2011 - Page 26 of 30 - Pretty Handy Girl

decor, Decorating, Falling in Love with Your Home, mantles, vignettes

Creating Seasonal Vignettes

I like to revitalize my love for a room by switching out the décor throughout the year. Decorating for the season gives the room a fresh look. Mantles are the ideal place to begin:

Autumn

Christmas

Valentine’s Day

Springtime

But, if you don’t have a mantle, you can use any flat surface!

Side Table

Pedestal

Pie Safe Cabinet

Built-in Bookshelf

Recessed Window Seat

Here are six tips for creating successful vignettes:

1. Varied heights

Try to create a visual triangle. Have one tallest object, then a 2nd tallest and a shortest. I use books all the time to help elevate an object that might be at the same height as another object. Attractive wooden crates or boxes covered with cloth can work too.

2. Varied textures

Using a variety of textures creates visual interest. In the picture below I have a ceramic bird sitting on torn strips of newspaper in a plaster container on top of an embroidered linen and some books.

3. Color palette

Choosing a color palette of 3 colors or less is an easy way to create an appealing vignette. For my Valentine’s Day vignette I chose to work with primarily red and white with some black.

The next year, the color palette was red, aqua and white.

4. Odd numbered groupings

Vignettes and small groupings tend to look better when you use an odd number of objects.

For example, in the grouping above, I have assembled:

1. Birdhouse on a candlestick (visually they are one object)

2. Bird nest in pedestal (again visually counts as one)

3. Stack of books

4. Picture frame

5. Felted rose laying in front of the picture frame.

5. Varied Shapes and Scale

Vignettes work well if you can vary the shape and scale of your objects. Grouping many objects of the same size and shape will not give your eye enough to explore and study. Always take a step back from your vignette to make sure that your grouping has different shapes and sizes represented.

6. It’s Your Décor

This is the most important rule! Make sure you create something you like. Use your own objects. And if you love it, that is all that matters. It really doesn’t have to meet someone else’s criteria of perfection. I wrote a whole post on imperfect decorating HERE.

Happy Decorating!

Did you spy Christmas cards in the background? Sure, it is February, but I love them too much to take them down yet. If you’d like to read more “Fall in Love with Your Home” February posts, click on the button below to see a recap of this month’s theme:

February 12, 2011/12 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

Books as decor, bookshelves facelift, Falling in Love with Your Home, Guests

I Love Decorating with Books – Guest Post from Honey We’re Home

On the heels of my de-cluttering post, I have a special guest who is going to show you how you can keep all your books and make them look attractive instead of cluttered! Hooray for book lovers!!! And once you see how she used her books as décor, you are going to run to your bookshelves and create another reason to fall in love with your home!

Without any further waiting, I’d like to introduce Megan from Honey We’re Home
(and her fabulous helper and right hand man, James.)

Okay, but wait, before I let her talk, I have to tell you that Megan’s home is absolutely gorgeous. If you haven’t visited her blog, do so NOW!

What, you are still here? Seriously! Look, here are just a few pictures from her home:

Mudroom

Her Office

And, her closet. AKA Mom Cave (Seriously, I could eat, sleep & blog in there!)

Okay, so you are back, and NOW without any further delay, Please welcome Megan!

Although I had admired Brittany’s handiwork and especially her boy’s reading nook for a long time from afar, I was thrilled to get to meet her in person at Blissdom. Needless to say, she is so down-to-earth and personable and really listens to you when you are talking. Eye contact and all. And she really is purely intent on showing her readers how they can accomplish the kinds of projects she does in her home in theirs!

What I’m sharing with you today is how I’ve used books as decor in our home. I love reading and have amassed quite a collection of books over the years. It’s funny how you can tell a lot about a person by the books they read. In my house, you would guess I’m into God/religion/spirituality, decor/interior design, parenting/babies, fashion, and cooking. My husband’s books are all about business, law, and history.

I’ve received a lot of inspiration for decorating with books from blogland and I especially love those “rainbow” bookshelves and wanted to try my hand at it. I’m pretty familiar with my books, so I’m sure I won’t have any trouble locating them even though they aren’t categorized by subject.

Here’s my rainbow bookshelf in the upstairs hallway. All I did was group the books into rainbow order by their spines and then arrange them on the shelf. I reworked it a couple of times, and ended up with this:

Here’s the close up:

There’s barely a room in my house that doesn’t have books, for example:

My Office

Kitchen

Pantry

James’ Nursery

Thanks for having me Brittany!!

Be sure to check out some other ways you can “Fall in Love with Your Home!”

