Get Glassy

Glass accent pieces can bring a touch of refinement, reflection, color, and class to any space.  When you’re looking for something to fill a void on a shelf or dress up a surface, look into glass options to do the trick.

Glass bottles come in a variety of shapes, sizes, styles, and colors, and they can be found at low cost for high function.  A cluster or line of glass bottles makes for a great statement on a hutch, buffet, or against a backsplash.  To pull double duty, use glass bottles designed to hold beverages, keeping a couple full of drinking water in the fridge to pull out and serve chilled with your meal. 

Canisters are making a resurgence in the kitchen storage market.  Glass canisters, often times with a chalkboard area for easy labeling and relabeling, seem to be topping the ceramic versions.  They make great additions to pantry shelves to house dry baking staples, pasta, coffee, tea bags, and individually wrapped snacks.  Glass canisters can also be useful in the home office to attractively hold small office supplies like pens and markers, binder clips and note pads. 

Glass bowls and platters can stretch out beyond the kitchen and be incorporated into table centerpieces that hold fruit, dried naturals, stones, and candles.  Mini bowls make size-smart compartments in bathroom drawers for hair bands and cotton squares and in desk drawers for paper clips and stamp rolls.    Organize earrings and bracelets on a dresser top accessorized with a few small glass bowls.  Use a narrow glass tray on a bathroom counter with a tier of 3 white, rolled hand towels on top for a little spa touch.   

Votives and other candle holders, including hurricanes and lantern-style décor, are fitting accent pieces throughout the home.  Arrange a square tray of glass votives with tealights for a festive glow.  Line a series of hurricane candle holders down the dining table center for soft, elegant lighting during dinner.  Situate collections of 3 or 5 candle holders together for groupings on a coffee table, end table, or entryway piece. 

Turn glass bud vases into art projects by dipping them in latex paint on slants and angles and using the dried finished products as part of your decorative accessories.  Thin paint and allow it to run down overturned vases, letting the runs create unique works of custom art.

If you want some easy updates for a variety of surfaces that could use a bit of dressing up, get glassy and enjoy the shine. 

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star July 27th.

    

Hit the Road

If your summer getaway is still ahead of you, you know that the bliss of vacation can be dampened by a hurried attempt to throw everything you might need into suitcases and scurry out the door on schedule.  Here are some tips to smooth that transition and start your relaxing off the very way you intend to enjoy it.

First, give yourself a break.  I know all about the desire to leave the house clean when you’re leaving so it will be that way on your return.  Ideal, yes.  But that’s not always completely feasible.  Do what you can, but focus more on preparing for the trip and leaving with a peaceful state of mind.

Scrutinize your schedule.  Are you planning every minute, or leaving room for spontaneity?  Do you have a “be here at exactly this time” frame of mind, or are you open to being more go with the flow?  Certain things need to be timely: flights, check-ins, reservations, and the like.  But don’t overschedule your downtime for the sake of having a plan.  The more ease of travel and downtime you allow yourself, the more that vacation will feel like you vacated the everyday. 

Write out your packing plan.  Having a visual list to work from helps you narrow down what you need and offers an opportunity to check it off as it is laid out for packing.  Keep those extras to just what you could feasibly need, keeping your load-in-tow to a manageable quantity and weight.  For younger kids, this is a great teachable moment to allow them to follow a list and pick out their own clothes and accessories.  Just leave the packing itself to you as you double check their work.

Pack a go-bag.  Whether you’re catching a plane or are in for a lengthy car ride, consider all the supplies that will come in handy when at the ready.  Tissues, hand wipes, sunblock, mints, chargers, batteries, magazines, travel packs of sugar and liquid creamer for your hotel in-room coffee, and so on are great to have on hand.  Stock up on some travel snacks to avoid those airport or roadside stops involving candy, chips, and cookies.  Have a refillable bottle with you for each person to be able to have water available on the go.  This is especially helpful when you take empty containers through airport security for refills later.  For car trips, pack an activities’ bag for children with portable electronics and movies, new coloring and activity books, colors, and games or puzzles that can all be used on lap boards to keep little hands occupied.  

