Replace your flooring

Flooring is not only functional, but has since early times been an important part of expressing personal style. The options for floor coverings are many, but the current trends lean toward using natural materials that are both beautiful and easy to clean.

Cork is one of the most popular materials being used today and is produced from the bark of a live cork oak tree. It is naturally waterproof and mold and mildew resistant, and may be harvested every 8-10 years. Another attractive, renewable floor covering is bamboo, which is a grass that can be harvested every 5 years. Bamboo closely resembles a traditional strip wood floor, but is less expensive than most woods with the same hardness rating. Both cork and bamboo flooring can be installed in a variety of ways, each offering its own unique look.

When it came time to replace some carpet in his home last spring, Buck Benson of Grand Marais had a floating cork floor installed instead. While keeping the green factor in mind, Benson says he chose the cork mainly because it is soft and comfortable underfoot.

“Cork has a warmer feel than bamboo,” Benson said.

Paint your walls

Walls offer the most surface area in your home. They are the backdrop for all of your furnishings and artwork, and with paint, can be changed to suit your style for a minimal investment. Local hardware and building supply stores have updated color decks and larger sample chips to help you choose a new color scheme. More daring painters might want to try a Faux Finishing technique with the products and tools available in the paint departments.

Change your drapes

Curtain panels hung from simple rods are the easiest to replace with standard size panels available on the shelves of department stores, but if you have existing hardware that is a little more complex, you can enlist professional help. Anna Latz, owner of Heavy Duty Sewing, has thousands of fabric samples in her Lutsen workroom and can create custom panels in any style. The entire process, from picking fabric to installation, typically takes less than six weeks.

Install a new light

One aspect of a room makeover that often gets “under looked” is the ceiling lighting. The ceiling fixture is usually the main source of light in a room, but it can also add flair if you choose a stylish finish. Oil rubbed bronze, brushed satin, and copper are still very popular, with crystal fixtures promising to be the next trend in home lighting. When you decide to change a light fixture, you may want to replace it with an LED light. LED lighting is more expensive up front, but lasts longer and uses less energy making it more efficient. Installing an LED track light in a fun, new finish will give you a new look, more light, and save you money in the long run.

Any of these projects can be done in a weekend and will give you a fresh new outlook for spring.