# Around the House - Projects, Tips etc.



## Cerise (Jun 6, 2012)

Are you working on any projects (decorating, etc.) in your home you want to share; or have any questions or tips?

I have some picture/metal wall art & candleholders I want to share. Bought a level & picture hangers, but don't want to make umpteen holes in the walls. Not sure what the walls are made of, & most of the time nails don't hold & anchors are not too easy, for me. Any tips on picture/wall hanging? Would you use nails or screws, & what kind would work best?

Here's the metal art wall sculpture I won at auction (w/ certificate of authenticity & signed by the artist). I don't want to screw it up.


----------



## Cerise (Jun 6, 2012)

The candle/tealight holder is similar to this one. Will probably hang it over the fireplace or in the bedroom:


----------



## Bella99 (Jun 6, 2012)

Redoing my entire bedroom decor, as i'm moving and think I need a 'fresh' and clean slate.  I never realized how many walls my new bedroom has! (7!) but, i'll admit, the kitty-corner walls are pretty gorgeous, just a pain to paint.  I ended up pulling a muscle in my hand in the middle of the second coat, went to the doctor today and was told to not use my hand (also the one I write with).  So I now have a half-pained room. 

Hows that for shabby chic? A half painted room LOL.


----------



## Bella99 (Jun 6, 2012)

Cerise said:


> Are you working on any projects (decorating, etc.) in your home you want to share; or have any questions or tips?
> 
> I have some picture/metal wall art & candleholders I want to share. Bought a level & picture hangers, but don't want to make umpteen holes in the walls. Not sure what the walls are made of, & most of the time nails don't hold & anchors are not too easy, for me. Any tips on picture/wall hanging? Would you use nails or screws, & what kind would work best?
> 
> Here's the metal art wall sculpture I won at auction (w/ certificate of authenticity & signed by the artist). I don't want to screw it up.



They sell those hooks, by that tape brand. (Total mind blank) that come off and go on walls pretty easy.  If your art has a border on the back, like a canvas does (the wood part), you can just rest it on top of the plastic hooks.


----------



## LPBeier (Jun 6, 2012)

Bella99 said:


> They sell those hooks, by that tape brand. (Total mind blank) that come off and go on walls pretty easy.  If your art has a border on the back, like a canvas does (the wood part), you can just rest it on top of the plastic hooks.


Bella, I think you mean 3m/Scotch.  You can get them in various sizes and they do work great.  I just took some off the sliding doors in my Dad's room.  He used them to keep his cane and picker-uper handy.  They didn't leave a mark!

Cerise the hooks probably won't work on the candle display because they would show too much - it is too open.  I don't know what to suggest for that one.


----------



## Bella99 (Jun 6, 2012)

LPBeier said:


> Bella, I think you mean 3m/Scotch.  You can get them in various sizes and they do work great.  I just took some off the sliding doors in my Dad's room.  He used them to keep his cane and picker-uper handy.  They didn't leave a mark!
> 
> Cerise the hooks probably won't work on the candle display because they would show too much - it is too open.  I don't know what to suggest for that one.




Yes! 

If it weren't used for candles, i'd suggest putting two strings on either side, and screwing in O hooks on the ceiling, and tying them.  I've seen this done infront of brick walls, so they don't damage.  But I wouldn't suggest it for candles


----------



## Greg Who Cooks (Jun 6, 2012)

Cerise said:


> Here's the metal art wall sculpture I won at auction (w/ certificate of authenticity & signed by the artist). I don't want to screw it up.


Is it backed by some sort of brackets intended to be used for mounting?

I interpret "not screw it up" as not wanting it to fall off the wall and get ruined. IMO you should use expansion anchors, available in a huge variety at HD and other hardware stores. You select type and size depending on weight of hanging and method of attachment. Assuming 20-30 pounds perhaps two anchors. If you don't have the skills then get somebody to do the job for you.

(You probably have wallboard over studs for your wall. For the anchors you drill a hole--some have sharp points and you pound them in without needing a hole--then they expand as they are tightened down. Some day when they are not needed they are easy to remove and fill over with spackle and paint, wall is then good as new.)


