44 Products To Give Your Home A Summer Upgrade

Jul 01, 2023

We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed collects a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.

Staying inside is sooo much better than braving scorching hot temps.

BuzzFeed Staff

Promising review: "This is perfect for an upgrade on a budget. These 'tiles' have given my dull kitchen new life and withstood extreme cold and humidity (electrical issues) with no problem. I receive compliments all the time!" —Deidre Dennis

Get a set of six from Amazon for $28.66+ (available in four colors).

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 $31.49+ (available in 10 colors and 5 sizes).

Promising review: "Love this — absolutely perfect for touchin' up little spots that need touchin' up. I have several sets filled with different paints and so far they've stayed usable without the paint drying out. I rinse the brush really well after each use (latex paints) and recap it. It would be nice if the manufacturer put an area on the pen where you could easily label the paint info, but I use a permanent marker, and it works okay." —Hooked on AMZN!

Get a pack of two from Amazon for $14.99.

This paint is nontoxic, zero VOC, low-odor, and solvent-free, so if you're sensitive to chemical smells, this stuff is A-OK!! What makes this different than the one above? Great question!

Promising review: "This product is excellent. It goes on easily and covers paint scraps very well. I used it on a door frame that had been chipped. Now the chip is practically unnoticeable. I asked for a sample of colors before buying and received a color chart promptly. I appreciate the customer-friendly attitude of this company." —Educator

Get it from Amazon for $18.95 (available in 24 shades).

Iirntree is a small business that sells beautiful wooden furniture from shelves, to benches, to garden decor, to wall art decor — time to HGTV-ify your living space.

Promising review: "Beautiful shelf at a great price and it was securely packaged for shipping. It even came earlier than I had anticipated!" —Kandi

Get it from Iirntree on Etsy for $31.21+ (available in a variety of sizes and stains).

Lyons Crafted is a small business based in Venture, California that sells handcrafted and customizable wooden shelves. Note that because each of these pieces is crafted specifically to your order specifications, it may look a little different than what is pictured!

Promising review: "This was exactly what I was looking for! Mr. Lyons worked with me to get the exact measurements I needed. The workmanship was outstanding and the shelves were easy to hang. I chose to stain them myself to get a better match to my cabinets." —pmartin1002

Get it from Lyons Crafted on Etsy for $104.50+ (available in seven finishes and various sizes).

It comes with 12 shades of wood filler and a brush.

Promising review: "This is super easy to use and effective for being so inexpensive! I am very impressed with how this fixed my chairs that my cat scratched up. Instead of spending $100 per new chair, I took a chance with this stuff and I’m so glad I did. You have to figure out what color matches your wood best — my teak chairs actually needed a slightly darker color or else the filler made the wood flat and more so like paint. When I went with the darker color it put the grain effect back on and looked natural." —Sara Petrouskie

Get a pack of 12 from Amazon for $14.99.

My colleague Emma Lord owns this ottoman and loves it! Here's her review:

"I recently got one of these for my new apartment to stash my candles and ~candle accessories~ in and it's pretty much become my favorite piece of furniture?? I use it to prop up my feet during work hours and sometimes if I want to eat on my couch I'll use it as a tray. It's also sturdy enough to sit on, if I ever wanted to have guests over and needed an extra chair. It was RIDICULOUSLY easy to set up — I had it done in less than ten minutes, and probably didn't even need the directions. It also just looks so darn cute (and comes in so many colors that I'm tempted to buy another!)."

Get it from Amazon for $39.99 (available in six colors).

Bleucoin is a small business based in India that sells peel and stick for tiles, walls, floors, and stairs.

Promising review: "I love these stair risers so much! I was skeptical at first, but went ahead based off reviews and woooow! My stairs aren't even finished and look so good already. The shop made them the perfect size for my risers and installation was simple and stress-free. An amazing addition for unique decor!!" —robynazar

Get it from Amazon and Bleucoin on Etsy for $62.49+ (available in seven sizes and two finishes).

Promising review: "These are fabulous and totally changed the look of my kitchen! The price was also great too as I needed 35 and had to buy to lots, one 25 and one 10. The total was around $80 for all of them, which equals less than $2 apiece. You can't buy ones of this quality for that price locally. These are heavy and easy to install." —Debbie Sterrett

Get a 10-pack from Amazon for $24.97+ (available in seven colors and larger and smaller packs).

This cleaning spray is free of parabens, phthalates, and sulfates. Butter Me Up Organics is a small biz based in Livermore, California that sells organic handcrafted bath, body, baby, and home products.

