Winter Home Improvement Projects: Update a Living Room Space

Winter time doesn't mean the end of home improvement projects, but it usually requires moving them indoors. Cold weather forces homeowners to think about projects that got put on hold, thanks to all the fair-weather chores that took precedence. Since we're forced indoors, winter is a great time to fluff the nest. So break out the tool belt, step ladder and paint brushes. It's time to give the living room an update this winter with these small home improvement projects that give big results.

Paint your living room this winter to give it a brand-new appearance. Paint is still the easiest and most affordable home improvement project. It's amazing to see the transformation you get from a couple of gallons of paint. This is a simple home improvement project, but the results are gratifying. When you're done with the living room, don't be surprised when you find yourself choosing paint for another room in your house. As for me, I've already bought paint for my bedroom, too.

Painting indoors requires good ventilation, which usually requires an open window or door. That's tough to do when the temperatures turn frigid. But thanks to environmentally safe paint with low or zero volatile organic compounds, opening a window is no longer a necessity. Low or zero VOC paint doesn't release harmful vapors into the air as it dries, which allow for easier breathing.

Winter is the perfect time to update indoor light fixtures. If replacing outdated living room light fixtures are on your to-do list, check them off the list this winter. It's a home improvement project that might require stepping into a cold basement or unheated garage to turn off the electric power supply, but that's about as cold as you'll get for this job.

While you're changing the living room lighting, consider updating light fixtures in adjoining rooms or hallways to coordinate with the new living room fixtures. The light fixtures don't have to match exactly, but keep the color and style similar for continuity. Slowly but surely, the faux-brass light fixtures are disappearing from my house. In their place are rich looking, but affordable bronze colored fixtures.

Add wood trim to your living room, such as crown molding or chair rails. Wood trim gives the room a upscale look, and this project is easily accomplished indoors during the winter. The mess is minimal compared with other wood projects, such as wood floor installation. Pieces of wood molding are easily cut with a small hand miter saw, which creates less sawdust than an electric saw. Don't forget to caulk the wood at the joints and wall gaps. Let the caulk dry and then prime and paint

Another option is to simply add to any existing trim work. If there is already crown molding installed, add another layer of trim. This trick works especially well with tall ceilings that have skimpy crown molding. Add a piece of cap molding one to two inches down from the existing crown molding. Next, paint the cap molding, crown molding and the wall space between them one unifying color. This tricks the eye into seeing one large piece of crown molding, but costs much less.