Time to change your interior landscape

Sweater weather has arrived!  One step outside your door and you will notice cooler weather and fallen leaves.  The exterior landscape is changing....so should your interior landscape.

If you live in an apartment or a small house with little storage, not to worry.  Changing out your interior design from warm weather to cold weather doesn't mean you have to store furniture or tons of accessories. All it requires is a plastic bin or the plastic bins that slide under your bed large enough to hold a few curtains, throws, comforter set and maybe some accent pillows.

Let's go over the bare necessities of changing over your design!

First let's look at the color scheme and fabrics.

Spring and summer months cry out for light, bright colors like seafoam, yellow and vivid greens.  They are cool colors that trick the mind into thinking the area is brighter and cooler than it actually is.  But these colors won't work when the days get shorter, darker and cooler.

Always paint your walls a neutral color if you don't want to repaint them twice a year.  A nice neutral shade of gray with a little hint of blue or green works well for both seasons.  Behr has a great website that allows you to try the colors out on 3D walls in various room settings to get a feeling for them.

In the spring and summer months we tend to use linen and cotton for our window treatments, throws and slipcovers.  While those fabrics work great for warmer months, they can literally leave you cold in the cooler months.

Hence the plastic bins.  I change out my window coverings, slipcovers, throws, accent pillows and comforter sets twice a year.  Tip:  I love duvet covers!  They take up very little space and all I have to do is slip it over my existing comforter to get an entirely new look.

I keep several low plastic containers under my bed.  When the season changes from one to the other, I simply pull out the tubs, replace the items and (after laundering everything) put the "old" season items in the tub which gets shoved under my bed for another 6 months.  Really simple and the impact is incredible.

Lighting

Even a small apartment or house can appear light and bright in the summer.  However, once the days grow shorter and the light gets dimmer, it may (and often can) appear dingy, dark and depressing.  Mood lighting is an absolute must.

I have 5 lamps in my living room.  During the brighter months, I never turn them on during the day and only use 1 or 2 of them at night.  But during the winter months, they are all on - all the time.    The difference it makes to the appearance of my room as well as my mood, is incredible.

Accent Pieces

Swapping out a Turquoise accent pillow for a burnt orange or maybe a brown corduroy accent pillow can make a ton of difference in a room.  I have a tall glass cylinder vase that I keep filled with shiny marbles and glass chips.  In the warm months, those marbles are clear, turquoise, seafoam and lime green colored but in the fall, those marbles get swapped out for a bag of marbles in brown, amber and cobalt colors.  Dried leaves with vibrant fall colors from your yard could also work.

There's no need to buy a new sofa or easy chair to change the seasons in your room.  Just swap out the lightweight throw for a plush one in a wintery color...and of course...swap out the accent pillows.

Candles are both the cheapest and easiest thing to swap out when the seasons change.  Take the white or light colored candles and swap them out for some darker warmer colored candles. Add some leaves, acorns, popcorn, dried peas or dried beans around the candle for that extra touch.  Adding spices such as cloves, cinnamon, coffee beans or other fragrant material will not only look appealing but smell great too. For a red punch of color, try buying some plastic cranberries to throw in there.  I don't recommend real ones for two reasons, out of season they are pricey and also because they will rot before long.  Remember, all these items can easily be swapped out for spring/summer items once winter is done.  Below are some great ideas.

Bathroom/Kitchen

Let's not forget these two rooms when we're transitioning our space from summer to fall!  Something as cheap and quick as swapping out the towels can make a huge difference. Since most apartments and small houses have very limited counter space for decoration, less is definitely more.  Unless you're very crafty and like the "over the top" experience, I'd recommend just a couple of changes in these rooms or you could be left feeling crowded.

In the kitchen, I'd recommend a decorative bowl filled with pine cones or a small arrangement of candles or a shelf filled with harvest items such as Mason jars, wooden utensils and placing a small collection of mums in vibrant colors on the window sill can immediately transform a room.  Burlap is a very inexpensive material.  Use it to wrap your spring/summer flower pots or to create a table runner to give them an instant fall appeal.

No apartment makeover would be complete without addressing the bedroom!  Everything shown above can be easily transitioned into a bedroom decoration.  Usually all that's needed to transform a bedroom from summer to fall is a thick throw at the foot of the bed, accent pillows, some of the candle ideas above and if inclined, a new rug in a fall color and/or new curtains.  The rooms below have not been painted or their contents edited. Only simple changes have been made.

So spend a Saturday transforming your spaces into a winter wonderland.....on a budget!

As always, enjoy your space!

It's time for some Fall and Halloween Decorating!