----------



## Dawgluver (Jun 6, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:
			
		

> Is it backed by some sort of brackets intended to be used for mounting?
> 
> I interpret "not screw it up" as not wanting it to fall off the wall and get ruined. IMO you should use expansion anchors, available in a huge variety at HD and other hardware stores. You select type and size depending on weight of hanging and method of attachment. Assuming 20-30 pounds perhaps two anchors. If you don't have the skills then get somebody to do the job for you.
> 
> (You probably have wallboard over studs for your wall. For the anchors you drill a hole--some have sharp points and you pound them in without needing a hole--then they expand as they are tightened down. Some day when they are not needed they are easy to remove and fill over with spackle and paint, wall is then good as new.)



+1

They're really very easy to use.


----------



## CWS4322 (Jun 6, 2012)

Don't get me started on "around the house" projects. The bathroom sink/vanity is concrete--I love it, but it was a challenge (and yes, we did it ourselves); the floors, the doors, I assume you mean "around the house" but not for those with a workshop/milling machines/sawmill/forge/cupala/etc. where you can do just about anything you can see in your mind's eye--the hardware in one of the spare rooms was something we casted...the floor is something we did--starting with the saw logs.


----------



## roadfix (Jun 6, 2012)

As a total DIY'er I'm constantly overwhelmed by the number of on-going projects I've got going around the house.  I get tired of working on one project and will move on to another, then come back to the one I left off 6 months ago....and so on.  It's never ending.  This is what happens if you're too cheap to hire a contractor.


----------



## Claire (Jun 6, 2012)

I'm afraid that after ten years of living in a 160 year old house, we know that almost any job we might start winds up being a bust, so we're better off waiting and saving and hiring a pro.  Even minor jobs seem to wind up involving a lot more than our abilities, and more often than not, we spend the money for DIY jobs, then turn around and spend money for the pros.  In spite of trying to research first, we find we didn't buy the right products, or a little job done uncovers major stuff that needs to be done _right_ when we thought it was a cosmetic job.


----------



## CWS4322 (Jun 7, 2012)

roadfix said:


> As a total DIY'er I'm constantly overwhelmed by the number of on-going projects I've got going around the house.  I get tired of working on one project and will move on to another, then come back to the one I left off 6 months ago....and so on.  It's never ending.  This is what happens if you're too cheap to hire a contractor.


That is my pet peeve--projects that don't get finished. I have to live with the unfinished projects, so I like to finish a project before moving onto another project. That doesn't always work. I see the house in the City as a work in progress. It isn't that I'm too cheap to hire a contractor--being self-employed in today's economy, I can't justify the money, so have to do it myself/ourselves. I think we've done well--we have replaced the kitchen counter top with an ash butcher block top. Total cost was under $100. Labor time was 4 weeks. Concrete sink/vanity in the bathroom was $90 in materials, labor time 4 weeks. hardwood floor in the bedroom, materials were $290, labor was 8 weeks (had to turn the birch logs into lumber, dry it in the loft for a year, plane, tongue and groove it, put it down, sand it, finish it). We're not just DYI, we are start with the raw ingredients and go from there.


----------



## roadfix (Jun 7, 2012)

Working full time and being self-employed, it's very difficult to finish a large project in a timely manner.  A friend helped me demolish a large, termite infested,  2,500 sq/ft hillside deck in the summer of 2009 and I've been slowly re-building the deck, but on a smaller scale, entirely in concrete and brick this time, no wood.  This project is about three quarters of the way finished now.  Lucky for me I was able to get several dump truck loads of free fill dirt from a nearby townhome community building project.
The house also needs a new roof but that will be done in sections, over several dry months.  I have no idea when I'll get to it.  Wife's been nagging me about a new roof for the last 5 years.  It's waaaay over due.  Good thing we live in LA where we don't get much rain.


----------



## CWS4322 (Jun 7, 2012)

roadfix said:


> Working full time and being self-employed, it's very difficult to finish a large project in a timely manner.  A friend helped me demolish a large, termite infested,  2,500 sq/ft hillside deck in the summer of 2009 and I've been slowly re-building the deck, but on a smaller scale, entirely in concrete and brick this time, no wood.  This project is about three quarters of the way finished now.  Lucky for me I was able to get several dump truck loads of free fill dirt from a nearby townhome community building project.
> The house also needs a new roof but that will be done in sections, over several dry months.  I have no idea when I'll get to it.  Wife's been nagging me about a new roof for the last 5 years.


I hear you--there are baseboards to put on, the deck to do (the cedar boards are ready--the time to do it is not), the floor to finish, and then there are those furniture-refinishing projects. We go to a lot of auctions. Auctions = more projects.


