Tag: redecorating

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Curtains or Blinds

I’m debating about going to using blinds in my house instead of the lace curtains I have used for years with variations depending on the season. The family say to get both the curtains and the blinds, but they don’t have to pay for them I do, and my budget is limited when it comes to window coverings.

Right now I have long Irish lace curtains in the living room, which is the room I want to start thinking about for coverings. The windows face the road and on the right east side, face the neighbors. I’m not worried about the neighbors, as there are very large pine bushes that block the window partially and no one can see in. In the front however, I’m glad we know everyone in our small village, because a person can see right into my house, if by chance they are looking.

I guess if I got new summer curtains and also blinds, I could pull the blinds partially down at night, but the other problem besides finances for this improvement since I have six double hung windows, is the fact that I’m terribly claustrophobic. I really like being able to see out, even at night. So now I have something else to mull over and some decisions to make and in the mean time, I still am going to go shopping for new lace curtains for the summer months.

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A bit of mural painting

I have a spare bedroom that I have been using as place to go to when I want to just get away from the family. Yes folks, Mom’s do that every so often to regain sanity. I usually shut the door, read and listen to the music I want to listen to, since this relaxes me and my family respect my privacy there.

I was looking at the room as a whole and all but one wall has a window. It is a perfect wall to use as a canvas, and I’ve decided to either paint a mural on the wall. I thought about stenciling it, but I can indeed paint when the mood strikes me…not just general wall painting, but the artistic kind,  so I’ve begun making sketches of what I would like to have on this “wall canvas” then I’m going to go for it.

This will be one of my winter time projects and after I paint it, I’ll continue on with decor and then perhaps turn it into a guest bedroom. I really like remodeling rooms as a sort of hobby, plus it is improving the look of the home, so this is going to be my kind of relaxation and fun.

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Attic renovation and organization

After spending the day upstairs in the attic yesterday, I’ve decided it is in dire need of some organization and in general a major overhaul. I’m seriously thinking about putting better flooring in and also drywall. I need a dumpster first to throw out junk I’ve sort of hoarded over the years, that I really don’t have any use for. I went shopping and got storage containers for clothes but I know that the boxes that are in the attic need replaced by something plastic, since the air despite of the vents in the attic, was a bit humid.

There are basically two rooms up in the attic, and I took measurements of the one side we don’t use. It could be made into another room, and I want to contact a contractor or even a few of my guy friends that know how to renovate rooms or “transform” attics to see what it would cost to make a useable room out of this room that is basically gutted.

I found a bunch of wall hangings and items I forgot I had and am switching the decor in my living room. Sort of swapping things. This will save money on redecorating also, since no one has seen this stuff. We’ll see what the professionals say about fixing the extra room up there and I’ll have another winter project!

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Paving stone and other lawn improvement

Even though I have laid brick in my gardens by myself, I am older and a bit wiser now, so I’m thinking about hiring some professionals to come and tell me about paving stone for my West courtyard. I just don’t have the strength nor the knowledge to do such a great job as I have seen online. The stones are so beautifully installed on the ground and the designs are pretty for that yard.

While I was outside looking at all the possibility for that West side of the yard, I got the opinion of my son about landscape lighting installation. I think it would really look nice and compliment the courtyard I’d like to have built, and also it would keep trespassers off our property, hopefully. That or at least deter them. I’ve wanted lighting all around the house and in the gardens anyway, and to me any kind of landscaping or home improvement basically raises the property value in some cases. It’s a win, win situation.

While doing a really intense study of that West yard, I notice that there are bare spots in the lawn that have been there for nearly 20 years now. It’s in pretty sorry shape, despite of all the time and money I have sunk into grass seed and fertilizer. I think perhaps looking into installing artificial grass. I’ll have to find out more about the pros and cons of that from professionals.

 

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Spice racks and spice collections

Adding to my summer spice collection, requires me to buy more spice racks. It seems I am now collecting them, like I do my various spices. From the domestic every day spices, to the more exotic spices I buy from specialty stores. I have plenty of room on my kitchen walls by the stove to have as many spices displayed and ready to use and visitors often ask if I am a collector. I must admit, I use these racks as also home decor.

Wall spice racks for me, are essential since I have limited cupboard space in my kitchen. My pantry is full of canned and dry goods, so except the wall, there really is no place for me to keep my spices, except the walls. I would love to have racks on the pantry door, but unfortunately the doors are sliders, and not the kind that open up the regular way. Hence making use of my wall space makes sense to me.

Over the years, folks have given me some really great kitchen spice racks as gifts, and I love to display them. That is when I got into the various exotic spices, and also learning how to cook various dishes that calls for them.

 

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Barstools for gifts

One of the home furnishings that my aunt needs is to find a bar stool like the other three she already has. I love going to her house, since it almost looks like it could be a place that was built for the tropics. She has loads of hanging and potted ferns and plants in all of her ceiling to floor windows. What she calls the breakfast room, has a great bar type island and there are supposed to be two rattan and wicker bar stools on each side of it.