February 11, 2011/13 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

de-clutter, Falling in Love with Your Home, Home Maintenance, organizational tips

Easy Step-by-Step Guide to Taming the Clutter

Easy Step by Step Guide to Decluttering Your Home

Need some help getting started on decluttering your home? This is an easy step-by-step guide with simple actionable steps to take. I’ll start you out with small steps and before you know it, you’ll be finished and loving your home again! Let’s work together taming the clutter!

Easy Step-by-Step Guide to Taming the Clutter

Okay, we’ve all seen an episode of Hoarders by now. The guy that hasn’t seen the carpet in his home in 5 years or the woman who saves everything! We see those extreme examples of clutter and can’t imagine how they can live like that.
You’ve also likely stumbled upon Marie Kondo and the KonMari method of organizing. Wherever you fall in the spectrum of hoarder vs. minimalist, you can likely benefit from this Easy Step-by-Step Guide to Taming Clutter.

Ask Yourself one Question:

Do you see clutter in your own home?

Are you so immune to that pile in the corner that you don’t see it anymore? Keep reading to find out why this small pile might not help your brain.

Visual Clutter:

I admit I have clutter. Not, the “OMG! Call Hoarders” type clutter. But, I do have small piles of things with no home. A few extra knick-knacks, some papers that need to be filed, or those horrid happy meal toys! This is an example of small visual clutter. It’s not “bite you on the nose” noticeable most of the time. Did you know even the smallest bits of clutter are noticed by your eyes, and your brain has to process it. This is why sometimes you stop seeing it. I call anything that sits out visual clutter.

In college, I used to have to clean my entire room before I could start on my illustration assignments. I do the same thing in our garage (which is cluttered now) before I can start on a new project.

You need the visual calmness of a clean room to be more creative and more productive. It helps focus your mind on the task you are doing.

This week, I want you to pick one room. Preferably the room you spend the most time in. Is it your kitchen or your home office? Whatever it is, this is the room that will make you happy when you are done. It is the room that will allow you to “Fall in Love with Your Home.”

Easy Step-by-Step Guide to Taming the Clutter:

I’m going to share with you a simple step-by-step guide to reducing clutter in your home. This process works in any area of your home.

Materials:

Four Boxes (or laundry bins)
Large Trash Bag
Different Colored Sheets of Paper (if possible)
Thick Marker
Cleaning rags
Windex or general cleaners

Step-by-Step Guide to Reducing Clutter:

Begin by gathering your four boxes. If you are working in an area with larger items, you can set areas just outside the room instead of boxes.

Label each one with these labels:

KEEP
DONATE or SELL
RECYCLE
TRASH

I like to use a different color for each label so I don’t accidentally toss something in the wrong bin.

KEEP – Things that don’t belong in that room or to be stored away somewhere else
DONATE or SELL – Goodwill, Thrift store, or FreeCycle.org donation. Or sell by having a yardsale, on Craig’s List or Facebook Marketplace, eBay, or consignment shops.
RECYCLE – paper, glass, cans, and other curbside recycling. Also, dry-cleaner hangers, plastic bags, or other items that can be re-used. (Old cloths or linens can be cut up for cleaning rags)
TRASH – Anything worthless in value. I like to line the trash bin with a big plastic bag to make it easier to empty.

Where to Start:

Start in one area of the room. If you want to be systematic, start from one side and work clockwise around the room. Put things away or add them to the labeled box.

Once the zone is clear, clean off all the surfaces. Then move on to the next area in the room.

If you find yourself stuck ask yourself these questions:

Have I used or worn it in the last 6 mos? 1 year?
“Will this item help me create the home I want” – Peter Walsh
Is this item irreplaceable?
Do I need it?
Okay, and finally if you like to KonMari, “Does it spark joy?”

If the answer to any of those questions is “No”, then say adieu to it now!

1 Year Box Rule:

If you still feel stuck, try the 1 year box rule:

Create another box and put anything you are undecided about inside. Seal it up and write a note on the box to assess it one year from today. Next year when you find that box in storage, get rid of it. Don’t even open it. If you didn’t miss the items inside then you don’t need them. Just donate it.

Get It Out of Your House!

When you have finished going through the whole room start removing the bins from the room. Empty the trash, dump the recycling in your recycling bin.

Do not leave the boxes in your home. Put items in your car to recycle or donate while you are running errands (dry cleaner hangers, grocery store plastic bags, packing peanuts to a local shipping store, batteries etc.)

The Keep Box:

Assess the “KEEP” items and decide which ones can go back in that zone or need to go elsewhere. When you put them away, be sure to store them out of sight. Don’t allow items to become visual clutter. Here are some ideas for finding additional storage in your home.

