Wall Treatment Ideas

Wallpaper for renters – you can add style without worrying about landlord issues.  Use tape for a design – instructions by LittleGreenNotebook.blogspot.com

Photo via LittleGreenNotebook.blogspot.com

Here’s another wallpaper treatment (from Sabbe Interior Design) using contact paper (found it first on RoomRemix.com).  Use the technique to create a pattern of your own. 

Check out the tutorial to create this accent wall treatment. (via Sabbe Interior Design)

The home decor corner of the internet can be quite interconnected – a good idea makes the rounds of lots of different blogs.  The Inspired Room found this simple wallpaper design idea – great for a kid’s room or a grown up room if you are creative in finding your pattern (maybe the damask one below).  Apartment Therapy shared a home tour that features this project and they used remnant wallpaper pieces but I’m wondering if you couldn’t accomplish the same look with heavier scrapbook paper….

via ApartmentTherapy.com

Stencil Projects

I love stenciling.  It’s versatile and appropriate to any design style.  Plus it’s easy and anyone can accomplish it successfully.   Paisley Wallpaper has created a fabulous stenciled floor and even shares her pattern.  The pattern could be adapted to just about anything…how about the table or blinds below or wall ‘decal’ above?

Stenciled floor by PaisleyWallpaper.blogspot.com

Continuing the stencil idea, here’s another unusual application for stencils from Gina Provenzano at ShelterPop.com. 

Stencil table via shelterpop.com

Yet another way to use stencils, Better Homes & Garden (bhg.com) had these easy instructions for adding design to fabric.  It’s shown on a roller shade, but the idea can translate to any fabric - window treatments, pillows, bedding (easy way to give kids a themed coverlet), etc. 

Jonathan Adler, home goods designer extraordinaire, has a very distinctive style and loves his colors!  This easy tutorial from re-Nest shows how to recycle vases or bottles you have around the house into Adler-like copies. 

You too can create a knock-off Jonathan Adler vase. (via Re-Nest.com)

When I saw this project by MMScrapShoppe, I liked the collage aspect of it but also how easy it would be to personalize it using pieces you have around the house.  Instead of burlap, use a scrap of any mid to heavy weight fabric – maybe a bright red twill.  Not a scrapbooker?  Not a problem….instead of her fun chipboard initial, paint a craft wood cutout for your monogram and then add embellishments from your garage, your closets or your junk drawer.  The possibilities are endless here.  (What a great gift for a nursery.) 

A crafty idea from MMScrapShoppe.blogspot.com

Practical Project

And what roundup would be complete without a nod to Martha?  If you’re still using plastic bags for your shopping, maybe it’s time you try your hand at making stylish canvas bags so you’ll be inspired to “go green” and eliminate plastic bags from your life.

I found this simple idea at Room ReMix, originally from  Bluelines.  Complete instructions can be found describing how to make your own ottoman from a couple of floor pillows.  You heard me, floor pillows (preferably the boxy, square type).  One tip I would add is the instructions just have the pillows stacked on each other, not attached.  Even if you want the option of being able to separate the pillows, I’d use some velcro strips or big buttons or something to attach them together for more stability.

Photo via Bluelines

Fun and Different

For a complete change of pace, Danny Seo made these charming and easy rock photo holders.  A new way to bring the outdoors in.

DailyDanny.com shows how to make this easy display.

I remember something like this from years ago – here it is updated and ready to try again (from Instructibles via CasaSugar).  If you don’t need a lamp shade, how about something smaller – a Christmas ornament?  A cluster of colorful orbs hanging from a child’s ceiling?  How else could you use these?

Photo via Instructables.com

DIY Search

As you wander the internet and come across a helpful, unique or well presented project, let me know and I’ll share it in the next DIY Roundup.  Or if you have a home decor project you’d like to share with a wider audience, send me the link and I’ll include it. 

I’ve never shopped for a wall clock so I was amazed by the wide variety of styles available.  This wall clock “newbie”  found herself gawking at all the wild, unusual, creative and sometimes crazy ways we decorate with wall time pieces.  I just had to share some of them with you.

