Space Savers, part 2

In the last post, I discussed ways to make your home feel roomier. Here are more tips on how you can make the most out of the space in your home:

Climb the Walls
If the floors are pretty much covered, then it is time to look up. Yes, your walls are just waiting to be used. Think about vertical shelving. There is vertical shelving that is both useful and decorative.

If you are shopping around for a new TV, why not get a flat screen model that you can mount on the wall. That will free up space elsewhere.

Double Duty
Get furniture that does more than sit. Furniture designers are making furniture that can be used in more than one way because they know that we all have so much stuff. There are ottomans with space for blankets and beds that come with drawers underneath.
Speaking of underneath, manufacturers are making all kinds of appliances and machinery that can go underneath a cabinet. There are now microwaves, radios, CD players and can openers that can be installed under a cabinet, leaving you with more kitchen counter space.

Space Savers, part 1

If you are feeling cramped in your house and wonder just how you can maximize living space, there are things you can do.

First, you can decide that you will take some time to look at the space, consult experts as needed, and make a plan. Having a plan will keep you from running to get the first product that promises to organize your life. Often, these products end up adding to clutter, rather than detracting from it.

In fact, some people find it helpful to take a fast from buying objects for the house for a short period a time (a month, or a week if you cannot last a month). This will allow you to take stock of what you have and perhaps consider what you can throw away. Or you may see how things can be shifted to give a part of the house a less cluttered feel.

You may find that something you already have can be put to another use. Nowadays this is called "re-purposing," but the idea has been around since time began.

Check back on Wednesday for more ideas on saving space.

Visit the DC Design House

You can see the work of 14 area designers at the DC Design House. In case you didn’t know, a lot of work goes into designing and furnishing show houses. The designers chosen for this house were selected from an applicant pool of 125. The designers that were not chosen may not have missed making the cut because they are not good, but because their designs may have stood out from the rest. The steering committee wanted the designers selected to complement the work of the other designers in the house.

It took a little over a year to get this year’s house ready. The house, originally built in 1842, may not be the sprawling estate that some design houses are, but one has to remember that it is in a city, after all. These tours are always both fun and educational because you can get ideas to take back to your own house.

The DC Design House (3014 P St. NW) will be open Tuesday-Friday, from 10am to 3pm and on weekends from noon to 5pm until May 11. Tickets are $20 each and you visit the website to learn more about it.

Think Outside of the Box

If you have a room in your home that seems boxy, boring, and just plain square, there are things you can do to liven it up.
Shed some light
Change mundane light fixtures for more interesting ones. If your house is in a development, then the builder probably put in plain light fixtures that they bought in bulk. There is no reason why you can’t change them.
Play musical chairs
Rearrange the furniture in a more intriguing pattern. If all of your furniture is hugging the walls, it is time for a change. Placing some pieces on a diagonal is one way to spice things up.
Paint the town
A fresh coat of paint is one of the quickest ways to liven up any room. If all of the walls are the same color, pick on wall to be an accent wall. Give the accent wall a different, but complimentary color.
Give it a trim
Who says that trim must be white? Don’t be afraid to try other colors as long as they have some harmony with the wall colors.
Don’t feel cornered
You are allowed to soften the effects of the corners in a boxy room. You can add plants or interesting antiques to a corner. There is no rule that whatever is near a corner must fit exactly into that space.

Get the LED out this Christmas

LED lights are an energy efficient alternative to incandescent bulbs. LED stands for light emitting diodes. A LED light acts as a semiconductor, turning electricity into light. Although this technology has been around for a while, LED lights are now starting to gain momentum with consumers. People are looking for ways to keep up a certain lifestyle and also conserve energy. If you enjoy decorating with lights, but you aren’t sure that traditional Christmas lights are they way to go, consider LED lighting.

Unlike incandescent bulbs that burn out, LED lights grow dim over time. Not that you really need to worry too much about it— some of these lights can last 100,000 hours and beyond.

