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37 Small Purchases That’ll Still Give Your Home’s Aesthetic A *Major* Refresh
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We hope you love our recommendations! While every product is independently chosen by our editors, BuzzFeed and our publishing partners may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. You can read more about how our affiliate partnerships work in our Editorial Standards & Ethics Guide. After reading through this list, you'll be surprised at just how little money and effort it takes to give your home a whole new look. Promising review: "Where do I start? I absolutely LOVE this product. I wanted to replace our bathroom mirror, but due to its size, it would have cost a lot! I came across this on Amazon and decided to give it a try. The application process was super easy and applied without bubbles as long as you go slow and rub it down as you go. I kid you not. It looks like wood and feels like it, too! You can feel and see the 'wood grain.' It’s absolutely stunning and looks like I bought a whole new mirror." —Taylor Get it from Amazon for $8.99 (available in two sizes). Promising review: "This product is exactly what I was hoping for. It’s great quality. Looks so chic. Such a nice way to dress up a household necessity. Definitely worth it." —Kaylee Get it from Amazon for $6.99+ (available in three sizes and 13 colors). It took most reviewers less than an hour to completely revamp their desk, and it was two hours *tops* for others (depending on how much space you're redoing!). Psst — If you pick this up, check out this reviewer's great installation tips for applying it to a desk! Promising review: "I do not have the money for a new vanity right now. Insert DIY project of covering my ugly pink bathroom vanity in marble contact paper. It looks 100% better, and it’s super durable. It’s a little tricky to work with at first, and then you get the hang of it. I’m buying more for my half bath! Update: My vanity still looks great a couple of months later! I decided to do my tabletop in my laundry room [above, right], and it looks great too! Tips: Make sure there is nothing on the surface, as bumps will show through with the tiniest of debris. Also, one roll is not enough; always buy more than you think you’ll need!" —Natalie Lamb Get it from Amazon for $4.99+ (available in 10 sizes and seven colors). Promising review: "The countertop is just now starting to need (slight) touch-ups around the sink itself [a whole two years later]. I couldn't be happier with this product! This paint can be a little tricky to work with until you get the hang of how it applies. My suggestion would be to test it out on a scrap or something prior to applying. Once I had it, this product was a breeze to work with. We recently purchased a new home, and we're not gutting our main bathroom until next summer, and I just couldn't live with that 1980s green another day. So, after reading a lot of tutorials, I decided to go for it and paint the counter. I LOVE how it came out! Once it was dry for 24 hours, I applied several coats of poly and let it sit for 72 hours before I let the counter go back into normal use. It's held up like a dream. I wouldn't use any heavy chemicals on it (but I wouldn't advise those period), but otherwise zero issues with it. Side Note: I see a lot of negative reviews on this product because it doesn't hold up for people outdoors. USE A SEALANT. Don't blame a product if you don't use it correctly." —Dogmom20 Get it from Amazon for $13.18+ (available in five colors). Enhances the natural beauty and depth of grain on finished *and* unfinished wood. For use on antiques, dining tables, kitchen cabinets, wood doors and trim, etc. Promising review: "Very impressed so far. Just tried this stuff on one of our kitchen cabinets and it really did a nice job. The cabinets are 15-year-old cherry-stained hard work cabinets (oak, maybe?) and are scratched deeply in certain parts from the previous owner's dogs. 20 minutes after applying this product and wiping it off, I can't complain at all about the results. It looks great in the picture, and even better in real life, where you are not focusing on staring at imperfections. In addition to helping tremendously with the blemishes, it also leaves a nice glossy shine on the cabinets, making them look clean and fresh (not over-the-top glossy and fake). For the minimal price, I can't complain at all. Finally, I used about a 1/3 of an ounce to do the 36" double base cabinets and the 36" wide drawer, so I believe the 16-oz bottle will last quite a while." —Patrick Gallagher Promising review: "These are awesome! My son installed them with no problems. They look much more expensive than what they cost, function well, and I am so happy with this upgrade." —Gina C. Ashline Get a set of 30 five-inch pulls from Amazon for $29.99 (also available individually and in smaller and larger pack sizes). Promising review: "I live in an apartment community, and I wanted to find a solution to cover up my windows without using my blinds/curtains. Let me just say...wow! This beyond exceeded my expectations. Not only does it give me the privacy I need, but the way the lights reflect in the daytime AND nighttime is just breathtaking! In the morning, when the sun shines through, tiny little rainbows get cast all over the bedroom! At night, it looks so cozy, warm, and has a beautiful, realistic stained-glass look to it." —Katie Coyle Get a roll from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in 