A simple, chic and colorful decorating accessory is a collection of vintage bottles (no more than 5) beautifully arranged on a window sill or side table. Anchor the setting with a tray or colorful place mat. Bottles of various shapes, but all one color scheme, makes such a statement. Scour second hand stores and you are sure to come up with a winning combination.
Archive for the ‘Decorating Tips’ Category
Decorating Do’s
Thursday, August 26th, 2010Decorating and organization are very closely related. When planning your room consider the following:
Paint is the easiest way to update a space. Paint can be used on the walls and furniture.
Use leftovers from your fabric stash to decorate small storage containers. Add a splash of color to storage boxes and baskets and they become decorating accessories, not clutter eye sores.
When looking for new furniture, look for pieces that have little extras like drawers in a coffee table, or a bed with built in storage units.
Donna Babylon is a budget decorating guru. Her latest book is Decorating Sewlutions: Learn to Sew as You Decorate Your Home. Learn more at www.MoreSplashThanCash.com.
Sheer (Fabric) Delight
Tuesday, August 24th, 2010I love the look of curtains blowing softly in the summer breezes. It reminds me of being on the beach in Mexico under one of their thatched canopies. Well, now that summer is here, I want to do the same to my outside pergola. Sheer fabrics often seem to have a mind of their own. To make sure they hang as you intend, straighten the fabric before cutting and sewing. Here are some other tips:
- Cut one layer at a time. More than one layer can slip, and the result will be pieces of different sizes.
- Do not allow the fabric to hang off the edge of the work surface. It may all flow off the surface like running water! Have a chair in place to catch the spillover.
- You will probably have to adjust your thread tension when working with sheer fabrics.
- Use a throat plate with a smaller needle hole to eliminate puckering or stitched stitches.
The Great Frame Up
Sunday, August 22nd, 2010Included favorite photographs in your window décor. Hang small, framed prints of similar size across the top of your window from ribbons. This is fun to do for special occasions.
Something from Nothing
Thursday, August 19th, 2010An old, worn window can be transformed into a pot rack for the kitchen by hanging it horizontally from the ceiling with strong hooks and chains. Select a sturdy window, remove all the glass, and reinforce the corners with flat, corner brackets. Install ceiling hooks on the underside of the window from which to hang pots.
Painting Primer
Monday, August 16th, 2010Before you begin to paint, here are some tips to make your job easier.
- Remove all window coverings and hardware from the windows and any pictures and wall decorations from the wall.
- Roll up any carpets and cover them with plastic drop cloths.
- Move all the furniture to the center of the room and cover with drop cloths.
- Remove all switch and outlet plates.
- In general, you can expect one gallon of paint to cover from 350 to 400 square feet. However, check the label of the paint for the paint’s spread rate (the square feet of surface each coat of paint will cover). Coverage will depend on the color of paint selected and the wall surface being painted.
Curtain Tieback Tricks
Monday, August 16th, 2010Suggested placement for tiebacks…
Sill-Length: floor-length curtains or drapes fall into graceful curves if the tiebacks are placed at the height of the window sill.
Placed Low: by placing tiebacks low (about 2/3 of the way down from the top of the curtains), an illusion of a tall, narrow window is created. This effect will obscure light because more of the window is covered by the curtains.
Placed High: to create an illusion of height, place the tiebacks about 1/3 of the way down from the top. This effect will also let in the most light.
Donna Babylon is a DIY and sewing guru. Her latest book is Decorating Sewlutions: Learn to Sew as You Decorate Your Home. Learn more at www.MoreSplashThanCash.com.
Bathing Beauty
Sunday, August 15th, 2010Keep these ideas in mind when you choose colors for your bathroom.
- Pink and peach are colors that give everyone a natural, healthy glow.
- Yellow produces just the opposite effect.
- White fives a clean and sterile impression.
The oldest of bathrooms looks years younger when everything is painted white. If you need some help to wake up in the morning you may want to select a bright red or lime green color scheme.
Color Unity
Thursday, August 12th, 2010When selecting colors for adjoining rooms, blend colors from one area to another to create color unity. For example, if your living room is yellow with blue accents and the adjoining dining rom is blue, add some yellow accents to the dining room so the colors flow together.
Check out other helpful tips at http://moresplashthancash.com/blog/.
Color Clues
Wednesday, August 11th, 2010If you are having a hard time selecting a color scheme, turn to your closet. What colors do you like to wear? If you like wearing certain colors, you will certainly enjoy living with those same colors.
Donna Babylon is a DIY and sewing guru. Her latest book is Decorating Sewlutions: Learn to Sew as You Decorate Your Home. Learn more at www.MoreSplashThanCash.com.