Home Decor

The First Step of Good Décor

2008-07-28T10:11:00.000-07:00

If you don’t clean regularly and thoroughly (or have someone else do so), décor won’t make your place look a whole lot better. No matter how high the quality or expense of your stuff may be, if your place is dirty, it loses a lot of panache.

It’s obvious that you never really see something until you have to clean it. Most people just keep buying things and stuffing them into available spaces, or, at best, putting some thought into placement and then just leaving them there for years. Every so often they’ll wipe said object off, and perhaps dust it once a month, but it’s important that the area around it not be forgotten-and not just as a matter of clearing out dust bunnies and other allergens. Believe it or not, the vibrancy of every item of décor, as well as walls, draperies, blinds and carpeting diminishes when left unattended for too long. Cleaning is an excellent time to take stock of the condition of your possessions, the practicality of their placement, and the way they interact with their surrounding space.

This week, I did my every-nine-month wall, door and molding cleaning-and as usual, was surprised that it actually gleams (it’s all white). I probably should do it more frequently, but the idea of it is always more overwhelming than the actual work. What’s funny is that if this type of cleaning is separated into 3 or 4 activity periods of about an hour each, it’s not difficult at all, and a quick wipe with a simple wet cloth dampened with diluted liquid soap can extinguish almost every mark except paint scratches or splashed hair coloring. At the same time, you’ll get an overview of just what repair work may need done, and chances are, you’ll also have a few brainstorms along the way regarding décor changes.

Small rugs can be washed outside and rinsed with the hose, then left to dry in the shade while hanging over a chair; you would be wise to vacuum first to remove pet hairs and ground-in dirt. If your drapes can be machine washed, try to do so at least annually-you will be able to notice a distinct difference, and will feel good knowing that you’re no longer breathing in the trapped dust. Blinds should be wiped fairly often, but, if you’re like most people, this chore falls way down on a priority list, if it’s even there at all. But try to give them a decent cleaning to get off the top layer of grime, especially if you’ve gone to the trouble to wash the other window treatments.

Now how do you retain that level of almost-perfection? Keeping on a cleaning maintenance will also keep the attention on your lovely items and décor choices instead of your guests being distracted by clutter or dirt. That means making a schedule and sticking to it-or forcing your kids and spouse to abide by some parameters. Try to get your weekly cleaning routine down to a science in a way that works for you. For example, clean each room at a time or, even one floor per day…whatever you can manage. See if there’s a convenient socket so that you don’t have to keep moving your vacuum connection; it’s much easier to do an entire level in one swoop. Keep a supply of cleaning products and utensils in each powder or bathroom so you don’t have to keep toting them around.

Who wants to come home to a dirty house and be more stressed? Your abode should welcome you with organization, beauty, with favorite items out arranged to your satisfaction. When people (especially kids) clean their own mess, they will hopefully realize humility and understand accountability. When one aspect of your life is under control, you may feel empowered to take even more control in other areas; feeling like the house has the upper hand is not the best feeling to experience. Finally, think about it-when’s the last time you saw a messy, dirty room advertised in a décor magazine or showroom? No one wants to live in a museum, but the most harmonious surroundings are clean and neat as well.

Sounds Can Add to our Homes

2008-07-21T07:37:00.001-07:00

This site is primarily about the visual aspect of our homes, yet we can’t forget the audio aspect. What good is it to have a stunningly lovely home, but have our nerves be grated upon by sounds that make us want to go elsewhere?

Noise pollution is just as bad as all other kinds of tangible pollution. Do some sounds really annoy you? The other day a perturbing sound started me thinking about the relevance of why certain sounds affect certain people, and the only reason I could figure was that they touch part of our historical psychology-in other words, they remind us of past unpleasant associations. Probably psychologists have a whole realm of more technical causes, but I don’t like reminders of times when I felt bad, and I’m sure most people don’t, either. The same could be said for sounds that elevate our mood; again they are quite variable and can cover a wide range. But, some sounds bother us to such a degree that they may even be a reason for not living in a specific locale.

Some of the sounds I particularly find disquieting would definitely affect my home atmosphere, just as those I love could add to it. For example, I find the sound of a train whistle quite sad, and would never live near a track that’s still in use. The forlornness of a train whistle conjures a despair of hard times from my parents’ generation that is unexplainable, but still very real to me. I would not wish to hear neighbors play music from the 40’s, especially polkas…My grandparents would listen to such music on an old radio every Sunday, and, although my childhood was happy, such songs have always inexplicably annoyed me.

I also can’t stand Instant Message notification…you know, that aggravating “blmmmp”. Even worse are those sounds that some people install in place of that blmmmp. (One time I was near the computer and didn’t realize it was on. My daughter had just turned off the monitor but left the audio volume on “high”. As I bent over to retrieve something from the desk drawer, a loud kissing smack reverberated out of the speaker and almost gave me a heart attack.) That, to me, is noise pollution.

So, what can you do to eliminate the bad noise and add good noise into your home to put you in a better mood? And, is there any way to add to your décor while doing so? Perhaps there is, if you think long and hard and use some creativity. One very common way to block out street noise is with a machine that generates another noise, such as humidifiers, air conditioning, heating, and the like. But few want to have to resort to machinery all the time, especially if it’s not really required. “White noise” devices for bedrooms are small but effective, and bubbling fountains may be considered for use in family or living rooms. They don’t need to be the type seen in pictures of mansions; less ostentatious models are now available for the “average” homeowner. Most folks wouldn’t want to keep a television on all day, but turned to cable music stations, or using a radio set on a non-commercial station may also work in offering a pleasant layer of music to blanket the neighbors’ lawnmowers, dogs, or kids.

Don’t forget chiming clocks; grandfather clocks have been long held in esteem for their reassuring bongs every hour, but only you can decide if they would be disruptive to your sleep. Wind chimes outside a door that’s open during warm weather can add a pleasant feeling to your home, but you can also hang one on the inside, above a window, for the same effect. (These have the added benefit of being made in metal, wood, shells and other natural materials, and can be a lovely accessory to any room.)

Look around and see if anything bothers you, and do something about it. Turn off speakers if they bother you; close windows if the kids are playing ball underneath it-or open windows to hear the wind and the birds.

There are good reasons why certain monks and nuns maintain periods of silence, and why cats run away from noise and commotion. Sounds do have a way of getting to us, for good and bad reasons.

Decorating with Childhood Toys

2008-07-14T12:36:00.000-07:00

Do you still have any of your toys from childhood? And, if you have them, are they in closet somewhere, or displayed in a creative way? There is something touching about saving what was once important to you, even if you don’t have children or aren’t even planning on having children.

My parents kept some of my toys in their attic for almost 30 years. I’m glad they did; it was heartwarming to see my daughter play with them. Until age 6 or 7, my old fashioned Barbie with the puffy blond hair and Stewardess outfit did just fine. Then my daughter realized that Barbies no longer change their clothes; parents just buy more Barbies. Poor puffy haired Barbie dropped low on the totem pole behind Mermaid Barbie and the Brat doll (who didn’t even have feet). Such is the way with new inventions…

So what have I done with such remnants of my youth? Well, it’s not exactly like we’re living in a toy store, but I put some items out now and then to add a little humor, and perhaps you can adapt these ideas to do the same with your possessions.

1. If you have a child-sized chair, stash it in a corner of a room, add a cushion, and then sit a doll on top of the cushion. Young guests will be drawn to that corner, and it could add just the whimsy you may want.

2. Small animal collections, or even horse statues, might fit on one of your shelves, especially in a workroom or office. Group like materials together, such as a collection of Beanie Babies and arrange them to be all sitting up or facing the same way.

3. If you have small toy fish, you can create an underwater scene by gluing them onto poster board that’s been painted in blue and green swirls, then attaching small seashells along the bottom, and framing it. This may work well in a bathroom.

4. Two or three similar stuffed animals (either by type or color) can also add lightheartedness where you need something different. Tie strips of material around them as scarves in the winter, and let them don sunglasses in summer.

5. If you display mini-cornucopias around Thanksgiving, see how children’s plastic fruit or vegetables look when displayed in it; they may or may not be too small. Another option is to arrange the fake food in small bowls around displays of pilgrims and fall items representative of the harvest.

6. Horseshoes and old game boards can be hung on the walls of game rooms or finished basements, and blocks can be set besides standing books, like book ends.

7. If you or your child has a collection of really small novelty items, you could consider making them into refrigerator magnets. All you need is a bunch of old advertising magnets, cut into 1 or 2 inch squares, and some heavy-duty glue. Find the flattest space of each object, glue the magnet piece on, and let dry overnight.

8. Old checkerboard or chessboards can be painted over with fanciful designs to become conversation pieces.

9. Consider hanging one or two shelves just for those special objects that you would like to have within sight, but don’t want to be in the way, such as past souvenirs, flags, or trophies-even if silly.

10. Bulk a large amount of small colored balls in a jar, place a collection of different playing cards in a basket, or drop several dozen marbles into a glass vase.

11. If you have older kids, they may be amused by “toy wreaths” using items from their earlier youth, such as a forgotten collection of plastic reptiles, bugs, dinosaurs, snakes all hot-glued onto a twig-wreath.

12. Another use for old toys could be a small Christmas tree decorated with a few strings of colored lights and model cars, small plastic novelties or tiny animal statues.

Finally, as mentioned a few weeks ago, cute centerpieces can be made by using toys arranged in seasonal themes.

Add a bit of panache to your surroundings with well-loved items from the past. You may not feel like a kid again, but you may just feel wonderment at life once again.

Are You an Inside or Outside Decorator?

2008-07-07T07:25:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, it seems that many adults o fall into one category or the other when it comes to their efforts and use of free time.

Take summer, for instance-my husband rises even earlier than usual to water his garden and flowers. It would take a great deal of inspiration for me to crawl out of bed at 6 am if I did not need to, especially to stand and hold a hose. He spends countless hours in the yard growing what is available right down the street at the grocery store, and spends ridiculous amounts of money trying to enhance that which is already green. I cannot understand this. In our front yard, he spaces the flowers the same distance apart, using just the right soil ingredients, then encompasses it all within a deer fence so the results aren’t eaten. (Tomatoes still disappear nightly, but the way I see it, animals have to eat, too.) His herb garden is equally measured into sections, all neatly labeled with the specimen in progress. The yard itself is not landscaped with a retaining wall, flagstone path, fountain, bridge, pool, or any other “décor” item, but to him, it’s beautiful.

Who knows why some like fixing up their outsides and others don’t? Some people dream of having a huge yard to landscape, but I dream of moving back to a townhouse where even mowing isn’t necessary. I hate to admit it because you green thumb people will judge me negatively, but I couldn’t care less about what happens in my yard. If company is coming and I think we’ll be sitting outside, I’ll clean the furniture and sweep, and perhaps buy a pot of flowers, but that’s the extent of my time or energy.

When others rave about their excitement in watching handiwork bloom and ripen, I do feel that I’m missing an elemental joy, but it still doesn’t motivate me to start digging. People like me prefer to putter around inside. We fill our time with pursuits involving electricity while the former types prefer hobbies that take place in the great outdoors. I think that it’s ironic that men who spend hours in the heat-such as fishing and golfing-can’t stand to be without air conditioning when indoors. This is not saying that people like me spend all of their time inside when the weather beckons; it’s implying that, given a choice, we’d opt to spend energies on activities which are easier done within the comforts of four walls, soft chairs, and conveniences close at hand. We simply like to have our materials close at hand so that we can come up with our wonderful and creative results without having to fight the elements.

The focus on today’s article is that to not feel inadequate if you're surrounded by people who constitute whatever type of decorator you are not. The world needs both. A desire to work in the hot sun or humidity, getting fertilizer on one's hands and weed killer on one's feet, amounts to something. Strangers driving along (like me) often point and exclaim how pretty the landscaping and flowers look. Such efforts have the ability to brighten an entire street. Perhaps the inside of such a person's house doesn’t have the most conducive walkways, seating arrangements, or room “flow”, but residents probably sit outside on most warm evenings, anyway. Those of us who like to live inside are equally comfortable entertaining in a room that we’ve spent many hours rearranging and are just as happy gazing upon our results. Both of our “surroundings” could be considered temporary, and both take some amount of work. Both can also be the source of pride and achievement.

I thank those who give the world more beauty through their efforts in their yards and flower beds. I appreciate your improving on Mother Nature and admire your patience. It’s good that you can do something for at least part of the year that you enjoy and find fulfilling. But as for me, I decorate the inside of my house-and perhaps the front door. It may not be all I am physically capable of doing, but right now, I’ve enough to keep me very busy inside.

Worth A Thousand Words

2008-07-01T13:01:00.000-07:00

Anyone who has not had to acquire a specific painting or photograph must not have seen enough yet, for there is something about a particular visual medium that can, as they say, “take us to a better place.” Art simply makes us happy. Even babies enjoy pictures, and young toddlers try to create their own-even if it’s with an ice cream cone on a wall. We have to wonder about this innate drive to produce images, since no other living creature seems to care about doing so. (If I’m wrong, please leave a comment here so that we can all be informed.)

Probably everyone has art in their home that falls into one of three categories:
A: That which was purchased after a long-standing love affair.
B: That which was either a gift or made by a loved one.
C: That which was grabbed up because it seemed to go with the décor.
Guess which type I’m going to talk about here? Gotcha! It’s number one, not number three as you may have supposed.

It’s the art that haunts us for years that has that special significance-the painting that seems to call out for us to gaze at it every day and still find something new within its borders. Most of such art pulls us into it; perhaps we feel we’ve been there or wish we could be. Or, there’s something about the juxtaposition of light and colors that speaks to us of a happy memory. It’s when we happen upon such a piece that logic takes a back seat. Who cares if it’s too big for the hallway or it doesn’t go with the kitchen colors? Having that art, whether it’s an original, print, or copied reproduction, is all that matters. That’s when you know it has called out and chosen you, not the other way around.

Such a painting has stuck with me for years. As a young teen, I took art classes at a museum and would return every week to a painting by Albert Bierdstadt entitled
“Seal Rock”. Only recently, with the advent of so many poster and art reproduction companies, have I finally been able to get my own copy-and the enigma is still there. I know it may sound strange to have hung it in my master bath, but it seems to belong there. Since dark green waves constitute ¾ of the painting and room has a lot of dark green turquoise, it fits in on a décor level, but, reflected in the main mirror, it keeps me company during the good amount of time that I spend there getting ready. And, since I’ve always loved that painting, it’s good company. Who says you shouldn’t put paintings in a bathroom?

For me, this wonderment also holds true regarding two artists who are famous for their works depicting Paris. Christa Kieffer’s views of French evenings on the town are found in three of my rooms, and I acquired two prints by Michael Delacroix after seeing his Paris scenes displayed in the local library. In every case, it was love at first sight instead of a long term romance-but not to say the emotion was any less real. In addition, I have framed and hung holiday cards reflecting images of my city which are pleasant reminders of times past; for whatever reason, I can’t throw them away. Whether it’s the art evoking memories or my memories expressed in art is irrelevant.

Almost two years ago, I spent a weekend writing for a photographer, and it has been my favorite assignment to date. Looking at one beautiful photo after another is a great way to make a living. An affinity for photos or paintings isn’t a vice but art appreciation. Few can spend $87 million on a painting like someone did in New York back in 2006, but, in this case, price means nothing. You can buy a painting or photograph for almost nothing, yet, its value to you may be invaluable. That’s the mystery and allure of art. If you want to have certain art around you, go for it. This is one time to not worry about logistics. If it draws you in and holds you captive, you’re meant to have it in your life.

Flower Arranging Using Common Sense

2008-06-23T06:13:00.000-07:00

Most people have seen enough flower arrangements to know what looks good and what they like. Although every florist boasts a designer to create masterpieces that can take your breath away, don’t be intimidated. You, too, can achieve decent results and a fairly professional artificial flower arrangement using common sense and following a few steps. Furthermore, silk flowers are quite forgiving-if you don’t like the way they look, simply take them out of the vase or basket and try again.

First, consider the season; you’ll have the best results if you focus on the flowers that are growing at that particular time. If you plan to have the arrangement displayed throughout the year, choose those that are almost always available, such as roses or carnations. This will go a long way with color as well; you won’t see too many blues or yellows in the northeast during winter, but oranges and rusts replicate autumn perfectly. The goal is to take nature’s lead, since she usually knows best. Think about what grows when, and with what, and you’ll have some idea of where to start. (For example, holly berries and pine are partners in December, but lilacs don’t bloom at the same time as pussy willows.)

Second, consider the size of your chosen sprigs and hold them up to your available containers. Using the analogy of a lady wearing a hat, a very large woman with big hair probably wouldn’t look good with a teeny cap, just as a petite gal would be overwhelmed with a monster-sized ten gallon cowboy hat. Your vase is the person and the flowers are the cap; they should be comfortable with each other. The range of the flowers' height and width should be somewhat close to that of their containers for the most harmonious effect.

Third, you may wish to use florist’s foam or Styrofoam to anchor your stems so that they stay put for several weeks-even if they'll be in a vase. Styrofoam blocks can be cut using a kitchen knife, and they can withstand many uses. Once they’re filled with holes from flower stems, however, it’s time to throw them away, as they’ll be of little use. If you’re using a basket, set the Styrofoam inside to see how high up it goes. If it’s too low, place something underneath, such as a small empty plastic container, an unused book, or anything else that provides the desired height. If the foam is too high, you can cut its depth.

Fourth, secure the foam in your container so that it’s not movable-if you must use two pieces, secure by connecting with a few toothpicks. Start with one type or one color of flower, placing those around the parameter and inside that parameter in a fairly symmetrical pattern. Followed up with another color or type in the same way, until you no longer see the foam. Remember two things: You don’t need tons of flowers to do this; the first tip is to bend wire stems and fluff out petals to fill up space. The second tip is to add bits of greenery here and there to eliminate empty patches. Voila!

There are a few other considerations that may make this more user-friendly. Keep in mind that stores such as Michaels or Joanne Fabrics often have wonderful sales and coupons when you can purchase large bouquets of silk leaves and flowers. If you’re on a budget, stock up and then snip apart the bouquets. You’ll be left with a lot flowers and leaves at your disposal to mix and match in different arrangements, and it’s much cheaper than buying single stems of silk posies. (Some may be a little difficult to separate, but using pliers, bend the stems back and forth repeatedly, and you’ll have success.)

When you think your arrangement is getting dusty, a spray of water from a spritzer used for real plants will allow the blooms to sparkle again. Finally, once a silken flower begins to fall apart, pull it off its stem and throw it away, but save the stem. You’ll find use for it in the future, for those flowers whose stems may have broken or separated from the wire, or for extra flowers on existing stems that you wish to have their own stems.

Hopefully, these tips will help you create a flower arrangement that is truly one of a kind, yet looks like it is a professional work of art!

Considerations When Rearranging a Room

2008-06-16T13:26:00.001-07:00

Some folks rarely, if ever, move furniture around. Others, like me, seem to have to do it every three or four months, in accordance with the seasons. After so many years, I’ve come up with a few parameters that seem to apply in every case, which just may help some of you who don’t normally rearrange, but are considering it. These tips may save you aggravation in terms of wasted time or energy.

First, consider the season if you don’t live in an area that’s the same all year. Those who must bear cold winters should try to keep beds and couches away from windows during that time unless you’ve covered windows with dressings of blinds, then sheers, then insulated drapes. Equally important is not covering up the heating vents, which always seem to be exactly where you’d like a heavy piece of furniture to be placed. You may luck out if the furniture doesn’t sit directly on the floor, but still, be careful that the heat won’t get blocked by floor-length drapes. In the summer, the same reasoning applies if you’re a big fan of air conditioning. If not, and you know that you’ll often be opening and closing windows, make sure that you can easily reach the windows without having to bend over, or squeeze behind, something else to get to them. You also don’t want to place anything that may easily be bleached by sunlight directly under a window. (Even some flooring and rugs are somewhat susceptible.)

Next, think about your electrical connections and have extension cords available; in all likelihood, especially if you don’t have an overhead light fixture and the main table light is controlled by a switch. The same goes for the complex computer station and cable television connections-it may be a serious undertaking to relocate that equipment. An alternative could be to switch the desk or TV to face another direction, or buy longer cables. Nothing is impossible, but dealing with wiring is rarely easy.

Are there items that no longer fit in your space after rearranging, in terms aesthetic or practical? Well, that happens. Of course, the answer is to put them in another room, but if that’s not feasible, don’t lose hope. Stash smaller things under a table that may be covered with a long cloth, or stack them; use vertical-instead of horizontal-space. Don’t forget unused spaces such as closet floors, high shelves, or even under-bed areas for small and flat accessories.

You will probably find that you may need to re-hang some wall art, or change it completely; it’s not as hard as you think, and you’ll be glad you made the effort. If you are changing colors, you could go all out with a new paint job, or you can just change bed linens, furniture covers, window treatments, accessories, and the like.

You probably already have 99.9% of what you might need; the trick is to dig through your stuff to find what can clearly convey your idea of what your new space should convey. For example, if you like music, you can clear out a lot of miscellaneous things from a room, and focus of those things musical: framed sheet music, wall hangings of music notes, displays of instruments, and pictures of famous musicians. (If you’re a pianist, you may even want to pepper your space with items that are predominantly white and black.) Almost any hobby can be emphasized by displaying your accoutrements. Using the main color theme of your focal point, plan your other colors…the simplest example could be displaying a little girl’s pink and white tutu and pink ballet shoes, then removing items in other colors, save for those which are pink and white (stuffed animals, dolls, boxes, etc) or dance-related.

Changing window coverings gives a lift to a room, and it’s smart to use lighter curtains up in the summer and heavier ones in the winter. Keep in mind which direction you will now be facing upon awakening; you may just room darkening window treatments if you’ll be facing east and sleeping past sunrise.

Rearranging may take a few hours until you’re satisfied, but the hours of pleasure you’ll have for the next few months will definitely be worth the time investment. You may just feel like you’re living in a new-and better-place!

Centerpiece Ideas

2008-06-09T10:45:00.000-07:00

When it comes to centerpieces, don’t let yourself be boxed in by any preconceived notion of how it fit into certain parameters. In fact, placing something in the middle of your table is one area where you can allow your imagination to take issue with rules, expectations, and even the rest of your décor!

At this point in my life, thinking back over some of my centerpieces, I wish I would have taken pictures; there were some I truly enjoyed. But one of the greatest things about centerpieces is that they can be timeless and displayed for as short or as long as you’d like. They can also be given as gifts, copied for others, and taken apart and the components used elsewhere-just like they can be created in the same way. There’s no big amount of time or money commitment with a centerpiece; in fact, some holiday ones can even be kept in storage and used year after year. Centerpieces are one of those decorating dreams that give a lot and rarely take much.

If you’re lucky enough to have both a kitchen table and a dining room table, you may want to use a larger, more elaborate centerpiece in the dining room, even if it won’t be seen by as many casual guests. You’ll see it every time you walk past the room, and it will bring you a jolt of pride. Plus, it won’t get damaged from being jostled three times a day and will make eating there even more special. In the less formal surroundings of the kitchen, your centerpiece may need to be smaller to coincide with the size of the table, but try to have one that can be easily moved for those times that your meal takes more room. (It’s quite annoying to hear someone complaining to “move that thing out of the way” after you’ve spent your creative energies to produce it.) If your regular dining companions don’t like to have anything but their meal on the table, you can still make the table look festive with an attractive covering, runners or placemats, and a decorative napkin holder and salt/pepper shakers grouped with a pair of candles. Make a larger arrangement to keep on the table between meals, or place it on a kitchen center island or the center of anything, such as coffee table, end table, shelving, mantel, etc.-after all, who says a centerpiece has to be on the center of an eating surface?

It’s probably easier to jumpstart creative juices on the holidays, when there is an abundance of novelty items. One of the simplest ways to define a centerpiece base is with a large placemat or folded cloth, preferably in a seasonal color or design. On top of that, a good start is either one large central item, or two large items on either end. This tends to offer a sense of the arrangement having stability. These can be surrounded by smaller items which support the theme-but stop before it looks like a sidewalk sale. An example may be a red basket filled with pine boughs in the center of a white base, with a pair of red candles in tall brass candlesticks slightly behind on one side, a small holiday figurine slightly in front on the other side, and the entire display asymmetrically encircled with garland, in which small red, white and gold bows or ornaments are placed. It’s simple, elegant, and somewhat whimsical, while cohesively conveying the nature of the season.

Think of the defining aspects of the holiday or season for item ideas…New Year’s Eve can use champagne glasses with spirals of curled ribbon falling out of them, surrounded by confetti and noise makers. In summer, think small flags, brightly-wrapped sparklers, and pinwheels protruding from clever containers. Birthday centerpieces can include weighted balloons, novelty artificial cakes, or even large “number” candles stuck in a pot of greenery, flowers or sand. Try to have a consistent color pattern between the base and the items, and everything should connect.

For special occasions, use something representational for the celebration, such as a small trophy, a graduation cap set on an elevated base, or a large photo of the happy couple-you get the idea. Flowers make do make nice centerpieces, but there’s so much more that can make your table one that will be remembered. Have fun with your centerpieces, and a hum-drum meal just might seem a bit more festive!

A Few Novel Decorating Ideas

2008-06-02T11:26:00.001-07:00

Thanks to my favorite designer, Dorothy Draper, I’d like to share a few tips on some innovative decorating ideas. Now mind you, these are contained in one of her books published in the 1960’s, which goes to show you that cleverness and creativity never go out of style as the years pass.

1. If you have a young son, daughter, niece, nephew, or grandchild, you just may be the recipient of some lovely original artwork. One way to display it is to frame some of the smaller ones, or crop, cut and mat them (if the artist won’t mind) and hang them on a large piece of driftwood. If the child has a lot of certificates from school or clubs, or even pins from scouts, you can mount those as well on backing and attach those as well. When guests admire it, you can inform them it’s your “family tree” of accomplishments.

2. Should a beach chair, patio bench or chaise lounge find itself sitting unused in the basement, try throwing a colorful cover over it, and/or pads and pillows, before adding it to a game room. If the rest of the décor is fun, this un-thought of piece will add a bit of whimsy.

3. Instead of always looking for vases for fresh cut or silk flowers, try placing them in earthenware pitchers, small flower pots painted white, or even large, empty cans (with labeling removed and a pretty cloth going half way up, secured with a rubber band that’s hidden by the top of the material hanging down.)

4. Should you be tiring on an old, plain headboard, try placing a high row of narrow, open shelves behind the bed. (If they can be adjusted to different heights, it’s even better.) You can thus place your radio, tissues, etc. immediately behind you and a lamp to the side, then use the upper areas to display knickknacks, photos, or other lightweight items. Move your headboard and night stands to another room for a short change of pace. Remember that if you like to read in bed, it’s wise to invest in one of those support pillows to be comfortable, especially with this arrangement.

5. Some inexpensive ways to add cheer to a room could include buying new knobs for your cabinets, dresser, or armoire, filling apothecary jars with colored candies or brightly wrapped snacks, adding bright white kitchen curtains, hanging a flowered, extra large towel wide upon a towel rack, or even painting an old item an uplifting color.

6. You may have a piece of glass on top of a coffee table or end table, or other surface. If so, you can make the base underneath serve a purpose by laying special items under the glass in an attractive display. Some suggestions may follow themes such as family (photos, art work, family tree diagrams, etc.) vacation (photos, pictures from brochures, maps, etc.) achievements (recital programs, certificates, etc.), and anything else that may hold sentimental importance to you. As long as you arrange the items with thought for an interesting layout, it will be a striking conversation piece for family and friends for as long as you’d like.

7. While you may enjoy your current kitchen window treatment, for a change you can try a roll-down bamboo covering for a fresh and tropical look that keeps out light and heat.

8. For a sizeable amount of pictures in a room with a distinct color scheme, you can gain cohesiveness by either using frames of the same neutral color, or mats of the same, neutral color. If, instead, the room is neutral, you can jazz it up by adding mats or frames in the same bright color (chose one that’s most appealing to you, and stick with it) or, if you’re creative, buy white mats and added dabs of colored paint to all of them in a consistent manner, or cover them with brightly patterned contact paper.

9. For a sophisticated change, make identical book covers for all displayed books, either out of wallpaper, contact paper, or even sturdy material.

Let me know if you try any of these suggestions, and how they worked for you!

Mantels-And What to Do With Them

2008-05-19T06:30:00.000-07:00

Mantels are one of those funny things: you really don’t need them (or the fireplace below them, actually) but if you buy a house that has one, it becomes a decorating focal point. For almost 40 years I lived quite well without a mantel, but once I acquired one, I suddenly had the chance to do all those things with it I’d seen in magazines. Some ideas have worked better than others, but I’ll share some of them and perhaps you can also add your own.

We probably all have vague memories of grandparents’ old houses with a big mirror on top of the fireplace; in my relative’s case, they also had some knickknacks on their mantel. I don’t think they varied them from year to year (except, perhaps to add Christmas decorations every December) but it seemed to me that their mantel was rather under-appreciated. So, since I first received my mantel in the month of November, I decided to place all of my Thanksgiving pilgrims and turkeys along its length, like little soldiers in formation. Nope; that didn’t look right at all. A little rearranging showed that many mantel piece items look much better-and more important-with groupings. Another finding was that seasonal items seem to gain panache when also grouped with candles that pick up the main colors. Whether you plan on lighting them or not, a group of pink candles against your white walls, in the midst of pastel Easter flowers and bunnies, looks so much better than standing on their own at the far ends of the mantel. In fact, anything at the far reaches of the ledge looks rather lonely, even if your pattern is symmetrical; it’s much more harmonious to leave a bit of space between a decoration and the end of the mantel.

What if you aren’t interested in the traditional candles, statues and knickknacks on your mantel? There are countless options that still look classic, elegant or whimsical, depending on your mood and/or general décor. Model ships, small baskets filled with flowers or greenery, small plants, glass vases filled with sea shells, colored stones or marbles, bud vases, ginger jars, small boxes, plates, bowls, wooden sculptures and personal collections add zest to any boring mantel.

Right now, in the center of my mantel is a pink and white flower arrangement in a pink wicker vase that my daughter made in tech-ed. It’s flanked on either side by three brass candleholders holding white candles, next to a grouping of photos in similar white and pink frames. It’s symmetrical over all, but because I’ve placed the individual items differently, there is a difference between the two sides which I like.

In the past, I’ve truly loved the look of many mantel arrangements, but the longest I’ve kept any has been about two months-after that, I feel a change is due. One of my favorites happened to be at Christmas, when I placed small trees (trimmed with red bows and gold and white ribbons), at either end. With a display of red and white candles in high brass candlesticks in the center, and surrounded by swags of pine boughs, the look was cheery and could be easily adapted for Valentine’s Day by removing the trees and boughs and adding vases of red, white and pink roses.

Some folks like to add paintings or other art above their mantel, as I have, but the colors may clash with your mantelpiece choices-so if such a thing bothers you, be discriminating. Luckily, my prints have enough colors so I don’t have too much of a problem, but you can picture how autumn décor may conflict against a background painting filled with pink pastels, especially if that’s the first thing you see upon entering a family or living room.

Probably the worst thing a person could do with their mantel is to leave it totally empty, or stick one solitary small object in the center. Look around for prized possessions that match your room décor, trial different placements, and keep what appeals.

If you make good use of your luck in having a mantel, you will be rewarded by the lift it gives you every time you walk into the room and gaze upon it.

Oriental Rug Musings

2008-05-12T06:41:00.000-07:00

Do you own any “oriental” rugs? I like to refer to those intricate and colorful creations as “oriental”, even though their home may be only as far east as New York. In fact, I’m annoyed by those who feel that, unless such a rug is dozens of year old and thousands of dollars, it shouldn’t be referred to by that name.

When I had my first apartment at age 23, I bought a lovely black and gold oriental rug at a retail store for what was a lot of money to me back then. One night, I a date took me home, and he looked at the rug and actually sneered, “That’s not a real oriental rug.” Needless to say, he didn’t visit long, and never again. As years went by, I bought another one but after even more years (and a few cats clawing at them), I cut the fringes off. The way I saw it, the rugs were pretty old by, and I figured the change may help. They looked OK, but I moved them upstairs and thus began a period without any oriental rugs on the main floor.

But I suffered from oriental rug withdrawal. So, you can’t blame me when, while at a home supply outlet to buy light bulbs, I spied another beautiful black-background creation and snatched it up. Again, it didn’t come from the Far East, but it was good enough for me. (By this time, my other two rugs were long gone, and I saw this one as the second generation.) My first thought was to put it under my dining room table on the hardwood floor, but it wasn’t quite large enough. Then I put it in the foyer, but hated the thought of everyone wiping their shoes on it. Placing it under the kitchen table wouldn’t work, either, since I have rolling chairs. So, I decided to rebel against Design 101 and lay it on top of my existing Berber carpet in the family room, with a large, round, wicker coffee table on top. The primary colors are perfect with the room, and the black background stabilizes the entire setting. (I never liked that Berber anyway.) My point here is that if you fall in love with an oriental rug, don’t feel that you can’t buy it just because you have no open, uncarpeted space. It obviously isn’t necessary when you already have carpeting, but if it adds something to the space, and you like looking at it, so what?

With a colorful oriental rug, it’s obviously best to have neutral colors of furniture and paint, or a monochromatic match of furniture and paint in a color that’s found in the rug. (How soothing would it be to always see a red, blue and gold rug against a gold couch, blue armchairs, and yellow walls? Even though the main colors are duplicated, it’s still a hodge podge.) Neutral colors will allow you to add accessories in the same colors found in the rug for cohesiveness.

Also, patterns can be used with even “busy” oriental designs, if they’re small and not too colorful. If you just can’t part with your flowered sofa, you can invest in plain furniture covers for about $100. Or, you can look for a rug that’s minimal in design, but possessing the same colors as your couch, and be analytical about the rest of the room. For example, my couch and love seat are a turquoise, pink and gold tapestry print and I’ve a turquoise armchair, black entertainment area, and light gold walls. The rug, as mentioned, is black, with scrolls of turquoise, pink and gold. I have no pillows other than those that match my set; my lamps candlesticks, vases, etc. are brass or very neutral, and my tables are natural wicker. My rug still commands attention, but in harmony with everything else.