When you really plan and prep for your trip, it makes leaving that much sweeter so you can hit the road and feel prepared . . . to take it easy.  

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star July 20th.

Something on a Stick

For those who like their summer dishes to be served with the comforts of home, a dash of simplicity, and a little flair for the creative, try your hand at a seasonal favorite with some twists: something on a stick.

The classic kebab usually consists of a cube of red meat layered with chunks of summer veggies, and they are quite tasty right off the grill.  But you can also branch out to serving other foods on a stick, which offer a neat presentation, portion control, and easy quantity planning.  Kebabs, skewers, or food sticks or picks – whatever you call them, they come in long and short lengths, and some are a little dressier with decorative accents on the not-sharp end.  You can find options at your local party store, grocery store, and online.  So what can you spear?

To serve a little Italian bite without the oven heating up your kitchen, try layering thin folded slices of pepperoni and genoa salami with a cherry tomato, a mini ball of mozzarella cheese, and sprig of basil for “pizza” on a short food stick.  For a Mediterranean take, use grape tomatoes, feta cheese, olives, and cucumber wedges.    

Make cheeseburger kebabs with squares of toasted bread, a cube of cooked hamburger patty, some tomato, a folded spinach leaf, and a cube of cheese.  Layer a short stack of torn pieces of butter lettuce with cherry tomatoes and strips of bacon cut down to size for a BLT or any other sandwich variety with layered breads, pitas, or wraps with your choice of meats, cheeses, and veggies.  

Fruit kebabs are a healthy side for any summer plate.  Use cubes and wedges of berries and melons to make colorful, sweet desserts.  Layer sections of banana with a smear of peanut butter, a wedge of sliced bread, and a little jelly.  Make a “strawberry shortcake” stick with layers of angel food cake cubes, fresh strawberries, and frozen dollops of whipped topping.  Leave them on a parchment lined baking sheet in the freezer until you’re ready to serve.  Serve a “slice” of cake by cubing cake pieces and spreading a layer of icing between each piece.  Top it off with a little scoop of icing with sprinkles or nut pieces.   

When you choose foods that are already great (or famous) together that are not going to crumble or fall apart, you have the makings of some pretty tasty layers for something on a stick that will continue to please, bite after delicious summer bite.  No forks required.    

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star July 13th.

Summer Fun: Play. Eat. Go.

Free time may abound this time of year, but what to do with it can prove more elusive.  Many families have some mental pictures of what an ideal summer would entail, but all too often they start back to school wondering where the summer - and its opportunities for more fun - went.  Here are some ideas to put those heads together and round out the season chalk full of memories.

“What do you want to do?” can be as repetitive as “what do you want for dinner?”  Trying to come up with activities on the spot can lack planning and prep time to actually pull an idea off.  Instead, have a brainstorming session to line out many, many ideas that could be feasible.  I like the idea I came across of using three mason jars individually labeled “Activities and Games,” “Let’s Eat,” and “Oh, the Places We Will Go.”  Divvy up strips of blank paper to every family member and ask them to come up with activities, recipes to try, and travel ideas, and then write them down and drop them in the appropriate jar.  Activities can include things around the house to around town, a new game to buy, or something to try.  Recipes can be fun ideas to make for a meal, dessert, party, or something crafty that doubles as an activity and a treat.  Travel can include a trip to the beach, a local museum, or a weekend trip out of town.  Take turns presenting ideas in one big reveal session, or periodically draw out an idea as you prep for a grocery run or a to-do-this-week idea. 

Often, it is the old school, stereotypical summer things that can make the best memories.  You don’t have to overthink it in order to come up with something fun to do.  Going for snow cones, making your own popsicles or play dough, having a water balloon fight, rolling out a water slide in the yard, eating watermelon by the wedge, making from-scratch batches of lemonade, and spending an afternoon at the pool always gets rave reviews.  And it’s not just the younger kids that get a kick out of the simple activities.  Whatever age group you are tailoring your time for, make the effort to make spending time together the top priority.

