🖌️How to make your fridge look fancy
⏳ What you should plant right now before the frost
🖼️ A better way to show off your kids’ artwork
Hey, Amy here,
So here’s a fun “did you know?” to kick off our very first Monday Ohio Home Hacks email — I’m actually a trained interior designer. 🙃
Yep. I even ran my own Home Staging & Airbnb Design business for a decade, which basically means I spent a lot of time bossing furniture around and making strangers’ houses look expensive. 👇
Designs by Amy Vartenuk, Photography by Lisa Buie
Now I want to put all that know-how to better use: helping you hack your own home. We’re talking small projects with big impact, sneaky little upgrades that make life easier, and a gentle shove to be a little braver with your DIYs.
Sometimes it’ll be about gardening, sometimes, home maintenance, and lots of easy and low budget home decor ideas.
And because I live in a 1903 house that constantly throws curveballs at me, I’ll probably share some of those wins (and fails) along the way too.
As we add more emails topics we may experiment with which day is best for what, so buckle up for this fun transition.
Ready? Let’s go break out the power tools and glitter glue. 🔨✨
🌀 Kitchen Glow-Up: Fridge Edition
Okay, can we talk about the fridge for a sec? Because honestly…it’s usually the biggest, loudest, most unavoidable thing in your kitchen, and most of the time it’s just sitting there being an eyesore. 👀👀👀
And as a designer, it kills me that people spend money on cute tile and gorgeous lighting but leave the fridge looking like a sad white box. (Me included.) 😅
The good news? You don’t have to replace it to make it work. A few little tweaks can totally change the vibe of your whole kitchen.
Here are some of my favorites:
Paint it. Yep, you can! Appliance epoxy paint will give you a smooth finish and you can even swap out the hardware for something pretty. One of my fave makeovers was just $115 and looked so chic with gold pulls. Here’s a tutorial
Wallpaper it. Peel-and-stick wallpaper or vinyl wraps are game-changers. You can go bold, go subtle, or change it whenever you get bored. Here’s a tutorial
Add paneling or a surround. Even lightweight wood trim or shiplap on the doors makes it look custom and built-in. Or frame the fridge with panels so it blends right into your cabinetry. Here’s a tutorial
Play with magnets. Chalkboard sheets, cute spice holders, even a rail system — they make it feel intentional instead of “clutter central.” Here’s a tutorial
👀 Here are some inspo pics to get the juices flowing…
It doesn’t have to be complicated, just impactful. A fridge makeover can shift your whole kitchen from “ugh” to “ooooh” in a weekend. Just make sure you do your homework, don’t block vents, and keep safety in mind with whatever you try.
See? Even the ugliest part of the kitchen can get its glow-up.
3 More Home Tips You’ll Love:
🍂 Tuck dryer sheets in your fall wreaths to keep spiders and bugs from moving in. 👉 more here
🏡 Flip your ceiling fan to clockwise in October — it pushes warm air down and cuts heating costs. 👉 more here
🌱 Plant garlic cloves now (pointy side up!) for a bumper crop of fresh garlic next summer. 👉 more here
Bonus Filter Hack: Can’t remember when to change your furnace filter? Do it every time the Browns disappoint you. (So...often.)🫠
👉 Read more about me here
P.S. Check out my thrifting haul from last week here - Northeast Ohio thrift stores are my favorite place to snag high quality decor on a dime!
Interested in reaching our Cleveland audience? We have tons of opportunities to get eyeballs on your biz. Click here to learn more | Click here to book a call with us