Some areas of my home looked tired and shabby way too quickly – here’s how I plan on giving them a DIY seasonal facelift

While some level of home maintenance is to be expected in any kind of a house, certain tasks seem to need doing far quicker than others – and, in the case of my own home, than they should.

While it would be unrealistic to think that, in the 10 years since we completed the DIY renovation of our Edwardian cottage, it would have remained looking as fresh and sparkly as it did when we finally downed tools, some elements really have stood the test of time – while others, rather annoyingly, looked tired and worn out just a few years in.

With another extension, remodel and general refresh now on the horizon, I have been looking around the place – inside and out – and taking note of those areas that looked threadbare, shoddy before their time. These are the top 6 offenders and what I plan on DIYing next to add kerb appeal and give my interiors a little seasonal facelift.

1. The painted porch and bay window

At the front of our house, framing the front door, is an original timber porch, with dwarf brick walls to either side. When we bought the house this porch, along with all of the exterior woodwork, was painted a very bright cobalt blue which, while perfect for a seaside property on a Greek island, was doing nothing for the overall street scene.

We repainted the windows and all of the exterior woodwork and everything looked neat and tidy for approximately a year, maybe a little more, until it began to crack, flake in places and generally look a bit grimy. Despite many subsequent repaints, the paintwork here seems to weather really badly – in short, it just won't stay looking good for as long as I'd like – and now that the sun is shining this is more obvious than ever. We are about to pull out the paintbrushes again, but this time I want to make the finish last longer.

Jack Reading, marketing manager at Emperor Paint explains what steps I should be taking to address this element. 'Areas like window sills, plinths and lower sections of walls tend to take the most weathering and are usually where paint starts to peel first. The good news is these are quick, manageable jobs that don’t require much paint or time, but can instantly lift the look of the outside of your home. For instance, refreshing window sills can take as little as 30 minutes.

'Using a higher quality paint here is a small investment that lasts, helping those areas stay clean and beautiful for years rather than needing to be redone every few years.'

2. Interior woodwork and trim

While the interior woodwork fared a little better than that on the outside of the house, it was still definitely one of those areas that showed the passing of time the fastest. I'm talking architrave around doorways, skirting boards and window sills here.

I think this is made all the worse by the fact that we have two children and pets, so these areas regularly get knocked, kicked and are exposed wet dog shakes quite often too.

Keen to avoid a highly glossy finish, we opted for a water-based satin paint but I am wondering now, having looked into the best paints for skirting boards, whether it would have been wiser to go with an oil-based product which would have offered a more robust, durable finish. This is certainly what we'll be using for this refresh – I'm even considering going for a shade other than white to add a bit of interest.

3. The carpet on the stairs

The carpet was one of the last things to go down in the house and, given that we only have it in one room on the ground floor (in the living room), it isn't looking too shoddy just yet. However, on the landing, which features two steps, it really is starting to look very threadbare.

I think where we went wrong here was to use the same carpet for these high-traffic areas as we did in the living room, where appearance and underfoot softness was more of a priority than looking into the best carpets for stairs. That said, the striped, dense loop pile carpet on the main staircase has weathered extremely well.

Shaf Member, buying director at QS Supplies, has some advice that I'll be taking on board when it comes to replacing this area of carpeting. 'For extremely heavily trafficked areas, dense pile loop carpets will hide wear better than soft, light-colored options. It's not about eliminating wear entirely – it's about selecting durable products that won't call attention to wear. There should be a balance between how visually pleasing something is and whether or not it has enough functionality to meet everyone's needs.'

Shaf Member

With over 20 years of experience across plumbing, heating, bathrooms, and building and machinery sectors, Shaf brings deep industry expertise from working with one of the UK’s largest bathroom companies.

4. Timber worktops in the kitchen

Choosing timber worktops for the entirety of our kitchen (save for the breakfast bar, with its still unblemished marble composite) was one of the biggest kitchen mistakes we made. Not only does it require a twice-yearly oiling, but it is also covered in black ring marks, water stains and scratches. Some might say this adds to its character – I just say it looks downright scruffy.

We plan on remodelling the kitchen and, when we do, the wooden worktops will be the first thing to go – with a hardwearing quartz composite in their place. That said, I do think much of the problem was down to our use of them around the sink and hob as opposed to wooden worktops being a bad idea altogether.