Time for Every Purpose

I discovered wall clocks exist for every room in your house, every member of the family, every hobby, habit and hankering!  There’s no way I could cover all possible categories so I’m leaving off music oriented (I saw clocks with pictures of Elvis, The Beatles, different types of guitars, pianos and keyboards, as well as musical notes),  movie and T.V. stars (looking for Marilyn, Lucy, John Wayne, Peanuts or Sponge Bob Square Pants? You’ll find them!) and so many sport team logo clocks that it would take me a week to show them all to you!  I’ve barely scratched the themes so explore on your own too.

If you want more details about any of the following clocks you’ll find them all on Amazon.com, one of our affiliate sites.  Check out Amazon Wall Clocks or link through the ad at the bottom of this post - then use the name of the clock to do a keyword search.

Kitchen

Spoon and Fork Wall clock by Kirch International - you'll eat it up at $19.95.

Fat Bistro Chef by KMC/KK-Chef Products gets you cooking for only $17.49.

Kirch Brand Refresh Sushi Clock by A.S.A.R. - nothing fishy about the $29.95 price.

Retro Vibe

Felix The Cat Animated Wall Clock by Retro Clocks - it's the cat's meow at $39.98.

Starburst Retro Wall Clock by Ashton - reflects a good value at $71.91.

Retro Wood Atomic Ball by George Nelson - what a blast for only $38.50.

Car Lovers

Tire Wall Clock by Geneva - a sporty value at $19.99.

Route 66 Wall Clock by UD - take the scenic route for only $39.99.

Kids

Baseball Softball Little League Wall Clock by CTS - your kids will have a ball for only $9.22.

Farm Animals Barnyard by Dolce Mia Designs - even old MacDonald would like this for $46.95.

Princess Wall Clock by Disney - even common folk can afford this royal piece at only $19.99.

Rubber Ducky by 3d Rose LLC - splish splashing fun for $36.99.

Hobbies

Gear Wall Art with Clock by Southern Enterprises, Inc - time to gear up for decorating impact at $115.02.

Nautical Wall Clock by Infinity - it's knot your typical clock for $31.03.

Audubon Singing Bird Clock by Mark Feldstein - chirp, chirp, cheap at $18.80.

Whatever

Whatever Wall Clock by California Clock Company - some days are just like this, $15.95.

Vintage Image Wall Clock by Quality Time - time flies for $49.99.

Time for Everyone

One thing I hope you discovered today - there’s time enough for everyone!  You could also say time is on your side!  So, which clock was your favorite?   Take time to comment below or email me at solutions@yourdecoratinghotline.com and share your thoughts.  And now it’s time to end this post and get back to searching for my office clock!

Although I’m not Irish St. Patrick’s Day provides a great excuse for hosting a theme dinner.   It may not be considered a feast since it only dinner for two – but my table is certainly green, and fun and festive.  I hope it inspires you to enjoy a bit o’fun too!

A door decoration sets the mood for my guest's arrival.

The table is set, the candles are lit, the Irish beef stew simmers on the stove.

These were my Grandmother's dishes - she wasn't Irish but she liked green!

I've provided a twist to the phrase "top off your drink."

Good luck shamrocks and a leprechaun's gold coins scattered across the table top echo the colors of the china and the colors for St. Patrick's Day.

By the way – guess who’s coming to dinner?

The perfect guest for a St. Paddy's dinner!

 Have some fun with your table decorating next week on St. Patrick’s Day.  I’m sharing this table at BetweenNapsOnThe Porch.com where you’ll find lots of inspiring table decorating ideas today during  Tablescape Thursday and at Holiday Haven where you’ll find links to lots of St. Paddy’s Day ideas..

 P.S.  Don’t forget to wear GREEN!

