If you're looking to make some of those subtle improvements in your home you may want to start in the kitchen
. The kitchen is the most frequented room in your home and minor changes in the kitchen can create a whole new look for the home. My parents just redid their whole kitchen and it felt like an entirely different house after it was completely. They did the whole nine yards, wood floors, new appliances, granite countertops, and a whole new set of cabinets. You may not have the means to do this drastic of a change to your kitchen so you may want to consider in just doing some cabinet refacing.
Changing your cabinets can really change the look of your cabinet as the cabinets do take up a lot of the surface area of your kitchen. It really adds to the beauty of the kitchen and your home in general. You need to consider a few things to decide if replacement is necessary or just a refacing job will do the trick.
If you have the stock cabinets that your home came with you may need to just need to do a little refacing of your cabinet. Check and make sure that your cabinet is still in good condition. You could just have a new paint job on it to get the new, improved look you want. A change of the handles can make the new look that you're looking for as well.
Sometimes instead of just refinishing or repainting you may want to just replace the outside cabinet and keep the inside shelves intact. If you like the arrangement of the shelves and cabinets in your kitchen then this may be the method you want to use. Decide what type of cabinet front you want to replace it with, you basically have three choices: wood, stainless steel, or laminate. Wood cabinets are a little bit more pricey and are prone to warp through temperature changes but can give a very warm look to your kitchen. Many people are moving towards stainless steel for the durability and the modern look in their homes. The laminate may be the cheapest and still be able to get the wood look that you're look for while getting a material that will last a long time.
Cabinet refacing is a great way to start your home improvement plans. The cabinets can change the entire feel of your kitchen which will also improve the look of your entire home.