Boring Flooring?

Okay, I’m not a huge fan of linoleum, but I know that it’s not always a choice to install new flooring. Here is an easy solution to make that grubby old floor look good again for practically nothing. At your local home improvement store, purchase a bottle of tri-sodium phosphate, a couple gallons of Kilz or Binz water based primer, your choice color of floor paint (a tougher version of the paint you use for your walls), and a gallon of polyurethane. Applying a coat of tri-sodium phosphate will remove the waxy layer on your flooring so that paint will adhere. After, apply primer, paint and poly, and you’ll have a new floor in one day for around 100-150 bucks. Not bad.

See the Light

Bad lighting in our fine country is like a plague. It spreads everywhere and makes people unhappy. Overhead lights? Unless they’re chandeliers, take ‘em down sister. Fluorescent lighting? Only if you’re a surgeon. Take control of your ambiance, don’t let it control you and all your moods. By replacing your light switches with dimmers, or adding lamps from the flea market or design boutique, you can create a vibe that is easily altered for any mood.

Color Your World

This is the first thing you think about with any room you plan to transform. Find your source of inspiration, whether it is an artichoke or a favorite sweater, and pull a palette. Remember, paint is not permanent, you can always change your mind and try another color tomorrow or three years from now. For about forty dollars you can transform the feel of an entire space in a couple of hours. Bye-bye Beige-land.

Snap Into It

It’s important to surround yourself with joy. Creating a collection of photography in any room or everything room is so simple and a really powerful way to create warmth in a home. I’m a huge fan of black and white photography; it can make a group of eclectic memories all look like they belong together. An inexpensive way to do this is to take your color snapshots down to your local copy shop and play. Get out the color copier, select the black and white option, then enlarge, crop and experiment. Choose a random sampling of flea market frames or choose all black 2-3” wide frames. You can create a gallery in your own home for practically nothing.

Paint Possibilities

Don’t think of any surface as off limits for painting. Doors, ceilings, cupboards. If too much color scares you, you are not alone. Ease into it. Keep those walls basic and start by painting your molding an accent color. Take a deep breath, baby steps, it’s okay.

The Frame Game

Practically anything can be framed these days, not just artwork and photographs. To add a splash of color to walls, frame a large swatch of fabric in your favorite color. You can also frame mirrors, light switches and peepholes.

Genevieve Gorder