Guest Author - Lisa Shea

Back in the old days, we all had dirt floors and we liked it. They were packed down hard, served their purpose, and had no special cleaning requirements. In modern times, we have a few more options available to us.

First, paint is always the easy way to handle a floor. Clean the floor thoroughly and then paint away! It's amazing how a room can liven up with a fresh coat of paint. Make sure you check the paint you're using to ensure it can hold up to the wear and tear that feet will put on it.

Once the base coat is down, you can even add in stencils to give the room personality. Want some fun? Paint a checkerboard or twister mat right on the floor, and enjoy! For a kid's room, put on a map with roads, houses and meadows for them to play with their cars on.

Next, throw rugs are perfect because they are really cheap and also can be changed as frequently as your mind! There are many ways to make your own rugs - in fact there is an entire Rugmaking Site at BellaOnline. Be sure to read through it to get ideas on what to try out next.

For something a little more permanent, watch your local stores for their sales on vinyl tiles, cork tiles and other piece-by-piece flooring options. Many times they'll put an old style on sale when they are bringing in a new style. The old style may be just what you were looking for!

If your existing carpet is just dingy or stained, try renting a steam cleaner from your local grocery store. It's usually inexpensive to do this for a day, and you might be amazed at how clean your carpets will get as a result.

Always be cautious before randomly ripping up existing carpet or floorboards. You never know if what is beneath it is far worse than what you are seeing now. I know several people who disliked a carpet, ripped it up before really checking, and they found the flooring beneath needed to be totally replaced. It took them many months before their world returned to normal. Go slowly with any major changes, and know what you are getting into!