Little DIY goes a long way

Want your home to look its best, but don’t have a lot of time? You don’t have to commit yourself to months of remodel. There are a number of do-it-yourself projects that can be completed in as little as a weekend or even an hour.

“The best way to change the look of a room in the least amount of time and with the least amount of money is to paint,” said Adrian Wade, owner of Serendipity Home Decor in Marysville.

A fresh coat of paint can cover a multitude of marks and scuffs and give a room a different, more exciting look. It pays to buy higher-quality paint. It will save time by covering better and using less product. You might even be able to get away without primer or a second coat. Avoid excessive cleanup time by using a woven shed-resistant roller cover rather than the heavy nap style that spatters and drips.

A great project to add a touch of style to a dining room is the installation of a chair rail a few feet up the wall. This is easily accomplished by applying a painted strip of molding. You can add wallpaper below or above the molding for a unique look. For real elegance, add beadboarding below the molding.

“Beadboard is kind of like wainscoting,” said Jackie Oglesby of E &E Lumber and Home Center, also in Marysville.

Crown molding can also make any room look elegant. You can use real-wood crown molding or opt for a plastic facsimile that’s lighter-weight and easier to handle and cut. While you’re up on the ladder, you might want to add a decorative medallion in the middle of the ceiling or replace those drab aluminum trim rings around your recessed lighting fixtures with something more attractive.

Details can make all the difference in the look and feel of a room. Replacing a doorknob is fast and easy. Most kits come with instructions. Change standard brass or chrome knobs for something elegant in brushed nickel or bronze. Kitchens and bathrooms benefit from new attractive drawer and cupboard pulls. Just be sure to measure the holes and clearance on your existing cabinetry so you don’t have to re-drill.

For the ambitious homeowner with a little DIY experience, it’s easy to give a whole new look to a bathroom or kitchen. Tired tile can be made to sparkle again simply by removing mineral deposits and replacing the old grout and caulking. Grouting compound comes premixed and in colors to complement the tile. You don’t have to stick with traditional white.

For real eye appeal, replace standard taps and plumbing fixtures with something new and elegant. Unify the look by replacing towel bars and toilet-paper holders with a matching finish. If you’re replacing your kitchen faucet, see if your sink has an additional “punch out” for an instant hot water dispenser. These come in kits and are easily installed in about an hour, if you know what you’re doing.

Most new homes now come with under-counter and toe-kick lighting. Under-counter lighting is easiest to install. You can buy complete fluorescent fixtures ready to be hung up and plugged in. Toe-kick lighting is a newer innovation. It features lengths of rope lighting or LED sticks hidden under the bottom edge of cabinets. This adds ambience and safety as it gently illuminates walkways.

Flooring is another weekend project that more and more consumers are choosing to do on their own. Some kinds of flooring are easier to install than others. Lori Butner, vice president of Van Dam Abbey Carpet, another Marysville retailer, said:

“Every product we sell can be done as a do-it-yourself project, or you can have it professionally installed. A lot of customers choose to lay their own hardwood floors. You can easily hide any imperfections with coordinating putty.”

Bill Missler, owner of End of the Roll Discount Carpet and Flooring in Everett, says that laying carpet is probably the more difficult of the do-it-yourself flooring projects. However, he would recommend homeowners try installing tile, pre-finished hardwoods and laminates themselves. Some of these require no messy glues or adhesives.

“Laminate especially is easy to install. Just click it in place and go,” Missler said.

“There’s also a new product out called glueless vinyl. Basically you can just make a template, cut it and you’re good to go.”

Another good weekend design project is to install drawer, cupboard and closet organizers. Clutter is unattractive, whether it’s in the garage or the bedroom closet. Start organizing in the kitchen by adding slide-out baskets and shelves inside the cupboards. Pot racks are an attractive as well as functional addition to any kitchen.

Bedroom closets can be enhanced with the addition of ready-made closet systems. These come in both adjustable wire and laminate options. For a more elegant look, consider using wooden shelving and wicker baskets.

The garage can really benefit from a DIY makeover. Heavy-duty storage shelves, ceiling-mount hangers and workbenches are all easy to install. If you keep your lawnmower or garden tools in the garage, it’s probably time to move them outside. Smaller outdoor storage sheds and cupboards can be assembled and erected on a dry gravel base during a weekend.

Finally, while you’re outside, decide if you would like to install a storm door. This quick project takes less than a day, and can enhance the look of your home while saving energy.