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.

  

Fun Home Decor Under $10

A little can go a stylishly long way when you’re on the hunt for fun home décor pieces for a bargain.  So spend a little, get a lot when you make a spectacle out of inexpensive items.

Striped and Chevron Straws – Fill a glass canister or apothecary jar with modern paper straws in different colors, and you have a functional pop of spring on your counter.

Bud Vases – Cluster a few together to hold single stems, or take it a step further by dipping the bases in paint on varying angles to create your own custom designed décor.

Slate Tiles – Use painter’s tape or stencils to create stripes or a chevron pattern to make your own chalk-like coasters for the living room.    

Plates – Find cute appetizer, salad, or dessert plates in wilder patterns than you’d use for everyday meals, and hang them in a collection on the wall or use them in hot spots to hold loose coins, glasses, and keys.

Burlap – Turn a wide roll into a table runner for spring or fill a picture frame without the glass for a textured place to hang earrings. 

Craft Paper – Add pieces to a frame instead of a photo, decoupage it onto a small accessories’ box, cover books on a shelf or soap bars in a jar, or add a band to a cylinder vase.

Mason Jars – Fill with markers, binder clips, or tape rolls in the office; rice, flour, or teabags in the kitchen; batteries, nails, or coins in the laundry room; or cosmetics, cotton squares, or cotton swabs in the bathroom.

House Numbers – whimsically number hooks for towels in the kids’ bathroom or hooks for keys, jackets, or umbrellas in the entryway.

Cup Towels – easily add a seasonal touch with bright colored or printed cup towels over the handles of the dishwasher or stove.

 Fishbowl Vases – Fill with candy, gumballs, bracelets, rings, rocks, or beads for small decorate accents.     

Ceramic Mini Pots – Use them for succulents or herbs, or use craft foam, moss, and seasonal décor like paper flags staked in each as part of a centerpiece.  Spray paint or dip the bases in paint to further make them your own. 

Printed Paper Cups or Bowls – serve popcorn or other snacks in cute disposable paper goods, whether for a party, post-Easter egg hunt dessert, or just to make the everyday more special. 

Simple, low cost items can turn decorative accents in no time with a little creativity and know-how.  See what you can accessorize this spring for less than $10 a piece . . . 

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

Old Is New Again

Spring can be one of those underserved seasons for new décor.  If you’re not into little bunny or ceramic egg figurines, you may save your shopper’s eye focus for later in the year.  Instead, take the opportunity to scope out older pieces around your home and help them make like a flower and bloom again this month.

Plastic fruit may have seen its hay day for being on display.  However, give old, dusty fruit décor new life with a fresh coat of paint.  Spray paint plastic fruit pieces, minus their stems, all one color, like a crisp white or robin’s egg blue, and fill a serving bowl to showcase on your kitchen counter or breakfast table.  A dated set of canisters can get a do-over when you paint them to blend nicely with your counters or to stand out in a bright pop of color.  Need some new simple vases for what’s blooming in the backyard?  Line up a row of old juice glasses, vintage milk bottles, or wine bottles and give them a spray in a spring green or pink paint shade, and you’re ready to put small bouquets out for show-and-smell.

The presence of digital photos has caused many of us to end up with an old box of photo frames on a closet shelf somewhere.  But you can take those old wooden or tarnished metal frames and give them a second life with paint.  Gather a grouping of frames, minus their glass, and spray them all one color, like white, gray, or yellow; a gradient of color by using both a darker and lighter shade of the same color on different frames; or a metal finish like brushed nickel for an updated gallery ready to hang and admire. 

Go on a hunt for other left-behind decorations you can spring forward.  Cover the face of a wall clock or mirror and paint the perimeter in a great shade to warrant rehanging it.  Take an old cart, crate, shelf, galvanized bucket, or serving tray and make it look like it just came off the showroom floor.  Glass and ceramic dishes, plates, and bowls (not used for food service) can be painted for new display pieces for surfaces throughout your home. 

Go beyond a couple of coats of one color if you want to.  Use painters tape or stencils to create stripes, chevron patterns, and monograms.  Opt for chalkboard paint to jump on that popular bandwagon.  Finish off a painted surface with a coat or two of pearlized glaze that you spray on for an iridescent finish and shimmery shine. 

Look around for décor pieces that could use a second wind, making old new again.  Some crafting on your part can have you turning old items into new creations fit for a new, sunny season.      

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

Manage Your March: the Outdoors

As things start to warm up and green up, we’re entering our long season of outdoor living and entertaining.  By maintaining our outdoor space and keeping it organized, it’s primed and ready the next time you want to take the party outside.

