Design Sewlutions

Trim Colors

2012-01-27T17:55:00.001-08:00

Unless you are David Letterman, you wouldn’t wear white socks with a nice brown suit.

You know that they would draw attention to your ankles and take focus away from the nice brown suit and spectacular shoes.

Its the contrast rule. Again. The eye will go to the area of greatest contrast first. If your socks are the most important element in your outfit, then white is great. If, however, you would like them to stay in the background, socks in a color that blends with the suit or shoes is better. Unless you are David Letterman.

Using this guideline with regard to baseboards and window trim will help you determine what color to paint. Or to paint in the first place. If the trim is wood, and it is exceptional in some way, it may be appropriate to treat it as a focal point in the room and use the contrast rule to your advantage.

Stand at the end of a hallway that has several doors. Look at the number of horizontal and vertical lines created by the contrasting trim. When looking down the hall, your eye will stop and start at each contrast point. Imagine the hallway with all these contrast points negated. The hallway will appear much larger and less confined. Pictures or furniture in the hall will become the focus; not the trim and doorways.

Contrast will make an area appear smaller; lack of contrast will help an area appear larger. Trim on doors, walls and windows that is a contrast color will make the entire room appear smaller. Trim that blends with the surrounding wall will blur the edges, the walls will appear taller, the floor wider and the windows larger.

Decide what place you want the trim to take in the design scheme and paint accordingly. You can always re-paint if you make a big boo-boo. But, by understanding the contrast rule and with a bit of planning, this shouldn’t happen.

I have the facility to take a picture of your room, load it into my system and change the wall and trim color. It’s lots of fun to see what the effect will be before painting.

Update on colors for 2012. As mentioned, Pantone has selected an orange as color of the year. Benjamin Moore has selected Wythe Blue HC-143 (a very soft gray-blue) as theirs.

Colors for 2012

2012-01-09T20:15:00.001-08:00

For all of you who have been anxiously waiting for the color forecast for 2012, sorry to disappoint but I just couldn’t do it. I did my research. I looked at all the ‘important’ magazines and web sites. But I gave up.

I really wanted to summarize what one of the most popular paint companies was saying about color for the year but they wanted $75.00 for the report. That’s like buying a T-shirt with the designers name splashed across the front. They should be paying me. I found a blog that was ‘sharing’ the report and it took a me 45 minutes to figure out that the new way of categorizing color was quite convoluted, but when it all boiled down, it seems they are saying that anything goes. Lots of introspective, metaphysical, socio-economic jargon. Simply put: muted colors; grey is big and reptile prints, as in snakes, are ‘important.’

Pantone, the absolute color poo-bah, has determined that the color of 2012 is Orange - or, in their lingo, Tangerine Tango, color 17-1463. These are the folks who told us that fuchsia/honeysuckle was the interior color of the year for 2011. I saw this color in pillows in home dec stores, but did not once see it in anyone’s home. Not once. Well, except in my closet because it is my favorite scarf color and has been for years. On the cutting edge, me.

Most of us know what our best colors are, as clothing, and in our surroundings. We tend to stay with these colors, changing only when our lives change.

An acquaintance did a closet purge and was left with grey, black and brown clothing. In the summer she adds beige and off-white. No surprise there - these are the same colors as her (beautiful) homes interior. I know she gets a bit of grief now and then about her ‘fear’ of color but she has found what works for her, where her comfort level is, and she sticks with it. She won’t be asking me to whip up any orange pillows for her living room. Of this I am sure.

Just as little black dresses never go out of fashion, classic colors and styles help create easy living spaces. That should be the goal. So. Once again. Put the magazines down and use the colors YOU like in YOUR home.

Trust Yourself. Please.

2012-01-09T20:14:00.001-08:00

I was doing my due diligent reading in preparation for the color forecast column and I came across a blog talking about interior design trends for 2012. Interesting stuff. But what caught my eye was a comment, way down the comments section, from a gal who said she had seen some blown glass lamps she loved but was hesitant to buy them. However, based on what the blog said, she was confident enough that the lamps were OK, trend-wise, and that she would go ahead and buy them.

I had a client whose entertainment unit was in the wrong place in the room; the sun shone on the TV screen and everyone who passed through the room had to walk between the TV and the sofa. She said that the unit had to stay where it was because that is where the cable connection was situated. After I asked her what Interior Design training the cable installer had, she realized that she had allowed the installer to dictate furniture placement in her room. We got the cable connection re-located, moved the entertainment unit and the room became much more user-friendly.

I know a young professional couple who have a beautiful home. It could be right out of Elle Decor and it is stunning in its minimalist esthetic. It’s disquieting, though, when one realizes there are no books, other than the three carefully chosen coffee table books. There are no pictures of family or friends anywhere. The wall art is all of the same genre, all the same mono-chromatic color scheme. All the frames and mats match. There is no evidence, in the public spaces, that two children live in the home. There is no personal style evident anywhere. The decorator created a show home but the young couple don’t have a family home.

The most important part of my job is to listen to my clients. Most of the time, all you really want is someone to listen to you, and help you define your vision. I tell you all, over and over, that you need to trust your instincts and do what is right for you and your family. It is your home, not mine, not another decorators. I will help you attain your vision, but it must be YOUR vision.

As we start another year, I wish you all the very best that life can bring.

How to hem pants

2012-01-09T20:13:00.001-08:00

I would not be exaggerating to say I have hemmed over 1000 pairs of pants, in my time, --- everything from jeans to astoundingly expensive custom made mens wool pants. Some, like jeans and the expensive dress pants, should be taken to a professional - for lots of reasons. But, for the young wife, mom or GUY, you should know how to hem everyday pants, and by extension, skirts and shorts. So here is the quick version.

Put the pants on inside out. Turn the bottom of the pants up to the correct length, just form a cuff around the bottom. Pin this in place at the center back. Pin one leg only, and at this point only. The assumption is that both of your legs are the same length, or reasonably close to the same length, and that the pant legs are the same length to begin with.

Take the pants off; keep them inside out.

Measure the amount you turned up. Remove the pin and turn the pants up, by this amount, all around the pant leg. Press this ‘new hem’ fold.

Open the fold. Remove the previous hem stitching. The easiest way to do this is to use small sharp-tipped scissors and snip the threads on the surface of the hem, on the inside of the pant. Snip every third or fourth stitch. After snipping all the threads on the inside, the outside thread will easily pull away from the pant leg in one long piece.

Open the hem out and iron, being careful not to iron over the new hem fold.

Mark the cut line, from the new hem fold down toward the bottom of the pant leg,1 1/2 inches. Use a fabric marking pencil - or if you are confident, use a pencil and a light hand. Cut the pants off along this line.

Turn the cut raw edge up to meet the new hem fold line and press all around. Be careful not to press the new fold line. Turn the hem up again 3/4 inch. You have created a double hem, 3/4-inch wide. Sew around the pants, close to the folded edge. Done.

Magnets,, sort of

2011-12-02T19:26:00.001-08:00

Magnets, sort of....

I spoke at a Reskilling Workshop for Shuswap in Transition recently, presenting information about insulated window coverings and I learned something new, Read on... As a reminder: an uncovered new window may have an R-value of about 3; whereas the wall will probably have an R-value of 20. Correctly constructed and hung window treatments can have an R-value of 16 or more.

The effectiveness of insulating Roman blinds is increased if they hang close to the window frame. Attaching them to the frame is best. I have seen mini-shutters on piano hinges clamp the blind to the frame. I have used magnetic strips stuck to the wall, with magnets sewn into the side of the blinds. And now there is magnetic primer!! I’m not making this up. I bought some to test. The can says 2 or 3 layers, I used 6 before the 1/2-inch rare-earth magnets stuck, But stick they did. So, paint the window frame, or the wall, with the magnetic primer and cover it with latex paint. Sew magnets into the side edges of the blinds, or drape, and that’s that

Thanks to Laura at Shuswap in Transition for the heads up about this product. Check my website, newspaper columns archive, for places to buy.

Changing directions... I was in New Orleans the year before Katrina. As I walked along Bourbon street that first night, I was surprised to hear Rock, Blues, and Heavy Metal music at almost every club and bar. Where was the ‘real’ New Orleans music? Down the street a large crowd spilled over the sidewalk, the narrow ground-to-roof shutters thrown open, the crowd 10 to 12 people deep, laughing, twirling and dancing to the Dixieland music exhaling from the shoulder-to-shoulder closet that was masquerading as a bar. I elbowed my way to a peek through one shutter, the only band member I could see was a lil old lady, pink hair, just ripping up the keyboards. This was New Orleans, this was the real deal. Last Thursday at the Art Gallery Jazz night, Sandy Cameron and his Dixieland All-Stars brought Bourbon Street to Salmon Arm. They painted the picture and had the crowd clapping, tapping and laughing from the first note. It was a very special night; the music came from the stars and I was back in New Orleans, dancing on Bourbon Street, for just awhile.

Things That Should Not be Trendy.

2011-12-02T19:25:00.001-08:00

Things That Should Not be Trendy.

The thing about trends is that they come and go. That is what makes them trends. In the home decor world, trends are fine for pillows, cushions, area rugs, accent lamps and the odd bit of artwork but for major components in a home, watch out. Here are a few things I believe should never be trendy. You will be stuck with them for a long time, and changing them will cost you a lot of money.

Leather sofa: No matter how much you love purple, it is, perhaps, not a good color for a leather sofa. These sofas can last a long time; if it is a quality sofa, you may have it for fifteen or more years. During that time it will dictate the color scheme of the room. Unless you are absolutely positive you will never want to change that color scheme, stick to a neutral color.

Drapes in the living room: These can be as pricey as a new sofa. Same guidelines apply here. Unless you are sure you will want big grommets and striped fabric, for example, for a very long time, buy a classic drape made of exceptional fabric and dress it up with side panels of the striped fabric.

Back-splash: As much as you may love the apple-green glass accent tile of the back-splash, it will age and date your kitchen. We all loved the peach and blue of the early nineties; now it just looks old and tired, no matter what the condition. Better to be neutral, and use the trendy colors as accents in the accessories or chair covers. Same applies in the bathroom.

A friend asked me to help him and his wife pick a carpet color for their house; they wanted the same carpet throughout. I declined -- I have a rule about working for friends-- but I wish I had made an exception on this one. They chose a bright emerald green plush carpet because she had seen it as a new ‘must have’ in an English decorating magazine. Enough said. When they sold their house a few years later, they had to first replace the carpet. A good berber with accent rugs would have made much more design, and fiscal, sense.

Remember the little black dress. You can totally change the look with accessories and it never goes out of style.

Drywall picture hanger

2011-12-02T19:24:00.001-08:00

This is what the drywall picture hangers look like.

The Information Sites for Drapery Insulation

2011-11-22T18:05:00.000-08:00

Design Sewlutions: R-Value and Drape Insulation

http://designsewlutions.blogspot.com/2009/11/r-value-and-drape-insulation.html

The Sensible House Project: Keeping Heat in (or out)

The Sensible House Project; Keeping Heat in (or Out); Bob Scheulen, et al. http:/.sensiblehouse.org/tu_nrg_envelope.shtml

Interior Mall; Warming Up to Drapery Linings; Cheryl Strickland

http://www.interiormall.com/cat/window/aboutdrapery_linings.htm

University of Wisconsin Extension; Energy Conserving Window Treatments; James W. Buesing;

http://learningstore.uwex.edu/assets/pdfs/B3064.pdf

Smart Energy Living: Window Coverings

http://smartenergyliving.org/index.cfm/ID/26

Thermal Insulated Curtains:A guide to energy efficient window coverings

http://thermalinsulatedcurtains.com/

D.O.E. Energy Savers: Window Draperies;

http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/windows_doors_skylights/index.cfm/mytopic=13530

What kind of Curtains Keep Cold Air Out?

http://www.ehow.com/info_8292147_kind-keep-cold-air-out.html

Are Lined Curtains the Same as Thermals:

http://www.ehow.com/info_8304610_lined-curtains-same-thermals.html

Energy Efficiency of Insulated Curtains

http://www.ehow.com/info_8471581_energy-efficiency-insulated-curtains.html

TITLE

Toolbox for Christmas

2011-11-06T06:51:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I was at my niece’s home, getting to know my new great-nephew. I offered to install the curtains in his room and asked for a screwdriver. I got the Leatherman. I got the job done --- yeah to Leatherman --- but later, when I asked my niece where her tool box was, she said she didn’t have one because everyone ‘borrowed’ her tools and didn’t return them. I knew then what she was getting for Christmas.

So off I went to my favorite afternoon pass-time: wandering the isles of the big-box hardware store. I found a tool box from Stanley, no less, for $7.50 and started to fill it up.

Ladies: if you want a tool box for Christmas, leave this article lying around. Circle the title.

Guys: If you want to be a hero, buy some lady in your life a tool box full of useful stuff and then leave it alone.

What I put in Jet’s tool box:

A 25-foot tape measure that is easy to read and at least one inch wide.

A small level.

A short-handle full-size hammer. They are great, fit into the tool box and don’t weigh a ton.

A multi-head, long bit screwdriver.

A small saw with a blade guard.

A fabric tool belt.

A package of dry-wall screws.

A package of assorted screws. This may be a bit mickey-mouse but these packages work well for someone who is just learning, or who only needs a few screws every once-in-awhile.

Pliers, needle-nosed pliers, linesman pliers, crescent wrench, side-cutter and scissors.

2-sided tape, masking tape, painters tape, packing tape, duct tape and scotch tape.

A pencil, pencil sharpener, push pins, a fine tipped Sharpie, a package of elastic bands.

A ruler.

A disappearing fabric marking pencil. Great for marking walls; the marks are gone after a few hours.

A package of the picture hanging hook things. Called a drywall hook. They really work and only make a tiny hole in the wall.

The only things missing are a 2-battery rechargeable drill and a stud finder. I think someone else can buy her that for Christmas. I had so much fun getting everything together and I didn’t want to wait to hear her reaction, so I sent it to her today. I know no-one will dare touch this tool box.

60-30-10

2011-11-06T06:49:00.000-08:00

Imagine (now just bear with me for a moment) a man dressed in a smashing navy blue suit, crisp white shirt and a classic red tie. Perfect color usage proportions. The ensemble looks pleasing and balanced. Why? The 60-30-10 guideline. ( No rules, remember, we have “guidelines”). The main color in a color scheme should appear on 60 percent of the surfaces, the secondary color on 30 percent and the accent or metal color on the remaining 10 percent.

This proportion works for clothing and equally as well when designing interiors.

Most modern color schemes are two colors, maximum. So, the main color should appear on the walls, drapes, floor and major piece of furniture; on about 60 percent of the room surfaces. Variations on color is fine as long as the color stays true; for example: soft gray walls, wood flooring with a gray undertone, drapes that pick up the wall color and a charcoal leather sofa. Shades (black added to the color) and tints (white added) are OK as long as you stay on the true color. Textures are good.

The coordinating color should appear on 30 percent of the surfaces - the accent upholstered pieces, the side chairs for example, and as an evident color in any prints or patterns. Think area rug. Once again, stay true to the color, no mixing blue-reds with orange-reds unless you really mean to.

Use the remaining 10 percent for the metals or, if you are opting for a 3-color scheme, as the main color in the accessories such as cushions and lamps.

There you go. It really is that simple. But, please, please, please, remember that this is a guideline. If you want the room to be all purple, then you just do it and be happy in your space. Do not allow anyone else to tell you what is right and wrong in your cocoon.

We had an absolute blast yesterday in the workroom. Five of us made dressforms - replicas of our own torsos for use in garment sewing and fitting. These are 3 of them.

( Left - in progress. Right - just after being removed. They still have some work to be done on them.)

DIY Window Insulation

2011-11-06T06:48:00.001-08:00

I had to turn on the heat in my house last week. Here we go again. So, broken record me, it’s time to talk winter and the effect the weather has on the heating bill. Did you know that between 10 and 30 percent of your heating bill is going out your windows? Would you like to reduce that amount by at least 50 percent without replacing the windows? Here’s how to DIY your way to a warmer house without custom made anything.

Understand, first of all, that the key is layering. Just as layering clothing is the key when going outside in winter, layering the window coverings is what needs to happen to keep the winter cold from meeting the warm of the room. The best insulating drape has at least three layers: the face fabric, a flannel interlining and a blackout back lining. Create the same effect with two curtain rods, each carrying one or more curtains. If you have blinds on the windows, layer in front of them for the same effect.

First step: Attach blackout lining panels to the back of existing drapes. If your drapes hang on drapery pins you are in luck, most pre-made panels have loops at the top that slip over the pins. You need to purchase enough panels to equal the flat width of the window only plus a bit for ease. If your drapes do not have drapery pins, use small safety pins to attach to the back of the drape.

Second step: Install a small profile curtain rod just under and slightly behind the existing one. On this rod install some semi-sheer drapes. Choose a neutral color so they blend into the wall and shop at the local fabric store, or online for super deals on panels. Choose panels that have pinch pleats and hang on the rod by pins. Overlap each edge by a few inches.

Third step: Install an insulating layer behind the sheers. Purchase super-wide cotton quilt batting the same width as the window, turn the top edge over and, again, use a safety pin to attach them to the drapery pins of the sheers. If you are a bit handy, put button holes equidistant across the top, or put in small grommets.

