By Town Crier Staff Report

Redecorating your house doesn’t have to cost a fortune. You can give any room a face-lift without breaking the bank, by adding a few small, decorative pieces and using your own creativity.

Start at the bottom

A different floor can change the entire look and feel of a room, but new flooring can be expensive.

If you’re not willing to shell out the money for a new carpet or hardwood floor, invest in a fun rug.

Available in a variety of shapes and sizes, these decorative and practical pieces can add style and warmth to any room.

Use an area rug to disguise tile or wood floors in your living room or a small, bright rug to add color in your bedroom.

A different shade

If you’re tired of that old wallpaper in your bathroom or the drab, white walls of your dining room, paint the walls a different color.

To save time and money, consider painting just the ceiling or a single wall - try something eye-catching like ruby red, royal blue, or violet.

If you’re the adventurous type, alternate complementary colors on each wall to add dimension.

If you’re not ready to break out your painters’ pants and test your artistic skills, wainscoting is a nice alternative.

Wainscoting is the white or neutral colored boards usually attached vertically to the lower half of walls.

It is a project that anyone with some woodworking experience and a little patience can do.

Wainscoting, which comes in pre-cut lengths and heights, breaks up the color in the space and adds character.

And there was light

Altering the lighting can dramatically change the ambiance of a room.

You can do this simply by trying a different type of bulb, using dimmers, or opening unused windows.

Because lighting has such a large effect on the mood of the room, it may be necessary to try out several options before making the switch.

Send your update ideas to Your Home Editor Kaye Ross at 138 Main St., Los Altos, CA 94022, or email kayer@latc.com