Outdoor Decorating Mistakes - Part 2

Another outdoor-decor problem? Not considering the more permanent fixtures when choosing a decor scheme.  I've been watching a home reno near my mother's house with interest - the owner chose a stucco colour that they thought would be a neutral: grey. Undertones are a tricky thing, though - the grey chosen has very strong purple undertones, which are brought out even more by the sun (the way your house faces has a big effect!)...so the house actually looks purple. Not necessarily a problem, and it can actually look great depending on what you put with it...but this particular house has a warm brown roof, and this particular roof does not work with the shade of purple on the house. The already-there colour of something permanent like a roof (which is generally not changed for years) needs to be taken into consideration when choosing everything else.  Aside from the roof, pay attention to brick, stone and siding colours.

Biggest Decorating Mistakes - Outdoor Edition!

A while back I talked about the most common decorating mistakes people make (if you missed it you can read the article online here). Now that the warmer weather is here (I think!), it's time to focus on the outside of the home too.  Many people focus on their home's interior and ignore the outside - but it's the first thing people see. And unlike the interior, everyone can see it, not just the people who come inside. The most common outdoor decorating mistake starts at one of the most important areas in terms of making your home look attractive - the front door.  Many people either ignore it or paint it a colour that does nothing for their curb appeal (or worse, works against it!). The front door is a big part of how your house looks. For such a small surface area, it has a huge effect! The wrong colour on the main door makes the colour of the house look "off". The right front door colour can pull everything together and make your home look inviting.  You want to choose a colour that stands out but that works with the rest of the home - brick, stone, trim, accents, etc. (And this colour is very rarely, if ever, white - don't be afraid of colour here!) Take into account the different colours found in the brick, whether the colours are warm/cool, dull/fresh, etc.  A small can of paint and a few hours will make a huge difference in the look of your home!

Product Review: DIF Wallpaper Removal Gel

Sad confession: I'm starting to get used to the smell of wet wallpaper. Special thanks go to the previous owners who wallpapered my dining room ceiling over the years...I guess I should be glad they stopped at 6 layers, right? DIF gel wallpaper remover to the rescue!  Over the past few years, we've used a number of wallpaper-removal methods...different chemicals, fabric softener, steam, and a variety of tools. This one is by far the best we've found. Just spray it on, scrape it off. It's a no-drip gel, so even on the ceiling it doesn't make a mess.  Wallpaper removal still won't be a fun job, but it will definitely be less hassle!

SOS - Looking For a Dress (not decor related!)

I'm trying to find this dress, any size, new or used...as soon as possible. If anyone has any idea where I could even begin to look, please let me know in the comments!


It's purple, by Oasis, from Sears. Manufacturer and Sears are both a dead end.

"Happiest Weekend of the Year" Update

The 2011 Home Show (or as I call it "the Happiest Weekend of the Year") is officially over. Actually, it's been over for a couple of days now, but it's taken me a bit of time to get my stuff unloaded and sorted (my living room is still full of display boards, ballot boxes, backdrops and tablecloths!).

My area of the booth...unfortunately I forgot to take pictures until we were already taking the booth down.

We had a great time this year - it was one of my favourite Home Shows yet, since I started doing them in 2006. We had a great combination of ladies in the booth (we do it as a group - 4 different businesses)...everyone got along fabulously. We had something for everyone - interior decorating, photography (Kayleigh of All Things That Grow Photography and her awesome Saturday stand-in Yewa), yoga (Natalie of Northern Lotus Yoga) and income tax (Sue of SL Income Tax Services). We also had Avon, thanks to Kim (the mom of our last kid's room makeover recipient...proceeds from her Avon sales go towards medical travel, etc. so we were pleased to see that every single one of her brochures was taken!).

The crowds weren't huge, but it was a steady flow of people coming through, and I spoke with a lot of nice people who will hopefully become clients. 


One thing we did find kind of odd is the number of people that would walk quickly down the aisle, trying desperately not to look at anyone and ignoring every booth - most of the time with an angry "don't talk to me or look at me" expression. It takes some effort to go to the show - you have to decide to go, get ready, drive to the arena, find a parking spot, stand in line, and pay to get in...it seems funny that people would do all that (the "paying to get in to something you don't want to see" part is what I really don't get!) and then try so hard not to look at any of it.


Other than that, it was great - I can't wait until next year! We've already started talking about the 2012 booth, and have some great ideas :)

A Budget Kitchen Makeover

A while back I did a blog post about our ugly kitchen (you can check it out here) - the previous homeowners had re-done the kitchen with things they liked, not worrying about whether or not they went together (they didn't). We did a quick makeover to keep me from crying every time I walked into the room - a temporary fix until we were ready for a bit more work.

Here are the original before shots - busy backsplash with dark grout lines, orange wood, ugly brass handles...

And the in-between fix - painted the busy backsplash to get rid of the headaches, added a valance (made with $4 placemats!).

I still didn't want to spend a lot of money, and the cabinets and counters were in good shape. We painted out the wood trim, changed the cabinet hardware (29 handles...), painted the walls and backsplash, and added some new accessories. The entire thing was done for less than $200.

Final Results:

Now I actually don't mind spending time in the kitchen - it feels much cleaner and more open!

Bedroom Before & After

 

This bedroom was a blank slate - the homeowners wanted to buy new furniture, bedding and accessories after moving into the empty room.

They found a bedding set they liked, then called me to choose accessories and accents and a paint colour to tie it all together....







The result is a restful room where the homeowners can relax after a busy day.

A soothing palette of greens and blues makes the room a peaceful place to curl up with a book or get a good night's sleep.

The homeowner also decided to replace their smaller window with a set of doors opening onto their back deck, which makes the room seem more spacious and allows them a great view of the backyard.

Blog Changes....

I've been playing around with the layout of my blog - I think I like it better this way, but time will tell!

In other news, I now have an Etsy store - a place for my online consultations and handmade home decor items - and miscellaneous crafts made from leftover decorating materials.

www.etsy.com/shop/StylishSolutions

Take a look and let me know what you think :)

I'm a Guest Blogger :)

About a month ago, Jodi at Living Life Photographically asked me to do a guest post - being the procrastinator I am, I'm pleased to say that I finished it yesterday!

Head over to her blog and check it out (check out her Etsy shop while you're there, too - I especially love her glass pendants!):

Hanging Artwork & Photos

Product Review: FROGTAPE

I finally had enough of my kitchen last week and decided to paint the wood trim above the cabinets white (which of course led to painting the backsplash and walls!). It's no secret how much I dislike painting (and how awful I am at it). Clients often ask me if I paint as well, and I always tell them I would have to pay them to let me paint, that's how bad I am... I especially hate taping - it never seems to help me anyway, and I end up with rough edges and with paint everywhere. This time we used Frogtape ("the only tape treated with Paintblock", according to the package)...and I have to say, I love it (well, as much as someone can love painter's tape...). Peels off easily and leaves a nice, straight edge - it's like someone else painted :)