How to Set a Budget for Home Decoration
October 26, 2011
I admit I’m not very good when it comes to creating a budget. I generally jump right in, buy the one thing I need most, and then worry about when, or if, I’ll ever be able to buy anything else. But as a responsible person, I have to advise against what I do or your house will be forever empty.
If possible, begin by listing absolutely everything you’d like to have in every room, regardless of cost. List the things you intend to make over and write down how much time you think it will take to do each project. Then list what you need right away, what can wait, and guesstimate how long you think the complete project will take. Next, establish a realistic budget and timetable for each phase of the plan. You may find that the smaller, less expensive items will quickly establish the look and feel you want to achieve, and these will therefore be your first priorities.
Set aside a portion of your budget for the most important, and usually expensive, items. Most people define these as sofa, chairs, table and chairs for eating, a bed and dresser or armoire to hold your clothes, and maybe floor covering. However, you may feel perfectly comfortable living out of cardboard boxes on your bedroom floor for a while and eating at a card table, so that you can afford something else you want more desper-ately.
A plan is personal and can be flexible. For example, if a sofa is number one on your list and a coffee table is number five, you can switch things around if you find a wonderful coffee table before settling on the perfect sofa. Just keep in mind that you might have to buy the sofa to fit the coffee table rather than the other way around.
Do It Yourself
Painting and wallpapering are two things most people can do themselves, and it will save a great deal of money. In fact, painting is the quickest and cheapest way to transform a room and give it personality before adding a stick of furniture.
Saving by Sewing
Another do-it-yourself project is sewing. If you can sew a straight line on a sewing machine, you’ll be able to make simple curtains, throw pillows, table covers, seat cushions, duvet covers and possibly slipcovers. All of these add real impact to a room, and, if you make them yourself, you have control over the cost, depending on the fabrics you choose. In fact, if you can sew, you can use better fabric than you might be able to afford in a ready- or custom-made item.
Help for Do-It-Yourselfers
The more you can do yourself, the more you’ll free up your budget for things you can’t make. Even if you feel all thumbs, don’t dismiss this idea. More and more manufacturers are addressing homeowners’ needs with products that make doing things yourself quite carefree and easy. They provide all sorts of help in the form of 24-hour, toll-free hotlines, Internet numbers for their Web sites, and booklets and pamphlets at point of purchase. Pick up all those freebies at home centers and stick them in the pockets of your notebook.
How to Buy Furniture for Guest Room
October 24, 2011
You might not want to spend a lot of money furnishing a den or a guest room. Once you buy a good bed or pull-out sofa, consider unfinished or secondhand furniture for the other pieces. Unfinished furniture has come a long way. But, like other furniture, some is of better quality than others. This means they are constructed well and well designed. For example, if Shaker style is appealing to you, you can find some very nice, ready-to-finish furniture with these classic straight lines. If a formal or traditional room is more to your liking, you’ll find period furniture as well in every price range. When painted, stained or faux finished, this furniture can be quite outstanding for a fraction of what a finished piece might cost. If you go this route for the basic hard pieces such as a dresser, end tables, a coffee table, a wall storage unit, an entertainment center, a chair or an armoire, you can fill in with interesting finds along the way. Introducing a few good pieces will elevate the painted furniture for an interesting eclectic look.
Inexpensive wicker furniture is widely available in places like Pier 1 Imports and discount stores. It’s great for an extra room because it’s light and movable. It can also do double duty. For example, two wicker chairs with seat cushions, a coffee table and end tables will look just as good in a bedroom, a den or a porch. A wicker trunk can be outfitted with a glass top and serve as a coffee or end table, and it’s perfect for storage if space is tight. It’s also easy to spray paint wicker in a color of your choice.
Cardboard dressers, used primarily for storing off-season clothes and not meant for everyday use, can be terrific for a guest room. Modular cubes made of particle board can be painted, covered with contact paper, wallpaper or fabric, and arranged to hold sweaters, shoes and small items. The top becomes a surface on which to place a lamp, clock and other incidentals. Two cubes, one on top of the other, on each side of the bed create a comfortable height for night tables. You’ll find them in home centers and discount catalogs.