----------



## Cerise (Jun 7, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> Is it backed by some sort of brackets intended to be used for mounting?
> 
> I interpret "not screw it up" as not wanting it to fall off the wall and get ruined. IMO you should use expansion anchors, available in a huge variety at HD and other hardware stores. You select type and size depending on weight of hanging and method of attachment. Assuming 20-30 pounds perhaps two anchors. If you don't have the skills then get somebody to do the job for you.
> 
> (You probably have wallboard over studs for your wall. For the anchors you drill a hole--some have sharp points and you pound them in without needing a hole--then they expand as they are tightened down. Some day when they are not needed they are easy to remove and fill over with spackle and paint, wall is then good as new.)


 
I think that's the way to go.  Thank you, Greg, and for all the tips. 

P.S.  In the past, I bought the 3M (Command?) peel and stick hooks, but they didn't stick & fell off the wall before I could hang some light-weight mirrors & pics.


----------



## Cerise (Jun 7, 2012)

Re candles...
I have a plethora of candleholders in almost every room.  I was happy to come across "flameless" candles & "flameless" tealight candles.  (I put some in the fireplace, as well.)  Some are on timers.  That way, you don't have to worry about falling asleep, & burning down the house.


----------



## babetoo (Jun 8, 2012)

i just finished redoing my living room. painted one wall yellow, rest of walls are white. hung new pictures , a city somewhere, all done in bright reds, yellows and oranges on a dark blue background.hung this on the yellow wall. bought  a metal sculpture for one wall, redid a chair, and cushion for another chair. new padded seat cushion for a bench that i just love pulled bits and things in yellow from rest of house. it is bright and cheery and the room looks larger.

sewing room is next and what a job that will be. it is sure a jumble, i can never find what i need. anyway diy is fine, and it just takes time and (hopefully not to much money.

forgot, made new kitchen curtains.


----------



## CharlieD (Jun 8, 2012)

Which way should the fan be spinning in the summer?


----------



## roadfix (Jun 8, 2012)

CharlieD said:


> Which way should the fan be spinning in the summer?


That would depend whether you're in the northern or southern hemisphere.  

Ceiling fans in general should direct air straight down during the warmer months and reverse during the winter.


----------



## Bella99 (Jun 8, 2012)

Done painting 

6-8 hours of painting
4 coats of white
3 coats of purple
A sprained thumb
A couple dog paws around the house, in paint of course
A Barney impersonation

AND a partridge in a pear tree



Before : 






After :


----------



## Dawgluver (Jun 8, 2012)

Bella99 said:
			
		

> Done painting
> 
> 6-8 hours of painting
> 4 coats of white
> ...



Very nice, Bella!  

I once spent a summer painting the whole inside of our 2 story house, did some sponging and faux finishing, now we hire a guy and his parents, they get it done in a day with sprayers and such.


----------



## Bella99 (Jun 8, 2012)

Dawgluver said:


> Very nice, Bella!
> 
> I once spent a summer painting the whole inside of our 2 story house, did some sponging and faux finishing, now we hire a guy and his parents, they get it done in a day with sprayers and such.



Thank you! 
I'm going to hang this picture there in the middle (with my bed & headboard under)


----------



## Dawgluver (Jun 8, 2012)

Bella99 said:
			
		

> Thank you!
> I'm going to hang this picture there in the middle (with my bed & headboard under)



Sweet!  There are a few of us here ( myself included) who love purple and lavendar.  What a pretty picture!


----------



## bakechef (Jun 8, 2012)

I so need artwork in my bedroom.  I have painted it a beautiful blue, have some really nice white faux wood white blinds and white trim.  The artwork I do have is some of my own black and white floral photography in black frames with white mattes.  I just need a stunning piece for over the bed, and the room will come together.  I also have some floating shelves with antique cameras that I've collected over the years.  I like to inject my hobbies and interests in my decor but without them being the whole decor.


----------



## CWS4322 (Jun 9, 2012)

bakechef said:


> I so need artwork in my bedroom.  I have painted it a beautiful blue, have some really nice white faux wood white blinds and white trim.  The artwork I do have is some of my own black and white floral photography in black frames with white mattes.  I just need a stunning piece for over the bed, and the room will come together.  I also have some floating shelves with antique cameras that I've collected over the years.  I like to inject my hobbies and interests in my decor but without them being the whole decor.


