Simple Ideas for Decorating in a Day

If you’d like to freshen up your home but are presently unwilling or unable to commit to a large scale renovation project, there are some small things you can do to get yourself started.  Here are some projects to think about, all of which can be completed in a day.

First, expert designers tell us the process of interior design actually begins from the exterior – with the front entranceway.  So step out of the house and look at your front door.

In many homes the entranceway consists of the door flanked by window sidelights.  If you haven’t done much to the interior of your home, chances are the entranceway hasn’t got much attention either.

Painting the entranceway will take no more than a day and goes a long way toward increasing the appeal of your home.  Plan ahead and pick a paint color that suits your tastes.  Again designers tell us color schemes should be coordinated throughout the home, beginning with the exterior.  If your house is presently decorated in cool colors and you prefer warm colors, don’t be afraid to begin with your preferred color schemes right from the front of your home.

Another simple idea for the entranceway is to replace the exterior lighting above or at the sides of the doorway.  Again, if you plan ahead you can find significant discounts on sales or clearance discounts of exterior lighting fixtures.  If you are going to get serious about home renovation now is a good time to begin making frequent visits to your favorite Home Improvement Center to look for bargains.

Replacing a light fixture is a task well within the reach of anyone who knows how to use basic tools, like pliers and screwdrivers.  Turn the power off to your home and remove the fixture, paying close attention to how the fixture wire is connected to the electrical wire coming from the house electrical box.   Remove the old wires and attach the wires from the new fixture in the same way.  An experienced sales associate at a good home improvement center can make sure you have the proper connectors, called wire nuts, and even show you how to use them.

Stepping inside the house you can find another simple task which can add a touch of daring to your home’s interior – painting the light switches and outlet colors in a bold color.  Spray paint makes this a simple job; but make sure you select a color darker than your wall colors for the most dramatic impact.  Take the switch and outlet covers to the garage or a corner of the basement and arrange them on a sheet of plastic.  Avoid paper as the paint on the switch will stick to the paper as it dries, making removal difficult.  After your initial spray, use a screw drive placed into an opening in the cover, moving it slightly on the plastic.   This is meant to make it easy to pick up the covers once they are dry.

Our final idea is to replace the handles on your kitchen cabinetry.  If your cabinets are older with a clear finished birch plywood construction, replacing the handles is a simple matter which could be seen as the first step in a two step budget kitchen makeover.  Remove one of the handles and take it with you to your local hardware or home improvement outlet to make sure the spacing on the new handles you buy matches the originals.

For now, simply remove and replace the handles.  When you have more than a day to invest, consider removing the doors and cabinet drawer fronts and painting them.  With nothing more than a light sanding as preparation, they can be repainted in any color you like.  Leaving the cabinet frames in their original stain and varnish finish provides a contrast to the newly painted doors.