Sometimes, It's the Little Things...

...that make a huge difference in how we feel about our home.
I love our home even though it is primarily builder grade.  There were things we didn't like, as with any home, but there were so many things we loved.
There were a few things they installed that were above builder quality...some of the light fixtures, shiplap, granite countertops, white shaker cabinets, vintage corbels in the opening between the living area and kitchen...you get the idea.  One of the things that has been a downside to this home is the lack of color...we have all white walls with acid-stained concrete floors.
And it is not really a downside, per se, but the home definitely needs some color. We have slowly been making changes to the rooms, adding color here and there to make the home more visually appealing and to make it less sterile-looking.  We are not painting all the walls in each room but are trying to have accent walls to create visual interest.

In the living area hallway, we added shiplap...
...and painted it Sherwin Williams Carbonite.  It warmed up the space and gave the room the added pop of color it needed.  We gave the laundry room an overhaul...that post will come later and we painted/shiplapped (yep, it's a word) the half bath.

One of the other changes we are making is replacing all plate covers.  Unfortunately, light switch and plug covers were not one of the items above builder-grade quality...they are all standard plastic white, different sizes and different textures.  They fade into the wall because our walls are white.
You walk by and never notice them.

Now, I understand that this may not be a "thing" for you, but I do notice plate covers.  I feel that they are part of the decor in a room.  Changing out light switch and plug covers is one of those little things that makes a difference in our home.  Making these upgrades from builder quality is aesthetically pleasing but also gives the room a different feel.  We found these at Lowes (Allen + Roth Satin Nickel)...
...and are in the process of changing them throughout our home.  Due to the cost, we will change out a few each month...cuz it ain't cheap! :-)

This particular change adds no monetary value to our home (as opposed to adding a room or a new porch or new flooring) but it may make a difference...
...you just never know.  It's the little things...

28 comments

  1. Hi Benita! How right you are, my friend! The ‘little things’ are so important! I believe they make the difference between a home looking ordinary or one feeling warm, comfy and loved!
    Im a Texas Lady myself, Benita and have just returned here from having lived In the suburbs of Montreal, Canada for almost 2 years. We are in the process of starting over, yet again, so your lovely blogs are so very enjoyable and inspiring to me! My husband and I are 70ish and have both been married before so this is our second time around! We have raised families and owned many wonderful, large homes but now life is quieter and more simple so a small apartment is our next adventure and we are ready! Ready to put the ‘little things’ to work to make our own warm, comfy home!
    Thanks for your delightful blog with all of its loving encouragement!!

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    1. Hi Lucy! I hope you are having a great week! I think the little things make such a big difference, if to no one else but us! How awesome that you were able to live in Canada for a bit and welcome back to Texas! Thank you so much for your sweet words about my blog. I enjoy chatting with everyone so much! My current husband is my second as well and we are empty nesters...just us. While we down-sized this time around, I think I would like to go smaller next time...LOL Small house, huge workshop is how the hubster would like it! Thank you so much for visiting and I hope you will continue to visit! Also, please email me your email address so that you will know when I respond to comments on the blog! :-) Have a great one and thank you again so much! Hugs!

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  2. I agree, it is the little things! I love hearing about how you are making your home yours!

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    1. I do too Penny, the little things that make a house home to us! Thank you so much! Hugs!

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  3. I agree with you my friend. Sometimes it is the little things that make the bigger impact in our decor. Your home is always so pretty and looks right out of a magazine. Love that shiplap in the front entry too. Very pretty.
    Happy Wednesday.
    Hugs,
    Kris

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    1. Thank you so much Kris! I appreciate your sweet words! We are working on changing some of the small things that I think make a difference. This home was very "farmhouse-style" which is sort of, but not really, me...LOL I'm trying to move it into a less farmhouse look and I think changing out things like plate covers helps it along. :-) Hope you are having a great time today! Love and hugs sweet friend!

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  4. It's definitely the little touches that make a house a home, and it takes time to really get to know the house and truly settle into it. I'm still looking for artwork for many bare walls, and I'll be here 4 years this spring!

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    1. Oh honey, I know exactly what you mean! It does take a while to get to know the house and know what it wants. We’ve been here two years and like you, I’m still trying to figure out artwork and such. Some things that I put into place at first will be coming down because the house says they just don’t work. 😊 Love and hugs sweet friend!

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  5. It truly is the little things that I love best too!
    Brenda

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    1. Me too, Brenda. Those small touches add so much and can really make a room look totally different. Subtle is what I like best! Love and hugs!

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  6. Benita it is definitely the little things that make a difference and I love the subtle changes you have made which actually make a big difference. I also take my time to make some of these changes by living with them a while and deciding if what I am thinking about will make my type A personality happy. Hugs sweet friend.

