Hit Repeat

Just like a good song played over again, repeating certain pieces of furniture and accessories can have you thinking they’re twice as nice.

Many home offices work well for one by sheer configuration.  Instead, opt to accommodate two by placing two slim desks together, front to front, to create a larger work surface where two can sit opposite each other and work.  In a smaller space, press one of the double ends against the wall for a peninsula approach.  With more space, center the double desk in the room, anchored with an area rug. 

The same premise applies to two sets of shelving back to back that can double as a room divider or two spacious sofa table-style pieces that can provide a wider work surface in a laundry or craft room.  Or select two or four small tables or ottomans to stand in place of one traditional coffee table.

One mirror on the wall can be pretty and serve its reflective function.  Hang multiple mirrors on a wall and opt for a wow factor focal point instead.  Hang several of the same square, rectangular, or round mirrors in a medium size in a grid pattern behind your flat screen television to give your entertainment wall more presence.  Do the same on a large section of open wall space in the entryway, dining room, or master bedroom for a standout gallery effect.  Also, take the same or similar framed prints and give them more emphasis when hung in a repeating pattern.    

If you choose to not paint a chalkboard wall but like that write-on option, hang a series of matching framed chalkboards in a line or grid on an office, playroom, or laundry room wall.  For added family room seating, forgo another loveseat and instead place two smaller side chairs side by side or two to four ottomans or cubes alongside your seating arrangement.  To capitalize on finding that great area rug that’s not quite large enough for a room’s arrangement, buy two and use them side by side.  The price of two medium size rugs can be more cost effective than one huge one.   

If one is good, two or more could be better.  When considering a new piece or a new configuration with more form and function, hit repeat on a key piece and enjoy those added beauty benefits. 

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star February 23rd.

Kick It Up a Notch

A great spring decorating accessory for just about any room is your everyday cake stand.  It doesn’t have to stay with its dome lid, and it isn’t just for sweet treats anymore.

Cake stands are one of those kitchen-section items to keep an eye out for in varying materials, colors, sizes, and price points.  You may not want your grandmother’s crystal stand to pull any double duty around your home, but a less expensive version in a heartier material can be just the lift you need to show off your goods.  Look for options in melamine, earthenware, and even wood, along with varying glass versions. 

Place a cake stand in the center of the table to give any centerpiece element a lift, like a vase, a plant, or some seasonal décor.  This is especially handy on a slim dining table, allowing a little room for placemats or chargers to slide under the overhang of a cake stand and still have the room for an attractive centerpiece.  Also, use a cake stand to lift up a pizza or casserole dish in the center of the table at dinner (as long as it can take the heat).

Use a cake stand on a foyer or sofa table to collect the day’s mail and the keys.  Place a stand on a bathroom counter to hold a few candles, like a collection of pillars or a blend of glass jars and votives in different sizes.  A cake stand on the kitchen counter can pull the weight of a fruit bowl but with more display power; layer on your bananas, tomatoes, onions, avocados, or other fruits and veggies.

A cake stand in the office can give you a bit more useable desk space when you elevate a jar of pens or pencils, a notepad, stapler, and mini dishes of office supplies like paperclips, push pins, or rubber bands.  You can also display invitations, thank you notes, or cards, or elevate a small in-box for bills or to-do items.

Corral necklace strands and bracelets on a cake stand on the bathroom counter or dresser top.  If you stack two cake stands, one smaller over a larger one, you can add more decorative storage space and can hang dangly earrings on the edge of the top layer.  This would be an attractive organizational tool for younger girls’ rooms as well.

You have many surfaces around your home that can be taken to a new level in storage and style when you kick it up a notch with a pretty, practical cake stand.   

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star February 16th.

BE a Valentine

It was one year ago today that I walked down the aisle to the man who asked for my hand and who would then always be my Valentine.  As this Friday approaches, it’s a nice opportunity to think about sweet, “little nothings” that can add up to some pretty special somethings for the Valentines in your life.

