Got Tile?

Do-it-yourself or DIY folks are rarely at a loss with what to do with left-overs from a recent, or not so recent, remodel project.  For example, there are so many uses for a piece or two or three left over tile, and the following ideas are suitable for the most basic skills for nearly all ages.

Clearly the easiest of all to do is place a 12”X12” tile on top of a simple garden pot stand you will find at the local home center.  Easy, nothing to it, and this little side table will serve you well for an afternoon cup of tea or an evening glass of wine while enjoying a lovely summer evening.

Another use for a tile is a simple trivet that requires a little cutting of 1/4-inch plywood, some molding, four wooden drawer pulls for feet, and a bit of wood glue.  A trivet is a great way to showcase a special tile you may have collected on a vacation or while prowling through a salvage yard or second hand store.  You may want to use a left over piece of tile or stone from a counter top or floor job.

If you do not have any tiles at hand, simply go to a home center and purchase one or more pieces to make as many trivets as you wish.  You can create a large trivet using four tiles and placing them on a larger piece of plywood.  Tiles that make a pattern when placed with the four pieces intersecting to make a pattern and will make an especially great trivet for larger casserole dishes.

The following idea is a bit more complicated.  I used an old umbrella stand with very rusted tin plates on which the end of the umbrellas once rested; it was important for its size.  This piece became an end table for my crocheting many decades ago; my basket of yarn sat on the bottom shelf created by covering the openings where the tin plates were with a thin piece of plywood and covered with tiles.  The mid-shelf was created by using a couple of L-brackets and a cabinet grade piece of oak finished to match the rest of the wood frame; this shelf held any number of needed items.

The top shelf was created by placing a plywood base over the original holes for the umbrellas and affixing matching tiles to form a top shelf for glasses and a beverage.  Today this same end table sits beside a chair in the family room and is the dropping off place for my husband’s keys and other things he needs to pick up on his way out of the house.

The bottom shelf is a good place to store newspapers until they get recycled or used for painting projects in our household.  Again, that mid-shelf can hold just about anything that might be needed on the way out the door.

 A friend of ours tiled the top of some inexpensive bedside tables for the guest room,making them nearly damage proof; guests can leave a glass of water and not worry about leaving a ring on the surface.  These are just a few ideas; there are a many more just waiting for you to think of them.

Destination Breezeway

If you are have a detached garage and it is connected to the house with a roof, or pergola you probably don’t think of it as anything except a utility; a pathway between the house and garage.  When in fact it might make a great destination point.

Take a careful look at your space; determine what possibilities lay ahead with a little creative thought.  For instance, how it connects to your landscaping can become a good space for a bench or plantings to enhance the area.

Stucco, wood siding or smooth plaster can all be great canvasses for art expression.  If you have a budding artist in the family or neighborhood, consider letting them paint a design, mural or even just add some metal sculpture to one side of the breezeway.

Depending on how wide your breezeway is, you can use both sides of the space for art, think Trompe l’ oeil, or to fool the eye.  Using a perspective drawing, you can add depth to the space, imagine sitting on a bench on one side of the breezeway and looking at a wall mural that shows a window with a view or a path to a favorite place in your travels, or somewhere you’d like to be.  You could have a field of flowers, mountain, sea or desert scape.

This technique is used in many places you may visit on a daily basis, and you only need to think of how you can use it in your home.  The sides of garages tend to be fairly boring spaces, and if your view out of a  kitchen or bedroom window is just that, think of what you’d like to see and imagine it as a destination.

Breezeways that are narrow may not allow you to have seating, but they need not to be boring, you can get creative with paint.  Think geometric shapes and colors, or stripes, bold or subtile, vertical or horizontal, even a wide zig zag with subtile color variation would be more interesting than plain beige.

By making your breezeway a destination point, it can give your existing landscape a boost too.  By incorporating your landscape design into your home structure, including your breezeway, you create a connection that is seamless and cohesive.  Choose colors from your landscape to enhance your breezeway.

