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Redesigning Your Window Treatments

Tuesday, February 5th, 2013

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Have you ever thought about taking your existing window treatments and transforming them into something fresh and new?

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Everything is now being renewed, reused and repurposed in our quest for a greener future. I think it is a great idea to take those yards of fabric from your window treatments and make over into a brand new look.

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If you have ever had window treatments custom made for your home, you know it is the fabric that is the most expensive part of the custom made treatments. If you use the fabric you already have, you can really save yourself a good amount of money!

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One way to change the look using your current treatments are stationary versions of shades, drapes and swags. Stationary means the treatment does not function; it is just there to look pretty. Since the window treatment is not functional you don’t need as much fabric.

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Or another option if you have pinched pleated window treatments currently, you have enough fabric to make new simple tab tops or clip ring window panels. My favorite redesign look right now is the simple look of window panels with grommets:

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Adding other fabric pieces or trim is also a possibility to create a stylish new look:

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Fabric window treatments are a great way to add color, pattern and instant style to a room. Do you still love the fabric of your curtains but feel they need a fresh, updated look? Take a look and see if they can be redesigned into something new!

If you need help with window treatments, contact me today.

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Posted in Decorating Hints & Tips, Interior Decorating, recycle, Reduce Recycle Reuse, window treatments | 4 Responses »
Tags: contemporary, Decorating ideas, living room, reuse, update, window treatments

Restored Love

Monday, November 28th, 2011

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See my old hope chest? My parents gave this to me as a graduation present when I was 18 years old. A hope chest is what us girls all got as a gift around our 18th birthday so we would have a place to store what we would buy to prepare for our wedding and future household.

These advertisements sought to equate the ideal of domesticity with a Lane “Hope Chest,” in which a young woman stored clothing or home furnishings in anticipation of marriage. This was summed up in the company’s tag line: “The gift that starts the home.”

Lane advertisements reached a high point during World War II, persuading thousands of GIs leaving for overseas to purchase a Lane Hope Chest for the sweethearts they were leaving behind. Ads combined romantic images of men in uniform and their fiancées with patriotic slogans and the well-known face of national spokeswoman, and symbol of all things American, Shirley Temple.

I have used my chest all of these years to store all my cherished items: wedding mementos, all my children’s special items and many other important memories. I still love my chest but knew it was past time for a makeover:

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This is the fabric I found earlier this month that I loved:

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Of course I wanted to use Annie Sloan Chalk Paint- it makes the project so much easier! I choose the color Old White. No prep needed, I just unscrewed the top:

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Here it is after the first painted coat:

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I wanted to keep the antique brass hardware not only because of the cost, but I thought they looked good together with both the fabric and the off white paint:

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All finished painting:

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So pretty! What a difference!

Here are some of my special loves in my hope chest:

My son’s blankie that my mom made for him:

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My daughter (who is getting married!) holding my wedding veil:

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Awwww.. Here is a picture of my Christening hat:

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Do you have a Hope Chest? What do you keep special in yours?

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Creating Canvas Art

Thursday, November 10th, 2011

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It seems I have been looking forever for a piece of artwork to finish off a guest room I have been working on:

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I knew I wanted a print with navy blue and a touch of raspberry in it. I looked in stores and online but had no luck. So my next idea was to buy fabric with the navy and raspberry in the print and then staple the fabric onto a canvas frame:

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This was an easy project that I have done before. But again, I could not find any fabric that I was crazy about. Next step: another project I thought would be fairly easy to do was to paint the canvas boards with my colors of navy and raspberry. I thought a free- hand, abstract type of picture would be easy to do like the picture below:

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How hard can it be I thought? So I pulled out all of my acrylic paints and tools and got to work:

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I love, love to paint anything so when I first started, I was having a blast. A little brushstroke here, a sponge twist over there:

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Until I finally stepped back and looked at my finished art work:

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hahahaha Looks like someone got carried away! Picasso I am not! Time for me to move onto the next idea! I decided to take out the big guns! Ben Moore Midnight Blue 1638 and Hot Lips 2077-30 to the rescue(both were left over colors from other projects)! I decided this time to not be so free with my free hand technique, but instead go for a more measured and controlled look:

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Looking much better already. The blue paint covered easily in two coats but the raspberry took me three coats to cover well:

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And the finished artwork:

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I like them! Custom artwork that is exactly in the colors I was looking for. Now if I can create these great prints, imagine what you can do also!

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Comments? Have you tried painting abstract art before? Not so easy is it?

If you need creative ideas for your space, contact me today!

Worst Client Ever!

Monday, September 19th, 2011

I tell my clients over and over again: The best and easiest way to select paint colors that will work in your home is to use your existing furnishings!

But this educated, decorating fanatic, paint and fabric lover instead decided to choose paint colors that she loved and wanted to try out for herself. So she chose Manchester Tan:

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Palladian Blue:

bedrooms - Benjamin Moore - Palladian Blue - tufted headboard slipcovered nightstand lamp chair drapes soft and serene blue walls paint color

And Chelsea Gray:

MattCamron Rugs: Leslie Strauss Matt Camron Antique Oushak rug and custom headboard and bedding. decorpad

All beautiful colors. But then the sofa was moved in:

And guess what? The fabric on the sofa is not working in the room with the Manchester Tan!

Wow-it sure does look bad! Do you see how ‘dirty’ the sofa looks next to the ‘clean’ color of the walls? The beige on the sofa is more ‘muted’ than the bright, clean color Manchester Tan.

The sofa has to stay in the room. It is fairly new (five years) and is a good quality, sturdy sofa. So now what? Can’t repaint all the walls again. The best solution I see is to have the sofa slip covered, since I can’t afford to have it reupholstered at this time. Pottery Barn has a decent slip cover that will work for now:

PB Square Cushion Loose-Fit Twill Slipcover, Small Sofa, Twill Walnut

And the problem with the Palladian Blue room? This is the chair that was supposed to be used in the room:

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Never even thought to choose a color to coordinate. Duh! And have you guessed who this not so smart person is? I admit it, it is me! Color superstar and amazing decorator(:)), did not follow my own good advice on selecting paint colors! How did I make these color mistakes? Right before I moved into our new condo, I had one day to choose paint colors and I was told I could pick only three colors for the whole condo unit. I guess I got overexcited and just picked three colors I love and have been wanting to use. I do love the colors, especially the Chelsea Gray! I am going to use my own furnishings and I would like to buy a few new pieces. I will keep you updated!

I wanted to share this story with you to show how we all make mistakes. The moral of this story is to not rush into selecting paint colors. Hope you learn this lesson with me!

I would love to hear your comments and suggestions!

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