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    1. Thank you so much Kari! I do the same thing…we’ve left a lot of the things alone so that I could see if they were going to work for me or not. Those plate covers have been driving me nuts and I was so pleased with how the new ones look. My type A personality drives me nuts sometimes…LOL Because we are trying to do a few other projects (board and batten) I can’t get all of the plate covers at once because of the expense. Having them partially replaced is driving me up the wall. I just have to close my eyes when I walk into some of the rooms…LOL Love and hugs!!

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  7. I do agree with you, it is so often the little things, our personal touches that makes our home so special. To create a home filled with love and laughter, comfort and warmth is a wonderful thing :)

    All the best Jan

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    1. Jan, I totally agree! This house is cold-feeling because of the concrete floors so the changes we are making are trying to warm up some of the areas. And we love having our friends and family visit...those people make the biggest change to our home! Hugs!

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  8. It's all in the small details. xoxo

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    1. It most definitely is! Most people would never notice because plate covers are not something you usually pay attention to when you visit someone’s home or when you look at a home to purchase. But after a while, you notice them…and if you are me, then you have to do something about it. I had considered painting the old ones but knew the paint would get scratched and I would ultimately have to replace them anyway! Hope you are doing well and staying warm! Love and hugs!

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  9. I had a light-plate that I did not like in the bedroom. It took me forever to do something about it and then one day I was decoupaging something and had a little bit of flowery paper left and I really liked the design (one of those thin napkin papers) so I just decoupaged it on the plate. It's been a few months and I still like it, so it is a keeper for now. If it weren't so cloudy and dark today I'd send you a photo :-)
    Amalia
    xo

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    1. I know what you mean. It has taken me almost 2 years to do something about ours…LOL I bet that is gorgeous! I’ve seen the clear ones that have wallpaper or decoupage on the backside so it doesn’t get scratched off. What did you use to seal it? I had thought about painting ours, but I was afraid the paint would scratch and I really didn’t like the shape of some of them. They used all different ones in the house and I want them to all be the same. My OCD, type-A personality…LOL

      Send a photo when you can, I would love to see it! 😊 Hope you are having a great weekend! Love and hugs!

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  10. I know you're glad you chose the upgrades that you did, Benita--I love those corbels! And slowly adding other things to suit your taste will be fun, even though not cheap,as you wrote! I've always loved the way you use different textures too. It certainly is the little things that make a huge difference.

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    1. Thank you so much Dewena! I appreciate your sweet words! The corbels are so pretty and we have no plans to touch those. They fit the house perfectly and I like mixing the old with the new. I think it adds more interest. We are changing out the farmhouse lighting in the kitchen this weekend and adding something a little more modern looking and less "farmhouse". I was worried how the new lighting would look up against the corbels, but it turned out looking great...mixing the old with the new. :-) Hope you are having a great weekend! Love and hugs!

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  11. Oh, how I can relate to this! Switchplates were a big deal to me when we updated our kitchen, especially. I like your changes!

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    1. Thank you so much Rita! Those plate covers really do make a change to a room, especially when you are doing an expensive remodel! I never really thought about it until I started changing them out and now, they look so much better! I like that they don’t blend in to the white paint. Hope you are having a great weekend! Love and hugs!

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  12. You are right on! I like what you did. I am always adding color and doing a switch a roo .. my husband will say "There she goes again!" LOL

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    1. Thank you so much Carla! We are definitely pleased with them and how they look. LOL...my husband does the same thing...he will walk in and immediately say "what did you do"...LOL Love and hugs!

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  13. I like the plates you put in. I'm wondering if you could do a post of what you did to sell your last home(s)? I know you've sold a few in the recent years and just wondered what advice you have for someone getting ready to sell?

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    1. Thank you so much! We like them so much better than the plastic white ones! Yes ma'am, I can do that. We have had good luck in selling our last two homes and I don't mind sharing what we did at all...I will try to get that posted next week! :-) Thank you again and have a great weekend! Love and hugs!

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  14. I'm sitting here laughing at myself... I went and took out all the switch plates that were silver and put in ones to match the wall LOL! The previous owners got rid of a lot of the decorative 1930s switch plates and put in the silver ones. Eventually I'll add original looking ones back, but talk about pricey! It's just an older house so they didn't look right. They look so much nicer in yours. I could have sent you mine!
    xoxo

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    1. LOL...we could have traded because they are very expensive! We will only change out the ones in the main living areas and our bed/bath, the rest will stay white. We figure that someone will small kids will buy this house whenever we decided to sell it, so there is no need to give small kids nice plate covers...LOL Love and hugs!

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