DIM SOME

Poor Bernie Madoff has gone from chowing down on dim sum in his Manhattan penthouse to lying down on a dirty mattress in a dim cell in a New York city jail. No longer sipping 150-year-old wine made from Cortese grapes, Bernie had to swallow his reality in court yesterday of spending 150 years in an 8x10 cell. Lucky for him small spaces are trending in this tough economy! Sarah, an attorney from San Francisco, emailed me yesterday asking for lighting advice in her tiny, 350 square foot apartment. Her complaint: the bright overhead florescent lights of her 80's walk-up felt prison-like, so I suggested she purchase dimmers for some dramatic change. Plug any lamp into these extension-cord dimmers and set yourself free!

TIME TO COMPLETE TASK: Two minutes

COST: Ikea ("Dimma" Dimmer $7.99) Home Depot $10.97

STRESS LEVEL: Lightening up at the flip of a switch: LOW