Home Improvement Tips and Tricks: Hands-on Projects and Decorating Ideas on a Budget

by Christina Salway, Monica Pedersen (Foreword by)

Overview

Step-by-Step Projects from a Successful and Sassy Interior Designer!

Searching for a house or apartment is difficult enough on its own; transforming it into your home is an entirely different story. Home Improvement Tips and Tricks aims to give you the knowhow to decorate while staying within your budget, all presented in an engaging and approachable way. Each project is accompanied by a list of tools and materials needed, along with step-by-step instructions.

Salway’s wit and playful personality shine through as she shares her tried-and-true advice to describe the journey of renovating and redecorating not only her two-bedroom Williamsburg apartment but also the upstate New York farmhouse bought as a major fixer-upper.

Some of Christina’s greatest lessons include:

• Colors you shouldn’t paint your apartment, even if you like wearing them
• Where to look, when to haggle, and how to spot a diamond in the rough
• How to revitalize your kitchen on a budget
• Your shower curtain shouldn’t reflect your personality, and other helpful bathroom hints
• How to install a dimmer switch (a.k.a. instant mood lighting)

A resource for anyone who is short on time and strapped for cash, Home Improvement Tips and Tricks will help you turn any space into a unique home you love and are proud to show off.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781510740891
Publisher:	Skyhorse
Publication date:	06/04/2019
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Christina Salway has owned an interior design firm in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, since 2006. In addition to running her company, she’s also the on-camera and behind-the-scenes interior designer for the television show Treehouse Masters, and her work has been featured on numerous occasions in the New York Times, Country Living, GQ, the Boston Globe, Better Homes & Gardens, and New York Magazine. Her other television work includes NBC’s American Dream Builders and The Nate Berkus Show. Salway graduated from Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, in 2003 with a degree focused in Architecture. She currently lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, with her husband John, their son Jules, and their rescue pit bull.

Table of Contents

Foreword ix

Introduction xi

Rules of Thumb: Harsh Words You Need to Hear 1

A Basic Guide to Living Like a Grown-Up

Put Your Stuff Away

Make Your Bed

Honing Your Aesthetic

Getting Motivated

Diamond in the Rough

How to Haggle, Bargain, and Make Friends

Striking a Balance

Do-It-Yourself Projects (for the Average Renter or Amateur Homeowner) 15

Fast-Track Home Design

How to Paint Your Home Without Fear or Regret: Color Do's and Do Not's

Paint Like a Pro

Kitchens: On a Budget 27

Replacing Your Kitchen Hardware Handles

How to Replace Your Kitchen Faucet (and Why)

Revitalize Cabinets for an Instant Facelift

Personalize Your Kitchen

Accessorize and Set the Table

Bathrooms: Temples of Doom 49

Sprucing Up Your Bathroom

How to Replace Your Bathroom Hardware, How High Should You Hang a Towel Bar, and How Many Hooks Is Too Many Hooks?

Make Your Shower Into the Spa You Deserve

Not Messing Around: Installing a New Tile Floor

Fast-Track Bathroom Clean Up! Too Much to Do, Not Enough Time

The Easy Stuff: Your Living Room, Bedroom, and if You're Living Large, Your Dining Room 75

Your Sofa Is Ugly

How to Add Accent Colors without Turning the Whole Place into a Carnival

Street Finds: How to Revitalize and Reupholster Mix-and-Match Dining Chairs

How Large Should Your Rug Be: a.k.a. "How Large Is Your Budget?"

How to Build and Upholster an Ottoman

How to Make Your Own Upholstered Headboard

How to Dress Your Bed so You Feel Like You Live in a Hotel

Fast-Track Bedroom

Icing on the Cake: Time to Accessorize 109

How to Hang Your Drapes Like a Pro (Even if You're Tight on Funds)

Making Really Great Drapes, on the Cheap

Just Dim It

How to Change a Light Fixture without Electrocuting Yourself (an Important Distinction)

What's in a Pillow?

What to Hang, How to Hang It, and Where to Hang Your Artwork (Such As It Is) in General

How to Hang a Gallery Wall

Replacing Your Door Knobs

How to Trick Your Space into Feeling Larger and Brighter

What's the Trick? Finding Time for These Projects (without Losing Your Job, Friends, or Family) 143