If you’d like oriental carpets in your kitchen but hate the price, here’s another tip: go to a home supply outlet and check out long oriental runners, then cut in half or thirds with heavy-duty shears or knives. You won’t have fringes, but you’ll still have a luxurious look.

It may take some time and planning, but I’m sure you can achieve success in your goal of enjoying oriental elegance.

Little Details Mean a Lot

2008-05-05T06:17:00.000-07:00

If you’re like most people, you may not realize which details to consider when it comes to décor, so perhaps this will help.

First, forget the idea that if something is good, more has to be better. On the contrary, too many knickknacks, or too much of any one thing, is detrimental. No one item should overtake any room. That means one of three things: either create small groups of your collectibles and keep rotating them throughout the year, get rid of what no longer has meaning, or try to place like items in a group, to decrease the appearance of their number. Don’t forget to leave some “blank” space around, with nothing on a few feet of shelf space, or a corner left fairly open; the eye will need some place on which to rest where it’s not inundated with viewing numerous small items.

Next, consider cohesiveness among your belongings. It’s all well and good to have eclectic taste, but try to go for a basic theme in each room, whether it’s color, style, material, etc. For example, you may try to use all wicker furniture, tables, baskets and such in one area, or transfer all of your green pillows to a room with predominant green hues. This serves two purposes: it immediately offers a more restful and organized image to a space, and makes it appear that a good deal of thought went into the individual purchases.

Another thing to keep in mind is that, regardless of your color scheme, it’s always necessary to have just a few touches of black and white in any room. This does not mean a white couch or black coffee table; this purpose can be served by using stark white candles, white silk flowers, an ebony vase, black picture frames-you get the idea. These two “colors” serve like salt and pepper in food; they add just a hint of spice. Black will seem to stabilize the area while white adds a spark. You may also find that employing shiny metal, in moderation, adds just that glint that you may need, such as copper wall decorations, brass votives, shiny silver statuettes-whatever catches the light can add a great deal with a minor investment. Some designers feel that at least one mirror should be used in a room to reflect back lighting; just make sure it’s not so high that the average person’s head gets chopped off at the bottom. These few details make the most of any color theme.

Speaking of color, some people like maintain a one hued palette, while others prefer to use two or three colors. Obviously, this is a personal preference, but remember that no one is forcing you to keep the same look forever. If you like a monochromatic décor, fine, but every so often, jazz it up with small contrasting accessories, like pillows, vases, throws, rugs, candy dishes, etc. If your room is currently based on, say, blue, yellow and green, take out, or replace one of the colors every so often for a whole new look. (Don’t forget flowers or plants; they add color while contributing to the very necessary feeling of bringing nature indoors.) With some thought, you can even obtain a very fun and colorful look from a fairly basic room without spending a lot of money. For example, say you have a room in blues and whites. You could incorporate aqua and green, with perhaps a touch of yellow. These colors may already exist in other rugs, lamps, pillows, blankets, picture mats, or candles. Look for inexpensive prints displaying those same colors in tropical undersea life or beachscapes. Add a dish or vase filled with seashells, perhaps some family pictures from a seashore vacation, a few other beach or nautical accessories, and voila! You’ve got a new room with a definite feeling of creative design. (Of course, this means taking out the stuff in other colors that was in the room in the first place, but the beauty of decorating is that nothing is cast in stone forever.)

It is always exhilarating to have new surroundings, especially when it’s still home sweet home. You just need to keep an eye on details.

A Chair Can Be a Work of Art

2008-04-28T07:51:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, home décor items are simply too pretty to use. For example, furniture is meant to be practical, but it’s still difficult to picture an outstanding piece withstanding the onslaughts of daily use. However, every so often, eye-catching furniture appears that people actually want to utilize, even at a high-end price. Inherent properties are aptly put to use by clever design, resulting in the item becoming more than just an ornament.

Take, for example, a chair available by ABC Carpet and Home. The inventor probably aimed for a finished product that was unique, but still perfectly adaptable to almost any environment. He or she also, in all likelihood, wished to provide a safe and user-friendly functionality while blending artistry pleasing to the eye. But, since millions of chairs already fit that description, what would make this particular one stand out from the competition?

The creator thus started by considering the chair’s basic use, with the realization that the best designs allowed easy access and just the right amount of cushioning. The decision was made to offer a wide, square seat and chair back of the equal dimensions, with no arms. This appears to be a wise choice, as such parameters can accommodate individuals of all sizes and shape, while still providing adequate back support. Keeping with a fairly bared-down body, the designer was then faced with question of chair legs. With this preliminary look, a typical base could easily duplicate it the look of a standard office chair, which is not something a high-end user prefers in their environment. The problem was solved with conceptual thinking that became as important as the chair’s upholstery…

The designer opted to repeat the square pattern reflected in the seat and back components, but with a strip of narrow, silver tubing. This became the base that rests on the floor, visually providing the sense of a firm and secure foundation, but without any heaviness or bulk. The lightness is compounded by the fact that the two ends of the tubing, in the rear, reach up and connect to the chair bottom. Lest anyone think this is an engineering impossibility, the designer employed a stroke of brilliance: he or she brought the tubing forward, with a slight leaning to one side, then leaned it back again, before attaching it to the exact middle of the chair bottom. The concept of streamlining, blended with a visual optical illusion, would make anyone rush to sit on it, if only to see if it feels like a “regular” chair.

But that’s not all. What kind of material should a designer use with a chair like this, with a goal towards ultimate versatility? Leather is common; high gloss would designate it to modernism, and wood wouldn’t be fanciful enough to match the playfulness of the base. Here is where true ingenuity took over…The creator researched the world for textures exhibiting durability, color-resistance and a plush, exotic comfort. These traits were found in the ancient art of suzani, a Pakistani style of embroidery done in conjunction with raised needlework. Suzani replicates mosaics in the sense of deep colors inside defined areas, which in turn contribute to a symmetrical pattern. Since its main purpose has been for wall tapestries, suzani was probably never used in a chair until now, but appears to work perfectly. With an eastern motif of flowers and sunbursts on the chair back, and similarly patterned, but different sized striping along the sides, the look is total cohesion. The addition of swirling, abstract designs on the seat commands attention with the boldness that comes from knowing that repetitiveness isn’t always necessary for sophistication. In the colors of wine, gold, burgundy and fuchsia, this chair is bright and elegant, but still a tad whimsical. The end result is not so unusual that most folks would shy away, but different enough to attract those who already own what’s currently manufactured.

To make full use of the creative process, it never hurts to do what this chair designer did: Consider every aspect of the job and question how each component can be made to reach the final goal. The concept behind most designs is usually good; doing research into structure and materials, and combining that knowledge with sensuously appealing touches, will help that concept succeed.

More About Feng Shui

2008-04-21T07:11:00.000-07:00

Last week, I alluded to Feng Shui, an ancient eastern method of living in harmony with the environment and all healthful energies. It’s more than just a new-age fad, and it’s encouraging that it’s being discovered by today’s western society.

There are thousands of books and guides to this art, but research may be daunting at first. That’s because there are several schools of thought on the subject. Feng Shui can focus on compass directions, symbols, object placement, colors, or methods based on the bagua, an 8 sided shape. Most schools combine teachings, as well.

It is believed by those who practice Feng Shui that the area one inhabits can be beneficial or detrimental, and it teaches how to optimize the positive in order for necessary energies for peace and achievement to flow freely. When a person feels unexplained stress, anxiety or inattention when in a particular space, there could be many factors, according to Feng Shui. It could be do to a lot of clutter and disorganization, which distracts from the task at hand, or because the room is either too energizing or relaxing for its main purpose. In Feng Shui, these contrasting modes are referred to as yin and yang.

Yin is the environment for quiet relaxation and contemplation, such as in bedrooms or dens. It is best exemplified with the furniture against walls, low ceilings, carpeting, solid materials, muted colors, and specific lighting. Such décor would not be best for any place geared to quick action, fast results, or with an emphasis on efficiency. Yang is lively and conducive to movement, displayed in freestanding furniture, windows with depth of views, high ceilings, skylights, ceramic or wood floors, patterned material, intense lighting, and bright colors. Placing such amenities in a kitchen would be much better than having them in a restless child’s room. However, the ideal is to combine a bit of the contrasting element in any given area to provide some balance, as in life.

More complicated is the school utilizing compass directions. Basically, the theory is that the strength of each direction is positive for certain aspects of life. Much of this is connected to the favorable compass directions of elements, which, in turn, have anm unrecognizable but natural affect on peoplel. As an example, constructing a bathroom where it would coincide with a water element direction would be favorable for the aspect of life represented by that part of the house. It could also mean placing plants and wicker in “wood” areas, hanging pots in “metal” areas, candles in “fire” areas, and pottery in “earth” areas of rooms to attract good energies (and good fortune). Taken further, this application could involve moving one’s bed to the optimum location for better sleep, or repositioning a desk to face one’s “lucky” direction. These compass methods usually work in conjunction with the bagua, an octagon visualization of one’s home into 8 equal and distinct areas, with each relating to a component in life. Very simply put as an example, one’s “wealth” area (the southeast corner of the house) might happen to be their office. Therefore, to maximize money opportunities, certain decor should be used in the room that support the direction, such as greens, browns, woods and water.

However, the most fun Feng Shui applications are the study of particular items’ placement. Although they may seem to be purely whimsical, all have a basis in either elemental or color connections. Some examples would be: a picture of oranges and peaches in the kitchen, a dragon statue near the kitchen sink, a horse statue in an office, or a “wall of accomplishment” on a person's left as they enter their bedroom.

Feng Shui covers a multitude of other helpful and reasonable décor ideas, such as providing right-angled seating, live plants near computers (to balance electro-magnetic frequencies), creating a path to the hub of the house, and employing means of creating a welcoming exterior. It’s also very practical, like not placing shelves above sitting or sleeping areas, making hallways as light as possible, and not sitting with one’s back to a door.

Reading anything about Feng Shui can’t help but motivate a person to start ridding themselves of anything old and broken, and shifting what’s left to most auspicious locations! Feng Shui is never boring, and is actually quite intriguing. It may just open up many new decor opportunities!

Alternative Uses for Sheets, Drapes and Tablecloths

2008-04-14T06:59:00.000-07:00

If you’ve never realized that all sheets, drapes (and even tablecloths) are just pieces of cloth that can serve your needs in unique ways, you’ve probably never looked at them creatively. If you ever find yourself stumped with a décor problem, you may find the answer right in your linen closet.

Throughout the years, I’ve found numerous uses for these items, and have actually received compliments from folks who’ve said to the effect that the ideas were “clever”. Actually, I wasn’t trying to “clever”; I just wanted either color or style co-ordination, and sheets, drapes and tablecloths often provided enough material.

Just today I was thinking about my master bedroom, and realized that changes were needed. Since I started researching Feng Shui, I’ve been learning a lot about the use of color. My last article here on Décor Blog touched on Dorothy Draper’s view that colors should be clear and bright (actually copying the coordination of nature) and I’ve followed her advice for years. However, I misunderstood when it came to my master bedroom. I have wall to wall carpeting in fire engine red, with white walls, white bedspread, gold curtains, and a king size wall unit in medium cherry wood with gold, oriental etchings-in addition to a huge headboard mirror and windows on 2 sides. Yikes-talk about bright! No wonder I’d had problems sleeping; according to Feng Shui, the room is filled with yang energy (exciting and energizing), which is definitely not conducive to rest. The way to remedy it is to ground it with more yin energy to promote restfulness and an environment to slow down. This is achieved with cushioning, fabrics, soft textures, more subdued colors, more filling of space, fewer sharp shapes (such as triangles, diamonds or pyramids) and a slew of other aspects (which I’ll save for a Feng Shui article).

So, I grabbed extra gold curtains and folded one to fit on the headboard ledge, softening not only the appearance of bare wood but the mirror image of it. The other I used to cover my armoir. Then I closed all 3 window curtains slightly to diffuse some of the bright light. I removed all items with red, such as a flower arrangement and a few decorative boxes. Then I pulled out a double sized comforter in dark blue and gold and threw it over the spread. Since it was part of a set, I then took the fitted matching sheet and covered my sitting chair with it. One extra pillow case covered a square pillow which then was placed in the middle of the bed, and the other was folded, and placed on top of the gold headboard covering. (On top of that, I added some gold knickknacks previously in another room.) Last, I took the flat matching sheet and covered a side table, placing on it two pairs of gold candelsticks with white candles, and now the room feels more low-toned and softer, but still cohesive. (Feng Shui suggests using pairs of items in a couple's bedroom, instead of singles or trios.) All I need is either a matching navy rug or one with blue and gold to tone down the expanse of red rug and I’ll be set.

In the past, I’ve taken lovely, pastel flowered sheets, drapes or curtains and draped them over small nails above a bed as wall hangings. I’ve utilized pillow cases as decorator pillow covers against my daughter’s white spread, and plain colored sheets as swags over patterned drapes. Any of these cloths can also be table top coverings when the room needed a bit more color. In fact, for Easter, I folded a bright yellow sheet into a diamond shape, placed it in the middle of an ivory table cloth, and set upon it a centerpiece arrangement of small baskets of yellow daffodils and white carnations.

Even furniture covers can be used once you tire of their original use. They’re large enough that they can be folded to cover large spaces (such as a computer workstation) or used for chair cushions, curtains, or any of the uses mentioned above.

Let this be not only a motivation to take a good look at possible uses of your existing linens, and as a reminder to not throw such good material away too soon-you never know when it will come in handy.

A Designer Ahead of Her Time

2008-04-07T07:05:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard of Dorothy Draper? She was a well-known designer who styled many New York establishments in the mid twentieth century, and who is probably most famous for her renovation of the Greenbrier in West Virginia. Even though she did most of her work over 30 years ago, her concepts are still as fresh and exciting as they were when first introduced. Let me share with you my reactions to Ms. Draper’s work; it may just motivate you to do some research yourself to see if you can implement some of her ideas in your own space.

Years back I had the privilege of visiting the Greenbrier with my husband, who was there for a business seminar. Not having ever visited West Virginia, I imagined a homey, country-setting type of lodge, especially because the first night we were invited to a “Hoe Down Square Dance” in one of the meeting rooms. I never expected to pull up to what looked like a slightly smaller version of the nation’s White House, complete with 5 story columns stretching across the front, with carved archways and formal gardens gracing the front lawn. Little did I know I “ain’t seen nothing yet.”

The inside of the Greenbrier literally took my breath away. I’d traipse from room to room in awe, camera in hand, mesmerized with the décor. At some point, I heard the story of Dorothy Draper and became a fan. When I returned home, it so happened I visited a small town library and came across a book she had written in 1965 entitled “365 Shortcuts to Home Decorating”, and signed it out immediately. When my 3 weeks were up, I returned and asked if I could buy it from them. That stumped the clerks; apparently no one had ever asked them that before. The consensus was that I could buy it, once they figured out what to charge. I think I got it for a couple of dollars, but it’s worth about 25 times that, at least to me. I’m not a book collector, and seldom read anything more than once, but I’ve read this at least 4 times, and still refer to it.

The Greenbrier is actually a very high end, luxury resort that was once the summer getaway of the rich and famous. It was built around white sulphur springs (the city is actually named that) that supposedly had healing properties. Allow me to describe some of the rooms:

Imagine two double beds with snow white spreads against a wallpaper of white background with clumps of red flowers and lots of green leaves. The same green is seen in the carpeting and one quilt on each bed, and the same tone of red is seen in another quilt on each bed as well. There are two benches and one chair cushioned in white upholstery, with one bright red, cushy armchair.

A suite’s sitting room is outfitted with a bright red rug and a matching, curved sofa. On this red sofa sit pillows in black and white pattern. A black lacquered coffee table separates the couch from a blue divan with red pillows, while 2 armchairs upholstered in red, blue, white and yellow sit between the couches. Against the muted navy wallpaper sits a white armchair and anther black lacquered one, while white sheers and the same red, blue, white and yellow chair pattern is found in drape material. In the middle of the coffee table sits a huge arrangement of mixed yellow flowers.

Or, imagine an entryway with oversized black and white checkerboard flooring tiles, up against white waist coating, topped by 7 feet of bright red wallpaper. The doors, thresholds, crown molding and ceiling are all glistening white. A bench upholstered in yellow satin, and a small chandelier above a cherry wood side table adds to the grandeur.

You can see that one of Ms. Draper’s trademarks is to offer surprising mixes of colors that are clear, strong, and exactly matching or contrasting. Over the next few weeks I’ll bring more of her concepts to you through this site (along with others, of course!) so that you can see for yourself that classic decorating concepts will always stand the test of time.

Non-Artists Can Create Wall Hangings

2008-03-31T06:58:00.000-07:00

One day, you may get the urge to decorate a wall with something other than a mirror or photo collage. You could run to Kmart, Michaels or a department store and find a fairly decent still life or nature scene, but it’s probably already owned by several hundred other folks. Or, you could visit an art festival, gallery, or go online and purchase a print and have it expertly framed, but that takes time-and money. But, you may still not have something that identifies you or fits into your décor. The choice is simple: do it yourself.

Most people respond that they “can’t even draw a straight line.” Yet, most art does not rely on straight lines. Plus, if you mess up, no one will know because they’ve no idea what you intended, anyway. Making a wall hanging shouldn’t take more than a few hours or a few purchases.

First, look at the wall space and determine just how big of a hanging you need. Most folks think that a large space needs a large piece of art, but, that’s not always what may be best, for your taste. There could be a space that just screams for something to fill it up, or there could be something else hanging further down the wall that you may not wish to have as competition. It all depends on how you visualize your wall in terms of coverage. Once that’s determined, find an appropriately sized canvas panel, a prepared canvas with sides around it, or a piece of heavy cardboard,. (It doesn’t matter what printing or color is on cardboard because you’re going to cover it with paint anyway.)

Next, decide what colors would be best for the room. Again, this is very personal, but a good rule of thumb is to choose 3 colors, 2 of which may be found in the paint or wallpaper, rugs, or upholstery. Apply the “base” (normally the darkest color) over the surface of your canvas or cardboard and let dry. This can be done with spray paint, or applied with sponges or wide brushes. Small bottles of acrylic paints from craft stores work fine, are inexpensive, and contain enough to last through many more projects.

Third, take one of your other colors and dab it over the base-you can use wadded-up newspapers for this, adding as much or as little as you’d like, but making sure what you do add is relatively uniform in coverage. While this is still damp, take the third color and either drip on in little squiggles or globs, or flick a loaded paintbrush with your fingers for a sprayed effect. (This isn’t as messy as it sounds, but make sure your work area has newspaper under the artwork and you’re wearing old clothes.) Variations are fine, and actually preferred, as they’ll make the piece look interesting. The colors will blend as they dry, and if you stand your piece on its end, the colors may even be wet enough to drip down for another effect. Let it dry thoroughly.

Fourth, if you like the abstract look that you’ve achieved, you can quit. But you may wish to add something more. This is where colored, moldable clay comes in, the kind that never gets hard. Squeeze off hunks of clay and roll them into long, skinny, jelly-roll forms. If you wish different colors, simply break off pieces and blend them by rolling together. (You’ll have long tubes of clay that are predominantly one color, swirled with one or more colors) These strips can be pushed onto the canvas or cardboard foundation in any design imaginable. You can create modernistic designs (squiggles, swirls or curlicues), realistic shapes (like stars, hearts or sunbursts), spell out family member’s names, or even a simple line drawing that appeals to you. Once properly positioned and meeting with your approval, a little regular glue will help keep the clay strips anchored.

Superglue a wall hanger or thick “washer” to the back and it’s ready to hang. When you get bored, add or remove clay strips, or add more paint. This is your art, and as such, it can grow and change as you do.

Where Did I Put That? (The Need for Organizers)

2008-03-25T10:08:00.001-07:00

Is it my imagination, or are we all misplacing more things? Is it because we’re getting older, busier, own more stuff, or all of the above? Our homes are filled with countless items except for the one that we want at any particular moment. Certain things just seem to up and go away until they’re ready to be found again, seemingly disappearing into thin air. (Perhaps they think we’ll appreciate them more; there’s nothing like something re-appearing to make you hold it up in glee and shout, “Guess what I found!”) If this is supposed to teach us patience and organized thinking, apparently we need more practice!

Haste accounts for a good bit of this problem, but probably the biggest culprit is the lack of organizers.

The thing about losing or misplacing items is that it makes us feel stupid and guilty. That should not be the case, with drawers, shelves, cupboards, bags and boxes ready to help. Keeping organized relies on the space with which you have to work, and how often you use the items. Here are a few suggestions that may work for you:

Small plastic bins can be lifesavers. Consider lining them along a closet shelf (either on their bottoms or sides) to stash purses, belts, caps, etc. (In a child’s room, this may encourage neatness when used for underwear and pajamas, since drawers are often hard for little arms.) The same type of bins can contain crafts or art supplies, and since stackable, can hold a great deal of stuff in a corner area of less than a square foot.

Stuffed animals can be tossed into a laundry basket, or if it’s kept in the open, a large wicker basket or hamper. It’s difficult to keep toys neat, but open shelving does a better job than cabinets, since kids can see at a glance what’s where and won’t tear other things apart in their searches.

Consider stashing a plastic, 3 drawer organizer (sold in office supply stores) in a coat closet. Designate one drawer each for gloves, scarves, and hats/earmuffs. Once your family gets into the habit of returning stuff to the appropriate drawers when hanging up their outerwear, the next exit should be faster and smoother.

Misplacing paper is easy since we have so much. You may wish to invest in a file cabinet; a little time in labeling files can save you hours of searching in the future. If you don’t have extra space or don’t like the look, you can always just buy cardboard folders and keep them in a big box, out of sight under a desk or in a handy closet-and start putting receipts and bills away immediately.

Learn to maximize storage opportunities. Using plastic bags for seasonal decorations can keep them clean, while moldable enough to squeeze into narrow closets or fit under beds (or covered chairs and tables, if space is truly limited.) Decorative baskets in appropriate reading areas (i.e. cookbooks in the kitchen, hardbacks in the bedroom) can contain reading materially neatly if you don’t have space for book shelves.

However, you don’t want to have too many places in which an item may be hiding. Resist the impulse to use 15 storage bags or boxes when 8 will do. Sort items into categories that make logical sense, and label. Try to have “hubs” for stuff used on a regular basis (Good examples are kitchen utility drawers, a convenient area to keep all pet items, one large jewelry box, etc.) Having one space to dump miscellaneous items, such as information to be read, things to be repaired, and the like, should be available for each household member. This can be accommodated by any large drawer, bin, box, or container, and if it will be out in the open, can be found in wood or wicker.

It’s easy to keep your décor looking good while still finding more storage space; having set places for daily items will make you feel efficient and organized.

If you’re like me, you get cranky when you can’t find something. Make it a mission to become organized this weekend. You’ll be proud of the results.

Improving Unattractive Ceramic Tile

2008-02-25T10:42:00.001-08:00

If you find yourself stuck with inheriting a kitchen or bath tile that is unattractive, don’t think that you must have it removed and replaced with different tile or wallpaper. Before you incur that time and expense, try repainting it yourself, or ask an artistic friend or relative to help.

This works best if there is a relatively small area to improve, and if the area is not near water. It probably would not be advantageous to paint an area that has constant contact with splashing water, since even the most resilient shellac may not offer adequate protection.

However, for decorative areas above a work area or counter space-or even a back splash-it doesn’t hurt to try this before ripping out the old tile. It may even be what the room décor may need to complement the color scheme.

Visit the local crafts store; acrylics are an excellent choice, as most are available in small bottles and are inexpensively priced. They also wash off clothes, brushes and grout easily, and can be mixed with other brands of acrylic paint. Plus, in the event the artist changes their mind about the style or color, this type of paint can be removed by scrubbing with soap and water, even if dried. (This is why a fixative, glaze or other protection is required after completion.)

Next, decide what colors would best suit the surroundings. Chances are, with the vast assortment of acrylics, you will find at least 4-5 tones of the shade you’re considering. Should you utilize 2 or 3 colors, it widens the range even more. Opt for 2 or 3 different paints, as fewer won’t be as interesting and more become too difficult when blending. (Blending is important as it can hide a lot of mistakes while still looking artistic!)

The initial step in implementing this project is to cover all grout with strips of masking tape. (If the area is larger than a few feet, aim to finish a section at a time, perhaps an area of 3 tiles across and 3 tiles down.) Then, start with the first color and dab over all tiles in the section. Use a flat sponge brush, since individual strokes are not needed with that type of applicator. Leave plenty of room for the other colors. Repeat with the 2nd color, and then the 3rd color (if used). By this point most of the original color is covered and other colors are somewhat overlapped. This process must be done fairly quickly, as acrylic dries more rapidly than other paints. The final step is to take a wet paper towel and start blotting into the colors. This will not only “blend” the paint but also lift out some of it, leaving a textured and layered effect. If a tile does not look the way you wish, simply wash off and redo. It may take some trial and error to determine how many tiles to work on at a time, but eventually it will become easier.

After all sections are complete, let dry overnight in order to see the finished project in daylight. If some tiles need more of a particular color, dab extra on; if others are too harsh or dark, dab with a wet paper towel to lift some color off. When satisfied, remove masking tape, let thoroughly dry, and then apply a coat of varnish or other clear protection. (Most are available in glossy, semi glossy or flat finishes.)

The time required to paint tiles will, of course, vary, but plan on spending longer than you originally expected. Allow an entire weekend in order to accommodate changes or repairs to the paint job; however, the process of doing several squares at once is the most efficient and provides uniformity for the blending process.

Although the time investment may seem like a lot, this is the type of project that provides ongoing satisfaction and compliments. People will never believe that you’ve done it yourself, as it really does add a designer touch to any space. Every time you’ll look at the handiwork, you’ll feel good that you have custom painted tile, and hopefully you will enjoy the process as much as the end result!

Office and Outdoor Furniture - Invest in Style and Comfort

2008-02-14T08:48:00.000-08:00

Article Submitted Via Our Submit An Article Page.

Working Better and Healthier with Fine Office Furniture
Comfort is the first consideration. Be it office chairs or desks, each of the furniture of an office ought to meet the standard of comfortability. A comfortable chair and desk in an office assure the workers a space to work better. Health surveys, be it UK or any other country, state that serious health problems like headache, body ache, mental stress or other psychological disorders are caused by poor sitting posture in office due to uncomfortable chairs. Thus, comfort level should come first. Affordability and style come next. It’s important that style of the chairs, desks, etc. is meeting the modern standard style. Office Furniture meant to be kept at reception has to be much more stylish than the one used at workplace.

Design Trends Worth Notice
Hi-tech and Tradition Perfectly Combined
The concept of "fittings" is what the systems are based on and allows the user to make an infinite number of configurations with the joints or fittings as they are called. The systems are great for any application from entertainment wall to storage units, and even beds

Convenience Taking Counts
Convenience seems to be driving many of the new furniture designs as it does so many other aspects of our lives. Take a cool computer desk for example. All the cables and computer components are contained within the desk and the top lifts for internal access. On the side of the desk reside the CD, RW/DVD, USB, and Hot Keys for a complete computer experience.

Multiple Configuration Options
Many designers are giving life to furniture that has multiple configuration options. The main reason for this emerging trend is versatility, allowing the piece to be used in spaces of various sizes. These modules are "based on shapes like graphically geometric, sinuous, and futuristic forms making this smart furniture useable in more settings. For example, magazine Rack are now taking more flexibility.

Outdoor Seating: Bring Indoor Comfort to Outside
An innovative approach to outdoor seating, a wide curving sofa, a semi-circular footstool, small elliptical table and an arching canopy which can be mixed and matched to create the ideal arrangement for your summer's leisure. The wide curving sofa when paired with the sweeping foot stool offers a huge base on which to recline and relax. Good outdoor furniture adds glamour and style to your gardens and patios.

Outdoor Furniture Choice
Cushions: Consumers want indoor comforts outside. Many companies sell furniture and umbrellas made with great fabrics, which are "pretty much indestructible.
Faux wicker: People like the look of wicker but want to leave furniture outdoors; hence the popularity of powder-coated frames covered by resin strips. Wicker feels like a vacation house.
Lounge seating: dinning sets are no longer the big draw. Customers want outdoor rooms to look more like lounges, experts say. Contemporary designs are a big part of this look.

Sofa Fashion
Sofa Bed with Multiple Function
There are many pieces on the market today that serve multiple purposes. One of my favorites is the sofa bed. I think sofa beds offer terrific functionality when needed and provide daily living requirements of being a great piece of furniture to lounge on. You will not always have overnight guests, but if you do, it is nice to offer them a place to sleep. Also, if your spouse, girlfriend, or boyfriend misbehaves, you can send them out to the sofa for a good night sleep!

Sectional Sofa: Functional and Space Save
A sectional sofa for a small space probably appears to be an oxymoron. How could there possibly be a perfect meeting of the two? Well, the honest answer is that in the right home, a sectional sofa could actually save you space! Centrally locating sofa pieces within a small living area not only lends to proper seating for conversation and intimacy, but could also make the space feel more spacious. If seating in one specific spot is not to your liking, with sectional pieces you have the ability to place them however you prefer. This would lend your own personal creative touch to the living room. When looking to purchase a sectional sofa, it would be a wise decision to locate a home furnishing store or website that sells each piece individually or as a whole. That way, if a set is too large you could subtract a couple of pieces and if a desired set is too small, you could add an extra piece. The ability to choose particular pieces allows you to mix and match, therefore, creating your own unique signature "look".

The Material Quality Really Cares
When purchasing outdoor furniture for your space, you need to get something that is made out of higher quality materials. If you don't, then what you purchase will end up breaking down under the elements and will have to be replaced sooner rather than later. Teak along with thick synthetic materials including polymer, resin, and recycled plastic. Every one of these materials will last for quite awhile. Plus, they are all very pleasing to the eye and can be made even more beautiful by the different finishes and colors that are applied to them, something that allows you to also personalize the look of your space. Like, if you just want that plain, sophisticated wood look, then you can get furniture made out of the Southern Cypress with just a clear finished applied to it. Or, if you are looking for something that has a little more flair and panache to it, then a great option would be to again get something made from Southern Cypress, but this time have a hand painted vibrant color applied.

The History of Christmas Decor

2007-11-20T05:59:00.000-08:00

Christmas trees, wreaths and Santa Claus seem to have been part of the Christmas season for as long as any of us can remember. Most Christmas celebrants are celebrating the arrival of Jesus into the world. Others may be celebrating Christmas as a purely secular holiday where families exchange gifts and spend time together. It seems to most of us that this is how it has always been and we are merely repeating the same holiday traditions of the many generations that have gone before us. While many aspects of Christmas, and winter decor have been part of the holiday tradition for thousands of years, their heritage is not what most of us think. There has been a celebration for thousands of years during the winter season, but Christmas as we know it is a relatively modern invention.

The winter solstice has been a time for celebration and ceremonies long before Christianity made its' presence in the world. The Romans celebrated their God, Saturn, during the second half of December with street festivals and holiday decor. They decorated their homes with garlands of laurel and green trees lit with candles to celebrate their god. Festive meals with family and friends were common as was the exchange of good luck gifts called Strenae. Saturnalia, the celebrations honoring Saturn, was a festive time of parties and joy. Garlands of laurel and brightly lit trees seem to be part of today's celebration of Christmas. But our current Christmas traditions are not merely a Christian veneer to an ancient Roman holiday. Modern Christmas traditions have their past in more than just Roman behavior and many of the traditions we enjoy today had to fight long and hard to re emerge on the Christmas scene.

The Romans were not the first nor the only culture to celebrate during the winter solstice. The ancient Mesopotamians, Persians, and Babylonians all held celebrations during this time of year. In Europe and the British Isles, there is a long history of celebrations held during the winter solstice. The tradition of the Yule log most likely originated in the Scandinavian countries where the sun disappears altogether during the winter months. The Scandinavian tradition was to send scouts in search of the sun, and when they finally spied its' return, a great Yuletide festival would be held to celebrate the return of the sun. A feast would be held around the burning Yule log and apples would be hung from trees to remind the participants that spring would return again. The feast would last as long as the Yule log burned, sometimes as long as twelve days. In other places in Europe, late December was the time the cattle would be slaughtered since the cold would preserve the meat and the herd would not need to be fed during the winter months. Most of the wine and beer had fermented, so food and drink was plentiful as the early Europeans celebrated the approaching spring.

Mistletoe was popular in the colder regions of Europe where its' evergreen nature kept it attractive all year round. In fact the Christmas concept of " Peace and Joy" can trace its' roots to a pagan Norse concept that the mistletoe held magical powers and enemies meeting under the mistletoe had to call a truce until the following day. Ancient Druids also utilized Mistletoe during the winter solstice and distributed it as a talisman against evil. Mistletoe and Yule logs have long been part of winter solstice celebrations, as they are a part of our Christmas celebrations today. But just as Christmas is not merely a Roman holiday neither is it merely a renamed pagan holiday. It is a combination of all of these celebrations with new traditions added in.

The urge to feast had been a cultural part of the human existence long before the advent of Christianity. As occurs when a new religion captures the human soul, old customs are merely renamed. The early church did not celebrate Christ's birth. In the third century, the church decided to celebrate Jesus' birthday and December 25 was chosen. It is most likely that the Church could not stop the pagan celebrations that surrounded the winter solstice, and by celebrating Jesus' birth at this time the Church acknowledged the power of the human need to celebrate the winter solstice . The Church also realized the control they would gain by twining the winter solstice celebrations with those of Jesus' birth. Winter Solstice celebrations, especially Saturnalia, had been rather wild. This wildness continued up to the Middle Ages where most attended church but followed it with a raucous celebration that mimicked the traditions of Saturnalia and other solstice festivals before it.

In the sixteenth century, the Germans started the Christmas tree tradition that we know. Trees had always been part of the solstice tradition in Germany, but they became part of the Christian tradition in the 1500's. Martin Luther is credited with adding the first lighted candles to the tree. I wonder if he had read about the ancient Roman tradition of putting lighted candles in their trees?

In the mid 17th century Christmas was canceled. At least in England. The Puritan forces took over England and in an attempt to purge the country of decadence, Christmas was canceled. In England this was reversed when Charles II was returned to the throne, but our forbearers were even more conservative than Cromwell. Christmas was illegal in Boston, but celebrated in Jamestown. Christmas as we know it today really came about during the Victorian era in the 1860's. It was declared a national holiday in the United States in 1870.

