My Home Redux

Fresh and Light Blue and White Decor

When I see a color scheme or decor theme frequently, it means that's popular. I've been seeing blue and white decor quite frequently. In kitchens, baths, and bedrooms. Even some living rooms. Blue and white plates. Toile inspired fabrics as well as wallcoverings. The great thing about blue and white decors is that they can be traditional (think toile) or casual (think cottage).  Plus, they make small rooms seem larger, dark rooms brighter, and all rooms fresh, light, and airy.

Blue and white predominate this decor, sometimes exclusively. But you can also drop in a few colored accents like cherry red, golden orange or peach, or black.

It provides great versatility that can be modern, old-world, elegant or casual.

Note, the picture is courtesy of Decoratingwithease.com where they also sell this Waverly bedroom set.

What to do about that 1970s wood panelling

The '70s aren't dead yet. It still exists in the dark wood paneling installed in many a house during that decorating-challenged decade.  Paneling made sense in its way:  it was inexpensive and easy. You could do a basement in an afternoon and avoid the mess of drywall. The problem was that most of it was really dark, making said basement resemble a cave, and looked cheap (because most of it was).

Now, it sticks out like an avocado refrigerator, saying I'm nearly 40 years old and out of date. The problem is that the same problems it solved back then still exist.  If you remove it, the odds are there is no drywall or plaster underneath. And if there is, the paneling may have been hung to cover it up. So what do you do?

Here are three solutions ranked from most difficult = expensive to easiest = cheapest.

1) Remove it and drywall. Yep, that's the best option for looks but the messiest, most expensive, and most time consuming. For a basement, it may not be worth it. For a family room, it just may be. Unless you're really handy, this is probably a job for a pro. (That's honest advice from one who drywalled a basement.  Once. Here's a tip - don't use overhead/can lighting for your illumination source - it hides defects. Use a spot light or standing lamp to get light from the side.)

2) Fill in the grooves and paint.  This takes some time and talent with spackle. But when you're done, it will look like drywall and be a heck of a lot cheaper. (Remember the light trick from #1.) For step by step instructions and helpful tips, check out this article from bejane.com.

3) Paint it. Use a good sealer first. Then paint it any color you desire. The grooves will still show but the color will be better. We had this in our current house before we remodeled. It wasn't bad, really. The paint color itself was boring, but the paneling didn't look bad. This is also the best solution if you need a quick fix because you just can't stand the paneling until you have the time or money to do option 1 or 2.

Either will be an improvement.  If you have a better idea, please share it in the comments!

 

How to paint an open foyer, dining room, and living room?

This comes from a reader, Ellen, who's stumped about how to paint her front hallway that feeds into other rooms and shares a wall.  Here's her question:

Hello--

I accidentally stumbled upon your website last night when looking for a painting solution/suggestion.  My problem is this---our home is a two story colonial home.  When you come in through the front door, you see immediately in front of you the staircase.  Also, there is a narrow hallway which leads to the kitchen and then down into the family room.  Upon entering, immediately to your left is the living room and to the right is the dining room.  The hallway is painted a somewhat deep tan color (Tobacco Road--I believe Benjamin Moore or F&H).  There is white wainscoating below.  I want to warm up the downstairs level of the house with warm shades of tan, reds, and greens.  I really didn't want all three areas mentioned above the same color.  The wall that the front door is on is one continual wall which runs across the entire front of the house. We have been able to add a small wall off the front wall to define the dining room, but on the living room side, the doorbell and light switch are straight in line with the spot the wall would need to be located.  This is so it is line with the location of the wall that goes up the stairs.  My husband is able to do some electrical work and says it would be a pain to move the light switch, and we are on a bit of a tight budget, so can't really hire someone to do the work.

The hallway looks unfinished, like we ran out of paint.  The front door wall remains a safe shade of white, and the door and sidelight panels are white also.  There is a double wide window with deep sills on the front living and dining room walls, therefore, there is not actually that much front wall that needs to be painted in those two rooms.  Someone suggested that we paint the area around the front door the same shade of tan as the hallway and carry it into the living room on just the front wall, and paint the remaining three a contrasting color. I am not a huge fan of that look, but I am not sure I have any other options.  I do know that the area around the front door or the front door itself needs some color. 