When spring happens, remove the insulating and blackout layers and replace them in the fall when the weather changes again. I know the safety pin thing may bother some, but it works, is inexpensive and no-one but you will know they are there.

Rules and Guidelines

2011-11-06T06:47:00.002-08:00

Just after the long weekend, a friend said she had quit wearing white for the year because the fashion rule is no white after Labour day. When we were talking I was wearing my summer uniform: white capris and a white sleeveless blouse. Ten days later I was on the beach; in my mind, summer was not over. Guidelines are not rules. Here are some home decor “rules” that are silly and should be ignored, and some guidelines that you can use insead.

Rule: End tables must match.

Guideline: Match the era or style of end tables; match the visual weight and mood; or match the tables, the choice is yours.

Rule: Wall, door and window trim must be white or natural.

Guideline: If the trim is a focal point of the room, and you want to draw attention to it, paint it a color that contrasts with the walls and floors. If you want it to blend into the wall or floor, paint it a similar color.

Rule: Windows must be covered, or at least have a valance.

Guideline: Decide what you need and proceed from there. Just because you have a window does not mean you have to cover it. If you install a valance just for the sake of putting something over the window, it will probably look like you put something up just for the sake of putting something up.

Rule: All wood in a room must match.

Guideline: Try to limit the different woods to 3, and use wood no more than 5 times in one room. If the table and floor are the same wood, both loose some definition; varying the woods creates interest.

And the grand-daddy of all:

Rule: Wood must never be painted.

Guideline: Do what you want to do but remember that unless the wood is of exceptional quality, is unusual, or very old, paint may be more interesting and more suited to your lifestyle and decor than natural colored wood. Take a moment and think back to the oak-in-every-corner era of the early ’90’s. Enough, already.

Now for the silly rule of the week award, thanks to MJ at Shuswap Pie Company:

I overheard her explaining to staff which bakery items are HST-able and which are not. The rules say that a cinnamon roll without icing is not taxable. With icing it IS taxable. Yeesh.

Catch up

2011-11-06T06:47:00.000-08:00

The column on bamboo generated a bit of buzz. I have been asked several times for a source for the socks and except for the lady at the Caravan Farm Theatre Sunday Market, I couldn’t find any local store selling 100 percent bamboo socks. I’m trying to track down the number for the lady from the markets but here are a few Internet shops I found. I e-mailed the Ontario source for more information, as their website seems to be a bit flaky, but haven’t heard back from them yet. If anyone finds a supplier, please let me know. Dribamboo.com (Florida) Dharmatrading.com (San Franscisco) Kindhands.com (Ontario)

I will be doing a dress form workshop in my workroom on Saturday October 15. Participants will make an exact replica of their own torso and get the plans for a stand for ‘her’. This is an excellent tool for any dressmaker. If you have ever sewn with a customized dress form, you know how easy it is to make good- fitting garments for yourself. I have one shoulder quite a bit higher than the other and making a suit jacket without a form is just asking for trouble. How do I know?? Guess... It takes about 3 hours to complete a form and there will be no charge for the workshop itself, just for the supplies. Call me 250-833-1120.

Here is an interesting update on the on-going shade cord issues in the U.S. At a recent meeting of the U.S. Window Coverings Manufacturers and the Consumer Advocacy

Group tasked with finalizing the manufacturing standards for shaded window coverings, talks broke down with the Advocacy group leaving the meeting, citing the Manufacturers for ‘not listening’. I imagine they also had a problem with the fact that those who will be manufacturing the products are writing the new rules. (Rather like the coyote designing the hen-house security system). Statistically, one child a month dies in the U.S. from strangulation on shade cords; it would be nice to get the regulations finalized. I know it’s the U.S. but the word we get from the Canadian government is that we will be adopting the U.S. regulations, so I hope these groups smarten up and sort this out. In the meantime, I continue to make Roman shades, following the interim regulations, with no exposed lift cords.

The Travel Trailer

2011-08-26T19:28:00.000-07:00

My niece has a travel trailer that has fake wood wall-board, gold appliances and rust-colored flowered upholstery fabric. You know the one --- we have all seen it. Unfortunately there is nothing wrong with the wall board, appliances or rust-colored flowers so there is no need to replace anything, but she really wanted to change things a bit. I took down the five little, teeny tiny valances that were of the flowered upholstery fabric and replaced them with a linen/cotton blend fabric in a color that matched the dark of the wallboard. The valances concealed the hardware of the roller shades so they weren’t only decorative. Just this one change made a huge difference and now the flowered upholstery doesn’t seem quite so much a problem as before.

If you’ve read my column for awhile you know about contrast and the effect it has on the perceived size of a room. This is a perfect example of this - the trailer seemed larger and much ‘calmer’ with the new valances. The flowered ones caused the eye to jump from window to window taking in all the little strips of contrast fabric. They contributed to the busy-ness of the room and little rooms can’t afford to be busy. They were also crooked and uneven, adding to their lack of appeal.

A young client and her husband bought their first travel-trailer and it needed new cushion covers. The old ones were shredded and disintegrating but the foam was OK. This trailer’s interior was brown and aqua and Fabricland had the perfect outdoor fabric: an aqua background with a stylized brown flower. It is a retro print that fit the era of the trailer perfectly. Because it was a bit expensive, we used a plain brown fabric for the piping and underside of the cushions and I added some loft with a dacron wrap. I have a new way of hinging these cushions so they are reversible, doubling their life-span. The client made new little curtains herself and the end result is cute as can be. (I’ve posted pictures on the Gallery. Designsewlutions.ca, connect to the gallery). This wasn’t an inexpensive alteration but now the continuity makes the room look bigger; the cushion covers are removable for washing and the homeowners won’t have to replace the covers for the remainder of the time they have the trailer. And they don’t have to replace the aqua colored stove and sink.

This is the third anniversary of my column. Yeah for me!! Thank you to all who read it and stop me to comment. I love hearing from you; you continue to inspire me.

The Bulkhead and Odd-Angled Walls

2011-08-26T19:26:00.001-07:00

Bulkhead and odd-angled walls

I went to a previous clients home the other day and I was stuck, again, by the architecture of the home and the wonderful colors. The home has two predominant colors and there are a lot of angled walls. When we were planning the paint colors we had a dickens of a time deciding what color to put where until we hit on the plan of “all horizontal and angled planes are this color; all vertical planes are the other color.” Seeing the home again, after several years, I was struck by how clever we were. Without this consistency, the home would have been a jumble; a disjointed crayon-box of colors that would have detracted from the fantastic bones of the building.

Then, just the other day, I was asked what color to paint the bulkhead: the same as the wall or the same as the ceiling. So I thought this would be a good topic for today’s dilemma.

If you are not careful, the bulkhead could take on the visual importance of a focal point. Do you remember the ceiling-height wallpaper borders of the early ’90’s? Everywhere we went, our eyes would dash up the wall to glaze over at the sunflowers, or ducks, or books, running around the room. If you don’t stand back, look at the bulkhead and think ahead a bit, you could end up with the same result.

If the bulkhead is more than 6 inches deep, and the wall is 8 feet tall or more, paint it the same color as the wall on which it resides, if less than 6 inches, paint it the same color as the ceiling.

If the wall is less than 8 feet high, painting the bulkhead the color of the ceiling may make the walls appear shorter; so paint any bulkhead on short walls the color of the wall.

Paint the underside of the bulkhead the color of the ceiling. If you don’t believe me on this one, lay on the floor and look up. Horizontal plane equals ceiling.

If you have a handy-man handy, you could consider the bulkhead on one wall as the start of a tray or coffered ceiling and have the bulkhead replicated on the three remaining walls. If you want to have fun, paint a sky mural on the ceiling, or apply some faux tin vinyl wallpaper. If you do, just remember focal point.

The Foyer

2011-08-26T19:25:00.001-07:00

Foyer: An entrance Hall in a house or apartment. Pronounced “foy er” or “foy yeah”. Either pronunciation is correct but the snoots in design school insisted on “ foy yeah”. Whatever. In everyday English, it’s also the “entry” or the “front porch”. Just depends on the house. But whatever the pronunciation, it is still a room.

I was asked what furniture should be purchased for an entry and it occurred to me that most of us forget that the entry is a separate room and requires the same consideration as any other room in the house. The decor of the entry will set the tone for the home and it is not, typically, the room to throw caution to the wind and experiment with faux paint techniques. Well, not for most of us, anyway.

Start with a usage list. Write down the activities that happen in the entry and what furniture and lighting is required for each activity. This is key.

Draw a to-scale floor plan of the entry. Use graph paper and a 1 square to 6 inches scale. Mark the doors, the direction in which they open, radiators and windows.

Print the scale templates of furniture outlines from Simpler Pleasures at http://www.simplerpleasures.com/images/furn.htm. Cut out the ones you need - refer to your usage list and arrange these pieces on your floor-plan. Adjust your furniture sizes as needed.

A door needs 36 inches of swing space. Drawers need 24 inches to open. Chairs should have a minimum of 24 inches of clearance on the two sides and front.

When you have the furniture in place, decide how to supply the necessary lighting -- table lamp or overhead pot lamp for the mail desk, for example-- and draw some circles on the floor-plan to indicate these light sources.

Measure the area you will need covered by the rug. Make sure it is big enough to fit under furniture and not be a potential tripping hazard.

Now, look at what you have. You can list, definitively, the type and size of each piece of furniture you need, the type of lighting required and the size of the area rug you will need. If you go shopping with a list this specific, and stick to it, you will save yourself an immense amount of time, frustration and, potentially, dollars.

Happy shopping!!

What I Learned About Bamboo

2011-07-19T17:15:00.001-07:00

What I learned about bamboo.

I have recently been writing some articles for an internet site that, on occasion, requires me to do research. The one on bamboo sheets was an eye-opener. Here is some of what I learned:

Bamboo is a renewable resource; it can grow 4 or 5 feet per day. Bamboo has a natural antimicrobial quality; no pesticides are needed while it grows. This microbial quality carries over to bamboo fabric; studies performed by the China Industrial Testing Center (CTITC) and the Japan Textile Inspection Association (JTIA) have shown bamboo sheets will kill bacteria and destroy odors. Bamboo wicks moisture away from a perspiring body while retaining warming properties. The fibers produce a non-shrinking, non-pilling silky thread that can be woven into a 1000-thread count fabric.

Bamboo is used for garments as well: Fifty test subjects, all sufferers of athlete’s foot, were given 100 percent bamboos socks to wear. ALL fifty subjects reported the disappearance of the burning and itching of athlete's foot within 1-2 days of wearing the socks. (Reference below).

After learning these things, I asked around. Two of my friends say that their favorite garments of all time are bamboo knits. They are warm, and cool, wash like a dream, don’t stain and wear forever. The sewer in the bunch said the knit bamboo was a charm to deal with. The sheet connoisseur said the bamboo sheets beat the high quality cotton on all fronts. Not scientific research exactly, but it’s always good to hear what the common folk say. So, then I went looking for the negatives about bamboo. I had to look awhile. This is all I could find:

The majority of the bamboo used in bed-sheet fabric production is grown in Southeast Asia. The transportation costs of sending the fibers to mills in other countries have negatively affected the price of the products. Because of the astounding advantages of bamboo, it has become a highly sought-after sheet fabric, which has also increased the price.

Interesting, no??

Source: Treehugger, A Discovery Company;“Bamboo Sheets Keep Germs Out of Bed”; Lloyd Alter; 2007

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/01/bamboo_sheets_k.ph

Tables and Rugs

2011-07-04T20:21:00.000-07:00

Tables and Rugs

I have been asked several times recently about rugs and tables - both coffee and dining - and how the shapes should relate to each other. So, here is your lesson on rugs and tables.

The Shape of the Space

The shape of the area rug should mimic the shape of the space it is to occupy. Measure the width and length of the area where the rug will lie. If the width and length are the same, the shape is a square; if two sides of the area are longer than the other two, the shape is a rectangle.

Square Space

In a square space, the area rug should be a square or circular shape. Square rugs suggest a casual decor. A square rug is often seen in modern decor such as in great rooms where the sofa arrangement surrounds an over-sized coffee table. Circular rugs suggest a more formal style and are often seen in traditional or classical rooms as deeply carved floral carpets with heavy edge fringe.

Rectangular Space

In a rectangular space, the area rug should be rectangular or oval. The design guideline suggests that rectangular shapes are more suited to a casual decor, but because most area rugs are designed and printed in this shape, the guideline is frequently bent or ignored. An oval rug suits a rectangular space and suggests a more formal or classic style, the exception being the classic braided oval rug, which is not a formal style.

Exposed Rug

When the chairs of a dining room table are out, they should remain on the rug. This is for both aesthetics and safety. For these reasons, if the shape of the table mimics the shape of the rug, function will not clash with the form and balance of the room.

Tables and Rugs Together

The shape of the table should mimic the shape of the rug. If the rug is rectangular, the table should be rectangular or oval. If the rug is square, the table should be square or round.

And on a very sad note, Gaye Delorme passed away on June 23 in Calgary. There is a B-flat stranded 14th out there somewhere taking him home.

The Patio Cushions Season

2011-07-04T20:20:00.000-07:00

The Patio Cushions

Summer is almost here; well, that’s what I’ve been told, anyway. I’m not sure I really believe it, but if the number of patio cushions I have in my workroom is any indication, it’s just around the corner.

We ask so much of the patio cushions. When being really truthful, most clients admit that they put the cushions out in the spring and leave them there until late fall. The cushions get rained on, the sun attacks the fabric, the dogs and cats sleep on them and the kids spill ice-cream on them. And we expect them to stay looking good for at least a few years.

Here is how to help make that happen:

Use out door fabric.

The better-quality outdoor fabrics are solution dyed, meaning the fiber is permeated with color, it won’t fade or dissipate. The lesser-quality fabrics have been treated with UV protectant to reduce damage from the sun. I did some cushions for a gal a few years ago, red and yellow outdoor fabric from Fabricland, and they are still bright, no fading at all. Mildew will grow on dirt, so keep the cushions clean and you won’t have a problem with mildew or mold. The fabric is washable, hang to dry only, please, and the higher-end fabrics, like Sunbrella, can be solution bleached (instructions available on the Sunbrella website) for really stubborn stains. Outdoor fabrics are water resistant but some water will soak through to the filler.

Use outdoor foam.

We all know how well foam will soak up water, and keep it soaked up. This is not what we want in our cushions. Outdoor foam looks more like very coarse quilt batting; water runs right through it. So, no mildew, no mold. It is more expensive than top-grade foam but it will last indefinitely. Pre-cut cushions are available at Fabricland, their brand is Fiber Form-Ext; I’ve used it and it works very well. I have a new one called Dri-Fast in sheet sizes and can cut any size needed.

And a few other things.

Don’t use cotton filler for piping, it will shrink and disintegrate over time, I use a polyester filler that is soft like cotton but with none of the disadvantages. Use outdoor, marine, or polyester thread and use plastic zippers - no rust problems

Trims and Tassels

2011-06-07T20:41:00.000-07:00

Most of us love trims and tassels, but there seems to be reluctance in many people to take the plunge and add trim into your home. Don’t be afraid; the ‘risk’ is well worth it. I have never had a client ask me to take the trim off; I have often had clients ask me to add trim after the fact. Trims add definition to a project, enhance a color scheme, and help tie varying color schemes and elements in a room together. Take a moment this week and look at the magazines; trim is everywhere - not a lot, just a touch - less is more, remember. Inexpensive fabric can take on new, luxurious appeal with the addition of a trim or tassel.

Here are some suggestions of how to incorporate some trims into existing decor.

*A simple contrast-colored cushion on a sofa becomes a lot more important with 4 little tassels added at the corners.

*Attach some tassel trim to the lower edge of a lampshade and add the coordinating flat trim to the top edge.

* Sew some trim all around a square of fabulous fabric and use it as a center cloth on a large table or as an over-cloth on a small table.

*Apply two or more rows of different trims to the piped edge of an ottoman.

*Apply tassel fringe to the lower edge of a valance and add some of the same trim to the pillow shams and bed-skirt. This one will take the bedroom from beautiful to outstanding - trust me.

If you can’t sew, or don’t want to, call me and I’ll do it for you. Ask me about the Fringe Adhesive Glue I have; it dries clear, stays bendable, and is specifically designed for gluing fringe and trim to fabric. It works very well.

This week I received the new trim books I ordered when I was in Las Vegas. It’s just like Christmas for me, six different trims in 36 color combinations. The best part, though, is the price. They cost about half what comparable trims cost from other suppliers. What this means for you is we can put some great trims into your home without breaking the budget.

This is one of 3 books, 12 colors in each book ( there are 4 colors on the back folds of this book) and a closeup of one of the fringes and tassel trims. This is the tassle fringe I'm ordering, in ivory, for my living room valance. I can't wait, I've been looking for just the right trim for a year.

The Green Home Tour

2011-05-29T21:33:00.001-07:00

My ‘How to Make Your Drapes More Energy Efficient’ display and I were part of the Green Home Tour on Saturday, May 14. I was at Jen Dyck and Steve Mennie’s home - the straw bale one. We were the last on the list but we had the first people show up at 9:45 and they kept coming all day; well, except for the lunch hour when Jen and I had time to take a little stroll around the property.

The weather cooperated; it was actually sunny for part of the day so everyone who came through seemed to be in good spirits, and there were many positive comments about the tour.