Our list isn’t definitive nor do we make claims about the quality of the product or the website, we simply select a piece because we find something inherently appealing about it.  You may find our list helpful if you happen to be shopping for the item or you may simply find it interesting to see the wide range of styles and price ranges available.  If there’s a particular home furnishing you’d like us to research for a future Wednesday topic, just leave a comment on this post or email us at solutions@yourdecoratinghotline.com.

Terrie’s Five Favorite Sofas

Eco-friendly linen sofa from Ankasa.com

Perfectly sized for a small room or to use at the foot of the bed in a master bedroom, this luxurious sofa has corded embroidery detailing to make it really stand out.  Available from Ankasa.com, it’s only 62″ long by 32″d X 33″ h.

Sofa from Pier 1

This is a great transitional sofa – even though it has some classic styling with the arched back,  it will blend well with either a traditional room or one with modern touches.  The gentle flare of the arms adds to its appeal.  The Abbie sofa from Pier1 is $700 and measures 84 X 34 X 37h.

The Anson sofa from RoomAndBoard.com

This buttery yellow sofa has the necessary style and panache to fit beautifully into a modern space.  The tufting in the back is a nod to traditional but then the sleek curves are strongly modern.  And I love the color – in a room of shades of gray it would be stunning.  From Room and Board, it’s $1800 and measures 78 X 33 X 27 h.

Crescendo sofa from 1Contemporary.com

I’m really feeling the organic shape of this transitional sofa.  Curvy and sexy, it would work equally well in a traditional room, add a bit of softness to a formal room or fit well in a transitional room.  There was no price listed.  It is generous in size at 93 X 42 X 31 h.

The Caden settee from Jayson Home and Garden

I love the look of this sofa.  Its smaller scale is perfect for apartment life or rooms where space is tight.  The graceful arms keep the sofa (settee) from feeling too stiff and I love the one big cushion look.  No fussy pillows and back cushions to mar the sleek look.  Located at JaysonHomeAndGarden.com, the settee measures 69 X 37 X 37h. 

Cindy’s Five Favorite Sofas

The Morgan Sofa from World Market.

I love the clean, simple lines of this modern sofa, the dark legs and the piping detail.  Our affiliate, World Market, offers this great looking piece for only $499.99.  Save $100 on World Market’s Morgan Sofa at WorldMarket.com (2.27.10 – 3.14.10).  The neutral color of the upholstery fabric would go with a myriad of colors – warm red, orange and purple as well as cool blue, teal and green.  There is a coordinating chair for those desiring a contemporary set.  Some assembly is required and the size is 79″ W X 33.5″ D X 32.25″ H. 

The Conrad Red Sofa by Rooms to Go.

The yummy color attracted me – and as strange as it may sound, red can be a great neutral!  The textured red chenille (65% Rayon, 35% Polyester) pairs nicely with the light colored legs.  I like the stylish mix of shapes and colors provided by the rolled arms, inverted pillow-backs and abstract print toss pillow.  Offered at $499.99 the sofa measures 90″ L X 39″ W X 32″ H.  

This classic black sofa is sold by 17thandriggs.com.

This Exposition sofa manufactured by Alphaville Design is sold online at www.17thandriggs.com. The sofa is inspired by a famous modernist chair designed by Bauhaus architects, Ludwig Miles van der Rohe and Lilly Reich, for the German Pavilion at the 1929 Barcelona World Exposition.  I’ve always loved the chair and now find myself attracted to the sofa.  The stainless steel frame supports button-tufted and piped faux leather cushions that are available in black or white.  The sofa measures 71″ W X 30″ D X 31″ H with a seat height of 17″.  This is my most expensive favorite, priced at $2750. 

This 3-piece Seagrass Sofa is from PotteryBarn.com.

Pottery Barn’s Seagrass sofa comes in Havana Dark (shown above and woven from abaca) and Honey (lighter color and woven from seagrass).  I love the fact that durable and renewable plant fibers are applied over a hardwood frame and sealed with laquer so the sofa may be used indoors or in covered outdoor areas.  The cushions are 100% cotton and my be zipped off for washing.  The two corner pieces each measure 36″ wide x 36″ deep x 29.5″ high and the armless piece measures 27.5″ wide x 36″ deep x 29.5″ high.  The three piece sofa is priced at $1,139.