Director’s chairs with brightly colored canvas seats to match the room decor solve a space problem. They are comfortable and can easily be folded away when not needed. Perhaps this is why, after all these years, they are still so popular.
Different Types of Clamps and How to Use Them
October 18, 2011
Many do-it-yourself tasks require two or more sections of a workpiece to be held together temporarily while a more permanent fixing is made, often with glue. A variety of clamps is available for this purpose, many of them with specific uses. Keen woodworkers may make their own clamps (or cramps as they are often called) from scrap wood or other materials.
Commonly used clamps
The most common clamp in the workshop is the G- (C-) clamp. This is a general-purpose tool that is available with a variety of throat sizes. It may be used on its own or in conjunction with others when, for example, working on the surface of a wide board or holding boards together for gluing.
The sash clamp was specifically designed for assembling window frames, or sashes, but it is also often used when edge-jointing boards to form large panels for table tops and similar items.
Sometimes, it is useful to be able to apply a clamp with one hand while holding the workpiece in the other, which is when the singlehanded clamp conies into its own. It works on a simple ratchet system, rather like a mastic (caulking) gun.
For picture framing and heavier items with 45-degree mitres at the corners, there is the mitre clamp. This can be quite a complex affair with screw handles or a very simple clothes-peg (pin) type arrangement, that is applied very quickly.
Special-purpose clamps
There are many of these, but one that the do-it-yourself enthusiast may find useful is the cam clamp, which is wooden with cork faces. This is a quickly operated clamp often used by musical instrument makers. Its advantages are its speed in use, its lightness and its simplicity. The cam clamp is ideal for small holding jobs around the home, although it cannot exert a great deal of pressure.
Another useful standby is the web, frame or strap clamp. This is perfect for holding unusually-shaped items, which can be pulled together from a single point.
They are most commonly used to join coopered work, such as barrels and casks, or multi-faceted shapes such as hexagons or octagons used in decorative frames and mirrors. The components to be joined usually lie flat on a horizontal surface.
Clamps in use
Apply pressure to a joint or the assembly you are working on as soon as possible after gluing – make a habit of preparing everything you need in advance. Keep a box of small scraps of wood handy and use them to protect the surface of the work. It is often said that you can never have too many clamps, and you will soon start collecting a selection of different types and sizes to suit all kinds of assembly technique. Many of these you can make yourself.
Practical tips
- Do not be tempted to release clamps too quickly. Be patient, allowing plenty of drying time for the glue.
- Think through the sequence for the clamping process and make sure you have enough clamps to hand before you apply any glue. You may decide you need another person to help.
How to Design Your Bedroom Storage Unit
October 5, 2011
Nobody ever has enough storage. No matter what size your closet is, you can make the most of it if you plan carefully. Closet systems such as the coated wire shelves sold at home centers provide a wonderful solution for any situation. They are designed so you can create a closet to accommodate your specific needs. Another way to add closet space is to hang a second rod below the original one. You’ll be able to hang twice the number of shirts, pants and jackets.
Aside from installing shelves in the closet, there are inexpensive storage solutions for just about anything you want to put away. Several specialty mail-order catalogs and stores are devoted to making your life incredibly organized.
Bookcases offer storage space for certain items that fit neatly onto narrow shelves. For example, use plastic sweater boxes, hat boxes or baskets to hold underwear, scarves and socks on shelves.
Place a divider screen across a dead corner of the room to conceal a clothes tree, a large wicker hamper, plastic milk crates for holding shoes or sweats, or an ugly dresser. Attach hooks to the back of the screen for hanging clothes. Building in shelves around a window might be the perfect way to create an interesting display area, as well as adding architectural interest to the room. A window seat with a lift-up top is another building project that can be good-looking and practical. If building even a small project isn’t in the plan, consider a trunk. If it has a flat top, like a toy box, for example, it can also be used as a bench at the end of the bed or under a window. A fabric-covered foam cushion and a loose pillow would make this item ideal for sitting and storing.