Whatever you spend the next several weeks doing, keep a record.  Take a camera along with you to record silly moments, funny stories, and every part of that “fun in the sun” feeling so you cement those memories for you and your kids.  It could be a diary in pictures of how you enjoyed this summer to the max. 

Stay in or go out – either way, you can have a blast doing something versus letting the carefree days of summer slip by without investing in them as time well spent with the ones you love.

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star July 6th.

   

   

Summer Fun: Serve It Up, Creative Style

Summer get-togethers usually come with a familiar crowd: sun, grilling, shorts, flip flops, and so forth.  If there’s a backyard bash theme to be had, we’ve probably done it before.  If you’d like to add some fresh perspective to your hostess repertoire, here are some newer twists on serving up those summery classics.

Tossed and layered salads make the rounds this time of year, right along with the massive bowl of potato salad.  With a little more pre-prep, you can serve single side salads in your buffet line, no serving tongs required.  Use 8 ounce canning jars for individual layered salads.  Stack your greens, chopped veggies, and drizzle of dressing in these short, see-through cylinders and group them on a serving tray the way you would drink glasses.  To use the lid or not use the lid – that’s up to you.  They can be made ahead of time, stacked and stored in the fridge, and brought out when your main course is piping hot and ready.  Need more serving table space?  Do use the lids, and nest them over ice down in a large tub or ice chest on the ground level of your serving line.  The same concept would work for a grocery list of cold side dish alternatives like that potato salad, or a number of other salad varieties like macaroni, tuna, chicken, bean, fruit, or coleslaw. 

You have a great drink station set up, but those pesky flies are not what you want landing on your icy concoctions.  Whether you’re using mason jars, stemless wine glasses, or high ball glasses to give your lemonade, tea, or punch variety a classy look on that serving tray, top them off with colorful printed paper cupcake liners turned upside down.  With those resting on your filled glasses, push a pretty paper straw through a small “x” shape you cut in the center of the cupcake liner, just like to-go cup lids, which will also help keep your topper in place.  Now your guests can sip in style with this twist on a drink umbrella, and no bugs will be found floating on ice.    

We know the fashionable trick of freezing small fruit pieces or mint leaves in ice cubes to jazz up your juice glasses.  But you can also look online for ice cube trays that come in a variety of fun shapes for an extra spin on fancy ice.  For larger punch bowls or drink dispensers, make your own ice mold by freezing bowls (cereal bowl size) of water.  Make sure the bowl is freezer safe and the finished size will fit through the top opening in your drink dispenser.  To make it pop, freeze those fruit pieces or mint inside, giving your ice block a Jell-o mold look.  To keep from watering down your thirst quencher, freeze a mold of the drink you will be serving to use as its own ice.

For the simplest dessert and “goodnight” to a party, pour ice cold milk into mini vintage milk bottles, rest two shortbread cookies with holes in their centers on top, and stick a striped paper straw in the middle.  Pass these on a tray, or set out on a bed of ice.  It will be a sweet finish to the evening.

Have fun, get crafty, and take a few tips from others’ examples of how to rev up your party planning and serve up a creative summer spread.        

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star June 29th.

Summer Fun: S'mores Bar

If you’re looking for a project to dig up some summer fun, try your hand at serving up a s’mores bar.  Whether you’re entertaining weekend guests or simply livening up a family weeknight dessert, a s’mores bar can kick things up an ooey gooey notch.

Decide on your heating method.  There’s always a fire pit if you’ll be roasting outdoors.  I’ve seen the use of Sterno cans, the little portable flames usually found beneath hot catering dishes.  There seems to be a split decision online on whether its flame is food safe, but you can find many examples of them being used for this very purpose. Your call.  Then you also have the option of candles, whether both tall and short white pillars clustered together on a serving platter like your own modern twist on a fire, or individual votives on a heat safe tray or squares of tin foil for a one-on-one flicker of marshmallow roasting magic.  Regardless, it’s important to use good judgment and safety precautions to prevent burns or mishaps.

