Posts tagged ‘paint’

Fun vs. Necessary

With anything to do with home improvement I find that there are two categories. There's the fun part of home ownership. It has to do with all of the throw pillows and picking out paint colors. Then there's the necessary part of homeownership. This is geared more towards maintenance and especially energy efficiency. When I finally moved into an apartment with energy efficient windows and doors almost cut my bill in half although this may not happen for everyone.

I was reading through the All Double Glazing site to learn more about windows and doors. You can have four companies giving you quotes and get the double glazing costs for your job by just answering a few questions. This is mostly a U.K. based site and I was surprised to learn that double glazing isn't as prevalent over there as it is in the United States. In fact the effectiveness of your window can be quite obvious if there's condensation on it which is another fact I picked up. I'm trying to think about windows that I've seen condensation on and they've almost always been single paned. This may have even been why some of my apartments have had more outside noise coming through. If you want to go green then start off with small steps that can also save you money.

Exterior Home Projects

I usually gravitate more towards interior design rather than exterior design just because I am an apartment dweller. However, I think that the most dramatic changes usually take place on the exterior of homes. You also want to find products with extensive guarantees because it's much more serious than just picking out a paint color. Some of these improvements will be in your yard for decades.

My one rule of thumb is to choose quality materials in neutral colors. I'd much rather see paving stone instead of concrete slabs. It just looks a lot more like natural stone and the colors blend into the garden more. Even if you choose a gray patio pavers most mixes also have neutral tans and browns to match all of the wood tones outside.

It's a project that I feel so passionate about that I was looking around at the System Pavers site. They even have a special software program. You can try out different stone mixes to compliment your exterior instead of just hoping for the best. You can also add in a fire pit. What really makes this service different is you don't have to worry about getting a picture of your house that's good enough to use in the program. You can have a consultant come out to your house and take the pictures and help you with the design process. So if you're tackling big home improvement projects this year make sure that you have a good idea of how the finished project is going to turn out.

Black and White Christmas Decor

I know that this was popular a few years ago but I just couldn't get too into the idea. There was lots of modern styles as well as fake white trees. I'd much rather see a flocked version. You still get the color but it's a little bit more natural. I also think it would be awesome to take the typical ceramic Christmas village and spray paint it all one color; either white or black. it's a lot easier then trying to get all of those details with handpainting. Trust me, it's a family tradition and I would love to just be able to paint everything one color it would save so much time too. You'd just need larger scale pieces but you may be able to find some options at thrift stores that you can do a makeover on; just make sure your painted finish can handle the heat of Christmas lights. It would be a contemporary version of a Christmas village.

What Color Should You Paint Your Trim?

By far this is one of the biggest challenges of apartment life. It's probably one of the only reasons why I really want to own a home. I want to actually be able to decorate it and change the trim color.

I definitely wouldn't have any white walls, or white trim, or even white doors. I love the look of taupe doors. I also like blending or monochromatic schemes. I even love the vintage look where all of the trim and doors are painted the exact same as the wall color. I just think that it's much too stark to have boring white trim unless you also have white walls. The only time I like trim to stand out is if it's an arts and craft style wood trim; not the modern cheap oak stuff with the ugly yellow stain. That should probably be painted out too. I'm talking the wider mahogany tone planks. I love the way that it looks but most people aren't lucky enough to have it. Do you have any pet peeves about the color of trim?

Decorating Guide to White Bedroom Interiors

There are a few simple design concepts that you can apply to white bedroom interiors. This means that you can create a cohesive look with the furniture that you already own. You can also start from scratch but make sure that you really love your investment pieces when you actually get everything done. Here are a few interesting ways that you can apply basic principles to a total room transformation.

If you want a neutral bedroom then you need to focus on texture. This means that you can bring in old wool rugs if you're into a Moroccan kind of vibe. You can even layer several different rugs in the same room. This is vital to really warm up the space. Accessorize with lots of candle holders and lanterns. These can either be in silver with jewel accents or you spray paint inexpensive pieces white.

Texture can also go in more of that modern kind of design direction. For instance if you have a loft style of room this is going to have concrete floors. It's also going to use lots of brick as well as stainless steel and it may have open ductwork. A lot of this may already be in your space so you don't need to experiment with bold colors. Instead, just keep everything bright white. Your furniture can be modern and even slightly lower in scale just so that the focus then will be on the higher ceilings. Scale is important when doing white bedroom furniture for adults. Otherwise it just seems really juvenile.

Color is another key to design bedroom interiors. This can also be one of the most intimidating parts of choosing your decor. You can really be quite funky with this. You could even try painting a checkerboard or a plaid pattern on the walls. However, you don't want it too seem country because this can be a little bit too stuffy. Instead, you could bring in an orange and white harlequin print for a teenage girl. However, you could change the pattern to a plaid for a teenage boy so it still will be masculine. Remember that bold wall colors and murals aren't just for kids. You could use this with a lot of painted white wood furniture for more of a country kind of feeling in a master bedroom. The key to bold colors is always balance.

Pink Black and White Bedroom Ideas

Theme rooms can be the most difficult to pull off successfully. The key here is to be inspired instead of going with very literal items. For instance Asian inspirations can be over the top and can have a lot of paper lanterns in them and bright colors. Instead, you could focus on solid dark pieces of furniture. Bring in a collection of lacquered jewelry boxes. Go for a modern four poster black bed and twist garlands of faux cherry blossoms around it. Depending on how feminine you want the room to be the lantern style is also very popular both in lamps well as ceiling lights. Just choose one or two of these ideas and go for more neutral pieces in the rest of your room. This is the most subtle way to do this color palette and also the most sophisticated. If you want white and pink bedroom furniture then use handpainted details to mimic cherry blossoms.

white bedroom interiors

CC Photo from Era Phernalia Vintage

Another option is to draw your inspiration from your favorite store. This could be Pottery Barn or Anthropologie. You can really find a few items on clearance to get an eclectic look. You can also copy some of your favorite wall colors to drive home the theme for less. This works really well if you have a designer inspiration room and you can still add your own personal creative touches but it also helps you to stay within a budget.