Cover an inexpensive, round composition board table (they come in various sizes) with a quilt, full length table cover or a blanket, topped with a lovely linen square. Use this as a night table on one side of the bed; the concealed area under the table is perfect for unsightly storage. The top will hold much more than an ordinary-size end table and it will look quite elegant.
Office supply catalogs and art stores can be great sources for storage units that might not be obvious for use in a bedroom. For example, a little taboret unit on rollers called a “Boby” is used in art studios. The drawers swing out and there are shelves and all sorts of storage space packed neatly into the 18- x 18-inch unit. It’s extremely versatile and compact. Hobbyists have discovered it for sewing equipment and other tools, but it can be used in the bedroom or stored inside a closet.
Looking Up and Down
There’s always room at the top. Run a deep shelf across one entire wall of the room, as high as you can comfortably reach. Line the shelf with laundry baskets or other good-looking large containers for storage. They should all be identical in order not to look messy or cluttered. Add a shelf above the door for holding books or collectibles.
Don’t forget the area under the bed. Keeping in mind the height of the frame, find cardboard storage boxes to hold out-of-season clothes. Custom bed frames and even high-end box springs made by Slumberland come equipped with a deep drawer. Consider purchasing such a bed if space and storage are limited.
The things you use the least—out-of-season clothes, extra blankets, old tax records, and memorabilia you want to save but not necessarily display—should be the least accessible. If they are put away in boxes under the bed or on a top shelf of the closet, be sure to label the outside, as most people tend to forget what is out of sight. Plastic storage containers can eliminate a lot of guesswork if you want to know at a glance what you’re storing.
Modular Units
It’s easy to build a wall of storage with identical-size cubes. These units are sold separately so you can create your own custom storage system to fit anywhere. A tall, narrow tower of shelves, for example, can stand alone or become the basis for an entire wall of storage. You will also find cubes that hold adjustable shelves and vertical dividers. Whether you need storage space to hold your media equipment or clothes, a modular shelving unit makes sense and can be quite attractive. An entire wall unit filled with books would be practical as well as good-looking.
How to Plan Your Bedroom Design
October 3, 2011
Before going any further with your decisions about wall, floor and window treatments, you should make a furniture placement plan. The position of the bed is the most important one. This is where you’ll spend most of your time when you’re in the bedroom.
If you know anything about the Eastern philosophy of feng shui, you know that the placement of furniture can bring harmony to every aspect of your life. Where better to employ this philosophy than in the bedroom? Supposedly, you can bring energy to your life as well as find inner peace just by placing your furniture in certain relationships to each other and the room. Rumor has it that even Donald Trump called in a feng shui adviser for one of his Manhattan buildings.
The main thrust of feng shui is that you can create an environment within your home that relates to the natural order of the universe. If you’re curious, it can’t hurt to consider some of the principles of this traditional Chinese school of thought. For example, concern with compass direction is important to feng shui practitioners. They profess that positioning your bed so that you can see the sun rise will do wonders for your morning attitude. Further, they suggest, never put your bed underneath a window; if possible, the head of the bed should face north or east, but should not be directly opposite the door.
Once you have the ideal aesthetic and spiritual location for the bed, the rest is easy. Night tables on each side should be large enough to hold your “stuff” and high enough to be comfortable. They don’t have to match. In fact, you might use small dressers as side tables if you need extra storage and don’t have room for a larger bureau. Or, use a small desk on one side of the bed with an occasional chair. If lamps aren’t attached to the wall, they should be high enough for reading without shining in your eyes.
Decide where you will keep your clothes. It might be a dresser or armoire, but if you don’t have enough room for another large piece of furniture, you can design and outfit your closet with shelves for efficient storage of bulky items. Once you’ve figured out where to put the essentials, you’ll know how much room you have left for the extras.
