Eight quick steps to home improvement
1. Breathe new life into a room by installing a ceiling fan.
Supplies: Ceiling fan, electrical tester and wire nuts.
Cost: $40-$400.
Time: Three hours.
2. Clean and refresh your fireplace tools with non-flammable paint. Or replace them.
Supplies: Non-flammable paint, brush and cleaning supplies or new tools.
Cost: $10-$300.
Time: 30 minutes.
3. Add color to your life; repaint your dining room. “You’ll be amazed at how you can change the color of your life by changing your wall color,” says Ace Hardware’s Manfredini. Afraid of bright colors? Try a deeper earth tone, he suggests.
Supplies: Two gallons of paint, paint roller, paint tray, dropcloths and tape.
Cost: $50.
Time: Two hours per coat.
4. Replace boring plastic switch plates with decorative plates that match each room’s style or colors.
Supplies: Switch plates, screws and screwdriver.
Cost: $6-$20 per plate.
Time: A few minutes per plate.
5. Give your closet a fresh look and scent with cedar lining.
Supplies: Cedar panels, handsaw, hammer, miter box, try square and paneling nails.
Cost: $250 for a 6-foot wall closet.
Time: One-half to one full day.
6. Brighten your patio with a container flower garden.
Supplies: A 24-inch-high pot with a wide rim, dirt and six to eight types of flowers, including hanging, short and tall plants.
Cost: $60-$100.
Time: One hour.
7. Organize your pots and pans with a cookware ceiling rack. Made of steel, chrome, copper or wrought iron, these racks look great when hung above kitchen islands.
Supplies: Ceiling pot rack, stud finder, two ceiling hooks and possibly a drill and molly bolts.
Cost: $150-$1,200.
Time: 15 to 30 minutes.
8. Improve a boring ceiling with beadboard. Although often used as wainscoting, beadboard adds texture and interest to a ceiling.
Supplies: Beadboard, primer, tape measure, hammer, finishing nails, drill, paint, brush, roller and paint tray.
Cost: $1.50 per square foot, or about $270 for a 12- by 15-foot room.
Time: One to two days.
Arizona Republic