Whenever most people think of home improvement projects, they think in terms of doing up the living areas, such as the bedrooms, drawing room, and dining room. However, there is just so much that you can do in a bedroom--maybe add a comfortable bed, a reading lamp, a table or ceiling fan, a bookshelf, and a study table.

Most people seldom entertain formally, so areas such as the drawing room and dining room seldom get used. You can, however, put in some comfortable sofas, chairs, end tables, and coffee tables, and put in an expandable dining table, chairs, and breakfront in the dining room. You are most likely to use your kitchen as an area to not only prepare and cook food, and wash utensils and laundry, but also to serve family meals and entertain informally.

If you waterproof and ventilate your basement and use glass blocks to let in natural light, you can use it as a gym, study, home office, or home entertainment room. You will need to put in an intercom system so that you can not only make and receive calls in the basement, but also keep in touch with other family members.

Your countertops could be of granite, marble, wood, or stainless steel. To bring in more light into the kitchen, you can place a large ceiling fixture in the center of the kitchen with track lights near the sink, range, and countertops. You can also use warm colors for the kitchen walls and floor, add recessed lights and dimmers, and highlight your cabinets. You can use tiles, laminates, and hardwoods as flooring. Your cabinets can complement or match the colors used in the walls and flooring. You can even use stained glass panels for kitchen cabinets.

You can also install multiple showerheads and a waterfall in the bathroom to get a spa-like experience. You can also include a large bathtub, fog-free mirrors, and a towel warmer for more comfort. The tiles and walls in your bathroom should be in warm colors. You can also put plants and pictures in the bathroom to give a lived-in feel, and replace the sink sunk in a counter top with a pedestal sink. Nowadays, sinks come in a variety of materials, such as glass, stainless steel, stone, and copper--you can select a material that suits you. Your vanity cabinet could be of stone, wood, or glass. You can select from a wide variety of faucets, including single-hole and single-lever, widespread, center set, and wall-mounted faucets.