I don’t know much about straw bale homes except that they are very energy efficient. I did a bit of research and the astounding thing I learned is that a built to code ‘stick’ home will have R-20 insulation. Straw bale is equal to R-50 or 60 and the energy saving to heat is about 75%. I was looking at Google Images: 581,000 straw bale homes came up with a massive diversity of styles; some are whimsical, ‘hobbit’ stye; some look like a model home from Architectural Digest and everything in between. Conrad Wilkins designed and built Steve and Jen’s house and it is of a style all its own.

I was really pleased with the response to my display; I had samples of drapes with 4 different linings and the equivalent insulation that the various combinations provide; from about R-3 for a good window with unlined drapes up to R-10 or more by combining insulation and linings and with additional treatments -like Roman Blinds- the R-value can shoot up to R-16 or more . The code for homes in this area is 6 inch studs with R-20 insulation.

Removable blackout liners for your drapes will prevent heat from entering as well as leaving; so please remember this when the summer sun starts streaming in.

One other thing: the Sqwlax Pow Wow is held the third week in July. I went to one night of dance competition there last year and it was a highlight of my summer. I won’t miss it this year; it’s a really great family outing and would be a wonderful event to take out-of-towners to.

Las Vegas

2011-05-07T06:38:00.000-07:00

The Las Vegas Convention Center encompasses about 2 million square feet of exhibit space. LIke everything else in Vegas it’s larger than life. I was there last week to attend the International Window Coverings Expo. The Kitchen and Bath Industry Show was held there at the same time; I’ve never seen so many stoves, sinks and bathtubs; every size, color, configuration- with, I’m sure, a ratio of 2 sales ‘reps’ per visitor. Overwhelming.

The International Window Coverings Expo is the big North American annual show for my trade. It was a blast. I met colleagues I’ve only spoken to on the internet; I connected with a mentor I’ve not seen in awhile; I bought a new module of software for my Interior Design program that will allow me to do some spectacular things for bedroom renderings for you. The highlights for me were what I learned about innovations in the blind industry and patterning techniques for very intricate window coverings.

I secured a new trim line that I will be able to offer at fantastic prices. See the side bar here for a picture of some of the trim. The price of this trim line is about half of a comparable trim here. As of May 6, the books are on their way.

There were quite a few window covering manufacturers there, showing the latest and greatest in blinds and shades. Roller shades were featured prominently, I think in part because they are not susceptible to the cord safety regulations. I met a member of the Window Covering Manufacturers Association council - one of those responsible for writing the regulations concerning corded shades and he told me they are being considered by Canadian regulators for implementation here. Soon.

Boring stuff, for sure, but the translation for you is that if you own a home that has venetian blinds, accordion shades, roman blinds, roller shades on a continuous loop chain or drapery on a cord system you need to be aware that those products may be considered dangerous and require re-fitting.

The upside to all of this is that the innovators in my industry have been really busy developing new products that allow us to continue to make window coverings yet be compliant. Magnets, concealed tracks, wide lift bands, cord shrouds- truly unique systems and some of them are much better than the ‘old’ ways. If we hadn’t had this shakeup we might never have seen these products be developed. I have one new system in use in my workroom now, a second system will be soon - it was just announced at the show for the first time and they were overwhelmed with orders.

My Favorite Books

2011-04-24T07:14:00.000-07:00

If I could, I’d be a book hoarder. Fiction, non fiction - doesn’t matter, I love books and if I had a large house with a large library it would be full. I’d love to have one of those library ladders that run on a track all around the room... Dream on...

I do have a lot of books in my workroom though. When I started in the sewing business I bought a lot of books, took a lot of courses and some of those early books have become reference guides for me.They are my standbys that I still refer to when my brain gets overloaded or when I’m looking for a bit of inspiration.

I thought I’d share this list of books with you. Any of these books would be a good addition to a home sewers library.

The Singer Triad: ‘Singer Sewing For the Home’, ‘Singer Sewing Projects for the Home’ and Singer ‘More Sewing for the Home’. These three books were originally published in the 80’s and 90’s and have been updated several times since but the basic information they contain is timeless. I have the first editions of them, all bent and tattered, and I still refer to them for things I don’t do often like how to make a double flanged pillow or how to join twist cord . Best instructions I’ve ever seen for making a chair slipcover pattern too.

‘Window Treatments’ by Karla J Nielson. This is the technical book. It’s a big heavy textbook and can be really dry reading but everyone I know in the business has this book.

‘The Complete Curtain Making Course’ by Caroline Wrey. An all around good how to book.

‘The Encyclopedia of Window Fashions’ by Charles T Randall. Before the internet, this was the reference we all used as the go-to book for ideas. I still take it on house calls

I recently bought a re-print of a book from the late 1800’s; all about old world drapery making and patterning. Fascinating stuff but almost incomprehensible. Next week I’ll be in Las Vegas for the annual International Window Coverings Expo. I’ll be attending a workshop featuring this old book; the facilitator promises to de-mystify it for us. I’m sure I’ll have something to say about the show in my next column.

Summer Sun

2011-04-17T17:25:00.000-07:00

I actually felt heat from the sun the other day. Summer is coming. Those of you who have gardens must be getting excited. In a short while the front yards will take bloom; the veggies will show their potential - and the sun will be streaming in the windows; heating up the house; bleaching the floors and the fabric on the windows will be slowly disintegrating.

But, you say, I have blinds on the windows; or the windows face north; or the fabric is off to the side. Sorry; but the sun, direct or otherwise, will do damage. I made some piping from a clients pale blue cotton fabric; left it on a roll under a north facing window in my workroom for 1 day. The next day the sun had bleached the top layer to yellow.

I have seen cotton drapes fall apart after 1 year of sun exposure; silk and linen will discolor in a matter of months. Once again - direct or indirect; doesn’t matter; the sun will affect fabric, leather and hardwood.

What can you do? You can replace your existing windows with top of the line new ones. You can add blackout liners to your existing drapes. You can buy new blackout blinds. All good options but the blinds or drapes must be closed in order to be effective and new windows may not be in the budget this year. Or you can have a solar film applied to your windows; solar film will block up to 98% of damaging UV rays; as much as 82% of solar heat and can reduce your cooling costs by 30%. Best of all it's not expensive.

A client had new window treatments done for her south facing living room. She took my advice (bless her) and had the film applied. When I called a few weeks later to see how everything was, she told me that for the first time in 8 years in the house she was able to sit in her living room and admire her front garden. The heat had always been too much - and she no longer had to worry about the sun bleaching her sofa or floor.

The local supplier of Solar Tech Films: Jonas Nohr 259-540-8468. Check the website Solartechfilms.ca

On the left- it is 102 outside the film, inside 65.

Piping Sunbleach. One day. No direct sun.

How to clean your window coverings.

2011-04-03T07:28:00.000-07:00

The first step is to look at your window coverings and decide if they actually need a total cleaning. Fabric coverings and blinds are treated differently. For blinds please please please DO NOT take them down and try to wash them unless the care instructions indicate it’s OK to do this. Often the cords are cotton and will shrink; the adhesives may be water soluble; the metal components may rust. Clean your blinds by dusting with a wool duster or vacuuming followed by a light wiping with a damp cloth only; no cleaning solutions. This means no cloths or ‘wands’ with built in cleaners. If you have a real dirt problem you need to find an ultrasonic blind cleaner person to come and clean your blinds.- See the link below for help with this.

For your fabric window coverings; remember that most drapery fabric is not washable but for those that are removable and not pleated you can put them in the dryer with a damp towel and ‘fluff’ them a bit. Consider what you will do if you have to iron them after fluffing. If you have pleated drapes vacuum them; both on the face and lining side. Tie them back with the pleats in place and gently steam with a hand held steamer. Let them sit still for a few days. Check the content of the fabric before you steam. Natural fibers may shrink, silk may water stain.

If you really need to wash your washable coverings, do it gently and use an extra large washing machine less than half full. Try to re-hang them when they are still a tiny bit damp and smooth out any wrinkles with your hands.

Not to long ago I was called to rehang a living room swag that had been taken down for cleaning. The homeowner didn’t understand that all the pins were there for a reason - to hold the swags in place. (I hasten to add I did not construct this swag initially...) When it came back from the cleaners it was one long piece and it took two of us several hours to get it to a semblance of what it was previously. Sometimes window treatments are not meant to be taken down at all; if in doubt call me.

Family Drycleaning and I work together to get your drapes and valances cleaned. Call me, 833-1120; I'll come and remove the drapes, get them cleaned and re-hang them for you.

If you have venetians or blinds that need cleaning, Shuswap Window Cleaning offers a mobile service. They do it all for you at your home, 833-2533. I have not used this company- they are new to me. If you have used their services and would like to comment, please e-mail me at linda@designsewltuions.ca

A few solutions

2011-03-11T20:17:00.000-08:00

A Few Solutions

While not directly associated with home decor, the following problems definitely fall under the category of ‘dilemmas’ and I’ve found solutions for them that make my life easier. I hope they will help you too.

I used to do quite a bit of silversmithing; haven’t in awhile but recently I started to do some chain maille again. Which brings me to how to clean silver. I learned this in soldering class years ago; mix the original Dawn liquid detergent and baking soda into a paste the consistency of tooth paste and use a toothbrush to clean the nooks and crannies of tarnished silver. If you have large pieces; line your sink with tin foil and sprinkle over it 1/2 cup of baking soda. Lay your silver on the tin foil and add boiling water to cover. It smells a bit like rotten eggs but works very well. To clean copper: clean it with the Dawn and baking soda first and then soak it in dark soy sauce. I’ll post some before and after pictures with this column on my website.

I hate the litter box. I bought a diaper pail and thought I’d scoop into a little sandwich bag and then drop those in the pail but the scoops didn’t fit the bags. ‘Litter Locker’ does work, though. Same idea, looks like a diaper pail but you deposit the scoops into the top, open the ‘trap door’ and the scoops collect in the bottom in a larger bag. Just like the diaper pail. And there is NO SMELL. So, instead of taking each day’s collection to the garbage, I only have to do it when the bag is full. I got my Litter Locker at Zellers for under 20.00.

To remove pet hair from your clothes or furniture: put on a disposable latex glove and wipe the hair away. No kidding. I keep a box of these gloves in the kitchen for use with raw meat and hot peppers.

And then there was the rust stain in the spare bathroom toilet. I tried at least 5 products - all saying they would do the job - and, of course, none of them did. I even broke down and tried elbow grease and Commet. ‘ Super Iron Out’ Rust Stain Remover worked. Just like it said it would; I got it at Canadian Tire.

Clutter

2011-03-06T09:21:00.000-08:00

I spend a fair bit of time helping people get started on the way to their vision of their home.

Sometimes this is very difficult and usually due to clutter. I remember one house that had piles of clothes everywhere. The circular staircase led to a large second floor landing off which the bedrooms opened. On the landing was a small path around the 3 foot high pile of clothes. The piles continued into the daughters bedroom; the walls were covered with posters hung with scotch tape; the room was crammed with furniture and every drawer was hanging open. It didn’t smell very pleasant either. The client wanted help picking a new paint color for the walls and seemed completely oblivious to the fact that the walls were almost totally hidden by the furniture and clutter. I was new to the business then so I just did what she wanted and helped her pick a color. I have thought about them often over the years, wondering what happened in that home. It was not a pleasant place to be; it felt heavy and oppressive. It felt disjointed and unhappy and I felt uneasy being there.

We know so much more, now, about the cause and effect of clutter in our homes. It impacts our emotional well being and therefore our personal and professional lives. It increases stress levels; it encourages overspending; it causes us to use up precious time looking for things and now we know there is a direct relationship between the state of clutter in a home and the weight of the inhabitants. Yup.. clutter can make you fat.

None of this is saying that homes must be minimalist. If you need lots of stuff in your life, fine, but if it is not kept under control - if it becomes clutter - then the clutter will start to change the way you think and act.

One simple example: If your kitchen is always in a ‘state’; preparing meals can become a chore. Quick meals eaten in front of the T.V. is a common result. You will eat more if you do it watching T.V.

How do you know if you have a clutter problem? You probably already do know.

Nine questions to answer. Answer truthfully:

http://zenhabits.net/identify-clutter

Peter Walsh, one of the most reasonable of the clutter gurus:
http://www.oprah.com/home/Peter-Walshs-10-Tips-to-De-Clutter-Your-Home

And one more from the zen people - check out the links posted in this.
http://zenhabits.net/zen-mind-how-to-declutter/

Follow up to color...

2011-02-13T09:21:00.000-08:00

When I did my research for the column on the color forecast, none of the sources I looked at mentioned blue. But in January a major shelter magazine published their forecast with blue and green prominently displayed. I stand corrected. To further add to the confusion Pantone later released their color of the year. Pantone is the biggest of the big color poo-bahs. If I wanted to tell my manufacturer in Indonesia exactly what shade of blue I wanted, we would both refer to our Pantone books. Each Pantone color has an identifying number and there are over 2000 named Pantone colors in the current system.

So, their color of the year is ‘Honeysuckle’ 18-2120. A friend thought that was blue, I thought it would be soft pink and someone else chimed in ‘No, it’s yellow’. Surprise surprise. Honeysuckle is HOT pink. ’ A Color for All Seasons: Courageous. Confident. Vital. A brave new color, for a brave new world. Let the bold spirit of Honeysuckle infuse you, lift you and carry you through the year. It’s a color for every day – with nothing “everyday” about it.’ ( Pantone.com, ‘Pantone 2011 color of the year’). To me, it looks like fuscha .

I thought it would be interesting to find some paint this color, just for reference. In my Interior Decorating software I can import a color swatch, get the ‘RGB’ numbers, enter those into a search and the system will tell me which of about 50 paint companies carry a color similar and the name of that match. The closest I could find was Sico 4000 Color collection 4069-53 Secrets, or True Value 122 Pink Passion, but to be fair color matching on a monitor is not the best thing to do and the system doesn’t check every paint available.

The ‘It’s All About Women Conference’ held on January 29 was a great success. My two break out sessions were very well attended and we had a lot of fun painting and yakking. Thanks to Tracie Affleck at Color Trends for donating two Para Paints fandecks as door prizes for these sessions.

If you want to see the Honeysuckle color, go to pantone.com. You can’t miss it, but here it is anyway. Quite a glorious color, isn't it?

Drapery Rods

2011-01-31T19:24:00.001-08:00

definition: Curtains are window coverings usually hung on rod systems that open and close horizontally. Drapes are lined curtains.

Considering the fact that most over the counter drapery rods will only span a specific distance without bending; what’s a DIY’er to do? You can spend a LOT of money on rods, or not very much at all but, once again, doing some homework will save you time, aggravation and money.

These are the questions you should ask yourself; they are the same questions I would ask you during a house call.

Do you want to be able to open and close your drapery easily and often?

- Drapes hung on rings will catch on the expansion join of telescoping rods.

Do you need a cord operated system or can you hand draw the drapery?

Do you want the drapery to clear the window when in the open position?

-If so, add about 20% to the window width and use this as the finished rod width. Is there room on either side of the window for this?

How much distance will you need the rod to span without support?

-I rarely use a rod without a support at least every 3 or 4 feet. Therefore, most wood rod and rings systems available over the counter are not really suitable for full length drapery that you want to draw from the center to each side; or to one side only (as in a patio door).

And the big one: how much room do you have to mount hardware?

Now having answered these questions you have probably, if working on a large window, realized that you need a rod with brackets that do not prevent the glides from operating all the way along the bottom of the rod. A traverse rod is cord driven and will work, is not very expensive but is usually very ugly so you will need to think about a valance. An I-Beam rod will work too, but is hand drawn and is not very pretty either. Or you can look at ordering a rod from someone like me who has access to new rods that do all the things we need them to do, look great and don’t cost a lot. Call me if you would like to see some options.

Hope to see you at the ‘It’s All About Women’ Conference January 29 at the Prestige.

Catching up a bit

2011-01-15T08:21:00.001-08:00

Catching up.

A few catchup things this week. First of all, I’ll be at the ‘It’s All About Women’ Conference, Saturday January 29 at the Prestige, doing a little talk at 1:00 and repeating at 2:00. The subject will be color and light in your home. Come join us and learn some things and have some fun in the process. If you have a Design Dilemma bring some pictures or information and I’ll do my best to help you solve the problem. Itsallaboutwomen.ca.

I few months ago I told you about the Corded Shade problems in the U.S. and the recall of any corded blind. The new standards have been established and while the Canadian authorities have not, at this time, adopted them for Canada, indications are that this will soon happen. In a nutshell, any blind or drapery system that has exposed cords has been removed from the market. New products have been developed for the fabrication of these items and these products can also be used to retrofit existing fabric blinds and shades. If you have a fabric blind constructed in the ‘old’ way with cords and rings I am now able to bring these blinds up to the standards that makes it almost impossible for children (and pets) to get caught in the cords and I will be using the new methods if requested on any future blinds I construct. The products are quite innovative, don’t interfere with the look or function of the blind or shade and are not expensive. Call me for more information. 250-833-1120

As a side note to this, if you have a blind with exposed cords in a room where children or pets have access, PLEASE take precautions to prevent a disaster like those that caused this dilemma in the first place. Again, call me if you’d like more information on what you can do.

