10 Great Rainy Day
Home Projects
When a rainy day hits, you might
just feel like curling up with a good
book. But occasionally you have
some pent up energy that you’d like
to expend on projects around the
house. If that sounds familiar, then
don’t let the weather get you down.
A rainy day is the perfect
opportunity to accomplish a number
of small projects that will make your
home more attractive, comfortable,
and functional.
To make the most of your next rainy day, clip and save this article so you won’t be wondering what to do on your next day spent indoors. Next, get a “project box” to fill with project materials, being sure to store this article in the box. Go through the list of projects below in advance so you can gather all your supplies beforehand. Then, when the storm clouds come, you’ll be ready to tackle your rainy day projects confident in what you’re going to do and with the materials to get the job done.
Install dimmer switches. Nothing creates more ambiance in a room than subdued lighting. Dimmer switches are inexpensive and easy to install. Check with a salesperson in the electrical department at your favorite home center for advice. If you’re uncomfortable with making electrical changes, don’t attempt this project.
Touch up wall paint. Keep a small resealable container of wall paint and a foam brush at the ready to paint over those little nicks and marks on the walls. Go through the house and touch up walls. Doing so will make walls look fresh again.
Paint an accent wall. Love the color red but afraid to paint all four walls with it? Try painting one wall to make your room pop. Be sure to use painter’s tape and tape off the edges so your paint is crisp and clean. An hour spent on paint yields big decorating payoff.
Recover dining chair seats. Your dining room can look brand new just from this simple change. Many dining chairs have pop out seats that can be easily recovered. Best of all, fabric is not too expensive compared to fully upholstered chairs. You can often find remnant fabric pieces to cover seats, and it only takes a heavy-duty stapler to attach fabric.
Get organized. Hang hooks, shelves, or closet organizers to improve the function and organization of your home. You can easily double the space in a closet just by installing even the most basic closet system. Consider installing hangers for mops and brooms, cup hooks, hooks for leashes, umbrellas, or purses and backpacks.
Travel a lot? Install a pull-out valet bar in the closet to help you pack before a trip. In the pantry, install canned good shelf steps and spice rack organizers. Put small plastic organizers in the refrigerator to hold items such as lemons, garlic, or other little food products.
Attach furniture slides. Furniture slides are indispensable for moving sofas and other furniture. These hard plastic discs attach to the feet of sofas, chairs, or tables with peel off adhesive strips. Then you can rearrange a room easily or vacuum underneath without needing extra muscle or back strain.
Apply rubber buttons to artwork. Pictures always crooked in your house? Then apply these small rubber pads. They attach to the bottom corners on the back sides of pictures and keep them from moving or hanging crooked.
Add a ceiling medallion in the dining room. Painted gold, a ceiling medallion instantly finishes off a dining room and makes any chandelier look even more special. Some screw right into the outlet box making installation a snap.
Improve your shower experience. All it takes is two small changes to make showering just a bit more special. First, install a curved shower rod. Unlike standard straight shower rods, curved rods are a semi-circle, adding a lot more elbow room in the shower -- and they help keep water in the tub because they curve inward. The rods install in about twenty minutes and can be purchased at most home centers or online.
Next, install a rain-style shower head. Most showers spray out from the wall, but a rain-style shower head has an arm that extends into the shower so that you stand underneath the shower. This makes showering feel like a rain-storm experience. The shower heads are easy to install and can be in place in less than five minutes. Both the rod and the shower head can be purchased together for around $100, and can help turn your daily shower into a spa experience.
Change out your hangers. Go through your closets and replace all the wire coat hangers with plastic or wooden ones. Wire coat hangers stick together and get twisted on one another. Use wooden hangers for fine, special, or expensive clothing and heavy items, such as pants or jeans. Plastic is good for just about everything else.
Replace all the wire hangers in your coat closet with wooden ones. Because wooden hangers are sturdy, they’ll hold up to heavy coats and jackets and they won’t get stuck together. They’ll also make your coat closet neater and easier to get coats in and out of – and you won’t be embarrassed to open the closet when company is over.
© 2007 Kathryn Weber, all rights reserved
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Kathryn Weber is the publisher of the Everydayclean.com Cleaning Calender, that calender that puts you in control of your home by ending the power struggle. For more information log on to http://tinyurl.com/d9rh5.
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©2001-2007 Kathryn Weber
All rights reserved.
