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New Lighting Provides a Quick and
Easy Home Makeover
When was the last time you
 installed
lighting to create ambiance in your home? It is frequently considered a
functional necessity, but lighting often remains an overlooked element in
setting the mood for every room in your house.
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Updated Rooms Have New Roles
"Casual elegance" is the key to modern room remodeling, according to the
International Housewares Association in Rosemont, Ill. People want an
appealing home for entertaining, but they need a home that's easy to
take care of.
Interior designers say rooms you can look at but not use are out. People
are embracing comfort and want to use all of their space. They want
openness. They don't want clutter. They don't want to move.
People in apartments and homes are updating their rooms with ideas like
these:
The kitchen is the heart of the house. Start here. More countertops are
being redone in materials like granite and marble. New concrete
countertops can be dyed to match any color. People are adding glass
panels to some cabinet doors, and opting for floors that look like wood
or really are wood.
Bathrooms are becoming a retreat in the
home. His and hers bathrooms have dual sinks. Showers have fancy
accessories, one or more pulsating water jets, rain bars to wash you all
over at the same time, and shower heads as big as a dinner plate.
Laundry rooms are being decorated and used
for purposes other than washing clothes. People are painting,
decorating, and using the laundry room as a craft center or playroom.
Some are adding organizational centers with garment racks, storage
shelves, and cabinets. The clutter is organized there.
The entertainment room is growing in
popularity because of huge TVs and stereo systems. If the TV stays in
the living room, it can be hidden in a cabinet. Stereo speakers can be
built into the walls.
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Turn Your Bathroom into a
Designer's Showcase
 Tired
of starting your day in a bathroom that’s so ugly you’re glad it’s tucked back
in the master bedroom where no one else can see it? If so, it’s time for a
change, and you won’t be the only one making one.
According to the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI),
remodeling the bathroom was the most popular home improvement project in 2007.
Whether you’re planning to gut your bathroom and start from scratch, or just
give it a facelift that will bring it into the 21st century, there are lots of
ways to add great design touches to the most frequently visited room in the
house.
[FULL STORY]
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