Promising review: "This is great! Took it straight out of the package and started cleaning my sliding door! Cleans very well! Thank you! Can't wait to try all the other products I purchased from this shop!" —Surishae Co

Get it from Butter Me Up Organics on Etsy for $16.50.

Get it from our Goodful shop for $65.

Promising review: "My 15-year-old leather sectional hadn't been cleaned or conditioned in three to four years because I couldn't find anything that worked well without causing it to look blotchy. After a LOT of elbow grease, the sectional looks great! It's now back to its original color without being blotchy. More importantly, the suppleness has returned. I can actually say that it looks as good as the day we bought it." —jellybean55

Get it from Amazon for $16.99+ (available in three sizes).

Check out our marble contact paper deep dive!

Promising review: "Looks AMAZING. Really easy to use, just make sure you measure and get a piece big enough for your item so you don’t have to line up multiple pieces. Took less than 30 minutes to redo my buffet top from the dark brown granite it used to be." —Brittany renzoni

Get it from Amazon for $5.99+ (available in five sizes).

Promising review: "I'm very pleased with this contact paper. My countertops were stained when I bought my home. I couldn't afford new ones so I covered them in contact paper, and honestly, from across the room it looks like real marble! It has superior adhesion! Very happy!" —Barbara Weber

Get it from Amazon for $9.88+ (available in three sizes).

Promising review: "I have a large window in my bathroom and you can see in from the backyard, not very private. I like the light but needed privacy, sheer curtains were not enough. This product is very easy to install, and I love the rainbows. This is this cheapest rainbow window cling I could find and it exceeded my expectations. I will definitely be doing more windows." —Ashley Barnes

Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in 11 sizes).

Promising review: "I absolutely love everything about this table. It so perfectly fits in the little corner of my room that I have designed for my quiet space. I love the vintage look it has. It’s very easy to lift and use as a desk (which I do quite often). The storage area inside the lift is very spacious. It’s actually more space than I expected. And I’ve used the side shelves for more decorative things. It’s a small coffee table, but it is exactly what I was looking for." —Lyteyz

Get it from Amazon for $99.99+ (available in five colors and two sizes).

TS_Melts is a small biz based in Bolton, United Kingdom that creates all sorts of lovely products to make your home smell nice like wax melts, home diffusers, bath bomb rocks, and more.

Promising review: "GO AND BUY! I absolutely adore these carpet fresheners! They have made my bedroom and living room smell gorgeous. Even sprinkled some on my mattress and I can safely say I’m in love. I’ll be back next month to order more for myself and family!" —Jessica Higginson

Get it from TS_Melts on Etsy for $3.70+ (available in four sizes and various scents).

Promising review: "PLEASE get this, especially if you’re a pet owner with multiple pets. Any pet smell is COMPLETELY GONE! This tiny bottle goes such a long way. I was able to clean my entire 1,450-square-foot apartment (including mopping and using my carpet cleaner) with not even three quarters of the bottle. My apartment smells AMAZING!!" —Anna E.

Get it from Amazon for $25.97.

Promising review: "I love this stuff! It’s super easy to use and it flawlessly removed anything from nail holes to larger drywall anchor holes. Bonus that my walls are white and I can even get away with not repainting if I do a clean job! I hope they never stop making this stuff." —bookworm

Get it from Amazon for $11.89.

Pen is ideal for use on floors and walls!

Promising review: "I was pleasantly surprised by how far these went. I did the entire floor of my large master bathroom plus a little of the shower with one pen. It is pretty forgiving and you have quite a bit of working time before it dries completely. This was not a quick task, but it went faster than I thought it would. I was worried the white would look too bright, but it just makes everything look so much cleaner. I'm very happy with this product!" —Jenelle

Get it from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in two sizes and 11 colors).

Includes five microfiber sleeves that can be washed and reused!

Promising review: "This product is AMAZING! You can clean both sides of two blinds at once and grip them firmly to get ALL of the dust off. Plus, it comes with five covers, so that no matter how dirty your blinds are, you'll be able to finish dusting your whole house! I also love that you can wash the covers and don't have to waste money on refills." —Sarah

Get it from Amazon for $6.99+ (available in two colors).

Sun Sprinkles Shop is a small business based in Saint Johns, Michigan that sells vases, earrings, stickers, and more!

Promising review: "Excellent quality and super fast shipping! It's such a gorgeous and unique piece. As other reviews mentioned, please make sure you note the sizing before buying — this vase is for baby flowers, which I LOVEEE!" —jferro93

Get it from Sun Sprinkles Shop on Etsy for $49 (available in five styles).

