Beth Luberecki
Washington Post

Bad day? Blame your condo. That’s what designer Lori Ludwick might do, especially if your home needs some TLC.

For Ludwick, the way people’s homes look and function can affect everything from their temperaments to their pocketbooks.

“I think a well-designed space influences your mood so much,” says Ludwick, principal designer at InDesign in suburban Alexandria, Va. “Little improvements … will help you live better.”

• Try a new hue: “A coat of paint can go a long way in freshening up your interior,” Ludwick says. “Remember the ceiling: It’s the fifth wall.”

• Delight in your lights: “Remove those old brass hardware-store lighting fixtures,” she says. “Replace them with a fixture matching the period of your home or a more modern fixture to add interest and improve the overall feel of the space.”

•Accent the architecture: “Decorative moldings around the ceiling, floor, doorways or windows can give a builder-grade house a more luxurious feel,” Ludwick says. “Make sure the moldings keep with the character of your home. And stay away from standard 2 1/4 -inch moldings; bigger is better.”

• Use modern appliances: New appliances are more energy-efficient and will function better than older ones, and you don’t need to shell out for stainless steel.

“A lot of people are finding stainless steel kind of cold,” she says. “White is always a good classic standby.”

• Toss tired bathroom fixtures: “Make sure you’re matching the finish of the rest of the fixtures in the room, and because the faucet is something you touch every day, it’s worth the money to spend a little more for a quality fixture.”