The Organized Home Message Board

Posted on April 20, 2012 by creatingyourspace

Most homes have some version of a message board or family schedule. Most of the time these communication command centers are located in the kitchen. More often than not they are on the fridge. Homework, grocery lists, coupons, calendars and reminders all end up stuck to the fridge with magnets, creating a cluttered and often chaotic look. Creating an organized message board can clear the clutter and make staying on top of family operations easier.

Organized message boards can be done on a wall of the kitchen with several different materials. Chalk board paint can create a message board on any wall. Today’s chalk board paint even comes in a range of colors to suit every color palette. Magnetic paint can also be used to create a simple message board. Other options include a white board like one would find in an office or a cork board. Coordinating the look and color of the message board with other design elements in the kitchen like wall color, cabinetry and floors will help the message board feel like a cohesive part of the design.

To keep the message board from getting out of control with clutter, clear it once a week. Make room for the latest A homework grade, artistic masterpiece or this week’s coupons. Continually vetting the message board and updating the calendar will keep it organized. Children’s artwork and good grades can be hung in a revolving gallery on another wall in the kitchen or hallway. Keep the fridge clear of clutter except for the magnet collection.

Creative Kitchen – Aprons and Gloves

Posted on April 19, 2012 by creatingyourspace

Kitchen aprons and dishwashing gloves have a definite vintage feel to them. Aprons and gloves recall television shows from the last century where mothers wore aprons, heels and pearls to cook dinner and greet their husbands after a long day at the office. Today’s moms and wives are also likely to have jobs outside the home as well as household responsibilities. Yet, we still appreciate the appeal of aprons and vintage style kitchen accessories like dishwashing gloves.

There is a cottage industry that creates nostalgic and girly rubber gloves for doing the dishes. Some gloves even have rhinestones and pearls on them to add a little touch of bling. If these feminine style rubber gloves can make even one person like doing the dishes more, then they are a good thing. These rubber gloves can protect hands and manicures when cleaning, mopping as well as doing the dishes.

Aprons are also practical as they are pretty. Aprons can protect your clothes from water when doing the dishes or food splatters when cooking. Our mothers and grandmothers were smart to wear them when doing projects around the kitchen.

Today’s aprons and gloves are often color coordinated with other kitchen accessories like tea towels and toss rugs. Runners and mats in front of the sink are a great place to add an accent color or tie in with other colorful accessories in the room. Why not coordinate other accessories like aprons and dishwashing gloves into the overall color palette. Whether your kitchen style is vintage or not, a pretty apron and a charming set of fancy gloves can be stylish and practical vintage inspired accessories.

Decorating Around the Television

Posted on April 16, 2012 by creatingyourspace

Before the age of the flat screen television, many designers and home owners hid their televisions in entertainment centers, armoires and custom made cabinetry. Rooms were designed around ways of disguising and hiding the big black boxes of old style televisions. When not being used, televisions were discreetly tucked away behind doors. The flat screen TV changed all this.

Flat screens have moved up onto the wall in many homes. Mounting a flat screen to the wall means you free up floor space in the room. No longer do you need a large entertainment center or armoire. This means flat screens can be hung above a fireplace, returning the fireplace to a focal point in many living and family rooms. Mounting a large television on the wall should be done with the proper television mounting kit that is attached to the studs.

Smaller entertainment consoles can be placed underneath the television to hold DVRs, DVD and BluRay players as well as game consoles and movies. Today’s entertainment consoles can be lower and smaller in profile, taking up less space on the floor than older models.

Many homeowners do not decorate around the big black rectangle on the wall, instead they leave it as the sole focal point, as in this room. Adding shelves or artwork around the TV can help balance out the size and dark color, making it blend in more with the rest of the room’s décor. Creating balance on the wall that holds the TV can make the TV feel more a thoughtful part of the room’s design.

Two are Better than One: Bathroom Sinks

Posted on April 14, 2012 by creatingyourspace

The standard for master bathroom design is to have his and hers sinks. In newer homes the master bathroom is the largest bathroom in the home and can accommodate a counter top long enough to fit two sinks. In older homes and smaller homes that lack en suite master bathrooms, two sinks are a luxury.

