Do you want a fresh look in your kitchen but you don’t want to take out a second mortgage to satisfy your need for freshness? There are quite a few budget-friendly things that you can do that will make a huge impact on the overall appearance of your kitchen. Not to mention, these are easy do-it-yourself projects you can complete on a lazy afternoon.

• Change Fixtures – Replacing your old, ordinary faucet with a contemporary one is a small change that makes a big difference. Opt for one that offers a low-flow option which will cut down on your water bill.

• Add a Backsplash – You can provide color, depth and even a pattern or theme to your kitchen by adding a backsplash to one wall. Be creative, experiment with more than one tile and choose colors that will bring your kitchen to life.

• Modernize Your Lighting – What do the light fixtures in your kitchen look like? Adding recessed lighting or hanging a chandelier or even pendant or waterfall fixtures can really make a strong statement.

• Replace Your Countertop – A stunning countertop can quickly become a focal point in any kitchen and replacing yours is not nearly as costly as you may imagine. Ceramic tiles are easy to install or you can look for materials such as stone or granite, keeping in mind that stone is much less expensive than granite.

• Paint a Wall – Sometimes just bringing a new color to one wall is all that you need to satisfy your redecorating urge.

• Replace Flooring – Changing the old flooring can be one option, you can find wide range of options on internet. You can try visiting http://www.ukflooringdirect.co.uk and explore different types of flooring options and select the perfect one for you.

Kitchens are the foundation of any home, yours should be one that you truly love to be in. Don’t be afraid to experiment and try new things, nothing is every permanent if you find you don’t love it later!

If you have decided that your home could use some skylights, be prepared to make some pretty big decisions. The main purpose of these strategically placed windows is to provide natural light which can also amount to some additional heat. This could be beneficial in the cold months but a disaster in the summer unless you add some type of shading.

Skylights have come a very long way through the years. Today they are available in several designs and from different materials. The main types are fixed, ventilating and tubular with all varieties having the option to be modified to include shades, screens, tinting and thermal insulated glass.

• Fixed Skylights – The sole purpose of these skylights is to provide natural light. They are ideal not only for your primary living space but for attics and workshops where extra illumination could be appreciated.

• Ventilating Skylights – These types of skylights provide light as well as ventilation. When they are open, they create an updraft which freshens the air in the home. These can usually be operated with a wall switch or remote control.

• Tubular Skylights – This is the newest variety of skylights that is quickly becoming very popular. They’re small in size, average about two feet across and are ideal for smaller spaces. Some have baffles which direct the light out through the tube so even though they’re not as large as traditional ones, they still provide an abundance of light.

Skylights aren’t like painting your wall where if you don’t like the color you can just redo it. This is a fairly detailed install so take the time to research styles and make sure that you will love the ones that you choose.

Have you been wanting to experiment with a new color or even repaint for freshness but that tall vaulted ceiling is getting in your way? Painting this type of ceiling can seem like a monumental size project but with a little guidance, you can get it done!

Prepare the Room

Keep in mind that as neat as you may be at painting walls, vaulted ceilings are an entirely different story. There is a lot of potential for long drips that pick up speed on the way down and splatter hard on impact! Move what you can out of the room, take everything off of your walls and cover everything that is left (including the floor) with tarps.

You also want to get a cleaning device with a very long pole and clean away those cobwebs. Lastly, apply painter’s tape on all of the walls and molding that meet up with the ceiling.

Will Your Ladder Reach?

Depending on how high your ceilings are and how tall your ladder is, you may be all set to begin. Keep in mind that you want to be able to reach the highest point without risking standing on top of the ladder which is never safe! If you can’t reach, you can rent scaffolding or borrow a taller ladder from someone.

Painting

Paint the edges first using a paint brush, not a roller. This will allow you to get right up close to the painter’s tape without risking making contact with the walls. Using a roller brush on an extension, paint the ceiling from one end to the other, making sure that there are no bubbles. If you need a second coat, give the first coat time to dry so you can really get a good visual of any spots that you may have missed.

Painting a vaulted ceiling may be a bit of a pain but you’ll be glad you did it every time you look up or your guests comment on how spectacular the color is!

Creating a mudroom in your home may be the smartest thing you ever do. This is a room that you won’t understand how you ever lived without once you have one and you certainly will never be able to go without one again! Mudrooms keep clutter and dirt out of the rest of your home. This is the perfect place for sports and camping equipment, shoes, coats, umbrellas, dog leashes, etc.

If you are not planning a remodel in your home to add in a mudroom, you can create a mock one with the help of shelving, hooks and storage containers.

Choose a Location

If you have a backdoor to your home with a large storage space, this is an ideal location as is a larger laundry room, basement or a portion of your garage. The idea is to build your mudroom near a door!

Install Shelves

The bottom portion of the wall should have shoe racks or shelving, making sure that there are tall areas to allow for boots. Then, shelving on the rest of the wall can be for seasonal items, camping supplies, etc. If you have a large family you may even want to designate a specific area to everyone for their belongings.

Add Hooks

You cannot imagine how useful simple hooks can be! You can hang coats, scarves, umbrellas, tennis rackets, keys, leashes, backpacks and book bags, etc., from them. Be sure to allow enough space between them so things don’t get too crammed.

Storage Containers

Large Tupperware containers or old wicker baskets are ideal for gardening tools, gloves, balls and other odds and ends that can easily become cluttered if they don’t have a proper home.