Matthew O'Grady, director at Thomas Matthew Kitchens & Furniture, agrees. 'I find that timber worktops get a bad rep because people expect them to behave like stone and use them throughout the kitchen when they're only supposed to be used as a working surface. You actually should never use it around sinks because the constant damp edge where you leave plates to dry off or where you hang damp towels will become your biggest issue. Where timber works best and can age properly is in the areas of the kitchen that are the furthest from heat and moisture.'

Matthew O'Grady

Matthew O’Grady is the director of Thomas Matthew Kitchens & Furniture, bringing over six years of experience in home improvement and remodeling projects. With a background in carpentry and joinery, he specializes in crafting bespoke projects tailored to clients' needs.

5. The white grout in the kitchen and bathrooms

White grout is one of my worst enemies. It shows up all manner of dirt and hairline cracks and always seems to be taunting me out of the corner of my eye, letting both the bathrooms and the kitchen down.

We have a tiled bath surround in the main family bathroom – comprising white tiles and white grout, while the walls within the over-bath showering area match. The only thing that keeps the whole thing looking clean is a weekly dousing with a bleach spray and even then, the grout still looks decidedly crumbly.

Having spoken to David Turner, head of product at Leader Online, I am actually realising that my method of cleaning grout could partially be to blame. 'Grout can be the biggest reason why tiles look tired. Clean grout gently, as aggressive cleaning can erode it. It’s also helpful to regrout small sections that are beyond help to keep your floor looking fresh.'

That said, next time around, I plan on using either a dark shade of grout, to opt for different bathroom wall ideas altogether, such as large format tiles to minimise grout lines, or shower panels instead.

David Turner

David Turner, head of product at Leader Online, has vast knowledge of doors, floors, tiles, worktops and panelling – based on his 15 years of experience in the homes and interiors industry. He began as the brand's sales and logistics manager in 2011, and now leads all product operations and planning.

6. The white kitchen walls

The kitchen was one of the first rooms to be completed and, as we neared the finish line, a few design decisions did get rushed – drawer inserts, switches and sockets, cabinet hardware and, you guessed it the paint colour we used for the walls.

Rather unimaginatively we just slapped a cheap, bright white everywhere, with no regard to the carefully-chosen cabinet colour, the flooring, wall tiles or to the best kitchen colours at all. Not only does this shade feel rather clinical, but it has also, over the years, become splattered with sauce stains, greasy fingerprint marks and general grime.

Sophie Chapman, associate and interior designer at The Vawdrey House, agrees that our choice of kitchen wall colour may not have been the wisest. 'Uniform, all-white rooms feel one-dimensional, lacking the depth and warmth that helps a space feel lived-in. In the same way, standardised fittings such as generic downlighting (guilty!) or overly polished finishes can feel disconnected if they haven’t been carefully integrated into the wider space.'

Next time around, not only will I be choosing my kitchen wall colour with far more consideration for the other elements in the space, but I'll also be opting for one that offers a highly scrubbable finish to ensure it stays looking good for longer.

Sophie Chapman

A founding member of The Vawdrey House, Sophie oversees the design team bringing her trademark energy & creativity to projects. With a BA in Interior Design & Environmental Architecture, Sophie develops unique furniture packages, styles projects & loves sourcing trips to antique fairs & French brocantes.

FAQs

How do you choose finishes and fittings that don't date quickly?

I can't wait to get started building an extension again, but this time I want to ensure that everything, from the finishes I choose to the interior decor choices I make, stand the test of time. Luckily, Sophie Chapman has some words of wisdom for me.

'We always encourage clients to look beyond immediate trends and focus instead on what will feel right for years to come, both visually and practically,' picks up Sophie. 'The elements that tend to stand the test of time are those grounded in good proportion, material quality and craftsmanship. Natural materials such as timber, stone and lime-based finishes age particularly well, developing character over time rather than simply looking worn-out. Similarly, well-judged joinery, such as Shaker-style kitchen cabinetry or bespoke built-in storage, brings a quiet simplicity that can evolve easily as a home changes.

'Ultimately, longevity comes down to cohesion,' adds Sophie. 'When lighting, materials and layout are all working together, the result is a space that feels timeless and comfortable, rather than tied to a particular trend or focal point.'

Thankfully, most of the updates required around my home are easy DIY repairs. When it comes to buying new carpet, I'll be waiting until the two-storey element of the extension is complete to avoid having to face two lots of new carpet costs.