My Blog

DIY Furniture Transformation

05/21/2012 13:29:00

Replacing the furniture in your space is another quick way to give your space a new look.....But when buying new furniture is not in your budget what do you do?

PAINT!!!

Painting a piece of furniture can be very intimidating to many, but by following a few short easy steps, you will soon discover that it is not as difficult as you may think and the reward (knowing you did it yourself) will be immeasurable!

Painting furniture can also help with many design dilemmas within a room. For example, if you have inherited a family piece that just does not fit with your home's decor, giving it a new paint job could be the answer. Or, if your decorating style is more eccentric, painting existing furniture will allow for your to express your personality and create a one of a kind piece that is unique and perfect for your home.

So don't let painting your furniture intimidate you.....Go for it and remember with patience all things work its way to perfection.

BEFORE AFTER

Color Selection DIY Project

05/16/2012 19:57:00

Have you ever heard the saying "Paint is the Affordable Decor"?

Well, it is true.....painting is the quickest and most affordable way to get the biggest bang for your buck when redecorating your space!

Why? Well think about it......

The walls in a room are usually the most dominating visual aspect of a room; therefore any changes made to them will capture the attention of one entering the room and cause a natural emotional response, whether good or bad. And if you are like so many homeowners out there, the thought of select colors for your walls is down-right frightening!

But it does not have to be......

Most homeowners select paint colors by going into a paint store, picking up a bunch of color swatches and taking them home only to be frustrated with the process of trying to visualize the color on their wall from a tiny paint swatch. For most, this process only contributes to their indecisiveness therefore they end up either postponing/canceling the project or paying a professional to make the decision for them.

But, there is another way..............

Most interior design companies use CAD (computer-aided-design) programs to give their clients a visual look of their room with, the selected paint colors. This can be helpful when making decisions on colors before making the investment for labor & material cost.

CAD programs can be very expensive and difficult to use, but

Better Homes and Gardens has an on-line tool that's ideal for a DIYer willing to put a little time in to get the results they want.

Giving your room a fresh new paint color is still the most affordable way to update your space and get instant gratification. So, if you are having a hard time selecting colors give the BHG on-line tool a try, or give us a call and ask about our Color Consultation Services

Super Easy DIY Spring Project (Part 1)

04/23/2012 11:38:00

Spring

is in the air!!!

This is the time most of us spruce up our yards to showcase the beautiful spring flowers.

How would you like to find a creative, affordable way to also spruce up the inside of your home to showcase those same beautiful flowers and plants featured outdoors?

Here is an easy to do DIY project that will showcase your creativity and instantly liven up any plain wall in your home.

Step 1> Purchase any size blank art canvas from your local craft store

Step 2> Purchase semi-gloss or gloss spray paint in color(s) that

coordinates/compliments your home's decor

Step 3> Select fresh flowers, leaves and/or branches of your choice from

your yard

Step 4> Arrange your pick on the blank art canvas, and secure it with

straight pins, tacks, or sticky glue to ensure it does not move

Step 5> Spray paint canvas, then remove & dispose the picks, and

WHALA!.....The perfect wall art!

Tips: Create an interesting border by cutting a piece of paper into four

strips. On one edge of the strip cut a pattern or rip the paper to

create an jagged edge. Arrange strip on the blank canvas, along

with your picks, then spray paint the entire canvas.

Group together several of these art pieces, on the same wall,

to make a strong first impression!

Inspiration for Any Room Decor

04/01/2012 19:07:00

Often times I get asked the question "what are the best decor colors" and my answer is always the same.......

What inspires you?

There is color in everything around us, and often times when you stop and look at an image, a photograph or a landscape your eyes will automatically be drawn to the colors that you are most attracted to.

The key is awareness; allowing your eyes to naturally find what it is attracted to and being aware as it is communicated back to you.

In this photograph my eyes are automatically drawn to the beautiful hues of yellow that brightens up the picture, in spite of the well lite landscape.

The insect's colors inspires an updated decor style, while the landscape's natural pallet neutralizes the total image, which visually translates into an ideal transitional decor.

From this simple photograph a bedroom design plan is inspired that incorporates many of the features seen in the picture, such as the colors, lines and patterns.

