Recent Articles

Design on a budget

The economy keeps falling and, as money gets tight, your plans to redecorate have run into, well, a wall. The redecorating window doesn't have to be closed, though. Interior decorator and TV star Christopher Lowell has seven tips for designing on a budget. He adapted them from two of his most popular books, “Christopher Lowell's Seven Layers of Design: Fearless, Fabulous Decorating,” and “Christopher Lowell's Seven Layers of Organization: Unclutter Your Home, Unclutter Your Life.” » More

Greener Furniture

Take the award-winning installation “Lightshowers” put on by DuPont Corian at this year's International Contemporary Furniture Fair. Egg-like polished rocks and smooth slabs of Corian were underlit, with nature sounds generated from a hypersonic speaker. When a person crossed the sound wave's path, it essentially “woke” the sound.
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Going a bit beyond the basics

By Terri Sapienza

Restoration Hardware The Keller sconce from Restoration Hardware comes in four finishes.

A budget of $1,500 means you can make some larger improvements along with the smaller brighteners.

Bead board wainscoting is an affordable alternative to adding or replacing bathroom tile and contributes instant cottage appeal. Available in solid wood and engineered wood, premade panel systems are designed for easy, do-it-yourself installation. White bead board below and paint or wallpaper above is a classic look.

Update a worn laminate vanity countertop with natural or man-made stone. At a stone yard, ask about discounted slabs of granite or marble. Consider pairing the new counter with an undermount sink.

Recessed lighting makes a big difference, especially in a smaller space like a powder room, for about $150 to $200 per light, installed. In a larger room, supplement the recessed lighting with a new wall-mounted fixture above the vanity mirror or sconces on either side. The Keller sconce from Restoration Hardware (right) comes in four finishes. For maximum flexibility, put all lights on dimmers.

Reglazing or resurfacing damaged or dated tubs and tiles with an acrylic coating is much less expensive than replacing them. According to Mary Ann O'Hara, franchise owner of Miracle Method Surface Restoration in the Washington, D.C., area, the cost to refinish a standard five-foot tub with a tile surround starts at $1,190.

Update windows with wood blinds or shutters. Bamboo, reed or grass shades add a natural element.

Get a matching new faucet set, towel ring and toilet paper holder.

Crown molding adds instant architectural interest in even the smallest space, especially in contrast to richly painted walls.

– TERRI SAPIENZA