Next, round up your supplies.  Choose stainless skewers like those you would use over the grill for kebobs or wooden skewers with enough length to keep fingers away from the flame.  Buy the big marshmallows.  Offer some variety for your chocolate selection, buying bars to break apart or individually wrapped squares.  Milk, dark, or flavored chocolate would each be welcome additions.  Some s’mores fans even opt for a chocolate or peanut butter spread for more options.  And you can’t forget about the graham crackers, which you can also pair with other cookie or cracker options if you want to add to the custom built element.  A serving method for your goodies, paper dessert plates, cocktail napkins, and either matches or a lighter are needed as well. 

Now present your stretchy-sticky findings to be devoured.  With all of your layers spread out on summery melamine serving trays or stacked cake stands, get your fire(s) going and invite guests or just the kids to grab their chosen cookie or cracker layer, piece of chocolate, and skewered marshmallow they can patiently hold over the heat and spin to toasted perfection.  Squeeze each layer together, top it off, and enjoy.  And then repeat. Again. 

Whether gathered around in the backyard, on the patio, or even around the dining table, a s’mores bar can be a simple summer project that creates a lot of sweet memories this summer and beyond.   

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star June 22nd.

     

Cotton is Still King

As the Algodon Club of Harlingen celebrates King Cotton this weekend, it’s an applicable time to reflect on how cotton and the agricultural industry as a whole have been a part of shaping this home we call the Rio Grande Valley.  As we honor our dads today, I have to give a nod as well to the men of this generation and generations past who have plowed the fields, planted the seeds, prayed for rain, harvested the crop, run the gins, and passed on their unwavering work ethic to their sons and daughters who followed after them. 

“King Cotton,” a term coined in the mid-1800s as a show of support in the belief that the booming cotton industry was capable of financially carrying the South, has a history with roots that run deep right here in the Valley.  My granddaddy, Joyce Smith, owned the largest gin in the world in early 1948, the Los Coyotes Gin, the only double battery gin at the time, which means it had two gins under one roof.  That was right here in our own backyard of Willacy County.  And more would come.  Because cotton, both then and now, was proving itself to truly be “the fabric of our lives.”

 I write about design and the home, with a lot of my life mixed in.  As I look around my own home, I see evidence everywhere that cotton really does reign, even from a design perspective.  Considered to be one of the most widely used natural fiber cloths in clothing today, cotton, in its various forms that include denim, corduroy, seersucker, and cotton twill, hangs on hanger after hanger in whole or in part, ready to wear out in our sultry summer heat.  It’s a soft, breathable textile, perfect for my drapery panels, more throw pillows than I care to own up to, placemats and napkins, area rugs, and cozy bed sheets alike.  Cotton terrycloth is perfectly suited for those highly absorbent bath towels that stack up in the cabinets and hang from my numbered bathroom hooks.  It’s neat to think we can watch something grow right here out in the fields alongside our FM roads that will be turned into what we wear and what we fill our homes with that reflect our own unique styles. 

Cotton fibers are woven not just in my décor, but in my memories of summers spent across the field over at Granddaddy and Mimi’s listening to the hum of the gin across the street, watching the module trucks run up and down the road with little white puffs drifting out of the back.  I’m thankful I was raised right here where family values are still being raised out in those fields right along with the crops, and where Cotton is still King.       

Happy Father’s Day, and congratulations to the 2014 Algodon Royal Court and the Don and Dona named last night!

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star June 15th.

Granddaddy and Me

Joyce Smith and Krystal Krenek Stenseng

Mimi in the Los Coyotes Gin

Lillian Smith 

Mimi and Granddaddy, in their front yard with cotton trailers in the background

Lillian and Joyce Smith 

Algodon Club

Show 'Em the Curve

I love clean lines.  But I don’t want to be boxed in by thinking that sleek and modern only equals square and rectangle.  Put some smooth curves in the mix to visually shake things up with some feminine style.

