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Who isn't trying to save money these days? The question on many homeowners' minds is, “How can I improve my living space (or sell it) for the least amount of money?” In our view, the single biggest bang for your home improvement buck is the Paint & Purge solution. A fresh coat of paint, moving furniture around and getting rid of “stuff” makes a dramatic difference. And painting, especially if you do it yourself, is inexpensive. The key to making your Paint & Purge project both beautiful and cost effective is following a process.

First, sit in a room and experience it. Consider how and when it is used, natural and artificial light sources, its visual context within and without the home. This will allow you to consider the chosen room as a singular part of a more complete whole. Think beyond the room's CURRENT use to consider its new possibilities. This will help determine the "personality" you want the room to take on. Reading, television, resting, dining...the appeal of each use is impacted by color.

Next dust and remove everything – artwork, books, accents, furniture – to another room. Why? Because “stuff” accumulates over time, eventually losing its value or aesthetic purpose. It simply becomes clutter that obscures a more beautiful view. Thoroughly clean the empty room. The bonus is that cleaning alone makes a world of difference in the room's aesthetic. For extra bonus points, clean the windows. Clean windows transform a room in amazing ways. Now you are ready to make your final color scheme determination.

Consider a color scheme that may incorporate different colors on different walls or even the same wall (a stripe, for instance, can create dramatic visual interest). Be sure to consider painting the room's fifth wall – the ceiling. The ceiling offers one of the more overlooked opportunities for creativity. Another way to add interest is applying varying strengths of the same color. Or you may like complementary, but equally saturated colors on either side of a center hall plan with an anchor color in the center. Once you envision your new color(s), purchase a quart of each to sample (choose high quality paint, it pays in the long run). Paint a 3' x 3' poster board with two coats of the color and tack it to the wall. Move it around the room and look at it in different locations, times of day and light. Then have fun with the actual painting.

Finally, put your room back together. Take stock of your inventory while it is collected in the other room. Choose your favorites – the things that add beauty or have special meaning. Begin moving items into the room, giving favored items priority. Don't be surprised if you only return half of what you removed – or that the room is vastly improved.