DIY Projects – Page 9

Category: DIY Projects

Home decor, DIY, Do it Yourself, Renovation, Bedroom Designs

13
Sep
2013

Why Woven Wood Works

Woven Woods

………wonderful!

We have two patio doors downstairs with very little head room to apply a window treatment. I’ve decided to go with woven woods.

Woven woods offer that natural element to a room that I really love. They create a warm and homey ambiance that invites and welcomes.

The choice of these types of blinds will suit me very well because our patio doors are glass and open up onto a patio with a view of a waterfall and lovely rock garden plants. I don’t want to apply anything that will disrupt that scenery. The woven woodW will allow for privacy in the evening and can be raised during the day to the view of the patio.

Woven woods come in many choices of natural elements, with combinations of bamboo, rattan, reeds, jutes, woods, and grasses all offering a unique appeal. They can be combined with valances and additional window treatments to create an exceptional appearance.

I’m anxious to see how they’ll look.

13
Sep
2013

Cocktail Ottomans

categories: DIY Projects, Home Decor

Cocktail Ottomans…..they’re a two-fer……two for one!

I really love the functionality of cocktail ottomans. They offer a wonderful alternative to the traditional coffee table, and your mom won’t every say “get your feet off the table, please!” And they can work as extra seating space, too. There are even some designs out there that double (or triple) as storage space as the top lifts up. Great place to stash the extra blankets. Summer or winter, someone in our home is always cold.

Another thing I like about ottomans is their soft sides and corners, as opposed to coffee tables. Reason being, I have little ones tumbling and cart-wheeling all over the rooms and these soft-sided designs save their cute little heads from goose eggs, cuts, and fat lips. Oh! I remember those days; jumping up as fast as you can to slide your hand under a little one’s face to try to prevent the inevitable.

There are a lot of styles to choose from, too; upholstered with fabric, micro-fiber, or leather being the most common. Some provide a shelf underneath for magazines, remotes, etc., really utilizing the coffee table idea, others offer the extra storage for the blankets, and some just provide the footrest and seating space, but these also make a great “make-shift coffee table” to serve hot chocolate and cookies from a serving tray.

Fun and function! I love stuff like that.

13
Sep
2013

Cool Ideas for Wall Murals

categories: DIY Projects, Home Decor

New but old wall murals……

…paint-by-number

Wall murals were big in the ‘70’s and I was never much of a fan, but…..

I saw a rather cool idea the other day in a flea market magazine. Not everyone’s style, but fun and different, nonetheless.

PAINT BY NUMBER wall murals! This is the funnest idea for a child’s bedroom or behind the entertainment bar in the family room or theater room (if you’re lucky enough to have one of those). Inside of a closet would be cute, too. I also think having a paint-by-number wall in my garage would be a great way to get to know neighbors. They would come over just to take a peak!

The whole idea is to get that “paint by number” look. I think I would go small. You know what they say about too much of a good thing. But I really do think it would look cool as a backdrop in a family entertainment room. Also, what about that cute hidden nook-turned-playspace?

The mural can be done old school style. Projecting a paint-by-number kit on a wall and tracing the design. You just have to match the numbered colors with interior paint you can buy. Lowe’s sells very small bottles of Valspar paint for $3.00. It’s a great deal when you’re doing a small project, or a big project needing a lot of a little paint! apartmenttherapy has some great ideas. http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/before-after-curtis-robertsons-153897

Someone even had the idea to paint one of these leaving it half undone ….funny!… and what a great conversation starter. After all, who ever completed a paint-by-number painting?

TIP: You can also project a giant coloring mural and trace that on your wall. You just have to design your own paint palette. Very creative! Check those out at magicmurals.com

13
Sep
2013

Great Ways to Decorate Hallways

categories: DIY Projects, Home Decor

A journey through……..

……..whatever you choose it to be

Hallways are areas often overlooked as we think about decorating space. And what fun! Another space for an opportunity to really get those creative juices flowing.

Two of the areas I’m most excited about decorating when our basement is complete are our hallways. Our basement isn’t large but because of the placement of the stairwell we will have two hallways. So I’m going to take advantage of that and decorate them as I would a room. And because one is on one side of the stairs and the other on the other side I can decorate them differently.

A hallway is obviously a space we pass through on the way to somewhere else so why not enjoy the journey. Passing through a hallway decorated with interesting objects/pictures/etc., on the way to a main entertaining area can create great conversation amongst guests as they arrive and begin to mingle.

– Family pictures – choose fun and interesting pictures that evoke memories of raising your family. These pictures may conjure up memories of guests and start fun conversations.

– Vintage items from yesteryear. Old umbrellas placed in an old tin. Some of grandmas hats hung on hooks. Vinyl albums from decades past. Posters from old movies. Milk cans

– Sofa tables for pictures, vases, fresh flowers

– Ethnic themes

– Seating space – ottomans and benches

– More vintage stuff – Old black and white photos – Newspaper clippings – Old year books

There seems to be a rejuvenated interest in all things old. This gives me an idea for something else to write to you about. I love nostalgia.

– Your own children’s framed artwork. You can get a lot of conversational mileage out of black and white stick figures.

– What about letters to Santa or Christmas wish lists displayed as part of your seasonal decorations.

Hallways offer an opportunity to have fun with a decor that just may not fit anywhere else, or may give you that extra space you’ve been wishing you had to hang a family treasure.

01
Aug
2013

Unique Ceiling Treatments

categories: DIY Projects, Home Decor

Ceiling treatments? What a cool way to add some unexpected pizzazz to your room.

You’ve seen the ceiling medallions around a light fixture, right? (I didn’t know they were called ceiling medallions, did you?) They can really add an element of elegance to a dining area and enhance that already beautiful crystal chandelier. I will admit, it’s not me but it sure would have been my mom. She loved crystal, bling, and bangle. I always used to say that she was crystal and I was barn wood. And I’m okay with that:)

Re-doing a ceiling is maybe something most of us don’t think about when re-decorating a room. It’s a great way to fix flaws or cracks or just add a coziness and warmth to a space.

Here are some other ideas to think about and ponder:

Pressed-Tin Panels. Very popular for a country look. Not just country though. I love mixing and matching genres. And, done properly, can look really cool. I can picture a tin ceiling in a very contemporary black and white kitchen. They are not expensive at all if you’ve priced them. I have seen them at Lowe’s and Home Depot. Of course, they are plastic not tin, but who will know? Authentic tin and copper ceilings can be very pricey, but if you can, hey, go for it!
Wallpaper. Very cool on a ceiling. Definitely a two-man job, with at least one of those “men” being very patient.
Beams. My personal favorite. We’re doing a couple in our basement even though we have low ceilings. There are a couple of support beams that we are transforming to look like we planned them…he-he.
Tongue and Groove. I love this look, especially in an inglenook (fancy word for small room off the side of another larger room) or a bedroom.

So next time you’re in the mood for a change or if you are already in the middle of renovating, don’t forget the ceiling. It might offer a fun opportunity for an unanticipated change.