I recently had the opportunity to spend the day helping my in-laws shop for furniture for their new apartment. These are some thoughts and tips about furniture shopping that I thought might be helpful.
1. Measure your rooms and make a little drawing of where the furniture you want to buy will go.
-Note window heights from the floor. That will be so helpful when you are looking for a piece that will go under a window. You will want know if it will be above the sill.
-Figure out the maximimum length a piece can be, ie: sofa or dining table with leaves. Things have a tendency to appear smaller in the large space of a furniture showroom. Keep the scale of your room(s) in mind.
2. Bring your sketch, a pencil and a tape measure.
3. If you have a pillow or picture or paint chips of the colors you want to use in the room's decor, bring it all with you!
4. Make sure you have plenty of time to browse and shop. Don't let a salesperson pressure you into making a decision. This is a big decision, don't rush it! You can even shop a while, take a break for lunch, and go back!
5. Style and color are important, but they are not the only things to be concerned with. Be sure to "try on" the furniture by sitting on it or lying down if necessary (bed, sofa) in order to see if it "fits" you well.
6. Once you've made your selections, don't be afraid to ask for a price break on the "package". There is usually some room in their markup to give you a "discount" for buying a quantity of furniture. Your salesperson will likely need a manager to approve this. Don't be intimidated!
7. Ask about what is included in delivery. Do they bring the items in and set it all up? If so, make sure you are ready with placement diagrams when they arrive.
Happy hunting!
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Friday, February 16, 2007
Prime Real Estate--Open Shelving
Many of us have open shelving, either in free-standing units or built-ins, in our homes and offices. These are handy little places for books and papers, knick knacks, and odds and ends. They are also given to dust and junk collections, and because they are open there is no way to hide what can become an unsightly mess. To coin a phrase, "You can't live with 'em and you can't live without 'em!"
These places are prime real estate, however, and should be elevated to that status in one's mind in order to effectively envision what they can become. While they are not necessarily a focal point in the average home, the small office space can easily be dominated by these open shelves and what they communicate about you and your organizational skills should not be underestimated!
Assuming you are not able to attach doors to the front of them or build a room around them and close others out, the first thing to do is purge the shelves of all unnecessary clutter: books you will never read, papers that should be filed or thrown away, junk that belongs elsewhere, dust bunnies, etc. You can do this a little at a time if unloading the shelves all at once is not practical (ie: you have to work in this space in the meantime).
Once you are rid of all the stuff that doesn't belong there in the first place, catagorize what remains according to kind, size, color or shape. For example, if you have a lot of paperbacks, put them all together, hardcovers, sheet music, etc. Loose leaf items should be put in an attractive binder or other container. Small items can be stored in baskets, or canvas or metal boxes. Think along the lines of what is attractive to you and enhances your space and choose storage that is in keeping with the surroundings. Be sure to measure your shelves and try to find a square/rectangular container that comes almost up to the shelf above so that it is almost like a drawer and its contents remain hidden.
When reshelving everything, put the more unattractive things toward the bottom shelves and the lesser-used but more attractive things on the upper shelves. Reserve the shelves at eye level for the things you most enjoy looking at. Save some space on these shelves to create interesting "vignettes" that you can possibly change seasonally to keep the look fresh. You may want to reserve a whole shelf for this purpose alone.
Finally, keep your shelves free of clutter by being very particular about what you put there once you have completed this process. Remind yourself that this is prime real estate, and treat yourself to a fantastic view!
These places are prime real estate, however, and should be elevated to that status in one's mind in order to effectively envision what they can become. While they are not necessarily a focal point in the average home, the small office space can easily be dominated by these open shelves and what they communicate about you and your organizational skills should not be underestimated!
Assuming you are not able to attach doors to the front of them or build a room around them and close others out, the first thing to do is purge the shelves of all unnecessary clutter: books you will never read, papers that should be filed or thrown away, junk that belongs elsewhere, dust bunnies, etc. You can do this a little at a time if unloading the shelves all at once is not practical (ie: you have to work in this space in the meantime).
