Smart Buying

Space Lifts

Fix four common problem rooms for less than you think. Plus, see our slide show of high-impact, low-cost renovations.

By Pat Mertz Esswein, Associate Editor

From Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, October 2006

Your home may have a room that begs for a redo, but it's languished in limbo for lack of inspiration or cash.

Help is here. We found four homeowners with four common problem rooms, paired each with a designer and set a strict budget for materials (design work and labor are not included). The results: An uninviting foyer made convivial for $500, a tired bathroom now vanity-worthy for $1,000, a chaotic family room/home office turned fun and efficient for $2,500, and a bland kitchen brought into the 21st century for $5,000. Below, we've included a photo of each old room, plus an artist's rendition of the designer's vision. Plus, for even more ideas to tackle your problem rooms, see our slide show of high-impact, low-cost transformations.

RELATED LINKS
	Slide Show: Affordable Room Makeovers
	Get "Space Lifts" Design Details
	Slide Show: Amazing Backyard Renovations

Inexpensive fix-ups are even more important now that the interest rates on home-equity lines have spiked and home-price appreciation has slowed. Even if you don't recoup the cost when you sell your home, your house is more likely to be a hit with potential buyers.

$500 Foyer

Problem: Rochelle Graham of Westchester County, N.Y., says her home's entryway should make a good first impression. Instead, she says, it's "stark and uninviting."

Designer: Lisa Skelley of Avon, Conn., started her career as a textile designer, and for the past several years she has worked as a "redesigner" certified by Interior Redesign Industry Specialists. She is also a color consultant to homeowners through Benjamin Moore Paints.

Solution: You can get a lot of bang for your buck with paint. Because the foyer is visible from the living and dining rooms, it's important to use a complementary paint color and run it up the stairwell to the second-floor landing for continuity. Skelley suggests Moore's Monroe Bisque, a color that contrasts with the home's white trim, in a washable flat finish. She proposes furnishing the foyer with a slim console table and mirror from the Bombay Co., but you can order similar items from Pier 1 Imports, Target and HomeDecorators.com. All offer good-quality furniture for budget-conscious buyers as well as online shopping.

The Plan:
Paint: $148
Table: $179 (on sale)
Mirror: $99 (on sale)
Rug: $99

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