REMODELING RIGHT

SMALL DETAILS = BIG IMPACT

Sometimes the tiniest details make the biggest impact. The preponderance of McMansions currently on the market has maxed-out our ability to be sufficiently WOW'd by high ceilings and enormous rooms. These spaces are no longer creating the same impressions of grandeur they once did. Today if you want to have a home that really stands out from the rest--one that offers an irresistible allure to your friends and neighbors--it's all in the details. The good news is that many of the extras that can literally transform your home are not pricey additions, but may be accomplished through remodeling within your home's existing footprint. The following are just a few ideas for making your home one-of-a-kind marvelous. Building bookshelves, cubbies, and niches into walls that were once straight as an arrow is one way to add excitement to a room, not to mention the valuable storage space you will gain. If this is done in a bathroom, the extra space can be used to display colorful towels and toiletry items. A niche at the end of an otherwise humdrum hallway can showcase an intriguing artifact that makes the hallway come alive.

Look for opportunities to carve out cozy, intimate areas in rooms that may sometimes feel big and boxy. Tuck a little reading nook into the dead space under the stairs. Lower the ceilings in one part of a room and in that area provide comfortable seating that encourages conversation. Frame out a recessed alcove in the entry foyer, just big enough for an indoor water feature. If the ceilings are high enough in a child's room, add a secret hideaway loft accessible only by a ladder--a sure kid-pleaser.

Upgrading your interior millwork is one way to make a big aesthetic statement without a huge expense. Apply additional layers of trim to your existing crown moulding and your ceiling will become far more dramatic. Create a pared-down version of paneled wainscoting by adding trim to the walls and then painting the trim and drywall with the same gloss paint. One of the easiest ways to liven up your home is with color. Rather than going with standard white or beige walls, a new coat of paint in a pleasing hue can be an opportunity to make your home a real eye-catcher. Choose carefully, however. A color that is too loud or brassy can produce the opposite effect from what you desire.

Remodeling that includes some of the above ideas, as well as others, will help raise your home above the status quo in your neighborhood. You'll enjoy the comments you get from your friends when they stop by. You will also be adding the kind of distinction that attracts future buyers, should you ever decide to sell.