The space between a home and a garage that isn’t covered, creating a breezeway, can still be more interesting, by employing some of these ideas.  Add a more decorative path, with paving stones and plantings and even seating.  In the future, you can add a covered structure to connect the two spaces.  

This space may be something you have not given any thought to before, but it might be a lost opportunity too.  Take a look at restaurants, theaters, bookstores for inspiration and imagine something similar to perk up your otherwise untapped space.

To Paint or Not to Paint

For many of us, painting natural wood is considered either difficult or forbidden; these views are understandable and have been handed down for generations.  In the past, people did not paint furniture of good quality and workmanship; it took valuable time and resources to do so; in Victorian times, it simply wasn’t done.  As furnishing were passed down, they may have been revered as family treasures, and to paint them would be to dishonor them.  As these pieces were passed down further, such feelings became less important and more distant; and painting was more acceptable and in vogue.

Not much has changed today.  Pieces that hold fond memories from a favorite aunt or grandmother still may be left untouched.  However, if you have such a piece, have grown tired of it, but still can’t part with it, and know that the next generation is not interested in it, why not consider giving it new life and paint it?

Painting often is dismissed as a solution because it is considered time consuming and difficult; thoughts of stripping the piece are shunned.  It is true that painting is time consuming, but painting is not so difficult; taken step by step, it is really quite easy.  If you consider it boring, plug in a book or your favorite music on your CD player; being entertained while doing a task you have been putting off, makes it enjoyable and a new hobby might be born.

Once a piece has reached the end of its life cycle for me, I think first of reusing it in another way or place in my home or yard; doing so usually involves recovering the fabric portion or painting the piece, sometimes removing or adding ornamentation.  If  I can’t reuse the piece, I offer it to a family member; if there are no takers, I move down the line, friends, associates and charities.

I remember my mother-in-law telling me how exciting it was when painting furniture was in vogue.  Living with furniture from previous generations was oppressive; such furniture often was dark and dated, and the freedom to paint it gave the family a lift, like coming out of a depression.

The pendulum swings back and forth in both fashion and interior design.  We experience it daily in print and television shows, as we see what was old is new again.  Take, for example, the renewed interest in Mid-Century Modern and the juxtaposition of a Victorian piece, or the mod-textile prints popular in the 1970’s, placed in a more contemporary setting.  In some cases, a little paint and color can go a long way.  Today there is a plethora of colors as opposed to what was available a few decades ago.

Dormer Windows Offer Interior Opportunities

The charms of an exterior ornament can be a decorating challenge for the interior, but the ornament also can also be a true asset when viewed with an open and imaginative mind.  For instance, dormer windows or slanted windows in some architectures will add interest to the outside of the home and welcome light on the interior.  While these attributes are welcome, many find the decorating or furniture arrangement more than a little challenging.

Take the customary trio of dormers in many homes—lovely to look at, but what do they offer on the inside?  Depending on the spacing between the dormers, there are lots of options.  One of the first things that comes to mind are comfortable window seats.   If the windows open, you have the additional benefit of good air circulation in an attic space that has been converted to a bedroom.  Window seats can afford great storage containment that can be left open or closed--an excellent use of space.

Another option would be a writing or computer desk for.  Usually on the second or third floor, these spaces may offer great views for inspiration or just a great place to read for your own enjoyment.

If your dormer or slanted walls are generous you might consider adding an alcove bed--an easy way to add extra sleeping space without taking away from the room’s intended use, be it a TV room, office space or a well-organized storage room or craft/hobby room.  The possibilities are endless.  To find a bed to fit your alcove is not difficult and custom is not always out of your price range.  You simply order a bed from a sleep shop--one size larger than your opening--and give the shop measurements you need your bed to become.  It takes about two weeks and your custom-sized mattress is ready for pick-up or delivery.  If you build a low box below to serve as the boxed spring, you can use it for storage.  Build the box a little higher and you can have more useful storage with full extension pull-out shelves for linens, pillows and extra blankets.  This will have a captain’s bed, look, which is fun for children and teens.