So how did Christmas go from being illegal to being one of the most celebrated holidays on earth? And why am I not arrested for having mistletoe and Christmas trees and festivities? Well we have Queen Victoria and her German husband to thank for all the Christmas festivities and lights we enjoy today. Queen Victoria was shown with a Christmas Tree, compliments of her German husband. What was previously seen as pagan, now became fashionable. The Christmas floodgates opened, once again apples and ornaments and lights could be found decorating homes during December. Gifts are given and feasts are had. It is almost like some fundamental need of human kind to celebrate during the winter months has been let free.

The Church also finally gained control over the nature of the winter celebration. Most families engage in some religious activity during the Christmas season and the truly wild nature of winter festivals has been tamed. Nevertheless, lighted trees, Yule logs, Mistletoe, feasting, laurels, wreaths and apple ornaments are all part of our holiday decor. As they have been, for over 4000 years. Many of our Christmas decorations are truly pagan in their history. But merely because they had decorative value for our pagan ancestors, does not mean they cannot decorate our homes in celebration of Jesus' birth. These decorative items were used by our ancestors to celebrate important times in their lives. It is fitting, we use the same items to celebrate important times in our lives.

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2007-10-20T08:09:00.000-07:00

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2007-10-20T08:08:00.000-07:00

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The History of Christmas Decor

2006-12-23T20:56:00.000-08:00

Renovating your House for a greater Profit

2006-12-23T04:11:00.000-08:00

Getting into real estate business of buying and selling properties can really make a living. Getting started get you a lot of expenses like acquiring license as a broker and other expenses dealing in this kind of business. Not to mention the connections you must have in order to make good deals or progress yourself as real estate broker.

If you are just starting out and thinking of selling your house for greater value, why not renovate it before you can sell it. Renovating your house can make you demand for a greater value, like you are adding another room or space can add up to the selling price. Most likely, with a renovated house, many will pursue of buying the house since it is furnished and just like any product, presentation is necessary. The other thing is your profit is tax-free and has it as direct selling. If in time the renovated house is still on sale, you and your family can still use the house and benefit for the extra room you had spent in while waiting for the buyer. Some people are used on doing this, they buy the house and renovate it while using it, when a buyer comes they moved out to their prospective house bagging with them the money. Although it can be way to hectic if you are having a family that wants to reside in a single house.

The downside of selling your own house, you are the broker, the owner and the contractor. If a buyer gets in, you need to be involved or participate in all transactions as the broker-owner. These include approving for plans, arranging the financing and even hire a contractor. If something goes wrong with the plans and the result as well of the financial matters, still you are involved. You take the risk as the owner who arranges the payment to the renovations. Since you are selling the house, if you do not have any place to stay in, definitely you have to stay in your house by the time of renovation. You will be waiting for weeks or month to fully realize the renovation or construction of the house.

Therefore, if you are thinking of being a real estate broker at the same times using your home as your first investment think first before acquiring the property. There is truth about site-profit relationship theory by urban planners. The strategic placement of your house to the overall urban design of the city can be advantageous or disadvantageous for you. If your house situated in residential area that is proximately not far from other city utilities, amenities and institution then your house is most likely to sell. The distance from the most important places is just not far or not too close in your house is convenient for the next owner of the house. Many will be buying the house since it is accessible to these institutions especially when it is close to their work. But if your house is not far from the city proper and the nearby zones where not residential instead industrial or agricultural zone, better think twice before renovating it. Most people would like to be in residential zones since you can expect that 10 to 15 years from now, that zone will remain to be residential. However if your house is in the middle of industrial zone or close to industrial zone, your house might be bought by companies owning industrial lands. Your purpose of renovating it will not be buyable having these disadvantages.

When buying a house, compare the lot price and the overall potential of the house for renovation in the future. Consider the neighboring structures that the house is in. Compare prices of the expensive and less expensive and the total area of the house. Ask in the residential planners of the government of how much is the exact amount of the per square meter in that area. If the government says that is much higher value than the price given by the owner, then you can acquire it since you can sell it in higher price due to location. Be sure to have a detailed budget for the renovation of the house. Know and understand the building regulations of the town especially in acquiring land. Lastly if you are renovating the house, do not forget to check the trend of houses around the neighborhood and making it outstand.

Decorating your walls with a small wallet

2006-12-17T11:26:00.000-08:00

Having lovely framed pictures on your walls doesn't take thousands of dollars and professional art. It's relatively easy to get your hands on reasonably priced frames, and pretty, stylish, even fashionable things to put in the frames are to be found all around you. Other things can spice up your walls, too. Rugs, dishes, and even musical instruments can be hung to make a lovely statement. Plus, using your own pictures to decorate is always a simple solutions - and it doesn't have to be pictures of your family, either.

First, let's talk about finding frames. There are lots of places to buy picture frames, from department stores to arts and crafts stores to specialty shops to - that's right - yard sales and garage sales. Take your time, don't rush, and pick up your decorations piece by piece over a couple of months, and you'll have lots of things to hang in no time. Spreading out your project not only puts a bit of ease on your pocketbook at any one time, but also lets you mull over different things you can do and find lots of different things in the stores as the seasons change. If you take your time looking around, you'll find that often enough, you find nice picture frames on sale in those fancy department stores, on clearance in those specialty shops, and in low-priced sets of frames at stores like Walmart or Target. In addition, keep an eye out for bargain stores like Big Lots or Ollie's and yes, flea markets and garage sales to look for decorations or frames at reasonable prices. Also don't forget that the internet is always a good source of merchandise at low and clearance prices. Quality does vary, so select carefully, but it's not that hard to find a frame that looks good even if it's not made of specialty hardwoods or something like that. And the fact is, when you hang something on the wall, it's going to sit there and look pretty, not serve some purpose where it's going to get worn out - what I'm trying to say here is that if it looks good, it serves your purpose. You don't need to worry that the teflon is going to chip or the motor won't last or that your dog is going to destroy it (this depends, of course, on the size and destructive nature of your dog) like you do everything else in the house. Just that it looks good on the wall. Ideally once you put it up there you hardly have to touch it again. The only thing you need to worry about is whether wiping the dust off every now and then is going to damage it. It is true that there is nothing a custom frames picture on the wall, adn if you've got something special like a family heirloom of portrait, you should go that (expensive!) route - it's probably well worth it. However, if you're just looking for a little color (or black and white) on your walls, don't bother. A little bit of advice, though: even if you're going cheap, buy frames with glass. No matter what (except with poster frames! ...and I'll get to that in a minute), don't buy a frame with a plastic front. As long as you've got glass and the frame style is to your liking, you've got a winner, no matter how low the price or how simple the material.

Things to frame

So you've spent a couple of weeks digging up lots of lovely frames - now what? Now you've got to find something to put in them. You don't need "art" - at least, "official" art that other people might sell to put on your walls. Don't exclude that, of course - art prints, for example, can be a fantastic source of lovely things to look at in your home. It is sometimes possible in street markets or even in department stores, to find reasonably priced, *very* nice looking prints that you can frame yourself. I would advise against pre-framed prints, because they are usually pricey (and often gawdy) and avoiding pricey decoration is the purpose of this article anyway. Look for unframed prints and stick them in the frame yourself. Some of them even come with mats, but even if not, that can be taken care of as I'll discuss later. Now, let's look beyond "art" that you buy in a store or market. A great place to find nice, and sometime extremely cute or funny photos or drawings can be found on greeting cards. This is an excellent source of wall decor, and paying full price even for a slightly expensive card beats buying a print by a long shot. And imagine all the variety of cards that are out there. Especially if you like photos of animals or landscapes (desert scenes, beaches, forests), this is the first place you should look for pictures to frame. It's professional photography in a very inexpensive package. Next place I advise you to look? If you want something original, try looking in some children's story books - especially at a bargain bookstore or thrift store, since if you find something you like you're just going to cut it out and ruin the book anyway (this step can be extremely difficult for booklovers, but it can be worth it!). Children's books may seem an unlikely source for decoration, but if you spend some time, you will find there are many profound ideas and illustrations, or even photos, in these kinds of books. It is also possible that you don't find anything in your style here, but I suggest you give it a try, if you want something a bit different to decorate with. Of course, coffee table books (for adults!) also have tons of beautiful pictures of all kinds of topics. If you're going to tear apart one of these beautiful books, I hope you find it in a yard sale for relatively cheap, but it's your call. This is an excellent source, and if you want to decorate with a theme (for example, underwater scenes or crop circles) this is an excellent way to go, because you can get a lot of pictures in one shot. Even magazines can be a source of very nice photos, but to look very good the magazine should usually be pretty pristine. Next source? Your own photos! Maybe you want to put some pictures of your family and friends, but if you're like me you also want something "artistic". Think "artistic" photos are hard to do? Start thinking a little more abstractly - take a picture of a tree instead of a person, and don't worry about finding dramatic scenery, for example. Close-up photos are an excellent way of finding interesting decorative pictures. Take a close-up of the frost on your window, a pretty coffee mug on a colored tablecloth, Or the yellow line in the road. The key is learning to look around you carefully for things that are not necessarily dramatic, but interesting, and this is the fun part. On vacation, take a picture of the footsteps in the sand on the beach, instead of the waves and the horizon. This is especially easy if you have a digital camera, since you can take take lots of pictures and develop only the ones you like. Unless you have a very fancy printer, don't print them yourself - it costs little to print (even a large) photo of your choice and will be a thousand times brighter and clearer than if you print on your own printer. Last, if you have kids, or if you draw sometimes yourself, even a silly drawing put carefully in a frame is never boring, can be a source of pride, and is especially inexpensive. Give it a try, and don't forget to sign your work!

Mats schmats

Think you need a mat to make your picture look professional? Think again! First of all, you may not want your pictures to look perfectly professional - I kind of have this approach, but even if you don't feel this way you can make pictures look great without mats. If you want a mat, you can buy them separately at craft stores and maybe even in the craft section at Walmart or Target, for example, and even though they are kind of expensive for pieces of cardboard, the look is nice and can be reasonable for the price. Also, if you look at yard sales or thrift stores for frames, you may be lucky enough to pick up some with frames already. In these cases you can sometimes even find a cheap framed picture that you don't like, and then use it just for the frame and/or mat. Otherwise, frame pictures in frames that are exactly the size you need, or, if the frame you want to use is too big, just get some nice quality pieces of colored paper (or white, but make sure white is thick enough not to show through, or use two pieces) to put behind the piece you are framing. Sometimes it helps to affix the picture (for example, a 4x6 greeting card attached to an 8x10 piece of good quality paper with tape on the back), if the picture isn't too precious to tape. Otherwise, making the "stuffing" behind the photo in the frame tight enough usually keeps the picture in place, if you don't handle it too roughly. You will probably have to cut the paper backing and of course, center the picture on the backing. Do this carefully (it's really not that hard), and remember that once you've taken the time to do it just once, it is going to be on the wall looking nice for a long time to come. A similar effect to using mats can be obtained using heavy cardstock and cutting out a hole for the picture to show through, but this is hardly necessary in most cases. Experiment with different styles for the different kinds of pictures you will be displaying.

Collage Frames

If you are ambitious, a nice project can be putting together a collage frame. I think the easiest route in this department is to find a nice pre-made collage frame in a store like Target (try to find one on sale) and fill it up with your photos. This is more a personal photos project than an art-preparing project, although you could get creative with it if you wanted. Collage frames are generally large frames with a mat cut with several to many holes for putting different pictures together in one frame. You can have anywhere from 3 to 40 or more picture spaces in one of these frames. Often, the photo spaces are different shapes and sizes. When finished, this can be a really nice addition to your wall, but it is an ambitious project because you have to find photos to fit the different sizes and shapes of the frame, and sometimes cut photos and getting them all centered correctly can be a chore. I recommend this, however, if you are creative and want to display some personal photos of friends and family, or a vacation, for example.

Framing Posters

If you have posters, you will be amazed at how professional they look when placed in a poster frame. If you don't have posters, this is another source of "art". There are thousands of posters available in stores everywhere, from movies and bands to scenery to copies of famous artwork. You can often buy posters in "plastic frame", shrink wrapped, claiming that you don't need to frame them because the plastic gives them a glassy sheen. This is fairly true, but if you really want something to look nice, I recommend a poster frame. They are not very cheap, but you will definitely notice their effect. At the same time, even the cheapest poster frame makes a difference. The lowest priced ones are generally a cardboard backing with a (heavy) plastic film cover, and the "frame" clips onto the edges, holding the pieces together with the poster in between. This sounds cheap but it works very well, and even if your poster is a bit smaller than the frame, static cling from the front plastic sheet holds it in place and the paper that comes in the frame can usually be flipped and used as a backing. More expensive versions may have glass or a better "framing" mechanism, but because they are so large the cost increases pretty exponentially.

Hanging other items

If you want to start spicing up your surroundings at home, this is my advice...just keep your eye out, at all times, for cute things that you just *like*, that can be put on a wall. And don't confine your mind to pictures, decorative items (like wreaths or flower sprays), flags, and other traditional items, although every one of these is also a good candidate. It's going to be more interesting for you and for any guest to see what things you choose to display, even if they aren't considered "usual". For example, I have on my walls decorative placemats that I bought in South America, simple musical instruments (e.g., a pan flute), and old metal advertising signs. You can also hang shadow box with figurines, especially if you have a favorite character or band and have some of their memorabilia. There is really no limit to the kind of things you can put on your walls - seashells, coffee mugs (hanging from hooks, for example), baseball bats, and decorative gift boxes are all just a few ideas to get you started.

Making a project out of decorating your walls can really be fun, it lasts a while and takes plenty of creativity, but still isn't really that difficult. In the end, it is extremely rewarding because you have constructed an environment that makes you feel good and that says something about you to the people who visit you. And, it doesn't have to cost a fortune.

Creating Paint Effects (By 4Ernesto)

2006-12-02T14:36:00.000-08:00

You can create a wide range of effects by using paints and glazes. Use paint for designing patterns and deceiving the eye with colour and perspective. Use glazes for their semi-transparent quality to produce depth and translucence.

Considering Options
- Simple paint effects can have just as much impact as those involving more complex techniques. If you are a beginner, choose a simple effect that uses coloured emulsions. You can mix coloured glazes, and attempt more extravagant finishes, as you gain experience.

CHOOSING EFFECTS
Selecting methods
- There are two main methods of creating paint effects. Either a tool is dipped into paint or glaze and then applied to a wall, or a glaze is applied to a wall with a brush and a tool is pressed into the glaze. The former is an "on" technique; the latter is "off". Even if you use the same glaze and the same tool, a different finish will be achieved depending on which method you employ.

Applying a base coat
- Always apply a base coat. Light shades are best, since you can then build up colour; eggshell or emulsion are ideal.

PREPARING TO PAINT
Roughing it
- Examine all walls carefully. Rough, textured walls are ideal for sponging, which disguises defects, while smooth, dead flat walls will show stippling off to its best.
Assessing suitability
- Choose ragging or bagging rather than rag rolling on a wall that has pipe-work or switches. Rag rolling needs a constant motion, not frequent interruptions. Joins are difficult to disguise.
Getting ready
- Make sure that all materials and tools are ready for use, since once you start a wall you should finish it without interruption. If you do not, some areas will dry before others and the joins will show.

Types of Paint Effect
- Whichever paint effect you choose, make sure that you have all tools and materials to hand. Try to maintain consistent hand movements from one wall to another for an even overall finish.

Sponging on
- It is probably the easiest paint effect to create. Emulsions or glazes can be used. Natural sea sponges are the ideal tools to work with, although synthetic sponges can be substituted.
Sponging off
- A mixed glaze should be used for this effect. A sea sponge must be used since substitutes tend to smudge the finish. This is a natural progression from sponging on in terms of difficulty.
Ragging
- It involves a similar technique to that of sponging, except a crumpled, lint-free cloth is used instead of a sponge. A mixed glaze should be used for the best results.
Bagging
- It involves the same technique as ragging, except a plastic bag is used instead of a rag. This creates a more sharply defined texture compared to the fabric alternatives used in ragging.
Rag rolling
- With rag rolling, a rag is rolled down the wall to create the effect of tumbling material. It is best to rag roll off, since uniformity and consistency are difficult to achieve when applying on.
Stippling
- A stippled effect is created by pressing the bristle tips of a stippling brush into a wet glaze. The technique is only suitable for glazes, and continuity is important to prevent joins or overlaps.

Colour-washing

Colour-washing is probably the oldest paint technique. Use a large paint brush to apply a highly diluted glaze to wall surfaces. This will produce a translucent finish through which the base coat shows, creating depth and texture.

Stabilizing a wash
- A wash should have the consistency of highly diluted paint. To prevent it from running off the walls, add a small amount of PVA to the mix to help it adhere to the wall surface.
Adding depth
- Apply several coats and vary colour slightly to create a wonderful feeling of depth. Warm colours will give a glow to any room.
Choosing walls
- Apply a wash to a rough surface to create texture. The colour will clear from the peaks but build up in the troughs, creating a great textured finish.

MAKING GLAZES

A glaze is the medium for creating paint effects. It is distinguished by its ability to hold patterned impressions and long drying time that allows you to create an effect. Glazes have traditionally been oil based, but modern acrylics are popular and are often supplied ready mixed.

Colouring Glazes
- Mix colours before adding to glaze.
Mixing acrylic colours
- Use an artist's brush to mix acrylic colours. Mix the colour first on a surface such as a paint-tin lid, and make sure it is the right shade. Decant the basic glaze into an old jam jar, and add the acrylic colour to it.

Calculating Quantities

Diluting colour
- For a good acrylic-based glaze, five to ten per cent of the mixture should be colour and the rest glaze. Add the colour to the glaze and mix thoroughly. A clean jam jar is ideal for mixing small quantities of colour in this way, since you can screw the lid on tightly before shaking the colours to mix them well.
Estimating amounts
- Glazes go much further than standard paints. Dilute acrylic glazes with a small amount of water to increase the coverage of the glaze. Estimate how much you will need by halving the amount of standard paint you would require to cover the same sized area of wall.

Traditional Tip:
- Mixing a traditional glaze
For 1 litre add 600 ml white spirit to 300 ml boiled linseed oil and 120 ml white, oil-based undercoat or eggshell. Tint using artist's oil paints.

Sponging
- Whether sponging whole walls or selected areas, such as beneath a dado rail, this effect transforms the look of a flat wall surface. A single layer of sponging produces a subtle, airy pattern, while multiple layers produce a busier, bolder effect that has greater depth.

Sponging Successfully
Removing excess
- When sponging on, decant the glaze on to an old plate or rimmed paint-tub lid. Dip the face of a damp sponge into the glaze, and remove excess by drawing the sponge across the rim; otherwise the first impression will be thick and blotchy. If you do apply too much, reapply some base colour.
Rotating the hand
- Rotate the hand into a slightly different position after each impression to keep the pattern random.
Sponging corners
- Tape a small piece of sponge on to the end of a pencil to enable you to reach right into corners.

Using colour effectively
Sponging dark on to light
- Use a light base coat and gradually apply darker shades on top to produce a highly distinctive pattern. The colour of the final coat applied will always be the most dominant.
Sponging light on to dark
- use a dark base coat and apply progressively lighter shades on top for a translucent effect. You will see a larger colour range since the light colours will not obliterate preceding coats.

Stippling
Stippling is a subtle paint effect, using a brush to create the impression of a textured surface that may range from a light, velvety appearance to a coarser finish, depending on the size and compactness of the bristles. This is a time-consuming technique, but very satisfying.

Choosing Brushes
Using specialist brushes
- If you can afford one, buy a stippling brush, which is ideal for stippling since it consists of a thick wad of bristles.

Finding an alternative
- For a less costly alternative to a stippling brush, trim the bristles of a wallpaper-hanging brush with sharp scissors. Make a dead flat pad of bristles so that all the ends will be in contact with the wall.

Stippling Effectively
Working in sections
- Apply glaze in areas of about 1 m2, using a large paint brush. Cover as evenly as you can, then dab the stippling brush lightly on the wet glaze.
Creating uniformity
- Work from left to right and top to bottom. Do not overlap stipples because they will appear as more heavily shaded areas.
Preventing clogging
- After each area has been stippled, wipe the head of the brush with a lint-free cloth to remove excess glaze. A build-up of glaze will create a patchy effect over the wall.
Adding depth
- Use a slightly darker glaze in the corners of a wall than towards the centre to create a feeling of depth.

Time-Saving Tip: Glazing with a roller
- Use a fine mohair roller to apply glaze to a wall. This is much quicker than using a brush and therefore allows more time for creating an effect. Do not overload the roller, or the glaze might run.

Ragging
- Ragging is similar to sponging, except that a crumpled lint-free cloth is used rather than a sponge. Ragging "off" is easier and more effective than ragging "on". With the latter, cloths become clogged up with glaze, producing a rather gummy, patchy finish.

Creating the Effect

Building up pattern
- Using a damp, scrunched-up rag, apply light pressure on the glaze. Change your grip frequently to produce a random pattern. Return to missed areas before the glaze dries. Rinse the cloth regularly.

Shielding Surfaces

Avoiding smudges
- Hold a strip of card against the adjacent wall to prevent the edge of the rag from smudging colour on to it. Move the card down as you paint. Wipe the card regularly to avoid a glaze build-up.

Bagging
- Use the same technique as for ragging, but substitute a plastic bag for the lint-free cloth.

Choosing bags
- You will need a ready supply of bags to hand so that you can throw one away and pick up a new one as you need to.
Experimenting
- Different types of plastic create different effects: do not be afraid to experiment.
Softening edges
- Bagging creates an angular effect. For a more understated look, gently brush the bagged surface. Use a softening or wallpaper-hanging brush.

Rag Rolling
- Rag rolling requires a more ordered technique than simple ragging, because the effect created is one-directional: it mimics falling material. It is ideal for areas such as those beneath dados and in wall panels, since it is difficult to execute uniformly over large areas.

The above techniques are easy to use. Take your time and enjoy!

Fancy Beach Houses

2006-11-25T16:50:00.000-08:00

In my mind a beach house is painted white, with a large porch to view the water at sunset. The decor is simple, casual and very user friendly. Children, dogs and waterlogged adults would all feel comfortable in my dream beach house. A large fireplace, to ward off the cold of early spring or fall's creeping chill, perfects my decor. While I am sure my dream house exists on a beach somewhere, actual beach houses are becoming more elaborate everyday. The house at the beach is no longer a simple place to get away. It is an experience in fine furniture, and sumptuous fabrics that rival those found in the most luxurious hotels. Even the upscale rental market is no longer filled with simple beach homes. You can expect granite countertops, designer furniture and plush carpeting when you lease a house at the beach in many communities. Walking in the house with sandy feet is not an option, and the dog is not welcome in these homes.

Current " beach houses" are no where near as rustic nor friendly as my dream house. Increased development of coastal areas has created a much different type of consumer in today's beach communities. Many of the residents are permanent and desire the same luxuries they enjoyed before becoming coastal inhabitants. There are two significant reasons for the increase in coastal development . Moderate weather patterns have allowed more and more individuals to enjoy warm weather living all year round. As recent events have shown us, hurricanes destroy more quickly than man can build. While building technology has improved Man's chances against severe weather, these chances are contingent on infrequent level five hurricanes. If a Katrina hit New Orleans and the southern coast every year, development in these areas would be slowed significantly.

The second reason is one of man's greatest inventions; air conditioning. Air conditioning was invented as early as 1906 but did not become widely used by residential consumers until the 1950's. This invention made tropical zones livable for a wide variety of people. No longer did floor plans need to be open to allow the wind to cool the house. Houses could be built further from the beach and still be livable during the summer months. The oppressive heat and humidity that dominates the weather in many tropical zones, could be relieved by merely turning on the "air". Decorating choices expanded as residents were no longer limited to fabrics and materials that could withstand moisture and heat. The coastal inhabitant was now free to decorate their beach house in spite of the weather rather than in accordance with Mother Nature's whims.

Materials such as teak, bamboo, mahogany, cypress, rattan and wicker are all traditional tropical materials used in building and decorating. Many of these materials are increasingly used throughout the country as the " Tropical Style" is popular in home decor. These materials are weather resistant and well suited to residential use, especially in their natural habitat, the tropics. In a time when a tropical house was designed to catch the prevailing winds and shield itself from the incessant sun, these materials allowed for pleasant living in a climate that was not always hospitable. Today's consumer is rediscovering these materials as the increasing use of bamboo in flooring and other home decor products indicates. While there is an increased interest in tropical design and tropical materials, the best place to see examples of this style may not be the tropics. While tropical design may be popular nationally, it seems to be loosing it's appeal on it's home turf, the beach.

If you are in Miami before December 10, 2006, the House Beautiful Showhouse is open to visitors in Aqua, Miami Beach. Eight American designers have decorated a house with life in the sun as their theme. The designs barely acknowledge the vibrant warm setting of Miami Beach. Nor do tropical materials dominate the designs. Many of the designs seem more appropriate to the East coast than Miami. I do not think this is atypical for today's coastal resident. More and more people are living in the sun year round. The beach is no longer a vacation or seasonal retreat, it is a year round lifestyle. As more people move south, they bring their designs and desires with them. While coastal themes are present in the showhouse, to me what dominates is the incorporation of traditional design elements rather than any expansion of tropical design. The colors, fabrics and materials of the tropics seem to be giving way to a decor that has a more universal appeal.

As the tropical style seems to be moving north, northern style seems to be moving south. Air conditioning allows coastal residents to install plush carpeting and heavy fabrics that are not oppressive in their tropical homes since the air conditioning is never turned off. If you have ever spent time in a home without air conditioning, you will know how much heat plush wall to wall carpeting and thick fabrics retain. Add high humidity, and it is no surprise even European settlers eventually utilized native materials in tropical home decor. These natural restrictions have been removed by modern technology and current tropical design reflects these changes.

You are just as likely to see the decor of a New York penthouse in Miami as you are to see traditional tropical design. While coastal regions seem to scream for vibrant colors and tropical plants, these screams are increasingly being ignored by coastal inhabitants who are no longer forced by Mother Nature to bring the breezes in and keep the sun out. Muted color schemes are just as likely to be found as the brilliant colors that occur naturally in a tropical region.

Scientific inventions often change the way man lives and decorates. While my mental beach house may be the beach house of my dreams, it is not the beach house of today's coastal resident. Today's coastal style is the style of the entire country. Tropical has moved north, and north has moved south. Tropical weather no longer affects design decisions. The styles are blending, and short of a major power outage, I think they will continue to blend. Hopefully tropical style will live on in New York, after it is no longer present in the south. It is a style that has it's own charm, whether it is the decor of a New York apartment or a Key West beach house. I just am a little sorry it is no longer the dominate style of the tropics, since it really looks it's best on it's home turf.

The luxurious beach lifestyle can be yours even if for only a few weeks. Many of the beach houses in coastal communities that do not house permanent residents can be found for vacationers to lease through out the year. These homes have flat screen T.V.s and gourmet kitchens. They may be decorated in a tropical style but it is just as likely you will feel like you are in a New York penthouse if you do not look out the windows. Just remember, wipe your feet and board the dog.

Table settings and room decoration (4Ernesto)

2006-11-23T11:38:00.000-08:00

When it comes to decorating a dining room, the scheme will depend on several factors, such as whether it is a separate room or part of another, the existing furniture, the available light and the mood you are trying to create. Your choice of colour or theme could be inspired by your china or curtains - or maybe you need a neutral backdrop for stronger accent colours or interesting furniture. Red is a traditional colour for dining rooms and it does promote an intimate atmosphere, but it can be difficult to live with all the time and is best reserved for separate dining rooms.

Whatever colour combination or theme you choose, stick to it as closely as possible - too many styles and colours can create a cluttered look and will feel claustrophobic.

Seating
It is difficult to estimate how many people you can seat around a table. For a start, it depends on how friendly they want to get, but as a rule 60 cm per person is a good guide. If your chairs have arms, about the width of a pair of crossed arms - or 70 cm by a depth of 35 cm - is adequate for each place setting. Something else to bear in mind when seating people is the position of the table legs. Most of us have spent at least one uncomfortable meal with our legs straddling the table leg.

If you are trying to find chairs for a table you already own, take the height of the table with you when you go shopping. Chairs with arms should fit underneath the table for comfort and to save space. Try to allow 30 cm between the chair seat and the tabletop.

Setting a table
- Most dining is fairly casual these days and when it comes to setting a table for dinner there are no strict rules.
- Set places so that guests are evenly spaced around the table, trying to give them a minimum of 60 cm each.
- Lay cutlery according to the order of eating. The first cutlery to be used should be on the outside of the setting, so that you start at the outside and work your way in. Knives (with the blade facing the plate) and spoons go on the right of each place setting; forks on the left.

Glasses stand on the right above the knives and spoons. Use a wide goblet for red wine or water, a small wine glass for white wine and a smaller version yet for sherry or liqueurs. If you are only using one glass, a stemmed goblet will suffice.

The side plate should be on the left of the place setting and to the left of the cutlery, with the napkin on top of it.

Special Occasions
Decorating a table for dinner is the icing on the cake. Take time to plan what you are going to do and match it to the occasion.

Keep to a theme and follow it through to the china, cutlery, napkins and candles. Be creative: outline each place in ivy; put a fresh flower on each plate; tie up cutlery with ribbon; write out the menu and place cards on handmade paper.

Your theme could be a colour or a birthday. Try painting glasses either to match china or with the name or favourite thing of the birthday person. Use cotton sheeting instead of a tablecloth and dye or paint it. It is cheap enough to use for one special occasion.

A centrepiece can be matched to the occasion. Keep it simple and effective: floating candles and flower heads in a decorative bowl of water; a small group of flowers displayed in tin cans; an arrangement of candles of different heights; a pile of presents; a bowl of fruit to be eaten for dessert. Keep the centre-piece low so that guests can talk easily to each other over the top of it.

For a children's party buy a block of sugar paper and use the sheets as table mats; cover the table with a paper table-cloth, give them crayons and let them draw; tie brightly coloured balloons to the backs of chairs and let them take them home afterwards.

Tablecloths and napkins
Unless you want it to be floor length, a tablecloth should have an all-round drop of 25-30 cm so that it falls a little below lap level and your guests do not get tangled up in it. To a certain degree, a cloth will protect the table, but a felt table pad underneath allows you to put warmed plates and dishes safely on the cloth without marking the table.

Table felt is available from department stores, or look through the classified ads in home magazines for mail-order companies who will cut it to size to fit your table.

With so many pretty paper napkins available why bother with the fabric variety? They provide an opportunity to dress the table and create a little theme on a plate. Be imaginative and use twisted ivy, ribbon, parcel tags, dried flower heads, raffia, beads, copper garden tags and handwritten cards. Personalize each napkin for your guests.

For birthday meals, a little present attached to the napkin with ribbon is a nice touch; at Christmas, tie baubles with curling ribbon. There are loads of things you can do...

Fabric napkins do not need to be expensive. Cut them from remnants to match colour schemes, or make each one different. Scour the remnant bins in shops for unusual fabrics at bargain prices. Dress fabrics are ideal for making napkins as they are designed to with stand regular washing. If you use furnishing fabrics, wash them first to remove any dressing or special finish.

Tips: The simplest decorations are the most effective. Floating candles and a cut flower head in a bowl of coloured water look stunning in the centre of the table.

Dining areas as part of another room

Most dining areas are borrowed from another room, usually the kitchen or living room, but a dining area in a large hall or conservatory is not unusual. New houses are often built with just one room downstairs which has to double as both the living and dining area. So how do you decorate a room that has to serve more than one purpose?

- Create different moods by using lighting and furniture to highlight separate areas of the room while keeping the same colour throughout. Freestanding open shelves can divide a dining area from a sitting area without blocking any light and will provide useful storage space for both rooms. Two large rugs on a wooden floor can contain dining and sitting space within their boundaries.

- Another way to create a separate dining area is by using a moveable physical barrier such as a suspended screen to isolate a kitchen from its storage area or muslin on a curtain track. A re-standing screen will partially separate the table to give the dining area an intimate feel, and can be folded back against the wall when not in use.

- The space under the stairs is often under-used, yet this alcove can make a cosy dining area in a small house. Shelved, it will also provide valuable storage space for crockery and glassware. Another often-forgotten space for eating is the hall. Some older houses and flats have enormous hallways that will easily accommodate a large dining table and chairs. Such an arrangement could create a wonderful entrance to any property.

Many people decide to build a conservatory to give themselves an extra room, but if there is not a separate dining room this would be an ideal opportunity to create one. Conservatories are lovely to eat in and by their very nature have views over the garden and an intimate atmosphere when the sun goes down.

Western Decorating Ideas For Your Kitchen

2006-11-15T08:01:00.000-08:00

by Lee Dobbins

If you are into the Western decorating theme, you can have a lot of fun using it to decorate your kitchen. In fact, you can take one element of the theme and go crazy with it. For instance, one Western decorating idea is to focus on a Western object like some cowboy boots or a cowboy hat. You can even combine elements and use both of them as your central decorating theme.

You can find all types of decor in the Western decorating theme. Try looking for cookie jars or other ceramics that you can sit out on your counter for an interesting effect. Also look for western themed curtains and light switch covers. One fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon is to scour the local antique shops for Western themed decor. You'll be surprised at the interesting items you can find! You can use browns, red, navy, or cream to pull in the Americana theme to the mix as well.

One great way to pull off the theme is to also look for accents made of unfinished wood. You can often find tables and chairs that actually look like they were made with unfinished logs. These are perfect for a Western decorated kitchen. In addition, you can use photo frames that look unfinished and put pictures of your family or of western mountains and hills in them. You can also find many items made from tree branches or logs as well as items made from deer antlers and items covered in cow hide (either faux or real!)

Another great thing to use is copper or black iron accents. You can get away with either of these. If you have a pot hanger over your kitchen island, you should try mixing both copper pieces and cast iron pieces. In addition, you can even use cast iron skillets or pans as wall decor and hang them accordingly. And don't forget pot holders, tablecloths and dish towels made with Western theme fabrics.

Try your own Western decorating ideas in your kitchen to see exactly what works for you and what doesn't. The Western theme is perfect if you love to constantly feel like you are the "Wild West" or in a log cabin. It can look great in any home if you are consistent with the decor. Using Western style accents on the counters, window treatments, floors and walls will help pull the look together and make you feel like you are rustling up grub for your cowhands on a Western ranch even if you are living in a modern city home!

