Tax Refund season is here! If you have been waiting to pull the trigger on some of those nagging home improvement and decorating projects then your check from Uncle Sam is sometimes just the little push that you need. CNBC reports that the average Illinois refund is $2820 and $2350 for Wisconsin. Sure, you could spend it “responsibly” on paying off a credit card or paying off some of your mortgage, or, you spend some of it on something fun. We talked with our interior designers in Chicago and Milwaukee and have come up with 11 ideas across all rooms of your house for refunds of $500, $1000, and $2000.
Tax Refunds of $500 – Little Bits of Fun
1. Pillows, Pillows and More Pillows
For your living room, consider updating your pillows to patterns and colors that are more on-trend, like jewel tones. Looking for a different color? Check out our picks for color of the year.
2. Inexpensive Bathroom Updates
Your bathroom may feel brand new if you update the towels and bathroom hardware.
3. Smart Thermostat
Smart Home improvements are completely within reach, too. Consider getting a programmable thermostat like the Nest. Keep an eye out for rebates and energy savings programs from your local gas and electric company. For example, here in Chicago we sign up for an energy savings program and they send us a check for ~$40! The rebates have paid for the thermostat. Also, check out our review of the top Smart Thermostats.
4. Boss Your Home Around with Amazon Echo or Google Home
For those that have always loved the idea of talking to a computer, like in Star Trek or in Iron Man, we have been really floored by the Amazon Echo ($50)!
It can control your lights when you pair it with a Smart Home Hub like the Wink 2 ($90) and use smart dimmers like the Lutron Caseta dimmers ($60). For $200 you can do everything from order diapers, play music, and tell your lights to turn on by saying “Alexa, turn on the Kitchen”. Even our four-year olds ask it to tell them jokes. Don’t worry parents, these are jokes of the Bazooka Joe Gum variety.
$1,000 Refund – Lifestyle Updates
5. Elfa Closet Organization
One of my favorite updates for clients is to do a rehaul of their closet spaces. I’m a big fan of the Elfa System from Container Store in white with the birch wood trim. I love the flexibility of the system. You can swap out a drawer for a rod or a shoe rack and you can shift entire sections within the closet; you aren’t stuck with a design and it can grow with you as your home needs change. If you need help installing the Elfa closet system, check out this video.
Image courtesy of the Container Store
6. Your Desk
Another functional space that can use some much-needed attention is your desk. Who’d believe that you could improve something that has remained mostly unchanged for hundreds of years?! Well, there has been an explosion of sit/stand desks on the market and this has revolutionized how people work. There are a variety of options out there but we’ve been really happy with the sit/stand desk offered by Ikea. You can save your back with that tax refund!
7. Room Facelift
For those that want some more pizzazz and awe from your neighbors with your tax refund, you should be able to add some nice architectural detailing to a room with crown molding to or do a paint refresh with $1000.
8. Accent Pieces
Or perhaps, your lackluster bedroom is keeping you up at night. You can add an inexpensive accent chair, bench, and update your bedding to something that will lend your space a restful feeling.
Refunds of $2,000 – Whiz Bang Updates
For those with some serious money to spend, you can focus your attention on the spaces you really use – the kitchen and bathroom.
9. Kitchen Backsplash & Under-Cabinet Lights
For the kitchen, get some backsplash tile and under cabinet puck lights. We recommend the puck lights because they give the space a more intimate feel and showcase the beauty of the tile. Be sure to remove the 4” backsplash that came with the countertop and tile all the way to the surface of the counters. That looks more designed and it reads as very intentional. So much of what makes ‘good design’ is the clarity of form.
10. Bathroom Vanity
For the bathroom, if you are willing to watch some YouTube and sacrifice a weekend, you could replace your 15 year old vanity cabinets with something more up-to-date. There are many vanities that already include the lavatory and countertop so, that helps keep the cost down.
11. New Light Fixtures
If you want to spread out your impact across your home, we like to update the builder basic flush lights that are probably found through every bathroom and hallway of your home to something a bit more tailored, like this beautiful semi-flush fixture from Robert Abbey.
So, as you can see, there are many low cost, high impact ways to improve your home with your tax refund. Now, it’s just a matter of deciding!
Need Additional Design Help?
Are you in a situation where you can’t figure out what home improvement project to tackle first? Leave a comment below and either myself or someone from the interior design team at Design Inside will help you out.
We offer interior design services for those who need a little design help to those that need a lot of design assistance with designing and furnishing their home. If you don’t live in the Chicago or Milwaukee area, fear not! We offer online interior design services allowing us to help you with your design problems anywhere in the world.