Also, a few months ago, I told you about a beautiful older home that is being renovated. We finished the window treatments in the front sitting room and they are simply breathtaking. I’ve posted pictures on my Gallery, get there via the website; Designsewlutions.ca and click on the flashing book icon to get to the Gallery. Scroll down past the wing chair to the posting ‘ New Jewelry for a Grand Old Gal’.

Hope to see you at the conference.

Oh... P.S. For those of you wondering, no I didn't get married, the name change is back to my 'maiden' name...

Color Forecast for 2011

2011-01-02T13:17:00.001-08:00

Here is some good news for all of you who diligently followed the color mavins guides for 2010 and re-decorated according to their forecasts.

You don’t really have to change much to be on the cutting edge for 2011. In terms of color. Which means that the ‘what will the colors be for 2010’ forecast was almost the same as the current ‘what will the colors be for 2011’ forecast.

All the trend colors are still grayed (or muted, in real colorist terms); vibrant jewel colors are not found; blue is almost totally absent and the only real green is what I (irreverently) refer to as hospital wall green. The neutrals are greenish though, as they were last year; in one forecast they all reminded me of shades of putty, except the pinkish one..

The red this year is an orange red, last year it was more of a blue red, purple is still there although this year it is appearing quite a bit darker. ( No mauve anywhere in sight). Brown is represented by an olivey brown - we called it ‘breen’ back in the day; and the yellow is not a striking, clear lemon yellow like last year; it’s more of a golden yellow.

I kept a few shelter magazines from late 2009 and compared them to the issues of 2010 for this column. In general, at a glance, I’d say that the major difference in the forecasts is that 2011 look like ‘ spring/autumn’ colors while those that were used for the 2010 forecast looked more like ‘summer/winter’ colors. Those of you who have

had your colors done will understand what I mean by this.

Pattern will be big this next year. Mixing styles will be big too - everything is being combined with everything and the fusion names are a lot of fun but I’m still trying to figure out exactly what ‘Indie Chic’ is...

There you are - your guide to color for 2011. I just have one more piece of advice. I would like to tell you to scrunch this column up and toss it in the garbage - forget this forecast nonsense and do what is right for you and your home. But I can’t do that. So scrunch it up and toss it in the recycle bin instead.

I wish the very best for all of you this coming year.

Winter window fixes

2010-12-25T20:26:00.001-08:00

The cold snap reminded me that the windows in my new-to-me condo needed attention. I finally took some time and made the insulated drapes for the balcony sliding doors and used a new lining that is flannel backed. Like the new black out linings it drapes much better than the older versions of the same thing and the price was actually less than regular drapery lining. I took down the plastic verticals (they were there when I moved in) and installed a double rod, put some crinkle sheers up and then the soft yellow drapes and I love them. And the room is so much warmer. If you want to do something like this yourself, look into the pre-made panels available that have blackout lining built in.

I made removable insulated liners for the bedrooms; I didn’t want to use black out lining - I like as much light as possible, especially in this dark season - so I used a very thin cotton quilt batting that also drapes well and these rooms are a lot warmer now too.

I don’t like to repeat myself but I thought this might be the time to remind you that you can make a difference in your heating bill by fixing your window treatments.

A home with 4” studs must have R-12 insulation. If you have a double insulating glass window with 1/2” air space between the layers, the R value of the window is about 2. Add a single layer of fabric, almost no increase, add a plain lining for an increase of about 1 for a total R value of R3. Add a black out lining; R-value is up to about R5 or 6. Add an interlining, and the R value jumps to about R9. Add an insulated Roman Blind and valance and the R value of the whole window treatment becomes about R16. Remember that the window treatments you are using to reduce heat loss must be snug to the window and layers will provide the best protection. Think about this: if you have a blind inset into your window frame and the gap on each side is 1/8”, over 80 inches (40 inches on each side) this equates to a 3” x 3” hole in your coverage.

If you’d like to know how much of your heating costs are going out the window, e-mail me; info@designsewlutions.ca.

Space Heaters

2010-12-25T20:25:00.001-08:00

So there I am, shivering from being outside in the COLD, standing in front of the space heaters in the hardware store. I needed to buy one and I didn’t have a clue which one to get. The clerk couldn’t help, so I picked one on sale and took it home. Then I did some research and found that I had bought the wrong one.

I should have taken a page from my design training and really looked at what I needed before I bought one. So, to help you not make the same mistake, here is your space heater primer. ( These all refer to plug in electric heaters ).

To heat a whole room with a constant heat the best is an oil-filled radiator type. They take a bit longer to warm up but are very efficient. No fans though.

To heat a space with fan-driven heat: Ceramic heaters.

To heat a small space quickly, like your toes under the desk; choose a radiant heater. The feeling is like sitting in the sun. The most efficient of these are the halogen heaters; they work with the same principal as halogen light bulbs and come to temperature almost immediately.

Do you need a thermostat? auto shutoff? timer control? oscillating fan? Think about the answers before you go shopping.

NEVER use a space heater with anything other than the recommended extension cord. A regular household cord is not good enough, don’t risk it.

It would seem that a 1500 watt heater would be ‘better’ than an 800 watt heater. This is not necessarily so. An 800 watt radiant heater will do the job it was intended to do quite nicely.

How much does it cost to run one?

Divide the watts by 1000 and multiply by the cost of electricity per hour and you have your hourly cost. Here we pay 6 to 9 cents per kilowatt hour. Lets use 10 cents.

A 1500 watt heater: 1500 divided by 1000 = 1.5. Multiply this by 10 cents = 15 cents per hour. But, if an 800 watt heater is all you need, the cost drops to 8 cents per hour. A light bulb costs .6 of a cent per hour, a computer and monitor 4 cents, a fridge 10 cents.

I returned the heater; got the correct one and now I’m much warmer and I saved money too.

An Older Home

2010-11-24T05:56:00.000-08:00

I’ve been asked to do a window treatment in an older home. The homeowners are very lovingly restoring this beauty and are taking care to do it with period appropriate designs. We have a photo to work from; it’s a perfect design for the room and the home. But, it’s a very complicated design - one that isn’t done often and so I have had to do some homework. I’m very fortunate to have access to a network of people like me throughout North America and I asked for advice. I was directed to a gal in Georgia who had done exactly what we are planning here and was pleasantly surprised to receive a phone call from her. She shared invaluable information and suggested I look at another site that was specific to ‘Old World Window Fashions’. ( From that site I was directed to a gal who actually teaches old world patterning and I’m going to attend her spring course).

As I was looking at the older window fashions I was struck by how similar, in many ways, they were to what we do now with our window treatments. Good fabrics, well considered design; good construction. In his definitive book on the subject, published in 1887; one of the most prominent window drapers in the US; Frank Moreland; states: “In most cases the choice of colors is controlled by the previous treatment of the rooms; for usually the hangings are the last things considered, and the draper the last person called in.” Did you catch that? The window coverings should be the last thing done in a room. Not the first.

I know I’ve lost sales because I advised potential clients to wait to make the decision on window coverings. I know the temptation is there to pick fabric and run with it; matching the room furnishings later. Believe me, though, it’s a lot easier to pick fabric to coordinate with the walls and furniture than it is to pick a sofa to match the drapes. Your windows will have specific requirements, heat and light control, privacy, functionality - and don’t forget budget. You won’t know all of the requirements until you have lived in the room for awhile.

So - back to the older home. We are taking our time; we have fabric to work with that is presenting challenges; the design is a challenge too; but the homeowners have waited and now know what the room needs and what they’d like to see. I’ll keep you posted

More floor plan

2010-11-24T05:54:00.003-08:00

If you want to continue on with your floor plan you have a few choices to make now. You can draw it to scale and add outlines of furniture; you can go on line and do a computer generated floor plan or you can call a designer and get a floor plan done for you.

Here is why you should do one of these things:

Your floor plan is the map for the room. It tells you where the furniture will be placed, it shows the size of the furniture. With the addition of lighting it shows what type of fixtures you will need and where they will be placed. If you are working on a living room, it will now show the shape and size of the coffee table and it will show the size of any area rugs you need. You will have sizes for any occasional furniture or floor accessories.

The size and type of each piece of furniture, lighting or accessory should be listed on a sidebar of the plan. This is your room shopping list. Now, when you are selecting elements for the room, you will know exactly what you need and in what size. Just like we know that that we should not go grocery shopping when hungry, we should not do room arranging without a plan. If you have existing pieces that are to be used in the room you will know where they will be positioned and what their intended use is. You won’t buy extras or pieces that won’t fit.

The next step in the process is to decide what style of room you are doing. You could, for example, want to do a Victorian room, or an Art Deco room, or a Retro room. Or you could be doing a Contemporary room which often incorporates antiques and new pieces; this is the most common style for this area. Look at some magazines, go online, get a feel for what you want. We’ll continue with this in the next floor plan column.

I can do a floor plan for you - it could be just a floor plan or could be the start of a whole room design; elevation, floor plan and mood board. See one at Designsewlutions.ca; connect to the Gallery via the flashing book and go to the ‘Visualize This’ feature.

Old Dogs and New Tricks

2010-10-22T19:13:00.001-07:00

I was doing some research the other day and came across a statistic that I thought I’d share: Ideas that are being explained with the use of verbal and visual tools are 6 times more likely to be understood than ideas being explained with verbal tools only. I have know for a long time that the phrase ‘I just can’t visualize it’ coming from a potential client was one of my biggest hurdles to overcome. I can see the finished product very clearly in my head but I am not an artist. So a few years ago I took drawing classes. I had to label the drawing I did of a shoe to explain what it was. I spent hours learning how to draw simple examples of window treatments so I could better explain my vision but they never were to my total satisfaction.

As my business grew and my knowledge increased, it became more and more important for me to find a way for my clients and I to communicate on this non-verbal level. About 3 years ago I found software that fit the bill and have since been working with the program on and off. A few months ago I took the proverbial bull by the horns, signed up for the advanced course and have spent the last 6 weeks with my nose stuck in my computer. The result is that my hair is a mess, the dust bunnies have grown up to full rabbit size and the cat doesn’t know who I am anymore but I can now produce some really good renderings for my clients. I can, for example, take a picture of your living room, design some drapery on the actual windows and fill them with the actual fabric you have chosen so you can actually SEE what things will look like after everything is done. Similarly, I can take a blueprint, or a floor plan and design the furniture layout in scale for you. I can paint the walls a new color, add a new rug or show you what the sofa will look like with a slipcover.

I have my clients to thank for this. They are the ones who pushed me to get better, to find new ways to meet their needs. It was one of the most difficult courses I’ve ever taken but I learned a really valuable lesson: You CAN teach old dogs new tricks.

Click on 'The Gallery' to the right of this post to see some of these renderings..

Floor Plan continued

2010-10-22T19:12:00.001-07:00

Continuing with the floor plan.

If you’ve been doing the homework, you should now have a floor plan with the appropriate ‘seats’ in place. This very simple exercise shows you where people will sit in the room and what type of furniture you need in that room. Now you need to look balance and traffic flow.

In design school, we worked on floor-plans that we divided into 4 quadrants and we really looked at how they related to each other. Doorways have ‘weight’, they occupy space equal to the door swing and if the door opens out, at least 36 inches inside the room is considered door space. Get your floor plan with the seats placed on it and draw a line through the center horizontally and vertically. This creates your 4 quadrants. Look at the placement of the seats. Are they all smushed into one half of the room making one quadrant much busier than any of the others? If this is so, the room is not in balance and you need to give some thought to additions to the room that will help fix this. If you have, for example, a fireplace and seating in one quadrant, what is on the opposite wall to balance this weight? Use a bench and a large picture, an armoire, some bookcases - something to counter the fireplace. The large picture window on one wall needs to be balanced on the other - again use furniture, or large accessories to accomplish this. This takes some work and imagination, but it will be worth it.

You must also look at the traffic flow. How will people move through the room? It is not a good idea to have the main traffic flow pass between the sofa and TV, for example. Nor is it a good idea to force people to walk around furniture or plants to get from one side of the room to the other. We are creatures of habit and we will find the path of least resistance, even if it means moving something out of our way. I use the example of Frasier Crane’s living room on the TV show. Traffic was directed from the main door to the rest of the apartment by the placement of the sofa and table in front of, but backing onto, the fireplace, leaving a clear pathway- a natural direction for traffic instead of in front of the sofa; between it and Marty’s TV.

The floor plan continued.

2010-09-26T08:08:00.000-07:00

Now that you have your floor plan drawn to scale you have done all of the tedious work. Just a bit more homework and then you get to play.

Write down what the room is used for and how many people participate in those activities. This should include the possibility, for example, of having seating for 10 in the family room when the kids bring home their ‘significant others’ for Sunday dinner. ( Does anyone still do that? I hope so). Do you need one corner for reading? One corner for the computer? Write it all down. This is called the room usage list and it drives the amount of seating, and therefore the type of seating, the room will require. For example; if your dining room table normally seats 4, but you need it to seat 8 on occasion, you will need a table that expands; the space to expand it into and chairs to accommodate the extra guests.

Once you have this usage list completed, cut out some small squares that will represent 30” square. This is the ‘seat space’. If you need seating for 10, cut out 10 squares. Put your floor plan inside a plastic binder sleeve, ( you can write on this with a highlighter and it erases easily) If there are some ‘givens’ in the furniture - such as the piano- sketch these in first. Now place your ‘seats’: 3 for a sofa, 1 for a chair. In the family room, extra seating may be the extra dining room chairs, or a large ottoman, or a bench under the window but again, you need to fore-plan so the room remains functional at it’s optimum seating capacity. Orient your main group of seats toward the focal point - a 3 seater sofa, for example, toward the fireplace or window.

Play around with this, next column we’ll continue on.

An update on the Corded Blind recall and new guidelines... The American National Standards Institute and the Window Covering Manufacturers Association have published the new guidelines for the manufacture of blinds with cords. The American Window Coverings Association is ‘translating’ the document and those of us who manufacture these blinds should have clear guidelines in the near future.

A few loose ends

2010-09-18T21:47:00.001-07:00

This column will be a bit of a catch-all, so please bear with.

I hope that any of you who are actually taking the time to do a floor plan will take this week and finish it. In the next column I’ll help you continue with the process of designing a room by looking at the usage of the room and what that means to you and your floor plan.

Sundial lighting in Vernon now has stock of the spray chandelier cleaner.

Once again this week I had to witness the very sad outcome of what happens when you don’t test your paint color first. The interior of this home hadn’t been painted in a long while, the walls were a soft beige. The homeowner chose a color based only on a small paint chip and bought enough paint for the entire job. Unfortunately the natural light in the room has a very strong effect and instead of a soft pastel it has become a rather overwhelming acidic color. There is talk of re-upholstering because some of the furniture no longer works. The house is also open concept. The color they chose is also a trendy color. I would wager they will be re-painting within a year. You can check my website http://designsewlutions.ca/archives for my column ‘How to choose a paint color’ from June 5, 2009 if you are thinking of painting. Please do this.

Winter is coming. So, now is the time to look at your home and make sure you don’t have any heat ‘sinks’. This is what I call those places in the house that suck the heat out of a room. The crack under the door, the window that doesn’t shut all the way or the fireplace that takes all the warm air up and out. Get your drapes cleaned now if they haven’t been done in a few years. I will come and take them down, get them cleaned and rehang them for you. This is also a great time to have your venetian blinds cleaned of all the summer dust. Be careful cleaning them. Often the cords or tapes are cotton and too much water will cause shrinkage. Clean each vane. Tedious but necessary. When done, close the blind and lightly spray with static guard, close the blind the opposite way and spray again. The static guard helps keep dust from ‘sticking’.

And.. Happy Anniversary to me!!! I’ve been writing this column for two years now. Thank you for reading.

Floor Plan Part 2

2010-09-03T18:26:00.000-07:00

How to make a floor plan.

First of all, you do not have to be a drafting genius to do this. But you do need to do it.

Get some 1/4 inch graph paper. Each square on the paper will represent 6 inches of floor. If you are a metric type, get metric paper use 10 cm per square.. or whatever.

Draw a rough outline of the floor, note the doors and windows.

Go back and measure the room, measure the floor inside the casings. For example, wall to wall may be 60 inches wide but the casings takes up 1 inch, therefore on the plan, the floor is drawn as 59 inches. Why??. Because if you draw 60 inches, and buy an armoire 60 inches, and the floor space is actually only 59 inches you have a problem.

Mark the door openings as to the size of the opening, not outside casing to outside casing. Mark the window inside widths on the floor plan as well. Indicate all the measurements on the rough floor plan. Include things like the distance from the window to the wall... When you have all the rough measurements,transfer the information to a new plan with nice, straight lines. You do not have to mark the measurements on the graph paper - it would become really crowded if you did and remember that each square is equal to 6 inches on the floor so you don’t really need the measurements on the plan.

And, even though they are not actually on the floor, indicate the wall electrical outlets, cable or satellite positions and any telephone lines. Also add the heat vents, radiator if applicable and the fireplace and hearth. Put the doors in, indicating which way they swing.

If you don’t want to do this yourself, hire a designer or decorator to do it for you. I, for example, will do a floor plan, a furniture plan, and elevations of the main areas. ( ‘Elevations’ are rather like snapshots of one part of the room, showing the floor and the wall and the furniture as it would appear if you were standing in the middle of the room.) See one on my website Designsewlutions.ca.