What Tools Does A Do-It-Yourself Plumber Need?

2006-11-15T08:00:00.000-08:00

by Owen Walcher

If you want to be a do-it-yourself plumber, make sure that you have following tools available to you.

Wrenches
There are many types of wrenches, but the two main types that will prove very handy for you as a do-it-yourself plumber are: adjustable wrenches and pipe wrenches.

Adjustable Wrenches
You can open or close adjustable wrenches to fit nuts, bolts of several sizes and fittings that have flat sides. You can find different sizes of adjustable wrenches that may range from 4" to 2' long. However, you, being a do-it-yourself plumber, can do with 10" to 12" handle only. They are good general-purpose-size wrenches. When you are using an adjustable wrench, make sure you have positioned it in such a way that the force applies against the fixed jaw.

Pipe Wrenches
Pipe wrenches are useful when it comes to gripping and turning threaded pipes and pipe fittings. Their adjustable and toothed jaws are specially designed for the purpose. These wrenches are available in various sizes that can range from 12" to 18" in length. Larger wrenches are suitable to fit larger pipes. In pipe wrenches also, make sure while using it, you are applying the force against the permanent jaw, and not the adjustable one.

Pliers
A do-it-yourself plumber must have the following pliers available to him/her.

Rib-joint Pliers
These tools are very handy when it comes to turning pipes, nuts, and fittings. You can adjust the size of its jaw by sliding the pivot along the slot and engaging it at various positions. This way, you can use it to firmly grip objects of various sizes.

Locking Pliers
You can use these pliers for clamping actions. You can use these tools to lock a bolt or a pipe. You can also adjust the size of the grip by using the knurled screw mounted in one handle.

Screwdrivers
Screwdrivers are multipurpose tools. Whether it is changing faucet washers or dissembling plumbing related appliances, these tools come in handy. You must have various sizes and types of screwdrivers available to you. It is better if you have two or three sizes of each standard. If you have a 4-in-1 driver, it can be very useful for you. Make sure that the drivers fit closely in the screw's head, otherwise both the screw and the tip of the driver can be mangled.

Pipe Cutters
A few types of pipe cutters are also very handy for the purpose. There are pipe cutters that you can use to cut copper or steel pipes. Their sharp cutting wheels and adjustable jaw are specially designed for such purposes. Another type is a plastic tubing cutter that you can use to cut rigid and flexible plastic tubing like sprinkle pipes.

Measuring Tape
Sometimes, you need to measure runs of pipe. In such cases, measuring tapes come very handy. When it comes to measuring tapes, a retractable steel tape is the best choice for you. Moreover, it is better if you have a 25-footer measure tape, as you can easily extend its blade for several feet without any support.

Drain Clearing Plumbing Tools
When you face the problem of clogged drains, drain-clearing tools can be very useful for you. Some of the drain-clearing tools include drain augers, toilet augers, hydraulic blow bags, and toilet and sink plungers, etc.

These tools are essential for do-it-yourself plumbing jobs. They are very useful and can make your work much easier.

Shower Curtains Wear More Hats Than You May Realize

2006-11-14T14:00:00.000-08:00

by Melvin Ng

Shower curtains can turn your drab, dreary bathroom into the showcase of your home if you use creativity and imagination. Even the oldest ugliest tub can be hidden way to some degree by the right shower curtain. Bathrooms were once a utilitarian room within homes and older homes have not paid the close attention to detail to their bathrooms that many of today's homes have. Also keep in mind that avocado green and brown were once the fashion conscious color choices in home decor and you have a recipe for some rather hideous bath fixtures to attempt to hide.

Most people, when first purchasing a home have spent the vast majority of their life savings up until that point in time just getting into their homes. Down payments, closing costs, moving vans all add up to some fairly significant numbers for the average family and bathroom renovations are not always immediately in the cards. It's great to know however that a can of paint and some creative window treatments and shower curtains can make a world of difference in the way you feel about your bathroom.

While some may feel that this is an incredible amount of responsibility to place on a lone piece of fabric, I think you will be impressed at how much more you enjoy your bathroom once you've placed your own shower curtain in colors and tones, perhaps a design that you truly enjoy in your bathroom. By adding a little bit of yourself to the room and covering up something that the previous owner may have left behind, you have already begun the long process of making your mark on the bathroom and haven't really spent that much money in the process.

Shower curtains are definitely an inexpensive way to improve the look and feel of your bathroom. They are also great at hiding the jars of potions and lotions that we tend to keep in our showers. I know that my shower has a happy little collection of bath gels, soaps on ropes, shampoos and conditioners, and all the other fun things that keep us all shiny and squeaky clean-these are the things I'd rather not reveal to the guests who visit our home, thus the true wonder of shower curtains is that they can be pulled shut in order to hide those things (plus a few unseemly and invasive soap scum stains in the event that a child has taken the most recent bath) from the casual observer and if they peek behind the curtains, they deserve what they see.

Whether you are using your shower curtains to make your design mark on your bathroom, to hide some hideous colored tiles or fixtures, or even to hide the common every day signs of life and family coexistence within your bathroom, you are making a wise, wonderful, inexpensive choice in your method of doing so. While price rangers on shower curtains vary greatly, they are generally much less expensive than retiling or putting in new tubs and hardware for those just starting out. Shower curtains are a great way to make your bathroom feel more like home to you and your family.

Uncovering Mold in the Middle of a Remodel

2006-11-07T06:19:00.000-08:00

By Christina VanGinkel

If you are in the middle of any home remodeling projects and you find yourself confronted with any sort of mold, the first step you need to take is to make sure you are not exposing yourself or your family members to any amount of it whatsoever. Mold can be a serious situation that you may need to call in the professionals to deal with. This can be costly to do, but if the mold has spread or the source of it is something you are incapable of dealing with, professional help is the way to go. Untreated mold or mold that is of a serious nature may end up costing you in more ways than just repair bills, as mold can also cost you in terms of medical bills and worse.

However, if after assessing the issue, you find out that the amount of mold is minimal, and you have identified the source of the mold and can fix it, there are ways to deal with it on your own without incurring major expenses that were not in your remodeling budget.

First, be sure you are wearing a protective respirator. You can find a HEPA respirator certified for such cleanup at most home stores, such as your local Home Depot. Be sure it fits properly and covers your mouth and nose. Be sure you understand how to wear the respirator properly, otherwise it will not do its job correctly, and the last thing you want to do is get up close and personal with any amount of mold without proper protection. Rubber gloves and eye protection will also be needed. You want to avoid having your skin or eyes come in contact with not only the mold, but also the cleaning supplies.

Next, consider the source of the mold itself. Is it is on a hard surface, such as the cement of a basement, or is it on a soft surface, say the drywall in your bedroom? From there, find out where the moisture is coming from that is causing the mold itself. Most often, a leaky pipe is the problem, or possibly an overflow from a dehumidifier, or even a constant spillage from something, possibly an air conditioning unit. Fix the source. This is necessary to keep the problem from cropping back up immediately after you deal with the mold. If your roof is involved, this sadly usually means you need to consult a professional(s), especially if a leak has caused mold to sprout up in various locations. You may need to consult with both a professional to fix the leak, and to find out where the leaks have promoted the problem of mold. I once saw a roof that had been leaking into a closet on the opposite side of the house where the original leak was at. There was mold in several different spots throughout the interior of the house, following the water trail that had gone unnoticed for quite some time.

Hard Surface

If the mold is localized, and the source of the problem is fixed, move on to cleaning up the mold itself if you do feel confident that you can handle it. If it is on a hard surface, you will need to clean the area itself and the immediate surrounding area, as mold is not always visible to the human eye, especially as it first leeches out from where its growth first started. Bleach or a commercial solution manufactured for dealing with molds is you best choice. DO NOT MIX CLEANING SOLUTIONS! Be careful when using any of them that you do not cause damage to any surrounding areas. Mix of eight ounces bleach to a gallon of water, and pour into a spray bottle. Spray the whole area, saturating the mold. Depending on how much mold there is, you may use a scrub brush, paper toweling, rags, etc., to mop and clean up the treated mold. Dispose of the debris and all cleaning supplies in a sealed bag when finished and put directly in a dumpster. Do not leave any of it in your inside trash. If you have any staining left, you may wish to retreat with a covering of the bleach or cleaning solutions you used. Let sit for a half hour at a time, and retreat as needed or until you determine that as much of the staining that can be removed has been.

Soft Surfaces

Mold on drywall will need to be cut out and replaced. It is impossible to fully clean mold that has saturated itself into drywall. If you notice a spot on a painted surface, you may be able to wipe it off, but chances are if there is mold on drywall, there is mold behind the drywall. Carpeting can also be difficult to deal with. If you had a small-contained leak that caused a corner of your carpeting to become moldy, for example a small leak from a fish tank, the underside of the carpeting is probably also covered in mold. Try to peal up the carpeting to see how much damage there is. If needed, you will have to cut away the part of the carpeting that has been damaged, clean or even replace the sub floor below it, and replace the carpeting. Many carpet stores can help you match a scrap piece to fill in the damaged area. As mold like this often goes undetected at first because it is off in a corner, you can usually camouflage the spot if your replacement carpeting is not an exact match by placing a piece of furniture over the newly repaired flooring.

Most important of all, do not panic. Mold is a serious issue, there is no way around that fact, and if you find yourself having to call in the professionals, remember that erring on the side of caution is your best bet as mold has many pitfalls besides looks including causing health problems. Bone up on the facts by visiting your local states Department of Health website, as most will point you in the direction of all the information you need.

Turning An Ordinary Room Into A Medieval Wonderland

2006-11-01T04:15:00.000-08:00

For many of us who love history, one of the most colorful time periods to study is the Middle Ages. Knights on decorated horses, huge stone castles with flowing banners, and kings and queens with a shadowy past; it was an exciting time. For the true medieval connoisseur, you can actually turn one of your rooms into a medieval paradise. There's a lot more to decorating in this style than throwing some stone flooring down and painting some shields on the wall, however. You can actually make your room look like something out of the 1200s - if it's done properly.

As always, make sure the room is completely empty and get ready to get dirty. Stone floors are certainly authentic and most castles would have had stone floors for hundreds of years. Rugs and runners scattered here and there will both help with the freezing cold of winter and look elegant. Consider red velvet carpet runners or something with a medieval touch like a fleur-de-lis or even something medieval-themed if you can find it. Keep in mind that putting stone floors down will probably be very expensive, but it will make a world of difference.

Walls are probably the most fun part of the room to decorate. There are endless possibilities; portraits of your favorite medieval people in gilded frames (or you can of course use old portraits of actual ancestors) are a great choice. You can hang authentic shields as well; check out medieval sites to find things such as Charlemagne's shield, the shield of Richard the Lionhearted, and so on. You can paint a mural depicting medieval times, but this is time-consuming, expensive, and difficult.

The kind of wall hanging you choose depends on how you are planning to decorate; do you want a medieval *themed* room with statues of knights, wall murals, and other collections pertaining to the subject, or do you want it to actually *look* like a room out of the Middle Ages? If your answer is the latter, I'm fairly certain medieval men and women would not have painted murals of their everyday lives on the walls. It's all about your personal style. Sconces and candles are a great medieval wall decoration, as well as gothic mirrors. Tapestries are a wonderful medieval addition to your themed room.

Personally I never liked the addition of mythical creatures to medieval lore, but if dragons and gargoyles are your thing, feel free to scatter them in with your decor. You can ever find gargoyle doorknockers if you know where to look. If you are decorating a bedroom, a tall four-poster bed, perhaps with a solid-color or tapestry-print canopy, is always a good idea. You can find portraits and sketches straight from the Middle Ages that will show you what beds actually looked like (you can, of course, upgrade the part of your bed that is invisible to most people by adding a comfier mattress than your ancestors would have had). Red seems to be one of the colors most often chosen for a medieval-themed bedroom. Silk and satin would have only been for kings' and queens' rooms, but you can use it if you like.

There is nothing better suited to a medieval-themed room than a suit of armor. I actually saw one at a flea market once for a rather reasonable price (considering what it was). I should have brought it home with me for my travel room; if you are able to find something like this, don't pass it up. It will look great standing in a corner or guarding the door. If the room you're renovating is a hallway or breezeway, consider making a medieval banquet hall and constructing or buying a few suits of armor to stand against the wall.

Look for medieval furniture. You can find gothic-style chairs and end tables, and if you don't like the finish, you can repaint or refinish them. These are usually very expensive but well worth it for your room. Try a cracked look when repainting if you want it to really look old and authentic, but don't overdo it; an antique look can ruin the effect if it's overdone. If you're decorating a child's room in the medieval theme, you can find castle bookshelves and castle-shaped beds. Unfortunately it's very difficult to find castle bedding, but you should be able to find something that works for you.

By Lacie R. Schaeffer

Exciting Autumn Decor from the Southwest US

2006-10-31T15:01:00.000-08:00

At the end of October, autumn really explodes in a harvest of colors as we look forward to the excitement of the holiday season - Halloween, hayrides, harvest festivals, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukah, and many more memorable occasions before the dead of winter sets in.

Home decorating colors that are most popular this autumn and into the holidays include palettes of purples, reds, and maroons; with blues and golds for accent and contrast. Decor experts are predicting a trend toward the slightly blackened reds like claret, a deeply dark red; and a berry wine that has a blue cast. Reds can be used in a number of cross cultural and multicultural decor schemes and themes, representing the palette of reds and purples that is prominent in the sunrise of the Grand Canyon to the sunset of a painted desert in the Southwest. A variety of beautiful reds can also be teamed with black and white and or with gold to further represent the Southwest USA, Native Americana, Latin, or even Asian decor.

Considering wall paints for the home, the Glidden 2006 Paint of the Year, Golden Kiwi, was named in January 2006 and has a spicy undertone that accents reds, purples, and blues very well for a sense of energy and comfort all at once. Additionally, Glidden has a wide range of golds from which to choose, and their website has a fun visualizer in which you can pull up a colorless room and try different shades virtually. You can find it at glidden.com and have a lot of fun with it. Benjamin Moore and Company suggests their color called Queen's Wreath, from their Dramatic Palette, a color described as a chameleon color of purple with gray undertones that subtly pick up adjacent colors. Pratt and Lambert promotes their 24-26 Boucle, a lighter blue that is somewhere between aqua and teal. That particular shade contrasts nicely with deep reds, purples, maroons, dark blues, and even browns that may already be present in furniture, carpeting, and accessories.

With new paint on the walls, you really do not need to purchase any new furniture or carpeting, but current furnishings may be enhanced instead. For instance, a straight-backed chair can be transformed into a conversation piece by covering it in buttons of all shapes and styles, glued into place and sealed with varnish, except the seat on which you can place an attractive seat pad or pillow that complements your new colors. New lampshades in contrasting or matching colors can also liven up a room and current furniture can be rearranged into a conversational space. You can do this by moving furniture off the walls into a grouping conducive to conversation, and away from the TV.

If you have carpeting, add rugs in any of a variety of shapes and designs to complement your wall colors. If you have wood flooring that you want to enhance, you can paint a rug over a portion of it with latex or acrylic paint and seal it with several coats of varnish, letting each coat dry before applying another. You might also try this on a concrete floor after sealing it first, since porous materials soak up a lot of paint. If you have patio stones in your front or back yards, you might also seal a few of them, and repeat the painted rug from your wood flooring onto your outdoor stones. You could paint a large rock in your garden or on the patio, and even bring it indoors and place it in a corner to match the faux rug.

As accent pieces for your rooms, you might bring in a selection of prairie grasses, pine boughs, and ornamental plants and late-blooming flowers from your outdoor landscaping, or purchase natural plants and related materials with which to fashion centerpieces, wreathes, mantle hangings, and the like. Many of these can be purchased ready made as well. Use ribbon bows of gold to accent both these pieces and your wall colors for a bright and warm autumn living space.

Finally, consider day and night lighting of your new decor with your current lamps, adding wall lights, candle accessories, or hanging fixtures that will complement your furnishings. A ceiling fan with a light kit also increases your home's energy efficiency as well as being attractive. This will all set the stage for a comfortable and attractive backdrop to your harvest season and Thanksgiving festivities and transition into winter holidays. Have a wonderful season!

Window Dressings (By 4Ernesto)

2006-10-31T13:42:00.000-08:00

Window dressings are an important part of the decorative appeal of most rooms in the home. The options range from extravagant curtains and valances, to plain blinds or shutters. These are all traditional ways of decorating windows, but with a little creativity you can break loose from convention and introduce your own innovative ideas.

I will give you some tips on:

1. Material selection
2. Choosing curtains

Before choosing any window dressing, look at the style and shape of a particular window, and consider all decorative options. Take into account the practical functions that dressings will serve, such as increasing privacy, keeping out the cold or heat, or blocking light.

Window types and sizes vary considerably. Adapt your window dressings accordingly.

The common window types are:

Sash. These are often tall and narrow. "Widen" them with curtains and a half-drawn blind.
French. Draw curtains right back from the frame to ensure easy opening and closing.
Picture. These are simple in design. Choose from all types of window dressing.
Bay. Consider carefully the hanging system required for these multi0faceted windows.
Casement. These vary greatly in size and design. Assess each one individually.

Setting a Style

Choosing window dressings can give you a wonderful opportunity to release your own artistic flair. Whether you drape lavish swathes of expensive fabric or adopt a more minimalist approach, the decorative style of a room can often be set by the window dressing alone.

Before choosing fabrics and styles of window dressing, think about these purely practical considerations:

Function
Choose simple, inexpensive hanging systems whenever you can, especially if your window dressings are purely decorative. You may need to invest in more costly hanging systems if you decide to hang curtains made of heavyweight material for warmth, for example.

Budget
Very full drapes usually result in great expense, so make sure that you work out what your budgetary restrictions are before you make choices.

Theme
If you decide to try to follow a regional or period theme, research appropriate materials, designs, and colours in order to create a complete, authentic look.

Keeping Fabrics Plain

Colour scheming simply
Use plain materials to make colour scheming easier. Window dressings will thus play a complementary decorative role.

Dressing up plain fabric
Although a fabric may be plain in colour, drape it effectively with an unusual tie-back. Use windowsills as display areas for interesting collections of objects.

Making a Statement

1. Drawing attention
If you want a window dressing to be a focal point, choose bold or contrasting colours and patterns to draw the eye.
2. Enhancing embellishments
Emphasize a flouncy window dressing by offsetting it against understated walls. Paint walls off-white or an extremely pale, complementary colour.

Treating a Window in Different Ways

1. Disguising window shape
Curtains hung outside a recess will disguise the shape of a window, especially if tied back from a closed position. Use a shaped valance to disguise the squareness of a window.
2. Emphasizing window shape
Hang a blind inside a window recess to emphasize the shape of the window. A patterned blind will draw attention to clear lines and square angles, and help to make the window a feature.

Setting the Scene

1. Having Fun
Choose an appropriate fabric and use it for curtains, bedcovers, and cushions to produce a sense of fun in a child's room.
2. Aiding relaxation
Indulge yourself in swathes of curtain material in restful colours for a lounge that is used for calm recreation and relaxation.
3. Improving light
Use pale coloured dressings at windows that receive little or no direct sunlight. These will encourage the greatest amount of light reflection into the room.
4. Increasing privacy
In private areas of the home, such as a bedroom, cover the window completely to help to create a secure, restful mood.

A. SELECTING MATERIALS

Selecting the right materials when dressing windows is as important as in any other decorating job. All tasks at this stage of your project will be easiest if you use the equipment and materials that are specifically designed for the job.

Basic Window-Dressing Equipment

You may need to amalgamate several collections of tools and other items for dressing windows.

Toolkits include a basic sewing kit for making and altering furnishings, as well as general household tools for fixing dressings in place.

Hanging equipment. Choose a simple, relatively inexpensive hanging system - a track and gliders, or a lightweight rod - for light to medium weight curtains. Use a stronger, more complicated system for hanging heavyweight fabrics.

The basic window-dressing equipments are: scissors, hand-sewing needles, tailor's chalk, sewing thread, fusing web, tape measure, set square staple gun, weight, small brass curtain rod plus rings, wooden curtain pole plus rings, track and gliders, track with integral draw-cord and weight, plastic hooks and tie-back hook.

Choosing Fabrics for Window Dressings

Most fabrics can be used for curtains or blinds. Make your choices based on practical as well as aesthetic factors.

Colour, pattern, and fibre
Let colours and patterns, or the weave of fabric such as damask, guide your choice, but bear in mind practical factors also

Weight
Choose heavy fabric such as brocade for sumptuous drapes. Sheer silk or fine fabrics such as lace, cotton, or calico will be more light and airy.

Function
If using thin curtain fabric, consider lining to block light or interlining for warmth.

B. CHOOSING CURTAINS

You do not have to be an expert at sewing to make curtains. Not all curtains have to be lined or hemmed. It is possible to adapt many curtaining techniques to suit your level of ability and still achieve the look you would like.

Considering Options
Curtains offer a lot of scope when it comes to covering window. They come in many different materials, styles, and designs. You can make them, buy them ready-made, or adapt existing ones. Consider your preferences as well as practical requirements before you decide.

Planning Curtains

Lining
You do not have to line curtains, but if you do so it will improve the hang and provide the room with extra warmth. To avoid sewing lining in, attach it to curtain material using fusing web.

Avoiding obstacles
Pipes, radiators, and other obstacles or restrictions may prevent curtains from falling nicely. Take these into account when determining the style and the length of your curtains.

Selecting hanging systems
Choose a hanging system before you measure up for curtains, since the drop will clearly affect your calculations.

Weighing up windows
While you are choosing a style and material for your curtains, consider the ideal length. This will be determined by a number of factors, not least of which are the shape and size of the window itself, the position of a window on a wall, and practical purposes that curtains serve such as keeping a room warm or cool, or blocking light out of it.

Measuring Up
Measure up as accurately as possible to reduce the risk of making expensive mistakes.

Checking figures
The old adage about measuring twice and cutting once is wise advice. Always check your figures because mistakes are easily made when taking a number of measurements.

Being precise
Not all floors, windows, and ceilings are absolutely "square", so take at least three width and length measurements.

Allowing for pattern repeats
As with wallpaper, centralize large patterns for balance.

CURTAINING CREATIVELY

Window dressings and curtains particularly, offer a good opportunity to break with tradition and create your own designs and decorative themes. You can, of course, make or buy new curtains, but there are many ways of adapting and revamping existing curtains.

Reducing Costs

Reviving old curtains
Give old curtains a new lease of life simply by attaching some new braid or trim to their hems.

Cutting down curtains
To give a room a fresh new look, make some cafe curtains by cutting down an old pair of curtains from a different room in your home.

Using old for new
To save time and money, use old curtains as a lining around which to fit new fabric. Enclose the old in the new and simply secure around the edges with fusing web.

Buying seconds
There is quite a market in second-hand curtains. Consider buying second hand to reduce your expenses significantly. You may, however, have to make size adjustments for the curtains to fit your windows.

Using Other Materials
Consider how a curtain will hang when you are planning to use alternative materials, and keep headings simple.

Blankets
Use blankets as heavyweight "curtains" in very cold rooms. The insulatory properties of blankets make them ideal.

Hessian
Sew hessian sacks into a patchwork to create a rustic but very natural looking window dressing.

Rugs
If you have a window with a poor outlook, use a decorative rug as a window dressing and a distraction. Make use of a rug's looped fringe to hang the rug from a substantial curtain pole.

Money-Saving Tip
Use a sheet as a simple, single curtain. Nail the sheet to the top of a window frame using large, exterior roofing nails. Drape the "curtain" to one side of the window over another roofing nail which is used as a tie-back.

Making a tassel
Make a tassel by carefully rolling up some excess trim or braid and securing it with fabric glue. Insert a length of cord and use as a tie-back, or hang several tassels from a curtain rail to dress it up.

Using Applique
Attaching Shapes. Brighten up a plain material by cutting themed shapes out of a differently coloured fabric. Attach the shapes to the curtain using fabric glue. Use a non-fraying fabric such as felt for the shapes to avoid finishing edges.

Decorating Sheers
Tracing Outlines. Use sheer curtain fabric like a piece of tracing paper. Draw straight on to the material using a colourfast outliner pen. Leaves are an easy subject to draw around. Fix the outliner ink by ironing the back of the fabric.

HANGING CURTAINS

There are two main methods of hanging curtains: using poles or using tracks. Most types are straightforward to fix in place. You can, however, adapt either of these basic systems in order to add a touch of originality or to suit a particular decorative or colour scheme.

Using Poles

Selecting materials
Choose a wooden pole for a fresh, lightweight appearance, or a sturdier-looking metal pole for a more solid, heavy look.

Covering poles
Cover a pole with wallpaper to match the walls. Attach the paper with neat PVA, let it dry, then apply several coats of matt varnish to protect the paper and facilitate curtain pulling.

Measuring & Fixing

Adjusting width
Adjust the length of a curtain pole depending on whether the curtains will be gathered back beyond the edge of the window, or whether they will hang partly in front of the window and therefore require a shorter length of pole.

Allowing for finials
Do not forget to allow for finial attachments at each end when calculating a pole's length.

Making poles level
You will require only two brackets - one at each end - to fix a curtain pole in position above a narrow window. It will be easy to ensure that the brackets are level using a spirit level. It is more difficult to align three brackets. Fix the central bracket first, and use this to take a level to where the other two need to be positioned.

Using Tracks

Looking and learning
If you are concerned that you might not be able to assemble and fit a curtain track, have a look at a similar working system, either in your local supplier's showroom or in someone else's home. You will then know what the track should look like once assembled.

Painting to match
Consider painting curtain tracks, which are usually supplied white, so that they blend in with wall colours or curtain materials. Eggshell gives the best paint finish on plastic surfaces.

Lubricating tracks
In order to maintain a curtain track in good running order, lubricate it occasionally with a few drops of washing-up liquid.

Alternative to Using Poles

You can choose from a variety of alternative materials as substitutes for curtain poles. Alternatively, use your imagination and substitute a less obvious but still suitable item instead of a pole.

Have a nice time!!

Eye Deception: Making Your Room Appear Larger

2006-10-31T10:13:00.000-08:00

by Deborah Rosalind Nieto

Do you feel like your home is a claustrophobe's nightmare? With the countless home makeover programs on television, you may not be surprised to know that this is a common problem among several people. If you are considering major renovations to extend your room, then read on first to find out if your dilemma may be solved without having to undergo drastic measures. The following suggestions, which are mostly elementary, may help you make your room larger, visually that is.

Clutter

The first and most important thing to do is to clear every room in your house of any clutter which makes it look not only untidy, but less spacious. This means minimizing accessories in your room. You may argue that you are a figurine collector and would love to display your collections for your guests to behold. You may minimize clutter in this case by grouping together your figurines in one place.

One common flaw among most households is placing a lot of stuff on their tables even between meals. This adds to the eyesore of your house and makes your room appear claustrophobic. The same is true with placing books and other whatnot in bookshelves. There is no commandment saying that you fill in all available space. You may occupy only the needed space to make your room appear neater and airy.

Color

The colors you choose for your furniture, accessories, walls, ceilings, flooring and even your moldings affect the way your room visually appears in size. To make your room appear larger you have to minimize the colors present in every room to create a more spacious feel. Then again, you may be a rainbow lover who loves to express herself through a chromatic room. You can still reflect yourself without going overboard by carefully splashing colors without making them look unorganized or like a complete eyesore for your guests. This means making these colors blend well since contrast among your walls, flooring and furnishings will visually create an even smaller space.

While some would tell you to stick to neutral controls for your walls, you may still choose your favorite color for them. But you have to keep in mind that to make your walls appear further away, you have to choose lighter shades since these reflect light while dark shades absorb light which makes your room feel and look less spacious.

You may also consider choosing a cool color like green or blue for your walls as these colors visually create more space. Warm colors, on the other hand, give a warm and cozier feel. Then again, you can still paint warm colors on your walls by sticking to their lighter shades to apply the principle mentioned above.

The same rule applies if you use wallpapers or fabrics for your walls. Make sure to avoid those which have crowded print in them. It may be a great idea to choose a wallpaper with lots of white space to give your room an airy sense.

As for the flooring of your room, make sure that it has a darker shade than your walls. In contrast, your ceilings must have a lighter shade than what your walls have. This strategy visually makes your room appear larger. This becomes even more effective if you choose darker shades for your crown and base moldings.

However, it is another story if your room happens to have a low ceiling and you want it to appear not only larger, but taller. In this case, it is still a good idea to choose a darker shade for your crown molding as compared to your ceiling as this also makes your ceiling appear higher. But instead of having to worry about painting a darker shade for your base moldings, you may paint them with a shade the same as your walls to add height to your room. As for the ceiling, you may leave the white or lighter shade on it as this also tends to make your ceiling appear higher. You may also add horizontal stripes of dark color on your walls to make your room appear taller.

Lastly, if you want to add dark colors to your room, you don't have to stop at applying them on your moldings or flooring. You may add them through your other furnishings while keeping in mind that they should have a minor role as compared to the light shades in your room. You may do this by applying darker shades in table accents or other minor pieces in the room and keeping draperies and other major pieces in a lighter shade. This way, you create an illusion that your room has less stuff in it than it really has.

Mirrors

It has always been a universal rule to place mirrors in a room to add both depth and height to it. This creates an illusion that your room is twice bigger. Then again, you have to choose where to properly position them to achieve a greater effect. This means reflecting light and images which show or create space.

Placing a mirror opposite a window is one of the best ways to visually add more space since you can bring the outdoors indoors. You may also place it opposite a door to reflect not only the outdoors or other rooms, but also guests coming in or out. Placing a huge mirror on a wall may be a good idea, but be careful not to overdo it by placing too many. Also, you may consider adding glass tabletops to your room to greatly add to its spacious feel.

Furniture

Size. Some may advise you to keep your furniture small. Actually, an even worse case is having small furniture in the room but too many of them that it makes your room look overstuffed. You may keep your big furniture but make sure that they are not bulky or oversized. The key is to stick to the number of furniture which you really need and which give less for your eyes to see.

Look and make. The look and make of your furniture also affects your room's visual size. You are better off using those which have simple lines or nothing at all. Also, choosing couches and tables with open legged bottoms will not only make your room look neater, but will also let air circulate better in your home.

Arrangement. The choice of furniture is not the only factor which affects the visual look and feel of your room. Their arrangement is also vital and therefore, must be taken into consideration.

You may try setting some of your furniture diagonally to provide a larger view of the room. This is because, if you angle your furniture in such a way that it is coming out of a corner, you can see more of your room in an angle, than you can see in a straight line, when you have your furniture set up horizontally against the wall.

The space behind the furniture even provides for extra space for your end tables or shelves. You may do this technique for some of your couches and even for some of your beds. Just don't overdo it and try doing it in a trial-and-error fashion. If you find that the angled position of your furniture does not make your room look any better, then you don't have to put up with this arrangement just to follow this suggestion. Do what you think looks and feels comfortable for you and your guests.

Lighting

When it comes to lighting, the first rule is, the lighter the room, the bigger it looks and feels. After applying the suggestion of having lots of light colors in your room, with the proper kinds and the right amount of lighting, the light colors in your room tend to reflect the lighting, thus making your room appear and feel larger.

To even enhance your lighting with the purpose of making your room appear larger, you must maximize the use of natural light. You will find that your room extends outdoors and your colors indoors reflect the beauty of nature outdoors.

If you light all corners of your room, you will find that your room appears larger since your eyes see the room in its entirety. If you want your ceiling to appear higher, you may get the help of pendant lights with long stems, since their long stems cause an illusion that your room is taller. Don't overdo it, though, especially in the dining room. You don't want to have fluorescent bulb for dinner, do you?

Lastly, if elongation is what you need, the key is in employing the use of repetitive shafts of light. You may install sconces in your stairs, hallways and foyers to achieve this. Not only do you add that decorative flair to your space, but you also get to trick your eyes into seeing a longer walking space.

Storage

Another way to maximize your room's space and make it appear bigger is by doing something about your storage space. The most effective way to achieve this is by using vertical space for storage. If you think installing floor-to-ceiling storage spaces will give you the added space without sacrificing your room's overall look, then go for it. Also, stir your creative juices and bring out your resourceful side by looking for corners or nooks and crannies in your home where you can place cabinets, shelves or hooks on which to hang your stuff.

Curtains

Having curtains definitely add that extra chic to your room. Be careful, though, in selecting them since you do not want to turn the classy to dowdy.

Make sure that your curtains do not contrast the color or style of the walls. If you are really stubborn and would want to create a contrast, then do so without making the contrast too much. Don't forget that too much contrast may backfire by making your room look cluttered, thus, making it appear smaller than it really is.

More on, the contrast between your walls and curtains may steal the attention from the beauty of the view offered by your windows. Remember that while you may experiment with the styles of your curtains, they must still compliment the view of the windows. In fact, you may even consider getting rid of the curtains if you see that the windows themselves and the view they offer are enough to beautify your room and visually enlarge it.

Albert Einstein meets Juliana Catlin. You do the math. The following suggestions in making your house appear larger may imply that some math lessons are actually applicable in interior design. Find out how substitutions, deductions and additions may all work in making your room appear and feel larger.

Substitutions

To minimize the amount of space occupied by your stuff at home, you may consider doing a few substitutions. This means saying goodbye to some old furnishings and welcoming those which not only save you space, but make your room even more stylish.

When it comes to lighting, it has been a tradition to use table lamps in study areas or work places. You may consider giving them up and saying hello to elegant sconces in your home. This means you may even get rid of the tables on which these table lamps rest.

If you feel that your room feels claustrophobic and no painting or any type of furnishing could do the trick, it may be a good idea to knock down a big wall, especially if behind it a breathtaking view of nature is waiting to be appreciated. What are you going to do with the space, you ask? Well, you may consider putting up a big window to extend your room outdoors, that is, visually.

Lastly, changing the type of doors in your home may do the trick of literally adding space to your house. You may consider substituting your hinged door with a pocket door. This is because a hinged door, if you come to think of it, actually takes about 10 square feet of your space. However, if you use a pocket door, you get to use more space since the door is slid into a frame inside the wall.

