Gently Used...

It’s funny how we can walk into a home, see the furniture and décor and instantly know where it came from.  It’s the same set your friend has, or the one you saw on the cover of the weekend flyers.  You need to ask yourself; do you really want to show up to the party wearing the same dress as someone else.   Be unique and think outside the box.  In fact, think outside the big box stores and try something new…or old!!!

Refinishing furniture can be easy and so incredibly rewarding.  Think about it, you get to choose a unique piece that you fall in love with and then customize it.  You can paint or stain it any color you like, change the hardware, and add some unique features.

Habitat for humanity, Goodwill and Value Village are great places to go and find unique pieces of furniture that need a little personal touch and someone to love them.   For even more excitement, try a local auction or estate sale.  You can find some amazing pieces at even more amazing prices.

We had a lovely old dresser sitting in our basement for years, but it never worked in our décor, so I dug it out and gave it a coat of antique white paint.  Then I sanded the edges to give it a little distressed look, changed the hardware and added some baskets.  It now sits proudly in my bedroom and it cost me $7.  

I hope my in-laws don’t ever ask for it back!!!!

The Big Clean Up....

Tis’ the end of the Christmas Season.  I hope everyone survived the holiday chaos.  More importantly, I hope your homes survived.

Now what?  The tree and decorations are coming down and suddenly you have accumulated a heap more “things.”  How long will you let them linger on the fireplace mantle and kitchen counter before you find them a home?  Or what if you don’t have room and they never have a home of their own?  Don’t let the joy of Christmas and all that it brings bury you knee deep in “stuff.”

First things first...if you don’t like the smell of that bar of soap you got, don’t put it in the back of the vanity only to find it again next year.  Re-gift or donate....somebody will love the smell of that soap.  Or, take it to work and put it in the bathroom there.  The point is, don’t keep stuff that you know you will never use.  One man’s junk is another man’s treasure, so share.

Next, if you got a lovely set of new tea towels for Christmas....it’s OK to throw away the old ones with holes and frayed corners.  In fact, rather than throw them away, put them in the laundry room or garage and use them as cleaning rags.  It isn’t necessary to have 28 tea towels jammed in a drawer that you can’t close.

These are the little things... now what about all those toys????  We all know kids play with things for a week (if we’re lucky) and then move on to the next toy.  Encourage them to donate some of their old toys to the “Inn of the Good Shepherd” or a local Woman’s Shelter.  There are so many kids out there that would be thrilled to have half the toys we find wedged under beds and in corners of the furnace room.  What are we holding onto them for?  As for the toys that remain...get some stackable bins from the dollar store and start organizing.  Some toys can get tucked away and others can be stored neatly in organized and labelled bins that are easily accessible.  Ikea has fabulous shelves that are great for storing toys and books and still looking stylish.  Rotate the toys every now and then until the kids grow out of them.

How about a new years resolution?  Reduce, Re-use, and Re-cycle....do your part to help others and your environment.  Don’t let your home become an episode of “Hoarders”.  

Happy New Year, now CLEAN UP!!!!

The Art of Walls....

In a simpler time, walls were white and practical, serving a function of privacy and shelter.  Early designers began decorating walls with color, plaster effects and artwork.  the machine age emerged and many designers revolted and returned to simpler and more functional décor with bare walls and handcrafted furniture.   However many continued to decorate with flare and accessories.  

While a lot can be said for a simple white wall, even more will be said about a wall adorned with stunning wallpaper, groupings of photographs, artwork, or mirrors.   We all have a simple black party dress that we can wear to many different occasions. however, it is the jewelry, purse and accessories that make us the talk of the town.  The same goes for your walls.   Don’t play it safe….think outside the box and have a little fun with it.  For an eco-friendly and unique way to bring your walls to life, check out wall flats at www.inhabit living.com.  These 3D wall tiles are easy to install and can be painted to match any decor.  They are a very reasonable price point for the incredible impact that they have on a space.

This is a generation where anything goes and anything works.  Make your walls come alive with the brilliance of metal wall art, ornate mirrors, ceramic flowers, jewels and wall stickers.  These unexpected works of art will bring elegance, depth and a sense of life to any space.   Be unique and creative.  If you love it, show it off.  

Color for Dummies...

There are so many things to consider when choosing and combining colors…from tone, to shade, to tint.  The number of different shades of white to choose from is overwhelming.  You can no longer simply ask for white paint.  Here’s where it becomes complicated…just because two colors are in the red family, doesn’t mean they go with each other.  Without getting too technical…even colors that are complimentary to each other on the color wheel such as red and green, don’t always blend well together.  It all depends on their shade, tint and tone.

Once you have found the right color, you now have to consider the accent pieces and the adjacent rooms.  It is much more pleasing to the eye to have a harmonious flow of color throughout your space.  Even the accent pieces that are designed to be focal points in a room still need to compliment the rest of the space.     

Benjamin Moore has come up with a foolproof way of combining colors.  They call it the Affinity Collection and it consists of 144 colors that will all work beautifully together.  You can quite literally take any of the colors in this collection and combine them to create a spectacular space.  Visit your local Benjamin Moore dealer and check out this new collection of colors and be your own Interior Decorator.

