Although the thought of painting is more frightening than a root canal for many people, I am a huge advocate for getting rid of those stark white walls.

Your home is the place you go to get away from the stress of work and traffic, and it gives you a sense of security and comfort. So why not use one of the best and least expensive home interior decorating techniques to help create the sanctuary you want.

You’ll find that the interior painting ideas presented in this document will serve you well…

Science has shown that color can and does affect us psychologically. Some paint colors provide a cooling effect, while others impart a sense of warmth.

So do yourself a favor and visit your local hardware or paint store and grab a handful of paint swatches that match your style and personality.

If you’re interested in adding texture and depth to a room, also consider one of these decorative interior painting ideas:

1. Wall Stenciling – this interior painting idea involves applying color to a wall, floor, or ceiling through cutout areas of a template that create a design. When the cutout template or stencil is removed, the pattern remains.

The pattern can be of anything you like including animals, stars, geometric patterns, flowers, the alphabet, etc.

The process is very easy and it will add texture to your room. Also, a stencil design can be used over and over again anywhere in your home. Click here to learn more about this interior painting idea… Wall Stenciling

2. Faux painting – (pronounced “foe”) means “false”. To faux paint is to paint one object to resemble another.

With this interior painting idea, you can use paint to create the illusion of natural materials such as wood, marble, granite, etc. Click here to learn more about this interior painting idea… Faux Painting

3. Rubber Stamping - Personally, this is my favorite interior painting idea. That’s because it’s super fast and easy, and will give you unbelievable results!

Narrow your selection to a few colors that seem to complement, rather than compete with, your furniture and furnishings.

Don’t select very bright colors unless you are certain that you want your walls to be the focal point in the room.

Your best bet is to find the most neutral shades for the colors that you have in mind. For example, if there are seven shades of red paint, the most neutral shade will be the one in the middle of the bunch.

Before you finalize your decision, return to the paint store and purchase small cans of paint for the top two or three colors that caught your eye. Also pick up some inexpensive 3″ brushes. You’ll want to paint 12″ x 12″ patches of the colors on your walls.

Leave the patches there for at least a day so that you can evaluate how well they will work in the room, and how they look in natural and artificial lighting.

On more than one occasion, I have found that a color on the wall appeared to be darker than the swatch.

This method allows you to make any color adjustments or to simply start over. Of all the interior painting ideas, selecting your paint color in this manner will save you the most disappointment.

Select The Right Type of Paint

These interior painting ideas will guide you to the appropriate paints for each area of your home.

Flat paint

* lowest sheen available
* the standard for most walls

Satin paint

* has a slight sheen and are easier to clean than flat paint
* can be used on any wall, but test in a small area first to see if you like it

Semi-gloss paint

* great for kitchens, bathrooms, and children’s rooms because they are highly durable

Gloss paint

* has a high sheen and are usually used on doors and in areas that are susceptible to getting dirty
* used to trim base boards and door frames

The amount of paint you need for each room will depend on the size of the area to be painted.

Use this formula as a guide:

Total length of all walls x Average wall height = Total Area

For example, if the total length of all four walls in your living room is a combined 80 feet (20 ft. x 4 walls) and the wall height is 9 feet, then the total area for the room is 720 square feet (80 ft. x 9ft).

A gallon of paint will cover about 375 square feet. So for your living room, you would need about 2 gallons of paint (720 sq. ft. /375 sq. ft. per gallon coverage).

Prepare Your Walls Before Painting Them

You may be tempted to move the furniture to the center of the room and start painting right away. But if you take a few moments and prepare your walls properly, you’ll be much happier with the finished product.

While the following interior painting ideas may be common sense, it is important that you keep them in mind.

Remove

* light switch and outlet plates
* light fixtures (or cover them well)
* drapes, curtains, lamps, furniture

Patch

* nail holes, dents, and cracks with spackling
* let the spackling dry before painting

Sand & Scrape

* remove loose paint
* sand to even any edges

Apply A Primer

* if you selected a dark paint color
* if you removed wallpaper (do not paint over wallpaper)
* if your walls are new or show lots of damage

HOME DECORATING MADE EASY

Tags: cheap paint, fun with colors, Home Improvement Ideas, home painting ideas, interior painting ideas, paint a room, paint the kids room, painting the house// Category Do it yourself, Uncategorized // Add Comment »

You don’t need a slide rule, an eagle eye, or a compound mitersaw to make dead-on cuts in crown molding. Using this intuitive technique, anyone can cut crown molding easily and accurately.

This video makes that difficult task of cutting crown molding, so much easier.