To add texture to the walls, paint a base coat. Then sponge some colors you like. Get brown Kraft paper. Cut it as if it were wallpaper. Paint the wall a 2nd color (I go dark for the base, light for the 2nd color). Oops=do this first before painting the wall a 2nd time: Measure the Kraft paper, tear the edges so they aren't straight. Crumble it. Paint the 2nd color on the wall, apply (one strip of Kraft paper wide, but feather the edges) as if it were wallpaper. Starting at the top, apply the Kraft paper. Pull it off. What happens is some of the 2nd coat of paint comes off--you end up with a wall that looks as if it were an old stone wall. Some color combinations to consider would be a dark grey, 2nd coat would be a light blue grey. Or you could go white on white. I did a slate grey with a sky blue in one room, a custom-mixed lilac with a lighter lilac in another room; a sage green with vanilla in another room. Toss the piece of Kraft paper and repeat for the next section. The end result is a wall that looks sort of like a stone wall. Hides dog drool, nicks, dirt. I keep wanting to do a deep purple with a light purple, and then a third application of silver or gold...someday.


----------



## PrincessFiona60 (Jun 9, 2012)

Bella99 said:


> Done painting
> 
> 6-8 hours of painting
> 4 coats of white
> ...



I LOVE that purple wall!  Beauty!


----------



## Bella99 (Jun 9, 2012)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> I LOVE that purple wall!  Beauty!



Thanks!  I'm thinking I want more purple around the room,  maybe some stripes.. but the painters tape we got was horrid.  (You can see some purple marks on the ceiling in the pics) and the baseboards you can see it in person).   

NEVER buy it.  (Scotch green painters tape)


----------



## CWS4322 (Jun 9, 2012)

Supposedly the "Frog" tape is supposed to not allow "bleeding." I too love purple. The master bedroom and two other bedrooms are lavender. The bathroom has royal purple accessories (walls are a light, light grey). If you don't like purple, don't come stay at my house!


----------



## bakechef (Jun 10, 2012)

I like doing an accent wall and then bringing that color around the room with accessories, fabrics and such.  I find that a bold accent wall with the other walls being more neutral, keeps the room feeling light and the accent color not too overbearing.


----------



## Greg Who Cooks (Jun 10, 2012)

Neutral with accents works very well. Unfortunately that is not a well known or well understood concept. I've been house hunting the last several months, and one thing I know for sure: "gross" is a well understood concept, at least if numbers are any indication.

I'm amazed that so few people have understood the concept of "neutral" considering all the disgusting primary and glaring colors I've seen in homes that are purportedly up for sale. I sometimes wonder if people in foreclosure paint their homes in these clashing colors and strew their personal garbage and clutter around the homes, in the hope that they can continue living mortgage payment free for many months to come, secure in their knowledge that nobody is going to want to buy a house like that.

In one house the kid's room was so full of ... stuff ... that I couldn't even open the door enough to see the whole room. I think the walls were painted black.


----------



## Bella99 (Jun 10, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> Neutral with accents works very well. Unfortunately that is not a well known or well understood concept. I've been house hunting the last several months, and one thing I know for sure: "gross" is a well understood concept, at least if numbers are any indication.
> 
> I'm amazed that so few people have understood the concept of "neutral" considering all the disgusting primary and glaring colors I've seen in homes that are purportedly up for sale. I sometimes wonder if people in foreclosure paint their homes in these clashing colors and strew their personal garbage and clutter around the homes, in the hope that they can continue living mortgage payment free for many months to come, secure in their knowledge that nobody is going to want to buy a house like that.
> 
> In one house the kid's room was so full of ... stuff ... that I couldn't even open the door enough to see the whole room. I think the walls were painted black.



A friend of mine has a huge obsession with pink.  Her father used to be a painter so he painted a few rooms in her house pink,  but put the ceilings purple.   
I walked in and it felt like a 6 year old girls' playroom threw up in her house, but she thought it looked amazing and stylish.


----------



## Greg Who Cooks (Jun 10, 2012)

Uh, Bella, I think I saw that house 2-3 times although I'm not sure which one it was. Okay I'm in CA (California) and you're in CA (Canada). I suspect there is a bigger concept here...

My opinion of most of the house decoration skills I've seen in recent months:

"The horror! The horror!!!"


