1200H/204664616

These all work well with the newer recessed lights that have an easily removable ceiling trim ring. Mine, of course, have the trim as part of the can and will require a more invasive fix.

That’s cool—may have to consider it. We do have some recessed lights.

@rhododendron , THERE WE GO! That’s a change I’d be up for - and looks simple. Will check out lights out when I get back home - looks like there are many styles.

Re: paint selection for painted cabinetry, use a high quality product and buy it from a store where you will get top-notch advice. Our kitchen cabinets as well as millwork and trim are painted in Benjamin Moore’s Satin Impervo (alkyd). BM has other options for cabinets but we went with this product after discussing the options with the guy at the Benjamin Moore store. This product self-levels beautifully and dries to a very hard satin finish that stands up to cleaning. We do meticulous prep, have never had any peeling. The kitchen is about 30 years old. Cabinets were built in-place (not purchased) and we have painted it 4 times including the initial time, repainting when edges show wear and dings become evident. Each time, it looks brand new. The second time we went with a different BM product that we hated. Tried and true works for us!

In the spirit of this thread I will note that painting kitchen cabinetry is not an easy or quick endeavor. Doing it properly is labor-intensive and very time-consuming. The result it lovey but the process is an ordeal – removing doors, emptying drawers, sanding, priming, and on and on. And if you don’t do it right, you will have a mess on your hands.

@abasket, the ones I mentioned are just like the Feit retrofit lights that @BunsenBurner linked. We’ve also used some like the ones @rhododendron shared. I bought ours from Ballard (they don’t sell ours any longer) and just saw the large variety at HD: https://www.homedepot.com/b/Worth-Home-Products/N-5yc1vZ7a9/Ntk-semanticsearch/Ntt-Recessed%2BLight%2BConversion?NCNI-5&storeSelection=6986,159,117,121,154

I got distracted by our triathlete and just got back to the thread. Yes, I was gonna bring to post the retrofit kits posted by @Silpat! Thank you. :slight_smile:

@zipyourlips - is bathroom cabinet painting the same as kitchen? would you use that same paint? i’m going to do ours this fall. Also - someone mentioned replacing their vanity counter tops. How was that? Need any special tools?

Yes, we have used Satin Impervo on our bath trim and cabinetry. Be sure to ask for advice about brushes. If you have a Benjamin Moore store, probably best to go in and discuss your skill level and the various products. I do not recommend Benjamin Moore’s Satin Impervo Waterborne. It’s the only product from BM I’ve ever tried that I really did not like. It did not level out to a smooth finish, nor did it stand up to wear like the original Satin Impervo (alkyd).

It’s a good idea to try out the paint on a spare board before you start on the cabinets. This gives you a chance to get a sense of how much paint you want to lay down. You need enough so the finish will level out, but not so much that it pools (or drips, on a vertical surface.)

I refinished most of our interior doors. They are from the early 70s but solid wood. They were stained dark and had probably been poly’d at some point, but many of them were scratched, and the finish was in rough shape. I tried in vain to get a professional to refinish them for me and couldn’t, so I took down the one that was in the worst condition, figuring I couldn’t possibly make it worse, and got started. I put it on saw horses in my garage and sanded the daylights out of it. Traditional six-panel doors have a lot of grooves, in case you were wondering. Then I mixed two stains together (the first was too red, the second too brown) and wiped it on. I waxed the finished product, and I rewax about once a year. I did one at a time over the course of a few months, and they are all beautiful. I love them every day. Even the first one that had deep grooves in it from a previous owner’s dog looks fine. You can see the grooves, but the house is 40 years old; imperfections are to be expected.

Other inexpensive fixes–new door knobs, new hinges, and new molding around doors and windows.

I repainted all our 6 panel doors and finally, on the 2nd floor, laid down the primer with a small roller. It’s not the texture of a brush, but you have to lightly sand before the top coat anyway, so that helps smooth it. Saves lots of time, looks good. Our doors are original and solid but “Jeld Wen Rockport” shows the style, not the “open book” colonial look.

Unfortunately, I have to/want to redo the 2nd fl, 11 doors, because that was before I became a Benj Moore gal and the paint i used has yellowed a bit. But the worst of it, my original efforts, is done. This is just sanding prep. I hope. Now just to wait for cooler weather.

I have done so many projects not to save money but because I could not find the pro to do them. Also did many because the costs were not worth hiring a pro. Not that we’re older and have sufficient funds to last us I am trying to let more work be hired out. But the timing needs to be good or I will tackle it myself. Hopelessly middle class and self sufficient.