Deductions

There's nothing wrong about using rugs or carpets in your home, so long as they compliment the overall look of the room. But besides the style or print of your rugs, you must also take into consideration their number. If no wall is dividing your dining room from your kitchen and you plan to put rugs to separate them, think again. Putting a rug in almost any room to define their boundaries may actually make your home look a lot smaller and your ceilings lower. This is because with every end of a rug, the sight is stopped, dividing the space into smaller sections instead of seeing it as a whole large space.

Lastly, for the nth time I'm going to say it: minimize the contrasts present in your room. It may be hard to make your flooring, ceiling, lighting and furnishings compliment, but you have to make the extra effort to avoid having your room appear cluttered. Remember this formula: more contrasts = clutter = smaller space

Additions

While the colors of the furnishings and the kind of lighting may add or lessen your ceiling height, the added paint may also do the trick to visually make your room taller. By extending your wall paint 2-6 inches onto your ceiling, you create an eye trick of heightening your ceiling even more.

When lighting is the problem and your room seem to have that cave look even at day, you may consider adding a window or a skylight to let nature in and melt darkness. This even makes your room look inviting and airy.

Hang Something On Your Walls

2006-10-25T03:02:00.000-07:00

Art means different things to different people. To some it means museum quality paintings, displayed to exhibit the owner's wealth, taste and refinement. To others it merely means a wall hanging that matches the sofa. Whatever art means to you, its importance in home decor is monumental. Hanging something on your walls is the key to finishing a room and creating depth to your living environment.

The importance of art was recently brought to my attention by its absence. A recent trip to the hospital brought the issue into focus when I was exposed to a section of the hospital that had almost no wall ornamentation. Due to the emergency nature of the visit, the lack of art was not first and foremost on my mind. I was inwardly focused, and to the extent I needed external stimulation, the Sci Fi channel on the television provided all the eye candy I needed.

My visit to this publicly funded facility lasted longer than expected and included a visit to a newer section of the hospital that had been recently renovated and redesigned. It was in this new section of the hospital that art and its impact became apparent. In the newer section of the hospital, color coordinated art prints were hung at odd intervals throughout the facility. The prints were peaceful and not particularly exciting but they were there. The lack of challenging art can be explained as excitement in this portion of the hospital could be counterproductive to the services provided in the facility. The seemingly random placement of the framed prints throughout the new facility was done hopefully to facilitate hospital procedures and not because the hospital hired an interior designer who was a friend of some government official. Aesthetically the picture groupings were disturbing because of their seemingly random placement which left a feeling of incompleteness, of a decorating job left unfinished.

What the art did do is bring into focus the lack of ornamentation in a fair amount of the rest of the hospital. The rest of the hospital had a bleak feeling to it, which most patients would attribute to illness. It was not until you saw the art in the newer portion of the hospital, that you realized its absence was disturbing in the rest of the facility. As I journeyed back through the older part of the facility, I saw only two wall decorations. One was a set of nursing awards and the other was a framed poster hidden behind hospital equipment. At a time when distraction was sorely needed, the walls of this facility could not provide the eye candy a bored but worried patient needed.

The subject of funding art with public dollars is complex, but this experience at least brought an awareness of the need for some texture in public buildings. At the very least, next time a new paint job is done, possibly the fine art department of a public university should be given the task of practicing pastoral scenes on the hospital walls. Handprints, such as you see in children's facilities, would be an improvement over the bleak decor of much of this very well funded university teaching hospital.

When I came home, I had a new appreciation for the wildly eclectic art that hangs on my walls. When I married my husband I married his odd art collection. I would most likely have only framed Impressionistic prints or something that matched the sofa on my walls. I am not uneducated in the basics of the fine arts, but rather exposure to the art world quickly brings me to the point of asking, " Does it match my decor?". Museum quality art will never be in my budget, and while I like the capitalistic idea of private ownership of masterpieces, I really wonder if the world is not better served if these cultural points of light are available to more people rather than shining for just a few.

With the exception of museum quality art, the value of most pieces is the pleasure it brings the owner. This becomes extremely apparent if you ever try and sell art. Insurance value and resale value are two different things. In a world where monetary value is determined by what someone is willing to pay for an item, most art is worth less than the framing it is in. Even with proper documentation, you will be lucky to sell known artists for what you paid for them twenty-five years ago. You would think the art world would be smarter and maintain some form of value in their products but this has not been my experience.

Given the uncertain value of art, it is extremely important to buy what you like. The art world can be intimidating to many individuals, especially if you happen upon an art show filled with intellectuals who are pondering the meaning of the display on the wall. I know it looks like a canvas covered in red paint, but that "Study in Red" has meaning to someone even if it only means the artist needs to pay his rent that week. The language of intellectual art show attendees can be learned and maybe this is why I so often revert to the stance of, " Does it match the sofa?". If all else fails just look at the display with intensity and say with great emphasis, "oh". This is always a safe response and can cover a multitude of opinions.

Most artists I have met tell me they create what they see. If you like what the artist sees, buy it. Do not get caught up in the value argument. Most likely you will not be able to sell what you purchase for what you are paying for it. If you like something, and you can afford it, this is the piece for you. If your budget does not allow for an original from an artist who is lucky enough to have a gallery showing, try other avenues. Check out your local art school. See if these emerging artists are interested in selling their creations. Check out the art hanging in your favorite local coffee shop or bistro, often these pieces are not permanent displays but rather efforts by a local artist to sell his work. Ask people in your community if they know of private artists, who may not make their living selling art but are talented just the same. I have commissioned several drawings of different homes I grew up in as gifts for my parents. I recently found out my sister-in-law had several drawings also created by this same artist. I met the artist while working in government, where she was also employed. We struck up a conversation at work, and she mentioned she painted. I know she created and sold at least six drawings from that conversation alone, and art was not her primary source of income. Many an artist is hiding in the real world and often their work is better and cheaper than the art you find displayed in galleries.

Craft or art fairs are another source of art but be aware, the more established the craft or art fair, the more expensive the wares sold. The established fairs often are often expensive and difficult for artists to obtain a booth in and the cost is passed on to the consumer. You may find local or regional artists at these events. I know I have an extensive collection of a regional artist my husband loved. Be on notice, these works are very difficult to sell, so buy them because you want them, not for investment purposes.

Garage sales, thrift stores and old photos are also great sources for art. An old photo, enlarged and framed will give you something you can be sure no one else on the block has. I have old family slides of Europe from the 1960s that I intend to have enlarged and framed for a retro view of Europe that I know I can find no where else. I have also dedicated one wall to black and white pictures of relatives spanning one hundred years. I know I am lucky to have these pictures, so I display them with more current family photos. Current photos can be copied in black and white and framed to obtain a similar effect. Garage sales and thrift stores often carry a wide selection of framed artwork that is inexpensive and interesting. These pieces are great if you want to try a certain look but do not want to commit to buying an expensive print or investing in costly framing. Sometimes the frames themselves are worth more than the price of the entire item. Mix and match frames and the artwork and you may be able to create a truly interesting piece to hang on your wall.

If worse comes to worse, try and create your own art. I decided I needed sculpture in my yard. All the fancy people seemed to have an expensive piece of sculpture and I sought to keep up. I created a "M" out of the metal from an old office divider and painted it red. I placed it in my front yard and much to my surprise began to receive compliments on it. Unfortunately, during a fit of artistic pique, it ended up in the trash can. I have heard even some of the great artists destroyed their own works so I guess I was merely following a great tradition. I truly do not see myself as an artist, so the positive comments I received on my sculpture really showed me art is in the eye of the beholder.

The eclectic pieces of art I have been decorating around for the past twenty years are worth more in adding texture and interest to my home, than I ever realized. Whether I hate the piece, or love it, the pictures I have hanging on my wall give my eyes something to ponder when boredom sets in. They create a texture to my environment that I now subconsciously crave when I am in other people's homes or in public buildings. The art my husband bought that still hangs on our walls has challenged me over the years and forced me to appreciate expression beyond my conventional boundaries. I appreciate more forms of expression and my definition of what matches my sofa has greatly expanded.

So hang something on your walls. Whether it is a textile, a print or an artist's original, it will add dimension to your home decor and create a finished look to your room. Just make sure it matches the sofa, or if it does not, make sure it is interesting and challenging. Give your eyes the candy it needs to alleviate those moments when television does not provide the visual intensity needed to challenge or sooth our brains. Art, in whatever form, adds something to our lives that we only really notice when it is gone.

Copying a Room's Look

2006-10-18T06:35:00.000-07:00

By Christina VanGinkel

You flip through the pages of a home decorating or family oriented magazine such as Family Circle or Woman's Day, maybe even Better Homes and Gardens and you come across a living room or kitchen that is just to die for in your way of describing it. Suddenly it hits you; this is the room of your dreams. The floor is exactly the tile you have always dreamed of having installed in your current kitchen from the very day you moved in. On maybe it is some other design feature, possibly the countertops are ideal, just what you have been looking for without knowing exactly what that was. It might be the small things too, the decor on the walls, the curtains over the windows, even the plates and glassware in the cupboards or the appliances.

Ideally, you have discovered a room right from your wish list of what you would like, that was if you won the lottery or suddenly got a raise that doubled your current income level! What so many people overlook in such a situation is that while copying the entire room may not be an option, copying the look is probably closer to their reach than they ever imagined.

Take a good look at the pictures and ask yourself what it is that you really like about the room. Is the look uncluttered, filled with bright colors? Maybe the impression of the room's decor is a more subdued style, more grown up than your current toy filled, high chair in the corner design scheme you have going on. The focus here is to be realistic and honest with yourself about what it is that so attracts you to the room in the pictures. Once you can answer realistically, consider the room in your own home that you would love to have imitate that very look.

Next, react. By this, I mean you should take what steps you can to help create a background for the look you want. If your room is cluttered, has a dingy floor, or past its prime carpeting, ask yourself what you can do about it. Cleaning up clutter is the number one way to begin a major transformation of a room. It will allow you to take stock of what you have to work with for starters. Flooring is also a major consideration but not as inexpensive to fix most of the time as the clutter usually is. If your flooring is ok, just not stellar, considering having it professionally cleaned. If it is tile, a re-grouting may be in order. If the flooring is truly horrendous, maybe you will need to consider fitting new flooring into your budget. There are many options for flooring available today that are long lasting, durable, and economical. Once you are satisfied with the flooring, go back to the dream look you found and consult with yourself on what you can do to help yourself achieve that dream look, barring that lottery windfall or substantial raise.

If your appliances are in need of a facelift, refacing them is an option that many people do not know exists. You can also take past their prime cupboards and have them looking like newly installed versions with nothing more than sandpaper, primer and paint, and a few pieces of new hardware. A typical kitchen can have what looks like brand new thousands of dollars worth of cupboards for less than one hundred dollars and a bit of labor, you provide yourself.

Countertops are a bit trickier, as are items such as fireplace hearths, but this is often where a good old-fashioned scrubbing and your approach to the interior decoration of the space can come into play. Most countertops will look much better if stains or burn marks did not exist. Stains can usually be dealt with by applying a paste of a product such as Ajax and allowing it to bleach away the stain. A gently scrubbing might also be needed. Depending on what your counters are made of, you might wish to try this in an inconspicuous area first, so as not to cause a bleach stain that is worse than the original stain you were trying to remove. Again, some countertops might be able to be resurfaced instead of being replaced, but this is often almost as costly as replacing, so I would not consider it an option for someone on a very tight budget. Fireplace hearth may be able to be given new life with a good scrubbing, painting, or even a tiling. Consider the look you are trying to achieve to help you decide how to work with such a prominent household item if this is an issue when copying a look you love.

Finally, take a good look at what I call the fluff of a room. This refers to the curtains, the throw rugs, the pictures on the walls, lamps, lighting, and even objects such as bowls and candles used as decorating focal points. The room you are trying to copy may have glorious throw rugs, but the listed price is somewhere along the lines of what you would normally pay for a month's worth of groceries. Or you just love the huge wooden bowl on the must have exotic wood coffee table filled with balls of hand rolled wool. This is where your shopping strategies come into play. With shopping online and catalogs overflowing the average mailbox, finding the look you are after for much less is usually possible, and is not even normally that hard to do. Sure, there might always be that elusive item that you never have been able to find anything even remotely similar, but most pieces are easily copied, by items that cost just a fraction of those very pieces in the magazines.

You might have to go with a pine table instead of cherry wood (Hint, stain it with a deeper stain for a closer match to the look of the exotic wood table that first captured your attention). Alternatively, use a square wooden bowl or a hand thrown pottery bowl (much prettier anyway) than the round wooden one you saw in the magazine layout. Remember you are going for the look, not the exact room. Nobody wants an exact copy anyway, even if you could afford it.

Copying the look of a room, you saw in a magazine might be closer to your dreams than you ever imagined. De-clutter, clean up, bring in the paint, and pay attention to the details of features such as rugs, and curtains, and you might be enjoying your own version of that dream room sooner than you ever imagined possible!

The Evolution of a Girl's Bedroom

2006-10-12T14:32:00.000-07:00

My thirteen-year-old daughter has developed a flair for decorating at a very young age. From the time she was about four-years-old, we knew she had some sort of artistic talent, but then again, all parents probably think that about their small children. Still, our daughter persisted with her art work and before we knew it, she was asking to visit art stores, buy books about art and spend time with other artists, talking to them about their work. Before we realized what was happening, our daughter was creating beautiful art and amazing us daily. When she turned eleven, she decided to turn her artistic abilities on her bedroom. She asked if we would paint her room a deep, dark blue. Since her room is on the north side of the house and happens to be the smallest room in the house, I was hesitant to paint is such a dark color. I explained my concerns to her, but she assured me that since her dresser and night stand are white, we could also paint the doors and trim white, and put up white curtains; these would all brighten the room considerably, and she would still have her beloved blue walls. So I agreed.

The project was quite daunting as we were painting over bright white walls. After three coats, the blue finally looked completely blue and our daughter was delighted. She was also a trooper, helping with the painting the entire week. As promised, she kept the window shades up during the day and even put a white canopy over the bed to brighten things up. All this was fine and good until about six months ago when we visited New Mexico and she decided she wanted her room to have a southwestern theme.

All the way home on the plane, she gushed about how she would paint her room a sandy brown and decorate it with dream catchers, cow skulls and Mexican tiles. I was weary from the vacation and we had other rooms in the house that needed painting before we painted hers again. But we did not want to subdue her excitement about her art, so we told her she could do whatever she wanted with her room, but she had to do it herself. Now that she was thirteen, very neat, and very responsible, we had faith that she could handle anything.

Thankfully, about a month passed after we returned home from our trip and she declared that she would stick with the blue, but that she wanted to add a few things to the walls. We went to a craft store and she came out with a bag full of paint and stencils. The next weekend, she spent both days in her room with the door closed and her favorite music playing loudly in the back ground. Finally, she emerged with a back ache and a smile, and asked us to come see her creation.

We were astounded to see the changes she had made. With a vine stencil and green paint, she had painted a tiny, tasteful vine on the white door frame around her bedroom door, as well as on the white trim at the bottom of each of her two windows, and up the side of one of her book cases. It looked lovely. Then she told us to turn around and look down. All along the floor, just above the white trim, she had stencil painted pale lavender and white morning glories with the leaves painted in various shades of green all around them. It was magnificent! She had added such details and had made each flower identical in its many colors; the flow of flowers across her wall looked like it was a strip of wall paper rather than flowers painted on with stencils.

I am not sure what my daughter will do next with her room, but I am inspired to do more in our house after seeing what she did in there. I have never been particularly creative in that way, but it is amazing what a few stenciled flowers and vines can do to brighten up a room. In fact, now that I think of it, I might just have her paint the rest of the house for me!

Rearrange to Redecorate by Casey Manes

2006-10-11T16:03:00.000-07:00

Redecorating typically means searching for the perfect hue of blissful blush by wading through yards of samples at the home improvement shop or saving for months to pay off the debt for that couch you love-- but is now stained by sticky grape jelly! or hunting endlessly for the painting that complements the blissful blush walls and the sticky couch. Redecorating is being redefined, it doesn't have to be a total overhaul of paint color, decor, or wall hangings. It can be much simpler. It can simply consist of rearranging the pieces you already own and looking at them in a new way. For example, when was the last time your living room was arranged differently? Is your couch backed against a wall? Are your windows covered by oppressive window treatments? Downsizing, rearranging, ridding yourself of the clutter-- each of these ideas can help you take little steps towards a big decor change. So how do you begin?

1. Put away all nicknacks, frames, pictures, and things that don't have a specific use beyond looks. This is so you can get a feel for the size of the room without clutter. Oftentimes, after people do this, they realize the open, freeing feeling the room takes on without the pieces is something they don't want to go back to and they only bring back a few of the nicknacks.

2. If your couch is up against a wall, try a bold new arrangement and slant the couch. Depending on your livingroom arrangement, if this works for you, it can seriously open up a space and allow for an inviting atmosphere. It is also an unexpected look.

3. Make windows or a fireplace the focus, rather than your TV. Let's face it, much of the time spent in a livingroom or great room is in viewing the tube. The arrangement of your home doesn't have to be hostage to this, however. Focus on windows, and the natural light and outdoor focus is less limiting. It is amazing how a few moved pieces can alter a look for the better!

4. Search your home for pieces that could be utilized somewhere else. For example, if you have some old furniture in storage in the basement or attic, why not dig them out, clean them up and try them out? Sometimes a different piece can add a whole new flavor to a room.

5. Be creative, and think outside of the box! Hope chests aren't just for the end of a bed-- they can be utilized as a window seat, a coffee table, a storage space in a kitchen, or as a toy box. Old tables that are unsightly can be transformed with a colorful cloth thrown over the top.

6. Add light. Many homes do not have enough light, especially in main living spaces, like living rooms or dens. Ask yourself if you really need four lamps in your bedroom, and if you can spare it, and you probably can, move one or two to the living room. Light adds warmth to a place and lamps are a great decorating add-in.

Have fun, be creative, don't spend a dime, and redecorate, with what you've got!

Decorate For Christmas With Handmade Items

2006-10-06T04:05:00.000-07:00

Many of us get very excited about the prospect of decorating our plain old homes with Christmas colors. Lights, garland, window clings, wreaths, and signs abound. Unfortunately, this can get very expensive depending on how much you want to deck your halls. Did you know most of these things can be made by hand, or at least improvised to not cost an arm and a leg? You can dress up your whole house with handmade items. The cost of the construction materials shouldn't be nearly as bad as the cost of ready-made decorations, though it does depend on how much you want to do.

Lace and ribbons. With some lace, pipe-cleaners, and small beads, you can make angels to either string on the tree or sit at convenient locations around the room. Fashion an angel shape with the pipe cleaners and glue bits of lace over the wires until it resembles an angel. You can use ribbon to decorate the angel's dress or to make a hanging loop if you intend to use your creation as a tree ornament. You can also substitute fabric and other materials for lace to make the dress; at some craft stores, small packs of different types of old-fashioned materials are sold together.

Paper decorations. We've all done it; bought cardboard or paper decorations that bend fairly quickly and never look the same year after year. Consider asking the artist in your family to draw and color Christmas icons on cardboard; kids might find this especially fun and unique. If you're interested in a little more detail, print out a Christmas picture and have it glued or laminated onto a piece of cardboard, cutting out the shape where needed.

Wreaths. There are many craft ideas to make your own wreaths, and the possibilities are endless. You can buy your own evergreens and add candy canes, hardened homemade cookies, little craft cut-outs, pictures, peppermints, balls, and so on. You can either hang a wreath on a door or anywhere on the wall and it will look great. Use a type of evergreen that is fragrant if you want the familiar "Christmas tree smell" to permeate the house. Of course you can also use a "fake wreath" that looks like the real thing, and decorate it the same way.

Woodworking. If someone in your family is good with wood, this will be a great asset to your decorating venture. My father made many Christmas decorations over the years, from a hand-constructed manger to a red glittery sleigh. These items were much cherished. Commission someone to make goodies for your house like tiny wooden reindeer, Christmas signs, and so forth. Give an idea book and point out what you would like. The reward might be a gift certificate to replenish materials, or just a special place at the holiday table. Homemade decorations are always more meaningful than department store stock.

You can make your own cards as well if you have the time and resources. Take paper or construction paper, fold over into fourths, and go crazy. You can use markers, glitter, colored glue, yarn, or anything your heart desires. You could also ask kids to make homemade cards for friends or grandparents; when I used to make homemade cards as a child, they were always appreciated because of the extra effort and love that went into the creation. You could write a little poem or saying to go inside the cards as well. If you want to send everyone the same card, color the card first without folding it, color copy the paper, and fold all the duplicates the same way.

Tree ornaments. You can mix past and present to decorate your tree by using some old items, but also creating some new. Make cookies, homemade tiny wreaths, kids' decorations, and craft projects for your Christmas tree. With just a little effort the tree can look much more personal than it did the year before. Consider trading ornaments with a loved one so you have one item from each friend and family member on the tree. I remember making a manger scene out of clay that could have easily been used for a decoration simply by putting a small piece of string or ribbon in the top. Have fun, and enjoy the holiday season.

By Lacie R. Schaeffer

Personality in your home furniture

2006-10-01T00:25:00.000-07:00

Have you just wonder how to create the right furniture in your own home? Buyers usually go to the furniture depot and by thinking those sales clerks knows better by giving you so many options. Think wiser. Sometimes we end up, mixing different color combinations, different types of furniture and do not even satisfy us. As an interior designer there is a lot of planning to do, not just having what you really like mixing.

You must consider these things before buying a new set of furniture; the color and the size.

In planning for a small living room, you must first measure or estimate the total area you want to cover with. Be sure that the spaces in between furniture are movable. The family can still accommodate at least three persons standing behind and in front the furniture of your choice. This is to secure you enough space during special occasions, small gatherings or even your own family. It is much better to lay out the total area of the living room in a piece of paper and envision yourself of which part you want to place the furniture. Notice the shape of the space, then at least estimate what is the width of the furniture you want to place. Afterwards, take note the width you consider placing the furniture before going to the sales clerk.
The right color is also a big fact in establishing a visual aesthetic of the room. Wrong color will affect our visual senses. Do you consider a white living room look larger than a dark painted wall even if they have the same area? This is because of the visual illusion brought by the color. If your wall painted with white, it is safe to use a tone not too dark or not too light. Consider pastel color since it gives soothing effect and a modern look. Just be sure it is also close to your favorite color. If your wall painting is already dark, try to use beige or white color to enhance the beauty of the furniture and will complement with the wall painting. Combining dark paint wall with dark colored furniture will only make the room smaller and untidy. Another possible reason of mixing the right combination of color is to create a sense of psychological well-being. Designers nowadays are also looking onto the psychological effect that it can cause to the user. For example, red brings active consciousness, green gets the feeling of nature and blue creates a peaceful mind. Jot is down to the list you just made earlier.

Third, establishing what is the most appropriate type of furniture you want. Consider the type of users and the number of users inside the house. This is to maximize the usability of the furniture or your main purpose of the furniture. If you consider it just for sitting, then look for the sophisticated type. It is commonly a wooden type with a soft cushion for comfortable sitting. This type of furniture is for allowable time-use for sitting only and not recommended for those couch potato people. It does not give you a maximum relaxation of sitting because of the stiff material, which is the wood. Another type of material is the couch type. Most Americans prefer this type of material, since it absorbs heat during winter. You can place your whole body in it with such coziness. Our living room is mainly composed of a television, couch and a small table. In that matter, that couch, futon, settee or daybed can affect how we behave inside the house or in your own living room. A small couch in a bachelor's pad is somehow practical since it also used as a bed if guests do come. However, a large sofa in a living room can cause a couch potato husband or children eating while watching the television. This is the possibility of how people behave in this kind of setting. The comfort it gives brings a relaxed attitude or mood for the user. A specific kind of behavior of people we want to achieve must incorporate to the type of furniture, the users, and the number of users. Write it down in your list.

After placing it to the list, that is the time you will get yourself into the furniture depot. You will be confident and directed to what kind of furniture you will be asking. At least you will readily know the type of material, the size of the furniture and the color that is best for your own living room. The second thing that you have difficulty dealing with is the budget. If the salesclerk, for instance had given you the amount and it does not seem to fit your budget. The next thing they will do is suggest a type of furniture that does not fit with the plans you had made. There is always, another time or another store to seek for that furniture. Do not gamble on something that might not give you the satisfaction or else you will be wasting your dollars for nothing.

It is always best to buy a kind of furniture that will not only be functional, practical but also enhances the beauty of your own living room. Aside from the comfort it gives, you can also suggest the function of the furniture that will predict the kind of behavior the users will apply. This is what usually interior designers do. If you had encountered one, notice that the most probable questions they will raise are the above requirements I had made.

Basically, each person has his own kind of taste in choosing the furniture that will fit their personality. Sometimes problems occur if the owner is sway away from his own taste. Here are some of suggestions one can use to create the look or design you always wanted.

Asian/ tropical look-most designs found in this kind of home is more on earth colors, natural designs and elements. Earth colors such as green, brown, white, beige, red and black are most common. Choosing one dominant color for example brown. All other materials formed out from it. Bamboo and dark brown furniture with intricate and detailed designs. A touch of modern flair of the materials used keeps the room updated with trend. Simple and basic designs of lamp strategically placed around the colors illuminating the room. Pieces of Asian figures placed on the corners and rough texture wall on the columns. Water is essential in this setting by placing a plant whose can live sufficiently with water alone. Avoid overdoing anything, keep it simple and clean. Another is placing soft satin pillows on the sofa or settee.

Extreme modern flair with a touch of home vibrancy- this type of design is most common in condominium type and highly sophisticated houses. If you want to achieve this with a very low budget, it can still be possible. Modern designs are made of elements such as steel and glass. You create a white walled room and find a nice large abstract painting you can avail at its cheapest prize. If you cannot find one large painting, try mixing at least four to six small painting having the same motif on the painting. If not, try looking at black and white pictures in black frame. The color motif for this kind of design is composed of four colors; grey, black, white and beige. To create a little of sassiness of your room, try adding one color tone of an element, for example a piece of jar or a figurine. The idea there is just to make it fresh looking designs.

The key there is onto your personality. What is your personality? Is it vibrant? Is it mellow? Or is it stiff? By looking onto your personality, realizing the right color for you can make a scope of what you will be expecting in your room. Do not go picking on magazines and mixing the wrong combinations, making you unhappy in the end. Always list down and be sure that what you had written down has almost the right relationship with each other.

The Color Pops! It's Hot! It's HGTV

2006-09-23T18:03:00.000-07:00

I am addicted to HGTV. Some people play the radio all day, some watch CNN or financial channels. I watch HGTV. I'm in love, obsessed. I need a remix, a painted house, cute guys moving my furniture. I'm quilting, crafting and reusing junk I find on the streets. Most frightening of all, I am actually beginning to like the new retro sixties style I see more and more often. HGTV has crept into my soul, taken over my taste, changed my mind. I'm afraid.

I must admit I always had a weakness for furniture and Interior Design. I used to cruise the furniture floor of a local department store for entertainment. I read the magazines, took house tours, read news articles. I've even been to High Point, North Carolina,the furniture heaven of the south. I am not an interior designer so I only had access to the showrooms open to the public. I craved entry to all the show rooms so I found solace in a drury rug which accompanied me back to my humble home in the Midwest.

Then I gave it all up. The magazines were the first to go. They became too expensive and I grew tired of looking at beautiful rooms in rich peoples' houses. House tours became less appealing when I couldn't find babysitters. I began to read more articles on child development and less on the latest trends in furniture. I lost interest and walked away.

Then came HGTV and reawakened the suppressed desire I have for furniture, textiles, paint, and room remodels. I am relearning the language of design. If the color"pops" that's good. I am once again thinking in terms of color palettes, and the effect they have on your mood and mental health. I want style, even in my small spaces.

I became aware of just how much HGTV had changed my own personal style when I watched a rerun of a show concerning a kitchen makeover. Several months ago I watched the same program and was horrified by what I saw. I couldn't believe the amount of money spent to create what I viewed as a hideous kitchen. The countertops were concrete, the tile backsplash a mishmash and the dining area a testament to overpriced furniture .

This time around I found myself appreciating the color scheme, intrigued by the custom furniture and wondering if I could use plywood flooring in my unfinished television room. I still would not use concrete for my kitchen countertops but that is because it is too hard and I see myself breaking more glass than I already do. Even though they are beautiful, granite countertops do not tempt me for the same reason.

HGTV not only has kept me company during the day, it is slowly changing my own personal style. I was always traditional in my personal design choices. I was interested in modern furniture but merely as a spectator. I did not want it in my own home. I am not so sure anymore.

I am finding traditional style more and more boring. I am thinking more and more about how my family really lives and designing around our lifestyle rather than imposing on my family a design style that does not reflect our living patterns. Merely the fact that I am thinking about design style and living patterns is a change, a good change, but a change.

I know I am still in that romance stage with HGTV. Luckily I bought twenty year furniture and it still has several years to go on it. It's Hancock and Moore , a top of the line leather furniture brand. For what we paid for it , it should last twenty years. So I am not really at the point of redesigning my interior, just at the point of thinking about it.

HGTV has had more effect on my personal style in the last year than I realized. So I am afraid. Afraid HGTV is much more of a force than anyone realizes. It brings all levels of design into our homes everyday, all day. It is exposing huge numbers of people to design you had to actively seek out only a few years ago. So I am afraid but excited. Excited to learn of new products, new techniques, new ideas , new ways to live. I love HGTV.

Is this a love that will last? Who knows, but it has me exploring areas of interest I had long thought dead. HGTV challenges me to be creative and offers suggestions on how to get there. I am glad I am not currently buying new furniture, because maybe HGTV's influence is a little too strong. Time will tell, and I am certainly being entertained and educated in the meantime.

Junk Brothers on HGTV

2006-09-23T05:29:00.000-07:00

By Christina VanGinkel

A long time fan of decorating and home improvement shows on television, such as Design on a Dime, Room by Room, and Decorating Cents, I believed I had seen them all, that was until I discovered the new hit show on HGTV (Home & Garden Television) Junk Brothers. Oh-my-gosh, what a unique and fun format for a show, not to mention, just how in the world do they come up with such fantastic ideas? I hope by watching it long enough I will be able to pick up on how they envision the new in the junk they see, as they must, otherwise, what would prompt them to pick up some of the trash they do is beyond comprehension.

The show is hosted by, who else, brothers. Older brother Jim Kelley and his younger brother Steve are the hosts of the show. They literally pick up trash, castoffs really, that other people have deemed no good for anything but the junk pile. The two brothers carry their finds back to the shop where they miraculously turn the unwanted items into very nice items. Beds, dressers, bookcases, even bikes and much more, are revamped and transformed into useful pieces that the original homeowners can use in their homes, that is, after the stunned original owners are done staring in wonder at what was once just another piece of garbage on their scrap pile by the curb.

When I first saw an advertisement for this show, I have to tell you that what I imagined the show was going to be, was not accurate it all. It turned out to be something very different, when I actually took the time to sit down and watch it. I thought now, come on, how original are they going to be. What would be the big deal if they took a bureau or an old desk off the curb, took it home and sanded it, maybe painted it and re-stained it? However, I was soon to learn that definitely is not what this show is about. At the core, I believe that they want to show people that pieces of furniture and various other items have a lot of life in them beyond their initial purpose. Yeah, a few knobs might be missing, or a table might have a big crack in it, maybe a drawer or two are even missing. Still, with a bit of ingenuity and a plan of action, these seemingly useless pieces of junk are not only brought back to life, they are brought back in a form often much, much better than even their original purpose was.

I guess what I am getting at is that they transform the junk they pick up curbside they do not restore it. It goes far beyond that! An old stove, the sort you might see decorating a kitchen from the eighties, is transformed into an outdoor grill, hot looking enough to grace the backyard of the most up and coming family on the block. Backyard grill kings will all want a grill just like it so badly, that the risk of old stoves becoming a hot commodity just might happen! An advantage of the show that some might count as a huge plus too, is that curbside pickup on garbage day might just get a little lighter simply because people are going to be reluctant to toss much of what they do, seeing promise in what was once just another item to haul to the curb.

If you want to learn about more of the episodes, you can check out their website. You can read up on how they took an old busted up guitar and turned it into a sound system for the homeowner who originally tossed the guitar. In another episode, you can watch them take a dirty and old upholstered chair and transform it into a stunningly lovely loveseat. Each episode brings with it a fresh perspective on how the old and ordinary can be transformed into the new and unbelievable. If you have ever watched a single home improvement or decorating show with even a moderate amount of interest, Junk Brothers on HGTV (Home & Garden Television) is surely worth your time to check out.

Decorating for Cheap by Casey Manes

2006-09-18T12:33:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't want a beautiful, cozy home to open to friends and family and to enjoy yourself? Sometimes it can seem out of reach to make your decorating desires a reality due to the costs of new furniture, paint, and decorations. Through the years I have spent many hours thumbing through home decorating magazines and furniture store magazines trying to glean ideas to reproduce for a much lower cost. It is possible to have your dream home interior on a budget.

A good place to begin is with a change of color on the walls. Classic wallpapers, and new paints can be had at great prices in a vareity of home improvement and hardware stores. Think it through and you could purchase two or three colors and use them interchangeably throughout your home for variety and flair. A popular trend lately is to paint one wall a more bold color such as green, and paint the other walls a more subdued hue like a creamy biege. This will add a dynamite change to any room at thirty dollars or less.

Another necessity to spice up a room is eye-catching furniture that fits together. This doesn't have to mean you spend thousands of dollars purchasing a new couch and matching chairs. If you haven't already, look in your area for annual garage-sale days and flea markets-- gold mines for trendy pieces of furniture and antiques that can be pieced together in classic ways. These finds are usually crazily inexpensive and often, if you're picky and thorough in your search, this furniture can be found in excellent condition. Antique end tables, coffee tables, shelves, and lamps can transform a room and add a lot of taste to otherwise ordinary furniture. Another option for furniture is checking out furniture consignment shops. These are frequently a little higher priced than garage sales, but are sometimes in better shape. A store that you can pop into weekly is a good bet, as they usually get new inventory in and out fast and this will increase your chances of finding something you want.

Many college towns or larger cities have village-wide “dump days” where people place undesirables on the curb. These are free to anyone who decides they are not junk, but treasure! I have found perfectly gorgeous headboards, shelves, baskets, and other decorating items just be scouring the curbs! This may not be your idea of a fun time, but it truly is a great way to find nice things, for FREE. If you stick to wealthier neighborhoods and don’t mind ignoring a lot of junk in order to find that lucky item, give it a try.

