Affordable Improvement: Trim and paint

By adding two simple lines of trim—a chair rail and a crown molding—you create the perfect framework for any handsome two-color wall combination. This is one of the secrets of fast, easy redecorating.

To have the biggest color impact, paint your trim.  This also simplifies installation. You don't have to cut perfect joints, because a little filler and paint will leave them looking sharp and crisp. You can also use less expensive materials.

The trim combination we show looks best in rooms with at least 4-1/2-in.-tall baseboards. If your baseboard is narrower, consider replacing it or choosing a different wall decorating technique. 

Then make the new chair rail 60 to 70 percent of the width of your baseboard. Use a two-piece combination that mimics a windowsill (stool) and its apron (the trim underneath) if you have this type of trim. Otherwise, use trim similar to your window trim with a 5/8- to 3/4-in. strip on top. Center your chair rail at about one-third the wall height. Choose crown molding that's 30 to 40 percent of the width of the baseboard. Painted trim requires less skill, time and expense than stained and varnished trim. To create wall stripes, apply easy-release masking tape over a light base color.

Finding colors that work well together and go well with the existing room furnishings can be challenging. We suggest that you take full advantage of pictures in magazines and the combinations recommended by paint manufacturers that you find at every paint store. Take photos of rooms you like (or clothing combinations you like!) and work with a paint dealer to match colors. Most home centers and paint dealers now offer small paint samples. You can try them directly on the wall or paint a 2 x 2-ft. scrap of drywall or cardboard instead. That way you can view the samples in different parts of the room. Then look at the colors both in daylight and with your lights on at night. (Some colors change dramatically under different types of light.)

TIP: Prepaint the trim and paint the walls before you put the trim up. Touch up afterward.

Cost: 6 gallons of paint—$180; 80 ft. of chair rail and crown moldings—$200.

Time: Two to three days.

From the Family Handyman - Affordable Home Improvement Ideas