Instead of a straight-up-and-down lamp base, opt for one that looks like a series of shapely candlesticks stacked together.  The unique shapes, with layers of hourglass and bulbous outlines, take a lamp from light to bright.  Add a large drum shade on top, and you’re really glowing.

Most wall art is typically found in versions of squares and rectangles.  You can layer in some more variety by getting outside the box.  Choose a large mirror with a curvy border that alternates concave, convex, and pointed sections.  Instead of a row of framed art, hang a row of 3 or 4 wall clocks all set to different time zones with custom wall decal lettering below spelling out your worldwide cities of choice.  Use plate hanging hardware to hang a grouping of plates or platters in a pattern on the dining room wall.  Hang a round chalkboard message board in the kitchen or home office for messages and notes.                   

To bring in a more shapely seating arrangement to your family room, consider a round end table to nestle between the couch and loveseat or between two occasional chairs.  Curvy backed side chairs can also offer that settle-in-and-snuggle-up feel perhaps better than their more formal squared-off counterparts. For smaller scale pieces, opt for round ottomans and decorative urns.  For a kitchen bar, think about lining up a row of round bar chairs or stools.  Put down a round rug as an anchor under the breakfast dining area.   

Trays make great holders for mail and magazines, but you can also use a large serving bowl on a foyer table or a wide mouth clear cylinder vase in the living room.  Chargers can replace placemats on the dining table for a more compact place setting base.  To house multiple casual pairs this season, use a round basket by the back door for pairs of shoes instead of a boot tray.  Pull together a collection of round hurricane lanterns or cake stands to use in centerpieces, using pillar and votive candles as added layers.

Round up those curvaceous pieces large and small for more varied tiers to your own unique style for any room in the house.  They just might make you want to ring in the summer with your frosty lemonade glass raised high.

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star June 8th.      

Summer Switch-ups

The rest of the year, items take their place around the home serving their original purpose.  But who says you can’t have a little more fun in the summertime?   Here are some everyday items that can be purchased for just a little, and then you can do a lot more with them. 

Take the classic wooden TV stand.  It’s a simple throwback piece that was found in many a family room before and now may be found in a few garage sales amid all the flat screens and entertainment centers that replaced it.  Take that style of small furniture piece, paint it a sharp color, add some rolling wheels and some decorative hardware, and you have a bar cart perfect for entertaining indoors and out.  It would make a great companion in a breakfast nook or at the end of the kitchen cabinets to house serveware, glasses, and snacks.

If you have old patio furniture that’s seen its better day, opt for a makeover before you jump to a replacement.  Thoroughly clean those plastic or metal chairs, then give them a couple of coats of spray paint in a vibrant color.  Add in some bright printed outdoor pillows and potted plants at their feet for a welcoming spot to sit out in.

That large woven basket with handles usually holds shoes, toys, or magazines.   For the summer months, upgrade it to seasonal assistant by filling it with rolled beach towels, flip flops, or sand toys.  Once you bring out those must-haves, you must have a place to stow them in style.

For a crafty spin on a birdbath, combine an old lamp base and a flea-market-find platter or bowl.  Remove the lamp’s bulb, chord, and harp, and use the appropriate glue to affix the platter or bowl to the ring usually reserved for the bulb.  It would make a nice addition to your garden area or front walk. 

A wheelbarrow can double as an outdoor bin to ice down drinks for a party.  Glass votives can be mini pots for individual succulents to create a tiny garden.  Gather maps of any travel spots you hit over the next couple of months to use later as frame matting for vacation photos or in decoupage craft projects.  Use glass canisters usually reserved for the kitchen counter to house sidewalk chalk, little bottles of bubbles, and other supplies ready for afternoon artwork.  As you finish up those glass bottles of soda at steamy evening cookouts, save them to spray paint for a growing collection of custom bud vases. 

Now what can you take and offer a summer switch-up in order to really make a splash?

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star June 1st.

    

     

Memorialize It

Memorial Day weekend is the kick off to summer for many, so why not ring in the next season with family and friends in tow?  If you haven’t done any celebrating so far, one trip to the grocery store can turn that around.

