free decorating advice

I am just putting the finishing touches on my presentation for tomorrow night, and I have to thank all of you for filling in that dreaded, extra ten minutes I had. And, as promised, I shall reward you with my otherwise pay-by-the-hour advice on your questions! (and as I mandated earlier, you must now be thrilled!)


Okie dokie, Lee Ann asked "how do I decorate bookshelves?"


There are a lot of different ways to approach bookshelves, but I am of the triangular theory. First take everything off your shelves. If you want them to be totally stunning, I suggest painting or papering the backs of them. If you don't want to go there, then keep reading.


Next, imagine an invisible triangle extending from the top to the bottom of your bookshelf. You're going to be filling things in within these boundaries. The top shelf should have one substantial thing on it. I love faux-cement garden urns, a piece of great pottery, or a big basket (filled with all your paperback books and other stuff that doesn't look very display-able.). If you have two bookshelves (like flanking a fireplace)--put the same 'big' thing on both of the top shelves.

Then I want you to take all the dust jackets off of your books. Do it! Take them off! Now! They will immediately look a thousand times classier--and who really cares if your books get dusty anyway, right? If you really feel like they're under dressed without their jackets, wrap them in craft vellum. It will soften the spine colors, but still let you see the title. Arrange books within the triangle. Lay some stacked on their sides, and others on their ends. Use the various tchotchkes that always end up on bookshelves as book ends and stacked on the little book piles. When you're done-- the top shelf should have one thing, the next shelf a few things in the center of it,the next a few more centered things, and on and on until you get down to the bottom shelf which should be filled from end to end. Triangle!
(I was going to put a picture of a well done bookcase I did up now, but about 95% of my design stuff is NOT on our computer. I seriously need a scanner!)





Elena asked: "how do I dress my windows inexpensively?"


If you go to a seamstress and have custom drapes done--they will be exactly what you want. They will hang perfectly. Be the perfect colors. Have the perfect trim. They will be fully lined and professionally hung. You will looooooove them. They will also cost at least as much as your mortgage payment is, and therefore they will probably continue to hang until the day you die because you can't bring yourself to take down something that cost that much! Do we really want that?!


SO--go for the drapes from the store and fix em' up. A strip of wide grosgrain ribbon across the top (like mine here--which were suppose to have TWO strips of ribbon, but above mentioned over-priced custom drape maker did not put two on and I HAD to have something to cover our back window right then. I've learned to live with it.).
Try a thick strand of rick-rack sewn vertically about 6 inches from the inside edge-- looks great. Add a strip of fabric to the top or bottom to make the drapes fit in length. Whatever you do, make sure they touch the ground. Nothing screams "I got these at Wal Mart and just slapped them up here" like drapes hovering a foot off the ground. Also shoot for double the fullness. It just looks plain better. If you can't sew, find a friend who can and pay them. The alterations aren't that difficult and you'll still pay a lot less than custom work. But don't ask me. I don't sew.

These are actually covering a closet that's why they're not twice as full--see how their poor tab tops are all stretched out. Double fullness keeps that from happening. But they are a good example of out of the box denim panels with fabric and trim added to make them longer.

Finally, Kristan asked: "How do I let my child help decorate their room without it looking like kiddie fun land?" (well, those weren't her exact words, but you get the point!).


First, what not to do. Take child to the store. Take child to the kid room aisle. Ask, "what do you want for your room?" That's just asking to have to work around the Hannah Montana comforter set :o)!

I love to have kids draw a picture of what they want their room to look like. At least then it's easier to reduce what they want into elements (like more storage, or where they want the furniture placed, or a place to sit and read) instead of accessories. If there's some horrid color they want to paint the whole place (pretty pony puke purple ,perhaps?), consider using it on a piece of furniture. The unfinished furniture warehouses are great if you don't want to strip and or prime. Or you could paint one stripe of it around the room. If they are stuck on wanting the whole room done in a theme (like Hannah Montana!), remind them of whatever thing it was they were in love with a few years ago (like Telletubbies!) and ask how they would feel if their room was all Tubbied-out now. Kids (especially those over the age of 6) usually get that point pretty quick, and agree to maybe just have one Hannah Montana pillow.






I hope I have helped in some small way and not bored you with the sheer length of this post. I have discovered typing about design stuff takes a really, really long time! But my head is just crammed full of ideas and information, so if you have any more questions, let me know..... I'll give you my hourly rate :O)!