14 sizes and four colors). Promising review: "This reeded glass window film was very pretty when installed. Gave just the right amount of obscurity that still allowed in light but maintained privacy when viewing from the outside. I bought more of this and offered it to my son who is enjoying it at his apartment too. We used it on the bottom half of windows and kept the upper half of windows open, which was the exact problem this film solved. Lots of choices, too!" —Liza S Get it from Amazon for $5.99+ (available in 12 sizes). Promising review: "This SAVED me my rent deposit!! I had stupidly put pots on the floor, thinking the terra-cotta tray wouldn’t mold through to the wood floor (wrong!). This took the mold and water damage right off! I first tried a baking soda/water mixture, which helped get the mold off, but these wipes are what saved the water damage! Any light-colored water damage will be easily fixed by this, but it seemed that any dark or black-water damage wasn’t fixable with this." —Al These under-the-cabinet lights are battery-powered and come with a remote that will allow you to power them on and off, change their intensity, and set them to be motion-activated. Promising review: "I just remodeled my kitchen and wanted lights under my cabinets to give it a cozy feel. I wanted something easy to install but effective. These lights are great! You can adjust the brightness and can even put them on a timer so they turn off on their own after 15, 30, or 60 minutes. They come with sticky tape to attach to cabinets, but I also added sticky back Velcro, and they have stayed on perfectly. The company sent me an email offering any assistance if I should need it. I absolutely LOVE them and would recommend." —LC Get a pack of three from Amazon for $14.99 (also available in packs of two or six, including a style with color lighting). Promising Review: "We moved into our new home, and the shower had a really yellow grout. Cleaning didn’t do anything, and I saw this grout pen online. What a saver! Otherwise, I would have just hired someone to replace my shower. I used this grout pen, and my husband was so impressed :D The tip loses its shape fast, but just pull out the TIP AND FLIPPED IT OVER, and you’ll have a new tip." —jennifer Get it from Amazon for $8.99 (available in two sizes). Promising review: "I didn't think these would last through one Oklahoma Spring tornado season but they have. They were easy to install and very durable. They add a very unique touch to my new garage doors." —Lila S. Get it from Amazon for $26.99 (available in two hinge styles). Promising review: "My parents went to Europe and sat outside on furs like these, and now they do the same at home. They live in the mountains in Utah. They put these on their metal patio chairs and then cover themselves with a blanket outside in the winter. The faux furs keep your backside insulated and then topped with the blanket, they are able to have cocktail hour(s) on the deck all year long! It’s honestly pretty sweet, and the dog gets her own to lie on when she’s outside, too." —Amazon Customer Get it from Amazon for $14.43+ (available in six sizes and 12 colors). Promising review: "I live in an apartment so I didn’t want to damage my wall with nails and all that. So I’m very glad to have heard about this product. It was so easy to set up, it holds the weight of my blackout curtain and curtain rod well. I even pushed down on it a little to see how secure it was and it did not break. I definitely recommend it for anyone that is renting to keep the walls damage free." —Alyssa Get a set of three from Amazon for $18.95 (also available in other colors and styles). Promising review: "Purchased these for my studio, which is in an old mill. I wanted them for their insulating properties more than to block out the light because my studio loses a lot of heat at night due to its enormous windows. The curtains/drapes work great for both — I am especially pleased with how well they help keep the space from losing heat! Before having the curtains, the space would lose about 8 degrees in temperature overnight (which in the winter is a significant amount, especially in the northeast). Now, with the curtains, the space no longer loses heat overnight! It is now so nice to go into my studio in the morning and find it still toasty warm!" —Placeholder Get them from Amazon for $29.69+ (available in five sizes and 23 colors). Each tile measures 12-inches by 12-inches. Promising review: "This brought new life to my super boring kitchen! This was much easier than I thought and was really worried about taking on this project but I'm glad I did. Took me over three hours from start to finish." —Blood Agent Read the rest of this customer's in-depth review for some handy tips and tricks! Get six self-adhesive tiles from Amazon for $20.99+ (available in 16 styles). These renter-friendly beauties are fully removable btw! You'll just need to heat with a hair dryer to unstick the adhesive. For the full install, reviewers recommend: a level, sanding block and sandpaper, measuring tape, ruler, screwdriver to remove outlets, and utility knife or scissors. Promising review: "These are great and easy to install. You have to cut the first section. I did put them on a textured wall and have no issues with them peeling off. I made a mistake and had to pull some of them off, and they came off with no problem. They are sticky, so I did have to pull a little bit, no damage to the paint or the wall, though. You will need a VERY sharp knife and