doing my best to answer your decorating dilemmas

I think I have passable answers for everyone....except you LeeAnn--yours is going to take up all of tomorrow's post since you were serious enough to send me pictures and all :) . For the rest of you, here's my two bits:

SUSIE--you asked about huge blank walls and tall ceilings. Here's a post I did about the beauty of a hollow core door (MUCH cheaper than canvas!). My *door art* is just leaning, but the guys at the home improvement stores know all about what to use to hang stuff like this if that's what you want. Also, I LOVE using wallpaper as a filler on one wall. Like this:

or this (See picture 3 where the paper is framed, a good option if you don't have mad wallpapering skillz :) ) ....

Or this.....

Choosing an oversized pattern of wallpaper and painting adjacent walls a coordinating color is a great way to make a huge impact. Once it's up, the wall really doesn't need anything else on it!

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"T" asked about what to put over her bed and gave me the options of artwork, canvas, or photography. I say any and/or all of those would work! Over the bed is one of those great spots where you can be as personal as you want. Beyond keeping whatever you hang in proportion with the size and headboard shape of your bed, the rest is all up to you! But DO put SOMETHING up there for heavens sake :) !

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SISSY asked about the lettering I had on my old bedroom wall (another good idea for something to put up above your bed!). Here's the post link! I have never found a vinyl letter person willing to do them that size for me again--but I don't think it would be impossible. Just be SURE to have two people available to get the lettering up. It's a big job!

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My real life friend TINA in Brooklyn asked about how to class up her slum apartment. And I say...YOU CAN DO IT! Think BoHo! What you have is "vintage chic" not junky! Design Sponge is a great website for garnering ideas about big city living, as is browsing Anthropologie pictures. Some people would probably pay a lot of money for that gold couch and green curtains :) ...plus, with a husband who's an artist, you probably have some pretty cool stuff laying around!

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5 KID FAMILY asked about storage systems you can take with you. And I say...you can't beat the folks at Pottery Barn Kids! They know how to build a storage system that makes prime use of space going out and up.....

I know a lot of their stuff is overpriced, but it's a good jumping off point. Look at how they're doing it, and then think about how you can replicate it. I have paid local furniture builders to make me PB Kids stuff for a LOT less. Doing the painting or staining on it myself saves me even more.

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AMBER--I will be messaging you about your plant shelf dilemma (stupid dust catchers!) , but I'm still trying to track down the photo of what I did with the little buggers at my last house.

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One more day of great (or at least good!) ideas for a making a new Craftsman house feel more lived in. Then it's back to real life for me! I love talking about decorating again, but it FOR SURE takes more time to do than the straight up writing stuff! I might consider making a "help me with my decorating dilemma" a monthly post though if I have some interest in it. Anyone interested? Let me know!

Happy Monday! :)