Once your floor plan is done indicate the traffic flow, add furniture and lighting. Then it’s time to get to the fun part, picking fabric and surface finishes. That is done on a story board. More about that in the next column.

A Floor Plan

2010-08-20T07:11:00.001-07:00

Number one on the list of things to do if you are considering a room make-over, a renovation or especially if you are building is a floor plan of each room.

Here are a few of the ways a floor plan will help you:

It will tell you the size of the furniture you should have in the room. Have you ever heard about the new sofa being delivered and not fitting into the room? A floor plan would have foreseen this.

Working with a room usage list, it will tell you where to place lighting in the room.

It will tell you the size and shape of the coffee table, area rug and dining table.

It will show you how people will move through the room, and will prevent traffic flow problems.

It will help you plan seating for the maximum number of people you foresee having in the room.

It will tell you how big the armoire to house the T.V. should be and what size that T.V. should be. Yes it will.

It will tell you how big the bed can be and what size the bedside tables should be.

It will tell you how to make the living room conducive to conversations.

It will show you if the room is ‘balanced’ or not. - We have all been in rooms where the majority of the furniture is on one side of the room, giving the room a feeling of more weight on one side than the other. It feels off center.

It will save you money because you won’t be buying anything not on the plan.

It takes a bit of time to put one together, but, like a business plan, once you have done it you will wonder how you managed without it. When you go shopping for a piece of furniture, you will know how big it should be, think of the time you will save if you can say to the furniture salesman ’ My sofa should be 80 inches long, don’t show me anything other than that, please’. It will save you money; no more impulse buying. We have all bought something, thinking ‘Oh -I’ll make it work’ only to find it is too small, too tall, too wide, and the piece ends up in the basement.

In the next column, I’ll explain how to do a floor plan to scale.

Walk along main street.

2010-08-01T12:49:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite things to do in Vancouver is walk along Main street, from 49th to 52nd or so, cross the street and walk back up to 49th. It usually takes me 3 or 4 hours to complete the trip. This is ‘Little India’ and it is the place I like to go to get my color fix. The sari shops are always busy, it’s fun to stand back and watch the ladies shop. I always go into the bridal shops too, the beaded saris and men’s jackets never fail to take my breath away. There is one little shop that sells only bangles and the jewelry stores defy description. My favorite stop is the Punjab Cloth House. I went in once and told the gentleman behind the counter that I needed some silk chiffon ‘This color’, and pulled out my swatch. He gestured at the floor to ceiling, 30 feet wide expanse of shelving behind him, full of flat bolts of silks and said ‘ You come and look’. I did, and found exactly what I was looking for. Silk chiffon, 8.00 per meter. I often buy the dupioni silk for cushions - it’s about 10.00 per meter. They also carry a very fine, thin silk that is perfect for lining in garments and makes the BEST underslips for summer dresses; about 7.00 a meter.

I’m sure there has been someone, somewhere, who has written a paper relating the physical climate of a society to the use of color in that society. I’ve never been to India, but I understand the natural landscape is vibrant. Think flowers and birds... Now, think of Scandinavia; I think of snow and ice in winter, blue water and green trees in summer, but not a lot of tropical flowers and the decorating style somewhat reflects this.

French Country: summer sun yellow and vibrant blue sea. Tuscan: Terra cotta, olive green, vibrant blue. I think this correlation may explain why some styles work better in our climate than others. I am in a lot of homes in this area, and I have to say that the homes filled with heavy antiques sometimes feel a bit out of place here unless they are well balanced with some whimsy and lightness. Just some things to think about.

I was so very fortunate to be asked by my friend Diane Jewel to attend the Skwlax Pow Wow on July 17. If you haven’t been to one of these events, mark it on the calendar for next year and then make sure you go. I listened, I learned, I was amazed and I was humbled.

While you are in the area, check out Rokkos Fabrics at 6201 Fraser. ( Remember the trick about Vancouver streets? 6201 is at 46th and Fraser - subtract 15 from the first 2 digits of the street address to find the cross avenue.)

Well, the Punjab Cloth house has moved, I guess, to Surrey 12725 80 Ave but there are a lot more cloth shops on Main, don't miss this street.

Chandeliers

2010-07-16T18:40:00.000-07:00

Every go into a room and see a fixture hanging over the table and wonder why it is hung so high? Or why it looks so small, or so large? Well, there are a few guidelines ( once again, design principles are guidelines, not rules) to help you avoid these oopses.

The size of a chandelier hanging over a table is determined by three things: the size of the room, the size of the table under it and the height of the walls in the room. In a nutshell, if you add the width in feet and length in feet of a room this will tell you the inches of diameter that a chandelier should be. For example, a 10 foot by 12 foot room will accommodate a 22 inch ( diameter ) chandelier. Now comes the exceptions part: take into consideration the width of the table. Chandeliers are very often 1/2 the width of the table. A 48 inch table is balanced by a 24 inch chandelier. But these 2 guidelines work well together, a 10 x 12 room probably doesn’t have room for a table larger than 48 inches wide.

The height of a chandelier is usually calculated as being 2-3 inches for each foot of the wall height. A 10 foot wall, therefore calls for a 20 to 30 inch long chandelier.

The height above the table is generally suggested to be about 30 inches.

So, in the 10 x 12 room with 10 foot ceilings and a table 48 inches wide the chandelier would be 22 to 24 inches in diameter and 20 to 30 inches in length.

If you are hanging a fixture in a hallway, use the wall dimensions to calculate the size of the fixture, and remember that over a stairway the perceived wall height is 2 stories, so the fixture should be longer.

Now to cleaning the thing. Get some chandelier spray. You put newspapers on the table and spray the chandelier with the cleaner and the dust drips off. No rinsing, no taking the fixture apart. It works. (Go to DesignSewlutions.ca/archives for suppliers.)

Before Katrina I was in New Orleans and happened onto a shop in the French Quarter that had a chandelier for sale that was 6 feet in diameter and 7 feet long. Baccarat Crystal. It had about 300 light sources on it, was from France late 1700’s. Price: $289,000.00. I would have loved to see the room it ended up in.

My favorite chandelier spray is called Sparkle Plenty. The manufacturer says it is available at Home Hardware but none of the three I checked had stock, or planned to stock it. Their stock number is 4521-663. If you call, they say they will order it though.

SunDial lighting in Vernon carries a spray but they are also out at the moment, waiting for supply. Brilliante is a great product, it is useable as a cleaner for glass surfaces as well and they offer free shipping to Canada ( from California) brilliantecrystalcleaner.com. I'll keep looking for a shop that actually has one in stock and let you know.

Shade Fabrics

2010-07-05T20:51:00.000-07:00

Shade fabrics.

Summer sun is back. Finally. I’m getting lots of calls about sun blocking drapes and how to prevent sun damage to furniture and floors. The sewlution is very simple, and you have quite a few choices. Any of these will prevent your floors and sofas from getting sun-bleached and will block the heat too. This is a quick summary of what is available; call me or go to my website for more information.

One of the best (and least expensive) is solar film. It’s professionally applied to the outside of the window and will block about 65-85% of the UV rays (those are the damaging ones). From the outside, your windows will look slightly reflective, from inside the window appears slightly tinted. One of my clients had this installed and she told me that it was the first time in many years she was able to leave her front room drapes open in the summer and actually see her beautiful yard. Trademark Glass in Salmon Arm sells and installs this product. I am sure they have references you can call. if not, I have.

All the blind companies sell various levels of sun block shades that work very well, and the big box stores also sell shades that they will custom cut for your windows.

You might want to have shade on the deck, or around your balcony. Shade cloth is available as a knit or a woven, either of which can be fabricated into drapes or panels for use outside. The woven is used in pre-constructed blinds such as roller shades or can be purchased by the meter from on-line sources or at the local fabric store. It provides a UV blockage of up to 95% while still being somewhat transparent. The downside is it looks ‘plasticy’ and is very stiff. Knit shade cloth comes in a wide range of colors with UV protection from 35-90% and can be sewn on a home machine. Knit shade cloth can be purchased on line at http://www.shadeclothstore.com/depts/knittedshadecloth.html. They will ship to Canada via UPS. They also sell the woven cloth, as does Fabricland in Salmon Arm.

Blackout lining for your drapes is a great solution. The new blackout is very soft and drapes beautifully. If you are having new drapes made, or just want removable liners for existing drapes made, this lining provides total sun block and wonderful insulation and using this fabric as a lining will increase the R-Value of your drapes by 3-5 points.

So, there you go. You can have sun-blocking, have it look good and fit your budget.

Math

2010-06-18T22:27:00.001-07:00

I was miserable at math in school. My Grade 10 teacher agreed to pass me if I promised never to take math again. (True story). I use a lot of math in my business now, fractions, decimals, converting meters to yards, inches to centimeters. I’m pretty good at it and do most of it in my head. Who would have thought. I also flunked potholder in Home Ec. Here are a few things you may not know but might be a good idea to tuck away for future reference. Because so much of what we use in the decorating world is from the U.S. a working knowledge of both inches and meters is essential.

A meter is a little more than a yard. ( A meter is actually 39.5” but we’ll use 40” for ease of calculation, a yard 36”) Every 4 inches is .1 of a meter or 10 centimeters. So, if the pattern says 1 yard is required, this is 36” divided by 4 equals 9; you would need .9 of a meter. If you need 7 yards, this is 7 times .9 = 6.3 meters. 2.5 centimeters is one inch.

How much paint is needed? The wall is 10 feet wide and 8 feet high. 10 times 8 = 80 square feet on the wall. If there is a huge window, 8’ x 6’, for example you can subtract 48 ( 8 x 6 ) from the 80 and the actual square footage you need to paint is 32. This is also the basic formula used to calculate wallpaper requirements and flooring. There are 144 square inches in a square foot.

The width of a window is the measurement from side to side. The length is the measure from top to bottom. Measurements are always written as width first, then length.

How do I know how much that foam cushion will cost? If you are buying foam from most retailers the price will be listed per foot of ‘thickness’ but is actually calculated in board feet. If you can do this yourself you will get a much better idea of exactly what you are paying. A board foot is a piece of something 12 inches wide, 12 inches long and 1 inch thick. A piece of foam 12 x 12 x 2 is 2 board feet. You want a cushion 24 x 36 by 5 inches thick. 24 x 36 = 864. This is the square inches on the ‘surface’. Divide this by 144 ( the number of square inches in a square foot ) and we get 6. This is the square feet on the surface. You want the cushion to be 5 inches thick. So.. multiply 6 by 5 and you get 30 board feet in your cushion. Don’t fall over when you see how much foam costs per board foot.

Fun stuff; nothing to do with home decor: To convert Celsius to Fahrenheit , add 15 and double it. 20 degrees Celsius plus 15 is 35, times 2 is 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Just reverse to take Fahrenheit to Celsius. To convert kilometers per hour to miles per hour, multiply the first digit by 6. 60 kph is 36 mph. 65 kph is the 36 plus 6 times 5 = 3 for a total of 39 mph.

And lastly, one of my favorite nonsense bits for all of you who travel to Vancouver. To find out what the avenue is crossing a main street at a specific address, subtract 15 from the first 2 digits of the address. 4500 Granville is at Granville and 30th.

Down in Duvets

2010-06-18T22:25:00.000-07:00

I remember my Dad telling me that 2 inches of newspaper is as warm as 2 inches of feathers. I’m not sure if that is actually true or not, my Dad had a lot of this kind of knowledge stored in his brain, but I’ve learned some things about down ( as in duvets) that follow along with this theory.

The warmth of a duvet is dependent on the amount of warm air trapped in the fibers of filling. The quality of down is measured by fill power and good down duvets will have this figure listed on the label or packaging. Fill power refers to the number of cubic inches that one ounce of compressed down will ‘fill’ when uncompressed. If the number is 500-550, it is considered good with higher numbers 550-700 being the best. So, a high fill power rated down will give a higher loft and trap more air, thus being warmer than a lower fill power down. This is also the fluffiness factor. The same thickness can be achieved by adding more down of lesser fill factor, but this increases the weight of the duvet. Duvets are also rated by weight, a king size bed duvet would be 50 ounces for the warmest, 35-40 ounces for the medium and 30 for the light.

Down is not feathers. Down is what grows on the bird at the base of the feathers. Feathers are not interchangeable with down and a feather pillow, or comforter is decidedly different than a down one. Most down found in ready made duvets is harvested from young birds that have been raised for consumption. Eiderdown is considered the ‘gold standard’ and is harvested by hand from the abandoned nests of the Eider duck, in Europe, and the cost of an Eider down duvet can approach $12,000.00.

Down is warmer than synthetic insulation ounce for ounce, it retains its shape and loft and will wick body moisture away but down looses it’s warmth when wet and is difficult to dry. It is highly compressible and lightweight but requires special cleaning and may contain allergens. It certainly wins in the fluffiness category but needs to be shaken and fluffed daily to keep this look.

I understand that in some European countries employees are allowed a certain number of days off work per year (just ‘cause) and they are often referred to as ‘Duvet Days’; days to just stay home and snuggle under the down duvet. What a good idea.

More about color

2010-05-25T20:15:00.001-07:00

In the early 90’s the whole ‘Southwest’ decor style came at us. Peach and blue; geometric borders, ceramic coyotes, zipper paintings. I remember one house in Alberta done entirely in this color scheme that was so cold feeling in the winter it was very uncomfortable. Then some smarty pants designer re-did the color scheme to deep red, blue and green and it worked. The vibrant colors complimented our climate and matched our state of mind .

About this time the economy was getting busy and our interiors became softer, colors more muted, lots of beige and taupe. Lots of monochromatic schemes. Not much color anywhere as we all cocooned in our great rooms and stainless kitchens. We were very busy outside our homes and wanted the interiors to be soothing; places of refuge from the hectic day to day life.

Take a look at the shelter magazines on the stands right now. COLOR is what it’s all about. As the economy struggles, our homes become the go to place for inspiration and ‘cheering up’. Lots of purple -the color of power and luxury. Orange is around again - the color of health and mental activity. Vibrant blues are the colors of creativity and intelligence.

What makes this decorating cycle a bit different is the way the bright colors are appearing. The walls of our rooms are staying soft; muted versions of the bright hits of color that appear in the rooms. Red leather sofa -no; red cushions, yes. Lamp shades, area rugs, vases, art; maybe some painted accents but mostly the vibrant colors are removable.

Color will affect your state of mind. If you want your space to be more invigorating, for example, choose a color that will help you achieve this, like orange, and add it to your existing rooms. There are many shades and tints of each color so you should be able to find one that works with your existing scheme. Do some reading on the psychology of color. Do a few pieces at a time. You don’t need to spend a lot of money but you do need to have some fun.

As a side note, while researching for this I read several times that tests have shown that babies cry more in rooms with yellow walls....

Please visit my website Designsewlutions.ca for more information and for re-prints of all my Design Dilemma columns.

How to choose an area rug.

2010-05-07T20:13:00.000-07:00

I’ve decided I need a new area rug for my living room. There are an infinite number of prints and styles and colors and prices available and it can be overwhelming. I know I’m working backwards; I should be decorating the room based on the rug but this will just be more of a challenge. I made a list to help me stay directed:

I need a rug with the colors that exist in the living room.

The space it will occupy is a rectangle, so rectangular or oval are the shapes I will look at. I need a rug 10’ x 12’; the edges need to be secure under furniture.

I have a cat so no wovens. I don’t want a super expensive rug; this rules out most wools or handmades.

My colors are rust, cream and black so pastel colors are out. The only print in the room is my favorite chair which is slipcovered in a retro tapestry of elongated ovals so I’ll look for a soft design that hints at these ovals.

I have enough stuff in my purse so rather than haul around a bag of fabric swatches, I put together a mini color board using paint samples and stuck it on the back of a picture of my favorite chair and wrote the size of the rug I need. I carry that in my wallet.

By listing what I need I have eliminated many rugs; cutting down my shopping time considerably.

Don’t forget the possibility of choosing a carpet from the carpet store and having it cut to your specific size and trimmed. Not nearly as expensive as you might think and it’s a great way to get a large area rug or an odd sized one. Look for roll ends.

Most furniture, home improvement and flooring stores now carry area rugs that will fit my price range. I will bring a few small ones home on approval and see how they work before ordering the large one. I’ve been looking online too. One website I found lets you take a picture of your living room and apply their rugs to it.

I'll post a picture of my chair/color card this weekend..

What is a ‘workroom’?

2010-04-24T22:06:00.000-07:00

A drapery workroom is the place where the magic happens for fabric fashions for your home. If you are doing some home decorating on your own it is a good idea to find the local workroom and make friends with

the operator. Just like any professional, a workroom operator will have invested considerable time and money in training and equipment and the workroom is a reflection of that. I generally wouldn’t take my car for

service to the guy operating out of his garage in the back alley so please don’t be surprised if the quality of work you receive from the home sewer is not to the standard of a professional workroom.

Professional workrooms usually work to a standard consistent throughout the industry. For example, most professionally made drapes will have a hem that is 4” deep, turned twice. There is a reason for this, the weight of the hem helps keep the drapes hanging properly and allows ample fabric if alterations are necessary. All hems should done on a blind hemmer so the

stitches are not visible on the right side of the fabric. – All professional workrooms have industrial blind hemmers and this commitment to professionalism costs about $1000.00 and does just this one thing.

