Making a Statement

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Before my daughter moved to their new apartment, she searched Craig's List to find a sofa. They wanted to make a step up from the futon they had in the living room of their first apartment.
She searched and searched and then one day she sent me a picture, to ask my opinion, of a sofa she had fallen in love with. When I saw it I knew it was the perfect choice. My daughter has always been a young lady who has a style of her own, the girl with enough confidence to wear almost any fashion. Fortunately she married a wonderful guy who enjoys her distinctive flair. They purchased this fabulous down-filled antique Victorian couch which became the statement piece and the inspiration for our paint choice.
We didn't pick a color that matched the sofa, but instead went with a color that would compliment it, as well as the existing light green walls in the adjoining kitchen. We chose a historic paint color at Lowe's. It's La Fonda Villa Fountain 5002-4B in Valspar's satin paint.I painted two opposing walls this fantastic color and the remaining two walls were painted a crisp bright white.
Once the furniture was moved in, the decorating fun began!
A beautiful old ceiling tin was hung in the nook above the tv.To add light to the side of the room that has no outlets, we hung this beautiful capiz shell chandelier above the mirrored end table.

They have a real mix of design styles, from antiques to items from the Swedish furniture store, yet everything mixes into a stylish, eclectic, modern, and elegant combination.They love their new apartment!
I had fun painting, designing and decorating.
I'll share more details of the apartment in the coming posts.

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The Power of Paint

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One of the first steps into turning a house or a newly rented apartment into a home is to paint, paint, paint (if your landlord permits). I am constantly amazed at the transforming power of paint.
Subtle changes in color are nice. Painting over baby blue walls with a grayish green can make the room feel much more sophisticated. When choosing paint colors I like to choose colors that are a bit "muddy" meaning that they have a few drops of black to tone down the color and make it appear to be a combination of a couple of colors instead of one saturated color.
Even taking a room that already has a color and painting it a crisp bright white can make it feel so clean and fresh.
Bright white is always a good paint choice, much better than builder beige that can appear dull and dirty.I'm often asked which paint finishes I use. I prefer a satin finish for walls, a flat finish for ceilings, and a semi-gloss for trim.
The best painting advice I can give is to invest a little money into a good paint brush. I prefer the small handles because they fit so nicely in my hand. I also choose an angled tip. With a good brush and a steady hand you can do a great job painting a clean, crisp ceiling line as well as "cutting in" all the other areas (Cutting in is the process of painting the edges of walls and ceilings, around baseboards and door & window trim. The large wall areas not cut-in are then painted with a roller or paint brush) and you won't need to use much of the blue painters tape.
If you want color without a big commitment, consider painting just one or two accent walls. This is a great way to go with a bold color without saturating the room and making it feel dark and overwhelming.
FYI---I recognize that everyone is really busy during the summer months, so I'll be posting only on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for a while, with occasional bonus posts. I know you've got better summer activities to do than reading my blog. Now go, enjoy the sun!

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Cheap Trick

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I had so much fun last week helping my daughter and son-in-law set up their new home. We worked really hard, cleaning, painting, moving, decorating and repurposing, but the results were definitely worth all the hard work.
Here's a quick repurposing item. They had two of these functional carts. As you can see, they didn't match. I gave them a quick and easy upgrade. All that was required was an extra set of curtains, a supply of upholstery tacks, a hammer, and the willing and helpful hands of my son-in-law.
We simply placed the carts side by side. Then I folded the curtains to the desired length and held them in place while my son-in-law hammered in the tacks to secure the curtains. Topped with a beautiful tray and some decorations, those functional carts become

a pretty buffet table

with plenty of storage that's now hidden from view.

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HGTV Dream House Garage

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Dream House garage

HGTV is a perfect home and it includes all the qualities that a dream home must posses. Not only the interiors but also the exteriors of the house are made amazingly beautiful. This house include carriage house and guest quarters that upgrades this house from other villas.

Hgtv Dream House: Garage your Car

Spacious parking garage comes as a complimentary feature of HGTV dream house. This house includes a number of parking options, such as a quaint outbuilding that can easily accommodate large size sports vehicles.

Hgtv Dream House: Build your Garage

The design of the garage is made as lavish as the house itself. One of the most alluring aspects of the garage is that it includes beautiful design. Guests and the homeowners can feel flattered by the beautiful design of the HGTV dream house garage that include stylish side entrance, full size windows and lighting fixtures that are period appropriate. The interiors of the garage are also as beautiful as the exteriors. This garage offers extensive storage space to the dwellers.

Hgtv Dream House: Garage

You can store vehicles, sports equipment and garden supplies in the interiors of the HGTV dream house garage. This way the garage is not limited to only vehicle storage as you can store other miscellaneous items too in the garage.

Hgtv Dream House: Decorate your Garage

One of the most astounding aspects of the garage is that you can easily convert it into an art or craft studio and a woodshop. The only thing you are required to do is to do a slight decoration and renovation of the garage and you can make the garage look like a studio.

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Interior Design

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Discovering that perfect interior door sometimes doesn’t begin with its design or raw material, but with a decision as simple as whether the door needs to be painted or stained. If the theme of your home and decor call for something a bit more traditional, then consider a wood panel door or French door; both of which come in an endless assortment of wood species to compliment any environment.

If it’s a painted look you’re leaning towards, a broad collection of molded panel, flush, or crown doors are the most commonly preferred for paint application.

The style of your new interior door is next on the list and allows for a wide, open range of designs to match your home or assist that new renovation. The proper style can be the difference between traditional or contemporary, rustic or craftsman, elegant or chic; the perfect door will assist and enhance the look and feel of your home’s decor.

With your desired style in mind, you will next need to select a material to match your individual design, performance, and aesthetic needs. This decision can come from the selection of a wood panel, molded panel, wood flush, wood louver, or wood French door.

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