Promising review: "I am not going to burn these beautiful candles. I love their sweet and delicate beauty. After a stressful day, I uncork the candles and breathe in their heavenly scent." —Susie-Q

Get it from Uncommon Goods for $27 (available in two scents).

Promising review: "I LOVE the finish on these peel-and-stick tiles. The brushed metal is beautiful! There is a rubber backing and it is very sticky, but you can reposition initially. They are so easy to apply and cut very easily with a utility knife. The hexagon is quite a bit smaller than I expected. It’s smaller then a dime. It could be a very busy pattern if you are using the multi-colored tiles in a large space. I would buy these again! I put them in our RV bathroom." —Teresa Sierra

Get a pack of five sheets from Amazon for $29.99 (available in 5 colors and in packs of 10).

The kit comes with two cans of cabinet paint, a roller arm, two roller covers, and an angled paint brush; it requires no stripping, priming, or top coat or sealer, and there's no need to remove your cabinet doors.

Promising review: "Amazing! Amazing! Amazing! Did take more than one coat though. My cabinets were bare wood and I still needed a couple of coats. (Five to be exact, but that was just me being extra.) My kitchen is medium-sized, not too big, and it only took up one can. But I still went over a couple more times just to get a nice coating. I also let it sit for some days and saw the wood was sucking up the paint in some areas so I went over it again. The project ideally does take one day like the promotion video says, but one day as in 24 hours. This took my kitchen from looking like a cheap rental apartment kitchen to a high-quality kitchen with just this paint and new knobs. The paint is perfect for cabinets — it's not too thick, so you still see the wood grains. It comes with EVERYTHING you need. I didn't have to buy a thing. The project is super easy, paint dries fast, and I did it at first by removing the cabinets but it wasn't necessary at all. Just make sure you don't leave any dripping because it would make your cabinets look cheap. I would recommend EVERYONE to purchase this and give your cabinets a chance before making a big investment in new cabinets. Wood is wood and it can be refinished." —Brandon Moronta

Get it from Amazon for $79.95 (available in seven colors)

Promising review: "I recently repainted the front door of my house. The brass kick plate was very discolored and I couldn’t find a replacement at any of the hardware stores. My door is old and oversized and none of the standard sizes would work. My only alternative was to try and clean the old one. I was very happy with the results using this product. It took off years of tarnish without too much effort." —Kathy Elder

Get it from Amazon for $9.31.

This helps eliminate hard water stains, rust, and limescale from things like shower doors, glass, toilets, sinks, stainless steel, and more!

Promising review: "When we moved into our new place the shower doors looked like they had never been cleaned before. I tried at least 10 different products and methods to remove the hard water spots but nothing even made a dent. Bio Clean, however, was like a magic eraser! I scrubbed each door for about 10 minutes and it was incredible! I’ve never written a cleaning product review before but this one is worth every penny." —Shane B

Get it from Amazon for $14.99.

Get it from Novogratz for $60.

Promising review: "Can't say enough good things about this comforter! It is beautiful in color, as well as super soft and cozy! The price made it super affordable for anyone wanting a great piece of inexpensive bedding. I am so happy with this that I purchased a second one for my daughter, and I am considering a third one. Just love it!!" —Dedewi

Get it from Amazon for $28.90+ (available in four colors and seven sizes).

While these are typically applied to the floor, you can totally use them on furniture, surfaces, and walls, too! Just look at the review pics!

Promising review: "I've only had these on my bathroom floor for a month or so, but they seem like they'll hold up. They were a bit of a pain in the ass to cut, but I didn't have the best tools or patience. The price is bananas for how good these look! They really transformed the room for cheap." —Jenascia

Get a pack of 10 tiles from Amazon for $17.41.

Promising review: "This floor was easy to put down, easy to clean, and nice to walk on. It goes great with my bath vanity. It didn't take much time to put down and I used scissors." —Kathleen Randolph

Get it from Amazon for $23.99+ (available in seven styles).

Promising review: "I was looking for something that would match up my abstract aesthetic and pastel colors. It really adds more personality to my room! It was easy to stick — probably spent 15 minutes trying to decide the best arrangements. I would 100% recommend." —Sofia Camarillo

Get it from Amazon for $10.89 (available in six colors).

Promising review: "This wrap worked out great! Our fridge now matches the rest of our appliances. I like how it's thicker than normal contact paper. It made it much easier to install." —rach

Get a 15.8-inch x 78.8-inch roll from Amazon for $9.99 (available in three sizes).