Making the best use of your space is always an asset to your home’s value and your enjoyment.

Spring Decorating

Living out West, you are used to enjoying the out of doors most of the year, but probably you most appreciate being out in the Spring.  The temperate climate lends itself to outdoor living, and the ability to bring in the outdoors is something that folks across the nation often envy.  How to best make use of the outdoors is a matter of personal preference.

I have seen many beautiful gardens, and I am often surprised how little these gardens are used; they can be an easy focal point for many homeowners who are missing a great opportunity.   On some level, folks love their interiors and their exterior grounds, but they do not see the connection or realize how easily the two areas can be integrated to a fuller extent.

Your windows are key to that integration.  It is one thing to use window coverings for privacy, to protect your furnishings from the sun, to maintain a comfortable interior temperature during the cool months; but to miss the beauty of a garden or the vistas provided by nature is truly unfortunate. 

Look at your windows as portals to the outside for your enjoyment-- unless you have a neighbor only a few yards away. Each window with a view that made you fall in love with your home in the first place should be exploited.  Try removing heavy drapes and layers of curtains to expose your views; doing so is like a breath of fresh air after months of being closed up inside.

Many potential homebuyers will put a view above many other practical necessities of home ownership, because locations and views are nearly as important to them as kitchens and baths and in some cases more important.

There are many clever ways to protect privacy while still enjoying the outdoors; semi-sheer drapes and window shades are just two.  However, consider nothing at all on those windows that afford you the prettiest views when privacy is not a factor. Another option is to use a pleated shade hidden under a cornice box or valance for those times of the day when either privacy or protection from the sun is important.

If you have to replace windows in your home, another way to enjoy your view is to keep the glass plain, that is, panes without grids, common to homes built in the 1980’s.  When there is no view, these grids may add charm; but where there is a view, they are distracting and further complicate your design if your window treatments have horizontal lines, like shutters or wood blinds.  The idea is to open up and love your view.

If you do not have a pretty view, create one!  Use props like a trellis to frame a view outside your formerly uninteresting window.   Use colorful pots with hardy perennials for structure and annuals for color.  Add a simple water feature and feed it with a drip tube attached to your watering system.  You will attract birds and butterflies so your newly created view is vibrant with color and song.

A Little Molding Can Go a Long Way

Homeowners with a yen for a little more interest in a plain room may find that molding can be a great solution.  It does not take great skill to cut molding with today’s materials and tools plus a steady hand and a little patience.

Today you can find deep crown moldings that are light as a feather, being constructed of sturdy foam with a light plaster coating.  Crown molding will add architectural interest to any room.  You can find many moldings in different styles and great tutorials on-line to help you install it.

If crown molding seems a bit too formal for your country home, but you still want a little interest in a plain room, consider a slim molding framed out long rectangles along a wall.  Painting them the same color as the wall will give it subtle interest without appearing to be too traditional.  Painting the molding a contrasting color, say white or even beige over a colored wall, will give a room a soft traditional look.  Adding a bright contrasting accent color can add just the punch a quiet room needs.

Casing your windows with molding is an investment that will pay off immediately with your enjoyment and later when you sell your home as molding will be an added feature that not all homes can boast.

A long, uninteresting wall can be upgraded with a simple chair rail plus molding to represent panels below the rail.  Panels can be painted or wall papered for additional charm.  Using a rail and panels in a room that lacks personality is a good way to add color and pattern without a big expense.

Panels would be an excellent way to add a color punch in a child’s bedroom.  Also, consider painting a single panel with chalkboard paint; this paint comes in a variety of colors now, not just black.

Molding that is painted the same color as the wall can stand alone nicely as architectural element; later, if you decide to change the look of the room you can do it simply by painting moldings or the walls.

Changing out your baseboards is another way to give a room a fresh update.  Doing one room at a time is a budget wise way to increase your enjoyment and the value of your home.

