Holiday Sprucing Up

With the December holidays quickly approaching, it’s a great time to add some pizzazz to your dining room.

Replacing a dated, shiny brass chandelier will provide instant impact – and create a favorable impression later when you resell your home. If the fixture isn’t connected to a dimmer switch, consider installing one. For as little as $6, you can have a wide range of different atmospheres at your fingertips.

While you’re looking up, you may want to jazz up the ceiling… by adding a medallion at the base of the chandelier, wallpapering the whole ceiling or applying some faux paint or a wallpaper border to a vertical step in the ceiling. If your home has a nostalgic flavor, you might consider Armstrong’s decorative ceiling tiles that look like antique tin ceilings. Once painted gold or copper, they look like the real thing – without the pour acoustics.

A chair rail can add charm to a simple dining room. Chair rails are usually 32 inches from the floor and stained or painted the same color as the room’s woodwork. For added impact, paint the area under the chair rail a slightly darker shade than the upper portion of the walls or hang a coordinated wallpaper either above or below. Or, you may want to add bead board or use molding to create the look of panels under the rail.