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All Through the House
10 Fabulous, Quick and Easy Ways to Spiff-Up Your Home By Jackie Rupp
In the bathroom...
5. Serve it up.
Create a focal point and extra storage with a serving tray. Use a painted tray that would usually rest on a bed or ottoman. Unfinished wooden trays can be purchased for less than $5 at craft stores, which you can paint (silver and gold are both good choices). Add colored glass bottles filled with surplus lotions and shampoos, a decorative raised-rim plate piled with colorful soaps and toiletry containers. Include an orchid and some potpourri in bowls, and you have an attractive, functional display.
6. Tackle the tile.
Nemec suggests painting wall tiles. "There are primers and paints available which are made to adhere to ceramic wall tiles," she says. "This approach is best if one extremely dislikes the existing tile but is not ready for major renovations. The new color must also coordinate with existing flooring. Painting the flooring or shower area is not recommended." 7. Display towels.
Towels can soften up a cold bathroom while adding splashes of color. Layer large towels over bars along with smaller, embellished ones. Place a large folded towel over the side of the bathtub for a comfy spa look. Roll smaller towels lengthwise and stack in baskets. In the Living Room...
8. Turn to tables.
One of the best bargains, a decorator table, costs under $10, but it can offer endless design possibilities. Use a tablecloth that coordinates with your room, adding trim or a second smaller tablecloth on the top. Finish with an elegant vase filled with one color and variety of faux flowers. "Most often people space items separately all over the table," Nemec says. "It is better to group items, s that the overall look is not 'spotty.'" Stack two or three large art books, with maybe a piece of art pottery on top (a shallow bowl for example), and then add another bowl alongside candlesticks somewhere else on the table. 