----------



## CWS4322 (Jun 10, 2012)

Finally--I got the first coat of finish on the birch floor in the bedroom. And, you gotta love the wall-to-ceiling closet with the 10-drawer dresser inside. If you want the plans, I can send them to you. I designed this and it works--you can stand on top of the drawers at the bottom to reach the top cubbies. I'm 5'6" and got tired of not being able to reach the shelf in the closet (and stuff always falling off). And the drawers at the bottom are great for storing linens, out-of-season clothes, and standing on to reach the top of the closet and those cubbies.


----------



## Margi Cintrano (Jun 10, 2012)

*House Beautiful*

Interesting Post ... Thanks to all the Members that have shared their home improvement and / or renovation projects ... 

Have lovely Sunday.
Ciao. 
Margi.


----------



## CWS4322 (Jun 10, 2012)

Margi Cintrano said:


> Interesting Post ... Thanks to all the Members that have shared their home improvement and / or renovation projects ...
> 
> Have lovely Sunday.
> Ciao.
> Margi.


Closets in NA are not designed anything like they are in Europe. What's with that stupid shelf at the top (everything falls off of it) and making closets an "L" behind a door? I waited 17 years to get the closet I have in the master bedroom. It uses all the wall space. It has drawers on the bottom that form the closet floor. I can stand on top of this and reach the cubbies that are at the ceiling height. I had 2 5-drawer dressers built in, and have 6 areas for hanging clothes, besides the additional cubbies. I also had a pull-out mirror built in the closet. I love this closet and 2 friends have copied it in their homes.


----------



## PrincessFiona60 (Jun 10, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> Finally--I got the first coat of finish on the birch floor in the bedroom. And, you gotta love the wall-to-ceiling closet with the 10-drawer dresser inside. If you want the plans, I can send them to you. I designed this and it works--you can stand on top of the drawers at the bottom to reach the top cubbies. I'm 5'6" and got tired of not being able to reach the shelf in the closet (and stuff always falling off). And the drawers at the bottom are great for storing linens, out-of-season clothes, and standing on to reach the top of the closet and those cubbies.



That is amazingly beautiful and that closet is to die for, CWS!  Now I want that closet!


----------



## Margi Cintrano (Jun 10, 2012)

CWS, Buonasera,

The outdated 1950s - 1960s Closets in Spain are horrendous ... However, the wall to wall closets in the Loft are great. When we had rented a tiny apartment so that we could look for an " apartment home ", we hunted for almost 4 mos. It was quite a feat I must say ... In Italia, more or less the same nightmare ... 

We are accustomed to NYC large wall to wall closets, perhaps bigger than any NYC bathroom !  and of course in South Miami Beach and San Francisco, we had wonderful closet space as well ...

We are presently living in the centre of Madrid, in a relatively recently refurbished apartment loft ... I have a wall to wall in the bedroom and The Vet has a big walk in.Then there is a hidden storage by the duplex steps which is used for suitcases and tools, my old USA published works in Portfolio, The Nativity and Christmas decorations,  magazines I cannot throw out unless I scan what I need, amongst other valuables and treasures to us ... 

Yes, I see your new wardrobe is phenomenal ... This is something similar to what we are planning to do in Italia at our home in Puglia ... The basic difference is the doors. We want to re-create the antique doors that we had seen in a Relais Chateaux Hotel, out of antique rustic country  "wood" ... I like contemporary yet with that rustic country feel to things ... 

ENJOY THE WARDROBE, IT IS FAB.
Margi.


----------



## Margi Cintrano (Jun 10, 2012)

Bella 99, Buon Giorno,

Lovely seascape in amethyst and violet ... Nice decorative touch. 

We rent a centre Madrid Capital Apartment Loft, and thus, it was fairly liveable when we moved in ... However, our home is in Puglia, Italia on Adriatic, in the Gargano Peninsula close to Bari Port.

We are doing a similar job in Mediterranean Sea Turquoise Blue with antique white ... in July ... We have just finished the kitchen in same, Mediterranean Blue with white over the Easter holidays and thus, now it is time for us ... The guest bedrooms also require a facelift, renovation and paint job ... 

Roma was not built in a day,
Have lovely wkend. Thanks for sharing your lovely renovation.
Margi. Cintrano. 
Ciao.


