Wallpaper Charms

What are wallpaper charms you ask?
Officially, “Dimensional Wall Embellishments”.
In a nutshell-adorable!

Loved designer Candice Olson has a special collection of wallpaper just for kids. These wall coverings are fun and happy on their own, but Candice takes it a step further by using these self-adhesive wall charms for a dimensional accent. Candice we love your divine ideas, so keep them coming!

Creative Wall Decor

Visiting a home improvement store can be a source of inspiration. Take a look at these ceiling medallions.

Who says we need to use them on the ceiling? Why not paint them and create an interesting wall display? Or leave them as is?

Using white medallions above a dark chest provides a wonderful contrast.

As we see below, painting the wall and the medallions the same color causes a blended effect. The medallions now seem to become part of the wall.

Do you have a bare wall and can’t figure out what to do? Well then head to your local hardware store for some paint and grab a few of your favorite medallions. You’ll have some unique art hanging in a matter of hours.

Photo Credit- Country Living

Run Don't Walk!

Have you heard?
Hearst, one the nation’s largest publishers of monthly magazines, and the HGTV Network, America’s leading home and lifestyle brand, have teamed up to bring us the new HGTV Magazine.

The premier issue just hit the newsstands, and as an avid watcher of the HGTV channel, I couldn’t wait to grab a copy.

Filled with wonderful design tricks from our favorite HGTV Stars, and even a look-see inside their homes, the magazine is a delight.

How about the piece, “Style a Sofa 5 Different Ways”, “the high/low list” section for bargain look-alikes, or the fun piece “front door of the month”?

This magazine is filled with great ideas, shopping tips, and my personal favorite, colorful makeover photos.

HGTV – I couldn’t subscribe fast enough.

Photo Credit: HGTV Magazine

Collections anyone?

Many of us have collections that we love. Personally I have always been drawn to glass, and thankfully a dear aunt started me on a collection of paperweights when I was a child. I love the different shapes and sizes, and the way the colors sparkle in the sunlight. Yes I have my favorites, but I love all of them.

When it comes to displaying collections, grouping them together is the way to go. This client had a love of seashells, which were all over her home. Like my paperweights, each one was prettier than the next.

She was using this lovely niche to group them, but having them lined up, made it very difficult to show off the beauty of each one.

Our goal was to make use of the height in this niche, and a better view of the seashells. Using glass vessels of various heights did the trick. Just carefully stack the shells inside like a puzzle.

Not only did we make better use of the space, it allowed for an interesting display to show off these beautiful treasures.

Home Staging Tips

Consider this. If you were trying to sell your car, you would probably wash it, vacuum the inside, shine those windows and maybe even wax it, right? Taking the time to prepare the car before letting anyone set their eyes on it will probably increase the chances of a quicker sale and a higher offer. The same rule applies to your home.

Are you thinking of selling your home? Whatever you do, don’t let anyone see it until it’s “show ready!”

To help with a successful sale, you must think like a buyer. What are buyers looking for, and how do I deliver it? Professional Stagers identify the target market and meet their desires.

Think about it. The buyer searches the Internet and picks a handful of homes from hundreds available. Your property is among those worth driving across town just to see inside, because professional Staging enhanced your listing photos.

Look at the room before Staging. Buyers have a hard time focusing on the positive features of a room, so it’s so important for Stagers to highlight these positive aspects.

Don’t let a potential buyer miss seeing your beautiful fireplace, or the lovely windows. Have these features take center stage and show them off. Professional Stagers follow this principle in each and every room.

A potential buyer carefully selected your home. Don’t squander an opportunity for an offer. You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.

Staged homes sell at an average of 17% above listing price. Wouldn’t you like to sell your home faster and for more money?

Pumpkin Spice

The football season has begun, and we are starting to feel a little chill in the air. Pretty soon the leaves will be changing into a colorful display. I’m not really ready for summer to end, but decking out my home for fall is something I really enjoy. Adding colorful fall decorations can brighten a dreary day!

I absolutely love decorating with miniature pumpkins. They come in all sizes, and they look terrific in a grouping. Something as simple as a table runner, pumpkins and candles can make a stunning table scape.

Carefully hollow out the top of the pumpkin, just enough to insert a votive candle. In the photo below, hurricane globes were placed around the votive for a nice touch.

Place these groupings on your dining table, perch them on a shelf, or your fireplace mantel. You can add small mirrors, and even a string of holiday lights to help reflect the glow throughout your room.

These decorations are quick and easy, which leaves plenty of time to sit back and enjoy the view. So grab a good book, find a cozy spot, and fall in love with fall!

Photo Credits: Country Living

Terrariums

Do you have a love of gardening? Why not bring it indoors? Terrariums are the process of cultivating live plants in a glass jar. This concept goes back to ancient Greece.

They are easy to maintain and can easily be the focal point of the room. Various kinds of ready-made terrariums are available.

If you wish to be creative, you can create your own using an apothecary jar or a fishbowl. It’s also a great way to reuse an old container and watch something grow. Just make sure your terrarium contains a good tight lid for ample humidity, which for some terrariums is their first requirement.

Tillandsias, also called air plants, are not perfect long-term terrarium plants because they prefer to be out in circulating air. I just couldn’t resist how they look in these glass tubes.

So whether you buy a ready-made terrarium, or make one yourself, what a beautiful way to bring your garden indoors.

Photo Credits: Apartment Therapy, Container Gardening

Master SWEET!

How’s Your Master Bedroom Looking?

Let’s take a look at our bedroom before. Would a feeling of calm come over you when you entered this room? Is this a space you would look forward to spending time in?

Is your Master Bedroom an escape from your busy day? Everyone needs a relaxing retreat where your worries melt away.