A summer menu is easy-prep comfort food all the way.  If you grill out, set up a burger and hotdog bar so everyone can have just what they want.  Use a series of trays and bowls to hold toppings galore.  For simple sides, keep the build-your-own theme going by providing paper cones, which you can purchase or roll and tape yourself using craft paper, along with paper cups or dessert plates.  Then pick your side or sides: French fries, sweet potato fries, tortilla chips, or kernel corn.  Offer up toppings like seasonings, grated cheese or cheese sauce, diced onions and tomatoes, hamburger meat, melted butter, sour cream, garlic mayo, and so forth.  Allow guests to pick and choose for an appetizing party meal, outdoors or in.

You don’t need to go overboard with trying to provide every iced down canned drink under the sun.   Try a different route and mix up a large batch of lemonade.  Serve it out of a glass drink dispenser with ice, mason jars, and paper straws at the ready. With a twist on a coffee house bar, line up flavored syrups and frozen or fresh fruit slices for custom drink flavors and additives. 

For dessert, skip the vast array of a fruit tray and serve summer-ready watermelon slices on ice.  Keep it simple with a big plate of chocolate chip cookies or brownies.  If you haven’t had your fill of options just yet, offer a dessert popcorn bar.  From candy and cookie pieces, nuts and seasonings, oils, and grated cheese, dropping your own choices into paper bags filled with popcorn can create custom mixes and sweet or salty treats.   

You can pull out any 4^th of July décor you have if you’d like to keep it patriotic with red, white, and blue.  Or grab bright summery shades of paper plates and napkins and straws.  This is also a good excuse to pull out those seasonal melamine serving dishes you have stashed away.  What really matters is spending some relaxed time together as we turn the page on the school year and welcome in those toasty months ahead, full of outdoor fun and adventures, even without leaving home.

Happy Memorial Day!     

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star May 25th.

Make It Your Own

There are so many creative people out there churning out goods and services that are readily available to us.  If you’re up for an online shopping experience beyond just “add to cart,” here are some options to get some unique items made just for you.

Google “custom house portrait,” and be amazed at what artists are rendering from photos of homes.  You send them a street view picture of your home, and they create a drawing or painting fit for framing and hanging proudly on your wall.  See the different artistic styles out there and pick one you’d like to have as a keepsake of the place you call home.  You can also find artists who will replicate a family photo, baby portrait, or picture of your pet in your chosen medium for a special work of art.    

Retain a special memento from a milestone event in custom wall art, jewelry, or a fabric keepsake.  Find an online designer who makes items you can customize with names, dates, and events like for a graduation, marriage, or birth.  Customizable signs and framed art can be fitted with your monogram, family crest, or wording you choose.  Necklaces and rings can be made with dates and initials for the day you got married or had a baby or added a new grandbaby to the family.  Have throw pillows made with your initials, wedding date, imprint of baby feet, or any silhouette that can be printed from an image you provide.    

Outdoor items like welcome mats and garden stepping stones can be customized for your home with your family name, initials, special saying, or scripture.  Serving pieces like acrylic trays can be monogrammed and make nice additions to your dining space or given as memorable gifts.  Items with family names that say “Established” with a date are great wedding keepsakes, like printed chalkboard, cutting boards, and framed art. 

Get a one-of-a-kind collage made with your chosen photos in a variety of options like on canvas, wooden letters, or shadowbox style.  Go beyond store bought to just-for-me with blankets, baby onesies, bracelets, and candles, cookies, and cups all customized to your specifications.  

You pick a material, and there’s likely someone out there turning it into something personalized - metalwork, wood, fabric, glass, and the list goes on.  A little detailed shopping can have you receiving a package you can’t wait to open when you’ve decided to truly make it your own.      

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star May 18th.

Wall of Wonderful

What else can we hang up on our walls to spruce up our décor and give our walls new life?  Let’s think outside the frame and see what pops . . .