----------



## Claire (Jun 10, 2012)

Well, due to a little windfall, we can do (not DIY, mind you, I mean hiring a contractor) a couple of jobs in our old house.  When we bought it, I swear every room was blue or plaid or both (plaid wallpaper in a bathroom and in the kitchen).  I got a fast lesson in living in a small town one time when I was at a neighbor's party and complained about the kitchen (plaid wallpaper with heavy curtains, almost drapes, in a coordinating floral.  The kind of curtains you can't wash yourself, have to go to the cleaners.  First act as owner was to take them down and give them to Goodwill.  Drapes in the kitchen?).  Turned out a woman who was in the group I was conversing with was the "interior designer" for that room.  My heavens, what was she thinking of?  I'm pretty sure the previous owner didn't really cook.  Anyway, the drapes went first, and now, after 11 years, I've saved enough and got the aforementioned windfall and just had our favorite general contractor come in.  I want tile backsplashes and just paint on the rest (from the waist down it is beadboard wainscotting painted white, and I like that).  The thing is when we had the dining room painted, we discovered that the plaster is directly on the bricks in the additions (the first two rooms are plaster on lath, circa 1854; don't know about the age of the dining room).  So I'm afraid that the plaster will all come down with the wallpaper.  This is what I mean about DIY.  You have to be a serious craftsman to replaster an entire kitchen.  A part of me thinks it would be neat to just go with the brick, but not practical.  

Colors are an issue.  The counters are Corian made to look kinda like stone in a light sage green.  Don't want to make the entire house green (front rooms are).  Cabinetry, beadboard, and all other woodwork are white.  Husband is thinking of yellow walls, which I would like; sunny in the winter which would make me happy (yes, I'm one of those who is affected by color).  So what color and type of tile?  We're debating the glass tiles that are popular now, or something maybe a light terra cotta in color.


----------



## Bella99 (Jun 10, 2012)

Love the wardrobe!!

Oh the things I could do with that! LOL


----------



## CharlieD (Jun 10, 2012)

roadfix said:


> That would depend whether you're in the northern or southern hemisphere.
> 
> Ceiling fans in general should direct air straight down during the warmer months and reverse during the winter.


 
Yea, I know that, I stil don't know which way they should turn


----------



## Margi Cintrano (Jun 10, 2012)

Claire,

I would go with a stunning terracotta rustic non shine tile and for the walls, I would go with either a similar Pale Icy Mint in the same hue and tone as the cabinetry and /or I would pick a lighter icy pale tone of the terracotta in the same hue and tone of course, and use this color with ivory cream and pale mint as your scheme.

The yellow would be a 4th color --- and I am very mono chromatic and neutral when it comes to color palettes fashion wise or decorative wise ... 

Kind regards,
Ciao. Margi.


----------



## bakechef (Jun 10, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> Neutral with accents works very well. Unfortunately that is not a well known or well understood concept. I've been house hunting the last several months, and one thing I know for sure: "gross" is a well understood concept, at least if numbers are any indication.
> 
> I'm amazed that so few people have understood the concept of "neutral" considering all the disgusting primary and glaring colors I've seen in homes that are purportedly up for sale. I sometimes wonder if people in foreclosure paint their homes in these clashing colors and strew their personal garbage and clutter around the homes, in the hope that they can continue living mortgage payment free for many months to come, secure in their knowledge that nobody is going to want to buy a house like that.
> 
> In one house the kid's room was so full of ... stuff ... that I couldn't even open the door enough to see the whole room. I think the walls were painted black.



We ran into the same thing house hunting!  I think that with all of the design shows on TV, people get "inspired" to decorate with bold colors.  When a professional designer does it, it can look great, but not everyone has the talent that they do.

When the contractors built this place, they put wallpaper directly on the drywall, so in the kitchen, I'm stuck with wallpaper, luckily the previous owner put up a very neutral, very subtle wallpaper that I can live with.  They painted all of the downstairs, hallways, and stairways in a light tan, which looks very nice and makes the white trim and crown molding pop.  We bought neutral furniture and brought in colors with artwork and accessories.  This makes redecorating very easy and affordable.  

One of the masters was done in a terrible shade of yellow, it is now the Blue room which I really love, But I like the neutrals in the common areas, gives them a lighter, more airy feeling.  I don't care for white walls though, I had too many of those living in apartments, I prefer a warmer neutral.


----------



## Greg Who Cooks (Jun 10, 2012)

I prefer the same thing, neutral walls with colors/accents provided by artwork and accessories.


----------



## Margi Cintrano (Jun 10, 2012)

Charlie D., Buonasera, 

My ceiling fan in the Loft dining room goes Clockwise ... 
The store which we bought it, installed it ... 

