Spruce Up Your Home Without Busting Your Budget

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 by: ARA Content

Do-it-yourself tips for summer remodeling projects

(ARA) - Ah, summer. Between neighborhood softball games
and trips to the community pool, it's the biggest time of the year for
moving and home remodeling.

While many of us turn our thoughts to upgrading our
homes, our budgets may already be tapped. Here are some simple
do-it-yourself ideas to spruce up your home, specifically the kitchen
and bath, without breaking your budget.

Jazz up cabinets with snappy new drawer pulls.

One of the simplest ways to add pizzazz to the kitchen is
to install new cabinet hardware, says home improvement expert Don
Vandervort of www.hometips.com. "At your local hardware store you'll
find a wide array of drawer pull designs - from painted ceramic or
metal knobs, to whimsical designs shaped like knives and forks. Simply
unscrew your existing cupboard hardware, replace with the new, and
presto, you've completed a quick an inexpensive update for your home."

Pour on the charm: upgrade the faucet.

A beautifully designed faucet can change the look of your
sink area and the way you feel about your drinking water. Simple faucet
design lines can make a clean and modern addition to the kitchen or
bathroom sink, while some faucet models can even improve the taste of
the water coming from the tap. "Not everyone likes the taste of their
tap water," says Vandervort. "For those who choose the filtration
route, an attractive, yet practical solution is the ClearTap Water
Filtering Kitchen or Lavatory Faucet, made by American Standard. It
removes contaminants, retains fluoride, and produces clean, good
tasting water with the turn of a faucet handle."

Kids climbing the walls? Try scrubbable paint.

Ketchup, food, scuff marks, mud all these things can just
be wiped clean with some of the new high-performance paint finishes
available today. "Interior paints have a scrubbability rating,
established through standardized testing," Vandervort says. "Though
this rating may not be posted on the can, a paint retailer should have
information on the rating."

"One problem with using a flat paint on interior walls
is that it doesn't take kindly to scrubbing," he says. "If you scrub it
with a damp cloth, you'll remove the dirt or smudge, but the exposed
pigment particles can ruin the finish. To avoid this, choose a high
performance paint (not flat), that can stand up to a good washing."

Expand space with drawer organizers.

Is a small-sized kitchen or bath cramping your style? Try
adding drawer organizers to increase your storage space. These days,
you can find a nice range of inexpensive racks and slide-in baskets at
discount and hardware stores. Whether you store cleaning utensils,
Grandma's vintage pie pans, or your favorite bath salts you can create
new nooks and crannies for all of your stuff, and get the clutter off
the counter.

Gain a foothold on more attractive flooring.

Flooring makes a huge difference in the appearance of a
kitchen or bath. "Oftentimes vinyl flooring is dated and worn,"
Vandervort says. "But the good news is that you can go ahead and lie
new vinyl or laminated wood material right over the old flooring. Many
of the items available today give the look of ceramic tile or natural
wood at a lower cost."

Brighten it up.

For an easy and inexpensive way to brighten up a kitchen,
install under-the-counter lighting. A small purchase at the hardware
store is all it takes to completely change the way the light hits the
surfaces of a room. You can also save energy dollars by choosing the
right lighting. "Switch from incandescent light bulbs to highly
efficient compact fluorescents, and you'll use about one-quarter to
one-third less energy to produce the same amount of light," Vandervort
says. Another tip: move natural light further into rooms by bouncing it
off the ceiling. A window located close to the ceiling works for this,
as do louvers or operable blinds that can help direct light.

Make a tiny bathroom look larger.

Even a bathroom the size of a phone booth can look larger
with a little ingenuity, according to www.americanstandard-us.com. Try
using lighter, cooler colors: they feel airy and trick the eye.
Wallpaper with a smaller pattern also helps expand the space. Try some
on the ceiling, or emphasize horizontal lines with a coordinating
border. Or try installing bath tile that contains a subtle pattern and
then repeat it onto the floor. If your bath is really petite, try using
a trim pedestal lavatory or wall hung fixtures - both free up valuable
floor space. Also, remember to go heavy on the lighting and choose
reflective surfaces, such as a shiny marble vanity.

For more easy and inexpensive tips on sprucing up your home this summer, visit www.americanstandard-us.com or www.hometips.com.

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Courtesy ARA Content, www.ARAcontent.com; e-mail: info@ARAcontent.com

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