Tags: crown molding, crown molding video, cutting crown molding, home ideas, home improvement video, hot to video, make your home look great// Category Basic Home Improvements Ideas, Do it yourself, Uncategorized // Add Comment »

INSUFFICIENT OR INEFFECTIVE

Do you have insufficient storage space or ineffective storage space? There’s a big different. Insufficient storage space means you don’t have enough space for your things. Ineffective space means you have enough space for your things, but you’re not making the best use of that space. Most closets and cabinets have the volume to hold twice as much as they are usually constructed for. And you probably have quite a few nooks and crannies for storage that you haven’t even thought of. Of course, it’s important to make sure you don’t have things you don’t like, are outdated, etc., but it is also important to have effective storage space for the things you do like and enjoy.

ADD-A-ROD

Looking for extra storage space in your closet. If you have the type of closet with two+ walls for hanging clothes, on one wall hang a rod at head height for long clothing (dresses, pants, etc.). On the other wall, hang two rods–one above the other–for shorter clothing (shirts, skirts, blazers, etc.) In other words, you’re not restricted to only one clothing rod.

INSTALL SHELVES

Most shelves can be moved up-a-notch or down-a-notch. If you have three inches of space above your linens, you may consider adjusting the shelf so the shelf below it has more space. Or, perhaps you can add another shelf in between. Plastic, multiple level shelves are wonderful for kitchen cabinets. And corner shelves are great for picture frames, knick knacks and other small treasures.

USE STORAGE UNITS

Storage units, which can be picked up from housewares or hardware stores, are great space savers. Your spices can be removed from drawers and placed on a spice rack. There are racks for canned goods that, when a can is taken from it, the next can in line rolls forward. Some of these hold over 40 cans! Ice cube trays are inexpensive storage containers for smaller items such as earrings. There are coffee tables on the market with storage space hidden inside. Under bed containers are perfect for storing quilts and linens. Be creative and make use of these great tools!

DON’T FORGET ABOUT WALL SPACE

Look around and you’re sure to find quite a bit of empty wall space. There are many uses for this new-found space. Pots and pans can be taken out of cabinets and hung on walls. Tools can be placed on pegboards. Shelves can be installed for picture frames and knick knacks. Many stores now carry corner shelves that can be installed in a snap.

PUT FREQUENTLY USED ITEMS WITHIN ARMS REACH

Whenever possible, store regularly used items where you use them most. Recently, my husband created a toilet paper holder on the back of our bathroom cabinet door, with a small dowel, 2 nails and 2 loops of rope. It holds three rolls of toilet paper, and it’s right near the area it’s needed most. You shouldn’t have to walk from one room to another to retrieve items you use every day. Store linens in the bedroom. Store videos near the television. If you use the scissors in the office area and in the sewing room, have two pairs of scissors, one in each room.

ADD-A-DRAWER OR SLIDING SHELF

Many hardware and housewares stores carry drawers that can be installed underneath a cabinet. These are great if you have a home with limited drawer space. In addition, you can also install shelves under cabinets that slide out when you need them, and slide back in when you’re finished with them.

KEEP YOUR DESK CLEAR

A clear desk is directly related to your productivity. You will get more done, if you’re not constantly under a pile of papers and files. A sturdy, full-suspension filing cabinet is a must for any home or office. Portable file boxes that hold hanging file folders also come in handy. There are plenty of storage choices for CD-roms and diskettes. Desk supplies belong in an on-the-desk caddy or in trays inside your desk.

REARRANGE

Everyone is different, and has different needs. Make your home or office work for you. One woman I know told me she never uses her dining room, not even when she has company over. And she had no intention of ever using it since her kitchen was big and elegant enough. She also said she hated her dark basement office. So, I suggested she rearrange a bit, and turn her dining room into her office. And that is exactly what she did. So think about your surroundings and make them work for you, even if they seem a little out of the ordinary.

ROTATE

You may have many items you love in your home or office, but not enough space. Rotate them. In other words, keep some things in storage for a month or two and display some of your things. Then, once that time is up, make the switch. The items on display go into storage; the items in storage go on display. What a neat idea!

RENTAL DECORATING

Tags: home improvement ideas and tips, home space tips, modern bed, save space in home, save time and money, space saving ideas, tips for making room, tips for saving space// Category Storage Spaces // Add Comment »

Cheap remodeling ideas include repainting the walls and furniture, refinishing the floors or cabinets, replacing small fixtures and switching out the cabinet hardware. Look for inexpensive ways to make a big change in a room with advice from a licensed remodeling contractor in this free video on home maintenance.

Expert: Tim Gipson
Contact: www.inhisstepsremodeling.com
Bio: Tim Gipson is a home repair specialist and remodeling contractor in Franklin, Tenn.
Filmmaker: Tim Brown

Tags: cleaning house, fixing up the house, Home Improvement Ideas, home repairs, home video, painting a room, video// Category Basic Home Improvements Ideas, Uncategorized // Add Comment »