Projects

6 Tiny Tweaks to make around your home.

November 22, 2021

We believe we should all love where we live.

We’re a couple of homebodies, working to uncover the home our home wants to be. And we’re so happy to have you here. 

Portfolio

Projects

Design

We're Chris + Julia

read more

What we're                   right now

Loving

browse the shop

Befores, afters, mood boards, plans, failures, wins. We’ve done a lot of projects, and they’re all here. 

We have a long-standing relationship with DIY, and love rolling our sleeves up and making it happen. 

Even when you don’t want to rip down a wall, you can make that space in your home better. Right now.

browse all

browse all

browse all

02

01

03

Popular Posts

1.

2.

3.

Top Categories

I share a lot of home projects and design here on the blog, but sometimes all you need to upgrade your home is just a few tiny tweaks. These are just little changes that I’ve made over the year and have made a world of difference! The best thing about these tweaks is that they’re not expensive at all. You’re probably already spending money on these things, but if you spent just a little bit more money, it would make an exponentially greater difference. Let’s get into it.

1. Swap out your pillow inserts

I actually made a reel about how to upgrade your pillows last week, that you should watch here! The rule of thumb for buying pillow inserts (or swapping out the standard, flat inserts they typically come with), is to size up two inches! If your pillow cover is 20″x20″, size your insert up to 22″x22″. This is going to make your pillows look fuller and chunkier, which is all I want from a throw pillow. Another tip is to use down or down-alternative inserts. These inserts are my go-to, they have over 30 sizes, too!.

2. Use a high-quality down, or down-alternative duvet insert

Another thing to upgrade is your duvet insert! Again, a down, or down-alternative is best, and I would recommend an all-season or cold-weather, since they’ll look fluffier and more substantial! I just swapped ours out for this one and bedtime feels like heaven.

3. Hang curtain with curtain clips

For the last few years I’ve been using these curtain clips to hang our curtains. They’re look instantly more luxurious, and classy. Plus if your curtains are riding a little bit high, this is a great way to extend the length! Don’t forget to hang your curtains high and wide for the best look and reference this reel as a guide!

4. Be sure you have the best rug size

If you’re shopping for a rug, one of the biggest (and most common) mistakes you could make is getting a rug that’s too small for your space. I promise it will make all the difference. It can make a small room look larger, it can make a large room look proportional. This rug size guide is a goldmine to reference, and don’t forget to check out our new line of Polly rugs with Loloi. I’m currently trying to figure out which room to put the berry natural, because it’s just so good.

5. Swap your light bulbs

I’ve been preaching about Kelvins and Lumens for years now! Getting the right temperature and brightness in bulb is so important, and it doesn’t cost any more money to get it right. My go-to temp (kelvin) is 3,000, and for lamps, I prefer 2,700. I go into depth about it in this post here if this sounds like a foreign language! Even if 3,000K isn’t your thing, the light bulbs in your home should all be the same temp (with slightly warmer lamps). These have been my go-to bulbs for years, but recently, Chris swapped out all of our lamp bulbs to these smart bulbs. Now when I walk into a room, I can say “Alexa, turn on the lights in the living room,” and they turn on like magic. Plus you can customize your temperature preferences, which makes it easy to get it right.

6. Use soft-close hinges

It’s about time that soft-close hinges are standard on all furniture and cabinets right?? There’s nothing quite like not having to worry about cabinets slamming–the height of luxury if I do say so myself. I found a pack of 50 soft-close hinges for $80 on Amazon, which should be more than enough to replace all the hinges in a kitchen!

When it comes to our homes, we put a lot of time into making them feel like us! Sometimes, a few tiny tweaks can make all the difference, and I’d love to hear how you’re going to be implementing some of these ideas!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

What do you think?

  1. Joanna says:

    Drapery clips! Thank you for the reminder. I just had all my millwork beefed up and now the curtains in the guest room (2 windows) are a little too short. I’m hoping the clips will be just enough to do the job so they touch the ground.
    I agree 100% on a down duvet. To me it is luxurious. I don’t put a cover on mine so the duvet just surrounds me like a cloud,
    I replace any poly fill inserts with down. They sit better and feel much more cushy. It’s a simple fix that ups your game.
    I have soft close hinges on all my cupboards. You’re right! It’s such an easy thing to upgrade. We even have soft close toilet seats. No more slamming!
    A pet peeve of mine is carpets too small. Spend the extra folks and get the right size or layer up.
    I need to change my light bulbs. I want Alexa to turn them on for me. So fun!

  2. Amanda says:

    To continue on to number two (#2), after you’ve chosen the duvet, pick up and splurge on a lush duvet cover and pick up blanket clips or have one that has ties. They’re both extremely worth it.

    What a great list! I am happy to say, I have already done all of these things in our home! <3

  3. Paula T says:

    Love your tips! I would like to know if you still like your new smart locks. You haven’t spoken about them recently. Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving

  4. Brandi says:

    Where did the lamp come from in the pic under number 6? Great post

  5. Erica says:

    My current tweak is adjusting my kitchen storage so I can clear my counters off! It’s really just maximizing the drawer and pantry space, and the payoff of simplicity on the counter is huge!

all the latest

We believe we should all love where we live.

We’re a couple of homebodies, working to uncover the home our home wants to be. And we’re so happy to have you here. 

HI! We're Chris + Julia

read more

Load More

Reader Faves

SHop all

What We're                     Right Now

What We're                 Right Now

Looking for our favorite things? A place to shop our home room by room, or just catch up on what Julia's wearing / loving right now? Browse the CLJ shop. 

Loving

looking for inspiration? 

A reader recently asked me if I’m starting to fully embrace traditional style and whether we still consider our house to be a “modern Colonial” and why. It was a really great question and so timely — I had really just been thinking about my approach to this home and how my style has changed […]

Can We Send You Our Love Letter?

Another way for us to stay in touch! Joining our weekly newsletter gives you access to exclusive content, never-before-seen photos, your questions answered, and our favorite DIYs. Sign up below!

Follow Along on Instagram

Welcome to our online community where we've posted home, DIY, style, renovations, and family since '09. Renovating our #cljmoderncottage in Idaho and headed for new adventures in Raleigh, NC. #cljfam #cljtransformations

@chrislovesjulia