A few new throw pillows with complementary, colorful patterns can totally change the feel of a space. Keeping your furniture, but just adding new pillows and a new floor rug may be all you need to allow a fresh breeze of change into your home. Department stores and most home retailers carry wide ranges of patterned and solid pillows and rugs for affordable prices.

Local retailers or seamstresses are a gem of a find and are usually much less costly to hire for custom curtains or comforters. Beginning a customer relationship with local tailor will save you dollars as well as allow you to be more selective about accessories in your home, such as new drapes or an upgraded duvee. A friend of mine tried this herself and was able to have a gorgeous duvee and matching curtains made from a sheet that she found that perfectly fit what she was looking for-- as she was unable to find it in any stores.

Lamps are an inexpensive way to change the mood in any room. Looking for some extra light, tuck a stylish lamp in the corner. Need to add height to that desk? Select a classy lamp to complement the look. Lamps are available everywhere, and the latest trend is in different shapes of the shade. By simply selecting some new lamp shades in a vareity of shapes, you could renovate your room into an entirely new look.

Remember, decorating is supposed to be fun, a hunt for treasure to make your home your very own special place to share with others. There is no one way to decorate, or to purchase what you need. Step out and find yourself a treasure in one of these unconventional, inexpensive methods, today!

Love Ancient History? Make Yourself A Roman Paradise

2006-09-15T05:43:00.000-07:00

There are countless decorating themes to consider, from ancient to modern. All you need is some cash, an empty room, and a whole lot of creative imagination. (And with the Internet you have accent to countless other imaginations, as well). Some of us like the idea of a room that reflects antiquity and brings the beauty of an ancient civilization like Rome, Egypt, or Greece. You might think you can't buy furniture in this theme, but that is simply not true. As you journey through the Internet you will discover that you can find just about anything. Say you've decided to use your passion of the Roman culture to create a new living space.

What did Roman walls look like? Usually they were hand-painted with bright mosaics in every theme and color, but that takes a lot of time and money and you probably won't find many painters whose creativity matches the Roman sense of style. Murals are one option; one wall covered with a mural of a Roman vineyard makes a fine choice for ancient decor. If the idea of vibrant colors splashed all over doesn't entice you, consider painting Ionic or Corinthian columns over the walls to give your room a temple look.

Don't know what to do with your ceilings? There are a few ideas that may inspire you. Murals can be painted on ceilings as well but this would be a very expensive and time-consuming venture. Consider putting in beams or covering the area with stucco to enhance the ancient feel. If you want some decor and don't want to paint or wallpaper the whole thing, consider a few wallpaper appliques placed here and there. It depends on how authentic you want to be.

Many Romans weren't wild about rooms completely filled with furniture, so you probably want to keep it sparse and authentic. You can find chaise lounges, reclining couches, chairs, and tables that reflect the ancient style; a few pieces placed strategically around the room will do wonders for your theme. If you are creating a bedroom and are interested in the current trend of having a flat bed that is low to the floor, you are following Roman decor more closely than you think. A simple mattress in an ornately-carved bedframe will catapult you a few thousand years in the past. Keep in mind these weren't particularly built for comfort, so this may not be a piece of authentic furniture that you want to invest in. Roman columns serving as tables or free-standing pieces are another idea.

Artwork in Roman and Greek themes is very easy to find. You can look for people, mythology, Tuscan countryside, and many other styles. Framed portraits of the ruins of Rome or reconstructions of the ancient city are another good choice. Look for urns, fake flowers, and fountains to adorn tables and corners. Consider collecting models that pertain to your interests; a model of the Coliseum is a great addition to a Roman themed room. Some party companies sell cut-outs and decor that will match your theme, but these may be a little cheap-looking for the vision you want to achieve. Fill a shelf with books about Roman history, militaria, famous emperors, and so on. No Roman room would be complete without a bust of Caesar! If you're into mythology you can find busts and statues of many Roman gods and goddesses.

Windows are another factor. The aptly-named Roman shades are one idea, as well as simple curtains in plain colors. Even though the Romans probably didn't have many curtains as we know them, you could probably blend a little bit of the old in with the new here. Again, it's important to do research and discover which style is best for you. If you want regular curtains, consider a regal but muted print. Romans certainly didn't have access to bright and gaudy materials with which to make window coverings.

If you have doorways and archways that can be decorated, consider placing wallpaper cut-outs around the tops or sides for an added, colorful touch. Little cherubs, grape leaves, or other ancient symbols should do nicely. If you're planning a dining room in this theme, clay pots and dishes and simple implements can be used to give you a feel of the past. You can decorate your kitchen in the Tuscan style with a wine or grape theme, and it will still tie into the Roman style.

By Lacie R. Schaeffer

The Versatility of Books in Home Decorating

2006-09-09T14:23:00.000-07:00

Books are a beautiful thing. They help a person learn new information, entertain through quiet hours, and can even add spice and character to home decorating. That's right, if you haven't already, consider books as a creative way to enhance a room. Books go with any color and design and theme your particular room may have, making this a credible option for everyone. There are a number of ways to incorporate your favorite literary works or magazines into your interior designs.
Great Ideas for Using Books in Decorating:

-Book shelves are the primary and most obvious method of displaying books.
Not only do they make you look more studios and academic while they rest upon the shelves, but books also add warmth and variety to any setting. In addition, alternating books in different directions or stacking books and topping them with a colorful candle accents the whole scene and creates an inviting atmosphere.

-Books can also be used as an end table.
While decorating on a budget, sometimes furniture canot be had. No need to be without, stack large coffee-table volumes or other hard-cover books from the floor up and you have yourself a unique table people will notice.

-Add height to a lamp.
In my guest bedroom in my home, a very short lamp adorns a reading table. For taller people to read by it, it's too short. Solution? A stack of colorfully toned books neatly stacked beneath the lamp. The books accent the colors in the room and add an attractive extension to the lamp.

-Books as shelves.
Books make great shelves. Stack them up on a desk, dresser or nightstand and use them to support other books, framed photos, or clocks.

-Table centerpieces.
Collectors books or publications with colorful bindings make an attractive table centerpiece. Coordinate the colors or go for an eclectic flair with opposing designs. Stack the books on their side and top with a colorful plant. Or arrange the books in a creative pattern in the center of the table for an eye-pleasing, creative guest-charmer.

-Enhance the mantle.
Could the mantle in your house use a change from the same-old family photos? Diversify with creative piling of books, beneath photos, leaning next to other books or alternated by bunches of flowers.

Organize Your Closet

2006-09-07T03:10:00.000-07:00

By Misti Sandefur

Does your closet look like a tornado hit it? Well, you're not alone. Many households have unorganized closets, and it's mainly because things in a closet can be hidden. However, when it's time for you to find something to wear you can't. How would you like to be able to find the outfit or pair of shoes you're searching for the next time you enter your closet? It would be great, wouldn't it? The good news is you can find what you're searching for if you take the extra time to organize your closet. "But where do I start? Can my closet really be organized?" you ask. Sure it can! Follow the advice in this article and you'll be pleased with your closet and yourself the next time you hunt for your favorite shirt or pair of shoes. Who knows, you may even find something that has been missing for so long you forgot you even had it.

Begin by taking everything out of your closet and placing it on the bed, or somewhere other than the closet; trust me, this is the best way to start the organization process.

As soon as your closet is completely empty, you will need to sort things out into separate piles. Place clothes and other items that you don't wear or use anymore in your first pile. Then put all your fall and winter clothes in a second pile, all your spring and summer clothes in a third pile. Finally, your last pile will be the leftovers (shoes, belts, scarves, etc.).

Now that you have everything sorted into piles, go back to your first pile. Since you no longer wear or use these items anymore, why not give them to someone who will, or to someone who needs them. Another alternative is to have a rummage sale and make a little money, and then you can give away the things you don't sell. Place all these items in a box and set the box aside.

Since you've boxed up the things you no longer wear or use, you can focus on the remaining items -- the things you will be keeping. But hold on... don't go shoving things back into your closet just yet, because you need to organize what's left.

For your second and third piles, if the season is now fall then store the spring and summer clothes in plastic totes. (Totes are inexpensive and don't take up a lot of room.) Next, place all your fall and winter clothes on hangers, but don't hang them in the closet just yet.

Before you put anything back into the closet, you need to take care of your last pile. For all your shoes, invest in a shoe rack that hangs over the door (you may need two if you have many shoes). If your closet has a door then you can place your shoe rack over that door, and if your closet does not have a door place the rack over the back of your bedroom door. The shoe rack(s) allows you to remove all shoes from your closet, because believe it or not, shoes do make a closet look cluttered. Besides, without the shoes in your closet you will have extra closet space.

For your belts, scarves and other accessories, install some hooks on the wall in your closet. Once installed, you will be able to hang these accessories on hooks so they'll no longer be loose in your closet, and you can easily find what you need later down the road.

Remember the seasonal clothes you stored in plastic totes? Great, now place those plastic totes neatly in your closet. If you have too many totes and you think they'll make your closet look cluttered again, or if you believe they'll take up way too much space, then consider placing some of those seasonal clothes in an under-the-bed tote. Another alternative to totes is shelves. Hang a couple shelves on the wall in your closet. After you've hung the shelves, fold some of the seasonal clothes and place them on the shelves. You can use both totes and shelves if you wish.

Finally, install two rods in your closet -- place one rod higher than the other. Once installed, hang all your longer garments (dresses, long skirts, etc.) on the higher rod, and hang the remaining garments on the lower rod. While you hang your clothes you can organize them by colors, gender (if you have a spouse), or etc.

You should now have a neatly organized closet! Won't it feel good to go to your closet and find what you need without fumbling through a mess?

Fun Chairs For The Dorm Or Any Home

2006-09-05T00:53:00.000-07:00

Every fall as the stores prepare their back-to-school product displays, an abundance of unique chairs hits the sales floor. These chairs are mainly intended for students in dorm rooms, but there's no reason why you can't enjoy one of these designs in your own home.

Bean Bag Chair
This is a classic design for lounging. I have one I've had since I was a kid. I distinctly remember laying on it when I had chicken pox. My bean bag chair was a vinyl one, and the cool, smooth surface was the only thing that made my itchy skin feel better. I've kept it around as it moved from my bedroom to my parents' basement rec room to my dorm to my current apartment. Nowadays, my cat is the most likely thing to be curled up in it, but I keep it around partly out of nostalgia and partly because I think it's an inviting place to relax. They're perfect for lounging around the dorm room, but couldn't everyone else also use a little lounging from time to time? You can curl up with a good book or just stare at the TV. A variety of coverings mean that you can find a bean bag to fit any color scheme. There's no need to be stuck with the bright vinyl designs of the past.

Video Chair
These chairs are unique in that they don't have any legs. They sit directly on the floor and the bottom curves up to a straight back, so they actually rock back and forth a bit. I've always been a bit afraid of them because I'm sure I would topple backwards if I sat in one. But I still think they're an ingenious design for their purpose. They're meant to make it more comfortable to sit in front of the TV for extended periods of time. Now this can be handy when a 12-hour marathon of your favorite crime drama comes on, but it's mainly meant for video game players. There's no need to sit hunched over on the floor anymore; you can lean back in comfort as you shoot aliens or race around the city. Gamers of all ages should consider getting one of these. Their backs will thank them.

Camping Chair
These chairs are a bit like the old director's chairs. They are made with a collapsible metal frame, and the fabric seat and back hang between the sides. These chairs are useful anywhere you might need temporary seating. They fold up into a relatively compact package, so they could easily be tucked in the closet or under a bed.

Fabric Folding Chair
Now this is a new design I've seen for the very first time this fall. The frame is a bit like the frame used for those plastic-webbing-covered folding chairs you see in the summer. However, instead of plastic, the frame holds two plush cushions. It's the best of convenience and comfort combined in a lightweight chair. I've also seen a similarly design loveseat. It was basically a folding chair big enough for two people. I thought that one would be especially great for filling in a small space in a living room with extra seating or for giving the kids an extra place to sit with friends in their room.

Papasan Chairs
In papasan chairs, a large circular cushion is nestled inside a similarly circular frame. The circular frame is attached at a slight angle to a stabilizing base. These chairs give you the lounging feeling of a bean bag chair or similar chair while also being a more standard piece of furniture. The wooden frames can fit more easily into even the most staid living room decor.

Micro fiber
No matter what type of chair you choose, the fabric of the moment is definitely micro fiber. This material is actually a slightly-piled polyester that feels almost like suede. Even though it feels much like suede, it offers a distinct advantage over the leather because it is much easier to clean. It's incredibly soft, and it's everywhere. Any chair instantly seems more comfortable with that soft fabric next to your skin. It's also available in pillows and throws if you would prefer sticking to a micro fiber accent.

Decorate Your New Home on a Shoestring Budget

2006-08-18T20:36:00.000-07:00

Whether you're moving into your very first apartment or home, or just trying to stick to a budget in your latest one, decorating your humble abode can be tricky. Once you've blown lots of cash on the security deposit or down payment, the last thing you want to do is spend more... but the first thing you want to do is make the place feel like home.

Whatever your situation, these tips will help. The information below is designed to help you decorate on a shoestring budget- while giving your home a distinctly personal and comfortable touch.

Step One: The walls.
If you're renting your home or apartment, you may not be allowed to paint. This means that chances are good you're stuck with plain white rental walls. Even if you're buying your home, your budget may not include new paint or wallpaper just yet. So you'll have to find another way to dress and warm up the walls.

Start with your pictures. Decide where you'll be putting posters or framed prints so that you can get an idea of how much wall space you have left to work with. One nifty trick: if you have several small framed photos, such as family snapshots, don't use them to clutter up a table. Hang them on the wall instead, forming an interesting pattern that draws the eye to the area. Try hanging them in a vertical line or diagonally across the space, connecting them with a plain black ribbon. This will help warm up the room without costing you a dime.

If you've got your pictures and posters up and you're still dealing with lots of blah wall space, consider fabric wall coverings. This can be as easy as using a pretty printed sheet to drape a wall. You might also consider going to the fabric store and buying a few remnant pieces, then swathing them over doorways or above the couch. For best results, use a long, narrow piece of cloth that is printed on both sides. Simply twist it loosely and then pin both ends to the wall, leaving a foot or so to hang down on either side.

If you own an heirloom family quilt or a pretty throw, consider using it to decorate the wall of a den or bedroom. It will cozy up the space with the added bonus of keeping your special blanket safe from harm.

Step Two: The floors.
Once again, if you're living in a rental you are probably stuck with the carpet or flooring that you've got. Even if you bought your house, chances are you're too pooped from moving to even consider ripping up carpet or refinishing hardwoods. So decorate your floors the easy way for now: use plenty of rugs.

You'd be surprised how much the right rug can change a room. Even if you love your hardwood floors, adding rugs can create a contrast that makes the wood stand out that much more. Try using throw rugs of various sizes (which you can find for cheap at thrift stores) to define the areas of the room. Group two chairs around an area rug to create a seating arrangement in the corner of a studio apartment; layer two rugs of contrasting colors at opposite angles to give a room a homey, eclectic look.

Step Three: Window coverings.
Even if your place came with blinds, chances are they're plain white and look pretty sterile. Change the look of the space in an instant with the right window coverings. Many hardware stores sell clip-on curtain rings for about five dollars a pack; these can be attached to any square or rectangle of fabric to turn it into a quick and easy curtain panel.

You can also use plain bed sheets as curtains. Decide whether you need a twin, full, queen or king-sized sheet, depending on the width of your window. Hit a local thrift store (or your own linen closet) for a sheet in a light neutral color. You'll notice that the sheet is hemmed along the top. This hem is wide enough to slide a curtain rod through. Bingo- instant curtains! For even more detail, look for a sheet that is trimmed along the hem with lace or other detailing. Nobody will ever know the difference, and if the sheet is long enough to pool on the floor it will give the space a light, airy look.

Step Four: Furniture.
This is the area where, if you're not careful, you can quickly blow your budget. You may be tempted to get nice, new comfortable furniture to fill up your brand new space. STOP. It's not time for that yet. Good furniture should be purchased gradually, as your income allows, and not in one fell swoop as soon as you move in.

For now, you should be looking for hand-me-downs and garage sale or thrift store furniture. Yes, it might be ugly or dirty. Don't worry. A simple can of upholstery cleaner can take out years of grime as long as you're willing to put in some elbow grease. If you really can't stand the look of the upholstery, or if it's too dirty to salvage, get a few plain bed sheets, a box of straight pins, and some extra-large safety pins. Create a fitted slipcover that pins in place to cover the furniture until you can invest in some new pieces.

If you need things like bookcases or shelving, remember that wooden boards are cheap and easy to come by. The old college dorm room standby of using cinder blocks and plain boards as a shelf is still a great way to organize any small room. Or buy a few shelf brackets and build a simple wooden shelf that runs around the perimeter of the ceiling. You'll create instant storage space for just a few dollars.

If you do buy used furniture, look for a secondhand shop that delivers. Many stores have trucks available, and they'll deliver whatever you buy for a flat fee of $20.00 or so. If you don't have any friends with pick-up trucks, this might be a necessity; if that's the case, make sure to purchase everything at once so you only have to pay for one delivery fee.

Another easy way to save on money when it comes to furniture is to find pieces that can do double, or even triple, duty. Instead of buying a computer desk and a dining room table, find a table with wheels that can be easily moved around and used for both. Instead of a television stand plus a bookshelf, find a wide bookshelf that can hold your TV on the top while holding your books in the space underneath.

Step Five: The small details.
Every home needs some small touches, and when you move to a new space your inclination is going to be to personalize it by adding little decorations where you see fit. If your new home is larger than your last one- or if this is your first time living alone- you may find that you don't have much when it comes to small decorative items. That's OK. Remember how quickly such things accumulate, and realize that eventually you'll have more than you need.

For now, do some scouting around thrift stores and dollar stores for things like candle holders, placemats, hand towels, soap dishes and picture frames. A few well-placed accessories can personalize a home in an instant without overcrowding it or blowing your budget.

Decorating on a shoestring means you won't have everything exactly the way you want it right away. And that's perfectly fine. You don't need designer dishes and fancy furniture in order to feel at home in your new space.

What matters is that your home is comfortable for you to live in- and blowing the budget on decorating will only make you feel miserable. So take it slow, be creative, and make the space essentially yours. After all, that's what having a home is all about.
-by bjp

Shopping for Your Home Office

2006-08-03T15:51:00.000-07:00

By Misti Sandefur

When I first began working from home I knew I had to find a place to make into my own little office space, and once I found the spot the next thing I had to do was buy office furniture and equipment so it would look and feel like an office. I didn't have a whole lot of money when I first started, so I knew I would be shopping on a budget, and because of this I only bought the things I needed to help get me started.

If you've decided to work from home, and you've chosen a quite and comfortable place in your home for your office, then your next step is to buy the furniture and equipment that you need to get you started. You're first piece of furniture should be a desk and a comfortable chair. Yes, that's right, I said "comfortable chair." The chair doesn't have to be expensive, but it does need to provide comfort because you'll probably be spending a lot of time working at your desk. Other than comfort, you also want to invest in a chair with good back support, because I'm sure you don't want to develop major back problems later down the road. Other than comfort and back support, some other features to consider when shopping for a chair are: height adjustments, tension adjustment, tilt lock and adjustable arm rests.

When choosing your desk make sure to buy a desk that will allow you enough work space. A desk with drawers helps you stay organized, and shelves are also nice for placing pictures and even a plant on. Items you place on the shelves can help relieve stress. For example, I place pictures of my kids on the shelves attached to my desk. When I look at their pictures it not only helps relieve stress, but it motivates me and keeps me going because I know I'm doing my job for them.

After selecting a comfortable chair and desk, you'll need a filing cabinet. A filing cabinet will also keep you organized, and it makes finding important documents a much simpler task. Since your just starting out a two drawer filing cabinet should do for now, and don't forget to buy a box or two of hanging file folders. Hanging file folders will keep your filing cabinet neater. File folders that just sit in the cabinet often look cluttered, and at times, documents will fall out and get mixed in with other documents.

If you don't already have a computer you may need to shop around for this piece of equipment. A computer may not be as cheap, but it can pay off in the long run. With a computer you can create a Web site to introduce yourself and your new business, and you can even advertise to millions with your computer and access to the Internet. What's more, a computer will also allow you to create invoices, customer records, financial records, business cards, income earned and more.

Along with your computer, buy a cheap color printer. Yes, a cheap printer will do in the beginning. Lexmark and Hewlett Packard both make great printers. If you also want to send and receive faxes you'll need a fax machine, and to help save money you could invest in a printer and fax combo.

A few other smaller items to shop for include a package of pens, paperclips, small trash can, notebook and printer paper, small lamp for better lighting, stapler, and a cart with wheels to set your printer and fax machine on.

Finally, this is optional, but another big stress reliever is an aquarium with a few fish. Aquariums aren't too hard to care for, and yes, they can be a stress reliever. When you feel too stressed out just take a few extra minutes and watch the fish. Again, the aquarium with fish is an optional item -- only purchase this if your budget allows.

The furniture and equipment listed above are just the basics that you'll need to make your empty space look and feel more like an office. Later, as your business grows and your income increases, you can always upgrade to better furniture and equipment, and you can even add more to your cozy office.

Before you begin shopping for your new office, follow these tips to help save you more money.

1. Look for special offers from office supply stores. If you don't have a computer borrow a friend's computer or visit your local library to gain access to the Internet. A lot of times you can find all kinds of special offers on the Internet (Search Google for "special offers on office furniture," "discount office furniture" and "discount office equipment." Leave the quotes around the search terms.) Another place to look is newspapers, magazines and even your junk mail.

2. When shopping look for furniture and equipment that offers a rebate. Some rebates are instant, and some you have to mail in and wait for a check, but rebates will save you a lot of money. For example, my mom purchased a computer and it came with a $150 mail-in rebate. After getting her computer home she filled out the rebate card, sent it in, and within a month she got a check for $150, so her $500 computer ended up costing her $350 in the end. Not only did she receive a $150 rebate, but she also got a free printer with the purchase of her computer. This is another bargain to look for. A lot of times if you buy a computer they will throw in a printer for free. It won't be a printer and fax combo, but at least you can mark the printer off your list.

When looking for rebates you can search Google for "instant rebates" (leave quotes around search terms) or "rebates." Then click on links and look for stores offering rebates on office furniture and equipment. One office supply store that offers rebates is Office Depot (http://www.officedepot.com).

3. Another place to find bargains on the Internet is Ebay. A lot of times you can purchase used furniture and equipment for a low price, and there's times when you can also buy new furniture and equipment on Ebay at bargain prices. Before bidding, check the seller's feedback. If the seller has negative feedback then don't bid, but if the seller's feedback is positive, and you feel that you too can trust him or her, then by all means, place your bid and hope you win.

4. Buying wholesale can also save you money. If you're running a business and you have a federal tax ID number and/or business license you can usually buy wholesale from just about any place that offers wholesale prices. However, if you don't have a federal tax ID number or a business license you can sometimes buy at wholesale prices from businesses that offer wholesale prices to the public -- search Google for "wholesale to the public" and look for stores that sell office furniture, equipment and supplies. Some wholesale suppliers also require minimums so you'll want to shop with the ones who don't require a minimum.

Now you should have a better idea of what you need for your office and how to save buying the things you need. However, before I let you go to begin your shopping adventure there is one more thing I need to mention... save all your receipts, and at the end of the year when you do your taxes you can write these business expenses off and get money back. Happy shopping and best of luck with your new business!

Creating A Child's Bedroom From Scratch

2006-08-02T08:57:00.000-07:00

There are very few children who don't like the idea of getting to design their own personal space, whether it be in a new home or a newly refurbished attic or basement. What makes a project like this fun is allowing kids to use their abundant creativity to help with the planning. After all, it's going to be *their* new space and no one else's, so they should have the majority of the decor decisions (unless, of course, they want to theme their room like a jungle and fill it with snakes, or something in that vein of thinking). Here are some tips on how to take a bland, empty room and turn it into a child's paradise.

Tip #1: Flooring. Before the color of the walls is even decided, you'll need to think about flooring. If you're renovating an old room and choose to keep the floor that was already in place, you have two choices: you can dress it up a bit by painting or varnishing existing wood, or you can cover it with a rug or carpet. If you decide to go all out and change the entire floor, talk to the child whose room it will be. If he or she runs and/or falls a lot, scratchy carpet probably isn't the best choice. If it's always cold where you live, stone floors are going to be terrible to walk on. If the child has a favorite cartoon character, superhero, etc., you might be able to find rugs that feature these characters.

Tip #2: Walls. Possibilities abound! Wallpaper or just wallpaper border? Mural? Paint? Stucco? There are tons of choices. Consider your little one's personal preferences. If she's a fan of Disney princesses, look for wallpaper paste-ons or borders. If the room is going to have a Southwestern look, stucco is an excellent choice, even though little hands and arms may get scratched up more easily on this surface than on any other. Few people choose to wallpaper entire walls in this day and age, but if your child likes feminine or Victorian-style decor and you don't mind starting a time-consuming project, it's always an option.

Tip #3. Curtains. It's not hard to find character-themed curtains and valances these days. Decide if you want a curtain that covers the whole window, or just a top valance. Bead curtains are another option; they don't offer as much privacy, but if you have a thick blind underneath, it shouldn't matter. The same goes for sheer curtains. If there's a blind it should be all right, but I wouldn't recommend hanging only sheer curtains; it's almost like having no curtains at all. If you having a sewing machine and want to invest in material, you could teach your child to help make her own curtains.

Tip #4. Furniture. The pieces you choose depend a lot on budget. Once you've determined how much you want to spend, it gets easier. You can pick plain wood pieces, or opt for beds shaped like castles or race cars. If you're going for a specific goal, such as "every piece of furniture has to be castle-themed" you can see if any furniture stores have collections that suit your tastes and buy everything at once. Not so strict? Consider a castle bed, but choose to have "normal" furniture in the rest of the room. Furniture is the most important part of your child's new room, so he or she should be allowed to have a say.

Tip #5. Bedding. There are literally endless places to find children's bedding, whether it's themed, gender-specific, or unique. Many department stores' online catalogs feature a section for kids' rooms. Enlist your little helper's expertise and try to find out interests and preferences. Taking him to the store to pick out bedding in person is a great idea. Consider if you want to buy a separate bedspread and sham (which can get rather expensive) or just stick with a comforter. Pillow sizes have a great deal to do with the size of bed. Be careful to distinguish between twin and twin XL sizes in bedding.

Tip #6. A special space. If your child has a special collection, piece of artwork, or toy, make sure to showcase it in his new room. Don't be surprised if he wants to bring some items from his old room into his new one; for instance, even though you have all new furniture purchased, he *can't* let go of his lamp shaped like a fire engine. You shouldn't be afraid to mix old with new, and keep in mind that it will be comforting to have something familiar beside all the new things.

By Lacie R. Schaeffer

Staying Within your Remodeling or Building Budget

2006-08-02T05:08:00.000-07:00

By Christina VanGinkel

If you are planning a remodel or build, a budget is going to be one of the first things you need to decide upon. The problem with any remodeling or home building budget though, is that it can be very easy to go over the boundaries you have set your limits at.

Possibly, you underestimated the cost right from the start, supplies took a drastic upsurge during the buying of them, or you made changes to the original plans that caused the figures you had to go by the wayside.

Staying within the budget can be difficult to do. However, if the budget you have to work with is tight already, there may be no room for going over. Taking steps to keep this from happening right from square one might just be the most important part of the budget itself.

Be realistic when you set the budget to begin with. If you are not sure of costs, do not rely on guesses. If you have a contractor, talk with them about the budget at length, and make sure they understand that there is no room for error. Get all of your prices on paper, both supplies and labor. Ask for a predetermined schedule and make sure that your contractor sticks to it. Do not hang over his or her shoulder minute by minute, but do plan to have someone on the job daily, making sure that progress is moving ahead, as it should be. If you are paying an hourly rate on a remodel for instance, and you arrive to find half the workers standing around waiting for shipments of supplies for example, this is going to be costing you money. Discuss issues such as these immediately with the contractor, especially if he or she is responsible for the supplies being there on time. If someone else is responsible, then it is up to you to make sure as little time as possible is wasted. If supplies are your responsibility and you suddenly learn that some important supplies are not going to arrive on the day you had planned, discuss what your contractor could work on until the needed supplies arrive or if work should stop for a day or two. Issues such as these can cause all sorts of additional problems though, so be advised that it is to your best interest to make sure they do not happen in the first place.

One of the most common ways a budget goes over is when the homeowner changes his or her mind during the build or remodel. Something that seems insignificant, such as changing your mind about lighting fixtures or paint colors, can all add up. If fixtures were already bought, they will need to be returned or exchanged. If some painting was already done, you will be incurring additional costs for painting over what was already done, plus the additional costs of more primer and paint. If a homeowner has made a decision on kitchen appliances or countertops, then decides they would rather go with a slight upgrade across the board where these are concerned can also mean a significant increase in a budget. Sure, the cost of the original range to the one you have decided to go with might only be three or four hundred dollars, but add that to an up charge for the fridge and the dishwasher as well, and you could easily add over a thousand dollars just in appliances. Add another thousand or two for different countertops, and even a modest remodel of a kitchen could have just increased by the thousands of dollars.

From the beginning of excavation to the final piece of flooring is laid, budgets have the opportunity to go awry. If possible, build a cushion into the budget from the beginning. Try to be prepared for costs going over, and if they do not, relish in the fact that you are saving money where you believed you might have spent more. Staying within any building or remodeling budget can be a tough task to accomplish, but it can be done if you are diligent from the start, are realistic, and do not change you mind throughout the process adding unnecessary costs where they are not needed.

Reminiscent of a Bachelor Pad

2006-07-30T03:51:00.000-07:00

My husband is especially thrilled with the idea of a bachelor pad in our new house. The basement has 336 square feet of finished area, and let me tell you that it was intended as the spot for the men to hang out in the house. O course, I am planning to hang out there, too, but my husband definitely has this spot picked as his favorite.

The stairs into the basement lead to this room, which is long and narrow. When you get to the bottom, the current owners have put a poker table there. Although we do not own a poker table, it is something that my husband has set in his sights now that we will have a place that is perfect for it. For now, it will have a basic card table, which will work for the short-term.

The television also will go in this room, which is why it will end up as a hanging out spot on lazy days. We believe in having only one television anywhere in the house, which makes sense to us but is weird to most people we know. So this room will be the TV room, for lack of a better term. The television will go in the corner so that everyone in the room can see the game, which is the main reason we have a television anyway. We are football fanatics, and this room is perfect for watching the game.

Right now, we have a couch and recliner that will go into the room. We got them second-hand, and they are worn. That makes them perfect for this part of the house because no one expects a perfectly manicured room for hanging out. We also found two swivel chairs that we will be getting. They are black and turn completely around so that they will be great for moving around anywhere they are needed in the room.

The best part of the room really is the bar. It is a full bar with shelving behind it so that you can put drink mix cases, glasses, and any accessories you need. My husband pretty much is a beer drinker, so he plans to get a mini-fridge to go behind it. I am a mixed-drink girl, but we have never had all of the equipment. Now we will be able to have everything we need and will be able to serve great drinks to our guests when they are over.

Because of the guy-centered design of this room, we will be using our love of University of Georgia sports to fill the room. I have been searching online, since we are no longer in Bulldog country, for the perfect accoutrements for such a room. I am going to get a couple of banners and a UGA clock to put up. Beyond that, we have a few shot glasses and things that will make their way down to the TV room, and we will add to our collection whenever we can. I am thinking that we will put up a couple of small shelves. Some will have UGA beer mugs, and others will have various memorabilia, such as statues of Hairy and Uga.

This room has pine walls. Although they are sealed, like most wood walls, they have become darker over time. In the main part of the house, that would bother me, but in this room, I think it works well. It means that one has to do little to make the room come alive. Even if we do not have much in the way of wall hangings in the beginning, it will not look bad because of the design of the room.

My husband plans to spend all the time he can in this room, and I imagine that will be less than he thinks now. Still, it is a good place to get away. You are out of any confusion on the first floor, and you are able to enjoy television without it interfering with everyone else in the house. Decorating this room definitely is not a priority, but it will come in time. And when it does, I imagine the results will make it the best guy room in the house.

By Julia Mercer

Decorating the Master Bedroom

2006-07-30T03:50:00.000-07:00

One the awesome things about the new house will be that we will finally get around to decorating the master bedroom. When I went to college, I moved into a dorm. Then when I got an apartment my junior year, my mom gave me my old bedroom suit. By that time, it will about 10 years old, and I have used it for six years since. It has made moves with my husband and me throughout the country, and it is about time that it retired. So a new bedroom suit is on the list of furniture that we will buy eventually for our new house.

I am thinking that we will go with something light and airy, perhaps pine. It will be sturdy and durable for the kids running in an out and hopping into the bed, and it will work well for us for a long-term solution. When we upgrade it in a few years, then what we buy now will become the guest room furniture. Of course, that will be in a new house, so we are talking five years down the road. Still I like to plan ahead for how we will get the most out of furniture.

We have two end tables that have never really worked for the living room, and those will be going into our bedroom for nightstands. They do not have much in the way of drawer space, but since we do not have any nightstands now, I do not anticipate a problem. The biggest change that I want is a bedside lamp on each side of the table. As it is, we have a small nightlight that is on one side of the bed, and my husband grumbles every time I ask him to turn it on. We definitely will invest in new lamps.

Then we will have a dresser and chest of drawers. Right now we have only a chest of drawers, so the addition of a dresser will be nice. We will be able to spread out our stuff more, which is great because the closet size is one of the few downsides to this house. Beyond those basic pieces, I do not anticipate any other furniture for our bedroom. I know that some people prefer a room with a sitting chair or desk, but I like to keep the bedroom as utilitarian as possible.

We will be going with a Southern theme for the room. I am from south Georgia and am still homesick, even after years of not living there. You have to be intimate with the South to understand the pull it has on the people who live there, but suffice it to say, my bedroom is going to be the place where I can be reminded of my childhood.