The design offers the sophistication and elegance displayed by a butterfly, while also providing a beauty that stands out and naturally lightens up the room. The outcome is a well balanced decor that encourages positive energy.

click on image to see all our

Ready Made DIY Design Plans

If you have a room that needs decorating, let us know the color(s) that most inspire you. We'll take your information and create a

Semi-Custom Design Plan just for you!

For full details, please visit The Room Planners, LLC website

Ready-Made DIY Design Plans

03/26/2012 09:36:00

They're Finally Here!!!

Our New Ready-Made DIY Design Plans are now available on our website.

If you are a Do-It-Yourself decorator but need a little help with your design choices, then these plans are ideal for you! We have taken all the guess work out of decorating a room, and have published 15 budget friendly design plans that will turn the most novice homeowner to a professional decorator.

Turn a

COLORLESS, DREARY

Room

Into a BEAUTIFUL & INVITING

Space

At a fraction of the cost of hiring a

professional decorator

Plan shown is the Voluptuous Luxury 1 - Living Room

Ready-Made DIY Design Plan

There are three (3) room plans for each color story, and each plan was designed to aesthetically coordinate and harmoniously flow with the other rooms. We have addressed the three (3) main rooms in the home

Living Room, Dining Room and Bedroom

Whether you have a Traditional, Transitional, Modern or Eclectic style home, we have a plan to fit your needs. So look through our plans now, and get started decorating!!!!

COMING SOON

ON-LINE STORE

a fine selection of our "Decorator's Choice" Products at affordable prices!

Best Ways to Organize Your Home (Part 5)

01/30/2012 21:57:00

This month we have provided tips for organizing: The Kitchen

The Family Room

The Bedroom

The Bathroom

We will end this blog series with tips for organizing any storage space, such as The Garage, Basement or Home Office.

1) Start with a plan. Think through the way you need to utilize the space, identifying any items that need to be easily accessible.

2) Invest in modular cabinets, they are multi-functional and easily adaptable to any storage space. Beware not to purchase kits that may not address all of your needs. Instead spend the extra money to customize your purchase to insure you'll maximize usage.

3) If space is limited in your home, consider using a closet in a bedroom to create a functional hide-away home office or craft area. Customize your space using modular cabinets, peg & cork boards and wall shelves.

4) Use your basement walls & ceilings wisely. Install brackets to store & display such items as musical instruments, toys or essential office items. By using some creativity, your display could also serve as art in the room.

Hopefully these DIY Organization tips have been of help to you. If you need additional information, or would like our help with your project, please give us a call.....We are here to help!

Best Ways to Organize Your Home (Part 4)

01/24/2012 09:07:00

"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal."

This entire month we have focused our weekly blogs on easy & practical tips to help you set and accomplish organization goals for your home. This week I will share with you a few simple ideas on ways to organize The Bathroom.

Grooming yourself is so much more enjoyable when you have a clean and organized bathroom. Once you achieve this level of joy, you will never want to turn back. The wonderful news is that you will never have to. The secret for organization success is to get serious about it and then become diligent and ruthless in pursuing your goals.

1) Restore order in your medicine cabinets, drawers and under sink cabinets by placing toiletry items in caddies, organizing containers and trays, which will allow for easy clean-up and to help eliminate clutter.

2) Get rid of all medicines past the expiration date and items that you don't use and/or are broken. The likelihood of you getting those broken items fixed are slim to none, so be realistic and throw away all broken items.

3) If your bathroom lacks a closet then re-purpose a cabinet or dresser drawer to store extra linens and bulk items such as cotton, swabs, bath oils, etc.

4) De-clutter your linen closet by reducing the number of linen and towels kept. Use the chart below to help pare down your assortment. If these quantities are not sufficient, consider doing laundry more often within the week instead of increasing the amount of sets you keep. Also, make sure to rotate the sets regularly to ensure equal usage and replace the sets when they appear frayed and worn.

Family Members Guests

# Linen Sets (per Bed)	# Towel Sets (per member)	# Linen Sets (per Bed)	# Towel Sets (per guest)
2 to 3	2 to 3	2	2 or 4 perBed

REMEMBER:

Change always starts from within! Surrounding yourself with harmony, in your living spaces, will help catapult your energies to achieve success!

"We must be the change we want to see."

