It's important to add light to your kitchen but you don't want too much light. Here are a few tips and cautions:

• Start underneath your cabinets
• Avoid puck lights that give uneven light and are noticeable
• Add low-voltage xenon bulbs in various lengths
• Choose ceiling lights for now, but also later
• Don't overly embellish a ceiling light
• Make sure it works with a traditional or contemporary decor
• Look for popular items such as pendant lights or track lights
• Tech lighting is good for over an island or counter
• Glass pendants have stood the test of time
• Consider art-glass pendant lamps
• Hand blown lights are really cool
• Look for lights that enhance the value of the home, which may not be the ones you like the best
• Choose styles appropriate for the decor but keep future homeowners in mind too

There are some upgrades to a kitchen that are better than others. Minor kitchen updates can include raised-panel wood doors, new hardware, new sink, energy-efficient appliances. The national average of costs for kitchen upgrades appears to be around $25,000. Major upgrades tend to include stainless-steel appliances, a 3x5 foot island, new floors and custom lights. Upscale updates tend to include custom cabinets, high-end sinks, new faucets, glass backsplashes as well as under-cabinet lighting. Expect to pay over $100,000 for a high end kitchen upgrade.

But here are some upgrades that won't break your bank:

• Paint the cabinets - don't replace or cover over them
• Choose high quality painted finish over dented, dinged wood finish
• Buy new hardware - new pulls, new handles
• Hardware will give a kitchen added style
• Replace the faucet with a new modern style
• Replace the backsplash and give the kitchen new life and a focal point
• Use glass mosaic tile and make your own custom pattern
• Change out the flooring
• Extend the flooring from dining room into kitchen for flow and unity
• If you really have a tight budget, use puck lights. They are easy to install.

First you need to decide what area you wish to paint. There is no "one size fits all situations". Here are help helpful tips:

• Look for good quality paint for less coats and durability
• Better paint will flow easier and make the task go quicker
• Hiding power is important, not only regarding what's being covered, but how thick the paint is and if brush marks show or flow out
• Good flow helps paint brush marks and roller marks disappear upon drying
• Good flow means less splattering
• Less splattering makes easier clean up
• Better paints have more high-hiding pigments
• Exterior paints include more pigments that resist chalking and fading
• A binder in the paint adheres to the surface, resists blistering, cracking and peeling
• Good exterior paint allows you to power-wash it - dirt comes off but the paint stays
• Good binder helps flow, paint leveling, film formation and gloss development
• Check the manual for info on flow and binder
• Pigment determines shininess
• The more the pigment, the less glossy the finish
• Different finishes include: gloss, semi-gloss, satin, eggshell and flat
• The more gloss - the more imperfections will show
• The more gloss - the easier to clean off dirt and fingerprints
• Reserve lower sheen paint for lower traffic areas
• Thicker is better so don't thin paints
• Latex paint is thinned with water; oil based and alkyd paint is thinned with thinner
• Thinning reduces the solids content per unit of volume
• Never use interior paint outside
• After proper preparation, you can use quality latex paints over oil-based paints but the reverse doesn't work
• Use oil on oil
• Most manufacturers offer a good, better and best quality - the price also goes up incrementally with quality

Take advantage of our Diamond Ruby course at $999.95, a 33% incredible reduction! What an incredible deal to get the best, most comprehensive training in the industry. Just a short time ago this course was $500 higher.

So if you've been contemplating when you should start, the time is now, before the price goes back up! We're offering this exceptional price because it is the right price - the right value - the right road. It was so popular thru the holidays we just can't ignore the fact that many people need help to get started and to return to the higher price we used to charge just doesn't compute right now.

I cannot guarantee how long we will feel this way.  So don't wait. Act now so you won't be sorry later - and so you won't miss out on the start of the spring housing move and beautification efforts.

If you've already made some purchases that are part of the course, not to worry, as we will upgrade you manually and give you credit or substitutions so there are no duplications. But you'll have to contact us first (or make a notation of what you already have in the notation box under your shipping instructions, and we'll gladly make substitutions for you).

Here are the purchase links:

Barbara is the director of the
Academy of Staging & Redesign, hosted at
Decorate-Redecorate.Com,
the leading home study course in home staging and redesign.

• Diamond Ruby Course (SUPER FAST track to high profits, including virtually everything we've got to give)
• Diamond Standard Course (do it yourself fast track or for those who took training elsewhere before finding us)
• Silver Combo Course (training plus one directory listing)
• Add a Partner (must purchase a Diamond course at same time to qualify for special rate)
• "A La Carte" Pricing & Checklist (easy comparison list of diamond courses, silver course and "a la carte" options)

About the Author

Barbara Jennings is author of 15 decorating books/ebooks: Decor Secrets Revealed, Rearrange It, Home Staging for Profit, Home Staging for Yourself, Staging Portfolio Secrets, Staging Luxurious Homes, Getting Paid: Financial Strategies for Home Stagers, Home Staging in Tough Times, Arrange Your Stuff, Advanced Redesign, Pro Art Consulting, Where There's a Wall - There's a Way, The Secret Art of Hanging Art, Great Parties! Great Homes!, and Wall Groupings! The Secrets of Arranging Art and Photos