This Klaussner Sackett Leather sofa is available from Amazon.com.

 I love the durability of leather and paired with this neutral color the Klausner Sacket Leather Sofa should look good for years to come.  This sofa is casual but modern and sophisticated with clean-lines.  I like the contrast of the dark wood accent and the loose back cushions.  The sofa measures 37″ H X 37″ D X 92″ W and sells at Amazon.com for $816.89.

Which is Your Favorite?

A staple in many homes,  the variety of sofa styles and the huge range in prices mean there’s something for everybody.  If you were in the market for a new sofa, which, if any, of these appeal to you?  Do you judge by price first (and only?) or by style or first?  In addition to comfort what do you consider important when selecting a  sofa?  Jump into the conversation, – let us hear from you…………..

We Offer Excellent Art Tips

Cindy wrote a couple of great posts about the technical aspects of how high and where to hang art and before that I explained why it’s one of the 8 biggest decorating mistakes.  Today I’m going to explore the creative aspect of it – how you can create attractive groupings of your favorite pictures.  I’ve been collecting photos for some time to share with you about how you can group smaller pictures for greater impact.

Inspirational Wall Galleries

Photo via PewterandSage.blogspot.com

This is a very expected and common way to display multiple photographs.  Free flowing in overall shape, you wouldn’t have to take things down and totally rework the arrangement every time you want to add something new.   The use of black frames and white mats to tie all the various sizes together.  The other technique I particularly like is the they used really wide mats to give each individual picture more importance.  (and notice the great gray wall – it’s an excellent neutral backdrop)

Photo via MarthaStewart.com

Another version of the same idea – using a hallway to share your family photos.  The person has used all the same frames and no mats this time.  An interesting effect has been created by having the frames line up – giving the impression of a chair rail or stripe.

Photo via ApartmentTherapy.com

Lots of us have stairway hallways and aren’t sure how to treat that angled and often really tall wall space.  This treatment caught my eye because it’s different, it’s easy and I love that all the frames fit together like a jigsaw puzzle.  A mix of black and silver frames helps it from appearing too heavy and densely packed.

Photo from D&R faq (via Pewter&Sage)

This display is not as effective.  Even though it is symmetrical, the display is too big for the furniture under it.  Remember to keep your displays proportional to what’s around them - surrounding wall space and furnishings make a huge difference in whether or not your photographs look their best.

Photo via Learning to See by Vincente Wolf -designer

These large photographs give dramatic presence to this dividing wall.  The very low table provides an unsual anchor and allows the photos to be hung much lower than normal.  If the photos had been hung at the usual 48-54″ height they would have lost all relationship with the table.  Notice the consistent space of just a few inches between each of the photos.

Photo via decorati.com, Luke Vahle designer

Emphasizing the tall narrow brick wall, this display in two rows is very effective – it’s symmetrical without being forced (2 of each frame size in each row) and the blending of color and black and white photos is handled well by the separation provided by the oversize mats.

Photo via houzz.com, Blount Design

I like this creative arrangement.  Given what appears to be a tall, large wall space broken up by windows and a striking wall sconce, the designer played with the grid idea of art layout.  The art ‘bends’ around the furnishings and maximizes the space making a potentially drab corner very interesting.

Photo via TheInspiredRoom.net

 Balanced but not perfectly symmetrical, this grouping is very charming.  I like that the small frames across the top are all black and running down the side are all white.  The subjects are a blend of nature and family which make the grouping more interesting.  And the yummy textures around the display make the whole grouping call out “come closer and look”.

Photo via DesignSponge.com, Emily Henson

Personally this wall gallery doesn’t appeal to me.  The frames are too much of a hodge podge and don’t relate to the television, the green lamps or the red stand.  I find them in severe competition with the TV and while I don’t always think the TV needs to be alone on a wall…..this is a bit much.  (I do kind of like the oversize lamps – what do you think?)

