If you know us already… welcome to the April 2010 Newsletter!
It’s April!! Hopefully now we can get onto the business of enjoying sunshine and beginning our spring yard clean ups!  As always our aim with our monthly newsletter is to fill it with great articles, information and stories that will inspire and educate you.

What Does APRIL Mean for Your Home?

Adding elements of style creates emotional connection points.

Place things in a prominent area that can enhance the home

Positive Look means a positive home, achieve a great style for your home.

Rediscover setting points of interest for each room. Give the feeling of elegance; introduce accent colour

Inviting and comfortable. Transform your home to make it their home.

Less time, more done. These things can be especially effective when selling your home.

Tips to Enhance your Home:
The sun is beaming down and little buds are beginning to bloom. The days are getting longer so pay your garden the same attention as your interior. We like Pier One’s Spring Wicker Collection. Check it out in the Spring Flyer (page 16-17) of their flyer. After all the digging and pruning, you’ll want somewhere to put your feet up. Now, where’s the homemade lemonade

If you know of a great article, story you would like to share with us or perhaps a business that has a product or service that blows you away, let us know as we would be happy to showcase them in our newsletter.

Sincerely,
Kym Tarr

No Comments »

For GREAT table top displays, Follow these guidelines

1. Compose your display so that one item dominates. Make sure items are appropriate in  size and scale for the surface. Avoid items that are too big or heavy, or so small they  get lost.

2. Odd numbers work better than even numbers 3 or 5 objects will work better than 2 or 4.

3. Unify a collection of small objects by placing them on a tray.

4. Place objects close enough together so that they are visually related. For example, Don’t spread 3 objects out on a cocktail table, group them together

No Comments »

Decorating on a budget doesn’t mean that your home will be less comfortable or attractive than one with lots of show pieces. It just means that you’ll have to “roll up your sleeves” to complete certain tasks and be a bit more creative in your decorating approach.

Here are some ideas that can help you add comfort and beauty to any space while maintaining your budget.

Paint Those Walls – Without a doubt, painting a room is one of your best and most versatile design tools. Warm colors (red, yellow, and orange) make a room cheery and energetic. Cool colors (blue, green, and violet) convey a cozy, more laid back feel.

Hang Prints Or Mirrors – Prints and other artwork add character to your home. Just viewing a piece that you enjoy can brighten your day. Mirrors are popular because they serve two purposes. First they come in many decorative frames to suit any decorating style. Second, they can make a room appear larger. When you hang a mirror, try to position it so that it reflects an attractive view, such a garden or a dramatic architectural element.

Decorate With Plants – The natural beauty of plants will enliven any room. Check with florists, nurseries, and lawn and garden shops. Also, check with nurseries, lawn and garden shops or stores that carry inexpensive and low maintenance silk plants.

Display Keepsakes In Groups – Perhaps you have collectibles or keepsakes that are similar perhaps in color, theme, or material (e.g., porcelain). If so, don’t sprinkle them around the room. Instead, display them in groups of three’s or five’s. This captivates the eye and adds drama to a room.

Lower The Lights – One of the biggest mistakes that people make is to only use one type of lighting in a room. In doing so the choice is usually “general” lighting which illuminates the whole room. It’s okay to have general lighting available, but only use it when necessary. The good news is that there are plenty of inexpensive lighting solutions.

Try The Unexpected – When you’re decorating on a budget, you have to stretch your creativity. Just about any object can be used for a purpose other than for which it was originally intended. For example, if your glass coffee table has became outdated. Instead of replacing it entirely, keep the glass top and placed two large, earthy pots beneath it. The effect is surprising, wonderful, and unique. Maybe that incomplete set of three colorful, rustic dinner plates you saw might have added texture and color to your walls if they were displayed together.

Comments Off

Unless a home has been designed by the homeowners, most have dilemmas about the functionality of rooms. In most homes, I find there are rooms that go unused for most of the year.

Why not turn the dining room into a library by adding bookcases. Rows of books make an impressive backdrop and encourage interesting dinner conversation. As excellent space savers, not only do bookshelves provide premium storage space for books, but they also offer a handsome setting for china, crystal and other curios.

Or you could change the conventional dining room into a cozy retreat where the husband could have his friends over for some quality guy time. I recommended a pub table and stools, a couple of comfortable leather chairs, a dart board and a small TV.

Create different use areas in a room, so that more than one activity can take place at a time. This gives you more opportunities to be together as a family, and just requires some rearranging and creativity, not bucks!

Perhaps you can set up a small table and two chairs in an unused corner for a game table, sneak an unused easy chair into the room for someone to read, pick up a couple of bar stools at a yard sale to add to the kitchen counter. Store placemats in drawers to turn the coffee table into a quick dining area, and make sure there are a couple of floor pillows for impromptu movie night….

Comments Off