Not everyone who buys a home has experience doing their own repairs and small renovation projects. Yet homeowners quickly discover that by tackling some of these projects on their own, they can save money. Before you start work, be aware of common do-it-yourself downfalls, some of which can result in larger, more expensive problems, or even injury.

Building an addition on a home can be a costly and an involved process but it can also be the best option if you need extra space and don't wish to change homes and neighbourhoods. Whether you are planning to expand your kitchen, add an extra bedroom or an entire second story, all renovations, large and small, involve a number of important considerations. By keeping these points in mind and consulting professionals, you may save yourself time and money.

Home construction remains an industry made up largely of men and as a result, homes are often built without some of the elements and features women prefer. For example, women usually find the height of kitchen cabinets out of reach and there never seems to be enough storage! It is often a point of frustration in daily life when homes do not reflect the preferences of approximately 50 percent of their end users. If you are planning to build a new home or renovate your existing home, consider the following tips:

Dogs can be wonderful companions: they provide aid to those without sight, provide children with an opportunity to be responsible for another creature, and even protect our homes. But as any dog owner will acknowledge, our canine companions also present certain challenges. For example, their natural propensity to dig and chew can result in damage to our homes and yards, and possible injury to themselves. Owners often find that they need to make lifestyle changes to safeguard their property while providing their dogs with care and affection.

How does colour effect us? Is that beige wall getting you down? Will that new forest green couch help you relax after a hard day at the office? The Internet offers a wealth of information regarding the association between colour and emotion.

This gallery of infamous renovation mistakes might help you avoid frustration and extra cost of buying the wrong products

There is renewed interest in an ancient decorator's tool that owes its existence to cows. Yes, that's right, cows. Long before pre-mixed paint in a can was available, people made their own paint from a combination of natural ingredients: milk protein (casein), lime, clay and pigment. From the tombs of ancient Egypt to the farms of North America, milk paint created a durable finish that could last for hundreds, even thousands of years. Although the popularity of milk paint diminished with the introduction of manufactured paint in the 1940s, milk paint has remained the essential choice for farmhouse furniture restorers. Today, more and more homeowners are starting to see the benefits and possibilities of milk paint.

For more than 7,000 years, people have enjoyed wine and devised different ways tostore "the nectar of the Gods". In ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, people kept wine in clay jars, which they sealed with a lump of clay to preserve the contents. For bulk storage and transportation, wine was stored in amphorae - large pottery vessels with spouts that werestoppered with cloth, leather and cork or fired clay, then sealed with mortar. Sumerian texts speak of large, wooden (probably date palm) barrels of wine being boated from one town to another. By 1600 B.C. in Mycenae, wine makers (vintners) were cellaring wine.

Home staging is the real estate equivalent of dating: you take extra care with washing and scrubbing, coordinating your ensemble and displaying your best accessories. Essentially, home staging is about accentuating the positives in your home to increase its appeal to buyers. Why not simply tidy up what you currently have and hope for the best? Well, most people are far too busy with everyday life to maintain the 'dating' level of cleanliness and style all the time. More often than not, people lapse into a certain comfort level with their homes. The carpets only get vacuumed when they really need it. The newspapers and knickknacks start to pile up. Perhaps the décor hasn't been updated since you moved in several years ago. Before you put your home on the market, consider the following home staging tips for bedrooms.

Regardless of our level of ability, it is very human to desire freedom and independent living. Life in the dark can often be a struggle. Many of the things sighted people take for granted can become time-consuming and onerous tasks for someone without sight. Today there are numerous products and renovations that can be done to improve home life. Sometimes even small adjustments can add to the level of comfort, functionality and safety.

Painting is one of the easiest, least expensive interior renovation projects you can do. A small investment and a little elbow grease can create an entirely new atmosphere in your home. Colour is one of the first things people notice when entering a room and can actually be used to create optic illusions. You can open up a small space with a light tone or choose a colour which is complimentary to your furniture (ex. pale yellow paint and a purple sofa) to harmonise the room. The following tips can help you achieve professional results.