Have a nice Sunday.
Ciao, Margi.


----------



## Dawgluver (Jun 10, 2012)

Margi Cintrano said:
			
		

> Charlie D., Buonasera,
> 
> My ceiling fan in the Loft dining room goes Clockwise ...
> The store which we bought it, installed it ...
> ...



The one in our sunroom also goes clockwise.


----------



## Katie H (Jun 10, 2012)

I, too, prefer neutral tones.  They seem much more restful and calming.  Any "wow" colors in our home come in the form of accessories and/or artwork.

I was a decorator and owned my own business for many years and saw many homes decorated in a manner the owner thought was _House Beautiful _worthy but, in reality, was more like a disaster.

People can get carried away with bold colors and when it comes time to sell their property those vibrant colors can be a real turn-off for prospective buyers.

One of my dearest friends is a very successful realtor and she always counsels her sellers to declutter their homes and, if there are what would be considered "decorator colors" on any of the walls, she recommends spending the few dollars on paint to change them to a neutral tone.

I like vibrant colors, but tend to restrict them to my dress and prefer that my castle be a place of peace and calm.


----------



## roadfix (Jun 10, 2012)

CharlieD said:


> Yea, I know that, I stil don't know which way they should turn


Just look and see which way the fan blades are pitched.  Then determine whether you want to go clock or counter clock wise...


----------



## CWS4322 (Jun 10, 2012)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> That is amazingly beautiful and that closet is to die for, CWS!  Now I want that closet!


PF--I waited 17 years for that closet. The closet is 11.5 ft x 8 ft. It was built in sections, much like one would build kitchen cabinets. The bottom drawers are very deep (I think 28" and 16" high) and the doors are standard 80" doors, 34" wide. The interior stuff is set back 8.5" so that I could stand on top of the drawers to reach the top cubbies. And, the clothes are color-coordinated in the cubbies--all my purple tops are together--oh, I guess that has nothing to do with the design. I'd have to open the doors to give you an idea of how I designed the inside. It holds all of my clothes, and then some. And those bottom drawers are great. But I like that things don't fall on my head and that I can reach to the very back of the uppermost cubby (the ceiling is 8 ft 3 ", and the closet utilizes all of the space. There is no dead air in this closet. I canceled the closet to the bedroom and built this along the wall. The bedroom closet then was opened up to be part of the living room. Obviously, the people who design closets don't think outside of the box. This closet is to die for. I threaten to take it with me if I sell the house.


----------



## Margi Cintrano (Jun 10, 2012)

Katie H.,

I agree ... Neutral colors and use a color that you truly enjoy as the accent tones or for 1 wall however, cautions and make sure that you can live in that color. 

I did fashion journalism way back when in San Francisco ... I had also studied some Interior Decorating as an elective as well as Fashion Design and Photography at University ...  I dislike clashing tones and loudness. Brights can be an accent done intelligently without brassiness.

Kind regards. Margi


----------



## CWS4322 (Jun 10, 2012)

Katie H said:


> I, too, prefer neutral tones.  They seem much more restful and calming.  Any "wow" colors in our home come in the form of accessories and/or artwork.
> 
> I was a decorator and owned my own business for many years and saw many homes decorated in a manner the owner thought was _House Beautiful _worthy but, in reality, was more like a disaster.
> 
> ...


I know that if I put the house in the City on the market, because of the purple walls, I will have to repaint the entire house. Paint is cheap. I would hire s/one to do it, but in the meantime, I live with the colors I like. I live here. I too like vibrant colors, but in the house, I like pastels.


----------



## Margi Cintrano (Jun 10, 2012)

Bake Chef,

Personally, I detest chalky white old walls, like I had seen in so many apartments here in Madrid ... When we saw the Loft, that was it !  Pale Sand dune color walls throughout ... Much softer and calming than chalky white ... 

As individuals we all have a different take on colors ... I dislike grey ... I like it fashionably however, not on my walls --- very depressing, and reminds me of the Grey wet weather and Rain ... Bleak ...

This is an interesting post covering a whole new field. 

Have a nice Sunday.

Margi.


----------



## Margi Cintrano (Jun 10, 2012)

*Cerise: Truly Interesting Subject For Post*

Very interesting post and creative subject matter ... Thanks for posting your lovely wall hanging too ... Very elegant.

Ciao and have nice Sunday, 
Margi.


