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Weekend warrior makeover. Change the look and feel of any room in just one weekend with these tips from Olympic Paints at :
Find your inspiration piece. A favorite item such as a painting, a pillow or even a lampshade can be inspiration for a room color.
Buy only what is needed. Before starting a project, measure the area to know how much paint must be purchased. A good rule of thumb is that a gallon of paint will cover about 400 square feet.
Use and care for your tools. Invest in quality brushes and rollers. Get a thick nap for heavily textured walls and a thin nap for smoother surfaces. Use a 2-inch angle brush for painting edges and corners of walls, and a 2-inch square brush to follow the lines of wood.
Dispose of or donate leftovers. Empty leftover paint into absorbent material such as shredded newspaper or kitty litter. Consider offering extra paint to a charity, local community organization, family member or friend working on a remodeling project. Sell leftover paint at a garage sale.
energy
Program your thermostat! About 25 million households have programmable thermostats but only half of them are actually programmed, according to Geoff Godwin, of Emerson Climate Technologies. Use these tips to set the thermostats and save up to 30 percent on winter energy costs:
Determine your “comfort temperature. “This is the temperature you are most comfortable with while you are awake and at home. (Example: 75 degrees)
Set it back. Program your thermostat to lower the heating setback temperature by 6 degrees or more at night beginning at 10 p.m., and 6 degrees during the day beginning at 8 a.m. if you work outside the home (68-69 degrees).
Raise it up. Program your thermostat to raise the temperature back to your “comfort temperature” at 6 a.m. when you wake and 6 p.m. when you arrive home for the evening.
space
Keep cold weather out and hot decor in. Use time spent indoors this winter to refresh windows and bring in year-round warmth and comfort. Graber (graber ) suggests:
Add some flair. Use decorative hems, trims, fringes and hardware to take windows from blah to “ta-dah!”
Go green. Use eco-chic window coverings made from renewable materials such as bamboo, rattan reed, grass and jute. Natural shades block UV rays and lower heating and cooling bills. They also protect furnishings, flooring and decor from fading.
Think big. Insulate and add style to large windows with customized panel accent systems.
