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HomeWorld could help enhance your house

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By DeAnn Owens, Contributing Writer Updated 8:20 PM Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Looking for inspiration on ways to spruce up the home?

We asked a few vendors who will be participating in Universal 1 Credit Union Miami Valley HomeWorld 2012 at the Dayton Airport Expo Center, on Feb. 3-5 and Feb. 10-12, to offer a sneak preview of some of the ideas they will be sharing with homeowners on how to enhance their living spaces.

Go green: If creating a green home is on your wish list, Sean McMorrow, Eco-Team Captain of Home Depot in Centerville, recommends homeowners learn about eco-friendly products that are energy efficient, help conserve water or promote clean air or sustainable forestry.

“In our society, we want to do it the right way, but sometimes it costs so much more,” McMorrow said. During demonstrations during the home improvement show, McMorrow will explain how homeowners can save money over time in energy costs by investing in eco-friendly products and projects. For example, according to Home Depot, here are three ways to achieve long-term savings:

Toilets: Spend $118 to install high-effiency WaterSense toilets, and save $100 over the year. The cost of the project would be offset within 14 months. Projected savings over 10 years would be $1,000.

Thermostat: Spend $50 to install a programmable thermostat, and offset that cost within three months. Annual savings would be $180 and projected savings over the decade would be $1,800.

Light bulbs: Spend $58 and replace incandescents with CFL bulbs. Those costs would be offset in six months for an annual savings of $100 and a projected 10-year savings of $1,250.

Wall makeovers: Applying a faux finish can be a cost-effective way to give a room a new look. During the demonstration “The World of Faux Painting,” Patricia Winblad of Patricia’s Decorative Art Studio and Academy will lead homeowners through the steps of applying a Venetian plaster to a room and applying a faux finish on furniture such as a chair, table or cabinetry.

“Faux finishing can warm up a space and personalize a room. It can make an elegant space when it is done properly. You want faux finishing to work with the whole room and to work with the whole space,” Winblad said.