----------



## PrincessFiona60 (Jun 10, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> PF--I waited 17 years for that closet. The closet is 11.5 ft x 8 ft. It was built in sections, much like one would build kitchen cabinets. The bottom drawers are very deep (I think 28" and 16" high) and the doors are standard 80" doors, 34" wide. The interior stuff is set back 8.5" so that I could stand on top of the drawers to reach the top cubbies. And, the clothes are color-coordinated in the cubbies--all my purple tops are together--oh, I guess that has nothing to do with the design. I'd have to open the doors to give you an idea of how I designed the inside. It holds all of my clothes, and then some. And those bottom drawers are great. But I like that things don't fall on my head and that I can reach to the very back of the uppermost cubby (the ceiling is 8 ft 3 ", and the closet utilizes all of the space. There is no dead air in this closet. I canceled the closet to the bedroom and built this along the wall. The bedroom closet then was opened up to be part of the living room. Obviously, the people who design closets don't think outside of the box. This closet is to die for. I threaten to take it with me if I sell the house.



Well, when I ever get my own house I will take you up on the offer of the plans.  And I will have one purple wall...


----------



## PrincessFiona60 (Jun 10, 2012)

I have a three foot wall the has a light switch and the landline phone jack on it.  It's on the outside of the kitchen entry from the dining room.  Nothing will fit there except a bookcase.  I painted it and the bulkhead above the cabinets in the dining area Navy Blue.  Then I found gold frames for some pictures and a mirror above the bookcase.  It's the only elegant looking spot in the apartment.

The wall above the back slash and fridge I painted Cherry Red.  Such small spans of space really accent and don't detract and I've been told it looks nice.  Before we move from this apartment, I will have to cover them with the same dreary beige they were before I got bored with it.  When you live in a place for 12 years, you have to change things up sometimes.


----------



## CWS4322 (Jun 10, 2012)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Well, when I ever get my own house I will take you up on the offer of the plans.  And I will have one purple wall...


I hope you do take me up on that offer. And only one purple wall??? I absolutely love the closet. Not only because it uses all the available space, but it also meant I could eliminate having dressers in the bedroom. I also have the bedside tables built in--they are cubes mounted on the wall and the headboard of the bed is floating shelves (negative and positive). Cleaning the room is a breeze--the IRoomba fits under the bed and the bedside tables. I have space for a chair, if I want one, but I rather like the minimalist look, easy to clean and keep organized.


----------



## roadfix (Sep 9, 2018)

Orchard Supply Hardware is going out of business, nationwide, and they're having a huge liquidation sale now.   So I took advantage of their 40% off plumbing supplies during the week and purchased a bunch of copper pipes, fittings, spigots, valves, pressure regulator, and other gardening and misc items.   Discount amounts vary from dept to dept.

So I decided to take care of one of the things on my 'to do' list.   I replaced every component on the main water supply line coming into the house.    Also added a dedicated spigot for the drip irrigation timer for a tidier setup and dressed up the area under the pipes with Mexican river rocks.


----------



## Caslon (Sep 16, 2018)

I forgot this forum section existed.


----------



## roadfix (Oct 31, 2018)

I 'harvested' my first batch of landscape boulders out of the ground this morning.    I poured concrete mix and threw in a bunch of old concrete debris into trashbag lined "molds" I dug in the ground.    I used a 90-pound bag of concrete mix plus about 25 pounds worth of concrete debris per boulder.     They're solid, not hollow, so they're nice and heavy like the real thing.    It took a long steel pry bar to lift each boulder out of the ground.

The pieces of stuck trash bag liners on the boulders will be torched off...
I placed a yardstick there for scale.


----------



## Just Cooking (Oct 31, 2018)

Clever and, I'm assuming much less expensive than buying rocks that large.. 



Looks like a fun project..  



Ross


----------



## Cheryl J (Nov 3, 2018)

Very nice, RF!  I've been following your yard and outdoor cooking projects over the years, and really enjoy them.


----------



## Addie (Nov 3, 2018)

Now you need to get someone out there to paint those boulders. A generic holiday greeting would be nice at this time of year.


----------



## roadfix (Nov 4, 2018)

I still need to mold about a dozen more these boulders in different shapes and sizes, some even larger.   Some are going to be placed in the cactus garden out front.
It'll be almost impossible for me to haul boulders this large and heavy from the local river bed and load them in my little Prius while no one's looking.    .....maybe possible if I were 25 years younger..


----------

