Record-Eagle,  April 15, 2006                Cookie McCullough

Remodel With An Eye Toward the Next Owner 
Not every room requires a “To-the-Studs” overhaul. Instead, perk up a space with these simple strategies. You will be pleasantly surprised at the return on your money when you sell your home.

CREATE AN IDEA BOARD
Have specific goals for your space by collecting pictures of rooms or houses that appeal to you. To help make decisions about wallpaper, upholstery, paint, fabric, hardware, and lighting use a bulletin board to pin up potential choices and see how they work in your home.

PAINT
At about $15 - $20 a gallon, paint may be one of the most affordable tools available for updating the look of a room. Drama can be incorporated by using dark hues. Make a room appear more spacious and tranquil by using a lighter color.

Brighten a dingy ceiling with paint. White paint isn’t the only option for ceilings. Using a color similar to the walls or a contrasting hue will also make a statement.

The special application technique of rag-rolling and/or combing adds interest to your walls. You can also use paint to freshen battered woodwork. Apply a finish coat of high-quality latex paint for durability.

ADD MOLDINGS
It always amazes me how much character moldings add to a room. Various profiles and widths are readily available at home centers. Use lengths of trim to lend dimension to flat surfaces. Create the look of decorative panels on walls by joining trim pieces to form a rectangle or square on the wall. Add a chair rail one-third of the way up the wall and mimic a wainscoting effect. Install a substantial crown molding at the ceiling. You can also create the look of wide moldings by installing a narrow molding strip a few inches away from existing molding around doors and windows or along the baseboard or ceiling. Paint the existing molding, the new trim piece, and the strip of wall between old and new moldings using the same color. This creates the illusion of an extra-wide piece of molding. Moldings installed on doors, especially an entrance door, adds a feeling of warmth to your home.

FABRIC
Whether you consider slipcovers for tired furnishings, additional throw pillows to plump, lend color to a chair or couch, or fresh window treatments - new fabrics can do it all! You can even cover walls with fabric. One way is to use liquid starch to adhere the lengths of fabric directly to the drywall or plaster. (This technique makes the fabric easy to remove.) For a plush, upholstered look, staple the fabric over batting directly to the wall.

HARDWARE
To quickly update your kitchen or bathroom, install new knobs and pulls on the cabinets. Trading out hinges can be a little trickier, so be sure you know what you’re doing before taking off existing hinges. You can also update exterior and interiors doors with new doorknobs.

FAUCETS
Old sink faucets can date a kitchen or bathroom. Even novice do-it-yourselfers can learn how to install a new faucet. Changing faucets is also a great way to improve the function of a kitchen. By selecting a gooseneck faucet you will accommodate tall pots. Or, choose a faucet with a pullout spray on the spout for easy access to cleaning food and dishes.

LIGHTING
Dated light fixtures are another element that can make a room unappealing. Replace old fixtures with new ones. It will make a world of difference in the value of your home.

EXPECT TO BE UPSET!
No matter how well a project is going, at some point the excitement of planning and ordering products starts to wear off – especially when your house is torn apart. When your excitement level is at its lowest, it’s helpful to remember that the results should be well worth the effort.

Remodeling can be a savvy investment move. Ultimately the best reason to update and/or remodel is to enjoy the changes you have made to your home. Then, to enjoy the return on your investment when your home sells for top dollar.