A Favorite DIY Hack: Keep What Works. Change What Doesn't.

One of the most enjoyable parts of summer has been having time to pay attention to my house, or more specifically, my house projects.  Give me an unassuming decoration or piece of old furniture, let me putz in my garage to sand and spray and stain and paint, and I'm in my element.  (It lets me dream that I host my own HGTV show, even if my neighbors are the only ones who get to watch it.)

To commemorate the end of summer and the many DIY exploits its afforded, each day this week I'll be sharing one of my recent projects, starting with this simple picture frame upgrade.

Essentially, there was nothing egregiously wrong with this picture frame, except that there was nothing particularly right about it.  The wood didn't match our decor, I didn't gravitate toward the dark brown photo mat, and we have nothing yellow in our house.  

Three strikes, yes, but there was one redeeming factor: the picture frame itself wasn't bad at all.  I could keep what worked (the frame) and change what didn't (everything else.)

I spray painted the photo mat crisp white, spray painted the frame brushed nickel, and filled the frame with modern geographic scrapbook paper prints that better complimented our color scheme.

Now, instead of a dark and dated picture frame, the look is fresh and clean.  (Plus, the upgrade demanded little time or money or skill, which is always a win.)

Wonderful things happen when you take a moment to look at your home with fresh eyes.  The easiest upgrade -- keeping what works, changing what doesn't -- might be right in front of us waiting to be discovered, just like this frame was for me.

Check back each day this week to see more fun DIY transformations!