Easy DIY Home Upgrades Under $100
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How to do it: Highlight a hanging light fixture with some decorative interest at the ceiling. Estimated cost: Paintable 18-inch polyurethane medallion with floral-and-leaf pattern, similar to shown above, about $57; Creative Trim READ: 26 Low-Cost, High-Style Kitchen Upgrades (ThisOldHouse.com)
How to do it: Swap out a plain powder room doorknob for a vintage glass sparkler. Leave the hallway-facing knob in place for a unified look with the rest of your doors. Estimated cost: Multifaceted 1900s glass knob with a brass shank that fits most spindles, about $38; Liz's Antique Hardware (ThisOldHouse.com)
How to do it: Build up a wimpy entry door casing in your foyer with applied moldings to create a more substantial first impression of your home. Estimated cost: Four 6-foot-long-by-3¾-inch-wide primed white miterless moldings, about $80; Van Dyke's Restorers (ThisOldHouse.com)
How to do it: Refinish the treads and paint the risers white—or get creative and paint a runner-like pattern. Estimated cost: 1 gallon of white paint, sandpaper, wood putty to fill tack holes, 1 quart of stain, and 1 gallon of clear polyurethane, about $95; Lowe's (ThisOldHouse.com)
How to do it: Unhinge the door and trade hanging rods for shelves—a deep one for the desktop and two shallow ones above for storage. Estimated cost: One 20-by-24-by-¾-inch and two 12-by-24-by-¾-inch white melamine shelves, metal standards, and shelf brackets, all by Elfa, about $95; The Container Store (ThisOldHouse.com)