Spring Home Makeover Painting Ideas

A little paint can go a long way towards brightening a home for little expense. These painting ideas can bring the freshness of springtime into a room with minimal effort and dent in your pocketbook.

Look Up
The ceiling is often overlooked when considering a room makeover, but it's one that can really pack a punch. No matter where you're standing in a room or what other focal point there may be, the ceiling is visible from all sides. Kitchen ceilings especially get dingy from cooking grease, so give it a good wash and cover with a fresh coat of paint for instant impact.

Bring Outside In
No spring flower garden outside your window? Paint one! A white picket fence with colorful flowers can make any drab wall pop without having to paint the entire room. If you're not sure of a steady hand, purchase a wallpaper border fence and dab on your favorite flowers. Plant your little spring garden under a window, or if your wall is windowless, paint a window too. Another option would be to paint flowers on an old windowpane that you distress or refinish. A flower garden is the perfect bright spot for a bathroom with no window or a small office space that could use some cheerful color to inspire you.

Meet Halfway
If you like your current color scheme but it needs a facelift, consider adding a chair rail and repaint only the top or bottom of the wall. Go a shade or two lighter or darker than the original or bring in a new coordinating color if you want a more dramatic change. Painting only part of a room saves time and allows you to get a totally different look without having to switch out draperies, furniture and other accessories. A chair rail can be added to the entire space or just an accent wall; this technique looked nice on two walls surrounding my dining area.

Fresh Paint Can Frame a Room
No time or money to do an entire room? Brighten it up by painting just the trim and molding for a cheap and easy fix. If your room is a light color, a wood stain is a nice option. If your walls are anything but white, adding white trim can brighten the entire room for next to nothing.

In a bathroom, paint a mirror frame in the same hue to bring the trim color further into the room. For living or dining room, paint pieces of molding to match the trim and create a frame on a wall as an accent or focal point to display artwork.

Small Changes = Big Impact
Small color changes can have as big an impact as a total room makeover. Look around you and see where else a bit of paint can spruce up your home on a small budget.