I love the fall and I love Halloween.  The crisp and beautifully colored leaves that cover my lawn, the cooler temperatures, the warm soups, the scary movies...and mostly...the flannel jammies that you get to drag out.  I mean is there anything more comfy than wearing flannel?

While browsing the web, I ran across a site (http://www.iheartnaptime.net/best-halloween-crafts/) that had some great and easy ideas for fall and Halloween decorating.  I thought I share some of them with you.

Hate to dig the innards out of pumpkins but love using them for decorating?  This might be perfect for you!

What about personalizing the candy bars that you give out to the kiddies?

Party favors?

Spooky candles anyone?

I love the idea of turning suckers into spiders!  How awesome!

If you're even a little bit good at decorating cookies....this idea is super cute!

You can buy these plastic tubes at any craft supply store.  Fill them with a variety of candy and then label accordingly.  Great idea to give out as treats or party favors.

How about turning old milk jugs into lighting for your walkway, porch or patio?  Fill the jugs with assorted lights, paint the face on the outside and you're all done!  Too cute!

These are just a few of the great ideas on this site.  If you want more detailed instructions or more ideas, go to her site and check it out!

Happy Halloween everyone!!

New Life or New Home?

New Life or New Home?

Sometimes I look around my house and think "I need new furniture".  But do I really?  My furniture isn't in bad shape - not in perfect shape - but not in "needs to go to the curb" shape.  But it is old and I am tired of it.  What to do?  Should I take out a second mortgage to buy new furniture or redo what I have?  

Let's see what I can do with what is already in my house.

The quickest, cheapest and easiest thing to do is paint.  The greatest thing about paint is the fact that if you finish and you don't like it......paint it again.  It's unbelievable how a quart of paint can completely transform a "take to the curb" table, chest of drawers, headboard into a loved keepsake!  There are 4 steps to painting a piece of furniture.....4....that's it.  Clean, sand, wipe and paint.  That's all there is to it.

Three things to remember:  

(1) When painting over something that has been varnished or stained, you have to give it a good sanding first or your paint will simply fall off.  Also, it's a good idea to lightly sand anything that has been painted before as well.  Just to make sure the new paint sticks to the old paint. You don't have to sand it down to the original wood.  Just rough it up enough for the new paint to stick well. 

(2) Always clean it well before you sand to remove any oils, grease or other material that will interfere with your paint adherence and always - always -  wipe the piece off after you've sanded it or all that mess will cause your finished product to be gritty and dull.....and 

(3) don't let all these online tutorials and DIY TV shows discourage you.  It's not necessary to do a lot of steps when painting furniture.....just clean, sand, wipe and paint.  

Below are some examples of "take to the curb" furniture that was revived and renewed simply by a coat of paint.

Two of the above pictures are dining room chairs.  These are about the easiest things in the world to totally transform.  You have to clean, sand, wipe and paint but you will also need to reupholster the seats.  

To do that, you will need some fabric that you think is pretty and a stapler.  You don't have to use a staple gun - I use my old metal office stapler most of the time because it's more lightweight and the end results are just as good.  The staples don't have to go deeply into the seat.  Just enough to keep it on there.  Don't have any fabric?  I'm sure you have some either hanging in your closet or in your linen closet....think outside the box.  Maybe you have a pair of draperies that you were thinking about replacing anyway?  Use them.  A sheet, pillow cases, even old sweaters.  The seats don't all have to match.  Actually I think it would be fun to have the chairs all painted the same color but with different fabrics on the cushions.

All you have to do is remove the cushion, fold your fabric around it making sure to keep it tight and then staple it to the underside.  Trim off any excess and then put it back on the chair.  Done.

I love the transformation of the chest.  Simply by painting, replacing the hardware and removing the drawers (and replacing them with baskets) this chest is ready for another 20 years!

Sofa's and upholstered chairs are the hardest to recover for me.  I'm not a seamstress so I opt for the simple treatments.  That involves ties and staples.  Anything beyond that is out of my skill set.

These pictures below show simple redo's.  With the sofa, I like to buy painter's cloth drop cloths.  They wash well, wear well and are a neutral color that you can dye to suit your moods.  I simply lay them over the sofa and tuck them into the crevices of the sofa as tightly as possible.  A helpful hint is to use a broomstick or a wooden (or metal) curtain rod to hold them into the crevices of your sofa.  To do that you just push your fabric into the crevices and then push the broomstick on top of that.  It will help tremendously.

The chair was a bit more challenging only because it required me to make a few cuts and do a lot of stapling.  Make sure to staple onto the frame of the chair.  If you miss the wood, it won't stay put.