If you have a significant other to share Valentine’s Day with, celebrate that.  Even if you don’t, look for ways to treat those around you, connected or strangers, to a little dose of Cupid for the day.  Buy some Valentine cards like the ones you would have given out in school and leave one in various places: with your tip for your server at lunch, in your mailbox for your letter carrier, on the counter while in line at a store, in the cup holder of your movie theater seat, and so forth.  Buy a bag of individually wrapped Valentine candy or lollipops and leave one on each of your co-workers desks or in your kids’ lunchboxes.  Decorate the desk of a single co-worker with some themed paper decorations.  Wrap up cookies, brownies, or rice treats you make and give little treat bags to teachers, neighbors, or friends. 

Buy a bouquet of flowers and hand out stems to a nurse, a bus driver, a checker, a clerk, or others you encounter during your day; you know the gesture would make theirs.  You could tie red and pink balloons to the side mirrors of cars on your street or in your office parking lot, or release a set of helium balloons in the neighborhood with Valentine cards inside.  You could pay for the order of the person in line behind you at a coffee place or drive-thru restaurant.  Buy a few $5 gift cards from a coffee place and add a message like “I wish you ‘a latte’ love” or “I love you ‘a latte’” before giving them out.  Plan ahead and order a tray of cookies for your church or school office or a local charity or organization.  Bring a box of Valentine cupcakes to a board meeting or to a local fire or police station.  Leave a mini box of chocolates behind when you pick up your dry cleaning, drop off a pet for grooming, get your vehicle serviced, or get a haircut. 

Hold open doors with a smile, offer a “Happy Valentine’s Day” to a stranger, and wear your red and pink clothing or accessories with flair.  Because at the end of the day, it’s all about love.  It’s a day to remind yourself and others that God loves us, that He chose us, and that He thinks we’re so special He was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice so we could always be together when we choose him back.  One simple yet distinctive day to mindfully acknowledge those around us with gratitude and love is the opportunity we have before us.  Do we have that opportunity every day?  Yes.  But we don’t always take it.  So this Valentine’s Day, say it, show it, live it, and be a Valentine you’d love to receive.    

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star February 9th.

Krystal and Tyler Stenseng

The big day one year ago today . . . 

           

Make Your Own

If you’re like me, you come across ideas - on television, in magazines, online, in your imagination - and then you set about putting some of those ideas into action.  But sometimes it’s not as easy as going to the store and picking up a ready-made version.  Don’t fret.  Just make your own.  Let’s explore some DIY projects to bring about display-worthy results.

Sometimes 1 and 1 makes a pretty attractive 2.  Standard canisters can be just that – standard.  But for your kitchen or craft storage, you have the option to take either mason jars or apothecary jars in various shapes and sizes and combine them with a stencil and paint for a customized version.  You could spray paint numbers or words on the outside for a streamlined look to your countertop or cabinet storage. Or you could paint a decorative section of chalkboard paint for easy-to-change labeling.

Coasters are another simple make-at-home project that add a little pop of color or print to your side tables.  Use 4 inch plain white square tiles from the hardware store and top them with a section of craft paper you decoupage on with the special glue, tiny glass tiles on the mesh backing you apply with Thinset, or even small objects like a grid of Scrabble tiles you superglue on to the base.  Add some small felt pads to the underside of the four corners, and you’re ready to drink up in style.

Whether you’re organizing at home or decorating a gift with a custom tag, those pretty labels you see on the creations of others aren’t always ready-made. Your best bet may be to buy white cardstock or labels to run through your own home printer and get crafty in a program like Publisher or find modern templates online.  Choose 6-per-page round stickers, square or rectangular labels, or full sheet label pages you can custom cut, all in a glossy finish, and put your own touch on your stored containers, wrapped presents, or give-away kitchen treats.   Additionally, if you’re always in search of a great, new font, look into your online options for creating your very own font out of your handwriting to use on your projects and invitations.

If the commercial wall calendars you find fall short of your family organizing purposes, make your own.  Wall space in your back entryway or laundry room can be spray painted with chalkboard paint to give you a custom sized surface to work with.  And then use stencils or painters’ tape to paint white or colored gridlines, a section for notes, days of the week, or a creative heading on the fully dry surface.  Use chalk to change your month, dates, and to-do notes, and have a place to see one big family schedule.            

You may be your best asset for adding customized elements to your home when you get crafty and make your own versions of popular items that really are display-worthy.  

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star February 2nd.