Storage Ideas:

Maybe your home lacks enough closets or storage areas. I get it, some homes don’t have plenty of storage. If you don’t have an attic, basement, or storage spots I have some ideas for you!

Pie Safe or armoire
Cabinet
Dresser
Hutch
Desk
Bins
Storage bench
Shelving

After our kitchen remodel, I bought an old desk from the Habitat ReStore and built a wall-mounted hutch over the desk. This area is my command center and it’s prefect for paying bills, storing papers, chargers and mail.

Before the command center, I used a pie safe in the corner of the kitchen.

Although it is a small piece of furniture, there’s lots of storage inside.

Top Shelf:

school papers
school work
kids artwork
Workbooks
Coloring Books
Favorite Magazines
Coupon Binder Sleeves

Next shelf:

charging station (tutorial to come)
Cell phones
Cameras
Battery chargers
Walkie Talkies
Recipe Box

Drawers:

Left: Pretty Handsome Guy’s mail
Rigth: Pretty Handy Girl’s mail

Bottom shelf:

Cookbooks

My friend Renee found a credenza from Craig’s List and she utilized this piece of furniture for mail and her daughter’s art supplies.

We also built a wall-mounted mudroom cubby and shoe storage bench in her small entryway from the garage.

Build a built-in bench in a bay window and store linens, games, or large pots and appliances.

Shelving:

Any closet, corner, or nook in your house can store more if you build or purchase a set of shelves.

This sports gear storage area takes up only a small footprint, but it holds more equipment than a soccer team! See how I built these shelves in a small area at the bottom of our bonus room steps.

Garage Corral:

Sometimes you just need an area to corral items that are tall or tend to roll around. In our garage, I built a corral for tools and sports gear using scrap wood and large PVC pipes.

Install Cabinets:

Cabinets are the best storage solution for visual clutter. They look uniform and hide everything inside. You can shop for used cabinets at a ReStore location, look on Craig’s List, or purchase unfinished cabinets, or unassembled cabinets to save money. My favorite storage cabinets in our house are the ones that can be easily reconfigured on a hanging slat wall. You can read how I installed them in our laundry room first, then loved them so much I used them in our bonus room.

Storage cabinets don’t necessarily have to be cabinets. This set of old gym lockers adds loads of hidden storage in the mudroom at my Saving Etta project.

What to Do with the Donate/Sell Box:

Sort through the Donate/Sell box. Grab a notepad to jot down anything you will be donating. Then put that pile in a bag and put it in your car as well. Be sure to run by Goodwill or the thrift store one day this week. Put the items you intend to sell in a dedicated spot in storage. Make a commitment to yourself to sell them within 3-6 months or donate them if you haven’t after that time frame. (I might have been slacking on this rule. Pretty Handsome Guy might be calling me out on this one.)

Keep Box:

Finally, sort through the remaining items in the KEEP box. Walk around the house with the box and put items away. Go room to room until all the items are put away. (If you have to, go ahead and leave items in the room where they belong, and put away later. Remember today you are only tackling the one room!

Go back to the room you just de-cluttered. Sit there and breathe in. Allow yourself to enjoy the calmness of a clean and clutter-free space. Let yourself fall in love with this space. Anytime you find yourself disgusted with your home, go back to this space and rekindle that flame! Or start on the next room to declutter.

I hope you found this Easy Step-by-Step Guide to Taming the Clutter helpful! Please pin it for later or to help a friend declutter.

Looking for a quick way to hide small items? Use one board to create this adorable storage bin:

Or use one of these 16 DIY Built-In ideas to add more storage to your home.

February 9, 2011/29 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

Decorating, Falling in Love with Your Home, Painting & Antiquing Techniques, Spray paint metal, storm door, threshold, wreath

Making an Entrance – Sprucing Up Your Entryway

Sprucing up your entryway. If your home is like ours, we have two entrances. The front door,

and the door near our driveway. The latter is used about 95% of the time by us and our friends.

Creating an inviting entrance for yourself is so important for falling in love with your home. Start sprucing up your entryway!

Think about it this way: How many times do you go in and out of your home through that one doorway? How many times do guests go in and out of that doorway? Do you follow me? So, it is you who should be welcomed home to your lovely home first and foremost!

This is what our family entrance looked like a few months ago:

How I lived with that ugly brown aluminum door for 3 years, I will never know. And let’s not even talk about that little red CPI security sticker!

Lucky for us, a neighbor sold us her full view storm door when they added a garage onto their home. Had they not, I probably would still be scouring the Habitat ReStore. Or at least I would have painted the old door to match the house or use a more inviting color than doo-doo brown.

After I installed the storm door, I made sure to repaint the threshold as well. What?! You can’t see behind “Doo Doo Brown” above, is this?

