Spring-Summer Home Improvement 2009

Whether your motive is to save money or save the earth, recycling, reusing and refurbishing what you already own are all affordable and creative ways to beautify your home and feel good doing it. "The concept behind 'FreeStyle' was all about having style for free and leaving what you have in your house," said Taniya Nayak, a designer for the HGTV show "Designed to Sell," but started her career on the channel with the show "FreeStyle."

When it comes to home improvement trends, cheap is the new chic. From bargain hunting to making small updates that net big results, there are a host of ways to cash in on the trend and bring home big savings on your home improvements. "The quickest way, and a cheap way, to update and change your home is with paint," said Genevieve Gorder, designer and host of HGTV's "Dear Genevieve." "For about $40, you can change the vibe of any room, and if you can use painter's tape, it's simple."

Whether your home is a classic architectural gem from another era or an older house with good bones, restoring it to its earlier grandeur can be both a great adventure and a practical investment. "It's the most green way of living," said Stanley Poe, a cultural heritage commissioner and past president of Long Beach Heritage in Long Beach, Calif. "You're recycling everything, using old-growth wood and not taking anything away from the environment."

Home is a place of refuge. Maybe it's because of gas prices, the cost of movie tickets or the high price of babysitters, but today's family prefers to stay at home to entertain, relax and otherwise "chill out." While the backyard barbecue may be old news, more and more families are moving their living spaces to the outdoors and looking for all of the creature comforts of home. Turning an otherwise simple patio into a fully equipped outdoor kitchen makes for easy and fashionable entertaining.

You don't have to spend thousands to improve the look of your home. A coat of paint may be all that's needed. And if you decide you want to redo those pasty pastel interior walls in a deep shade of aqua, spicy red or lime green, you won't be alone. Nor will you be if you opt paint the exterior "tobacco brown," "Mediterranean olive" or "sunset gold."

Think do-it-yourself projects mean doing it all by yourself? Think again. With a few tips, some simple strategy and a little creativity, those projects you've been postponing can instantly be transformed into a family affair. It can be a way to get things done, get the kids off the couch and turn an ordinary house into a true home.

"A place for everything and everything in its place" is an old adage. But what place -- and where exactly -- are two contemporary rejoinders that are only fair to ask, given the influx of papers, mail, magazines and just plain stuff that flows through the door for most people. Creating effective storage space in a home can be a challenge, but it's also entirely possible if the savvy declutterer follows a few basic tips.

Last summer I joined millions of Americans who, because of escalating fuel costs and a weak dollar, took a "staycation." One thing I learned from my stay at home is that when you have time to look around, home improvement ideas just spring to mind. It turns out I'm not alone. Millions of Americans have turned a critical eye toward their homes and many see their bathrooms as the No. 1 candidate for a remodel. So said Sally Morse, director of creative services for Hunter Douglas custom window fashions.

Q: We try to live an "eco-savvy" life, including the things we use in our home -- for decorating as well as everyday items, such as cleaning materials. Now our bend toward natural possessions has resulted in a collection of natural colors: all neutrals, like beiges and wood tones. We even have grass cloth wallpaper. As much as we wanted this to be our look, the end result is almost boring. How can we follow our "natural instincts" and also have an interesting home?

The long, cold winter is over. Spring is in the air, and with it comes the urge to spruce up your living quarters. Kim Myles, host of HGTV's "Myles of Style," is full of ideas on how you can accomplish this creatively without breaking the bank. "When you want to freshen up for spring, the key is to edit," she said. "Instead of adding and layering as we do for winter, I pull out candles, throws, pillows and my little fluffy accent rugs. The idea is to leave behind only the things you love, and it costs you nothing."

In terms of both the challenge and saving money, home improvement projects can be a temptation to many a homeowner. But when should the do-it-yourselfer call the professional? With 35 years of experience under his tool belt, Ed Del Grande HGTVPro.com expert and author of " Ed Del Grande's House Call: Tricks of the Trade from a Master Contractor" ($16, Viking Studio), cited several situations in which even the most talented amateur should throw in the sponge.

"Cozy," "intimate" and "snug" are all euphemisms real estate brokers often dredge up to convince buyers or renters about the upside of living in a small space. Yet downsizing your things into less square feet doesn't mean you have to sacrifice comfort or style. Getting more creative with storage, decorating and creating multiuse areas are the keys to fitting functionally within a smaller abode.

The economy may be at a standstill, but your house won't stop creaking, squeaking and leaking just because you have less money for hiring contractors and handymen. Whether you find the prospect of maintaining or remodeling your home appealing or appalling, acquiring a few basic tools will save you time, money and drudgery. If you wait until you need them, you might not find the best deal -- and without the right tool, you might put off doing a job until it's too late.

"Green matters. Boy does it ever -- indeed, forever. In fact, if we don't take green matters into our hearts and mind and hands, the consequences for our planet are a considerable shade darker," wrote Martin Melaver, the CEO of Melaver, Inc., in his introduction to "Green Matters: The Residential Builders, Visionaries, Communities & Lifestyles Shaping Atlanta's Landscape" ($16, Michael Eastman and Jill Elizabeth Westfall). A "greener" home will substantially reduce the waste of natural resources, save the homeowner money on utility bills and help to protect the future.

If you want to give your house special warmth that makes it more inviting, adding antiques can help you say "welcome" to family and friends. These days important interior designers like Chicago-based Nate Berkus are singing the praises of antiques. Berkus, the author of "Home Rules: Transform the Place You Live Into a Place You'll Love" ($28, Hyperion), believes that old objects bring character to a room. Berkus discovered that people today are more willing to take risks in decor. In other words, they are mixing pieces that probably wouldn't have been placed together years ago.

Dear Pat: I have a backyard deck, but I would also like to build a patio on a level area adjacent to it. I need advice on what types of material to use for the patio and some installation tips. -- Eloise N. Dear Eloise: Decks are nice because they are up from the ground, but a patio does come in handy for outdoor projects and entertaining. With the current popularity of complete outdoor kitchens, or at least outdoors grilling, adding a patio is a great idea.

Installing new countertops is a quick and affordable way to give your kitchen a makeover. With hundreds of options for countertops, it's best to narrow the choices by considering these factors: durability, ability to handle hot cookware, ease of cleaning and cost.

Before you install a ceiling fan to an existing light fixture, make sure the existing conduit box is firmly attached to the framing. You may need to install a stronger support than the one the existing light fixture is in.