The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1102906
The Press-Dispatch Spring Home and Garden Wednesday, April 10, 2019 D-3 hometown store Your area's newest home furnishings store! Ask about commercial and bulk sales! APPLIANCES ALL MAJOR BRANDS AVAILABLE! FURNITURE FOR THE ENTIRE HOUSE Maytag, Whirlpool, Frigidaire, lg and More. ELECTRONICS TELEVISIONS Sony and lg 812-385-5757 1607 W BROADWAY, PRINCETON, IN Owned and Operated by Debra Walker HOURS : Monday thru Friday 10am to 6pm • Saturday 10am to 5pm • Sunday 1pm to 5pm Home improvement projects ramp up when the weather warms up, as homeowners channel the rejuvenating feelings of spring and tackle their home to-do lists. Large-scale ren- ovations can greatly affect a home, but smaller projects can yield impressive results and be completed over the course of a single weekend. If time is of the essence, these weekend or one-day proj- ects may satisfy homeowners' desires to fix up their homes. CREATE AN ACCENT WALL. Painting a focal wall in a home can create a serious impact. e bonus is it will not take as long or require as many materials as painting an en- tire room. Accent walls frequently feature a bold color, so de- cide on placement and tackle this project in less than a day. INSTALL STAIR RUNNERS. Dress up hardwood stairs with decorative carpet runners. Runners come in elongated pieces of carpeting or individual pieces that can be placed on each step. If carpeting doesn't fit with the home's de- sign, painting individual stair treads also can create vi- sual appeal. DRESS UP THE ENTRYWAY. An entryway is a guest's first impression of a home. Many entryways can use a minor overhaul, both inside and outside. Paint the front door a different color so it pops from the curb. In- stall a new mailbox or decorative house numbers. A new welcome mat can change the look as well. Inside, consid- er laying a new floor. Resilient vinyl tiles come in many different patterns and can mimic the look of wood, trav- ertine or marble. Installing a floor can take a day or two. INSTALL A NEW FAUCET. Instantly improve a kitch- en or a bathroom with new fixtures. New faucets can pro- vide aesthetic appeal and low-flow faucets can help con- serve water. CREATE A GALLERY ON THE STAIRCASE. Gather and arrange framed photos, artwork or wall ac- cents so that they ascend the wall of a staircase. is creates a designer touch and can dress up an often bar- ren area of wall space. INSTALL A FRESH LIGHT FIXTURE. Im- prove drab spaces with a little illumination. Better Homes & Gardens suggests replacing an existing fixture with something new and vibrant. If hang- ing a new fixture is not within one's skill set, free- standing table or floor lamps also can cast a new glow on a space. ADD MOLDING. Molding can add instant aesthetic appeal to a room. Molding is appropri- ate near the floor, at the top of walls where they meet the ceiling, or even mid-wall as a chair rail. Some homeowners like to create framed mold- ing on walls in formal living spaces. UPDATE KITCHEN OR BATHROOM HARDWARE. Replacing hardware is a fast and easy project, but one that can have im- mediate impact. Swap out tired or outdat- ed hardware for newer brushed metals and more impactful shapes and designs. Home renovations do not need to take weeks or months. Many projects can be completed over the course of a weekend. COMPLETE these home improvements over the weekend Creating your smart home It's no great surprise that technology is changing the physical places we call home. Smart homes are a rapidly growing trend. In a typical smart home, de- vices such as the thermostat, television and even the refrigerator can be controlled remotely. Converting an existing home into a smart home can seem intimidating, especially for people who don't consider themselves tech savvy. But today's us- er-friendly technology makes it relatively easy for any- one to turn his or her home into a smarter one. Before you get started, there are certain must-have items to turn a home into a smart home. HUB e hub refers to software or hardware that con- nects all of your devices and gets them to work togeth- er. ink of the various devices you have and then think of their manufacturers. Chances are strong you have devices manufactured by various companies, and en- abling those to work together might seem impossible. A hub does that work for you. And because they can be connected to your smartphone, hubs also make it pos- sible to control devices while you're away from home. DEVICES You won't necessarily need to upgrade your devic- es to get a smart home. In fact, if you control or can control any device in your home with a smartphone, you are already on your way to having a smart home. Upgrading to a programmable thermostat that's com- patible with your smartphone might be a great idea if your current thermostat is old and not internet-com- patible. With a programmable thermostat, you can control the temperature in your home remotely. at ensures the home is a comfortable temperature when you arrive home and allows you to turn off costly heat- ing and cooling units when no one is home. Smart homes may seem futuristic. But chances are strong your home only needs some simple, inexpen- sive upgrades to join the smart home revolution.