Now you can get an entire house full of "new" furniture without having to break the bank!!  

As always, enjoy your space!

Tires?

When I was growing up, both of my grandmother's had multiple tires sprinkled about their yards.  Each was painted with colorful displays of perennials.  I thought they were tacky and countrified. However, as I've aged......I'm kinda liking them.....here are a few things you can do with discarded tires that don't involve a landfill or ditch....these projects sure don't look like my granny's tires!

Fixes every renter should know

Once upon a time, renters didn't have to fix anything.....The End.  

Those days are long gone.  Try giving your landlord a call at 2 in the morning to tell him that your toilet is overflowing and see how quickly he jumps to come fix it.  But then again, why should he climb out of bed to fix your toilet?  Chances are the toilet's clogged up because of something you (or your children) tried to flush down it.

Leases these days are fairly specific about what the landlord is responsible for and what he's not responsible for.  If you insist on attempting to flush things down your toilet that truly aren't supposed to be flushed, pouring bacon grease down your sink until it clogs up or never cleaning the hair out of your shower/tub drain...then you should have to pay to have the plumber come out.  If your child or your mower throws a rock through a window, why should the landlord be responsible for replacing it?  Those are just a few of the fixes that a renter can be (and should be) held liable for.

So how to fix these nuisances?  Let look at the top three maintenance calls.

Let's start with the overflowing toilet.

Overflowing toilets are the worst!!  Unlike the picture above, I've never had a toilet overflow with clean water.....never.

There are the usual reasons for a toilet to overflow.  Either the drain is clogged or the floater isn't set properly.

First thing to do is turn off the water supply to your toilet.  Normally, there is a water supply line located on the bottom side of your toilet bowl with a valve attached to it.  Turn the value off.  This will stop any water from getting to your toilet.  This won't fix the problem, but it will prevent more water from spilling onto your floors while you either fix the problem or wait for the plumber to arrive.

If you can't find the valve another way to stop the water flow is to remove the cover of the tank and lift the floating ball high enough that the water stops running.  Next use a bucket to remove the water at the brim of your toilet bowl until the water level is well below the brim.  Don't pour this water out.  You will need it in another step.

The next thing you have to do is plunge your toilet until you notice water leaving the bowl.  Don't be afraid of this step.  Get in there and give it all you got!!  Once the water level goes down in the toilet bowl, it should mean the stoppage has been cleared.

Now you just need to pour the water you collected back in the toilet bowl and flush.  That should take care of the problem.  If it doesn't....repeat the plunging step and try again.  

If that still hasn't solved the problem....time to call a plumber.

Note:  Just because the packaging says it's safe to flush......doesn't mean it is.  The American Plumber Association begs people not to flush baby wipes, sanitary napkins, tampons, or baby diapers down their toilets.  Yet people still do it and wonder why their toilet becomes clogged.

Be wary of harsh drain cleaning products if you live in an older property.  Most older homes have metal pipes.  The chemicals in some of these drain cleaning products can and will eat through your pipes.  The end result is your toilet will drain....into your basement or beneath your house.  An old fashion hand auger that can be bought at any home improvement store will do the trick without damaging your pipes.

Clogged Sink

Even if you have a garbage disposal you should be extra careful about what goes into your sinks.  Any kind of animal product should be strictly avoided.  Grease, coffee grinds, gravy, bones, butter or anything else that will either congeal or that could penetrate a line or get wedged in a line should be avoided at all costs.

Should your sink become clogged, then dip as much of the water out of the sink as possible. Using a washcloth tightly stop up one of the sinks so the pressure exerted from plunging won't escape.  Next take your trusty plunger and go to work on the unstopped sink until the water drains freely.  Repeat as necessary.

If the above step doesn't work, then add a small box of baking soda to the clogged side making sure all the baking soda has gone down the drain.  Use the handle of a spoon or a skewer to push it down if necessary.  Then pour in a cup of vinegar.  Wait about 5 minutes to give the baking soda and vinegar time to do it's job.  At this point you should be able to run water through the sink without issue.

Most clogs happen in the area of pipe located just under your sink.  The "U" joint.  If you are good with your hands, you can unscrew this section (making certain to have a bucket beneath it to catch any water in the drain).  Once unscrewed, you can run an uncoiled clothes hanger through this section which should push out whatever was clogging the drain.  Then simply reattach and run water through the drain.  If this still hasn't done the trick...time to call a plumber.

Beeping Smoke Detector

These things can be so annoying when they wake you at night beeping.  Most common solution?  Replace the batteries.

As always, enjoy your space!

