Home Interior Design

Replace a Window Treatment : Has the window shade above your kitchen sink been marred by repeated exposure to splashes and cooking liquids? Replace a stained window covering with an inexpensive fabric treatment and see your kitchen in a whole new light.

Tackle Trimwork : You might not be able to install new trimwork in your home for $20, but you can make improvements to what you already have. Replace mismatched, missing, or damaged moldings, end caps, quarter rounds, or baseboard. Curved areas might require a special piece or trim made of an alternate material.

Organize the Entry : Keep dirt and mud contained with a boot tray near your home's entryway. Buy one that's easy to clean, or create your own from a jelly roll pan. If storage space is limited, tuck the tray beneath a slim console table.

Replace Switchplates : Replace a plastic switchplate with a wood, metal, or ceramic cover to make a visual statement. Some switchplates are even textured to blend in with marble, tile, or stone surfaces. Do this for light switches, electrical outlets, and phone and cable jacks.

Update with Paint : Breathe new life into an old piece of furniture with a fresh coat of paint. For wood pieces, remove dirt or wax buildup with a household cleaner and rinse. Sand rough areas and wipe away dust. Apply two coats of stain-blocking primer and allow it to dry between coats. Roll or brush on two coats of latex paint in the direction of the wood grain, and use a brush to finish the surface with smooth strokes.

Spruce Up Shelves : Give shelves a charming and cohesive look with an exciting backdrop by applying contact paper, scrapbook paper, or fabric to the back of a bookshelf. If you don't want to commit to a particular design or color scheme, measure the bookshelf's back panel and mount the background material on poster board, cut to the size of each shelf.

Get Stylish Underfoot : Try your hand at a fun paint technique and update tired flooring with a custom rug. Using a vinyl floor remnant and paint, you can create a fun, personalized focal point. Varying the stripe widths creates a cool, casual look.

Add a Divider : Drawer and cabinet dividers are a must when it comes to keeping kitchen tools in their respective places. Secure a wire rack inside a cabinet to provide sturdy storage for cookie sheets, muffin tins, and cooling racks. Some units match your kitchen cabinetry design for a completely integrated and customized look.

Step Up Storage : Plastic bins are a versatile and inexpensive way to restore order in almost every in home trouble spot. Using clear bins for storage in a garage or for a closet gift-wrap station, for example, is an easy way to take inventory and identify items at a glance. Use labels to ensure everything stays tidy and easy to access.

Improve Air Flow : Swap out a standard floor grate with a more impressive and possibly more efficient wood or metal register grille. An inferior grate might not channel air in the best direction for optimum flow.

Designate a Drop Spot : Enhance the style and storage of your entryway with a designated place for important drop-zone items. Create a mini hang up station for house keys and outgoing mail on the back of a cabinet door. Use magnetic strips, Peg Board, or an old ceiling tin and add hooks to store items in one convenient location near the door.

Put Towels and Robes Within Reach : Bid floor puddles good-bye by keeping after-bath accessories within reach. Add a towel bar or robe hook near your shower or bathtub, or move the one you already have to make it more accessible. Find bars or hooks that match or complement existing hardware in your bathroom.

Streamline Under the Sink : Ease cleanup and eliminate the clutter of freestanding bottles with an over the door wire organizer. This slim solution maximizes undersink space while keeping kitchen essentials within easy reach.

Add Hanging Storage : Free up valuable floor space in your basement, garage, or entryway with hanging storage. Seasonal items, such as bikes and sleds, are difficult to store and take up lots of space. Add hooks to an unused wall or ceiling area and discover space you didn't know you had.

Revive Outdoor Furniture : Capture the feeling of a sunny summer day with colorful outdoor furniture. In less than a weekend, you can give outdoor furniture a color makeover with paint. Find a set of inexpensive deck chairs, or recoat faded, chipped, and drab looking outdoor furniture. Many deck and siding paints come in a variety of colors and finishes. Choose a paint that can endure weather and temperature extremes, as well as UV rays.