You can turn a photo you’ve taken, whether of people or scenery, into more than one framed picture.  Make it artwork by using online sites to take your picture from snapshot to wall mural.  Google companies that transform photos into wall decals, a large mural in one piece or several frames that fit together like a gallery puzzle, or a 4 piece version of the same image in different colors or contrasts.  You’ll feel like an artist when you hang your own work (albeit upgraded) on your wall.

More and more wall decals are available in stores now beyond the slew of options you can find online.  Use lettering for custom monograms in kids’ rooms or sayings or scriptures in any room.  More recently, I’ve seen decals for things that before were only achievable through skilled custom paint jobs.  Find stripes, chevron patterns, and other prints in decal form and burnish them on for custom wall treatments for a feature wall, like in a bedroom, dining room, entry, or laundry room. 

Beyond frames, art, and mirrors, hang other items in groupings to create focal points for kitchens, dining rooms, or living rooms.  Use a mix of plates and platters hung with the proper hardware in a grouping or gallery style grid.  Gather interesting wooden cutting boards or cheese boards to mount as a collection. 

Mount floating shelves as display pieces for ceramics, framed art, or other accessories.  Instead of hanging framed photos or art pieces, rest them on floating shelves and let them lean against the wall in small clusters.  Hang the hardware you slip an actual book over to create a base for a stack of books that looks like it is just free floating on the wall. 

In a child’s room or play room, hang a row or two of wooden clipboards on the metal rings at the top for a place to display artwork that can be quickly changed out as the little artist keeps painting, coloring, or drawing.  Mount a long line of pretty ribbon and use clothespins along it for another art gallery option.       

To add a little architectural detail or added visual interest where it’s lacking, hang old doors or window frames as unique art pieces.  Hang expanding coat racks for jewelry storage that’s worth displaying as bathroom or bedroom wall art.

Grab a hammer and some hardware and hang something outside the norm as you dream up your own wall of wonderful.

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star May 11th.

Climbing the Ladder: Where to Place a Shelving System

The levels of a shelving system really stack up when it comes to vertical space to store supplies and showcase décor.  Here are some ideas for one system, 5 ways.

Place a shelving system in your front entryway.  A bench alongside is a great spot to stop and put shoes on or take them off, and a mirror over that can make a narrow space feel bigger.  Place a boot tray on the bottom shelf to hold pairs of shoes.  Use a row of bins to house accessories like scarves, dog leashes and balls, or sidewalk toys.  Place a tray on one level for incoming mail with a dish for keys and sunglasses.  Fix a line of hooks to the side for jackets and umbrellas. 

For that empty wall space in the kitchen or breakfast nook area, use a shelving system to extend your counter and pantry space.  Free the “pretty” storage pieces from behind closed doors and use a row of glass canisters or containers to hold staples like baking supplies, noodles, rice, and ground coffee.  Alternate cookbooks in short stacks and sections of standing books, keeping them at hand but off the countertop.  Fill a tray with those frequently used items like a glass bottle with pourer for olive oil and salt and pepper pots for cooking.  This is also a good spot to display dressier serving pieces instead of in a cabinet.  A decorative hook mounted on the side can hang up your favorite apron.

Shelving systems in the living room can be the go-to places for entertainment storage.  Use rows of bins to hold DVDs and video games, plus all the chords and controllers.  Stack up travel photo books for easy perusing.  Frame a few great vacation or family shots to display alongside them.  Have a spot for magazines and catalogs. 

When a bathroom could use some extra storage space, go vertical with a shelving system.  Some have open wall space, and some may only allow an over-the-toilet wall system.  Regardless, expand your counter and cabinet space.  Attach hooks to the side for hanging up towels.  Use bins like drawers for toiletries, extra toilet paper, tissues, and cotton swabs.  Roll hand towels or washcloths and stack them up for easy access.        

Add a shelving system to the laundry room to hold cleaning supplies, detergent, paper towels, and dryer sheets.  Affix a calendar or memo board to the side to stay on track and hold reminders.  For decorative touches, fill apothecary jars with clothespins or detergent pods. 

One piece can be used five ways to climb the ladder of household organization success and double as a decorative display.  Where could you put one to good use?

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star May 4th.

