Remodeling on a Shoe String

By Sue Walaszek, a Contributor to Colleen's Blog

Oh, to dream of a master bedroom with a beautiful skylight, roaring fireplace, separate sitting area and massive, walk-in closets. A master bath with separate vanities and a sunken bath. A kitchen that would be the envy of any professional chef and a four-season room that overlooks a perfectly manicured garden.

While your dream home may differ, it’s likely that you have a vision of what you’d like your home to look like. But like me, chances are, you’ve never quite gotten past the dream stage to actual implementation.  Maybe you’ve been too busy, or perhaps your budget hasn’t allowed for it, or you can’t find the right contractors.  Regardless of the reason, you can still change the look and feel of your rooms with just a few simple steps, and more importantly, you can do it on a shoestring budget.

First, change your window dressings. Instead of curtains, install blinds. You can purchase blinds from most retailers at a minimal cost and install them on your own. Blinds come in a variety of colors and sizes and can be kept opened or closed depending on your privacy needs. Blinds can make your rooms look more open and cleaner and they require minimal maintenance.

Second, rearrange furniture.  Moving a chair or dresser to another side of the room or moving a piece to another room altogether, creates a whole new look and feel of the room.  Have some fun and mix different furniture styles and textures.

Third, paint a wall or multiple walls.  Paint one wall as an accent wall with a striking color. Paint the trim a different color or paint every wall with a neutral color and use your furniture and decorations to bring color into your room.

Fourth, use plants to decorate your rooms. There are so many varieties to choose from and for those who don’t have a green thumb, there are plenty of plants that can survive over-watering, under-watering and even extreme heat and cold.

Finally, change the little things. Purchase bathroom rugs, towels and vanity items in a different color or style. Change the handles on your cabinets. Buy pillows with a different color, pattern or texture. Spray paint an old dresser. Rearrange your vases and figurines or use books, candles or potpourri to decorate a table.

In today’s economy, a complete remodel of your home may not be possible. But, with a few dollars and a little creativity, your home can undergo a subtle but remarkable facelift.

Featured Image courtesy of Panpote / FreeDigitalPhotos.net