Once you are rid of all the stuff that doesn't belong there in the first place, catagorize what remains according to kind, size, color or shape. For example, if you have a lot of paperbacks, put them all together, hardcovers, sheet music, etc. Loose leaf items should be put in an attractive binder or other container. Small items can be stored in baskets, or canvas or metal boxes. Think along the lines of what is attractive to you and enhances your space and choose storage that is in keeping with the surroundings. Be sure to measure your shelves and try to find a square/rectangular container that comes almost up to the shelf above so that it is almost like a drawer and its contents remain hidden.
When reshelving everything, put the more unattractive things toward the bottom shelves and the lesser-used but more attractive things on the upper shelves. Reserve the shelves at eye level for the things you most enjoy looking at. Save some space on these shelves to create interesting "vignettes" that you can possibly change seasonally to keep the look fresh. You may want to reserve a whole shelf for this purpose alone.
Finally, keep your shelves free of clutter by being very particular about what you put there once you have completed this process. Remind yourself that this is prime real estate, and treat yourself to a fantastic view!
Monday, February 5, 2007
Paneling--"To Paint or Not To Paint"
Faux-wood paneling is the decorating scourge of the 60's and 70's, especially the really cheap stuff. Often it is glued to the drywall behind, making it a little difficult to remove. Painting it can be a chore, but it can be done successfully. However, with all that prep and work you still have paneling, afterall. I would first check to see how it has been applied to the wall behind. If the wall over which it was applied had been primed and painted it may be easier to just remove the paneling and sand over the glue and then reprime and paint. If over wallpaper you probably only have to remove the paper and prime and paint. Paneling in my basement was applied (glued liberally) over unfinished drywall and it was a bit of a pain to remove the glue as it tore off the backing paper and these holes had to be filled in.
You can achieve a smooth wall by filling in all the grooves with compound and sanding them out. I would suggest using drywall mesh tape to guard against cracks. Caulking may also be effective in the grooves, but all must be sanded smooth.
Another approach is to use drywall compound spread over the paneling in a thin coat and given a "stucco" affect by leaving troweling marks on the wall. This has a very European look to it and can be very striking due to all the texture. You can apply a glaze over this to further accent the trowel marks and this is stunning. Colored plaster is also available so you can stucco and color in the same step. Ask your local DIY store about getting the plaster in the color you want.
Of course, you may just paint over paneling as it is, making sure it is very clean and the sheen is sanded off before priming. This will give a very "country cottage" look, not very sophisticated but may be charming in the right setting.
Follow the link below to HGTV's site where a wonderful and informative article has been posted on effectively painting your paneling. To paint or not to paint? It's up to you!
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/decorating/article/0,1793,HGTV_3545_2100166,00.html
You can achieve a smooth wall by filling in all the grooves with compound and sanding them out. I would suggest using drywall mesh tape to guard against cracks. Caulking may also be effective in the grooves, but all must be sanded smooth.
Another approach is to use drywall compound spread over the paneling in a thin coat and given a "stucco" affect by leaving troweling marks on the wall. This has a very European look to it and can be very striking due to all the texture. You can apply a glaze over this to further accent the trowel marks and this is stunning. Colored plaster is also available so you can stucco and color in the same step. Ask your local DIY store about getting the plaster in the color you want.
Of course, you may just paint over paneling as it is, making sure it is very clean and the sheen is sanded off before priming. This will give a very "country cottage" look, not very sophisticated but may be charming in the right setting.
Follow the link below to HGTV's site where a wonderful and informative article has been posted on effectively painting your paneling. To paint or not to paint? It's up to you!
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/decorating/article/0,1793,HGTV_3545_2100166,00.html
Friday, February 2, 2007
Dee's Creative Corner
Welcome to my corner of the world! I have created this space to exchange creative design and decor solutions for small spaces and everyday places. We all have corners in our lives that could be a little more beautiful and functional. Let's work together to make the world a more beautiful place, one corner at a time!
Dee
Dee
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