3 Easy DIYs You Can Do Right Now to Upgrade Your Home

When Ashley Quintero and her family moved into a lovely-but-dated midcentury home in Fort Worth, Texas, there were projects to tackle everywhere she looked. Luckily, Ashley has the skills: The healthcare worker-turned-DIYer is known for her amazing and approachable woodworking projects, which she breaks down to her followers on TikTok and Instagram.

But not every upgrade requires busting out the table saw — especially when your whole house is a work in progress. Ashley also wanted to prioritize a few easy cosmetic changes to help her family’s new place feel like home. We partnered with Toyota to show you how Ashley’s tiny tweaks made her feel more settled in her space. The first-ever Toyota Corolla Cross is as stylish as your home, with elegant design and extraordinary details like wireless charging and touchscreen entertainment. Plus, it’s got enough cargo space for almost any DIY you can dream up.

Ashley started by simply walking through her home and looking for easy areas to add new life. And when we say easy, we mean easy: She opted for new outlet covers, a new front door handle, and a new interior garage door. Don’t let that door intimidate you: If you can change a lightbulb, you can do this.

Utilitarian things like outlets should be cute too — after all, you’re going to see them every day! “New outlet covers can change the whole look of the room,” Ashley says.

“Changing my front door lock to a matching color scheme and style made the whole front look more modern,” Ashley says. Bonus: She upgraded to a smart lock while she was at it!

Opening a door you love will make stepping into your home feel better. “Since my doors are old and worn down, the new one enhances the look as well as adds security,” Ashley says.

You might be tempted to call these sorts of home projects “finishing touches,” but we’d put them in the same category as your weekly bouquet of flowers or coffee-shop latte: simple, affordable ways to add more joy to your everyday. And if like Ashley you also have bigger home projects in mind, then these quick fixes will give you a big boost of confidence to keep going.