I’ve wanted to replace the stool for her for about three years now, and she also has wanted to replace it, but we haven’t found anything that looks like her other three. I know that the set was expensive, and looking for one bar stool to match has been so unsuccessful that she’s decided to spend the money and get the four of them that look similar, but also have more of a soft seat and a higher back to them.

She looked online and found a great set that she can also pick the type of fabric for the seat that will match her breakfast room. I love the ones she showed me, since they are even named Hospitality Key West. I think they will look very tropical in her beautiful room. Bless my Aunt, as she said to save my money for more plants, since she wants these and they are way over my budget, but not hers.

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A corkboard wall

After realizing that the large cork board that is hanging next to my desk isn’t big enough for any kind of organization near my computer and telephone. I think I might want to cover this wall in cork board. I’m unsure just yet though.

When my oldest daughter was a teenager, I hung the self adhesive kind and discovered that the only problem with her cork board that I put up, was that it was totally impossible to take it off the wall easily. Okay, I’ll admit to being “kind” about saying easily. I had to use a chisel and even then, bits and pieces were left. I ended up sanding the part of the wall that I had covered. It only was a 3’x3′ patch of wall, but it seemed a whole lot bigger than that while trying to get all the cork off the wall.

I can’t remember where I saw it recently, but there is a new kind of cork board that won’t hurt the walls once it is time to remove it. If I can figure out where I saw it, I’m gong to by it for this 3ft. wall beside my desk. It will make my life much easier.

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New bedding decor for RV

Am thinking about doing some home improvement in the RV. I use it as an escape to write, listen to my kind of music and just enjoy the fact that I own nice, comfortable and inviting things around me and to be honest, everyone knows that I need a break from it all now and then, and all I have to do is tell the family I’m going on a road cruise. They know that I’ll be in the RV but not going anywhere.

I am in the the RV right now, and sitting here, I notice the family has more respect for this and keep it nice too. Unlike how they act in the house, unfortunately. Since I bought this myself, my husband respects that it’s my escape. When we go on family trips or what ever, it is “ours.”  When it pulls into this drive way, my RV has turned back into my peace of mind and spirit.

I sleep in the master bedroom, and I have thought out what I want to do, and I’m sticking with the satin bedding in all of the sleeping places. In the summer the family insist that the satin bedding keeps them cool. I don’t sleep on satin sheets, but I do know my thread count in bedding. 😉 I’m going to have my own choice of sheets and stuff. Along with getting more homey stuff for the living room space. I’m looking for sites. I guess thinking turned into wanting to shop, which will turn into a new look for the RV and cooler family.

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Help with resort and hotel supplies

Living up here where there are plenty of lakes, is great place to vacation. My friend Lynn owns a Resort right on the lake and I’ve been helping her out with redecorating. She needs a Hotel Supplier & Restaurant Supply, just to name a couple services. Her place is awesome. She lives in a beautiful home right next to the resort and it is all tied together by a terrace and flower garden that I helped her plan and plant. I’m very proud of it, I must say. Since she and her husband got a divorce, I go up there when I can and help her out, especially in the summer months when she is at her peak of business.

She doesn’t have a restaurant, since her resort and the neighboring restaurants give one another business. However, the way her place is arranged, there are hotel rooms in the front of the building and in the back overlooking the lake are apartments. Everything one needs is in the apartments, from tin foil to cooking utensils, bedding to new tooth brushes. All one has to do is is bring their food and clothes. She needs to get how ever Resort Linen Supplies & Catering Supplies. At least new supplies to go with the new themes she has picked for each room and also each apartment. And a lot of the amenities that restaurants would have for the kitchens in the apartments, and also the hotel rooms.

She showed me the items online at PeachSuite Hotel Supply & Restaurant Equipment Company and we decided they have everything she needs to outfit her place in the style she couldn’t do before. I’m really happy for her and the up side of this, is because I love to help her with these kind of things, she always gives me the greatest and biggest apartment for a week in the summer so the family and I can have a nice little vacation and visit with her.

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Mosaic tile for the bathroom

Because I’m in the middle of remodeling the bathroom, I’ve decided that for one of the walls, to use mosaic tiles. There are a large selection of these and I have to make some more decisions, but I love the look of the tiles and I think that for the wall that I am going to use them on, it will look beautiful. This project is mine. My husband wanted to get in on it, and of course I will let him do some of the heavy lifting and such and putting in the new toilet, sink and towel bars I’ve picked out. The problem is, while I was gone for a weekend after I bought floor tile, he installed it. That is where the trouble began. It’s not his skill.

I’ve gone online and have done a lot of research about glass mosaic tiles and how to put them up, what to use and even how to cut them, of course. It’s a bit tricky and I’m sure I’ll need some different tools than what I am accustom to using, but I have a feeling I’m going to like doing this project.

Using the mosaic tile will offer me a variety of options, even if I change my mind and go with the metal ones.  I still haven’t decided on the colors that I would like to use, but I’m thinking about it. I’ve also spoken to a friend who has used these tiles in her kitchen on the wall behind her sink and stove, and she loves them. The up keep in minimal and cleaning is easy also. That indeed is a plus.