Redecorating can be a very exciting and stressful time, there are so many
possibilities available that it can be hard to choose which look you would like to
have. Before making a final decision on your new project, there are several things
you can do to help you decide exactly what you want.
Decorating ideas are all around us. A really great place to start is with magazines. There are a lot of magazines that have home decorating ideas in them. Not just ones specifically about decorating, but in a lot of others. They will offer ideas, tips and techniques on various decorating topics. Whenever you see an idea that interests you, cut it out and save it in a file. When you have several examples you can compare them and make a final decision.
Going to your local furniture, department, or major hardware stores can give you ideas. Stores that are involved in decorating will usually have floor displays set up. This is a great way to see what is new and trendy in home decor.
A really great resource is to do research on the Internet. There are a lot of websites related to home decorating where you can get ideas, and in some cases
step-by-step instructions on how to achieve the decorating look.
A great way to find out what is new in home decorating is new home construction.
Spend a few weekends going to the builders show homes and you will see a lot of
different ideas and designs on home decorating. Builders spend a lot of money on
hiring the best interior designers in their area to help sell their homes. By you
visiting the show homes you get a free tour of what is new in home decorating. It
is a good idea to bring your camera and take pictures of the decorating ideas you
liked.
Decorating your home is a very exciting time, but you want to do your research and
plan your project. You will be living with your new look, so take your time in
making your final decisions. Once you have decided what you want and have completed
the final look, you will be able to sit back and enjoy it knowing you designed and
decorated your home. Remember, there are a lot of free methods to achieve a
beautiful home. Research and you will come up with the perfect look for your home.
My Shed Plans
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Home Decorating: The Do It Yourself Bathroom Project
When it comes to home renovations there are few rooms that have quite the impact of a bathroom or kitchen. There is something wonderful about taking a tired old bathroom and making it bright and shiny once again. However, most people cringe at the thought of a bathroom remodel because of the cost. The good news is that small changes can have a drastic impact on rooms as small as bathrooms. These changes do not have to have a large price tag in order to be highly effective.
With a bathroom assess where the worst blemishes and eyesores are. Painting the walls can be a good place to start but you should first decide whether you are planning to remove any cabinets. This is one room where it is best to save the painting for later in the project rather than the beginning. The vanity in many bathrooms takes up a good deal of space. Gone are the days when chunky cabinets were the popular choice for bathrooms. Now people want the bathrooms to have the appearance of a wide-open space. This means that cabinets and vanities are becoming smaller rather than larger.
Most homeowners find that the removal of bulky cabinets often leads to some degree of patching in the drywall and noticeable gaps in flooring. These will need to be addressed fairly quickly, which means that now is a good time to select color options for the walls and flooring. Smaller bathrooms do well with lighter colors on the walls in order to give them a larger appearance. Use towels and decorations to bring in darker accents but keep the walls light and bright. Also choose paint that can withstand the high humidity of bathrooms.
Flooring in a bathroom also needs to be able to withstand high heat and humidity. Because of humidity, hardwood is not the floor of choice for most bathrooms. Ceramic tile is an excellent choice and not terribly expensive. There are also some laminates that are designed to be in a high humidity environment. Choose flooring that will accent the walls and the overall sense of decor you are hoping to achieve, as this is not something you are going to want to change often.
The toilet in a bathroom is fairly simple to purchase and install. But I recommend leaving it be unless it absolutely needs to be changed. In this case "if it ain't broke don't fix it" is an excellent motto to live by. The same holds true with the bathtub. If, however, you simply cannot live with your bathtub or shower as is with some simple guidelines and procedures you can replace it. If you are not comfortable with tools you may want to hire professionals to come in and install your tub. Resurfacing is much less expensive than purchasing a brand-new tub and will have yours looking as good as new, but if you are going to resurface do your research. In the long run you are better to pay for a new replacement.
Tub surrounds have a drastic effect on your bathroom. The best choice is to use ceramic tile, it lasts longer and you have a better variety to choose from. But the work required for ceramic is a lot more than plastic tub surrounds. When replacing a tub surround keep a close eye out for mold and mildew. On most old surrounds there will be mold, so you need to replace the wallboard and clean any mold with bleach. Always replace the wallboard with mildew resistant board. Your best choice is cement board.
