Top 5 Easy Home Upgrades Designers Swear By

You don’t need a full renovation to make your home look fresh, modern, and truly beautiful. In fact, the biggest visual impact usually comes from a few simple updates. I recently walked through Home Depot with Brittany from B Design—one of my favorite interior designers—to break down the five upgrades that consistently make homes look amazing, whether you're planning to sell or just want an elevated space.

1. Update Your Lighting
Lighting is one of the highest-impact, lowest-cost upgrades you can make. Those original builder-grade fixtures? They instantly date a home. Swapping them out for modern, clean designs transforms the mood of a room. Bathrooms especially benefit from updated vanity lighting that feels intentional instead of “Hollywood bulbs from 1995.”

2. Refresh with Modern Paint Colors
A fresh coat of paint is the quickest way to reset the entire feel of your home. Neutral, modern tones give buyers a clean slate and help your home feel brighter and more current. If choosing colors stresses you out, you’re not alone—most people need guidance. Brittany recommends selecting three sample options, painting swatches on your wall, and seeing how they look throughout the day. Think warm greige, soft neutrals, and whites that still have depth.

3. Paint Your Cabinets
If you have older builder-grade cabinets, painting them is a game-changer. It’s far more cost-effective than replacing them, and the transformation is dramatic. Whether you want a crisp modern white or a warm, elevated tone, painted cabinets instantly make a kitchen or bathroom feel updated and more expensive.

4. Update Cabinet Hardware
One of the easiest design wins: new hardware. Replacing knobs and pulls on your cabinets adds polish and makes the whole space feel intentional and cared for. It’s a small change, but in design, small changes add up fast.

5. Upgrade Flooring or Add Backsplash Tile
Today’s laminate and engineered flooring options mimic real wood beautifully, hold up to kids and dogs, and cost a fraction of the price. If your kitchen needs a refresh, a new backsplash tile can elevate the whole room. These choices instantly raise the design level without a remodel.

Whether you’re prepping for a spring move or just want your space to look and feel better, focusing on these five upgrades will give you the most impact for the least money. They’re simple, affordable, and designer-approved.