The largest cutting table I have seen in a workroom was one 6 by 14 feet. Most workrooms have tables 5 feet wide and 10 feet long which enables them to cut, handle and press large pieces of fabric with ease and accuracy. If your chosen workroom is using the floor, or dining room table, as a cutting surface, rest assured your drapes will most likely be crooked.

Like any professional, the workroom will be associated with other professionals; supplies, like the cord used in cushion welting, will be of a superior grade to that available at the local fabric store ( it won’t shrink, for example).

A professional workroom will be able to assist you in calculating the fabric required for your home décor project and most likely will not charge you for this service. Many workrooms are operated by people with

interior design or decorating training as well as superior sewing skills. These professionals spend their days handling fabric. If you have questions, call them. They are usually quite willing to help the ‘novice’.

Selling my House

2010-04-11T08:15:00.001-07:00

Use a professional.

I know I sound like a broken record but here I go one more time. We can’t do everything ourselves. Ask around, find someone with good references and then let them guide you. Chances are really good you won’t regret it.

I recently sold my home; bought a new one and moved my workroom to a separate site. All within 2 months. Now that it’s done I am rather amazed at how fast the whole process happened. I love my new living space and while my new workroom is smaller than the previous one the downtown location makes it easier for clients to come and look at my 150 fabric books.

While I really believe being in the right place at the right time helped a lot, I think that a few things I did helped the sale along. The first thing I did was get a good agent. I asked around; ‘Which agent is selling the most right now?’ I kept hearing Doris Mills and Linda Rohlfs. So I called and spoke to Doris. Perhaps I could have saved money by doing the sale myself, or going to a lower commission sale but I wanted to sell and fast. And have you seen the paperwork involved in a sale?

Doris provided a video:‘ Fit to Sell’; that is a great tool for sellers. As a decorator, I knew I had to remove all personal items. I keep a fairly lean house anyway so this wasn’t too much of a stretch but it did involve packing and quite a few trips to the thrift store. All the pictures came down, all the knickknacks went into a box. The closets got cleaned out.

I was a nervous wreck. My agent kept calm and kept me calm. When it came time to actually move - I had 2 moves to do, one for the workroom, one for my house; I was presented with that wonderful surprise of a professional who provides over and above the required. I got a moving van - at no charge.

The whole house selling experience is another example of the truth that using a professional will save you money in the long run. If had tried to do this myself I’m sure I’d still be filling out forms.. not sitting on my new balcony watching the sunset.

Staging

2010-04-11T08:14:00.000-07:00

We have all seen ‘Sell this House’. Roger the stager works magic, with very little money. The homes sell quicker and for more money than homes that are not ‘staged’. So what is this all about anyway?

Staging is the preparation of your home for sale. It involves the de-personalizing of the space and the optimization of the home for appeal to the widest spectrum of potential buyers. This means, among many other things, that all the family clutter and photos get packed away; the wallpaper borders will usually come down, any unusual or odd wall colors are neutralized; design principals are applied to furniture placement and the interior and exterior of the home is made to appear at it’s finest. As an interior decorator I can say that the main difference between what I do and what stagers do is that an interior decorator strives to make the space personal to the homeowners; the stager must strive to make the space appear impersonal, yet still inviting, to as many people as possible. The design principals are the same for both professions. Traffic flow is still traffic flow. As an interior decorator, I am aware of decor trends but they are not my prime focus; a stager must be very aware of what is selling in her particular area; what trends are catching the eye of potential buyers. Interior decorators have an eye focused on the long-term; stagers must work quickly and often with a small budget; knowing that their work may very well be short-lived.

What does it cost? That depends.. some stagers work for a flat fee that could be based on hours of work or square footage of the property. Some stagers work for a percentage of the budget for the staging. Some stagers can supply furniture, rugs, linens or accessories, for example, and charge a rental fee for these items as well as a consultant fee and some stagers will rent the items for the homeowner. An in-home consultation is the first step.

According to some statistics I uncovered, staged homes sell faster than unstaged and for 7% more. Staged homes appeal to a broader range of buyers than unstaged; buyers feel staged homes are well-maintained, inspectors often believe the home is better cared for and staged homes often get better appraisals than unstaged homes.

So,., it might be a good idea to get that consultation if you are considering selling.

Wallpaper, continued

2010-03-21T19:01:00.001-07:00

I’m currently working on a top floor room that has very large exposed beams in the ceiling and on the walls. Unfortunately this beam is off center on the bed wall. We want a headboard but this 8 inch wide vertical beam throws everything off center and out of balance. Back to design principals: If you have an architectural element you don’t like you can ignore it, accent it or camouflage it. We can’t ignore or accent this beam so I’m opting to camouflage it by either painting it out or wallpapering the entire wall. Voila, off-center beam gone. I’d like to use a good textured paper and put a fantastic upholstered headboard against it.

Wallpaper has many uses. It can help conceal troubled walls, it can make a small room appear larger or a huge space appear more intimate. It can draw attention to the focal point, or it can be the focal point. It can establish a theme.

In a small bedroom consider wallpapering the bed wall only. In a really tiny bedroom ( or powder room), consider wallpapering the entire room and ceiling too. Remember the contrast guideline? Contrast is what makes rooms appear cluttered and small. The consistency of walls of all the same paper will increase the perceived size of the room, not decrease it.

If you like to change your decor a bit by the seasons, put wallpaper inserts in a headboard, or use it as a large piece of wall art. Totally removable papers make this easy. Wallpaper just the insides of the china cabinet or closet. I’ve seen wallpaper used on the risers only of stairs but I’m not sure about this one. The contrast rule comes into play here too and when I looked at the stairs all I could see were the risers. Not sure this is what was intended.

Remember tin ceilings? Anaglypta and Lincrusta were the original vinyls that replicated these ceilings and are still available but much less expensive paintable papers are readily available to fit every decor style. A leather wall? Why not. These paintable papers are so effective if done properly it’s difficult to tell them from the real thing. They also make wonderful dados.

As with so much in fashion and home decor, styles evolve and come back over and over again. Welcome back, wallpaper.

What's new in Wallpaper

2010-03-21T19:00:00.001-07:00

When I worked at Chintz and Company in Calgary, the Crown Wallpaper showroom was just down the street. I used to love going in there, just to spend a few hours looking through the books, putting fabrics and papers together, designing imaginary rooms. Like a new coat of paint, wallpaper can dramatically change a room and unlike buying a purple leather sofa it can be changed when we change our minds. Wallpaper is making a huge comeback in the interior decorating world. I was a bit trepidacious about this trend at first ( remember the borders that were everywhere??) but after looking at the new papers and how they can be used, I think I might have changed my mind.

As with so much else, new technologies have made new wallpapers. Gone are the paste brushes and non-stick ‘prepasted’ papers. I like the fact that there is a truly removable paper now, it comes off easily and does not damage the surface underneath. No steaming or scoring required. York has SureStrip and Easy2; Sherwin Williams has the EasyChange paper. Renters, are you paying attention? The Wallpaper Company has produced wallpaper ‘tiles’ in 24 colors, again totally removable; available in some Home Depots. Re-modern.com is the place to look at 2 dimensional wallpaper tiles that are constructed from bamboo pulp.

I also like the fact that the the layer of the covering that lies against the wall in many papers now is breathable, so no more moisture or mildew problems. Many of the papers are also made with Eco friendly products and some of the new adhesives do not off gas. And wait till you see the patterns and textures. Everything from soft, hardly noticeable classics to vibrant, huge prints in every color and decor style imaginable. Just for the fun of it, check the Crown Wallpaper site (crownwallpaper.com). Farrow and Ball shows paper designs in black and white, you click for the colors you want to see. Designerwallcoverings.com will custom make your wallpaper. Flavor-Paper does hand silk-screened papers, custom designed too, that are like no other papers I’ve ever seen. ( scratch and sniff... no kidding).

Along with all these new papers and tiles come what we used to call decals and are now called wall art. Even tromp l’oeil murals. So, new products, new styles and new ideas. Next column will be a bit more about the use of wallpaper in the home.

Magazines

2010-02-19T18:55:00.000-08:00

Ah, the lure of the magazine stand. I can get into trouble there but I’ve learned to curb my buying and tend to stick to my favorite 4 or 5 ‘shelter magazines’ and I don’t buy them all every month. The only one I have a subscription to now is ‘ House Beautiful’; it has proven to be the one I keep going back to for inspiration and information. This month’s issue is all about blue. Blue is not my favorite color ( it is the favorite color of 42% of people, though) but this is a terrific issue, full of examples of mixing textures and prints, of how to use color as accent and how to make totally different statements using the same color. It also covers all decorating styles, from modern to traditional and everything in between.

I was standing in line at the grocery store the other day and picked up an issue of ‘freshHome’. Its part of the Readers Digest family and I had never seen it before. What a surprise it turned out to be. Practical advice, lots of very well explained how-to’s and is really targeted to the average home owner. I think I’ll subscribe to this one too.

When I was teaching Interior Decorating I used Architectural Digest more than any other. I was told that they do not stage rooms; for the most part they photograph ‘as is’.

I like that.

When I look at a magazine for the first time, I often just flip through it quickly to get a sense of how much of it is information and how much of it is advertising. While I like to know what is in the marketplace (a function of advertising) I think that buying a magazine that is mostly ads is like wearing a T-shirt with the designers name on it. Who is paying who?

I have some Architectural Digests and House Beautifuls that are several years old but I don’t keep any others past one year. If there is something in a magazine that I really want to keep, I tear it out and keep it in my inspiration folder. We all have enough paper in our lives anyway.

I’m thrilled that my article on Magnetic Roman Blinds was published in an international trade magazine this month. I’m working on getting it onto my website Designsewlutions.ca

The color primer

2010-02-07T11:53:00.001-08:00

I was recently reminded that a lot of people don’t know how color is ‘made’. So here is your primer about color.

There are 3 basic colors. ( Bear with.. some colorists say there are more than this, but that’s an altogether different issue). For sake of expedience, we’ll also use black and white. There is red, blue and yellow. All colors are made by mixing these 3 colors together in different proportions and they are shaded by adding black or tinted by adding white.

A color wheel starts with red at the top (12:00- think of a clock) and in a clockwise direction we see yellow at 4:00 and blue at 8:00. Colors on the right side of the wheel are considered ‘warm’, those on the left ‘cool’.

If we mix red and yellow together in equal proportions we get orange, positioned at 2:00. Yellow and blue make green, at 6:00, blue and red make violet, at 10:00. You can keep mixing the side by side colors to get more variations but these are the basics. Some colors have more of one basic color than another, this gives us things like red-orange where there is more red added to the orange than yellow, creating a color that has a stronger red feel to it than yellow. Some people look really good in blue reds, (‘winters’ ) some can only wear orange reds (‘autumns’).

If you look at colors directly across from each other you see complimentary colors - red and green, blue and orange, yellow and violet. If you want to mute a color ( that means to grey it down a bit) you add the complimentary color. So, to reduce the intensity of red, add a tiny bit of green.

A home decorator really needs to understand the color wheel. Combining fabric, or paint, or carpet colors that have different undertones can produce a very disjointed color scheme. One of the best things you can do to help yourself understand the wheel is go to the dollar store and get some acrylic paint; red; yellow, blue, black and white and a little painters pallet and start playing. Make a color wheel. Pick a paint chip color and try to duplicate it. You’ll learn a lot, your decorating schemes will turn out better and you’ll have some fun.

Blind Recall

2010-01-17T08:00:00.001-08:00

The US Consumer Products Safety has recalled over 50 million window blinds due to the possibility of children strangling on the exposed cords. Health Canada has not issued a similar recall but has issued a warning and is urging consumers to follow the U.S. program and have their blinds, made prior to 2001, retrofitted. If you have these products in your home you need to know what the problem is and how to fix it. At the end of this column will be the list of websites for you to check.

Blinds and shades that have any cords are suspect. If a cord can be manipulated to form a large loop ( through which a child’s head could fit), it is considered a candidate for retrofit. The solution the retrofit kit provides is to remove all the cords and the blind is thereafter raised by feeding each ring ( where the cords used to pass) onto a metal shower ring. While this will work it is a very unwieldy fix. You have to get behind the blind in order to feed the rings onto the shower ring and each column of rings needs to be done separately and you do this each time you want to raise or lower the blinds.

If you don’t want to remove the cords, you can make the blinds somewhat safer. Please move children’s beds away from windows that have these blinds. When the shade is in the up position the pull cords should be firmly attached to the wall with a cord cleat, or fastened above the blind, out of the reach of children. Make sure the tassel on the pull cord is of the ‘breakaway’ style. When the blinds are in the down position, tie all the pull cords into a knot at the top of the cords, close to the head-rail where the cords come away from the blind. This will prevent the cords on the back of the blind from being pulled into a loop if a child tugs on the bottom of the cord.

If you have a fabric Roman blind I can do an alteration so the cords on the back are partially concealed and I have breakaway tassels you can install.

Free Retrofit kit: www.Windowcoverings.org

Information on the U.S. Recall: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10073.html

To see the retrofit kit: http://www.windowcoverings.org/how_to_retrofit.html - click on the ‘Repair Roman Blinds’ at the bottom of the page to see the kit install instructions.

Information on the Canadian position: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/house-domes/decor/blinds-toles-eng.php

Happy New Year

2010-01-02T09:38:00.000-08:00

Well, 2010. Came rather quickly, didn’t it? I’m not much on making resolutions; actually I love making them, it’s the keeping them that seems to be the problem. This year I have made the resolution to be kinder to myself. I’m going to really make an effort to take a bit of time every week just for me. I’m going to give myself permission to stay in my PJ’s till noon some day. I might just decide that it’s OK to have a white meal on occasion. (My favorite is fish, rice and cauliflower.)

So, what’s the point of all of this? I want you to be easier on yourselves, too.

I spend a lot of my professional life in clients homes,helping them achieve their vision. I hear from so many of you how stressful decorating is, I see how difficult the decision making process can be for some of you. I see the desire for a beautiful home space doing battle with the reality of the budget. This really bothers me because the decorating process should not cause stress. It should be a happy process; after all, we are working toward a better place for you to inhabit. I believe it’s one of my jobs, as the decorator, to help you make it fun but I need you to meet me half way. It is all about making your space your own without adding a financial burden. It’s all about making it comfortable and livable for the people who inhabit it. It is about your needs and your likes and dislikes. It is not about what the magazines say, or your neighbor, or your loving Auntie or me. It is about what is good for you and your family. Together we can accomplish so much more than if you just muddle along by yourself. This applies to most things in our lives.

In July I wrote a column called ‘You have permission to do nothing’. I heard from you that you want to be told it’s OK to take it easy. Most of you have good taste. Most of you know what you want, and even if you aren’t sure, you almost always know what you don’t want. Most of you have a fine sense of style and most of you don’t trust yourselves. Stop it. Please stop being so hard on yourselves and lets have some fun. Here’s to 2010.

How to light a room Part 2

2009-12-18T19:13:00.000-08:00

Because this is a re-print of my column, Part 1 is below as it was published 2 weeks ago. Please read it first.

Now that you have set the task and ambient lighting in your rooms, go back and look again and decide if the room needs any Mood lighting. Are there some very dark corners? Consider a pot light shining up into a large green plant. Very dramatic and very inexpensive. Is there a great painting on one wall? Perhaps an overhead light is needed to highlight this. Don’t overdo it though, just because there is a corner doesn’t mean you have to light it.

Your lighting in each room needs to be both direct and indirect, of various intensities and at various heights. The direct lighting is that which lights a specific task, ie a light over the music on the piano. Indirect would be the light that is in the ceiling of the hallway. In both these instances, the light shines down. Make sure you have some light that shines up as well- some lamp shades direct light in both directions. ( NOT the floor lamps that look like a plate on a stick... leave those in the store, please). If all the lighting in the room is directed in one direction and sits at one level the room can appear cave like and very heavy.

The most challenging lighting I ever did was a very large family room/dining room in a home in Calgary. When we were done there were 21 different light sources in the room. (This is not just table or floor lights, this includes sconces, overheads and pot lights). They would never all be on at the same time, but each had a specific purpose and it allowed the homeowner to change the lighting of the room quickly depending on the many tasks that took place in the room.

Speaking to several people at lighting stores in the area, a reoccurring comment is that new home builders or renovators rarely put enough light outlets into the rooms in the initial planning and have to ‘fix’ the problem later. They realize, for example, that there is not enough light in the hallway for Grandma to see where she is going. Here is another instance of how important it is to use the professionals that are available to you. Take your room task list and floor plan to a good lighting store and ask for advice.

And now that you have the lighting fixtures in place, buy some fluorescent bulbs and some natural spectrum bulbs and decide what kind of light works best for the room.

If you would like a blank ‘Room Usage Task List’ to help you get started, e-mail me at info@Designsewlutions.ca.

How to Light a Room Part 1

2009-12-06T12:07:00.000-08:00

Techspeak: A lamp is the bulb. The apparatus that holds the lamp is referred to as a fixture.