The most reasonably priced decorating you can do is accessories.You will be amazed at the difference that new knobs, fixtures, and hardware can make in a bathroom. Add a couple of lamps for subtle lighting and some decorative touches of your own and you have a brand new bathroom without spending a king's ransom in order to do so. The shower curtain and 'guest' towels should be your largest splurges in your bathroom, as they will tie the room all together. The shower curtains and towels will blend the colors and designs in order to create the overall atmosphere you were hoping to achieve in your bathroom. And all of this can be accomplished one step at a time no matter how sparse your budget may be.
With a bathroom assess where the worst blemishes and eyesores are. Painting the walls can be a good place to start but you should first decide whether you are planning to remove any cabinets. This is one room where it is best to save the painting for later in the project rather than the beginning. The vanity in many bathrooms takes up a good deal of space. Gone are the days when chunky cabinets were the popular choice for bathrooms. Now people want the bathrooms to have the appearance of a wide-open space. This means that cabinets and vanities are becoming smaller rather than larger.
Most homeowners find that the removal of bulky cabinets often leads to some degree of patching in the drywall and noticeable gaps in flooring. These will need to be addressed fairly quickly, which means that now is a good time to select color options for the walls and flooring. Smaller bathrooms do well with lighter colors on the walls in order to give them a larger appearance. Use towels and decorations to bring in darker accents but keep the walls light and bright. Also choose paint that can withstand the high humidity of bathrooms.
Flooring in a bathroom also needs to be able to withstand high heat and humidity. Because of humidity, hardwood is not the floor of choice for most bathrooms. Ceramic tile is an excellent choice and not terribly expensive. There are also some laminates that are designed to be in a high humidity environment. Choose flooring that will accent the walls and the overall sense of decor you are hoping to achieve, as this is not something you are going to want to change often.
The toilet in a bathroom is fairly simple to purchase and install. But I recommend leaving it be unless it absolutely needs to be changed. In this case "if it ain't broke don't fix it" is an excellent motto to live by. The same holds true with the bathtub. If, however, you simply cannot live with your bathtub or shower as is with some simple guidelines and procedures you can replace it. If you are not comfortable with tools you may want to hire professionals to come in and install your tub. Resurfacing is much less expensive than purchasing a brand-new tub and will have yours looking as good as new, but if you are going to resurface do your research. In the long run you are better to pay for a new replacement.
Tub surrounds have a drastic effect on your bathroom. The best choice is to use ceramic tile, it lasts longer and you have a better variety to choose from. But the work required for ceramic is a lot more than plastic tub surrounds. When replacing a tub surround keep a close eye out for mold and mildew. On most old surrounds there will be mold, so you need to replace the wallboard and clean any mold with bleach. Always replace the wallboard with mildew resistant board. Your best choice is cement board.
The most reasonably priced decorating you can do is accessories.You will be amazed at the difference that new knobs, fixtures, and hardware can make in a bathroom. Add a couple of lamps for subtle lighting and some decorative touches of your own and you have a brand new bathroom without spending a king's ransom in order to do so. The shower curtain and 'guest' towels should be your largest splurges in your bathroom, as they will tie the room all together. The shower curtains and towels will blend the colors and designs in order to create the overall atmosphere you were hoping to achieve in your bathroom. And all of this can be accomplished one step at a time no matter how sparse your budget may be.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Five Tips To Make Your Wallpapering Project Go Smoother
Wallpapering, even more than painting, is a great do-it-yourself project. With a few hours of work and some patience you can change the entire theme of your room.
Although wallpapering seems easy, there are a lot of things that the pros use to get the perfect finish. There is nothing worse than putting in the effort to redecorate your walls, to then see that you were making a simple mistake from the beginning which makes the job look unprofessional.
The following five tips can save you time and aggravation.
1) Use activator rather than water for your pre-pasted wallpaper. It allows for better adhesion, and stays wet longer so you can properly place your paper. It is better to take the time to apply the activator, than to be watching your wallpaper fall off the wall in a couple of weeks.
2) Wallpaper colors vary from batch to batch. It may not be noticeable in the roll, but once it is on the wall, you will see the difference. Make sure when you purchase the wallpaper rolls are from the same batch. There is a batch number on the label, also keep your labels until you know the job is done, just in case you need to purchase more.
3) When choosing patterns, match the seams properly. Some seams math easily, but others you need to slide the paper up or down to get the perfect match.
4) Use the right tool for getting clean straight cuts. You will want to use a sharp blade and change it regularly. Although it will seem sharp to you, the blade dulls quickly and you are risking tearing your paper. A lot of pros use razor blades in a specialty handle.
5) Always work from the top down. Not only does gravity then help you but you can also keep a better eye one your placement.