Fads Come and Go

Thinking of remodeling your kitchen?  Maybe remodeling the kitchen of a rental?  If so, I'm sure you've poured over numerous magazines, websites and TV shows to find a kitchen that is exactly what you want.

But before you go whipping out that credit card, let's talk about fads.  Anyone old enough to remember when The Brady Bunch wasn't in reruns will remember orange shag carpet, wallpaper covered in mushrooms, pine kitchen cabinets, orange laminate counter tops and cheap faux wood paneling everywhere.  Those were the fads of the 1970's.  Then we thought it was hip, fresh and new...now?....we rip it all out and start from scratch.  Many a house has sat on the market for 3 times as long as neighboring houses simply because it had those items. Below is a picture of one of those kitchens.

Here's a picture of a 1970's kitchen that was considered to be rather high end "back in the day". Notice the abundance of wallpaper?  The orange laminate counter tops?  That brick veneer and huge yellow vent hood really make this kitchen!

You may say, "but those fads were ugly"!  Yes, they were.  But even 5 years from now, you may think the more current fads are tired and ugly as well.  It's always best when remodeling to go with classic.  Things that have stood the test of time and weathered all the other fads.  You can always throw in some pieces that are are faddish but the big money should be on items that you won't tire of in 5 or even 10 years.

Forbes magazine interviewed John Petrie, 2013 President of the National Kitchen and Bath Association and owner of MH Custom Cabinetry.  In the interview, Mr. Petrie was asked to list the current trends to avoid when remodeling your kitchen.  Some of the items on his list really shocked me, while others didn't shock me at all.

He recommended staying away from trash compactors (I didn't even know folks still bought these) and appliance garages (I have always hated these).  Those items didn't surprise me.  What really shocked me was to see farmhouse sinks (or apron sinks) and dark hardwood floors on his list.  I love both of those!  Below is a picture of what I would call a dream kitchen.  Not so much says Mr. Petrie.

He stated that in 2011 & 2012 everyone wanted these but in 2013, he hadn't sold a single farmhouse sink.

Other items on the way out, according to Mr. Petrie, are pot racks and range hoods as focal points and colorful appliances.  Again, I love all those items too.  He states that stainless appliances are still the rage, but I have read in numerous other outlets that their popularity is waning rather quickly.

So what to do?  According to Forbes, the average cost for a high end kitchen is $53,931. That's a lot of cash.  It's especially a lot of cash if you go with a fad that will wear on your nerves within a few years.

The most important question to ask yourself before you touch anything is, "Exactly who is this remodel for"?  If it's for your own enjoyment, meaning you are truly in your forever home, then you can approach the remodel a bit differently than you would if you had plans of selling the house down the road.  However, I cannot stress enough the importance of remembering that while you may live in the house for the rest of your life, it still won't prevent you from tiring of the look.  So unless you have the cash laying around to spend on remodeling your kitchen - again - I recommend going for a more polished and classic look.

Another thing to remember is location.  Here in the south, we tend to be about 5-10 years behind the rest of the country not only in adopting the latest fads, but also in letting them go. Example:  disco officially died in 1980....we really didn't have disco's until a couple of years before it "died" and we kept our disco's until the late 80's.  My point to this is, if hardwoods in your kitchen is all the rage in your area, it may have become a thing of the past in another area. They may be into tile.  Keep this in mind when browsing all the magazines.  Most of them are written with New York or California in mind.

So how can you remodel and achieve a blend of classic with fad?  It's pretty simple actually. The most expensive things to rip out and replace will usually be your cabinetry, flooring and counter tops.  I would recommend sticking to classic with those items.  Appliances, faucets, hardware, lighting and backsplashes can be easily changed out at a much lower cost.  If you want to include the latest fad, then I'd include it in those areas.

Tip.  Most designers will come to your home and give you some tips on what's hot in your area for a small fee.  They can also suggest finishes that would fit into your budget.  I know the big box stores offer free consultations, but you should remember these two things before you go that route.  (1) they are hardly ever trained/educated designers and (2) their job is to get you to buy the things that their store sells.

Another item on the "going out of style" list is (thankfully) the kitchen desk.  That is such a horrible waste of space in your kitchen....a desk in the kitchen...who honestly thought that was ever a great idea?  They ultimately turn into dump sites.  No one ever actually sits there and enjoys that space.  They become a place to throw the mail, keys and anything else that you have in your hand and simply don't want to put where it belongs.

Look at all that space that could be storage and/or extra counter space.  I see a floor to ceiling pantry there.  

Before you head to the bank for that loan, do a lot of research on what's hot and what's warm....or even cold. 

As always, enjoy your space!