Your bedroom should reflect your personality, and style. Something as simple as a new paint color on your walls can completely change the “feeling” of the space.

There’s no need to spend a fortune. Most often just a minimum investment is all you will need.

Now take a look at our after photo…which room would you rather retreat too?

How do you like our serene paint color? Add a few of your favorite accents, colorful bedding and art, and you’ve gone from “Master Disaster” to

Master SWEET!

Beach Towels & Fabric & Sheets…

OH MY!

Check out our “before” photo below. It’s a beautiful sunroom, right?

Well, yes it IS, but is it summer time happy?

Maybe you are planning a special occasion, having a summer party, or you just want to jazz things up? Well we used simple things that you can find anywhere to do just that!

Take a look at this loveseat, and watch what a few accent pillows and a simple beach towel can do.

One yard of fabric in each color, is all we needed to spice up this eating area.

And last but not least, a sheet makes an ottoman just a little happier…

NOW look at our sunroom…a lovely space for summer time living.

Lemonade anyone?

DIY String Light

While looking for a fun project online, I came across this one…make your own string light.

A light out of string you ask? Intrigued? I was too.

So here we have all the supplies you’ll need. Tacky glue and a pan to empty it in, hemp string, a permanent marker, and disposable gloves, (yes…it gets messy!). The balloon we used worked out fine, but gave us more of an oval shape. We’ll try a round shape next time by using a bouncy ball instead.

Next using your permanent marker, you want to draw a circle on your balloon. Avoid this area when wrapping the balloon with your string. This will be your opening to not only let the light shine through, but allow easy access to change out the light bulb when needed.

Now take your hemp and run it through the glue so it’s covered well. You really need to make sure the string sticks to the balloon (or ball). Then go to town and start wrapping!

It’s starting to look pretty good! (See I told you it gets messy!) Once you have it covered just the way you want it, let it dry for 48 hours.

I turned a foil pan upside down, cut a hole in the center and placed the open area of the balloon inside. This way it’s propped upright and can dry easily on all sides.

Now pop that balloon!

Just go to your local hardware store and purchase some chain which we wired to the top. This way we could swag it over a small breakfast table. There are so many different finish choices, you’re sure to find one that matches your room.

OOPS…you don’t know how to hook up a lamp kit? Well I don’t either…not yet!

So back to the hardware store for inspiration and we found battery operated LED lights-PERFECT! We wired 2 of them for extra brightness.

Let there be light!

Here it is in the room!

Do You Have a Happy Foyer?

Does your foyer say “Welcome”? Think of this area as a sneak peak into your personality and style. It can also be a hint of what’s to come. Find a way to incorporate a color from an adjacent room. Maybe it’s an area rug, piece of art, or a colorful lamp.

Quite often you’re dealing with a small space so choose your pieces carefully. You certainly don’t want to create an obstacle as you come and go. A narrow piece of furniture like a sofa table can provide a spot for keys, or maybe you’d rather have a bench with colorful pillows for taking off shoes. Think of some stylish storage ideas for keys such as a unique tray or bowl, and beautiful baskets for belongings.

Place something you love here, and a big smile will follow!

Photo Credits: Home Goods

Inexpensive Headboard Ideas

Here are two creative and inexpensive ways to create one-of-a-kind headboards.

Oak Door Headboard - Hung Sideways

Imagine going to a flea market or estate sale and finding an old paneled door. Well I'm sure you've heard the phrase, "One man's junk is another man's treasure." Then snatch this item up because it IS treasure!! There are many creative uses for this piece. How about a headboard?

Turn your door on its side. After some refinishing work, take advantage of the paneled areas and accent your decor using different shades of paint. You could even personalize this more by adding stencils, maybe even an initial for a child's room. Have fun with it!

For a finished edge, add some nice crown molding to the top, and now you have a ledge for a variety of items like your favorite photos.

An Old Wooden Mantle is transformed into a Unqiue Headboard

Another flea market find is an old wooden mantle piece. Most mantles can accommodate a full-size bed, which is 54 inches wide. Just sand, prime and paint. To fill the center space, measure the opening and head to your nearest lumber yard to pick up a piece of MDF (medium density fibreboard) or plywood. You'll also need to stop at your local fabric store. Pick out a fun fabric and grab some batting.

Place the batting over your board, and when cutting your fabric, allow a couple of extra inches all the way around. Now lay your fabric on top, and pull the extra around to the back of the board and staple. Take your time with this step to get a nice smooth look.

Buttons add an extra special touch. If you want to add buttons, drill holes in the fibreboard before you cover it, so you have a way to thread them.

Have fun!!!

Photo credits - Martha Stewart

Start with an inspiration piece, and anything goes! Maybe it's that bedspread you love, or a colorful platter that is special to you. We used an accent pillow as our guide.

Now take your inspiration to the paint store, and have some fun picking out colors. In our example we used a lavender background on our canvas. Then we chose 4 other shades; burgundy, wine, pink, and just for fun...a limey green. Take advantage of the sample size cans of paint that most stores are selling now. That's all the paint you'll need.

Roll your background color on first.

No need to buy any artist tools, or paint brushes -it's treasure hunt time! Just look around your house and go find some circles!
Jars, lids, cups in various sizes, cans, whatever you can find.

Now that your background color has dried, take your other paint colors, and pour a little of each onto paper plates for dipping.

Get your circles ready! Dip into paint color...and press onto your canvas - it's that simple. There is no right or wrong way, so relax and have fun!!

TA-DA!

For the price of a canvas piece and some paint, you now have a unique wall art piece.

Let's see how it looks in our room:

This article was originally published on the Home Makeover Blog and reprinted with permission.

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