By implementing these five tips, you are giving yourself a better chance of having a professional looking wallpapering job. It requires patience, so take your time, and you will have a great looking room when you are finished.
Although wallpapering seems easy, there are a lot of things that the pros use to get the perfect finish. There is nothing worse than putting in the effort to redecorate your walls, to then see that you were making a simple mistake from the beginning which makes the job look unprofessional.
The following five tips can save you time and aggravation.
1) Use activator rather than water for your pre-pasted wallpaper. It allows for better adhesion, and stays wet longer so you can properly place your paper. It is better to take the time to apply the activator, than to be watching your wallpaper fall off the wall in a couple of weeks.
2) Wallpaper colors vary from batch to batch. It may not be noticeable in the roll, but once it is on the wall, you will see the difference. Make sure when you purchase the wallpaper rolls are from the same batch. There is a batch number on the label, also keep your labels until you know the job is done, just in case you need to purchase more.
3) When choosing patterns, match the seams properly. Some seams math easily, but others you need to slide the paper up or down to get the perfect match.
4) Use the right tool for getting clean straight cuts. You will want to use a sharp blade and change it regularly. Although it will seem sharp to you, the blade dulls quickly and you are risking tearing your paper. A lot of pros use razor blades in a specialty handle.
5) Always work from the top down. Not only does gravity then help you but you can also keep a better eye one your placement.
By implementing these five tips, you are giving yourself a better chance of having a professional looking wallpapering job. It requires patience, so take your time, and you will have a great looking room when you are finished.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Do It Yourself Painting - Stirred Not Shaken
When your paint project involves staining one of the biggest mistakes that can be made is with the actual stain.
There will often be a layer of gunk at the bottom of the stain can, this is a flattening agent - it controls the stains sheen.
You need to mix this into the stain before you start, but don't have it shaken. By shaking stain you will trap air bubbles in it, then when applied to your wood, you will see them. Once they are there, the only way to get them out is to sand off your new stain, wait up to three weeks for the air to work it's way out of your stain, then apply it.
Always, when you are working with stain, stir it gently to mix the flattening agent. You will save yourself a lot of agravation.
There will often be a layer of gunk at the bottom of the stain can, this is a flattening agent - it controls the stains sheen.
You need to mix this into the stain before you start, but don't have it shaken. By shaking stain you will trap air bubbles in it, then when applied to your wood, you will see them. Once they are there, the only way to get them out is to sand off your new stain, wait up to three weeks for the air to work it's way out of your stain, then apply it.
Always, when you are working with stain, stir it gently to mix the flattening agent. You will save yourself a lot of agravation.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Do It Yourself - Painting Doors
You spend the time to prep your door, carefully sanding and priming so you will have the perfect finish.
As you start to paint you realize there are horrible brush marks everywhere. All your prep work is for nothing if your paint brush leaves lines everywhere.
When you are painting with a brush, don't overwork the paint. Brush it on and let the paint flow to fill the brush marks. By pressing too hard or not using enough paint on your brush, you will not get rid of those brush marks.
If you do get brush marks, let it dry, sand with 220 grit sand paper to rough up the surface, and repaint allowing the paint to fill in the lines, not you.
As you start to paint you realize there are horrible brush marks everywhere. All your prep work is for nothing if your paint brush leaves lines everywhere.
When you are painting with a brush, don't overwork the paint. Brush it on and let the paint flow to fill the brush marks. By pressing too hard or not using enough paint on your brush, you will not get rid of those brush marks.
If you do get brush marks, let it dry, sand with 220 grit sand paper to rough up the surface, and repaint allowing the paint to fill in the lines, not you.
Priming Walls Saves Time and Money
A while ago a friend of mine phoned in complete frustration. After painting a wall four times, he could still see an old stain. He explained how after the first two coats it looked good, then a few days later the stain was visible. And after his fourth coat and a gallon of paint he didn't know what to do.
My response. "Did you prime the walls?". Of course his response was no. I went on to explain to him that especially with stains, you need to use a sealing primer to stop a stain from coming through your new paint.
Paint provides durability and color, but not bonding and stain blocking.
Save yourself time, frustration, and money. Prime before you paint.
My response. "Did you prime the walls?". Of course his response was no. I went on to explain to him that especially with stains, you need to use a sealing primer to stop a stain from coming through your new paint.
Paint provides durability and color, but not bonding and stain blocking.
Save yourself time, frustration, and money. Prime before you paint.
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