a pair of scissors. I used a metal carpenter's square as a straight edge, and it worked nicely. Nice upgrade to my little kitchen. I needed about 30 tiles, and I had to buy 40 for cuts and mistakes. You can't reuse the sheet if you pull it off. I found that if you have to cut the tiles, make sure you have the 'grout' on the cut, it makes it easier to align and hides small mistakes." —Tricia Hendrickson Get it from Amazon for $27.99 (available in four colors, and in dozens more designs and colors on their store page). Promising review: "I redid my entire bathroom! We moved into our home two years ago, and our small main-floor bathroom had hideous orange mosaic tiles. We want to eventually gut and revamp our bathroom, but wanted to give it a cheap facelift. Floorpops made that possible, and it's a very inexpensive option! We used caulk to seal some of the tiny gaps and caulked around the tub and underneath the baseboards for a good seal. The tiles are not moving at all and have adhered okay." —Agnieska Get a pack of 10 tiles from Amazon for $15.74+ (available in two colors). Promising review: "I was very skeptical, but also figured for [the price], what did I really have to lose. I am beyond blown away. It was super easy to trim to fit and apply to our black dishwasher, looks phenomenal, is super easy to clean, and while just a month into use is holding up really well. I worried the frequent sanitize loads we run and associated heat might compromise the adhesion, but so far so good. It has also fooled and then impressed many a family and friends who complimented us on our new dishwasher that finally matches the rest of the kitchen." —Amazon Customer Get an 18-inch x 6-foot roll from Amazon for $13.30. Promising review: "This comes just as pictured and described. It is comfortable and looks luxurious. It's great for floor seating." —AKhan Get it from Amazon for $39.19 (available in two shapes, three sizes, and 12 colors). Pure Wood Design is a small business run by carpenter Ömer, who has over 40 years of woodworking experience. Promising review: "Best idea for a balcony. Really well-made product, and I could not be happier. Heavier and stronger than what you're thinking." —Scotty Smith Get it from Pure Wood Design on Etsy for $75.46+ (originally $107.80+; available in 11 sizes and 10 colors). BTW, the reviewer used the color 'Taupe' above! Promising review: "I have never been so excited about a slipcover. Total transformation of our couch and loveseat. I was worried about it not working on our leather couch, but it stays on really well due to the straps and the separate cushion covers. LOVE." —Brian/Liz Get it from Amazon for $47.49+ (available in five sizes and 13 colors). Promising review: "I bought these to put on my bed and I absolutely love, love, love them! One side has a super fluffy and soft side, and the back is surprisingly soft, it's almost like a suede feel. Be sure you have fully stuffed pillows!" —Rah Rah Get a set of two from Amazon for $18.99 (available in six sizes and 19 colors). Check out a TikTok of the cheese slicer in action. Promising review: "My mother-in-law had purchased one last year and I tried hers at Christmas and fell in love with how easy it was to use. We have a lot of get togethers with friends and cheese is a staple appetizer in our house. So I purchased my own and have been using it weekly since. It cuts easily and it's mostly easy to clean. Sometimes cheese gets stuck in the crack but some scrubbing with a small brush usually does the trick." —Jessica Promising review: "These are incredible!! I like using the color feature in winter when it's drab outside, but once my gardens bloom, I stick to white. I have purchased these five times, and it's going to be six. I bought the first set two years ago and just purchased my newest set. I put the old ones right next to the sets I just purchased and had never changed the batteries on the original ones...they were still bright so I never needed to. They are beautiful!!" —mosey Get an eight-pack from Amazon for $37.89 (also available in a two-pack and a six-pack). Promising reviews: "Magical. I'm ordering more of these. They perked up my night garden in a way that even attracted compliments from my neighbors. They were super easy to install and worked immediately. I like that they automatically turn on at dusk and shut off at dawn." —Sharyn Bearse "I love these little balls of moving light in our garden! Make sure you loosen them up out of the box. They are very upright at first, but the wires flex, and you can arrange them to appear to float in the night. I plan on buying more to give the illusion to my whole backyard. They are absolutely brighter than many of my other solar lights. So far mine have stayed lit until morning!! The wind makes them bounce and sway, just enchanting!! Buy some! They will make you happy!!" —Ruth Anderson Get a two-pack from Amazon for $11.39 (also available in larger quantities). Here's what BuzzFeed Shopping writer Emma Lord says about it: "I purchased this because I have a lil' Friday tradition of going to Trader Joe's and buying the $3.99 "petite bouquets" (Alexa, play "Flowers" by Miley Cyrus!!) and it is the absolute perfect size for a mini bouquet. It is a treat to look at on my windowsill, 11/10 recommend for anyone who wants a bright spot in their living room!" Promising review: "The vase is very nice, with and without flowers. It looks really good in my living room!" —Amazon Customer Get it from Amazon for $14.49+ (available in three styles and in a set with