Mahatma Gandhi

Best Ways to Organize Your Home (Part 3)

01/17/2012 15:48:00

This is part 3 of 5 in our Home Organization series and by now you should have a plan in place to help tackle getting your home back in order after the holidays.

If you've missed any part of this series, please click on these links:

Part 1: The Kitchen

Part 2: The Family Room

In Part 3 our focus will be on The Bedroom, the one place in the house where serenity and relaxation are key to help ensure your well-being.

Nothing is worse than coming home, after a hard day at work, to an unwelcoming bedroom. The #1 reason for a room to feel unwelcoming is disarray caused by "Clothing Clutter" due to lack of and/or misuse of storage space.

BEFORE

AFTER

1) Start by scaling down the amount of clothing in your bedroom closet. Sort through your wardrobe and remove all items that are not appropriate for the current season. Store these items in storage bins/boxes and place in your designated storage area. [see part 1 in the series for storage area ideas].

2) Designate a place to store all your dirty clothing. A laundry hamper or basket placed in your bedroom, closet or bathroom will work wonders.

3) Make a conscious effort to hang your clothes in the closet and place all dirty items in the laundry hamper/basket before retiring for bed each night.

4) If you are a clutter bug by nature, then limit the furniture in the bedroom. By removing furniture such as chairs, sofas and benches, it will help encourage the habit of hanging your clothes in the closet each night.

5) It is said that it takes 90 days to change a habit, so do your best to be consistent and diligent in maintaining an organize room. Your inner-self will thank you in the morning!

If you like this series, make sure to leave us your comments and share it with your friends. Also, let us know of other decorating or organization interests that you would like us to write about.

Best Ways to Organize Your Home (Part 2)

01/09/2012 12:37:00

If you, like so many others, extended your holiday celebrations into the first week of the new year then this week is the week to get started on your home's organization plan.

Last week I gave helpful tips for organizing The Kitchen. This week I will focus on The Family Room where the family spends many memorable moments each and every day.

1) Start by thinking about the way each family member uses the room and create a designated space, with the appropriate storage, tailored for the type of activity that family member will do in the room.

2) In the room, kepp only the movies, games, music and books that are used most frequently. Place all other items in labeled boxes and move them into your designated storage area [see last week's blog for storage area ideas].

3) Create storage, behind a couch or chair, by pulling the furniture far enough from the wall to accommodate the storage unit. Make sure to allow an adequate walking path.

4) Use storage ottomans as another source of storage for the room. There are many styles and colors available from local merchants or on-line from companies such as Ottomans.com

5) If your budget and floor space permits, consider adding customed built-in cabinets. Not only do they provide extra storage in the room, but they also add value to your home.

Look for upcoming blogs, later this month, on organizing your Bedrooms, Bathrooms and Garage/Basement/HomeOffice. Make sure to send us your comments and let us know of other decorating or organization interests you have that you would like us to write about in our blogs.

Best Ways to Organize Your Home (Part 1)

01/04/2012 17:11:00

Happy

New Year!!!

Now that the holidays are over, organizing your home should be on your priority to-do list. So, the question is where do you start.......

ONE ROOM AT A TIME!!!

Each week, in January, I will post a new blog with helpful hints for organizing different rooms in the home. This week I'll begin with the most important room in the home The Kitchen.

The kitchen is the one room that every member in the household uses, but nothing discourages harmony more, amongst family members, than being in a cluttered space.

1) Start by designating a storage closet, cabinet and/or drawer inside your home, garage or basement, for all non-essential kitchen items.

2) Clear all counter tops of any items you do not use on a daily basis, including small appliances, utensils and storage containers; these should be stored away in your designated storage area.

3) Add drawer dividers and cabinet organizers to store all items that you use on a regular basis. Silverware, dishes and cooking utensils that are not used daily should be placed in labeled boxes and stored in your designated storage area.

4) Avoid making the kitchen the family's dumping ground by placing storage cubicles & organizers next to the door your family most frequently use to enter the home.

This month make a genuine effort to organize your kitchen to help carry over that great holiday spirit, that you and your family shared, through the entire year!

Look for upcoming blogs, later this month, on organizing your Family Room, Bedrooms, Bathrooms and Garage/Basement/HomeOffice.