It's a homeowner's renovation nightmare: when it comes time to install the beautiful custom-made kitchen cabinets they're a few inches too long for the wall. Or perhaps you've discovered that both tubs and doors have a right- and left-hand side and you've bought the wrong ones. Hopefully you noticed before applying caulking on the tub or screwing in the last hinge on the door! Expensive or long-awaited purchases, which are the wrong fit, mean extra cost and lost time.

In ancient Rome, citizens who couldn't afford bathing facilities in their homes would visit public baths. These were not only places to scrub away the dust of the day, but they were also places to indulge in a warm soak surrounded by elegant décor and soothing music. Thousands of years later, the modern bathroom also offers functionality and comfort. The difference today, however, is in the vast range of available fixtures, lighting, flooring, accessories, and wall coverings that incorporate function with style. If you are planning to renovate your bathroom, the following tips may help you select the best products and trends to suit your needs as well as conduct a successful renovation.

For some people, the fears of cost overruns and months of living in a construction zone are enough to dissuade them from undertaking a renovation project. That's a shame because there are many good reasons to renovate. If you like the neighbourhood where you live, for example, but feel cramped in a small, outdated kitchen, upgrading may be a better solution than moving. A well-planned renovation might also increase property value. If your home is older than most in your area, new flooring or other updates can help to bring your home up to par with others on the market. Knowing the basics about the renovation process and the professionals involved can help you avoid unnecessary expenses and delays.

Remodeling a kitchen may include anything from repainting the walls to redesigning the entire structure of the house. Space limitations prohibit covering every issue you might have to deal with, but this article will cover the basic principles of design, as well as the general considerations involved in planning a new kitchen.

Building a new home is a big venture. You've planned and saved for it and you want it to be perfect. But often, there are hitches. Small setbacks due to material availability are not uncommon. However, one of the greatest factors affecting the quality of your experience is the builder you choose.

Porcelain is a semi-translucent ceramic that is valued for its delicate appearance and its strength. It was created in China by combining white clay and a type of feldspar found almost exclusively in that country. When the ingredients are fired at extremely high temperatures, the feldspar melts to form a natural glass that fuses to the clay particles.

Bringing a room to life with a fresh coat of paint or unique effects such as stencilling or sponging is a favourite project amongst 'do-it-yourselfers'. Paint is an easy way to create dramatic results. For a meagre investment of twenty or thirty dollars, a room can be transformed. Darker colours can be used to create a cozy, subdued ambiance. Bright, light colours can open up a room and make it seem more energetic and cheerful.

The latest statistics show the number of self-employed Canadians nearly doubled in a 25-year period. In 1976, over 1.19 million people were self-employed. By 2001, the number had grown to over 2.3 million. An analysis of employment patterns reveals that home-based business is growing faster than the workforce as a whole. Among the many factors behind these trends is the emergence of the Internet and long commutes resulting from urban sprawl.

If you want to bring your walls into the picture, transform them with splashes of colour and interesting colour combinations that compliment the basic elements in a room. That's easier said than done for those of us who have lived comfortably with off-white walls for years!

If you are planning a backyard project such as a screen, deck or gazebo, the type of wood you choose will impact how well and how long it stands up to the elements. In some ways, nature can be your worst enemy: from the moment your project is completed and takes its place in the garden, it becomes prey to wood-boring insects, mold, fungus, moisture and sunlight. Selecting wood suitable to your requirements will ensure many years of enjoyment.

A lush and bountiful crop can be yours even if your garden consists of a balcony, a patio, or a windowsill. If you have the gardening 'bug' but not the space, take heart in some solutions for growing a healthy mini-garden. Proper light, soil and watering can help you grow fresh additions to your meals. When you need a handful of cilantro, a few snips of Arugula to spice up a salad, or fresh basil for a pesto pizza you can find it in your garden!

When you think of wallcoverings do you have flashbacks to the floral wallpaper in your grandparent's house? If so, perhaps its time to reconsider this maligned form of decoration.