Tip: Bleach your floors before staining them to avoid that zebra-stripe effect. Bleaching the floor first will kill the color in the darker sections of the wood, and then when you apply the stain it will absorb more evenly.
May 16, 2012
Decorating Tip of the Week
Tip: Lighting is everything. It creates atmosphere, drama, and intrigue in a room. The easiest way to accomplish this is with a dimmer switch. Always use dimmers, even in the powder room!!
May 8, 2012
Decorating Tip
The typical distance between the sofa and the coffee table is a minimum of 15 inches. The average is 18 inches.
April 23, 2012
Decorating Tip
Decorative Pillows on a bed? The rule of thumb is to use 5 or 6 decorative pillows on the bed. You can use two extra long pillows along with three decorative square pillows and a small oblong pillow!
April 19, 2012
Decorating Tip
Tip: Making a room seem much bigger than it is can be done easily with open bottomed furniture. For example: Can you see the floor underneath your sofa and chairs. Furniture up on legs, off the floor gives the room a larger feel. Glass topped end tables and coffee tables offer the same idea.
April 5, 2012
Decorating Tip of the Week
Seating for the Holidays
Tip: A 36 inch wide rectangular table is perfect for conversation a round table with a 48 inch diameter seats six, a 60 inch round will handle eight standard dining chairs.
February 15, 2012
Decorating Tip
Overhead Light Fixtures
How big should an overhead light fixture be? Just add the length and width of the room in feet and whatever number you come up with is in inches, your guide for the fixture’s diameter. So a 15 x 20 foot room would need a 35 inch-wide chandelier.
January 21, 2012
Decorating Tip of the Week
Curtains/Draperies
Tip: Curtains should be 2.5 to 3 times the width of the window. So if you’re doing two panels, each should be 1.5 times the window width. As for the rod, purchasing a rod that is 20 inches wider than your window allows for a 10 inch extension on either side, creating the illusion that your window is much larger than it really is.
November 17, 2011
Decorating Tip of the Week
One gallon of paint should cover about 400 square feet of wall space depending on the porosity of the walls
October 25, 2011
Decorating Tip of the Week
Kitchen Islands
Here’s the scoop:
Islands can be of varied height. The standard is 36”, the average height of a countertop. The variations in height can change with the purpose of the island. If you are a baker and will be doing kneading or pastry baking, then you might construct it a bit lower. For preparation of food, such as cutting veggies and other meal prep, an island height of 39 to 40 inches is more comfortable. If the island has a sitting area with bar stools, the overhang should be a minimum of 12 inches, the average overhang is 15 to 18 inches. This makes for a much more comfortable sit and your knees are less likely to be rubbing on the island.
The trend now is to have two variations in height to the island, one for the prep area and then a raised section for the bar area, which is usually a minimum of 4 inches higher. This allows for preparation with out splashing guests and often times an additional stove top will be added to the prep area, so raising the seating area separates the guests from the cooking heat.