Photo via Feng Shui House Book by Gina Lazenby

This is another example of a symmetrical grid-type presentation wall gallery.  Suitable for a very traditional home, the art is again hung to enhance exisiting furnishings (the chairs and wall shelves).

Photo via SimplyGrove.com

Who says art displays have to be filled with ”art”?  Whimsical, playful, entertaining, unexpected – this collection of letters makes a random and interesing display.   

Photo via ClassiclyAmber.com

For that matter, who says there has to be art in the display anywhere at all?  This display of empty frames makes a graphic statement all on its own.

Wall Gallery Wrap Up

Hopefully you’ve picked up and idea or two to use in your home when you pull out those family photos for display.  Most of these are using black and white photos.  I actually have very few photos in black and white – I like my family pictures in color.  By matting each photo and using frames with widths appropriate to the size of the photo, the display can be just as striking and cohesive as any of the above galleries.

Have you discovered a great way to display your family photos?  If you have a wall gallery of some type in your home, we’d love to see how you created it.  Or if you need some help in developing your own wall gallery, drop us a line and let us help.  Leave us a comment or write to solutions@YourDecoratingHotline.com .

You Can Play Too

There’s a way all of us can explore that creativity at no expense.  It’s all done online (what isn’t these days??).  Over at Pewter+Sage, Sarah sponsors a monthly “mood board” party in which anyone can participate.  This month she’s selected 2 rugs as inspiration pieces.  The idea is that you can choose either rug and build whatever type room or environment around it that you’d like.  The best part is: money is no object!  (If you don’t have an art program, you can use the free online resource at polyvore.com)  So I spent a little time surfing last week and came up with a board for each rug.

The first rug is this gold lovely from West Elm called Andalusia.  Since I’ve noticed so much yellow and gray lately I wanted to see what I could create in that color scheme.  My “client” is a young couple wanting a sophisticated, restrained look for their master bedroom.  Nothing grand, just stylish.    My stripe gray background represents the wall treatment – nice wide stripes.  The chandeliers would hang over each mirrored night table and the great chair would add a practical piece but with a touch of playfulness.  Sources:  Matera bed, DesignWithinReach (dwr.com) $2500; En Francais pillow collection, Ankasa.com; Keaton chandelier (Uttermost), Macy’s $125; Josephine mirror chest, Graham& Green-UK; Jardin chair, Crate&Barrel $800; ceramic stool/table, Wisteria $129; Silk bamboo plant, CostPlus $25.

Does this rug inspire you?  What would you do?

Outdoor Room Mood Board

For a complete change of pace I created an outdoor space using the second inspiration rug.  It has all the main components of a space that would entice me out on the patio in the warm southwest evenings – me and my tea!

This indoor/outdoor rug (St. John stripe from Dash & Albert) in fresh summery colors just demanded to have an outdoor room created around it.  As I thought of my perfect outdoor room (guess I’m the “client” on this one), I’d absolutely NEED a fountain, I’d want a fan to cool me off during those hot southwest afternoons but a firepit for those chilly winter evenings, festive mood lighting and of course a splash of contrasing color.  I envision 4 of these rattan chairs pulled into a circle around the firepit with a couple of these whimsical iron chairs to pull up if needed – and the colorful rug to anchor it all.Want to come for a visit?  Sources:  New Havana chair, Crate&Barrel $600; Tam Tam stool, GreenerGrassDesign $32; Cubist fountain, SoothingWalls.com $325; Windpointe fan, LampPlus.com $330; Solar light string, GrandinRoad.com $30; Steel firepit, Lowes $100; Blacksmith Blossom chair, Anthropologie $198.

Or do you find this rug inspiring?  What would you do?

Which Room is For You?

Which is your favorite?  Are you in the market for a new master bedroom or has your mind started planning for outdoor activities?  I had so much fun creating these rooms, hope you find some inspiration in one of them.