Interior Design – Karen's Perspective

Turn Your Underused Attic into the Loft You’ve Always Dreamed Of

Guest Post

Thanks to Christa Blair of Buildables.net for this post.

There are a ton of boxes and memories stored in your attic and, while you cherish them, they just take up too much space. The truth is that you store most memories on the inside and getting rid of some of the clutter can turn into a wonderful and therapeutic experience. It will also give you the space to turn that attic, no matter the size, into a dream loft or hideaway spot in your home.

Cleaning up is just the start; there are many ways to turn that attic into the perfect loft and here are some trusty ways to do it.

• Use light colored paint – It is not the norm for attics to have a lot of space. If your attic is small with little head room, try a light colored paint. This brightens the room to give the illusion that it has more space.

• Try not to section the room – Sectioning your attic gives it too much definition and takes away from the loft feeling. Remember a loft has few partitions and a lot of space. To mimic this in an attic, you must not use furniture or other objects to define specific areas.

11 / 28 / 2011
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Getting Ready to Paint? 10 Color Tips..

living room

This was the living room in my last house. As you can see, I love color! The best thing about paint is it’s a cheap and easy way to change your life. Bored? Paint! Change your mind, paint again! Afraid? Start in a closet or laundry room. Color will completely change your mood.

Here are some easy, interesting tips for choosing color:

Afraid of color but bored with white? Pick a neutral that you love but go one shade darker to get away from the blahs.
Use a contrasting color on an accent wall such as behind the television or on the window wall.
Paint the ceiling a color. A couple of shades lighter or darker than the walls is safe and creates an interesting contrast. I suggest a couple shades lighter in a small space so the ceiling feels higher. In our sunroom, the walls are green (obvious choice!) and the ceiling is the same color. I wanted it to feel like you’re outside in the trees!

10 / 03 / 2011
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Heading to Australia?

What an amazing property! Great ideas and themes for building or decorating. Click on the photo and see if you find any ideas you can use. Happy Decorating!

Australia beach house

07 / 11 / 2011
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How to Stage Your Home

Guest Post

Many thanks to Michael Samsel, an entrepreneur and writer on the subjects of home design and home practices as well as co-founder of StylishHome.com, for this article.

How to Stage Your Home… a Frank Discussion

Admit it… you’ve received the bid from the home staging company and were somewhat shocked by the cost. There’s this gnawing sense that this money could be better spent on furnishings you would own for the rest of time once your property is sold.

Living Room

With that in mind, let me say that staging your home, to whatever degree is necessary, is worthwhile and, assuming you’ve priced your home fairly, will help you get a faster and, perhaps, more profitable sale. It’s commonly believed that a home is purchased on first impressions and staging greatly boosts your chances of success with this. And, a general statement – everything being equal, your staging budget should bear some relation to your asking price. A $200K home cannot afford the fineries of a $1 million home, etc…

So, what does home staging entail?

04 / 25 / 2011
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Most Unusual Home!

Hotel Costa Verde is proud to present its newest lodgings:

The fully outfitted, meticulously detailed, two bedroom, Boeing 727 fuselage suite. They have refurbished a vintage 1965 Boeing 727 airframe, which in its prior life shuttled globetrotters on South Africa Air and Avianca Airlines (Colombia).

Airplane House

06 / 18 / 2010
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Amazing Use of Space!

Watch as this 344 square foot Hong Kong apartment transforms into 24 rooms! Think outside the box. What can you add to your space?

05 / 04 / 2010
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A Product that Gives Back

Check out this wonderful reversible rug made entirely from used soda bottles! Go green and have a beautiful floor mat that you can literally hose off! Great for porches, decks, sun rooms, kids rooms.

Ok, I’m not selling rugs or getting any royalties here but, you have to admit, knowing people are finding ways to creatively use our trash is a good feeling, isn’t it?

Decorate your home, indoors or out, while caring about the environment. Green interior design.

Thanks, Pooja, for forwarding the Gaiam site to me.

05 / 02 / 2010
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EPA New Lead Paint Rules

Paint

Here it comes! Beginning April 22, Earth Day, the EPA is instituting new rules regarding lead based paint. This will affect homes built before 1978.

Remodeling? Repainting? You must get approval for your work by the Environmental Protection Agency or face fines of up to $37,500 per day.

What are the rules and how do we comply?
Read more…

04 / 19 / 2010
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Decorating Tips for the Holidays – Inexpensive!

Are you trying to get by with less this holiday? And now, it’s time to decorate!

I recently moved to a new home so I can’t simply put up the same decorations in the same place this year. And, I don’t have enough to go around anymore. And… if I’m going to spend money this season, I want it to be on gifts, not decorations.

So, what to do? Well, I went to a local crafts store (Michaels) and bought 5 rolls of ribbon. I have bows everywhere! And, anything that is to be a gift is wrapped and sitting out as a decoration.

What’s under the tree? I pulled out my kids old stuffed animals that I had boxed up as well as a wonderful Brio train set.

The house looks cozy, all the old toys add to the memories and feelings of fun, and I spent almost nothing on decorations (less than $10!).

One more inexpensive idea, slip Christmas cards into some of your frames for instant holiday decorating!

What creative ideas are you using?