Any suggestions are much appreciated.

Ellen

See our dialog in the comments.

19 Single Window Treatment Ideas

Often single windows can be tricky. Even if there are more than one in a room, one window can prove to be the most complex. Take a look at these beautiful window treatments. Look at the styles, colors, and fabrics. Those three elements will provide the most inspiration as decorate your home and create your own stunning windows.  See all 19 here.

31 Cheap Decorating Ideas

These ideas are real-life solutions from real people.   All of them are clever. I especially like the refrigerator mural shown here. Take a look at all 31. One is sure to inspire an idea of your own!

See them all here.

Hot Color: Orange

 I wrote a while back that orange was the hot new color. At the time, it was more of a prediction. But when I see the same comment twice in one day, I take notice. Orange has officially arrived as the latest hot color. Move over chocolate and turquoise!

You can see bright orange in accents (pillows, glassware, trays, entertaining, small kitchen appliances, lamps and more) as well as drapes, paint color, ceilings, flooring. It doesn't have to be bright orange, but it can range from soft peaches to deep iron rust shades.  You'll recognize that the color I highlighted a few weeks ago, falls into this color palette.

Need some inspiration to see how orange can work for you, check out this photo gallery.

Double Duty: Retaining Wall and Planter

My friend Alyssa provided this picture where she and her husband turned a retaining wall into a planter (complete with accent lighting).  As a bonus idea, see the pergola they created with table clothes and wire curtain rods.  Many smart ideas here!

Read how she describes it:

Wanted to send you pics of our latest project.  We had done the fence last year and this year we built the retaining wall (the fence had separated the pool and driveway - now the yard doubled in size but there is a drop from one to the other especially at the end of the driveway.  So we built a retaining wall with cinderblock and then used stone veneer to cover it.  We left the middle hollow though for a planter and ran lights through the wall.  Then built a pergola over the driveway (Texas sun is brutal) and built awnings that draw out over it using wire curtain rods from Ikea and table cloths.  We pretty much finished it yesterday.  Phew!  At 103 in the shade, this has been our most draining project yet.

In case you are wondering, I'm pretty sure the fence slides open to the driveway from an alley.

Converting a bunk bed into a Pirate Ship

Laurie wrote me if I had any ideas on how to convert a bunk bed into a pirate ship. Shiver me timbers. Maybe the heat, a week-long headache, or age has sapped my creative juices. But this one has left me a bit stumped. If some one was handy with some carpentry, I would think they could create added pieces to transform a bed into a young boy's dream pirate ship. Add a pirate flag and mast and it may just be convincing, but how exactly to do that, I'm not sure.

Here are some good examples that might inspire Laurie and you:
 

Or if it's just too much, check out this site with a custom made pirate boat bed that just may be able to take to the seven seas.

Provide your ideas in the comments ... or walk the plank, matey!

What about Cathedral Ceilings Between Rooms

Beth writes in about a condo she's thinking of purchasing and what to do with the open great and dining rooms.

We are thinking of purchasing a condo that has a great room/dining room combination, all under vaulted ceilings.  The footprint is actually an L, with the shorter portion being the dining room.  The only natural light comes from 3 windows in the living room end.  Should we leave the ceiling white?  To make it feel less cavernous and more friendly, would it help to have a light-colored floor?  Have you ever seen someone paint only up to about 9 or 10 ft in a room like this and leave the rest white (maybe add some moulding to deliniate the paint color change on the wall?  So many questions...... Beth

See my suggestions in the comments.

Latest Trends in Kitchens 2008

 Kitchens remain one of the most important rooms in the house when it comes to property value and resale. Given the current home market, it may be wiser to think about remodeling your existing kitchen than buying a new home. Here are the latest trends for kitchens in 2008.  (See comments about pendant lighting replacing the previously ever-popular recessed lights and that flooring other than hardwood - the far and away favorite for the last 10-15 years is now being rivaled by tile and linoleum!)