No. 1 bang for the buck.

I'm going backwards here, aren't I? OK, you all know how I looooove my molding and then of course, there's the drapes. But the number one, easiest, cheapest, quickest way to transform your spaces is PAINT. Duh. I know, rocket science. But some people are so scared of it and I don't know why! They love the way color looks on the walls but are afraid to do it themselves. (Yes, I am talking to YOU.) Or they think it may hurt resale down the line. First of all, you will probably love the color when you put in on your walls, and most colors will only help resale. If you don't love it -- you can paint over it!

Paint absolutely warms up a space like nothing else. For a 12 x 12 room, one gallon is enough. Most say you should do two coats but I can usually get away with one. And it is CHEAP! Behr paints from Home Depot are great and a fantastic deal -- only $20 for a gallon.

My favorite example of how paint transforms a room is my stepdaughter's room. We used blue for the walls and she picked out three more colors to add...this is what we came up with:



I did this for $50 -- $20 for a gallon of paint and $10 each for three quarts. Am I wrong? Total transformation! If you would like more info on how do the grid, just let me know. It looks much harder than it is. (I say that a lot, huh?)