01.27.09
Posted in Livingroom at 5:38 am by HomeDecor
A decorating organizer is important when planning a big decorating project which requires you to be organized, make a plan, keep lists of things to do, when to do them, names and addresses of subcontractors, etc. But what about decorating in general? I keep what I call my “everyday decorating organizer”. My decorating organizer is nothing more than an accordion file which is used to file and store documents.
When I get a decorating magazine or catalog and spy something I want to buy (but sadly can’t afford at the time) or something I want to do to my home, I file it in my decorating organizer. When I am shopping and find a swatch of fabric I might want to use for drapes, pillows or to upholster something, I staple a note to it with information about when and where I saw it. This prevents me from either finding it 6 months later and not remembering where I found it or how much it sold for. I use my decorating organizer so much that I now have a decorating organizer dedicated just to fabric, one dedicated to furniture and one dedicated to gardening and plants.
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01.23.09
Posted in Kitchen at 6:56 pm by HomeDecor
Try some of these tips for a quick kitchen “facelift”!
*Make room for freestanding furniture: Repaint an old armoire or dresser and tuck it into the corner of the kitchen. It’s an ideal place to keep linens and cookbooks.
*Add artwork: Your favorite things, a colorful child’s drawing, a memento, a pretty doily…these things and more can be framed and added to the walls to tell a personal story.
*Add or remove drapes: Inexpensive but beautiful drapes can be purchased on-line or at your favorite discount store to add an instant change to the kitchen.
*Rebuild furniture: Rather than buying an expensive island for the center of the kitchen, buy an antique table and add a shelf underneath.
*Look outside: Remove the top panel from your kitchen door and add glass. You will be adding light and if you have a pretty garden, you will be bringing the outside in.
Just look around and you are sure to think of tons of ideas which will cost little money but add a lot of panache to your kitchen!
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01.18.09
Posted in Bathroom, Bedroom, Dinning Room, Entryway, Hallway, Home Office, Kitchen, Livingroom at 2:23 pm by HomeDecor
Painting is the fastest, easiest way to make a huge change in your home interior. It is so easy today to find the right colors BEFORE you actually spend any money on paint. Several of the large paint manufacturers have on-line tools to help you choose your color palette. My favorite is at www.sherwin-williams.com. You can create virtual rooms and paint them.
One of the most important things to remember when you paint a room is how the color will look when you stand in the room and look at other rooms adjoining it. I also have to say, although I register to win it every day and would take it if they gave it to me, the HGTV Dream Home decorators could have used the Sherwin Williams’ tools. Every room is painted a different color. Take the virtual tour and you will see what I mean!
Another tip for finding a color you can live with is to paint several large pieces of cardboard and place around the room. Live with the color for several days and see how the color looks in the morning sun and at night in artificial lighting.
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01.17.09
Posted in Livingroom at 6:38 pm by HomeDecor
Want to change the look of a room with just a little money? Here’s a great idea…throw a THROW PILLOW PARTY!! Get together with friends who also want to brighten up their decor and swap throw pillows! Yes, it’s true! You might not like what you get! You may not get the color you want…or the style you want…or the designer you want…but what you will get is an innovative way to stretch your imagination and decorating style. Throw pillows aren’t like painting…they aren’t messy, you can stuff them in a closet if they really creep you out and they aren’t expensive. Bend a little and try it. You will be surprised what a different perspective you will get when you look at your room with a new punch of color. You need at least 5 friends for this project and each should bring at least 3 coordinating pillows. Then just draw numbers from a hat. No..you can’t keep your own..you have to use someone else’s pillows. Try it! It just may inspire you to re-do your entire look.
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01.13.09
Posted in Uncategorized at 11:00 am by HomeDecor
Office Art
Glisson Boughton study
Those who work at home usually have created an office space from which to work. What is necessary for a home office space to be functional? Assuming that your home office contains a computer (and let’s face it, even if you knit sweaters as your home business, you have to sell them somewhere), comfortable office furniture is a must, everyone would agree. Also it’s important to have the best quality office equipment one can afford. But what about the rest? What additional things are important for a home office?
It’s my opinion that art work is an important component of the home office. Often, the right artwork will inspire us and remind us of our purpose for sitting in that home office for 8 hours a day. In addition to the right artwork, I have found that a treat jar (important for the happiness of my assistants, be they canine, feline or human), a television with cable (to keep abreast of current events which may affect my business–not for watching cheesy movies, honest), and a bulletin board with my latest bank statement prominently affixed (to remind me of why I am sitting at my computer for 8 hours a day) are also important features of the successful home office.
As you can see from the photo of my home office above…nah…just kidding! The photo of the home office above was taken from the HGTV website (www.hgtv.com) and was designed by Jackie Glisson, an interior designer whose company is “Just a Decorator”. The website for Jackie is: www.justadecorator.com. You can see that art plays an important part in the decor Jackie has created for a home office. Jackie’s home office design is a little more upscale than my home office but the principles are the same. Surround yourself with items which inspire and give you enjoyment, and you will be happier and more productive.
The “Blogging” poster (my personal fav), is from Despair, Inc. Thanks to them for their continued inspiration. Oh, and you’re welcome to visit my home office any time–I have a treat jar!
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