We will use jasmine and magnolia swaths to decorate above our bed, and we will put faux jasmine in a tall vase on the floor. Beyond that, I will be out treasure hunting for items that remind me of my childhood. I want to avoid certain perceptions, which rules out Gone With The Wind memorabilia and things like that. I am looking more for scenes and images that conjure up rocking chairs, front porches, and small towns so that I can think about the good things about my South when I am in my room.

We will be getting a new comforter and curtains for the room as well. I am thinking that we will go with something with magnolias on it if possible. If not, we will be looking for a light color scheme. I am not thinking traditional pastels. Instead I would like something abstract with light greens and tans. Earth tones are great because they work for me and the theme, and my husband will not mind them either. Luckily for him, I am not too girlie, so he does not have to worry about the room being too frilly for his tastes.

I am probably the most excited about the master bedroom although I know it will be the last room to get decorated. Somehow we always seem to put off our own pleasures to make the family happy, but never fear. It will get done eventually.

By Julia Mercer

Decorating The Playroom

2006-07-30T03:47:00.000-07:00

In our new house, we will be using one of the front rooms for a playroom. Eventually that room will become the sitting room and the playroom will move upstairs, but that will not be until after our do-it-yourself remodeling of the upstairs is complete, which will take close to a year. That is okay because the space is not usable now. Anyway, I am faced with the decision of decorating the downstairs playroom in a way that can just be moved upstairs when we are done.

My first task was to think about what, exactly, I want the playroom to be. I decided last night that I want it to be fun, of course, but I also want it to be educational. My son is now 18 months old, an we have another baby due in January. Of course, we are not thinking that we are doing any sort of formal education now, but I have to look to the future. My toddler son and I work on little craft projects all the time. We sit at our folding table and work on painting or making mini-books. My first order of business for the playroom, then, will be to purchase a small table and chairs for it. The table and chairs will be in the center of the room and will work for his learning and his fun. He can build towers, put together puzzles, or color in that room using the table. I have budgeted $50 for the set, which should buy a basic toddler table.

Then we will be moving his bookshelf into the playroom instead of putting it in his room. He has a small, two-shelf bookshelf, which is full right now. I think we could squeeze two more books on it, but he is going to have to expand his collection soon. We will be painting the bookshelf to match the color of the walls. Because this room should promote fun and learning, we are going with a primary colors scheme. We will be using the eight primary colors: red, blue, green, yellow, white, black, purple, and orange, throughout the room. I am thinking that we will paint the walls a yellow color although an interesting shade of green could work, too. Then we will coordinate the bookshelves to match.

The other thing that will make the move from his bedroom to the new playroom will be his trunks. He has two trunks that are full of toys. They are painted dark green and brown right now to match the jungle theme he has going, but we will be painting them probably in red and blue to match the idea of the room.

Wall decorations will be basic in the room. I am going to make button nameplates. I have seen them before and am hoping ours come out well. We will get a piece of poster board, some stencils, and a bunch of craft buttons. Then I will stencil a name on the poster board and cover the stenciled area with buttons. Then I frame them with a short, long picture frame. There will be only one frame for now, and then we will make a new one when the baby arrives.

Next we will put up a bulletin board. I found the one for my office for $2 in a second-hand shop a couple of years ago, and I am hoping that I begin to have the same kind of luck when I am looking for them. It will save us on one of the costs, which will help everywhere we can get savings. I will use the bulletin board to decorate with educational concepts that the children can understand. We will do dinosaurs, planets, and more, and they will be able to learn from the information in their playroom.

Next we will use giant swaths of cloth in primary colors to make shapes to go on the wall. We will put red circles, purple squares, and other shapes. It will be useful as a learning tool and also will brighten the room. I am confident we can put up the wall hangings for little money as we will be making most of them.

By Julia Mercer

Our First House To Decorate

2006-07-30T02:44:00.000-07:00

My husband and I just bought our first house. We made an offer on a house Thursday, and the sellers accepted it Friday. We are now in the process of getting the final paperwork taken care for the mortgage and getting the inspections and everything else done. The process is a rather tedious one, especially considering we used an underwriter to get a better rate, but the end result definitely is worth it.

The new house is only about three miles from our current house, but we are leasing the house where we live now. It is so amazing to think that in just a month, we will be living in our own home! We have big plans for the house already. While there is no work that needs to be done when we move in, we have plenty of things that we want to do to improve the house so that we get more value out of it when we resell in the future.

My husband is in charge of the remodeling project that is going to turn the attic into a new floor of living space. I am in charge of the decorating downstairs on the main living floor. We have always had to be so careful with what we do because we have been renting. You have to get permission if you want to make any permanent changes, and you really should be careful even if you are just hanging pictures because you could end up paying for it.

We have more rooms in the new house than we have furniture to fill, and when we move into the attic portion, we definitely will have more than we can handle. For starters, we now have a sunroom. I will admit that having a solarium has been a dream I have had for a while, but I really did not think that I would get one until we bought a house later in our lives. This sunroom is not the incredible one in my dreams, but it is better than what I anticipated for right now. The sunroom will be my office when we first move in until we move the office upstairs. Then we will be faced with decorating a room from scratch.

The walls are painted white, which is boring in most cases, but I think in a sunroom it works because the point of the room is to feel light and airy. It has an odd color carpet, and that will change. Our first job will be changing the flooring to a very light hardwood flooring or a white tiling. Then we will use plants to make the room come alive. I want to get a couple of plant stands and put plants throughout the space. We will fill the space with very little furniture. I am thinking probably one white wicker chair and one small wicker loveseat will do. If we put a coffee table, we will decorate it with a set of three candles of varying heights. I am not sure that there is any need to put anything on the walls because I think between the natural light and the plants, there really will be no need to continue decorating. Sometimes it is best to let nature do its work when decorating a new space.

The other major project later in the house will be the formal living room. It is odd because I always thought I would not have a formal living room, but the spaces in the house give us this beautiful room in the front of the house with nothing else to use it for, so we will be turning it into a sitting room or parlor as it is called in some parts of the country. I personally like sitting room the best because that is our intention. We will purchase furniture and wall art that is no so formal that it feels stuffy, but we will be able to use the room when company comes over for informal gatherings. That room, I think, will become one my husband and I love, and I imagine that our children will not like it so much because there will be nothing external for them to do in it. They are too young to understand the beauty of using a room just for sitting and thinking.

By Julia Mercer

Deciding to Build a Screened Porch

2006-07-19T06:27:00.000-07:00

By Christina VanGinkel

A screened in porch is a great way to keep cool this summer. With the heat that has been upon much of the country, so have the mosquitoes and other bothersome insects. One couple we know have had such a hard time dealing with the biting creepy crawlies and flying torpedoes, that they literally make a run for their screen house. While nice, they say a screened in porch would be even better, simply for the ease of access to and from their house.

Flipping through one of my favorite magazines, Better Homes and Gardens, I came across a house that has a screened in porch on the second level of the home, with their bottom porch exposed. It looks very inviting with a cushioned chair and a hammock styled bed. Being on the second story the screen porch / room is sure to pick up even the slightest breeze. This reminds me as I browse through the pages, just how much I once wanted such a space.

One of my earliest requests when we moved into our current home over a dozen years ago was for a screened in porch. The first few years, we lived with no porch at all, just a rudimentary set of steps. Eventually they were replaced with a small, but covered porch and it has did its job well the past couple of years, keeping snow and rain off whoever happened to be knocking, or us as we fumbled with keys to unlock the door.

Now however, my husband and I have decided that the time has come to build, finally, a proper porch. By proper porch, we mean a larger one than the small four by four porch we now have, and one that is both covered and screened in. We would also like to have access to it not only from the entry door that now exists, but also from a pair of French doors that we would need to install off the living room. Our living room and kitchen are open to each other, so essentially the doors would make it viable for us to come and go from the two main living areas of our home directly to this screened space.

A screened porch would provide extended living space to our somewhat small (less than 1200 square feet) home, especially during the summer months, but also spring and summer. During the winter months, which in our area means snow, snow, and more snow, and oh yeah, a good long bout of cold, it would also serve as a windbreak as it would be on the north side of the house. Not only is the north side of our home our more private area, but it is also the side of the house that faces both our gardens and the wooded area that backs up to our yard and is home to all sorts of animal life including whitetail deer and wild turkey.

A screened in porch would provide a respite from the heat of the summer sun, and still allow us to take in the outdoor space that first drew us to the land. It would provide a barrier for the bugs, without aid of gallons of bug spray, and it would provide another outlet for my decorating, which happens to be a love of all things rustic. I can already picture my Mother's old rocking chair, a simple strung hammock, and my husband's, great uncle's steamer trunk as a coffee table. Right now, it is tucked into a corner of our bedroom, as we have not been able to decide what to do with it, as it has obviously seen better days, yet neither one of us wants to part with it. An outdoor space such as a screened in porch would be the perfect resting place for such a relic.

A screened porch is a great way to bring the outdoors in, and vice versa. It can open up a small home, or extend a large one. It not only adds space, it opens up new ways of living. Cool breezes, built in shade, and a barrier to the nasty insects that seem to be overrunning all this summer. If your home is lacking something, but you are not sure what, take the time to consider how much a screened porch might be able to add.

Home Projects for the Long Weekend

2006-06-30T02:32:00.000-07:00

By Christina VanGinkel

With the holiday coming up, many people are taking Monday off too, effectively creating a four-day weekend. Some are even skipping out early today, trying to make it a five-day weekend. Many will travel, others have company coming over for at least one or two of the days, while others plan to stay home and catch up on projects around the house. If this latter group includes you, this is the perfect time to tackle some of those bigger jobs you have been putting off.

Most people who enjoy taking part in weekend projects have a list of things they intend to do. That list always seems to include one or two projects that seem to be forever put off, because we realistically know that they are going to take longer than just a day or two to complete, and we rarely have even two weekends in a row to commit to them. When we do have a weekend off, the time is usually used up with our chores that seem to always eat into our weekends, such as weeding and mowing the lawn. Four or five days off right in a row though, and the holiday itself on the last day, means that the stores will be open all weekend long as usual, which in turn means that you can pick one of those projects and get it done!

Some projects that you might have been putting off but you can easily be done in four or five days:

Outside

Assemble a new garden shed
Painting a large porch or shed
Replace or repaint the shutters on your house
Laying a new flagstone path
Installing a pond kit complete with bubbler and Koi
Assemble a wooden playscape for the kids or grandchildren
Put up a new fence
Build an install a trellis complete with climbing plants
Install a new dog kennel

Inside

Rip out old carpeting or linoleum and install do it yourself wood laminate flooring in a bedroom or hallway
Sew and hang new curtains
Replace the runner or treads on your stairs
Refinish kitchen cabinets
Tile the bathroom floor or a new kitchen backsplash
Restore a piece of furniture

These are just prompts to get you going on a big project of your own this holiday weekend. Just about any large project that you have wanted to tackle is perfect for such a long weekend. Even if you have to work on Monday, if you have Tuesday off and are not planning to spend it partying in the backyard or visiting relatives, then set aside the day to finish off whatever you started over the weekend.

Do avoid any project that might require you to call in a professional if something goes wrong that you do not feel you could handle on your own. Electricians and plumbers charge enough for a typical planned visit. An emergency call in on a holiday weekend is sure to cost you major bucks on top of their regular charges.

If the project is something, you have just been dreaming about, take the time to explore what you will need, including plans or instructions, and a couple of extra hands if that is what is called for. For example, if the project is more labor intensive than time intensive, invite a few friends over for a good meal on the grill. Be upfront with them, explaining to them that you could use a hand carrying the new cement fountain to the back garden, or moving your oversized antique sideboard from the upstairs bedroom down to the garage where you later plan to refinish it. Be sure you shop for everything you might need to avoid running low on supplies and finding your favorite store closed for the holiday.

If you are fortunate enough to have a long holiday weekend, be sure to put it to good use. With the Fourth of July falling on Tuesday, the weekend might just turn out to be as long as you can stretch it. You could potentially end up with enough time to get in some grilling and cold drinks and finish a project or two. Our only problem might end up choosing which project(s) to tackle. Have a Happy Fourth of July!

Decorating Your Home to Reflect Your Family History

2006-06-28T11:27:00.000-07:00

This is a great idea that all of us have probably thought of at least once; some African American families relish the idea of an African mask or statuary in their home to bring a little bit of their ancestral homeland into their present residence. Some Irish families may choose to shower their homes with Irish blessing cards and plaques or Waterford crystal. The idea of decorating your living space to reflect your ancestry gives you a wide pallet. Sure, lots of people might merely *like* Spanish or Indian decor, but doesn't it mean so much more if the items with which you fill your home mean something to you personally?

Idea #1: African decor. There are a few techniques to approaching this. African masks are a great decorating idea because they're very trendy, ethnic, and fun. If you don't mind the feeling lots of people seem to have that there is something *creepy* about them, it's a great home furnishing. African wood sculptures, carvings, and statues are another fun addition. Say you want to go beyond knick-knacks; why not choose an African-print sofa, curtains, pillows, etc.? It depends on how immersed in culture you want your room to be; a little decor or a lot depends on the style of the room.

Idea #2: Irish decor. This one is a bit harder because there aren't many home decor items that are associated with Ireland. The Irish blessings mentioned above are always a wonderful choice. Whether you choose to display them with tiny cards scattered around the house, a wall hanging, or a framed portrait, these cheery sayings will brighten the room and remind you of your ancestral home. Waterford crystal or any knick-knacks or figurines made in Ireland would make a unique collection. If you want to hang art, consider portraits of Irish cottages or countryside, or a motif of a Celtic cross. A Celtic cross is a staple in any truly Irish home. You can buy ceramic crosses to hang on nails throughout the home.

Idea #3: German decor. Those of German ancestry who are fond of collectibles should find no trouble with decorating their homes; Hummel and Goebel figurines might be one suggestion. Yes, they are fairly expensive but they look fantastic behind a display case or on a shelf. German beer steins are another great choice. The downside is that they are also on the high end of the price scale. No, you don't have to enjoy drinking to collect beer steins; the main draw for many collectors is the bright scenes that are painted on the steins. Try to decorate your home in the colors of Germany's flag, or find an art print of Neuschwanstein or another German castle.

Idea #4: Medieval decor. A European decorating idea that's sure to please. A medieval-style room can also celebrate your ancestry, provided you've actually traced your family tree back that far (don't get frustrated, it *is* possible). Knowing you come from knights and fair maidens brings out a dreamy quality in many people and they might choose to recreate that romantic era in their own home. Medieval-style furnishing is available through select stores, along with gargoyle items, dragons, tapestries, old-fashioned curtains, bear skin rugs and many other staples of medieval decor. Some wall art suggestions include sayings or blessings written in a very Old English font or in Latin (the language of the church in the Middle Ages).

Idea #4: Victorian decor. Many of us are probably more familiar with Victorian (19th century) ancestors than with medieval. Do you know for sure that your great-great grandmother owned a phonograph? Perhaps you'd like to set your household back a hundred years and buy one as well. There are some beautiful Victorian furniture pieces available, from couches to chests to old writing desks. Wallpapering will give your room a Victorian look, but most home decorators don't want to bother with the mess. It all depends on the amount of energy you want to spend on your project. Even rugs and curtains can be found in 19th century designs and patterns.

Idea #5: Eclectic decor. Did your ancestors come from many different countries? Mix and match! They are all a part of your heritage; shouldn't you honor each place? Place an leopard-print pillow here, a Japanese lantern there. Consider making your room ethnic-eclectic. A blend of many different countries gives your room an artsy look.

By Lacie R. Schaeffer

The Home Depot Color Solutions Journal

2006-06-26T15:55:00.000-07:00

By Christina VanGinkel

If painting of any form is in your decorating future, I just found the perfect book / organizer for you. Home Depot has a Color Solutions Journal, the Ultimate Paint Project Organizer. It is a small three-ring binder filled to overflowing with all sorts of pertinent information, including color wheels and two CD ROMs, about painting.

When you first open the binder, you are greeted to a color wheel built into the binder itself, and an introduction on how to use it. There are also two more wheels in a clear plastic sleeve. The first one, the Woolie Wheel, is created to be used with the Woolie, and the Woolie 2-color roller. The second wheel is a pocket color wheel with color and paint word definitions, and a visual look at what colors mix to make other colors.

After viewing the wheels, you will open the first section of the journal to find the first tabbed section, which is about choosing a color scheme, and helpful hints to having fun with color. Here on you will also find lined notepaper to keep track of your own personal notes about projects you might be working on or are considering. In the back of the binder, you will also find stickers to place on the tabs with the headings of Dining Room, Living Room, Family Room, Kitchen, Master bedroom, Bedroom, and several blank ones to fill in on your own. There are also clear vinyl envelopes throughout the binder for you to store your paint chips. These are included with each section, allowing you to keep them separated right along with the corresponding room tabs that they are intended for.
Section 2 covers getting ready to paint and goes over covering stains, removing mildew, and when to use primer.

The third section of the binder is on paint estimation, and includes information on details such as calculating wall area, and adjusting for windows and doors. The fourth section is a simple but all-inclusive paint project list that covers every conceivable item you might need for your next painting project. From brushes to primer, patching material, even screwdrivers and scrapers, they have made it easy to keep track of all your needs to lessen the chance of finding yourself in the middle of a paint job without something you really need.

Section 5 is filled with some of the most important information someone planning to paint a room might need, from selecting the proper paint sheen, to five steps to success in painting, along with tips about brushes and rollers, and safe cleaning. Section 6 is a primer on faux painting, including sponging on and sponging off, ragging off, ragging on, color washing, dragging, combing, and stippling. There is also information on using glazes.

Section 7 covers important information on the use of safety equipment, and includes protecting your skin, protecting your eyes, and protecting your lungs. It also tells you the difference between the two respirator types and what those made for use in the home do not protect against. Making sure that any respirator you do use fits properly is also covered. Section 8 finishes up the tabbed section of the binder with basic clean up tips, including proper disposal of wash water and wastes.

This binder still has more to offer though. In the very back are two disks to use in your home computer. Both cover faux finishing techniques, with disk 1 on Glazing Techniques, including Sponging On & Off, Ragging On & Off, Colorwashing, Frottage, and Dragging. Disk 2, Texture & Accent Techniques, includes SandWash and Venetian Plaster, texturing techniques, and Crackle, Metallic, and Pearlescent, accent techniques. The step-by-step disks will work on both a Windows based computer or a Macintosh, and are created in conjunction with the BEHR paint company.

If you have a painting project in your future, big or small, be sure to check out this Color Solutions Journal from Home Depot before you start. It is full of useful tips and information that can make your job easier, safer, and maybe even add a bit of fun when you try some of the many techniques that are covered both in the binder and on the included disks.

Creating Ambience in a Room

2006-06-25T02:59:00.000-07:00

By Christina VanGinkel

I have never given a lot of thought to creating ambience in any of the rooms in my home. Sure, I do follow a theme somewhat, but when I think of the word ambience, I associate it with an overwhelming feeling of being special in some way, special beyond just the normal matching the colors and or fabrics of the curtains to the colors of the carpet and the couch 'type of special'.

Part of this I am sure is because we live in a small house, and the rooms are too lived in, day in and day out, for them to ever be able to truly reach a state of true ambience, no matter how much effort I were to put into trying to achieve such a feeling. However, I recently flipped open a garden style magazine and found myself staring at the room of my dreams. The room was not even actually a room, but an outdoor space, but that really was not the point. The homeowner had actually created a serene little 'room' complete with curtains, coffee table, rugs, and plenty of seating all just outside of her back door. It was a room filled with ambience. Every little nook and cranny was filled with little touches that made the room special. That it was a room that she used was the kicker. By this I mean you could tell that the homeowner not only decorated the space with ambience in mind, but that she then used the space fully and frequently. Even trying to explain what I mean is difficult, so can you imagine me trying to recreate something similar, something just as special to me, in my own home, a home that is a constant space of motion and activity!

There were no bags of yarn stuffed under a chair, or baskets of toys sitting next to the television, no stacks of unfolded laundry piled on the end of the couch waiting to be folded. What the room made me think of when I looked at it was that it looked comfortable, it looked like it could be lived in, was being lived in, but still looked pulled together, stylish, it had what I had been after for as long as I could remember, but had always lacked in recreating, and that was ambience.

While I could not ask the homeowner, how she achieved this feeling of ambience the room obviously reeked of, I could find in it the bravery to ask a friend who's house always looked similar, even though she had once had toddlers and now teens living in her home much the same as I.

After showing her the pictures of the space in the magazine, then waving my hand around at her own lovely, ambient filled living room, I asked her how they did it, how she herself did it. Her reply was so simple that I nearly choked, really. She walked over to a massively comfortable looking, very stylish footstool that I had admired from the minute I recalled her owning it, and flipped the cushioned top up. It revealed her personal stash of junk. Inside of it was everything from her current plastic canvas project, to her teen daughter's math book, sorted and organized into small wicker folding cubes. She then walked over to her video cabinet and opened a drawer towards the bottom that revealed an organized drawer of vide games along with her teen son's Xbox.

I ended up getting a mini tour of the space, where she showed me how a bit of planning, was able to allow her family to live in the room, which was actually a combination living / family room, as her house Is not much bigger than my own small abode.

What I learned was if ambience in a room is what you are in search of, first you must create organization of the stuff that makes up our life. She pointed to the picture in the magazine and showed me two obvious pieces of furniture in my so-called dream room that were obviously used for storage of whatever the homeowner needed. One was an actual trunk / coffee table, and another was a little side cabinet doing double duty as an end table. Along with the thought to where to put things, both my friend's home and the picture upon a second look, had an air of being staged. By saying, they appeared staged; I mean this in a good way, not in terms of looking like no life ever entered the rooms, but just the obvious. Staged with the thought that if people would be in the rooms, and if they were to be comfortable in the space, then certain things would be needed. Comfortable throws to snuggle in. Chairs conveniently placed next to tables so a cup of tea was easily reached. Tables had coasters, the room had good lighting, and not just decent, but good. Small touches such as a candle or two, a decorative box, a nice pair of candlesticks. Fabrics were all complementary to each other, but not matching to the point that it all looked like it fell off one single designer's wagon. The rooms had ambience. Now that I was beginning to understand exactly what the word ambience meant when it came to how someone lived in a space, I had a better chance of creating just such a room in my own home.

Paint Shopping Tips

2006-06-24T10:56:00.000-07:00

By Christina VanGinkel

My daughter and her family have just moved into a new home, new as in new to them, not as in newly built. The previous family who lived there had a fondness for painting walls in colors that I am sure suited them perfectly, but are not colors that even remotely fit my daughter's ideas of what colors should be used on a home's walls.

Take for example one downstairs room off the family room. My daughter plans to set it up as a playroom / computer room for both her husband and herself, and my young grandson. Currently, the walls are what could only be called violent purple. That is not a misspelling either, I meant violent, and not violet.

In hopes that she could find some color a bit more serene, one that would not make one or all of them ill if they spent more than a few moments in the room, she decided to go paint shopping with her husband. They headed to the local Home Depot store, where they spent the next hour of their lives combing through paint color samples, in hopes that they would find a color more suitable to the activities they had planned for the room's space.

They asked a sales associate to explain the differences between not only the brands of paint (how many coats of paint would be needed from each brand was the most obvious difference), but also the difference between glossy, semi-gloss, and flat finishes. Depending on how dirty the walls might become from such things as sticky fingers and kitchen grease will have a lot of bearing on this choice, as glossy is by far thee easiest to keep clean, but also the most shiny, hence the name glossy. Be sure you know the difference before your final decision-making.

Another important thing they learned was that the prep work was as important as the paint choice and the actual painting itself. In addition, that using the proper types of brushes and rollers, along with painters tape to tape off areas they did not want to apply paint would make the whole process easier to do, and help keep clean-up time to a minimum when done.

After finding several colors that they thought might work, they went home with several sample sheets of each color. Instead of just one, they chose to grab at least four of each so that they could get a better idea of how the color would look on their walls.

Once back home, she cut the colors they were interested in, out of the sheets of samples that each also included several more colors from the same hue. She then taped up the four blocks of each color onto one of the walls, and left them there for the day. They checked out how the color looked at different times of the day, and repeated this process over the next couple of days with the other colors that they were interested in.

By approaching the choosing of a color in this way, they were able to be sure that the color they chose was something that they had given consideration to. A few days later, once decided on a color, they headed back to the store to buy the needed paint. At this time, they were all set to pay for the two gallons they needed, at a cost of about twenty dollars a gallon, when (very unexpected but quite a nice bonus), they were offered one of the gallons at a discount of 75 percent off, or a mere five dollars for the gallon. There had been a return just that morning of a gallon of paint in their chosen color. The gallon had obviously been opened, with most likely a paintbrush dipped into it, but was otherwise a full gallon. On a budget like many young couples, they were happy to have the savings offered to them.

What they also learned for future painting tasks, was that many stores that sell paint often have an Oops section. This is where you might find a gallon or two of paint, deeply discounted. Maybe the store mixed the wrong color, a customer decided once paint was mixed that it was not right, or a return such as the gallon they were lucky enough to get, that has obviously been opened, but the store for whatever reason, decided to make good on the return.

Shopping for Flooring

2006-06-19T16:25:00.000-07:00

By Christina VanGinkel

Most stores that sell flooring, including carpeting, linoleum, and tile, sell remnants of carpeting and ends of linoleum rolls, along with partial cases, open cases, or ends of runs of tile and similarly boxed flooring choices. This can mean big savings for someone looking to install new flooring in a small to medium sized room.

Take for example my daughter and her husband, and their new home. While new to them, the house itself is most definitely not new, and was built early in the twentieth century. The dining room came with orange carpeting that clearly had seen better days, most likely decades ago. With all of the other costs involved with the move from their small rental to this new, larger home, new flooring for the dining room, even for this somewhat small, six foot by nine-foot room seemed impossible. New carpeting in both the master bedroom and my grandson's room were much larger priorities.

While shopping our local Home Depot for carpeting for the two bedrooms, I wandered away from my daughter and her husband, and my own husband who was helping them choose an economical but sturdy carpeting, to browse several cardboard bins of carpet and linoleum remnants. What I found was a piece of linoleum in the exact dimensions that they needed, for a price that my daughter actually asked a salesperson if it was wrong. The linoleum that we found was of a stone look design, in good quality linoleum that would not only clean easily, but also look good. What was the bargain price for this amazing bargain? The total price, before tax, was $14.98!

This bargain price had me thinking about my own small bathroom. I have wanted to replace the flooring in it since we redid our own living room and hallway, along with our front bathroom early last year. Each time I think about what our costs were for what we did have redone though, I shelf my wanting and remind myself that in another year, we should have enough saved up to do both the bathroom, and our master bedroom floor too.

However, once I realized just how cheap I could potentially find new flooring for the small bathroom, I decided that there was no reason I should have to wait until I can afford both the bathroom and the bedroom. While I am not sure what type of flooring we will eventually install in our bedroom, I am sure that it will be of a neutral color, as both my husband and myself much prefer neutral tones over any others. With this in mind, we are confident that we will be able to find a flooring to use in the bathroom that will not clash with whatever our final choice for our bedroom flooring is, even if we do not replace that until next year.

After measuring the total floor space of the bathroom, we headed back to Home Depot a few days later to see if we could snag as good a bargain as our daughter did. What we found was perfect for our needs, two partial boxes of a non-glazed ceramic tile with a surface that is made for use in bathrooms, where wet conditions are common. The boxes were damaged, with several tiles missing from each, but for the price, it was too good of a deal to pass up. We also learned that you should never used a glazed ceramic tile in a bathroom, especially on the floor, because it will be very slippery when wet. I never gave the fact much thought, until I picked up a box of small tiles in a glazed finish and inquired as to how they would work as a border. The sales person pointed out why that would not be a good idea.

If you have a small area that needs new floor coverings, be sure to consider remnants or partial boxes, as you could be on your way to having beautiful floors at much less cost than you ever imagined!

Creating a Welcoming Entry, Inside and Out

2006-06-19T03:59:00.000-07:00

By Christina VanGinkel

Our entryway to our home has changed through the years. First, a plain pair of steps, then a small covered porch, followed by the addition of a walkway constructed of pavers and stone. A few years later, the pavers and stone were still in place, but the decorative cement edges I had thought I wanted were gone. I ripped them out one afternoon all on my own, before my husband could arrive home from work and tell me not to do it. I removed them after watching my young grandson almost trip over one, catching himself, but then nearly hitting his head on one as he still fell. I had visions of another young child or an elderly visitor catching his or her foot on the same edges and being hurt, so I made the quick decision to remove them before anyone could talk me out of it.

The beginning of this walkway is formed of a small fence with arbor. You actually enter the yard, through the arbor, stepping onto the first pavers of the path. The fence is painted a forest green, but I have plans to paint it barn red. The porch is already barn red, beginning its life the same green as the fence, but the green just did not have the right feel to it. On the porch is a wooden bear, handcrafted by my father-in-law, holding a welcome sign in one paw and a red lantern in the other. Also adorning the perimeter of the porch is a single hanging plant, full and lush, a gift from a friend when I recently underwent surgery. In a typical year, the porch would be sporting several other hanging plants, but in deference to my recent surgery, we have decided to forgo any more, just this single summer, as I cannot lift anything heavy, and will not be able to for most of the summer. In order to prune and preen the hanging plants, as I would normally do, we are just going to make do with this single plant.

There are though, several wind chimes placed about the perimeter of the porch. A beautiful coffer creation that was a gift from my eldest son several years ago, another copper creation with large glass beads that my youngest son and I made together, and one more that is crafted of silver tubes and a family of black bears, a gift from my daughter to her father and I in recognition of our love of black bears.

Beyond this porch is a raised flowerbed, filled with a variety of flowers and garden decor. Together, all of this forms what is essentially the entry to our home, our goal being to create a welcoming feel to all who stop by for a visit. In the winter, when the flowers are gone, visitors can expect to be greeted by anything from an array of assorted pumpkins, to Christmas themed lights and decor. Come spring, old teapots and other containers filled with whatever I can find that will give the porch and walkway a sense of being cared for, and not just a bare, empty feeling. The bear that holds the welcome sign will also sport various hats depending on the season, providing just the perfect touch of whimsy that I like.

Through the door, which just last year was replaced with a new one as the old door was looking its age and in desperate need of replacement, is a foyer that I hopes makes visitors continue to feel as welcome as the outside entry should.

Because your entry is the first thing people will see upon visiting your home, other than the driveway itself, make sure it gives the greeting you want it to. Make it a priority when it comes to decorating your home inside and out. Take the time to consider what you want people to think and feel the first time and each time thereafter that they stop by for a visit.

In the end, not only is my entry a pleasant spot to greet those who stop by, but it is also a pleasant spot to sit and watch the sun come up, and to enjoy an early morning cup of tea. Take the time to create a welcoming entry and not only will your visitors appreciate it, but so will you!

Adding a Hot Tub Spa to your Yard

2006-06-10T05:49:00.000-07:00

By Christina VanGinkel

Installing a spa in your yard might be your dream come true. As with any and all water related fun though, there will be safety issues to be concerned about and extra work keeping it clean and in top condition, otherwise that dream come true might quickly turn into a nightmare or at the least a headache that you wished you would have avoided in the first place.

To get things off on the right footing, before installing your new spa, take the time to consider the overall best place to put it. If you have a tree that provides just a bit of shade, and natural privacy, you might feel as if placing it near the tree would be a good idea. If that same tree is continually losing buds and leaves though, you might want to reconsider. Depending on just how much privacy you wish to have, if your yard already has a fence, or if you would rather install the new spa indoors, can all play a part in your eventual decision.

Do not overlook out of the ordinary places either, when trying to come up with the perfect placement. One house that is situated on the fringe of the small town that we reside just outside of looks as un-distinctive as it could. It is well kept, with nice landscaping, but nothing out of the ordinary, which is until you look towards the top of their attached garage's roofline. Only then do you notice the hot tub that they installed. From the comfort of it, I imagine that they have quite a view, from the baseball field that is behind their house, to the river that is actually across the street from them, not to mention several neighbors' yards in at least two directions. The hot tub has been there for several years now though, so I cannot imagine that it is breaking any codes or bothering the neighbors in any way, otherwise in this small community, we would surely have heard about it. This example just goes to exemplify the fact if you want to install a hot tub spa, and feel like no place is the right place, maybe it is time to reassess the area and consider every space, even those you might have overlooked the first time you were trying to come up with the perfect spot.

If you live in a neighborhood where kids and roaming pets are a problem, you will need to insure the safety of them and the spa by putting up a fence or an enclosure that can be locked when you are not present in most localities. If you fail to follow through with all of the necessary steps, to keep kids and roaming pets out of your hot tub spa, and an injury occurs, you will most likely be held responsible, so be sure to take this aspect of installation seriously. Too often, people think that, as it is not a swimming pool, and a much smaller body of water, that injuries are not going to happen. They can and do, so avoid them right from the start to keep the fun factor at the forefront. If you have small children of your own, this should also play a huge part in this area of concern, even if you have the hot tub spa installed in an enclosure. You might have blocked the accessibility from the outside, but make sure that children and pets from inside your home are just as limited upon gaining entry to it.

No matter where you finally install your hot tub spa, stay safety conscious and be sure to always keep a first aid kit nearby. Be sure that anyone who uses the hot tub spa follows all the safety regulations associated with ownership. In addition, by making sure that the hot tub spa is maintained and sanitized properly, you will only ensure that everyone who uses it is only going to get enjoyment from its use and not pick up some unsightly fungus or worse.

Once you have your hot tub spa all installed, take a bit of time to consider the space around it too. Add a few potted plants, maybe a bench for sitting on before and after use. If you intend to entertain guests frequently, or have a household that receives visitors as frequently as a hotel, and you intend to let guests use the spa, consider adding a small refrigerator to keep cold drinks easily accessible. It will help keep others from tromping back through the house once they are wet to grab a quick soda or bottle of water from the refrigerator.

Outdoor Lighting

2006-06-05T02:35:00.000-07:00

By Christina VanGinkel

Lighting inside and out is one of your home's most important features. Outdoor lighting is often the first thing you or your guests will notice when approaching your home in the evening or early morning. A well-lighted entry can be both welcoming and offer a sense of security. Imagine the difference between approaching your home along a well-lit path or one that casts shadows and not very much actual lighting. When you consider the differences, it can become quickly apparent how important efficient outdoor lighting can be.

