Editor’s Note: From House to Home

In this issue, we focus on homes. We highlight a beautiful home, take a peek at some of the best neighborhoods in Acadiana and explore mini renovations that can take your home to the next level.

I love the idea of the mini renovation, from the very small tweaks to more substantial changes, just shy of a full reno. If you don’t have the funds or the time to do major updates on your house, it’s amazing what a difference small changes can make.

One of the cheats I have is moving art around. It doesn’t qualify as a mini renovation by any means, but moving art and plants around can definitely freshen up a space. If you want to do more, though, see Misty Milioto’s article with ideas for a range of spaces and budgets. Designers weigh in with some of their tips and tricks.  Milioto makes even mini projects more manageable by breaking them down into smaller parts. I think one of the things that deters us from even starting a project is how daunting it may seem — especially when we’re changing something about our house.  However, bit by bit, it’s not so bad.

One of the suggestions she mentions is painting kitchen cabinets. I did that. It was a lot of work. A lot. Taking the fronts off, sanding them, priming and painting — multiple coats. Painting the frame, climbing on the counter to get the high ones. Putting new hardware on. It was a lot — did I say that already? But you know what? I loved how they came out, and they absolutely transformed my kitchen. It brightened the room and gave it an entirely different vibe. Worth the work.

It usually is.