LED lights give off less heat than typical lights, making them a safer choice when it comes to decorating your home. If you put lights on trees and shrubs that surround your home, you don’t want to risk having the lights overheat as they are in contact with plant life.

With that being said, you should know that LED lights are very sensitive to heat. If for some reason a LED light is exposed to excessive heat, it will not perform as well or last as long as it would under more moderate temperatures.

One thing that keeps many people from switching top LED light is the cost. It is true that LED lights cost more, but they pay for themselves after a season or two.

Head Over to the Home Show, Oct. 26-28

A little while back I mentioned the Design Happening event in New York City, and I’m sure that traveling to NYC wasn’t possible for many of you. The good news is that there will be a home improvement and design event right in our backyard this weekend.

Make plans to attend the Home Show (October 26-28) in Upper Marlboro, MD at The Show Place Arena for ideas on remodeling, landscaping, and redecorating. The show floor will have displays of the latest appliances and products as well as indoor and outdoor vignettes. Exhibitors will have samples of flooring, window treatments, fixtures, lighting, and almost anything else you can think of that goes in a house.

These events are both practical and fun. You get inspired by all of the great stuff you see and can talk with exhibitors. This is your opportunity to gather the knowledge and wisdom of a wide array of experts. Instead of traveling from store to store, you can talk to them all under one roof! You can even bring photos of the rooms or areas of your yard that you want to makeover.

If you are thinking of buying a home in the area, you can click on the title of this post to see some of our great listings. Then you can apply some of the expert advice you pick up at the Home Show to decorate your very own home!

New Parents Design Adult-Friendly Nurseries

Blue for boys, pink for girls, perhaps green or yellow if the baby's sex is unknown; and, of course, the bold childhood primaries: red, blue and yellow. Those are the traditional choices when you're decorating the nursery. New parents are turning tradition upside down, opting to decorate their baby's room in more adult colors and styles that are comforting to the parents and send a special message to their child.

Driving a $7.3 billions industry, new parents typically spend from $5,000 to $15,000 furnishing and decorating their baby's nursery, according to the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association.

In decorating a nursery, parents should first consider their own comfort, says Missouri designer Elizabeth Maxson. "The first couple of months are so tiring for the parents. When you're sitting in a nursery at 3 in the morning, you want something soothing, so that [you] can soothe the baby."

More adult colors, themes that send a special message, and furnishings that will not lose their usefulness but will grow with the child are making inroads on the usual Disney, Sesame Street, Winnie the Pooh, and Bob the Builder decorating schemes. Here are a few examples from creative new parents:

• Nesting. Emma Hand created a "nesting" theme for her daughter. She used a soft marbled taupe on the walls to evoke the outdoors. Husband Carl cemented a tree limb into a corner from which hang soft, colorful cloth birds. Brightly painted storage units now hold diaper supplies but will hold toys as the baby grows. An antique family dresser adds a sense of heritage to the room. "I like birds ... and the symbolism behind birds," Emma explained; "they're monogamous and family-oriented. And a nest is a place where you feel very comforted, yet you're getting ready to fly."
• Taking wing. Marland Blanchard and his wife went with an aviator theme when they found out they were expecting a boy. "I wanted this room to tell my son that he can reach to the horizon," Marland said. A wall mural of a 1930s field airport adorns one slate-blue wall. A kid-friendly hardwood floor and vintage aviator plaques carry the theme. A chair rail backlit with motion-sensor tube lighting gives the illusion of runway lights. The soft light allows Marland and his wife to easily check on their son and will serve as a nightlight when he's older.
• Up, up and away. A basket chair above which hangs a multi-colored fabric "balloon" is the focal point of a hot-air balloon room. The oversized chair provides a cozy place to cuddle and read. Brightly painted round cubbies hold books and toys. Big puffy clouds seem to drift across the soft blue sky ceiling. The message Sue Frances wanted to give her child: There are no limits to your dreams.