When one considers further, the advantages safety wise of good lighting, they need to consider how good lighting not only will provide a path free of trips and falls from encountering unseen objects, but also the advantages of being able to see the surrounding area as far as intruders go. Motion activated outdoor lighting is ideal, because it not only lights up an area, but also alerts the homeowner that something or someone is possibly in the yard or surrounding area. This was brought to light quite clearly just the other evening in my very own yard. It was again apparent just a few evenings later for an all too different reason.

The first evening, I was at the hospital recovering from a surgery, when my husband and youngest son arrived home after visiting hours had ended. They had left the lights on outside of our home, knowing that they would be arriving home well after dark. We have been meaning to install lighting that is motion activated, but at this point in time, have yet to do so, so whenever we leave for the evening, we make sure to leave the outdoor lights burning. After parking the vehicle, they entered our yard through a gate, only to be greeted by an intruder approaching our home from the opposite direction. Had we had motion-activated lights, my husband would have been aware that something or someone was in the yard when he first pulled up our drive. As it was, the intruder was a teen from the neighborhood that has been in quite a bit of trouble recently for breaking and entering, but for whatever reason the police have, he is still not incarcerated. He made some excuse about being in the yard looking for his dog (he does not own one), and quickly left. Scarier yet is the fact that the intruder could have been someone with more serious intent in mind than just a reckless teen looking for a house to vandalize.

A few evenings later, I was home from the hospital, and we had our back outdoor lights on, but not those along the front of the house. Our grandson was visiting, so we moved outside as the evening was warm but beautiful. After having been cooped up in the hospital for a few days, any excuse to be outside felt good. My daughter grabbed a few toys from the shed that we keep strictly for him to play with outside, and before we knew it; he kicked a ball that went rolling alongside of the house towards the front yard. His Uncle went chasing the ball to retrieve it only to be greeted by a skunk as he rounded the corner of the house. Again, serious injury was avoided, but had there been lights that would have come on as he rounded the corner of the house, he would have greatly reduced his chances of coming face to feet per se, with an animal that was capable of making his last few days of the school year quite embarrassing!

He ran one way as the skunk slowly ambled the other way. In addition, with no lights on, we had no way of knowing which way the skunk went. Had the lights been one, we would at least have been able to see where he was heading for future reference.

Outdoor lighting that is motion activated has many advantages, so if you are considering updating your exterior lighting, do be sure to consider all the options available to you. Choose lighting that casts light into the nooks and corners around your yard, and provides the safety of being able to see where you are walking and the area around it.

Choosing the Perfect Window Treatments

2006-06-04T12:18:00.000-07:00

By Christina VanGinkel

My daughter and her family have been shopping for a new home for several months now due to a job change that calls for them to no longer have to travel. The house they currently live in is outside of the location they want to be in by about an hours travel time. Therefore, when they finally found a house that was in about as perfect a location as it could be, they overlooked a few small issues, one being the window coverings. The house has no existing treatments on several windows, or those windows that do are in colors or fabric choices that just do not work. Along with a tight budget, they are currently shopping for window treatments ranging from curtains to shades.

The Issue of Privacy

Choosing your window coverings can involve a lot more than just picking out a cute pattern or a color that complements the room's furnishings. Your window treatments should also take into considerations things such as how much privacy they will afford, and how much privacy you might want for that particular room. If you live in the middle of a private tract of land, this might not even be an issue, yet if you live in the middle of a block of houses, with the neighbor's house only a couple feet from yours, this might very well be a major deciding factor in the choice of window coverings that you decided on.

Windows that Keep out the Cold and Heat

If the room is facing a particular direction, such as north or south, and the windows the curtains or treatments are going to be covering are not overly energy efficient, might also play a major part in the decision factor. For example, if the room is facing the north and the windows are a source of cold air in the winter, investing in insulated window coverings might be a choice you need to consider if replacing the windows is not really in your budget. The same might play true for a window that really lets a room heat up. A covering that is going to provide optimum coverage is going to be best. Even if the window is just a source of light, and the room is a bedroom, you might be more inclined to choose a heavier curtain to keep the light at bay over a more sheer set of curtains that will let even the softest early morning light through. In comparison, a kitchen might be in need of as much brightening as possible, so you would be more willing to go with a sheer curtain in that room instead of one that is so light hampering that the room stays dark unless the curtains are opened.

Choosing the Proper Hardware

Another major consideration that some people overlook until they have already made a decision, only to realize that they should have thought of it first, is what you already have in place as far as window hardware. If you have a single rod and choose a window treatment that needs a double rod, the added expense will need to be figured in. You might be able to just add a second rod, or you might have to replace all of the hardware. Knowing what you have in the first place can go a long way towards choosing something to correspond right off, or at least being aware that if you choose certain choices, that it might entail having to replace all the hardware at the same time.

When the Dilemma calls for Special Orders

Sometimes you might be faced with the option of having to special order your window treatments. The window themselves might be an odd size, or you might be able to find a window treatment that fits, but not in the covering style you want or need. When this happens, be sure to shop around. Custom anything can vary greatly in price. Some outlets might feel that if it is custom, they can charge you whatever they want, while other stores and outlets realize that just because a customer might need a custom window treatment does not mean that it corresponds with an open-ended budget. Because of this difference, getting various quotes and estimates can mean knowing that the price you do end up paying is fair.

Furniture Pieces from Garage and Rummage Sales

2006-05-17T02:42:00.000-07:00

By Christina VanGinkel

This past weekend our town held their annual garage sale event. Once a year, everyone that is interested in clearing out their old junk, whether it is books, clothing, nick knacks, electronics, furniture, or whatever, prepare for weeks ahead of time, and people from near and far come to shop. This coming weekend, the town next to us holds the same type of event. Actually, they were the first town in our area to hold such an event. What started out as a way to get people in the mood for a bit of spring cleaning, has exploded into several town wide events that once the current season one ends, some people immediately start planning for the next!

What I find so interesting about these annual events, when compared to your average weekend assortment of rummage and garage sales, is the amount of furniture that is sold at them. Maybe it is the idea that so many others are clearing out the old to make room for the new, that many people become really revved up about the chance to make way for brand new furniture pieces. Therefore, in the end, they join the crowd and before they know it, they too are selling off furniture pieces that they might or might not have, under different circumstances.

Buying second hand furniture at sales such as these is usually a good way to find a bargain. People are of the mindset that once it is out the door, it is not coming back in, so they are willing to bargain almost from the first minute of the sale. In the same mind set, it can often be too appealing and you might end up bringing home more furniture and other stuff than you can realistically use, or even want. One good friend of mine, who I would refer to as a sale junkie (not just for these events, but year round!), came home last year with a beautiful crib! She got it for a song, but the problem was she had just sent her fourth and final child off to preschool the fall before. When I asked her what in the world she needed a crib for, she laughingly told me she did not have a clue. However, it was too nice, and too good of a bargain not to buy it!

This is a classic example of how easy it is to be caught up the temptation of a fantastic bargain though. In addition, bargains are only real bargains if you have a use for what you are saving money on. She did end up reselling the crib for a tidy profit though, so in the end, it was a good deal. With the funds she made from the crib, she plans to shop this year for a sideboard for her dining room, something she has always wanted, but never been able to afford.

The towns put out maps for the event, with locations of all the houses that are holding sales, along with a short description of what one might find at each sale. Glancing over the lists from this year, I see that furniture is once again a popular item. Pre sales are frowned upon though, and the same friend has noted two listings that have sideboards listed as main sale items. We are going to split up as the houses are on opposite ends of town, and we will each go and check out the sideboards first thing, then meet to go tot eh rest of the sales together, well, not all of them, just as many as we can take in over the span of a single morning and afternoon.

If you are shopping for furniture, be sure to check out the rummage and garage sales in your area this spring and summer. Penny saver newspapers are great sources for sale listings, as are bulletin boards and other local papers. If you live near or in a town that holds an event similar to the ones by me, be brave and face the crowds, as you never know what great discovery you might find. You might just find the bargain of a lifetime, or at the least, find an item or two to help you furnish your home, at savings that will leave you a few dollars to top off that ever growing in cost tank of gas!

Painting Old Furniture

2006-05-02T04:43:00.000-07:00

Redecorating can be an expensive venture, especially if it is new furniture you seek. Many of us look through our favorite stores and catalogs, longing to spruce up our homes and bring in something fresh and new, but furniture is expensive and there is no guarantee that we will still like it in a few years. One inexpensive way to get new furniture in your home is to paint your existing furniture, or to buy used furniture at garage sales or thrift shops, and paint that. Often garage sales offer old dressers, chairs, tables, and other pieces of furniture that may be scratched of have an unattractive finish; yet a fresh coat of paint can make it look brand new. Many people do not think of painting their existing furniture because it has (or had) a nice wood stained finish, or because it is an antique; yet, you have to live in your house and if you want a change, painting your furniture is much more economical than buying something new. If you would like to paint some of your old furniture to give some of the rooms in your home a new look, consider the following tips.

The first step in painting furniture is to prepare the furniture. Whether you have a solid oak table or a cheap, pressed wood dresser from your childhood, it needs to be prepped. If the furniture has an exceptionally shiny finish, you may want to consider sanding it down a bit; not to remove the finish, but to take off a bit of the smooth surface area. After sanding, wipe the furniture clean with a damp cloth. When it is completely dry, put it on some newspaper or drop cloth or other item that will protect the surface of the floor where you are working. This is also the time to remove any pieces that may be damaged by the paint, such as upholstery, backing, hardware, or any other part that should not have paint on it.

The next step is to prime your furniture. Good bonding primer can be found in any paint store or discount store. If possible, choose a primer that is close to the color of paint you will be using. Using a regular paint brush, simply paint the primer onto the piece of furniture, just like you would the paint. The primer will look ugly and uneven, but its purpose is to prepare the surface for the paint. The primer bonds to the surface of the furniture and gives a rough finish to which the paint will adhere. Primer usually has a very strong odor, so make sure you have good ventilation in the room where you are working. Allow the primer to dry for at least four hours, and then apply a second coat. Two coats of primer insure you have covered every part of the furniture.

After allowing both coats of primer to dry appropriately, it is time to begin painting. This part is fun because you will watch your old piece of furniture be transformed into something completely new. Once again, make sure your work space is well ventilated, and you can begin painting. Paint the same way you did with the primer. Cover everything, and then allow the paint to dry at least four or five hours before putting on the second coat, depending on the humidity level. Sometimes it takes much longer for paint to dry on exceptionally hot and humid days. Painting in an air conditioned room is much easier on you and on your paint!

If the piece of furniture you have painted includes drawers, you will want to take them out and paint them separately. It is best to allow the paint to dry for several days before putting back any upholstery or hardware. For surface pieces such as dressers or tables, it can be a good idea to put a polyurethane finish on the surface, to protect from spills and other damage. This should be applied after the paint is completely dry, and then the polyurethane must dry for several days before placing items on the surface.

Enjoy your new furniture and pass the good news on to your friends!

Choosing Colors, Part II

2006-05-01T07:22:00.000-07:00

While choosing the colors for our guest room, our children's rooms, and even our living and dining areas, choosing the colors that will adorn the walls and furnishings of our master bedroom and bath can be quite a quandary. We want the master bedroom area to be a haven of relaxation and intimacy. Women want the room to be romantic and perhaps feminine looking, and men might want it to be simple and unobtrusive. Since decorating often falls to the women, the room becomes more of a fluffy, lacy boudoir than a comfortable suite shared by equal partners. If the man is happy in such an environment, then that's all the better. If not, it is important that couples communicate clearly to one another about their color desires, as well as likes and dislikes.

First, a couple must list all the colors they absolutely hate or would never want as a wall or furnishing color in their bedroom. Once that list is clear, they should make a new list with the colors they might consider; on this list, they must leave off colors that their partner put on the hate list. After a few discussions and list making sessions, the couple should come up with about a half a dozen or so colors that they would like to consider for their master bedroom and bathroom. Couples should keep in mind that they can decorate the two rooms in different colors, but preferably in complementary colors.

When the colors have been agreed upon, the couple should go together to the nearest paint, wall paper, or fabric store and start narrowing down the color list. When they begin looking at samples, pictures of real bedrooms, and pieces of wall paper and fabric, it will help them get a better sense of what they are looking for. When the couple finally agrees on a single color (or combination of colors for the bedroom and bathroom) they need to decide on a shade. For instance, if they agree on green, there are hundreds of shades of green from yellow-green, blue-green, dark green, pale green, and kelly green, with many variations in between. If one member of the couple is less interested in choosing the shade, then the other member of the couple can choose.

The easiest way to add new color to the master bedroom is by either painting the walls, changing the curtains, or adding a few accessories like throw pillows or a new quilt or comforter to the bed. Other options, including wall paper, a new head board for the bed, new furniture or new carpeting or flooring, can also wonderfully change the look of a room, but these changes are much more expensive and not as easily changed. Sometimes simply buying a several yards of fabric and making a new comforter cover can be an inexpensive way to change a dull master bedroom into a fresh, new haven. Other times, simply a fresh coat of paint or a new color on the walls will give a lifeless room a new spark.

If you do decide to paint or sew, remember, these changes are temporary. Do not be afraid to do something a little different or a little daring. If the two of you are suddenly into nautical themes, consider a red-striped comforter and seafoam green walls, to give the impression of a lighthouse on the edge of a stormy sea. If you are both into woodsy living, consider forest green walls with an off-white quilt and lots of colorful throw pillows. If gardening is your passion, and the male half of the couple does not mind a floral look, you could paint the walls a very pale pink and put a bold colored floral comforter cover on your bed. Tone it down a bit with solid colored throw pillows and maybe a dark colored rug. Remember, if you grow tired of your new look in a few years, you can always change it again with minimal expense.

In the end, remember the purpose - to make the master bedroom a safe sanctuary for you and your spouse to find retreat and alone time. Keep the work, the mess, and all evidence of the children out of the room, if possible; and if you focus on keeping it as a haven, you will find that any color will do!

Choosing Colors, Part I

2006-05-01T06:04:00.000-07:00

Choosing a new color for a room in your home that you want to redecorate can be a daunting task. Whether you plan to wall paper the room, paint, or buy new fixtures, furnishings, or accessories to give the color change, it can be scary to take the plunge and go with a new color; especially if the color is bold or daring. I have often imagined having a living room with white sofas and dark red walls, but since I have black cats, white furniture is a non-issue; but the dark red walls appeal to me. Living in Northern New England, however, I hesitate to make the walls anything but light and bright, since our winters are so dark and so long. I have also imagined having purple or periwinkle blue room. It is my favorite color and while it is bold and bright, I have long imagined it on the walls or in the form of a quilt or shower curtain. But purple scares me much like dark red. Recently I visited a friend's new home. She had painted their entry way and mud room a painfully bright kelly green. It was almost fluorescent. The rest of the house was nearly as bold: her daughter's room was lavender, the son's room was bright blue, and the master bedroom was pink - thankfully, a pale pink. While I might not be as brave and bold as my friend, I admired her home. Most of the work she had done involved paint. Wallpaper, she pointed out, would have been too hard to replace. In a few years if she tires of her bright colors, she can simply paint over them. That got me to thinking.

My first bold leap was to paint our small downstairs bathroom. Bathrooms are rooms in which we do not spend a lot of time, so I knew I could go bold. I chose a color somewhere between deep blue and periwinkle. Sometimes I think of it as purple, and other times it looks blue. Either way, it is bold, bright, and beautiful. I first painted the trim and cabinets white, and then I did the walls in the beautiful purple/blue. To avoid overkill, I put a white lace shower curtain on the shower and put a blue and white rug on the floor. I love my blue/purple bathroom. I love it because I can go in there, enjoy the bright color, and then walk away.

In my living room and kitchen, however, I spend a lot of time. In those rooms, I wanted something soft and soothing; something that would convey warmth and coziness, and a give a welcoming feel. Since we have brown sofas with red throw pillows, I went with something very safe. I chose a very pale, sandy color, with a hint of peach. With the white trim and the hard wood floors, it looks delightful, but sometimes I think it's too boring. That's the beauty of painting. Maybe next year I will paint it yellow or green. The kitchen was painted the same color as the living room, but the trim still needs to be painted white. After that, I might go for something bolder or brighter, as the kitchen is on the north end of the house and sometimes seems a bit dark.

Our daughter has a room also on the north end, and she asked for dark blue. I was concerned that her room, which is very small, would be entirely too dark, but she loved the color, so I took the plunge. Again, I figured we could paint it again in a few years if she changes her mind. Yet, like the bathroom, we put white accessories in her room and painted her furniture white, and it looks lovely. My other daughter's bedroom is bright yellow, a bit too bright for my taste, but she likes it and that's really all that matters. We chose a subdued quilt that has soft pinks and pale greens in it, which seems to tone down the bright walls. A pale green rug on the floor also gives a good balance.

Whatever colors you choose, make sure they make you feel good and they make you smile. When in doubt, wait a few days or wait until the weather changes.

Curing your Home's Curb Appeal Problems

2006-04-28T11:05:00.000-07:00

By Christina VanGinkel

A house's exterior can have a lasting impression of how someone else perceives your home, and it can be a good or bad impression. Even if the inside of your house is immaculate, the exterior can leave a bad impression. The curb appeal of a home should be as fresh and welcoming as it can be because of this. If your home's exterior is in need of some freshening up, check out these tips to get you started.

Consider the condition of your front door. Is the paint or finish chipped, or peeling? Is it scuffed, or marked? Would a good scrubbing fix these issues, or is it in dire need of a paint job or even replacement? A door that is new or newly fixed up can lend sophistication and inspiration to get going on the rest of the exterior's fixing up.

Is your home in need of a paint job or cleaning? Mold and mildew can be issues especially in certain parts of the country. A good scrubbing is all that is often needed to get your house shining like new. A power washer works well or there are companies that can be hired to come and clean them for a fee. If cleaning is not an option and neither is painting, maybe it is time to reside the house. There are many options to choose from and almost any new siding you choose will add years to the exterior of your home if it is installed properly.

If you have bushes around the home, do they need a good pruning or might the landscaping be better without them all together. Bushes were once standard in many landscape designs, but as we learn how well our homes can look with less 'stuff' around them, bushes are often the first thing to go. Consider replacing them, if you decide they need to go, with other plants that are not so overpowering.

If your home has shutters, could they do with a cleaning or painting? Are all of the shutters intact, and matched, and if not, maybe it is time for them to go too. Some house features such as shutters were overused in home designs. They actually look well on some house styles, but not every single house design. Yet I have seen them on everything from a colonial style, to a log cabin, to a Spanish style home. They look inviting on some, and ridiculous on others.

Do you have a dog that spends time outside on a run? Is this visible from the front of the house, and if so, does it at least blend in with some shrubbery? If not, maybe erecting a fence that would look well with the rest of the house to help camouflage the run would be a good idea. Besides dog runs, other exterior features that might not be very pleasant to look at could be camouflaged in much the same way. If you have an older tool, or garden shed for example, spruce up its exterior or camouflage it.

If a sidewalk runs in front of your house, consider the condition of it. If the cement or stone is broken or it has become uneven over the years, not only is it an eyesore, it could be an accident in the waiting. Consult with the city to see if you could replace or repair it. If it is in bad shape, most communities are more than happy to have residents fix the section in front of their own homes. To avoid problems though, be sure to get proper authorization.

If you have any large trees, now would be a good time to check for insect damage, rotting branches, or other damage from wind or lightning. Paying to have a few limbs pruned is going to be less expensive than to pay to have your neighbor’s roof repaired when a damaged tree limb from your yard falls on it.

Simply mowing your yard, taking care of a weed problem, or fertilizing the lawn to bring back a healthy green to it, can all be easy and relatively inexpensive fixes to get the outside of your home looking good.

If you have a driveway, could it use a cleaning or resurfacing? Are your garage doors in good condition or could they use a paint job or more?

It is oftentimes the things we see each time we walk in and out of our own front door, the things we see and take for granted, that are often in need of a bit of sprucing up or replacing. We see them so often; we no longer 'see' them. Try to assess your house the way a person seeing it for the first time might, and you may suddenly see all sorts of areas that could do with a bit of cleaning and redoing!

Small Houses and Apartments can be Organized Spaces

2006-04-28T02:52:00.000-07:00

By Christina VanGinkel

Anyone who lives in a small house or apartment is often in a continual battle of the bulge with his or her belongings. Closets fill up, shelves overflow, and living spaces start to feel cramped as everyday byproducts of existence (think magazines and mail) start to build up.

Sometimes the thought alone of trying to gain control is enough to send someone into hiding, and with the maze his or her living space has become, that might not be very difficult to accomplish! Seriously, keeping on top of how you handle the influx of items into your living space can have a huge impact on how you essentially live.

Before you buy one more item, including the basics of living like groceries or a roll of bathroom tissue, think about where you are going to put it when you get it home. With this mindset in place, take a walk through your living space and consider if there are large items taking up too much space or not working to their fullest advantage. Also, take note of any piles of small items that might be better stored in some other manner.

When contemplating how your living space is working, consider if there are any pieces that might be better utilized if they had more than a single use. For example, if you have an ottoman and a coffee table, could you replace the two with a single piece that works as both, or a coffee table that has built in storage beneath the top. The space could be used to store anything from magazines to extra blankets. If your kitchen has a counter, and it is open to another room, and home to a small table, could you live without the space-hogging table and instead use stools at the counter for dining? Is there a hall closet that is an impending black hole of junk? Take the time to clean it out and organize it. A single closet can provide much more room than most people realize. It could be a craft cubby, an office, a sewing nook, or all sorts of things. It could just be a great place to store all your off-season gear or as a storage space for whatever bulk item, you are most in need of storage for. When a closet starts to become cluttered though, it has an increased probability of just going over the deep end where the clutter is concerned. What once might have been a decent amount of storage space is soon nothing more than one hundred percent wasted space.

Do not overlook vertical space and space you do not see immediately. Can a shelf be placed along the top of a wall, or is there unused space in the backs of cabinets? Space is a visual thing, and if we do not see the space right out in front of us, we may not be using it to its fullest potential. Wall space is also often extremely underused in small spaces. Hooks on the backs of doors, racks on walls, a collection of hooks in the kitchen, can all be just what you need. Getting things up, off a floor, is a big step to getting control of any space big or small, but especially so in smaller spaces. When we have to step over piles, and walk around things, we can become overwhelmed with the clutter. By at least pulling the stuff upward, we can better see what is there in front of us, and we will at least have the chance to get rid of unwanted and extras. If that sweater you have not worn in six months is at the bottom of a pile on the floor, it is easy to leave it there and just keep stepping over it. If it is hung up on a hook, where you can see it, you are reminded to either wear it or else get rid of it.

Living in an organized small house or apartment does not have to be some wishful dream. It can be a reality. A bit of perseverance might be called for, to get to a point of organization if it is lacking, but stick with it. You will be happy you took the time and effort to discover all the space that was just waiting to be put to use.

Painting a Room

2006-04-26T02:56:00.000-07:00

Painting a room can be one of the simplest and least expensive ways to redecorate. Many times over the years, since we bought our own home, we have had just enough money to buy a few cans of paint and new brushes; this might have been at a time when I would have liked to purchase a new quilt for the bed, a new sofa, a new kitchen table, or some other expensive item. Yet I found that even our old furniture looked better, fresher, and newer with a new coat of paint on the walls. And while color and shade is important, many times the color is irrelevant; the room simply needs a new coat of paint to freshen things up. Recently, because we thought we were going to be remodeling, my husband and I moved our room into another room in our home. The other bedroom had recently been painted bright yellow. While yellow was good for that room, it did not match any of our things; yet, the room looked infinitely better than our former bedroom. The reason? Our other bedroom was in dire need of a paint job. It had been eight long years since we had painted our bedroom, upon just moving into the house, and with children and pets and just living life, it had become drab and ugly. If you are ready to paint one of your rooms, here's what you do:

First, you need to prepare the room. Preparation is a huge part of painting, and in fact, it is the most time consuming. But do not skip this step. Remove everything from the walls, including pictures and electric socket covers, and move the furniture to the middle of the room or out of the room. Give yourself room on every wall to paint freely, bend over, and not worry about bumping into things. After everything has been moved, take some spackling paste and fill in any holes that have been left by nails, tacks or other objects. Smooth the paste with a spackling spatula, and then allow the spackling paste to dry overnight. Next, smooth down the areas where you pasted with sand paper. Once the walls are smooth, begin wiping them down from top to bottom. Use a warm, wet towel and rinse it often, depending on how large the room is and how dirty the walls are. Be sure to wipe all the baseboards and trim. Do not worry about cleaning stains or marks off the walls, just make sure you eliminate dust, cobwebs, or anything else like that. After every inch of wall has been wiped clean, allow it to dry thoroughly and then begin taping. Use masking tape or specific painting tape; either one is fine. Use the tape to mark off any areas where you do not want the paint to go. Tape off all the trim and baseboards, and even the ceiling. Use extra care to make sure the tape is even and straight along the trim. Smooth it down tight so no paint will seep beneath. The last part of preparation is to put something on the floor for protection: drop cloths, newspaper, tarps, or whatever you prefer.

Now you are ready to begin painting! This is where the fun begins. Go to your local paint store, discount store, or home improvement store, and choose your color. If you are unsure, ask for samples to take home. Once you decide, buy as much paint as you need (the paint sales person will be able to help you know how much you will need for your size of room) and if you do not have good brushes, buy some. Good brushes can make all the difference. Also remember to buy rollers and a rolling pan. Now you can go home and paint your walls. Paint all around the edges, trim, and electric sockets with the brushes, and do the large sections with the roller. Most rooms will need two coats of paint; some with a severe color change may need three coats. Allow the paint to dry at least four hours, preferably more, between coatings, and allow it to dry several days before putting things back on the walls.

When you have finished, you will find that you have a completely new room. Enjoy!

Painting a Mural on the Wall

2006-04-25T19:18:00.000-07:00

By Christina VanGinkel

Painting a mural on a wall is a great way to add a design element to a room unlike any other. Whether you trace pictures from somewhere else, or design one freehand, a mural will bring a one of a kind look to the space. What is so fun about the use of a mural in a space is how unique a fit a mural can be, in both size and design. Even a mural that includes elements from various sources can be exactly what the room needs!

For example, if you are decorating a little girl's room, and she happens to be in love with butterflies and fairies, a mural on one wall of her room depicting a garden or forest, maybe with an enchanted castle with butterflies and fairies flitting about would be the ultimate design, but you do not feel competent drawing the fairies. Go ahead and freehand the rest of the mural, then find a good picture of a few fairies from a color book or storybook, or even from online. Trace these into the mural, and together, you will end up with a lovely mural that is still a one of a kind design.

If you are not comfortable creating any of the finer elements, just draw and paint the green of the garden's background with a blue sky, maybe sponge in a few clouds, and then create the flowers, butterflies, and fairies all with wall stickers. This technique is especially fun for kids, especially if you use stickers that can be repositioned. This way, they can change things around just for the fun of it, or if they become bored with the same old design. Elements of the mural could also be 3-D. The butterflies and fairies could be made of paper or other craft materials, and adhered with Velcro.

When trying to come up with a design choice for a mural, consider the room it is going to be in, and what the main purpose and use of that room is:

Sports themes are good for family rooms and children's rooms, even an office if it is done smartly. A mural of a stadium for example can be sophisticated and fun all at he same time.

If you have a child that loves animals, a farm, zoo, or safari, might be just what is called for.

Ocean lovers would feel right at home with a whale or aquarium scene filled with brightly colored fish.

A living room could be the perfect setting of a mural of a serene woodland trail, or a mountain vista.

Horse lovers could paint their very own stable with their dream mare and stallion stabled right in their own bedroom.

The sky is the limit when it comes to painting a mural, which when you think about it is an accurate statement, as you could also extend a mural onto the ceiling of a room if the picture theme was right, or even just on a ceiling. I once saw a fun mural of the stars painted on the ceiling of a bedroom, complete with glow in the dark paint used for many of the elements!

When choosing the actual mural elements, be sure to consider which wall the mural will be placed on too. If the room is filled with windows on nearly every wall, and furniture or a doorway takes up the one wall that is not and exterior wall, be as creative as you can be. Doorways can be incorporated into many designs; it just might take a bit of creativity. Also, if the use of a whole wall would be too awkward, do not let that stop you. Paint the mural on a partial wall if that is all you can spare. Even a mural that does not take up a complete wall can be quite a visual stunner. In the same breath, if you have two walls that could ideally encompass a larger mural, or a complete wall with a partial wall adjoining it, and if the mural will fill the space, go for it. There are no rules as to where to paint a mural, which is one of the best things about them. They allow you to be as creative as you want to be. Have fun!

Distressing Furniture

2006-04-25T08:14:00.000-07:00

By Christina VanGinkel

If you enjoy the look of old, rustic antiques and furniture, but any large pieces that you have found are well outside of your budget, maybe its time to antique your own! People restore furniture all of the time. They take an older chair or couch and reupholster it, or they sand down a well-used table and re-stain it to it original glory. With this same do it yourself attitude, it is possible to take a brand new piece of furniture and age, or distress it to blend in with your well loved antique pieces and nobody other than you or a professional need ever know the difference. I even know of one family who so loved the rustic look, that when they built their brand new log cabin, they aged their wood floors by beating them with chains and brandishing hot nails and other pieces of metal onto the floor's surface before they had the final seal applied. The floor is gorgeous, and they could not have found a more fitting backdrop for all of their antique furniture pieces and accessories. The floor actually looks like the boards were salvaged form a barn or other old building! One tip that I learned from them, that I had never really thought of, was that they first sealed their floor, then distressed it, then went back over it with their final seal. When I asked them why they bothered to put all of that work into it, before distressing it, only to have to re-seal it again, their reply was as sensible a one that I had ever heard. A naturally aged floor would have been sealed before the damage was done. By applying the seal, then distressing it, they created as much of a natural look for the distressing as they could. The final seal over the top of the distressing was the same care they would have taken had they been able to find aged boards to work with in the first place.

If you are interested in trying to distress and object, to give it an aged or antique look, and have never attempted such a thing before, I would choose something small to begin with, such as an end table or coffee table. This way, if the results are not quite what you expected, it is not as great a loss as if you tried something as grand (and expensive) as a floor. Next, consider how an item naturally ages. It becomes dented and nicked; paint is worn away from normal use, with certain spots worn right to a soft finish, such as an old rocking chair, with the seat naturally worn, in comparison to other parts of the rocker. While you cannot create these same actions in an amount to cause the aging in the item, you can recreate the look much of the time with other objects. My favorite tools in my self-assembled distressing kit is a child sized hammer and several different weights of sandpaper. I might go a bit overboard with the sandpaper on occasion, but one of the first things I do is sand away the edge of whatever item I am working on. Not the whole edge mind you, just parts here and there; in trying to keep, it as naturally aged looking as possible. I have also been known to use a nail or two with the hammer to make small indentations, or to hammer lightly on a chain laid across an item. Some people, as my friends with the floor did, actually use heat and metal objects to burn marks, though I am not as brave as they were. I have used a hand held wood burner for very small marks, and the results have been favorable. As with any technique, there is a definite trial and error learning curve when it comes to distressing.

Also, go with the mantra that less is more until you are comfortable with the details of your distressing. You can always go back and distress more, and while you can sand away some distress marks, it is easier if you do not have too. Once you are finished, go over the piece with a soft rag and a medium to dark paste wax. The wax will help the distress marks you have created really show up. Again, try the wax on a smaller item before attempting it on a large piece, as the results can vary depending on the amount and depth of the distress marks to begin with.

Painting

2006-04-25T07:21:00.000-07:00

By Christina VanGinkel

Paint is the quickest, most inexpensive way to spruce up any room in a house, whether a bedroom, living room, kitchen, or den, a kid's toy room, dining room, or even an office, a fresh coat of paint can breathe new life like no other aspect of decorating or remodeling. It can cover imperfections, provide a fresh background for a new style, and the right color choice can even make the room feel more livable than it did before.

I have never been a fan of the actual job of painting, but after having several rooms in my house painted, I am a big fan of the finished job itself. A fresh coat of paint can take a ho hum room and make it feel much homier and comfortable. On the other hand, a fresh coat of paint can take a room from overboard back to sensible and realistic. The color, the freshness, the newness of paint evokes so many feelings that it is hard to describe until you walk out of a room that is in dire need of something, and walk back into the same room after it has been given a fresh coat of paint. Only then can you begin to realize just how encompassing the effects of a fresh coat of paint can be.

To make your next paint job as successful as can be, start by shopping for your color choices with both the time to shop and the knowledge of what type and finish of paint you are shopping for. With flat, gloss, semi-gloss, high gloss, and satin finishes, matching up a finish with what the room will be used for is essential. For example, a kitchen has the tendency to accumulate dirt quicker than say a bedroom, so a paint finish such as a gloss or even a high gloss will be easier to keep clean. Any good sales person in a home decorating store or store that specializes in paint will be able to help you sift through the various finishes, brands of paint, and what each type is for. A sales associate will also be able to help you choose a paint that will last as long as possible, or point you towards a lesser priced brand that is still of good quality if you are the sort that paints as often as you rearrange your furniture. Be sure to pick up any needed supplies such as rollers, brushes, trays, etc. at the same time.

Prepping the room itself and the walls is as important a step as choosing the right quality and type of paint. If you have dirty walls, or particular surfaces, they will need to be thoroughly cleaned and / or stripped; otherwise, you risk having your paint peal or not even adhere in the first place. If you do not think that is a possibility, just ask someone who has tried to paint over a greasy wall in a kitchen without first cleaning off the grease. Paint will literally slide right off. Other surfaces such as some types of paneling will need to be at least partially sanded to give the paint a better surface to adhere to, especially if the paneling ahs a slick feel to it in the first place.

Empty the room of furnishings big and small to make the job as easy as can be. Cover anything left in the room with tarps or sheets, including the flooring. If new flooring is part of the room's new look, do the painting before installing the new flooring to save yourself the worry of paint on new floor coverings.

Once you have applied the recommended coats of paint, be realistic when judging how the room looks and if you see obvious thin areas, apply one more coat of paint.

When you have finished painting, allow the paint sufficient time to dry before moving furnishings back into the space. The more coats of paint, the longer it will take to dry, so keep that in mind. Paint will harden as it dries, but will remain tacky and somewhat easy to damage until it has completely dried. Save yourself having to touch up a brand new paint job by avoiding causing any damage to it while it is in the drying process.