Many of you have been following my series of color-picking articles. Those of you who have not, please start from square one. Everyone else, please, read on!

If you truly want to create a space you can love, start with something you love! Look at the predominate color in whatever you pick. That’s the color you should paint the walls. Accents should be colored after the remaining colors on the object of your affection.

The only limitation on what you can pick from is this; please, pick something you love, not someone you love. Trust me, it won’t turn out as well as you think it will.

Don’t worry, I’ll have more soon! I have three more tips and maybe a bonus for my faithful readers, if enough of you ask for it!

Recently, I began posting tips on picking the best colors for a room. If you’ve been following the series, good for you! If not, you can get caught up, by starting here, before reading on.
You’ve picked the colors you want in your house and, now, just can’t decide what color to put where. Don’t worry, this is more common for the average homeowner than you probably think. This simple guideline should help you decide!

You want to make a statement to people coming into your home. One way, perhaps the best way, to do this is by painting your entryway a bright color. Strong colors, which would be suitable for such an area, should be kept out of a kitchen, however. There, you should use white or a very pale pastel. Dark or extremely bright colors aren’t relaxing enough for use in a bedroom. You’re better off with a neutral or softer color where you sleep. Pretty much anything goes in the bathroom; it’s such a small space that you can get away with almost anything. Except dark colors, that is. They make small spaces look even smaller.

Interested in thinking bigger? Read on!

If you’ve read my recent post regarding choosing the right colors, you’ve begun to understand why it is important to pick your colors carefully. If you haven’t, please take a moment to do so before you read what I’ve written below.

If you’re thinking of a bright color but are hesitant to paint an entire room with it, consider painting one wall and keeping the others white or neutral. Not only does this ground the room, it becomes the focal point in what may otherwise be a boring room!

As always, stay tuned for more! This is only the second of ten color choosing tips I have to offer!

Want more? Don’t fret, I’ve got you covered!

Nobody likes to feel like they’re in a closet, especially when they’re not. If you have a room in your home that gives the illusion of being the sizer of a shoe box, try a few of these tips to make your room look and feel larger!

• Move furniture closer to the wall.
  • Furniture that isn’t against, or near, a wall can block walkways and interfere with your view of a space, making it feel smaller.
• Light it up!
  • Brighter rooms look bigger! Let in as much natural light as possible; light is the only thing you can fill a room with that doesn’t take up space.
  • If that doesn’t work, replace any light bulbs in the room with a good quality, high output compact florescent bulbs. This will not only make the room brighter, it will lower your lighting bill!
  • If there is only one source of light in a room, consider adding a lamp.
• Keep it clean!
  • If you don’t need it in the room, get it out of the room! If it must be there, keep it neatly tucked out of the way. The more open space in the room, the bigger the room will feel.
• Use a simple color scheme.
  • Use colors from the same color family.
  • Cool and light warm colors on most surfaces will make the room feel more open, dark colors will make it feel more cramped.
  • If you have to paint any walls, we recommend Freshaire Choice paint for its environmentally friendly properties and premium durability.
• Soften up!
  • Again, dark colors make a space feel cozy and intimate; in a small room, this translates to cramped.
  • Lighter, cooler colors can make the same room feel more open and airy.
  • Soft blue and green tones give the best effect.
• Check your coordination!
  • Your furniture will appear to take up less space if it blends in with the rest of your decor.
  • Contrasting colors break up a room, making it look and feel smaller.

Take these ides and run with them. Apply them to your smallest room first, then try them in your biggest room. You may be pleasantly surprised to find that your house is bigger than it looked!

Keep telling yourself you’d quit dining out as much and start cooking more if you had a new kitchen? Putting it off because you don’t want to deal with the hassle of designing your new kitchen? Never fear, Home Depot has professional kitchen designers on staff!

You’ve been to Home Depot and seen the kitchen displays that have been painstakingly set up. Did you know that the designers at Home Depot can make your kitchen just as beautiful?

Next time you visit Home Depot, stop by and talk to one of the designers. Bring in a diagram of your kitchen, mark out the locations of windows, doors and outlets, as well as your existing plumbing and show this to them. It should be all they need in order to start building your dream kitchen and getting your family gathered around the dinner table, rather than the table at the diner.

How often do you hear people talk about how much you can lower your impact on the environment by spending a ton of money on some major home improvement or new appliances? They tell you how much it’ll lower your energy bills, as well; which is great, except that it can take up to 10 years just to break even. So, you ignore them and get on with your life, right? What if you didn’t have to wait quite so long to start seeing the financial, as well as environmental, impact of living greener?