Two sinks ideally mean that you each get your own sink. This can be true in some homes while in others the extra sink is rarely used other than to store makeup and hair dryers. Sometimes one sink with extra counter space is a better option. Even a vanity or make up area would be preferential to the second sink for some couples.

If you do have a bathroom that has enough space for a long vanity and two sinks there are many sink options available. Vessel sinks continue to be popular as do undermounted sinks. Vessel sinks’ smaller footprint will allow more counter top to show around the sink. Vessel sinks may allow you the space to install two sinks on a smaller counter top space. Wall mounted faucets can also save precious countertop space. Atypical shapes like these rectangular sinks are popular in contemporary and modern design.

Because double sink vanities are such large elements in a bathroom, coordinating the sink color and material with the counter and flooring helps give a polished looking design to the room. Matching the counter top with the stone or tile of the bathroom floor can unify these two design elements.

Professional Kitchen Designers

Posted on April 13, 2012 by creatingyourspace

For a full down to the studs kitchen remodel or an update, working with a professional kitchen designer can be a great idea. Professional kitchen designers can help you design your dream kitchen or choose new countertops for a quick update.

Flooring, counters, backsplashes, cabinets, appliances and lighting can each change the look and feel of a kitchen. On their own they can update the kitchen; together they will give your kitchen a whole new look. Selecting a single one of these to work with your existing kitchen can be tricky. Choosing a combination of new counters, cabinets and flooring can be downright daunting. Enter the kitchen designer.

Kitchen designers can help you select a stone backsplash that coordinates with granite counter tops that also work with your existing cabinetry. Larger guts and remodels can be planned by a kitchen designer to change not only the look of your kitchen but its functionality. These designers can recommend changes to floor plans that can up the function of your kitchen without expanding the floor plan. For major projects an in home consultation to take measurements is a must. Even for surface changes, a home appointment should be done for measurements and color samples.

To hire a kitchen designer you can begin by asking friends and neighbors for recommendations who have recently remodeled their kitchens. If there is a local kitchen showroom, visit and ask for a consultation. Get several estimates before deciding to make sure you find the right kitchen designer for your home and budget.

Lavender in the Home

Posted on April 10, 2012 by creatingyourspace

Lavender is a fragrant herb synonymous with the South of France. The delicate purple flowers contain a heady scent that is valued for its fragrance the world over and has long been used to create perfumes and scent the home. The color of the flowers is also a favorite purple with strong undertones of blue and grey.

Lavender as a color is often a more pale, pastel version of the color found in nature. It is a calming color because of all the blue it contains. Because of this lavender is a wonderful color for a bedroom.

Shades of lavender can range from a pale whisper to a pastel with lots of grey undertones. Lavender can work as a wall color for a living room and is lovely when paired with silvers and gold. Lavender accents and rugs are a nice way to introduce the color into a space.

The herb itself can have many uses in the home. Lavender is one of the herbs in the herbs de Provence blend used for Coq au Vin, the famous French chicken dish. Because of its fresh fragrance, lavender and lavender scents can be used in cleaning and laundry. Lavender is a popular scent for laundry detergents and fabric softeners. Sachets of lavender can be tossed in the dryer to give clean laundry a lovely, natural scent. Cleaning products as well can be found scented with lavender.

For freshening up carpets and area rugs, dried lavender can be sprinkled onto the carpet before vacuuming.

Perfect for the Kitchen: Food Themed Art

Posted on April 6, 2012 by creatingyourspace

At first glance this photograph might appear to be of an exotic type of marble or granite. Or perhaps a marbleized paper or faux painting technique. It is none of those things. It is a cross section of a cabbage shot in close-up. Yes, cabbage.

Food based art and photographs can be beautiful and food themed art is also the perfect wall accessory for the kitchen and dining room.

Kitchen walls are typically filled with cabinetry and appliances, but rarely is ever wall surface filled. Most kitchens are left with some blank wall space and some more than others depending on the size and style of the kitchen layout. What to put on these blank kitchen walls can be challenging.

