Practical and Individual

Practicality and individuality will dominate in the next few years.  Seek out older and better items from architectural salvage site, upper end consignment shops, even estate sales.  This is where you will find better made items.

Yesterday, I think I told you I bought a Louis XV style hair at an upper end consignment shop.  It is fine at the moment, damaged on one side of the cushion, but in great shape.  It is well worth reupholstering as it is exactly what I have been looking for.  I don't have it yet, as my friend is bringing it to me at the end of the month.  Then it is time for pictures.  It is upholstered in white, Perfect color for the master bedroom that I am going to be redoing.  I will however, probably put it in the living room.  I now have a pink Queen Anne chair in my bedroom, that is brand new, and I will be selling it on Craig's List.  I am rethinking all that I have done and want to do.  You get to an age that you really don't feel like changing, or else don't have the money to change.  I am going to try and help everyone, no matter what the income to get a new look in different ways.

It would be wonderful if you could walk into a furniture store ( a good one like Bauers and just buy whatever you want.  In the area where you live, go to an upper end furniture store and look.  The best thing, is to go there and see what you do like and then do the hunt.  I love American Pickers, and I see things they pass over that I would love to own.  So start shopping for things you would like to have, and make  list and start looking for them at consignment shops, online at e-bay or Craig's List.  Don't forget Estate Sales and Moving Sales.  Anyone of these can prove very fruitful.  Look for name brands on pieces of furniture.  Names like Hendredon, Baker, Hickory Chair, Hickory, or other great name brands are well worthy of reupholstering or refinishing.

On yesterdays blog, I showed you a basket, and then I realized it really wasn't a good picture.  It is 24" wide by 16" deep x 14" Ht. and the best part it is on wheels.  Look for a better picture tomorrow!!

Poker Room

Here is the beginning of uncluttering a room.  I guess not many can really believe I can clutter.  I can, if I don't have the proper storage things or places.

Today I was in Palm Coast working with a client.  We went out and ended up at T J MAX.  Here is what I bought:

It is a basket on rollers, that actually holds paintings (unfinished of course) that are many sizes.  It is perfect.  That whole purple bag is full of unfinished work along with other places.  Now I have a compact storage area and the greatest thing it has wheels, so I an easily move it.

Remember we are trying to utilize space and repurpose and reinvent.  Next are some pictures of the table that is 60" round that was handmade.

As you can see rom yesterday, many things have been put away.  The dollhouse is done and moved out along with the things needed to do it.  This was (and still is) a poker table that my husband built in the 70's.  It is a flat working surface for dining, painting or crafting on, or still for cards, dominoes or Left, Right, Center.  Here is his invention for the table that has served many functions.  The trays!

 

The tray fits into the table and has an insert that can be flipped around, one side is for chips, and the other for a flat surface.

Here is the flat surface.  He bought an unfinished wood base and hand stained and finished it.  The top is a synthetic leather that I sold at that time and the whole edge of the table has nail heads around it.

This is  dual table, that can be used anywhere and for any purpose.  Just a little time and a lot of ingenuity.

Right now it is used for my painting.  Tomorrow, tackling the bookcase!!!!!!!!!!!!

Repurpose and Declutter

I told you many times over, about clutter.  Believe it or not, here is clutter!!!  I are going to show you how to repurpose a media room.

 

This is the art, card, playroom and catch all at the moment.  This bookcase was added above the counter below several years ago, because of my extensive books on design and art.  Then my husband took up reading.  Now he has his I Pad to read.  Books are becoming a thing of the past.  He also has taken up crafts.  He made the dollhouse above, which will go to our granddaughter.

 

 

 

 My husband recently finished the ship sitting there.  We put in the television so we  can watch it when doing projects that we want to leave out.  The previous owners used this as a media room.

 

 

This was our game room at one time, now it is a combination sewing, craft, and my art room.  I am going to declutter this room starting this weekend, so I will lead you step by step.  Above on the right, my husband is painting doll furniture, hence the green plastic tablecloth.  He is working in acrylics.  When we have company, all these things are put away.  But this is all WORKS IN PROGRESS.

 

 

This is the counter that was built in and serves as a media center. The bookcase was added after we moved in.

 

Follow me through the transformation of this room.  From a media room to a game room, art room, craft area and sewing room.

 

 

Professionally Done

All great rooms, ( this is any room ), need a mixture of finishes.  First there are the woods; they can be painted, antiqued, light woods, dark woods, with glass or marble tops, including faux tops and leather.  I am sure there are many more to choose from as there are many types of wood and shades of stain.  Rooms need wood, and then something metallic, such as: silver or silver leaf, gold or gold leaf, brass, or copper.  There are many shades of all these also.  One more thing to add is ceramic, that can be lamps, vases, pottery pieces or accessories.  These are all secrets of interior designers throughout the world.  It is using these elements that make a room look professionally done.

