Home Renovation Ideas for Empty Nesters

An empty home can seem quite sad at first, but once you get used to it, you’ll realize how nice it is to have the space and freedom to make the home your own. In fact, remodeling could be just the therapy you need to get excited about your next chapter. Though the house seems quiet now, once you start working on these home renovation ideas for empty nesters, your place will fill with noise. Whether it’s the sound of wood being sanded for a fresh finish or the flap of a tarp laid down for a solid painting session, these ideas will bring a renewed passion and energy to your home that you’ve been missing. Take a look at our favorite home renovation ideas here!

Update Your Wall Paint

Probably one of the least expensive, but most transforming, projects you can do in your empty home is updating the paint. Throughout your child’s younger years, there’s a high chance you didn’t have time to update the paint on the walls as often as you’d like. With an empty home, your chance to refresh the color on the walls is upon you! You can finally tear out the wallpaper from the bathroom and paint it that fresh yellow you want. Or you can paint the hallway walls without worrying about the kids messing it up. Your options have no end!

Even better, now you can invest in healthier options. At ECOS Paints, you’ll find paint that works to purify the air, rather than contaminate it, and that’s eco-friendlier than other conventional paint options. No matter what color you decide for the bathroom walls, ceilings, or floors, ECOS provides health-focused VOC-free paint perfect for that home transformation you’ve been dreaming of!

Enhance the Kitchen

If you want to push further, once you update your kitchen’s paint, think about other ways you can enhance the room! From updating to greener and more energy-efficient appliances to refinishing the kitchen table, think about the small ways you can update the space. For example, refinishing your kitchen table chairs to a darker stain can bring a classy touch to the room. You could even think about installing a skylight to the kitchen to bring in fresher light that highlights the new paint, furniture, and appliance upgrades. Now that the kids are gone, you can truly make your kitchen the anchor of your home with a look and style that fits your personality!

Improve Your Furniture

With kids, things are bound to break, crack, tear, and wear down—which is probably exactly what happened to your favorite furniture pieces. Now that your children have left the nest, you get to improve your furniture game. Whether you decide to simply DIY or buy completely new pieces, changing your furniture to something that relaxes you is a great project! You can DIY a lot of furniture projects—restaining furniture is a great way to improve old pieces, from coffee tables to TV stands. Sometimes all your furniture needs is a fresh stain, paint, or refurbishing!

Install New Flooring

Just like furniture wears down, so does your flooring. Now that your children are away from home, it’s the perfect opportunity to install new flooring. Tear out that stained carpeting and opt for an eco-friendly wood or bamboo flooring. You’ll improve your home’s indoor air quality when you get rid of the carpeting that’s filled with allergens, dust mites, dander, and dirt. Not to mention, a hardwood floor is much easier to clean! Better yet, when you choose ECOS wood stains and varnishes, you won’t have to quarantine yourself from the room, as our products are without the harsh odors common in traditional wood coatings!

Upgrade the Empty Bedroom

When it comes to the empty bedroom (or bedrooms), you can go in quite a few different directions. You could simply repaint the walls and keep the room as a place for the kids to return to, or you could completely revamp and renovate the room into one you’ll get solid use out of. We have a few of our favorite ideas listed below.

Home Office

One of the most popular ways to update an empty bedroom is by turning it into a home office. It’s an easier remodel, and it’s often a very effective use of the space for those who work from home. It also provides a practical place for your computer, filing papers, bookshelves, and more. Think about painting it a color that keys in on focus—blues and grays are wonderful choices. Take a look at our previous post on ways to give your office a makeover for more ideas!

Exercise Room

Another popular remodel is an exercise room, though we suggest this option only if you know you’ll use it because it can get quite costly. Once you paint it the right color (whites and grays work best for exercise rooms), you’ll want to decide on what equipment you need. Some people install a wall mirror and a nice wood floor to create a makeshift dance studio. Others prefer straight gym equipment—it’s up to you!

Hobby Room

We love the idea of a hobby room! Whether you’re a crafter, a painter, or an avid movie watcher, there are plenty of ways to give this empty room the space your hobbies have been dying for. Make sure you choose a room color that calms you, as most engage in hobbies in an attempt to relax your mind and body. Add in all the décor and furniture that fits your needs!

Guest Room

An obvious choice for the empty bedroom is to keep it a bedroom, but make it a space for guests. You don’t want people to stay in the frowsy room of a teenager; instead, do what you can to enhance the space for guests. Store the personal items of your child somewhere else and create a haven for house guests by designing an atmosphere of relaxation and safety!

Garden Room

Our last idea is for those looking to expand the eco-friendliness of their home outside the realm of eco-friendly paint and green appliances. For this room, add as many windows and skylights as possible so that the room is a consistent place of sunlight. Then add in all the greenery you can—use house plants, flowers, vines, herbs, and more foliage. Soothing colors like light green, beige, or light yellow on the walls will accentuate the greenery of the room. It can turn into quite the safe haven for you!

The ECOS Choice

When the children have left, and you decide it’s time to renovate, turn to ECOS Paints. Like we mentioned above, our paints and stains will upgrade your space to one of health and beauty. Our zero VOC paints* are exactly what you need for all your home and empty bedroom redesigns. We’ll make sure that you’re happy with your color choices—take advantage of the empty house and make it the haven you deserve!

*Conforms to CDPH 01350 (VOC emissions test taken at 14 days)