Having a mudroom will keep the rest of your home organized and free of clutter. Whether you have a contemporary and very simplistic home or not, anyone can appreciate not having piles of coats and shoes dropped at the door when everyone comes home!

If you are planning a basement remodel, you may run into a few concerns along the way such as low ceilings, mold, bugs, awkward pillars, ducts and pipes. A basement remodel can be a huge project but you really should make use of this valuable space. Not to mention, it will significantly raise the value of your home! If you are coming across a few complications, rest assured, there are solutions!

Low Ceilings

If you have low ceilings, recessed lighting or wall scones will become your best friend! The last thing that you need is light fixtures hanging that someone can hit their head on. Painting the walls a lighter color and making use of plenty of mirrors will help the space appear larger and not so closed in as well.

Underfloor Heating

Basement floors tend to be damp and cold which may accumulate moisture and result in mold. Not to mention, they are often a breeding ground for bugs. These are all bad news for allergy sufferers. Underfloor heating will solve these problems. Of course, this can be costly and a pain to install but certainly well worth it. As an alternative, consider an Amcor dehumidifier to tackle the damp or baseboard heaters work fairly well too!

Accent the Awkward

If you have pillars in peculiar places, pipes where you don’t want them, etc., why not play up these awkward elements? Paint your pillars a bright bold color or buy piping and create a few artistic pieces to accent those pipes. Something that you may look at as an eyesore could really be an extraordinary focal point when given the chance!

At one point or another, most homeowners need to pay a little attention to their roof. Zappone has been manufacturing these dynamic copper shingles since 1969. This American company’s shingles are earth-friendly, available in a few different styles and they have been thoughtfully designed to last for a lifetime!

Are They Really that Durable?

In a nutshell, yes! In fact, they have been put through intense, wind and rain abuse in hurricane testing! These copper shingles are made from 99.96 percent pure copper and every single shingle is inspected to make sure that it meets the standards set by J. Joseph Zappone III himself.

Stylish

Copper is beyond aesthetically-pleasing! It’s rich yet rustic, contemporary yet vintage and will compliment any home. Wonder why you don’t see too many houses with Zappone shingles? They’re so fussy about quality and appearance that they only manufacturer 400 roofs every year. Once orders on one list are full, the next costumer’s name gets put on a list for the following year. Clearly they are well worth the wait because no one is complaining about the delay!

Every carton of Zappone shingles has the brand name as well as the employee’s initials who created them and the date they were completed. If you’re going to be ready for a new roof in the next couple of years, you may want to check out these long-lasting, environmentally-friendly copper shingles at Zappone and get on a waiting list. You’re sure to be the only person in the neighborhood with a roof like this!

Tray ceilings are becoming quite popular for a few very good reasons. They have two or more levels with the center ceiling being at least one to two feet higher above where the primary ceiling begins. This approach brings a dramatic architectural look to any room.

• Height – Even a home with average walls can appear quite tall with tray ceilings because the central area grants the room so much additional depth.

• Overall Volume – Not only does a room appear taller with tray ceilings, the overall size of the space appears significantly larger. In fact, the room is provided with so much more volume, it is recommended to measure your walls when shopping for furniture because it is common to over-buy, thinking that you have more room than you actually do.

• Design – Tray ceilings offer a great amount of flexibility when it comes to decorating. You can have fun with different paint colors, borders, add lighting around a layer or even paint a mural or install decorative molding.

If you are planning a remodel on a room and you really want to have that WOW factor you’re looking for, a tray ceiling may be just what you need to really take the appearance of the room to another level (or several levels)!

Adding an island to any modern kitchen design is the most effective way to give the space a facelift without actually performing surgery on the entire room. Not only are they aesthetically-pleasing, they are actually meant to make your time in the kitchen more enjoyable and productive. Choosing the right placement, shape and style will ensure that you get the most use out of your kitchen island.

• Size – The island should be appropriately scaled to the size of the kitchen. One that is too big will result in an area that’s just too crammed but a tiny island in an enormous room will appear misplaced.

• Placement – You should be able to move around your island and flow from the stations in the room that you use the most. If you’re using your island to prep dinner, there should be a clear path to the stove.

• Storage – Do you need extra storage? If so then your kitchen island should have cupboards and drawers to make use of this valuable space.

• Seating – Have a large family or do a lot of entertaining? Choose an island that will be comfortable to set tall seating around for additional place settings.

Islands are really just an extension of your personality. Choose one that fits your needs and that will compliment your space and you may find yourself spending a lot more time in the kitchen!

Looking for a big project this winter? Consider opening up one of your closed staircases. Your home will appear lighter, airier and generally more open.

An enclose staircase is one whose base extends from the top to the floor, effectively creating two walls on either side of the staircase. Most staircases, unless they have some special treatment, are closed – but they can be opened up with a little remodeling know-how.

By knocking the wall down, you give yourself so many additional options for your home. Think about all the space that could be used underneath for storage now. You can put a lovely shelving unit or some storage boxes under your stairs, and expand your storage space by a significant margin.

Or, try using that space as an architecturally interesting design canvas. You can display plates, artwork, collectibles or any number of things beneath an open staircase that would have to find another home otherwise.

The whole room will seem larger if you knock out the wall beneath your staircase. More sun will filter in, and you’ll find yourself wondering how you managed before all this new space was available.

An open staircase can also be used to architecturally connect one room to another. As staircases often separate rooms, opening them can bring two spaces together harmoniously.

Just a word of warning: this can be a rather large project to take on, so be sure that you have professional help or advice before you get started.