all three). Check out a TikTok of the book vase in action. Promising review: "The vase was so pretty I bought a second! They're durable and very appealing to the eye. I will be purchasing more." —kayla Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in five colors). Seriously though, the folks who live below you will thank you for the extra cushioning for foot falls! Promising review: "To be fair, I was quite hesitant to purchase a rug online seeing as how you can't feel the carpet. However I took a chance and went with it and I couldn't be happier with my decision. Not only is the carpet nice and soft but the colors are very true to picture. Thanks guys for producing a fair priced and luxurious product!" —(ffcccdxx Get it from Amazon for $28.99+ (available in nine color combos and a variety of sizes). Promising review: "These are so cute and perfect! I have a decent-sized balcony and have been looking to turn it into a relaxing area. I got my lights within a few days and I immediately opened up my package, everything was there, no broken bulbs and a spare bulb. I then tested out the power and these lights are perfectly bright and still set a very calming and intimate scene." —Domzzs Get them from Amazon for $35.99 (available in seven lengths and six colors). Promising review: "I really like this little tray. The color is perfect and the beaded edge looks beautiful. I’m using mine on my dining table and plan to change it with the seasons. I would definitely order it again." —Sunshine Get it from Amazon for $21.98+ (available in six colors). Promising review: "Living in Hawaii you have to select wise items that are weather-, salt-, and red dirt–proof, etc... In total I ordered 11 boxes to complete my yoga deck. I have a few left over to make steps on the back. Very pleased and happy. May order more for an outdoor shower project!" —Adelia Get 10 sq. ft from Amazon for $77.48 (also available in three smaller sizes). Promising review: "They look so real, and I get a ton of compliments on them. Everyone always thinks my husband surprised me with tulips (my favorite flower) and are shocked to learn these are not real. I have several of them throughout my house, and plan to buy more because they are great!" —Abbey S. Get them from Amazon for $16.99+ (available in many colors). Promising review: "This was exactly what we needed for the backyard. It definitely provides enough privacy, and it gives the backyard a very nice ambiance! The leaves completely blend in with the other trees and plants we have in the backyard, and it looks like we made a huge upgrade in our gardening game. I'm now just hoping it can withstand the Arizona summer and not fade with the sun (product description does state fade resistant). Don't be hesitant with purchasing; it's totally worth it!!" —Amazon Customer Get a roll from Amazon for $34.99+ (available in three sizes). You'll need some green zip ties to secure them, too. Here's what BuzzFeed Shopping editor Maitland Quitmeyer says about it: This is my go-to satin pillowcase. I have two Slip pillowcases, and several of these, and actually the Bedsure ones wash up much nicer and retain an incredibly silky smooth feel after dozens of trips through the laundry. They're the only ones I'll buy going forward, and I recommended them to my mom and now she's in love with them too! Promising review: "I bought these cases to match a new sheet set. I previously had bought much more expensive brands to match other sheets but I love the Bedsure brand of products and wanted to try these out. Arguably, they’re softer than my more expensive ones! They did arrive very wrinkled but a quick wash and dry and they’re shiny and wrinkle free. I like the envelope closure a lot more than competing brands zip closure. Highly recommend!" —Hannah Watkins Get a set of two from Amazon for $5.98+ (available in standard, queen, king, and body pillow sizes and 37 colors). These are so darn good lookin' you can just leave them out as coasters the rest of the time! Promising review: "I bought these as a barrier between the cold stone countertops and my morning cup of coffee and they definitely allow my coffee to stay warm longer." —Kelly Get them from Amazon for $12.95 (available in two colors). Promising review: "I absolutely loved this set! I purchased two, and each set was well worth the price. The packaging was very elegant and gave me a very luxurious feel. I am very pleased with the quality of the set. The added tags for cotton balls/swabs and lotion/soap were also great! Would definitely recommend!" —Ravynn Lenise Hughes Get it from Amazon for $21.84+ (available in six colors). Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity. BuzzFeed Shopping is service journalism first: our writers and editors spend all day shopping so you don’t have to, vetting products, fact-checking brand claims, and surfacing what actually helps in real life. We center readers over revenue, recommend products with authenticity (using real experiences, not ad-speak), and reflect our diverse audience, inclusive of a variety of price points, people, and needs. We cut through fake deals, favor useful info over glossy fluff, and recommend both budget and splurge options with context so you can decide what’s right for you — and still have a little fun along the way. Gabriela Manjarrez is a staff writer on the BuzzFeed Shopping team who covers a variety of topics from beauty to home to travel, while having a special enthusiasm for K-beauty, quirky (but useful!) trinkets, and all things luxe and aesthetic.