I did an install not long ago where there was hardly enough light to see anything I was doing. In a recent issue of House Beautiful (my favorite shelter magazine) 10 designers speak about the biggest decorating mistakes we make in our homes and 4 of the 10 mention lighting. On a recent ‘Cityline’, lighting was talked about as being a decor maker or breaker. When I teach the lighting section of the interior design course, the demonstration of different types of light always brings the biggest oohs and ahhs.... So here you are; Lighting 101: First of all, if you have the luxury of planning your lighting in a house while it is being built PLEASE hire an interior decorator or designer to help you plan the lighting. Most of us have to deal with the existing lighting but we will follow the same path to the right lighting.

Here is the key: light the objects in the room, not the room.

So first you need to decide what will happen in the room. The ‘tasks’. A telephone table is in one corner. It requires light, either a table fixture or an overhead that focuses on that area. Put that on your floor plan. (Object being lit: the writing surface) If there is an area for reading, light is required there, (object being lit: the book being read) place the appropriate fixtures or overheads in this area on the floor plan. If it is a bedroom, decide where the bed will be and place bedside lights on the floor plan. Place lighting near the wardrobe or chest of drawers. Is there a walk-in closet? You may want to put lights at the entrance and inside the closet. Once you have put all the Task lighting on your floor plan, go back and look at the room and think of how people will move through the room - this is the traffic flow and add whatever is necessary to the floor plan. Lighting needs to be thought about here to ensure there is enough light for people to move around the room easily. This is the Ambient lighting.

In the next column we’ll finish this plan and look at mood and ‘direction’ of light.

How to mix patterns

2009-11-20T21:34:00.000-08:00

I’ve been on the internet several times in the last week with a young gal in Ohio who is having real trouble mixing patterns of fabric in a family room. She had picked two main fabrics that were what she wanted but there was something ‘wrong’. After quite a few e-mails back and forth, and some internet searches of fabric sites for examples, we found a solution to her problem and now she is a happy gal. It occurred to me that what we discussed might be of interest to some of you.

Here are the ‘guidelines’ about mixing fabric patterns.

The fabrics must relate to the ‘theme’ of the room. For example, if you are working on a sun room the fabric should most likely not have designs of cars and trucks, more likely it would have flowers, or pastoral scenes. ( Think back to the column on unity).

The colors in the fabrics that are the same as the color scheme must match the color scheme. No ‘almost the same color’ - must be the SAME color. Different shades and tints are OK, just do not vary from the same base colors. ( A shade is a color with black added, a tint has white added).

Pay attention to scale. A very large print needs to be paired to a print of a scale that will compliment, not exaggerate it. For example, a very large floral works very well beside a medium sized plaid, or stripe.

Think how the fabrics will appear when viewed from across a room. Often small prints or stripes dissolve into another color when viewed at a distance. I remember a hotel lobby where the carpet was orange and navy blue, up close. The right colors for the room. At a distance it was mauve.

If you are mixing patterns of all one type - all florals, for example, as well as color there should be something similar in the patterns - a leaf or a flower or even just a ‘squiggle’.

If you have two prints that you really love, but don’t relate well to each other, find a fabric that will bridge the two. This third fabric should have elements of each of the other two; colors, lines, patterns, something.

Ask for help. The ladies in the fabric stores here are really good at this. They do it a lot and love to help you put fabrics together.

I’ve had a busy few weeks, I’m just finishing an article for an international design and drapery magazine about the magnetic valance and Roman blind headrails I make. ( See my post here of April 2, 2009 about these magnetic headrails). I’ll put a link to the article on my website Designsewlutions.ca in the Articles Archive as soon as it’s published.

R-Value and Drape Insulation

2009-11-15T07:36:00.001-08:00

In the last week I have had several requests to add lining to existing drapes. For those of you who have been thinking about it but need a bit more information, here is a brief summary of the infomercial I presented at the Shuswap Women in Business meeting last month.

Hunter Douglas, one of the largest manufacturers of window coverings suggests that up to 25% of our annual heating bills go out the windows. They have produced a variation on the honeycomb shade, the Architella with an R value of 7.7. So what is R-Value anyway? R is a measure of resistance to heat transfer. R-Value is not the best way to measure a window’s heat loss protection value but it is the most common. (U value is the insulation rating for transparent objects.)

A home with 4” studs must have R-12 insulation. If you have a double insulating glass window with 1/2” air space between the layers, the R value of the window is about 2. Add a single layer of fabric, almost no increase, add a plain lining for an increase of about 1 for a total R value of R3. Add a black out lining; R-value is up to about R5 or 6. Add an interlining, and the R value jumps to about R9. Add an insulated Roman Blind and valance and the R value of the whole window treatment becomes about R16. Remember that the window treatments you are using to reduce heat loss must be snug to the window and layers will provide the best protection. If you have a blind inset into your window frame and the gap on each side is 1/8”, over 80 inches (40 inches on each side) this equates to a 3” x 3” hole in your coverage.

As a full service drapery workroom, I will add lining to existing drapes, either a permanent or removable liner, or you can find pre-made panels at Zellers or Fabricland or through many on-line home decor stores. If they are blackout liners, you will get the most protection against heat going out the window in the winter and heat coming in during the summer. If they are too long they can be hemmed.

Thanks to all of you who came out to watch me work on the wing chair at Fabricland. The chair cover is done, stop in and see it or have a look at it on Designsewlutions.ca and connect to the Gallery via the flashing book icon.

Have a read of my post of December 8, 2008; 'How much does it cost to heat one window?' Lots more info there.

If you'd like to know how much YOU are spending to heat your windows, e-mail me at Linda@designsewlutions.ca

Unity in Design

2009-11-05T19:15:00.000-08:00

The room feels right, the colors work well together, the lighting is just so, there is a feeling about the room that everything belongs there, everything has a purpose and that purpose is to make you feel at home in the room. This room has unity.

Unity is achieved by having all the components in the room blend together through common denominators. It starts with the mood of the room; does the room feel warm and calming? There will be no elements in this room that do not fit this mood. Everything is placed with consideration to it’s surroundings and to the scale of the room. Items placed next to each other intensify each other. One small plant is lonely, three small plants make a group. The plants relate to the vine design in the carpet, the scroll work on the iron coffee table base reflects this theme. Repetition increases the feeling of unity.

The room is balanced, there are no crowded corners on one side of the room, empty corners on the other. The traffic moves through the room easily, never interfering with the function of the room.

The proportion of the furniture is in keeping with the size of the room and each piece of furniture is in balanced scale to the piece next to it.

The color of the room is in keeping with the style and the mood of the room and all elements in the room relate to the color scheme.

The room has an abundance of textures and natural, geometric, abstract and conventional patterns are found. ( Conventional patterns are ones that almost look like the real thing).

A line is a path of action of a design. Lines suggest the eye move or rest; each room should contain curved, horizontal, diagonal and vertical lines. The room will have rhythm and the eye will move easily around the space.

Sound like a lot of gobeltey-gook? Next time you look at a photo of a great room in a magazine see if you can spot the 4 line directions and the 4 pattern types. Then look for a common theme; look at how the color scheme is used. You may be surprised.

Fulling, Felting and Zipper Pulls

2009-10-17T09:39:00.001-07:00

I was asked the other day what ‘fulled’ fabric is. Some of the garment patterns are listing it now as suggested fabric for certain designs. So.. most of us are familiar with what felted means; big upsurge in this in the last few years; but rarely do we see real felt which is the result of what happens to a fleece - or a collection of loose fibers. The fibers are treated in such a way as to force them to mesh into a tight, dense ‘fabric’. It’s actually the cuticle of the wool fibers that stand up ( friction ) and lock together. Felt used to be produced by placing a wool fleece under the saddle of the horse until the fibers ‘felted’. Fulling is what happens to a fabric (usually a knit) when the fibers are forced to mesh.

I can’t believe it’s almost October. Remember the July long weekend? It’s the same amount of time to Christmas. This year I’m going to get organized and actually make the drapes for my living room that I have been putting off for two years. The carpenters house is never finished. I’m using a good weight woven cotton, I’m going to use the new soft blackout lining I found recently (and use exclusively now) and I’m going to put a detachable interlining in them as well. The interlining will give a lot more heat loss protection than just the blackout so I’m looking forward to comparing my heating bills this year to last. My living room window isn’t that large but I should still see some change in the heat loss. Now, if I could just get to the three big windows in my workroom, I’m sure I’d see a huge difference.

If you are wondering what sort of heat loss you are experiencing with your windows, you can check my website, connect via the flashing book to the Articles Archive and look at the post from December 2008 ‘ How much does it cost to heat one window’. It’s a re-print of the column that appeared here on December 5.

My favorite new thing right now is reverse zipper pulls. The pull is made so that the zipper teeth are on the reverse side of the pull. Picture this: the zipper teeth face the inside of the cushion cover. The outside, therefore, has only a small strip of zipper tape exposed. Much tidier way to insert a zipper in a cushion or duvet.

Next column is going to be about Unity in design. Some decorators I know swear that this is the single most important part of interior decoration- the make or break element. We’ll see what you think.

The price of custom

2009-09-25T08:36:00.000-07:00

We all know about custom window coverings. We all know that they may be very reasonably priced or may force you to take out a second mortgage but sometimes it’s the only way to get exactly what you want. If you buy quality you should only have to buy once. Custom built cabinetry is not unusual, but what about other custom items for home decorating? Lets look at two custom possibilities: Custom furniture and fabric.

Custom furniture: Here is what happened recently. A client saw a headboard in a magazine and wanted one just like it. I e-mailed the magazine, requesting source information. I also made some phone calls and found an upholsterer in the area who makes custom furniture - sofas and such- from the ground up. Long story short: my client had her headboard within 1 week, exactly what she wanted, exactly the right size and at a little more than half the price of the one in the magazine. The work this upholsterer does is exemplary, all frames are screwed and doweled, solid wood frames, hand tied springs.. all the good stuff. His price for a simple sofa is in line with a middle of the road sofa from one of the large furniture chains and you could get exactly what you want - arm style, length, seat depth, cushion type and fabric choice.

Imagine being able to have anything printed on your fabric, in exactly the colors you want. I had a client once who was looking for a toile in blue and terra cotta. We searched for months to find one and eventually gave up. Now, with the new technology used by Adaptive Textiles, we could have had this fabric made at about the same price as a lower high end fabric from a designers fabric supplier. You supply a photograph or a drawing of the print you want on your fabric, choose the colors and the type of fabric and ‘Adaptive Textiles’ will print fabric for you. No minimum yardages and about 15 different fabrics to choose from. They also have a great selection of stock patterns, you add the colors of your choice. Adaptivetextiles.com.

You can have what you want, you don’t have to ‘settle’ because it’s all you can find. Ask a decorator or designer to help you, we have ways of finding answers to the difficult questions. For example, I am a member of an organization of about 4000 people in Canada and the U.S. who are employed in the design industry in some way. Its an incredible resource for finding answers and sharing information.

Pilling

2009-09-16T11:33:00.000-07:00

As a continuation of the tread count issue - knowing you now understand what ply is and the value of long fibers as opposed to short ones, I thought this would be a good time to explain fabric pilling.

In my experience, natural fibers pill less than man made ones. Usually. Some man made fibers, like acrylic are notorious for pilling which can make sweater shopping a bit tricky. Some natural fibers are known to pill a lot too: merino wool and cashmere for example. A few years ago I coveted a very expensive sweater, I saved my pennies and waited for the sale and bought it. After 2 wearings the pills were so bad I had to get out the shaver - and the sweater content says 100% wool. So - what’s up with that?

Remember that I explained, with regard to the quality of fiber used in yarn construction in sheets, that long fibers are considered higher quality? Here is how that relates to pilling.

Pilling occurs when the ends of the fibers in each thread react to friction, and ‘stand up’. These ends get twisted together and cause a little knot. This is a pill. So, the fewer ends you have in each thread, the less likely you are to have a pill situation. Longer fibers are higher quality. Now, if you cut off that little pill, you have not solved the problem. The little ends are still there, just tucked back down in the thread, waiting for more friction to make them stand up again. And then they pill.

So: friction. I can get a shock when I slip across the linoleum wearing my nylon and cotton socks. Rarely happens when I wear my wool socks. Friction; think static. The polyester skirt sticks to everything, the cotton skirt doesn’t. Now does it make more sense that high quality natural fibers pill less than less expensive, man made fibers?

How do you prevent pilling? Some experts insist washing the garment inside out will help, others say this makes no difference. Some recommend washing with fabric softener but this can cause a decrease in absorbency of the fabric, or even stain it.

I stay away from fibers that I know will pill and hope for the best. Sometimes I get really indignant and return things to the retailer. Should do that more often, I think.

I’ve being writing this column for a year now and I’d like to thank all of you for your feedback, comments and your continued readership. I really enjoy hearing from you; please don’t hesitate to call me, or-mail me at Linda@designsewlutions.ca. I’d be happy to discuss your decor dilemmas.

The best fruit fly catcher ever

2009-08-30T07:21:00.000-07:00

Andrea Smith told me about this one. It is the only one I've ever tried that actually works.

Put some fruit in a tall glass.

Cover the glass top with cling wrap. Make it tight on the sides.

Prick a few needle holes in the top. I used a fairly large needle.

Done.

The little stinkers can get in but can't get out.

Another one about saving money

2009-08-30T07:10:00.001-07:00

I’m sure you get tired of me harping on about saving money and shopping around but I am a firm believer that we really don’t have to spend a lot to have a beautiful home.

I got some new decorator fabric books from a supplier recently and was surprised to see the Liz Claiborn collection featured. It retails for $42.00 to $110.00/ meter. Fabricland has most of this collection at $24.00 to $32.00 and is on sale now at 50% off that. I have a decorator book of re-cycled fabric. All the fabric is recycled polyester; the fabric is perfect for heavy use furniture or outdoor areas. It retails at an average of about $50.00/meter and Fabricland has fabric that I would bet is part of the collection at $14.98. One of my higher end lines has a black flocked velvet in a great geometric pattern on taffeta, retails at $90.00/meter, at Fabricland it is $14.98. The lower priced fabrics aren’t copies.

I don’t get a commission from Fabricland, I would name any store that helped my clients save this kind of money.

I have the need for a tension rod on which to hang a curtain, the span is about eight feet. There are no tension rods on the market in Canada that will accomplish this. I could buy components from a drapery supply house in the States and try to put one together even if they say 84 inches is maximum. The components would cost about $50.00, and it might not work. So, I did some thinking and a bit of research and I’ve found a way to make a very sturdy rod that will span this 8 feet, won’t require a center support and total cost is about $10.00. I shopped around and asked a lot of questions and finally found the parts I needed at Lordco. Very helpful young lady in the parts department.

One of my favorite ask around finds: Awhile ago I needed a way to fit a finial of one size onto a rod of another, it had to be secure, easy to install, be fairly light, hopefully be a bit adjustable and be paintable. I went to G&H Ornamental (wrought iron masters) and was lucky enough to speak to George. I had the problem parts with me, I explained the situation and asked for help, thinking they could fabricate a part for me. After a few minutes of thought , George went outside and cut a small piece off his garden hose and showed me how to make it into a ‘gasket’. I keep a foot or so of clear tubing in my toolbox now; in different sizes.

I want you to go out there and make these great finds too. As the man with the vest says; ’Save your money’.

Thread Count

2009-08-14T10:19:00.000-07:00

You don’t have the time to research every home decor decision you make. It’s my job to help you. So here; I hope; is thread count explained and what it means in bedding. Please remember that there are no legal guidelines for listing thread count and there is no international standard for labeling bedding.

Lets start with how these threads are constructed. Fibers are spun to form one long strand. This is called a thread. Now, lets take 2 threads and twist them together. This is called 2 ply. This is what happens when yarn is made - think of unraveling a piece of yarn. Did you get 2 or 3 or 4 threads? If 4 threads are twisted together, it is called 4 ply. The 4 ply yarn takes up more space and if you were knitting a garment it would usually be thicker with 4 ply than with 2 ply.

Now lets weave that 2 ply ‘yarn’ into cloth. If we use 100 pieces of yarn per inch we have used 200 threads ( 2 threads per piece of yarn). This is 200 thread count. If we used 50 pieces of 4 ply yarn ( 4 threads per piece of yarn), we would still have a 200 thread count but there would be

fewer pieces of ‘yarn’ per inch. Usually the higher the ply, the shorter the fibers in each thread, and the less quality. Longer fibers produce a silkier feeling thread, they are considered higher quality; producing a more desirable fabric and a 1 or 2 ply fabric is more ‘delicate’ than a higher 3 or 4 ply.

There is some discussion in the industry regarding this method of calculating thread count. Some companies say one piece of ‘yarn’ is one thread count, no matter what the ply, some insist that 2 ply equals 2 threads. Few companies list the ply of the ‘yarn’ used, but if you can

find it on the label it is a good indicator that the manufacturer is using top quality fibers and is proud of that fact. So with this in mind and the fact that there are no guidelines or standards across the industry, the thread count of the sheet you are looking at really doesn’t mean as much as you have been lead to believe.

