Dans Papers - May 11, 2007 - Get With The Times

If you're selling your house or just want to update your look, quick fixes such as replacing carpeting and changing wall color can help. From floor to ceiling, modernizing your style can be as simple as replacing a few lighting fixtures. Install modern lighting with colored pendant lamps or rice paper shades. Today's fixtures range from sophisticated to fun and can even be considered art, so you can choose according to personal taste and room style.

Next, check out your home's flooring. Trade the bright-colored, shag carpeting for a new alternative such as cork, bamboo and limestone tiles. Cork flooring comes in a wide range of colors, is especially durable and helps insulate against temperature, sound and noise. It's made by peeling bark away from the tree, not cutting it down, so it is also environmentally friendly. Bamboo is also a great alternative to hardwood and limestone can give you that understated, yet sophisticated look.

Wood paneling is so 1970s. Replace it with classic wainscoting or peel it off and paint the walls. Add crown molding for a rich look that's sure to last. After years of hibernation, wallpaper has recently made a comeback, especially with bold, graphic prints. If you want to add some drama to your walls without the commitment, try Blik decals (www.whatisblik.com). These removable graphic decals are perfect for renters who can't do major renovations. Photomurals are also en vogue again, making it easy to add a beach sunset or a city skyline to your wall.

Two rooms that are often out-dated are the kitchen and bathroom. The style and color of appliances, tile and countertops can easily date a room. In the bathroom, replace your green, mustard or pink colored toilets, tubs and sinks. They give away the age of a bathroom, especially if the walls have matching tiles. Instead, opt for classic white versions of bathtubs and toilets, which are sure to be in-style forever. Shower curtains are so passe and can be updated by installing a smooth glass door. Pedestal sinks are a popular option, but if you are afraid that you'll miss all the storage of a vanity, freestanding bathroom cabinets with glass doors and chrome hardware will compliment a new, white bathroom. A bathroom isn't fully updated until you add technology; so install a flatscreen television in the mirror, wall or shower.

Today's bathroom tiles are available in many finishes, glazes, textures and colors. Can't decide? Color-changing tiles are now available at www.movingcolor.net. Much like a mood ring, color-changing tiles change from black to multi-colored when heat is applied. Watercolor, tie-dye and wave effects are also available.

Updating your kitchen can be an expensive project, but make the most impact by replacing your outdated harvest gold and olive green appliances with stainless steel versions. Open a drawer in a modern kitchen and don't expect to find flatware. Many modern kitchens have built in dishwasher drawers, refrigerator drawers, warming ovens and pizza ovens.

Replacing your vent hood can also make a big difference in the look of your kitchen. The hoods are no longer the chunky metal eyesores they once were. New vent hoods are highly stylized and can be made out of glass, stainless steel or with decorative tile. Some even retract into their wall mounts.

With options for every budget and style, modernizing your home will increase both its value and beauty.