Wednesday, January 20, 2016

By Barbara Pronin Everyone gets bored with their surroundings occasionally—especially when the winter doldrums set in and we are spending more time at home. A quick renovation can help boost your mood, and doesn’t necessarily mean spending a lot of money.

Designers offer four tips for giving your home new interest while spending minimal dollars:

Use paint and molding – Changing the color of the walls can give a room a whole new look. If you can’t afford to paint the whole house, focus on one room – the living or family room, perhaps. Replace the old or outdated baseboards with attractive new ones. Think about adding crown molding. By far the cheapest option, but very effective, is to paint an accent wall in one room – giving one wall of the living room, for example, new warmth and personality.

Change the lighting – Lighting definitely affects the mood you and your guests feel in your home. Poor lighting can make you feel depressed. Bright lighting can stimulate the mind – and natural light coming through windows and skylights can calm your mind and emotions. Think about trading in those light-blocking drapes for blinds, shutters – or nothing. Decide what kind of lighting effect you want in a room and choose light fixtures and bulb sizes accordingly.

Rearrange the furniture – Keeping everything the same can get stifling after a while, and rearranging the furniture can be fun. Place the biggest pieces first. Create an inviting seating/conversational area. Leave enough room for walkways. Add a few colorful new accent pieces, like pillows or coffee table décor, to create a lively new look.

Organize – There is nothing inviting about clutter. Spending some time (and maybe some money) to organize your living space can help make your home more inviting. Sort your belongings and figure out the best way to store them. Add some shelving (store-bought or do-it-yourself), a bookcase to hold both books and knickknacks, or a storage unit for CDs or DVDs.

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