"By simply changing your wall, ceiling or trim color, rooms can go from boring to bright in just a matter of hours. Not many home improvement products can provide as much punch for the dollar," says Debbie Zimmer, paint and color expert with the Rohm and Haas Paint Quality Institute.
A gallon of good quality paint like Benjamin Moore, Behr, or Valspar costs less than $50. Add another generous $50 for a brush for trim and a roller for the walls. For less than $100 and some time, you can make a change in your space that will have a huge impact on your home and your sense of well-being.
Debbie Zimmer offers Five Great Tips for a quick and inexpensive style change using paint in ways you might not have thought of.
- Instead of changing the color of the walls, think about changing the color of the moldings in the room. Tape off the adjacent walls with painters' tape to keep the new trim color off the walls. By painting the door frames, baseboards, and window moldings, you'll see an immediate change and a fresh new look.
- If your moldings are in good shape, choose a new color for the walls. You'll notice a change right away. The room will be updated and refreshed and it will feel like a new space to you. If you don't have time to do the whole room, tape off adjacent walls and trim and paint just an accent wall. Create a focal point with a can of paint.
- Create interest in any room by painting the ceiling with an accent color or using a glossy paint finish. The eye is drawn up, the room feels larger, and lighting reflects off the color or gloss.
- For a new accent, paint stripes, geometric shapes, or polka dots on a wall. With subtle sophisticated hues, you'll have a unique adult space. For a fun bold look in a child's room or play room, use bold, contrasting colors for the accents.
- Again using painters' tape, mark off an area of the wall to create a frame around your huge flat screen television. Measure carefully so that the wall shows behind the TV by about six inches. The painted "frame" will stand out around the TV when it's hung on the wall. You can use this same technique to "frame" a child's bed or play area.
Think a little about what sort of change you'd like to make in your room, pick a project, and get to work. You'll be glad you did!