From meters that tell you how much energy you’re currently using, to automatic composters that turn your leftovers into fertilizer, going green doesn’t have to cost a lot. In fact, there are many inexpensive ways to reduce your environmental impact, while holding on to more of your hard-earned income!

Take a look at this insightful and informative article at dvice.com, titled 7 Household Upgrades that Prove Going Green Isn’t so Hard (or Pricey).

If you are into this kinda stuff.

Zillow has an interactive Home Value Report Map that, I have to admit, surprised me quite a bit… but in a good way. You may be shocked to find out where the values have gone up and where they have drastically gone down in the United States. Check the mad map out here.

A couple of things to do there:

 

See how home values have changed across the U.S.

Click on cities to compare neighborhood home values.

Download detailed city reports for more information, including single family vs. condo comparisons, and a ranking of neighborhoods within an area that are most popular on Zillow.

Design Within Reach (aka DWR) has opened its first international studio in Toronto, Canada. DWR specializes in mid-century modern furniture, art, and accessories from well known designers such as Mies van der Rohe, Aalto, Bertoia, Jacobsen, Saarinen, Noguchi, Le Corbusier, Eames, Gehry, Wright, Gray and more! It is almost impossible to open and Architectural Digest, Metropolis, Metropolitan Home, or Interior Design magazine without seeing one of their legendary pieces.

The Ohio Design Centre in Beachwood, Ohio is hosting a Spring Preview 2008 event on Thursday, March 6th from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. The Centre is home to 100,000 square feet of residential interior showrooms featuring over 400 product lines including luxury furniture, kitchen and bath, surface materials, flooring, wall coverings, fabrics, lighting, antiques, art, accessories and more.

Here is a schedule of the presentations at the event:

11:00 - Baker Knapp & Tubbs with Kim Garr introducing the Lexicon Collection, a sophisticated early 20th century inspired group.

Noon - Roth Collection with John Crosby featuring Glant’s Capri Collection inspired by the manufacturer’s Mediterranean homeland.

1:30 - Great Lakes Marble & Granite with Desiree Stimac of Oceana Glass presents superior roc glass products such as sinks and accessories.

2:00 - J Hall Design welcomes Jennifer Connolly of the Cleveland Green Building Coalition. Join her in discussing green residential design projects and learn how you can make your home more environmentally friendly.

3:00 - Monroe & Associates presents Antonette Smith of Ralph Lauren Home to introduce the luxurious Spring 2008 fabric and wallcoverings collection.

Throughout the day be sure to visit all of the showroom openhouses. Showrooms not to miss include Bello Design, Brunschwig & Fils, Classic Oriental Rugs, Donghia, Gregory Alfonso, R.W.Shea & Co., and Scalamandre.

The Ohio Design Centre tends to be for the trade only. If you are a homeowner looking for a residential interior designer and are interested in attending this event, please contact us by clicking here.

Interior designers and home stagers can supply you with the best ways to care for your home. Enjoy our cleaning tips that will help you make your furniture look it’s best and prepare your home for sale:

Blood - Cover the stain immediately with a cornstarch and cold water paste. Lightly rub the mixture and place the peice in the sun to dry. The sun and starch will pull the stain out. Brush off the powder. Repeat if necessary.

Candle Wax - Soften wax with a warm hair dryer then scrape off excess. Use paper towels, water, and vinegar to remove remaining wax.

Chrome - Clean with a lint free cloth and ammonia.

Cotton Upholstery - Remove soil by rubbing with an artgum eraser, available in art or craft stores.

Glass Tables - To remove small scratches, rub a small amount of toothpaste and wipe away excess. For a natural cleaner, use lemon juice and dry with newspaper.

Glue - To remove glue from furniture rub with vegetable or mineral oil.

Grease and Oil - Pour salt on immediately grease spills to absorb and prevent a stain. Talcum powder or cornstarch can be used  instead but need rubbed into the spot. Let the spill soak into the salt or powder then wipe up or vacuum up excess.

Leather Upholstery - Lemon oil or saddle soap are good cleansers.

Marble Tables - Stains on marble can be cleaned up by scouring with a paste made of baking soda and water. Let the mixture stand for a few minutes then remove with warm water. Or sprinkle salt onto a cut lemon and rub the lemon on the stained area. Rinse with warm water.

For more furniture care tips check out Part 2.