Even a small, cast-off wooden chair is better than none in the bedroom. While you might be the neatest person in the world, you need a place to toss your clothes at night, or for holding a bathrobe or the laundry you don’t have time to fold and put away. Find a corner to hold a charming little chair. This is an item that’s easy to find, either old or new, for little money. If there’s room for a comfortable easy chair or a chaise longue, all the better. Know your priorities and plan accordingly.
Other items that work well in a bedroom and don’t take up much space are a quilt rack, a full-length mirror, a floor lamp and a television stand.
Windows Treatments 101
October 1, 2011
“I don’t have a single curtain in any house, and I don’t think I ever will. I like cornices better than curtains. And I like jabots, which go down the side of a window, and swags,” says Martha Stewart. I happen to agree. When it comes to windows, I’m biased toward a minimal approach. However, I also dislike the look of black window panes at night. My compromise is to use plain white panels that are tied back during the day and drawn across the window at night. They blend with the wall color and are quite unobtrusive, but soften the window area.
If you need window coverings for privacy when you first move in, buy cheap plain white roller shades for every window. Then you can take your time planning what you want and where. Either leave the shades where needed, or replace them as you see fit.
Window coverings are referred to in the trade as “treatments.” These treatments come in the form of shutters, shades, blinds, curtains, draperies, valances, swags and cornices. They are used to provide privacy, light control and window dressing. They can be simple and tailored or elaborate and adorned with piping, ruffles, braiding, tassels and fringe.
Before thinking about the type of window adornment you’ll want in each room, take accurate measurements and enter them in your notebook for each room.
Roller Shades
In order to buy the right-size roller shades, measure the width of the window inside the frame. You’ll find them in stock sizes at home centers and if they don’t have the exact size of your window, they will cut down a slightly larger shade to fit. This is a routine service that won’t cost extra. You will find shades in white, linen and colors, as well as those with room-darkening properties to block out light. These are most often used in bedrooms and are slightly more expensive.
An artist friend of mine installed shades at the bottom of his bedroom windows just above the sills. This is called an inverted roller. He attached a small hook at the top of the frame to hold the shade in place when it is pulled up. He needed privacy only to this level and didn’t want to obstruct the view of the treetops he saw upon waking. Wanting the clean look of blinds, he chose this solution rather than opting for curtains. This is a good way to gain privacy if you have very low windows.
Shutters
Shutters are usually made of wood and are solid or louvered to allow for light and air adjustment. If you have very tall windows, you might need a double set of shutters, one for the top and one for the bottom. Accurate measuring is extremely important so the shutters abut perfectly when they are closed.
Shutters can be painted the same color as the window frame or a color to match the walls. Shutters are often found in old houses and provide good privacy and act as a sound barrier, especially when used on windows that face onto a busy street.
Blinds
Miniblinds are ready made and available in home centers. The blades of the blinds come in two or three different widths and a multitude of colors. They are mounted on the inside of the window frame and provide a sleek look while allowing for the adjustment of light and air.
Wooden blinds are the latest decorating trend and they are quite good-looking. You can order these in different widths from very narrow to wide, and in different colors including natural. The tapes that run down the front of each side and hold the blinds in place can be ordered in contrasting colors or to match the blinds. I’m rather partial to this window treatment for looks and practicality.
You’ll find accordian blinds in different widths and colors. They are often made of a dust-and-dirt-resistant material and, while they provide privacy, they also allow light to filter through. They also come in room darkening material.
Shades
Roman and Austrian shades are made of fabric and operate in a way similar to roller shades in that they can be adjusted by a pull cord into accordian folds. Roman shades are generally flat across and pulled up in crisp folds, while an Austrian shade is fuller and pulls up into scallops of soft folds. These types of shades are usually custom made. Balloon shades have large poufs created by tailored pleats about 10 or 15 inches apart at the top; they create a luxurious full look.
Matchstick Shades
These are inexpensive blinds made of natural materials that pull up by a cord into a roll. They are good for casual areas. Often referred to as slat shades or bamboo shades, they can be made of bamboo slats, natural mesh, sea grass and a variety of other natural fibers. Most natural roll-up shades are not totally private at night. For greater control, these shades are available with backing bonded to the material.