Your home is your haven but sometimes, that haven needs an update. A simple coat of paint is often the least expensive update there is.

If you’ve decided to give your home an update with some paint, you’re going to want to learn how to go about choosing which color of paint will best suit your needs.

Start by determining which color palette you’re going to be choosing from. Will it be blues, greens, yellows, purples, pinks, reds, creams, browns, or grays? Once you’ve determined which color palette to choose from, you can go in and select shades.

Many people want something that will set their home aside from others, without making their home seem too ostentatious. Soft and subtle colors are much preferred over something that is too bold.

You’ll also want to consider resale value when selecting your colors. Bold and bright colors are often turn offs for potential buyers.

Choosing a color scheme that reflects your personality and what you already own will be important. You don’t want to go too dramatic but you don’t want anything that is too boring either.

Many people choose white for trim however, you can also choose contrasting colors for trim or from a cream palette. There are many great options out there.

The next thing to do is learn the difference between interior and exterior paint. An exterior paint is going to be more expensive and will be durable in all types of weather.

An interior paint is durable for washing walls and such but it won’t hold up to heavy scrubbing in most cases. Another thing to consider is what the room is being used for.

Water based paints are always easier to clean up than oil based paints. You’ll want to lean toward the water based paints for your interior painting so that you can clean up your rollers, brushes and paint trays with soap and water.

Focusing on these little details now will make your entire paint job go easier. Take a picture of your room and then picture it in a different color. You may even wish to get a few paint samples and try them out to see what they will look like on the wall before you do an entire wall in a specific color.

Once you’ve determined what color of paint to go with, be sure that you buy enough to complete your project.

Bathroom Makeover

You can freshen up your bathroom in as little as a weekend with things you can find at a home improvement or hardware store.

Look at the bathroom to determine what you can keep and what needs to go.  If you need to order new cabinets, then take the measurements and order them well in advance of starting the project.  Don’t start until you have all supplies on hand.

If replacing cabinets or vanity is not necessary, but you want a new look, consider painting.  Spray paint will give you a smooth finish, but make sure you have lots of ventilation.  Then replace the pulls or knobs and you have a whole new look.

Next look at the walls.  If you have wallpaper and need to take that down, plan your time accordingly.  A new coat of paint will do wonders for the whole room.  Add a new mirror or add a frame to the existing mirror to give a whole new look.  If your current mirror has a recessed medicine cabinet, then make sure the current one fits in that spot.  Or cover it up with the new mirror and add a new cabinet somewhere else.

Finally, look at your faucets and showerheads.  Replacing those can give a whole new elegance to the bath without a lot of cost.

With planning and preparation, these things can be accomplished in one hard-working weekend!

Adding Trim and New Paint

Adding chair railing and crown molding to a room adds not only a look of elegance, but offers you the ability to have a beautiful two-color paint combination which increases the elegance of any room.

Find colors that work together and go with your existing furnishings.  Use the professionals at a paint store to help!  Take swatches of the materials used in the room and they can find the perfect combinations for you.  Be sure to get samples of the colors and paint them on the walls.  Then, look at them in all sorts of lighting – day, night, with lamps on, with overhead lighting on..etc. – to determine what you really love.

To simplify installation, cut your trim and paint before installation.  Then, you can use filler and extra paint to fill in those ‘less-than-perfect’ joints.  This also allows you to use less than perfect (aka less expensive) materials, saving you money.

Paint the walls before you put the trim up and touch up after you have finished installation.

You can have a gorgeous new room within one weekend.

Improve Your Laundry Room

Laundry is not everyone’s favorite chore.  But having a great laundry room can be a great start to making it tolerable if not enjoyable!

Take a look at the room now.
Does it need better organization?
Could you use more storage?  More usable space?
Does it need better lighting?

All of these things can be fixed – even if using some creative measures.  And most with available products from your local home improvement stores.

Start by taking everything out of the room except the washer and dryer and assessing the layout.  Ask yourself questions to see how you could use the room better.  Do you need space for sorting, folding, ironing?  What do you need to store in the room and how much space do these things take up?  What have I been storing in here that can/should go elsewhere?

Then, plan your space.  You can order stock countertops to fit even in tiny spaces.  Consider putting the counter on hinges so you can fold it up and out of the way when not in use.  See some Home Improvement laundry room ideas here.

Plan your shelving and organization tools/baskets/cabinets to hold the items you truly need in the space.

Then, add the touches that will make the space inviting.  You want bright lighting so you can sort clothing, and see stains and other problems before they become big problems.  You want a good mat that is tough, but soft when standing on.  Commercial rubber floor tiles are easy to find and easy to install.

With some planning, this project can be done in one or two quick days

Do you have a pending home improvement project needs to be done? If you have, then you might consider to answer the question whether or not you should DIY or much better yet hire an expert. The answer will be revealed in front of you if you take a closer look of three factors you must consider before making a decision.

Here are the factors:

1. Time Element

First thing you need to consider is the time element. Do you need to have it done the soonest? How much time are you willing to allocate for doing the project? Will you have it done on time if you are going to go for DIY? It all boils down about sense of urgency and your availability. If you think you need to have it done ASAP and you are too busy to do it, then go hire an expert. However, if you can finish it in one weekend and you can allocate time then go for DIY. Do think about your hourly rate. If you can cost much of your time then might as well hire someone to do the job. You are better off to do something that pays you more.

2. Quality

When it comes to home improvement the quality of the work is very important. You want to make sure what is needed to be repaired has been done properly. There will be no issues later on like back job or other things. The work should be done in such a manner that it would lasts for years so to speak. Thus, as a homeowner you want nothing but the best quality. One thing with hiring an expert is that they do know what they are doing. They have years of experience under their sleeves. Quality is definitely unquestionable granting you have hired the best. However, if you think and have proven to yourself that you can do the job similar to that of an expert then DIY. This will nothing but add more skills to you when it comes to home improvement projects.

3. Price

Lastly, price is another factor you must at all cost consider. Do a calculation as to how much you will be spending on materials and hourly wage lost from you when you do the job. Then, compute how much you need to pay for a home improvement to do the job. When you do have the figures compare the two. Which of the two provide you with the best value? You doing the project yourself or hiring an expert to do it? The answer might be obvious. But it does pay off if you see the figure yourself by doing the calculations.

For sure you will be torn between saving money doing it on your own than hiring an expert. However, you need to think about how much money you will be losing based on your hourly rate if you are going to do the project. What about the quality of work? Other things you need to consider before you make a decision. Be very critical about it especially when the project is a major one.

As for minor projects, you might want consider doing it on your own. This will be the case if you can spend an hour or two doing it. You do not need an expert if you can have it done by yourself without any issues at all. Plus, the quality of work will not be jeopardize as well. Make a decision wisely. Remember, it is your time and money. You have the final say.