So how do you choose a good sheet? The best advise I can give you is to buy from a retailer who knows about sheets. Ask questions. I talked to Ginny at Victorian Impressions ( go in and see her 1000 thread count sheet) and she shared some specifics you might want to know about. Ginny sells beautiful upscale bedding ( and home decor items, lingerie and women's clothing). She carries one particular brand of sheets from a direct supplier. This means she is not dealing with a middle man and her prices are reflective of this. She has dealt with this supplier for quite a few years and knows their products well. The quality of the cotton used in their products is superior and the workmanship hits a very high standard. One of her sheet sets list the ply of the yarn ( 2 ) and she can tell you how each sheet washes; what the feel will be after laundering. This is important. For example, her sateen sheets will retain the smooth, satin-like finish after washing. This is because the fibers used are of the highest quality and that fact coupled with the weave of the sheet is what produces a sateen finish; not a chemical applied to the product. Have you ever seen what happens to 'chintz' after washing? This is a highly polished, tightly woven cotton that was used quite a bit in home decor in the late 80's and early 90's. When washed, the finish came off and the leftover fabric looked, and felt, like a rag. The chemical finish is what gave it a stiff feel. This sizing is often applied to inferior cottons to give it a more substantial feel. If you think a fabric may have a lot of sizing, you can check by pinching a layer of the fabric between a moistened thumb and forefinger. Hold it tightly for 5 seconds or so. Release the fabric and check how much 'stick' there is on your fingers. This is the stuff that will wash out. You may find a bit of 'stick' on some sheets and the more inferior the quality of the sheet, the more 'stick' you will feel.

Considering that we spend about 1/3 of our life in bed, a good quality sheet can make this time a lot more enjoyable. Polyester and cotton blend sheets are usually less expensive than 100% cotton and they won't wrinkle as much but when I think polyester, I think 'plastic'. It doesn't breath like cotton and most polyesters do not absorb moisture well, making for a less than comfortable sleep on those hot nights. I. personally, will opt for comfort over wrinkles every time.

Arranging Pictures

2009-08-01T09:38:00.000-07:00

I'll be posting some lighting information within the next while. Bit busy in the workroom right now..

One of the most interesting picture walls I’ve seen was a compilation of about 60 pictures, all different subjects, all different sizes and frame styles that were displayed on a wall; covering the wall from the ceiling to the floor, wall to wall. What made the arrangement work is that each picture contained the exact same shade of blue. This is one of the keys of good picture arrangement: a commonality. In this case it was the blue, it could be the subject - all pictures of nature, or pictures of the dog , it could be the frame, it could be the color - all sepia toned for example. To unify an arrangement, there needs to be some reason for all the pictures to be together.

A client of mine was the keeper of the family photos. She had photos everywhere; every book shelf, every wall, every table top. The clutter this created finally got to her and she asked for help. We used the big piece of paper technique and hung all the pictures on the wall behind the sofa. A real rogues gallery. 10 years later she has changed the arrangement to accommodate new photos but the gallery is still the focal point of her living room and she is quite proud of it.

A few ‘guidelines’:

Just like picking an area rug, the picture arrangement shape takes its cue from the space it is going to occupy. A rectangular shape suggests a rectangular or oval arrangement, a square shape suggests a square or round arrangement.

The arrangement should never be wider than the object over which it is placed. If your sofa is 80 inches wide, the arrangement over it should not be more than 80 inches wide unless you increase the visual width of the sofa - with lamps on tables, or a large plant for example.

There needs to be at least one ‘suggested’ horizontal and vertical line.

The spaces between the pictures should be consistent.

I am often asked 'How high do I hang pictures?' You hang pictures so the center is at eye level. Will the person viewing the picture be sitting or standing? If there is one main picture in the grouping, place the horizontal center of it at a height where it will be viewed straight on. If you have a grouping on a dining room wall, this picture should be placed where the center will be on level with someone sitting at the table, if that is how it will be viewed. In a long hall arrangement the horizontal center should be placed for someone standing. If all the folks in your home are really tall, mount the pictures higher.

How to hang pictures

2009-07-19T11:26:00.000-07:00

So you have gathered all your family photos and decided to hang them together on that long hall wall. 10 pictures; hopefully only 10 holes in the wall. Chances are really good there will be more than 10 holes. Hopefully the pictures will be straight. Hopefully they will look like some thought went into the placement. Hopefully they will be spaced evenly. Here is how to do it with no extra holes and no crooked pictures. I promise. These instructions don’t address the issues of arranging the photos, I’ll talk about that in the next column, but if you just trust yourself chances are you will get a good arrangement anyway.

First, measure the space of the wall onto which the pictures will be hung and make a piece of paper this size. Lay it on the floor.

Number each picture in your grouping.

Lay the pictures on the paper, move them around until you have found an arrangement that appeals to you.

Once you have the pictures well placed, draw around each picture with a marker.

Remove each picture and write the number of the picture on its place on the paper.

Hang the paper on the wall - just tape it up. Make sure it is straight on the wall.

Now you need to make a picture hanging tool. You need a piece of 1x2 board about 24” long. Into one end of the 1x2, in the center of the 2” side about 4” down from the top , insert a long drywall screw so that it goes through and sticks out the other side at least 1/2”. Basically what you have is a stick with a screw through the wood, the head of the screw sticking out one side about 1/2-1”, going through the board and sticking out the other side 1/2”.

Pick up one of your pictures, hook the hanging wire onto the head end of the screw. Holding the whole thing like a sign in your left hand, position the picture over it’s particular spot on the wall diagram and gently push on the very top of the 1 x 2 with your right hand. The screw will poke into the wall, indicating exactly where the hook or nail for the picture should be.

Put the nails or picture hanging hooks into the wall at each screw ‘poke’ - right through the paper. Rip the paper off enough to mark the wall with the picture number. Do this with all the pictures, take off the paper and hang your pictures. Done.

This is a picture of my picture hanging tool, from the side, the top and with a side view of a picture hanging on it, ready to mark the wall with the exact position of the picture hanging hook or nail..

Permission To Do Nothing.

2009-07-03T21:52:00.000-07:00

I got a call the other day from a lady I initially talked to about 2 years ago when she had just moved into her new home and needed some window coverings. I went to see her, did some designs on a photograph of her window, found some great fabric and after several visits we decided she wasn’t ready to make up her mind. Two years later she tells me she still can’t decide what she wants on the windows but thinks she should do something and so I asked her, again, why she thought she had to put anything on the windows at all. Privacy is not an issue. She told me she frequently sees really nice drapes in other homes and keeps thinking she should put something on her windows. Key word here is ‘should’. It’s not what she wants to do, it’s what she thinks she should do.

I went to install some drapes last week and the homeowners new dining room set had been delivered. Beautiful dark wood table with a lovely lighter wood top, chairs to match. She told me she was going to have to find chair pads but didn’t know what to look for. I asked her why she thought she needed chair pads. (This is a grandchildren friendly home and I know chair pads can be crumb magnets... ) She said she didn’t know, just thought she should have them. I pointed out that chair pads slip around, the ties rarely stay secure , she would be covering up the beautiful wood and the chairs are comfortable without chair pads. As she was thinking about all of this I told her she had permission NOT to put on chair pads. I saw a light go on for her.

Just because you have a window does not mean you have to cover it. Just because the dress is on sale doesn’t mean you have to buy it. Just because your neighbor has drapes on every window and each room is totally coordinated doesn’t mean your house has to be that way. Your home is individual to you and your needs. What anyone else thinks really doesn’t matter - you are the one who has to live with it. If it is not comfortable for you, it’s wrong. Just that simple. So please, stop listening to the mavins on TV telling you what colors are ‘in’ and what is a ‘must’ for this season’s well dressed home. Don’t let the cable guy tell you where your TV should go. I know you all appreciate your well-meaning relatives and friends but just remember: it is YOUR home.

You have permission to do nothing.

Recycling

2009-06-20T08:06:00.001-07:00

Recycling.

We recycle so much of what is in our homes yet many people are mystified when it comes to what to do with their old drapes or blinds and the pieces end up in the landfill. First of all, maybe they aren’t really ready for the big bin yet.

Many blind distributors are trained on repair of their product so you may be able to have broken cords or missing slats repaired locally. Consider having blinds re-cut to fit a smaller window. If your verticals are vinyl consider painting them with Crylon paint- add a new fabric valance and side panels for more pizazz.

When removing blinds make sure you keep all the hardware. Put it in a small bag and attach it to the blinds. If you want to really be helpful, take a picture of the hardware as it sits on the wall and include that.

The Churches thrift store will take blinds and drapes. Call the Women’s Shelter and the Salvation Army. You could put an ad in the paper and give them away. If you want to sell them, be realistic about the price - usually about $5.00 to $10.00 per hundred of original price.

Drapes and curtains (drapes are lined, curtains are not) are prime candidates for in-home recycling. I recently took down some living room drapes and re- cut and re-pleated them for use in 3 basement bedrooms. The fabric was in good condition and we didn’t even have to put in new lining (good quality lining to start with.) We saved hundreds of dollars by doing this. The fabric would also have been quite suitable for a slipcover, or duvet cover, or big floor cushions.

Perhaps you like the drapes but just want an ‘update’. Think about attaching a trim or band of color to the leading edge, perhaps re-styling the drapes will do the trick. If you have recently installed blinds and don’t need the full drape coverage re-cutting the drapes to side panels and a valance is a good idea.

Consider trading with a neighbor or having Roman Blinds constructed for another room.

It could be that your drapes are fine but you require more light control and heat loss protection. Lining can be added - to the existing drapes or as a separate curtain- that will provide just the coverage you need.

With the amazing assortment of fabric available now it is almost always possible to find a complimentary fabric and use the old and new to re-do a spare room. Don’t forget the impact of good trims and the special look created by mixing patterns. I have 150 fabric books to work from and the gals at the local fabric stores are really helpful when co-ordinating patterns. Have fun..

How to choose a paint color.

2009-06-05T19:20:00.001-07:00

Once again, the additions to the column appear here in gold type.

It seems that choosing a color to paint the walls is one of the most difficult for a lot of DIYers. In my Interior Decorating short course we spend at least 8 hours learning about colors. This is the summary version of part of that but the best advice I can give is to hire a professional for a one hour consultation. The cost will be about the same as a gallon of good quality paint. Could save you a lot of money. And remember - if the worst happens and the color is really bad, you can change it.

First of all it is important that you test the paint color in the room where it will used. Purchase a tester -or a liter if necessary - of the paints you have chosen and test them. This does NOT mean painting several colors on one wall. Your eye will see a blend of the colors, not each one individually. Go to the dollar store and get some white poster boards and paint one color on each. Keep them away from each other and move them around the room, see what happens to the colors at night.

How to choose the color: Start with a color scheme. The easiest way is to take your scheme from an existing one: the sofa fabric, a painting or a cushion for example. Don’t try to re-invent the wheel; people get paid a lot of money to design these color schemes. Get paint samples and match the 3 basic colors in your ‘inspiration’ piece: the background color, a mid tone and the most vivid. Match the colors exactly. This is your color scheme. Now look at the samples in terms of intensity. If you change the intensity of one color, change the intensity of all 3 to the same degree.

The main color is the background color and should appear on 60% of the surfaces in a room ( walls, drapes, floors) - there is your wall color. The mid tone color should appear on 30% ( large upholstered pieces; the occasional chair, the upholstered seat of the vanity, the banding on the drapes. the bedskirt) and the accent color on 10% ( accessories- cushions, vases, coffee table accessories).

These colors can appear in different forms: various textures or surfaces and prints. The values (intensity) can vary somewhat; just stay on the color - no mixing blue-green and yellow-green for example. If you are not familiar with a color wheel, go buy one at the art supply store and spend some time with it.

The website www.ehow.com/how_4584162_use-understand-color-wheel.html will get you started.

Some other things to consider when choosing a color scheme: Have you ever been in a red based room when the sun shines through the windows? Or have you stood in a blue bedroom with a blizzard swirling outside? The color of the room intensifies the feelings of heat and cold. So think about this a bit. If your bedroom faces north maybe blue is not the best color for it. You might want to consider a warm color - in the reds, oranges, or yellows side of the color wheel. If your living room faces south you might want to forgo the terracotta based color scheme and choose something from the blue or green side of the color wheel. I had occasion once to do some work in a white house. The walls, carpets, furniture, tables, chairs and even the piano were white. There were no window treatments on the 12 foot high windows. On my initial visit to the house there was a Calgary blizzard happening and I felt like I was standing outside. It was the coldest feeling room I have ever been in.

We put some valances and side treatments on the windows that helped a bit but the all white scheme was still very overpowering.

If you have read my previous columns, you know a bit about contrast. High contrast color schemes tend to make rooms seem smaller - your poor eyes jump from color to color . If your room is small, you might consider a color scheme of two colors in muted tones, or even a monochromatic color scheme with lots of texture.

Do you want the room to feel warm or cool? If cool, pick a main color from the cool side of the color wheel, pick from the warm side for a warm room. This is a guideline. It is not written in stone and it is based on a 3 color scheme. Many contemporary spaces are 2 color schemes, but the same guidelines apply. Hope this helps.

Other Uses for Things

2009-05-22T17:59:00.000-07:00

Information that is in addition to the column is in italics and gold colored.

For a special occasion my nephew wanted to wear the navy blue suit in which his grandfather had been married in 1947 but there was a fairly large sun bleach spot on one shoulder. My sister, the Queen of Fix-its, used navy blue floral spray paint to camouflage the spot. ( Floral spray paint stays ‘bendable’).

A client recently told me she was going to try to cover some plastic vertical blinds with fabric. I suggested she try Crylon Paint instead. This paint is amazing and was made especially for painting plastic, like the ratty old plastic lawn chairs you thought you’d have to throw out. Crylon paint comes in a good color selection, available at Hardware Stores .

My Quilters erasable pen is one of my favorite tools. It makes a great, bright purple mark that fades to nothing or can be removed with the built in eraser. I use it in the workroom to mark fabric ( it’s intended use ) and at installations to mark the walls for bracket placement and things. Available at Fabricland

If your venetian blinds are dust magnets, spray them with static guard. It helps keep the dust from sticking and makes them easier to clean. Also - use a washable wool duster for cleaning them. Wool will actually pick up the dust, not just move it around like feather or polyester dusters do.

If you are a sewer and need to trace your patterns, try medical examining table paper. It comes in a roll, is semi-transparent, quite strong and a lot less expensive than the commercially available pattern tracing paper. Available at the medical supply store in Vernon- behind the large downtown Safeway.

I recently had to install a curtain as a room divider. We could have only one center support, the rod was 12 feet long and the support had to hang from the ceiling. I used a pipe stand from the local plumbing/electrical supply house. It cost about $4.00, as opposed to the $20.00 and up that similar supports cost from drapery hardware suppliers. Got this one at EMCO, they are metal so they can be painted to match the curtain rod color.

The cat peed on the new very expensive brown leather sofa. It left a large dark green stain. The Queen of Fix-its tried a lot of leather cleaning products that didn’t work - but in the end Magic Eraser took the stain out totally. Stain is gone, so is the cat.

Here are a few more ‘Other Uses’:

To mount a curtain rod inside the window frame a ‘J-hook’ from the plumbing department can be painted and mounted to the frame and will accommodate up to about 5/8” diameter rod. They cost less than a dollar each.

I use releasable zip ties to transform a flat sheet into a fitted sheet. Drape the sheet over the mattress, in your left hand gather up all the excess fabric at one corner, holding it close to the top of the box spring. Put a zip tie around the bundle, snug everything up and then tighten the tie well and tuck it under the mattress. Zip ties are not usually releasable but the automotive industry has them, they are available through Napa special order but their minimum is a bundle of 100 for $24.00. I got mine at Bumper to Bumper for 6 for $4.00. If you want to order some, call me and maybe a few of us can go together on a bundle. I certainly don’t want 100 of them....

Here is an ‘Other Uses’ from the President of the Canadian Drapery Workroom Association, Lori Crank:

A product named Green Works - it is a "natural glass & surface cleaner" made by Clorox, comes in a spray bottle like any other glass cleaner. Liquid is clear and works as an excellent spot remover on fabric. Of course test an area first - but I have never seen residue from this product. My little lifesaver! Lori

Off Center Things

2009-05-15T08:31:00.001-07:00

I worked with a designer who loved asymmetrical things. If I hung a picture straight in the show room, she would come behind me and skew it just a bit. All the furniture in her living room was off centered, just a bit. We did a Christmas Show Home one year and one of my jobs was to go behind her and straighten everything. She took great delight in finding a window off center in a room. She thought it showed some individuality. I believe I am in the majority when I say that off center windows are really annoying.

Here’s the thing about architectural elements in a room that you do not find pleasing and you can not change: you can camouflage it, you can ignore it, or you can accent it.

Camouflage it: remember what I’ve said about contrast? Here is a prime example of how to use that knowledge: Make the offending ‘item’ blend into it’s surroundings.

Ignore it: This is a personal choice. If you have recognized a feature as being ‘bad architecture’ chances are good you will not be able to ignore it; but if you can, go ahead. You are the one who will have to look at it and live with it.

Accent it: Make a statement out of item. Draw attention to it, make it the focal point of the room.

I promise you that the most effective way to deal with architecture that you can not change is to camouflage it.

Suppose the window is off center. Use drapes and have them centered on the wall. Please look at the brown and yellow bedroom in the Gallery on my website, Designsewlutions.ca for pictures of this problem and the fix.

You may not care if the wall is in balance or not. If that is so, then put blinds on the window and away you go but remember this: asymmetrical decorating is very difficult to do well. Unless you are a bit of a genius with balance and scale, no matter what you do the room feel slightly off kilter until you deal with the off center situation. This applies to most architectural elephants in a room. The easiest fix of all is to call a professional and get some good advice.