If you’re anything like me, you love to do it yourself.  Although I don’t have a t.v. right now, I am a home improvement show addict.  I love This Old House and Bob Vila, Christopher Lowell and the many other shows out there that show you easy, inexpensive ways to make small improvements to your humble abode.

When it comes to painting, (and if you’re lucky enough to have your own home or a really cool apartment manager...you can explore the joy of color), I have always had the gift of being able to see/envision what the swatch of color will look like on my walls.

However, some people are unable to do this and find themselves in an unpleasant position when they begin to slap that color on the walls.  I’ve seen people start to paint and think, “OH G-D!” and quickly run back to the store to get a different shade.  I’ve also seen some who start to paint, think it looks perfect and realize, too late, after the paint has dried, that it’s a bit darker than they expected.  In the past you had only two choices.  Live with it or repaint.

Now you can see what it will look like before you begin, saving you money and a LOT of time.

Benjamin Moore Paints has a “Personal Color Viewer” with a plethora of different colors and shades to try.  They give you photos of various rooms and you can click to paint the walls or the trim or accents.

Want to know what it will look like in your own rooms?  You can purchase the software and load your own photos in.  From there you will do the same thing; click on “walls” or “trim” or “accents”, etc. and then choose from the wide array of colors offered.  From this you can get a perfect idea if that dark green or light purple really will look good in your living room.

Having painted my apartment by myself, I know how much work goes into this project.  Of course, proper tools make the job easier; ie: ladders instead of standing speakers for example and splatter guards instead of newspaper, plastic and masking tape.  Nonetheless, it’s a great feeling when you transform those ugly, bare, white walls into something soothing and cool.

Oh you’re beyond painting?  Ready to tackle on the big projects like remodeling? 

Check out Bob Vila’s “Design Tools" and create 2D and 3D “blue prints” of your dream kitchen or dream garden, etc.

This program, while useful, isn’t nearly as easy or as fun to use as say, The Sims� but for serious designers or home improvement types, it’s a pretty good tool to give you an idea of what your project will look like in the end.  I’m not real pleased with their idea of 3D but it can still give you a good glimpse into how you did.

So while you are doing the heavy cleaning and tossing out of old stuff, giving things away to the Salvation Army or having a yard sale, think about giving your rooms or yard a facelift.  If nothing else, the programs are fun to play around on and you never know what you might discover.

Also, don’t forget, if you are in one of those areas that “Springs Forward”, to change your clocks Sunday night before you go to bed.  One hour ahead.  It’s also recommended to use this day as a reminder to check the batteries in your smoke alarm.  They say to check them every six months.

I don’t know about you, but I give the batteries a good check every time I try to cook something.  I’m well aware, as is half the neighborhood, that my smoke detector batteries are working quite well.