Niiiiiice. Gold threshold with silver metal showing through. Not exactly my favorite rustic look. The easiest way to repaint it would have been to remove the threshold and spray paint it in the yard on a tarp. But, those screws weren’t going to budge for me. So, I masked off the entire doorway…

…storm door, floor, and…

…the mudroom to spray paint one piece of threshold brushed nickel. Okay, call me crazy, but I was on a mission to make my entryway more inviting for myself. And I wasn’t about to get brushed nickel on any other surfaces.

Much better, don’t you think? And I can honestly say that after using automotive primer and then the Rustoleum Brushed Nickel metallic paint, the threshold still looks like new!

But, I didn’t stop there. I added a kick plate in matching brushed nickel. And replaced the door sweep as well. And splurged on a new door mat. {Love my new mat!}

Finally, looking beyond the doorstep, I add some pumpkin topiaries, plants, wreath or other decorations (depending on the season) to greet you – errr, I mean me.

My good friend has this adorable planter near her side entrance (that she uses about 95% of the time, too.) It is the perfect place to switch out plants, or other decorations depending on the season.

So, that takes care of the exterior, but don’t neglect the inside! I added a new coat of paint to the inside of the door (that my sweet departed maniacal dog had left claw marks all over it.) I was so anxious to freshen it up, I didn’t even tape off the windows.

After the paint dried, I used a razor blade to score…

…and then scrape off the paint.

And as a final, welcome home, I hung my message center just inside the door.

I’m so happy to be home! And you should too so start by sprucing up your entryway.

So, what do you think? How does your home greet you? Does it welcome you with open arms or is it more of just a brief, “hi?”

February 7, 2011/34 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

Decorating, Falling in Love with Your Home, Hanging curtains, Removing Blinds

Removing the Blinds – Let There Be Light

Welcome back. Today, I’m going to show you how to maximize the amount of light that comes in your windows.

In my last post I talked about scraping and painting your ceilings to help reflect more natural light into your home. As we learned, more light can boost your mood, making you happier and helping you love your home.

Today, as part of my continuing series “Fall in Love with Your Home February”, we will be focusing on the windows in your home.

If you have mini-blinds (well, in my case I had maxi-blinds), they can block up to 25% of the light coming in your room, even when they are raised! Look at your window blinds, curtains and/or valance. Do they cover more than half of a window pane? Or more than 3-4″. If they do, they are blocking light.

Take a look at this photo taken today in our bathroom. The “maxi-blinds” were completely pulled open (picture on the left), but look how much light they were blocking when I took them down (picture on the right). You can see there is more light being reflected on the ceiling and the door. And it is a cloudy day. Can you imagine how much light is blocked on a sunny day?

Next up, take a look in our master bedroom. The top pictures show the room with roman shades that covered one whole pane height, or almost half of the upper window. The bottom photo is taken around the same time of day with new shades hung much higher. The amount of light increased in the room is dramatic!

As you can see below, I hung the shades above the window, and they only overlap the window by about 3-4″.

I also added curtains to the windows, but the rod extends far enough to the sides that the curtain doesn’t cover the window.

When opened, they only slightly cover the window casing.

What you saw above is akin to cheating the size of your window. If you install the blinds and hang the curtains outside the window, it makes your windows appear larger than they are.

Now, I’d like to bring in a professional interior designer so she can show you some of the rooms she has redesigned to maximize the amount of light coming into the windows.

Introducing Caitlin Campbell from Symmetry Designs in San Jose, CA:

The photo below is from her portfolio. Believe it or not, the two pictures are from the same dining room. The photo on the left is the before picture. And the photo on the right shows the room with the bulky valance removed and curtains hung on the outside of the windows. Even with the new dark dining set, the room has a much brighter feel.

photo courtesy of Symmetry Designs

This living room that Caitlin designed, was a bit drab and dark
(even with an exposed glass door).

photo courtesy of Symmetry Designs

But, after removing the valance and opening the mini-blinds, this room beckons us to enter and enjoy. Look at all that natural light flooding in.

I understand that we all need privacy sometimes. So, feel free to draw your curtains or blinds at night. But, I beg of you, please open them every morning! Invite in a little sunshine to brighten your day. And find yourself falling in love with your home.

Disclosure: Those of you that know me, know that Caitlin is my sister, but she REALLY is a talented interior designer. Besides if I told you she was my sister from the get go you wouldn’t have paid attention to her fantastic room makeovers. But seriously, she is NCIDQ Certified and an Industry Member of ASID. So, if you live in the San Jose, CA and need some expert design advice, look her up!

A few products you might be interested in (commission based links):

February 5, 2011/18 Comments/by Brittany Bailey