It is not wise to put original oil or acrylic paintings near a cooking area. Grease in the air can cling to the surface of the artwork. Dining rooms are a better choice for paintings like these that are not framed behind glass. Watercolors, drawings, collages and photographs can all be hung in the kitchen since the majority of time they are framed with glass to protect their surfaces.

Choosing what food themed art to hang can be based on several factors, including the style of your kitchen, your favorite food and other colors in the flooring and cabinetry of the kitchen. Traditional kitchens would do best with traditional still life style art, while contemporary and modern kitchens could have food art that was more abstract. Be inspired by food photography to take your own shots and frame them.

Bathroom Meets Wet Room

Posted on April 2, 2012 by creatingyourspace

A separate shower and bathtub, preferably a soaking tub, have been standard in a master bathroom for quite a while. And while showers and tubs have become fancier over the years with more spray and deeper soaks, the layout is pretty standard. With freestanding soaking tubs becoming more popular, we’re seeing a change in the layout of large master bathrooms. One of the changes we’re seeing is the creation of a “wet zone”. Have you seen these? Do you have one in your own master bathroom?

A wet zone puts the shower and tub in a single area in the bathroom, like the picture above. This one has a glass enclosure that contains both the shower and tub. If the glass goes all the way to the ceiling, a sort of steam room is created. The shower can be a step up from the rest of the bathroom or simple divided from the room with the glass partition; a tiled wall would also work to delineate the space. Continuing the same flooring, whether it be slate, tile, or marble, throughout the bathroom and wet zone helps unify the room. For the wet zone, a textured flooring surface will prevent slips when showering or getting out of the tub.

The remaining area of the bathroom can be dedicated to a large vanity with double sinks and storage. A water closet for the toilet keeps that separated as well. Containing the wet zone and steam is ideal for a master bathroom that opens onto the walk-in closet or dressing room.

One Man's Trash

Posted on March 23, 2012 by creatingyourspace

The saying “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” has never been more appropriate for decorating than it is today. Design shows routinely feature treasures found at local flea markets, thrift stores and even the curb. One famous designer routinely features these finds on his nationally syndicated design show.

What is it about flea marketing, thrifting and local curb scouting that appeal to so many DIY and professional designers? The answer may be as simple as the thrill of the hunt. Once you find one amazing treasure for very little money or no money, you might be hooked. For others, thrifting for decorating their home may be one of budgetary necessity. When buying a new home closing costs, moving and necessary repairs can eat into the decorating budget. Being resourceful and clever means decorating with found objects and pieces rather than buying everything new.

Condition is key when converting trash to treasure. A coat of paint can easily transform something that is in good condition but has issues on the surface. Rugs and carpets should be free of set in stains and strong odors. A good professional cleaning can restore a dirty rug to showroom clean. Found electrical things like lamps and lighting should be in good working order or be prepared to have them rewired for safety.

Looking past the scratched surface or ugly paint job to the form of the piece, these clever thrifters and flea market aficionados can turn trash into treasure to decorate their homes.

Design for Awkward Spaces

Posted on March 11, 2012 by creatingyourspace

This bathroom is a great example of working with the space you have to design a beautiful room. Not every room will have perfect proportions, ceiling height or perfectly placed windows. Most homes, and bathrooms especially, have their quirks and awkward corners that need to be incorporated into the design or designed around. Utilize the entire space and maximizing the positives.

The pitched ceiling in this bathroom makes us think it is probably a converted attic or other garretted space on the top of the home. A walk up attic is the perfect space to carve out a master bedroom with en suite bathroom in an older home. Small homes in the Cape Cod or Dutch gambrel style may also have sharply angled ceilings on the second floor, including in the bathroom.

Maximizing the height of the ceiling where it is most needed is key in an awkward space. Keeping the toilet and shower in the tallest part of the bathroom ensures you won’t bump your head. Splitting a double vanity into two separate vanities means they can be tucked under the roof line. A large rectangular mirror and simple wall sconce make the vanity nooks feel more spacious.

Light wood flooring and a skylight make the overall space in this bathroom feel larger. Natural light through windows and sky lights make the room feel more open as well. Skylights are a great feature for second floor bathrooms, especially ones that do not have a window.

From the Floors Up

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