Tip of the day: Install your own lighting dimmers

One of the greatest impacts I've made on my home has been to install lighting dimmers throughout. Dimming a single lamp or a group of them can make an amazing difference to the overall feel of the room. One lamp suddenly becomes a multitasker: Full-on for reading or dimmed at 20 percent just to give some light to the room. I replaced all of my traditional switches with wall dimmers and even added them to stand-alone lamps.

Don't be afraid to install the dimmers yourself-it is really easy. One step I add to the directions below is having someone in the room with the light on from the switch I want to change out, yelling to make sure that the correct circuit breaker is being turned off. Or you can leave the light on and head for the circuit breaker, and if you return to the room and the light is off, you've got it. I just like that confirmation that the power to the switch is really off.

Also, incorporating dimmers into your home's lighting is a great way to save electricity and help make your home "green." Here's a step-by-step guide for installing your own dimmers, courtesy of the inventor of the dimmer, Lutron Electronics.

—Cindy Davis (a.k.a Miss Dimmer)

Dimming a lamp by 10 percent doubles its life and saves 10 percent on energy costs.

1. Turn power off at circuit breaker or remove fuse (circuit breakers are typically located in a utility room, garage or basement).
2. Remove wallplate and switch mounting screws.
3. Pull switch from wall and disconnect switch wires.
4. Wring the control and use wire connectors to secure the electrical connection. Twist wire connector tight. Be sure no bare wire is exposed.
5. Connect the wires in the box to the wires on the dimmer as shown.
6. Turn power on at circuit breaker or replace fuse.