Comes with a microfiber cloth!

Therapy Clean is a family-owned small biz that sells cleaning products boasting cleaning products with safe and readable ingredient lists in the loveliest scents.

Promising review: "In my experience, cleaning products usually need to be pretty strong chemicals that require care when applying. When faced with options, I usually buy the chemical with the most skull and cross bones, warning labels, and danger symbols I can find. I figure the more volatile and poisonous the chemical, the better it will work! So I was skeptical about this product when it was billed as a plant-based chemical on the other end of the toxicity spectrum. I decided to try it because of the many positive reviews. I'm glad I did. It works great! I wouldn't use it as a mouthwash, but it certainly isn't as harsh as other cleaners I've used." —Joe

Get it from Amazon for $19.95.

Promising review: "Beautiful fabric. These are even nicer than I anticipated. The color in the photograph was accurately represented, and they actually feel like a high-quality velvet. Light-blocking properties are excellent as well." —T. A. Urban

Get them on Amazon for $32.99+ (available in 17 colors/styles and 5 sizes).

FYI — the photos above are just an example. You receive different books than what are shown in the product photos. You can opt to pay extra for a different length and a specific color scheme. If you'd like for them to send you a preview before they ship it, be sure to select "YES, preview books" on the order page and enable Amazon notifications.

Covogoods is a woman-owned small business based in Utah that sells storage products made out of upcycled books!

Promising review: "This is perfect for hiding our router and accessories in our bookcase. Love it!" —supergirl

Get it from Covogoods on Amazon Handmade starting at $29.

Includes a remote that can adjust the brightness.

Promising review "This is a wonderful product; just what I wanted. Super easy to install and I love that it breaks off into sections so you don’t have any hanging over to hide. The remote is awesome and there are lots of brightness settings. I’m going to use these everywhere!" —Queen Halloween

Get the six-piece kit from Amazon for $20.99 (available in three light colors).

Promising review: "Quite simply, I am in love with this rug. This is one of those rare instances in which the product looks way better in real life than it does in the online photos. The colors are beautiful — warm and soft at the same time. For such a flat rug, it's got a luxurious, cushy feel to it. And there was absolutely no shedding whatsoever after I unfurled it. Fantastic rug at an incredibly reasonable price. I am delighted." —Adam J. Sank

Get it from Amazon for $20.29+ (available in a variety of styles, sizes, and shapes).

Suburban Farmhouse is a small biz based in New Jersey that sells beautiful farmhouse decor.

Promising review: "I'm in LOVE! 😍😍😍 This piece EXCEEDED my expectations!!! It is absolutely beautiful, and it goes so well with my kitchen! It's functional and gives us extra space. Thank you!" —Lakesha Golden

Get it from Suburban Farmhouse on Etsy for $112.09+ (available in six stain colors and eight styles).

Lili n Momo Designs is a small biz based in Black Rock, Connecticut that sells gorgeous wall decals!

Promising review: "AMAZING!! I have trouble seeing shades of gray, particularly on computer screens, but the shop owner kindly worked with me developing this custom piece. She was so patient and kind, because it took a few mock-ups. I really appreciated her willingness to work with me and help me achieve the look I wanted. I can't thank her enough. You won't regret working with her." —GitaJafar

Get it from Lili n Momo Designs on Etsy for $54+ (available in three sizes).

Promising review: "Love this thing! It fit perfectly with my decor. I always get compliments from people. So convenient for keys and jackets and purses and shoes. Just a nice entrance thing. Right now it's filled with BS but it's nicer when it's organized LOL." —Kasandra R.

Get it from Amazon for $49.99+ (available in five colors and two sizes).

Promising review: "Decided to try this on a whim one evening and could not be more pleased! Threw this over textured walls and used a steak knife to cut the edges. I’m obsessed! Now I want to find more things to wallpaper." —eop1235

Get the herringbone wallpaper from Target for $34 and be sure to check out all of the peel-and-stick wallpaper Target has to offer here.

Eucalyptus Blooms is a small business based in Charlotte, North Carolina that sells all sorts of fragrant products from scented potpourri and sachets to lavender-infused loofahs and soaps.

Promising review: "So impressed! It made such a difference in my shower. It was a major upgrade to the space and the experience. Arrived in great condition and looks just like pictures. Plus the included hook made for quick, easy, and sturdy hanging. Highly recommend!" —Tara Finkelstein

Get it from Eucalyptus Blooms on Etsy for $13.49+ (available in three sizes and in bundles of two and three).

Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.