What's That Called?

 We see them – in homes, in stores, in magazines, online – but we don’t always know what they’re called.  But they are popular.  So here’s a little get-to-know-you course in a few popular design items trending right now.

Color Blocking – It seems pretty self-explanatory, but color blocking is a technique where blocks of various colors are put together to create clothing or accessories with finite areas of solid colors.  Evidently it was big in the 60s, and it’s back in a big way.  It often refers to women’s clothing, but it can be found in bedding, fabrics, and other home accessories.

Pouf – A pouf is a soft, round or square seat with no back or sides, used for sitting on or resting your feet on.  They’re great little side pieces to go with living room seating in place of traditional ottomans, and they fit right into kids’ or teens’ room for casual seating and lounging. 

Gourd Lamp – A gourd lamp has a bulbous base, similar to the lower body of a snowman, and comes in single and double gourd base styles.  Often ceramic and sometimes in clear glass, it’s a retro look made contemporary with modern colors and simple cylinder lamp shades.

Greek Key – First known as a meander pattern, the Greek key design is a decorative border constructed from a continuous line, shaped into a repeated motif.  You’ve likely seen it but may not have labeled it as such.  The Greek key is popular on mirror frames, bedding, rug borders, and upholstery fabrics.

Ikat – Ikat is Indonesian in origin and is a dyeing technique used to pattern textiles through a process similar to tie-dye prior to weaving.  It would be considered one of the world patterns that is gaining in popularity and has a busy, repeating pattern with almost a water colored, blurred edges look.

Zoey Floral – Zoey Floral is a close-up bloom silhouette design often overlapping and in bright colors.  It is popular on invitations and other paper goods, as well as upholstery fabrics and some clothing.

Ombré – Ombré comes from the French word meaning shaded or shading.  It means shaded or graduated in tone, often going from light to dark or dark to light with a smooth transition.  You see this pattern in clothing, other textiles and accessories, nail art, and even hair.      

So now you know.  

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star April 27th.

Spring Renewal

We associate spring with new life and awakening.  Today, Easter Sunday, is the greatest example through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as He was crucified, buried, and rose again to bring us new life and the hope of an eternal relationship with Him.  As we reflect on the sacrifice of our Savior, let us consider the refreshment that a spring renewal can bring to your home.

Welcome greenery and botanicals into your home.  Fresh flowers, leafy stems, palm fronds, potted plants and grasses, and area growth like dried cotton stalks are lively additions you can incorporate for a touch of seasonal life and a warm environment as well.  Floral accents in throw pillows, quilts, and bedspreads or framed art and shadowbox-style artwork are other ways to bring a little of the outdoors in.

Think about the things that say “new life” to you.  Clean white, birds, birds’ nests with eggs, and butterflies can be incorporated into decorative pieces like art prints, centerpieces, and ceramic and fabric décor.  A milky white cake stand with a craft store nest and robin’s egg blue eggs with hints of moss can be a fitting central fixture to build a dining table centerpiece around.  Accent pillows with bird and butterfly silhouettes can line a bed or sofa. Ceramic figurines or framed prints of birds can be added to tables, shelves, or walls.

Picking up on our proximity to the Gulf, use coastal décor now, which can easily transition into the summer season as well.  Cylinder vases with bases of sand topped with white pillar candles make soothing groupings, right along with clusters of shells or coral pieces.  Use large pieces to top a short stack of books on a coffee table, or gather several smaller shells into a serving bowl to set on a buffet or sofa table.

Choose soft colors in pastel shades for easy-swap items like placemats, chargers, or cloth napkins.  A collection of glass bottles in muted shades can stand alone on a table or against a kitchen backsplash.  A handful of inexpensive bud vases can be painted in pastels now and repainted again for a whole new future look in a different palette.

White, growth, new life, and soft shades are tops on the seasonal must-have list.  Choose the ways you like to embrace spring and show them off in style.  Happy Easter!

Congratulations to the 2014 Royal Algodon Court named in today’s paper!    

www.AlgodonClub.com 

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star April 20th.