Benjamin Moore Affinity Collection

Don’t be afraid of color and trying new things, just be selective in what you choose.   And remember next time you ask for white paint, you better know which white you want!!!

Pining For Accessories.....

The sun was shining and the air was crisp as we hiked through the trails at Canatara Park. The kids ran ahead into the woods and emerged with huge, perfectly shaped pinecones.  With my designer mind, I began envisioning these lovely pieces of nature on my coffee table, my mantle and my Christmas wreath.  The trees had obviously discarded these wonderful pinecones so that they could adorn our homes with their natural style.  So it began, the gathering of all the pinecones that we could find.

“To pine or not to pine…. that is the question”.  Now, what do I do with this hoard of pinecones laying on the floor of my living room?  I ask this hypothetically because I already have a plan.

Firstly, I will add them to my Christmas wreath on the front door to give it a little character and some rustic elegance.

Secondly, I will take some out to the garage, pull out a can of spray paint and give them a splash of color.  They will look amazing in a decorative bowl on my coffee table.  In the spirit of the holiday season, perhaps I can spray them gold or silver and sprinkle them with glitter.   I can even mix them with some scented potpourri, or some decorative festive balls and other accessories.  They will make a beautiful centerpiece on the dining room table.

Finally, I suppose since the kids did all the hard work gathering up these decorative beauties, I should allow them a little reward as well.  This afternoon we will break out the school glue, some sparkles and craft supplies. Then they can decorate pinecones to dress our Christmas tree with this holiday season.

The pining is over…I have accessorized the entire home for the holidays with a simple walk in the park, my kids hard work in gathering pinecones and my creative designer imagination.  (Not to mention a great way to get the family out for some exercise and to tire out the little ones!!)

Happy Trails!!!

Something "New".....

It’s always nice to have something “new” in our lives, whether it’s a new friend, a new favorite restaurant, a new purse, or a new kitchen.  Yes, most of us dream of having a brand new kitchen and then we quickly wake to realize a money tree didn’t grow out back while we were asleep.  Let me tell you a little secret, you don’t need a money tree or even a hundred bucks to make your kitchen look “new”.  However, you better be prepared to put in a few days labor and a whole bucket of elbow grease.  

If you think you have the time and patience to undertake painting your kitchen cabinets, then all you need next is a vision and a can of paint……

1. First you will need to choose your paint.   Remember to use paint with a little bit of sheen to it.  This way you will have the durability and scrubability that a kitchen needs. You will need to use a roller as well as a brush to get into all the grooves of the doors. 

2. That was the fun part, now starts the work.  You will need to remove all of the cabinet doors as well as the hardware and have a nice large area to lay everything out in. 

3. Now, give everything a very thorough clean with TSP or a similar product.  Paint will not stick to areas that have grease build up.

4. Next, if you are changing the hardware and handles, which I highly recommend, you can fill any holes that the old hardware has left behind with paintable wood filler.

5. You will now need to give everything a light sanding with 100 or 120 grit sandpaper.   Don’t forget to wipe away all the dust before you begin painting.

6. Now apply a coat of primer. A little tip: If you are using a darker paint, try tinting the primer.  You will probably need one less coat of paint and over time if you do get any dings in the cupboards, they won’t be quite so obvious.  Primer can be pretty stinky, so choose the type wisely and think about wearing a mask.

7. When the primer has fully dried on both sides of the doors, you can begin the first coat of paint.  Apply as many coats as is needed, allowing it to dry fully in between coats.  You will need patience and restraint for this part.  Waiting is half the battle in this job.

8. When everything is dry, you can drill for your hardware, install your handles and put the doors back on the cabinets. Remember that the paint, although dry to the touch, will need a few weeks to fully cure, so you should be very careful with your cabinets in the meantime.

For an extra wow factor, think about changing the countertops in the kitchen as well.  This is not as cheap a task, however, it can be the piece de resistance.  There are a variety of countertop options ranging in cost.  Check out some of the amazing new laminate samples at your local kitchen retailer or hardware store.  You will be amazed at how stunning the laminate can be and even more amazed by the price.

If your kitchen is beyond repair and simply doesn’t function the way it should, then you may need a little bit more help than a can of paint can provide.  Check out Casey’s Creative Kitchens or William Standen Co. and have a designer plan your dream kitchen.  You will be amazed at what they can do with your space.

Feather Your Nest....

The peacock is a treasured bird symbolizing the true beauty of nature and color.  The way the light reflects off the often five foot long tail feathers, to reveal the metallic shades of blue and green, is an optical wonder.  At the end of the mating season, the male peacock can shed up to one hundred and fifty of these stunning feathers, only to grow them back.  We reap the benefits of this every year when they are sold for home décor, jewelry and more.  Even Christmas decorations have begun to appear adorned with peacock feathers and accessories in various shades of blue and more vibrant greens.  Combined with yellow it is easy to keep this color palette feeling warm and inviting.  Combined with Chrome and white accents you can achieve a more elegant and sophisticated interior.

Visit your local Bou Clair retailer to find some unique home décor items and perhaps get ready for a blue Christmas this year.  Also, check out Behr’s “Peacock Tail” paint and start thinking about an accent wall in your home.  Remember, it’s only one wall.  What do you have to lose?

Feather your nest this winter with the beauty and class of The Peacock and all its magnificent colors.