Even Organizers Need a Tune Up

Sometimes décor means being better organized.  After all, if you aren’t organized, you waste time and cannot enjoy your lovely décor because you are busy searching for that thing you know you have, but cannot find.

This condition is a problem for everyone except the compulsively organized, which, by the way doesn’t apply to me and probably doesn’t apply to you.

I recently gave a talk about organizing the spaces we live in; even I was surprised at what I found in my own home.  The space under my kitchen sink was still organized, and everything that I use daily was in its place and easy to reach.  Lesser used items were relegated to the rear of the cabinet, but were easily accessed with the pull out container in which they sat.  The only improvement was a light cleaning; after the cleanser dust settles it just stays on everything until it is wiped away.  Boy I could use an app for that!

One area that was recently improved upon was my spice storage.  When we had our kitchen island replaced, I had one of those slick, narrow pull out spice cabinets installed.  While I loved it in theory, I found it to be less than idea in practice.  Small spice jars took up as much space as their taller ones, and I could not read the labels unless the top of the container was marked.  I found myself having to lift each one out to see if it was the spice I needed, which was a huge waste of time.

I found a pantry door system that is fantastic for me.  I counted the items I have stored on the back of my pantry door and discovered they numbered 73-- many more than I could store either in a drawer or in the pull-out cabinet.  Not all the 73 items are spices, but they are pantry related items and free up valuable pantry real estate.

The one area the group I spoke with, was most impressed with was the ever-present “junk drawer”.  Yes, mine was organized and does not deserve such a pejorative title; maybe it should be called the “odds and ends” drawer, but we all know every kitchen needs a junk drawer.  Organizing it makes it far less frustrating and quite a time saver in the bargain.  The key to avoiding this potential kitchen disaster is using small compartments that you can fit wall to wall and front-to-back, so there is no shifting about within the drawer.  Empty space begs to be filled, and hurried people tend to drop an item in the empty space rather than find its designated spot, thus creating the junk drawer syndrome.

The pantry door hanging system took my husband only minutes to install, and I took over fitting the baskets to suit my height.  From there it only took me less than an hour to complete.  It is not a weekend long project; actually, it took under 2 hours including the pantry shifting.

Next time: Making the Most of Your Pantry and Under the Counter Cabinets

Time for a Quieter Décor

As the holiday season settles into the recent past, leaving us with happy memories recorded in our minds and on digital cameras and computers, we can look forward to a quieter time as well as a quieter décor.  While it is nice to pull out all our holiday decorations and trim the house and tree, I find it comforting to get back to an old décor phrase: “less is more”.  It is a perfect time to assess what has been into what can be, just like when you trimmed the house a month or so ago.

I usually go with a white theme, I keep some of the candles that I had out that are white and place them around with small white accents, like the little lamb I move from place to place.

I replace evergreen wreaths with wreaths using white flowers or sprayed white with natural elements.  I like to create small vignettes using the white on white theme.  Buying a white amaryllis or orchid lifts my spirits, and they will last until spring. 

A favorite vignette during the holiday may be adaptable without the holiday theme and its colors to white.  In my case, I replaced a red cardinal with a chickadee.  The bird sits in a huge snifter with a base of broken tempered glass, to simulate ice, a pine branch and a small nest, it is a small scene that can easily change with the seasons.

A monochromatic color scheme is a very restful and pleasing pallet but can be tricky unless texture is incorporated along with a reminder to scale; it need never be dull.  As with most things, the best results are in the details; it is a good idea to “go shopping” in own homes to see what we have that compliments your monochromatic theme.  Those who collect only things that have meaning to them and that are loved will find a treasure trove of items to choose from.  Sometimes just moving things from one room to another, or even from one location to another within the same room, will give the room a lift.  Of course adding a small bouquet of fresh flowers that suits your mono-color scheme will add the texture needed to help bring your room to life.

These are a few simple winter décor changes.  I am a firm believer in making small changes, especially for people who claim they don’t like change.  Those who try might just like what they create.