Six Decorating Secrets
Note: You might also enjoy watching the home decorating video at the bottom of the page, or our other home decorating videos.
You’ve been itching to renovate or redecorate, but
it may be difficult to fund your grand dreams given the current economy.
Gutting the master bath or completely upgrading the kitchen may be on
hold for a while, but you can still make some decorating changes that
will have a big impact – for less than $100 a project.
From the front door to the back deck, simple, cost-effective
improvements and decorator touches can enhance your enjoyment of your
home or attract buyer interest if you’re trying to sell it. Here are six
ideas for simple, easy, budget-friendly changes:
1. Give the front door a fresh coat of paint. If you live in a
community with a homeowner’s association, you may be required to repaint
the door in its original color. But if not, consider painting it red.
Not only is it eye-catching and cheerful, red on a door is considered
good luck in the ancient Chinese tradition of feng shui.
2. Add solar lights along flower beds or the walk leading up to
your front door. Solar lights are not only eco-friendly, they create a
gentle, welcoming glow at night. Most designs are as easy to install as
pushing a stake into the ground. Buy them at a club or discount store
and you may pay as little as $50 for a set of lights.
3. In the kitchen, give cabinets a good scrub. You may not
realize how dingy accumulated grime can make wood cabinets appear. After
you clean them, switch out old hardware with new, chic handles and
pulls. With home improvement stores carrying a wide variety, it’s
possible to replace all your kitchen cabinet hardware for well under
$100.
4. Add a decorative wallpaper mural. A favorite technique of
interior designers, wallpaper murals can go virtually anywhere –
kitchen, bedroom, dining room, bath, or even on an outdoor patio.
They’re easy to install, and you’ll find a range of murals by
Environmental Graphics at
www.decorplace.com
– all for less than $100, and many for as little as $80.
5. If your wood floor is scratched and shabby, or your carpet is
stained and smelly, it’s unlikely you could refinish the floor or
replace the carpet for less than $100. But you can paint the entire wood
floor, or add a painted border for that price. It’s also possible to
paint a design on the carpet, or rip it up and paint the wooden floor
beneath it. You’ll probably need a gallon or two of paint, depending on
the size of the room, so your costs will range around $50 to $75.
6. Artwork is a great way to dress up any room. Create a
meaningful, personalized gallery in your own kitchen by buying several
frames in varying sizes and shapes at your local dollar, home goods or
crafts store. Paint them all the same color and fill them with
hand-written recipes collected from family members. Ask contributors to
write out their favorite recipe on the paper of their choice – or
provide them with eye-catching paper and colorful pens.
The days of redecorating for pennies may be long gone and big-ticket
renovations are far in the future for many economy-stressed homeowners.
But with some creativity, elbow grease – and less than $100 – it’s
possible to make simple decorating changes that will help your home look
like a million bucks. ~ Courtesy of: ARA Content
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