You may decide this year to unclutter your rooms.  I have heard this lately a lot from my clients.  Perhaps things change with age.  I have always said that you spend the better half of your life collecting things you love and the last part of your life getting rid of all these things.  I find that I am doing that myself.  I like things to be practical, easily accessible, easy to clean and look neat.  That may be a minimal look.

Simple, for the working parent or parents.  This is really to unclutter.  Nothing on  the countertops, hardly anything on table tops, one or two if any, throw pillows.  More straight lines, possibly overstuffed furniture and minimal lighting.

Multifunctional design is what we have been talking about.  A bedroom and office combined, or an office and playroom combined.  An art room and a game room, of which my next focus is going to be.

Renewable design, my favorite.  This is shopping for items at resale shops, garage and estate sales, or on Craig's List.

A Mantra that has been around a long time, "Less is More".  Focus on quality, not quantity when it comes to art, furnishings and rugs or carpeting, tile, or wood flooring.

Again, depending on where you live, sometimes it is better to buy an old piece of furniture and have it reupholstered.  Dollar or dollar, you will have a good piece of furniture.  I wish I still owned pieces from the seventies or before.

Tomorrow, dual purpose rooms again.

Reinvent Your Home

As I mentioned before, this is the time to renew, rejuvenate or reinvigorate.  Now is the time to apply these to your home.  Especially to all those who live in the parts of the country that are snowbound or home bound because of the weather.

Here are a few tips from a lot of different designers:
Try incorporating a new color into your room.  Rather than run out in this weather, look to your closet or the closet of your children.  Find some great colors and drape them around the room.  What looked good and brightens the room?  See how you like adding that color to your scheme.  If that doesn't appeal to you, try other colors.  If you find a color you like, decide where you can use it.  It may be as simple as vases, pillows or painting one or more walls.  Now make a list of what you think you need.  Look around your home and see if you have anything in that color you can use.

 Add accessories or just move things around.  Re purpose furniture or find a new place for an old piece. 

Add happy hues in the winter:  I love turquoise, pinks, purples, lime greens, corals, or copper colors, they add such a punch to any space.

Get away from brown or beige fatigue, go to bright whites or neutral grays, and add brights.  Just new paint will do a lot to lift your spirits and get you into the mood to do more.

We will start  again on redoing more, tomorrow more on brights!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The First Finished Room- A Hallway

Have been away for a while and now will be back to regular blogging.

We have been discussing before and after, rethinking rooms, and adding to a room to make it dual purpose.

Here is the project that I have just finished with the help of my middle daughter Vicki.

Here is the before pictures of the hallway:

 

 

 

Here is it painted white, as it was a light gold type color, then I panted it plain white.  Next it was striped 3" apart, see below.  I used 1" wide blue painter's tape, marked of the lines, using a level to make sure the lines are straight.  It takes a lot of patience to do the striping.  If you have no time, wait until you do.  Or I you don't care do a little at a time.  When finished you are ready to stripe your walls with whatever color you want.  I chose light blue.

 

 

Here is the finished hall:

 

 

Now with the pictures:

 

 

 

It is long lasting and all I have to do now is change pictures if that is what I want.  One room DONE!!!!

 

This whole look is no more than paint.  I am sure that you have pictures around in different rooms that you can use.  I move paintings all the time.  I can paint whatever I want, change colors, move them from my studio, or teach something I want to hang in my house.  Some paintings, I paint just for shows.

 

You might consider taking a series of painting classes and learn to paint yourself!  Visit my art blog, www.nancysadowskisfineart.blogspot.com.

 

Tomorrow back to some collections.

A Little Bit from Before

Sometimes the simplest things can make a big impact.  In doing one's home over, you must first consider all the things you have or those you do not want.  Up north, you have attics and basements.  How I would love a basement.  You could store things that you don't want to use, and later on, reuse them.  How many things have you given away, or gotten rid of and wish you had back?  I have a lot.  That is why I am reluctant to get rid of anything.  so I must find a new use for it.  I will show you some new ideas as we trod along in redoing places. 

Right now I have a house full of company, so all projects have about halted.  Except one, which is the hallway I talked about months ago.  I was going to stripe it blue.  I got the white done, but then all the holidays came and I stopped.  bless my middle daughter Vickie, as yesterday she put all the masking tape( blue painters tape ) on the wall for me.  Here is a picture of the walls all taped:

 

These line are really straight, it must be camera or comer distortion. The wider ones will be painted pale blue.  When the tape comes off, they will all be the same size.

the actual striping takes a long time.  You need a ruler, yardstick, a small level and painters tape.  It works better than masking tape as it doesn't pull you paint off.  May paint later today or later in the week.  Monday and Tuesday are work days, and company leaves on Thursday.

 

If you want directions on exactly how to do this, e-mail me at, nancysadowski25@gmail.com.