“Supply and demand” can also feel like it means that you demand to keep your supplies where you put them, minus water hoses walking off and never being able to find the right tool or gardening supply when you need it.  So house your outdoor maintenance items right.  You may have room in the garage for a section dedicated to them, but you may not.  Consider a small tool shed or supply container similar to the size of a chest deep freezer.  Today’s tool sheds come in kits you assemble, and they look like attractive mini houses.  Placing one in your backyard or on the slab of a patio can give you room enough for the lawnmower, ladder, weed eater, mulch, fertilizer, and even shelves of tools and other supplies.  Keep it under lock and key, and you’re protecting your investments from the elements and theft alike.  Additionally, large storage containers with hinged lids offer space for shovels and spades, hoses and watering cans, seeds and pesticides.  Add an outdoor-only broom for patio sweeping that stays out of sight.  Top with a layer of outdoor fabric cushions on the lid, and you’ve added additional seating to your back patio space.

If you’re into gardening, use a weatherproof rolling cart to hold your go-to supplies like gloves, hand tools, and potting soil.  Keep a boot tray outside your patio door to keep dirty shoes from tracking your backyard in.  If outdoor games occupy your patio space, a short shelving system can hold sealed bins of balls, paddles, rackets, and darts.  Keep a container of cleaning wipes stored away outdoors for quick wipe-downs of patio furniture just before you’re ready to use it.

Also consider your home’s front entry.  Are your house numbers visible from the street?  If all you have is a faded indicator on the curb, refresh your mailbox numbers and add decorative house numbers to your exterior in a high-visibility spot.  Is it time for a fresh coat of paint on your home’s trim?  Think about making that a budget item this spring.  If you have various items just left out that should be located elsewhere, take the time to clean up and remove anything that’s not adding to your curb appeal.  A good sweeping, door cleaning, new welcome mat, and maybe a few potted plants or succulents can go a long way to renewing your entryway’s look for spring.

Manage your outside with the same care the inside deserves.  So whether you’re ready to sit out with an ice-cold lemonade and watch a sunset or get to that more consistent lawn maintenance, you’re doing it in a space all set for outdoor living.

Today mark’s DesignInMind’s 200^th column!     

Appeared in the Valley Morning Star March 30th.     

Managing Your March: the Home Office

Tackling and taming the paperwork that comes in and out of your home can feel like an unsurmountable task if you’re looking around at piles of mail, documents from work, bills to pay, and papers to get to from school and social outlets. Clear the clutter by implementing home office systems that keep those papers in line.

Have a designated space to work with.  Not all homes have a room for a home office, but in that case, set aside a workable area to store what you need that allows you to work, type, and write when you need to.  That could be a low counter in the kitchen or laundry room, a nook of a guest room, or a small writing desk you place where it suits your space.

Get your tools in order.  A small rolling or stationary metal cart or stand is a great sized piece to have a printer on top and document cases or magazine files on the shelves below.  There are also rolling filing carts that have a top portion allotted for hanging file folders and two metal drawers below for office supplies, and they roll right under a desk beside your chair space.  A designated desk or slim foyer or sofa table can house a laptop or desktop computer and your basic supplies like pens, stamps, and your everyday planner.  You can designate a kitchen, laundry, or mudroom cabinet for supplies like paper and office supplies out of sight.  If space allows, an open cubby system that doubles as a nice piece of furniture is great to hold office supplies in bins, magazines, stationery, files, and books right near where you will use them. Use wall space near your work area for a dry erase or chalkboard calendar for family schedules and a peg board for reminders, invitations, and notes.

Create a flow for paper.  Mail that comes in the house needs a streamlined process to go through to avoid the issue of piling up.  Sort mail where you can throw away the trash, recycle, and move important documents into bins, trays, magazine files, or folders that are designated for action: To Pay, To File, and To Do.  This can work better than having one in-box for some.  Then tend to those containers consistently to avoid having a lot to attend to in one sitting.  File documents in a way that works for you – file folders, notebooks, documents cases – that can be easily accessible when you need something out or need to file something away, while being easily moved on to inactive storage at the end of the year.  Keep 7 years’ worth of pertinent records for tax purposes, keep a reasonable amount of keepsake type items, and keep unimportant documents from taking up your space by getting rid of them.  Yearly records can be stored in labeled document archive boxes or bankers’ boxes and moved to your storage space and out of your work space. 

Don’t let paper overwhelm you or your home.  Create an environment just right for a little at-home work supplied with what you need in an orderly fashion.  And be willing to properly store or throw out what’s choking your space.  When you create a home office space you actually enjoy working in, you might be surprised just how productive you can be. Next week: we’re going outdoors!   

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

Manage Your March: the Bedroom

Reorganizing in your home’s bedrooms can give you a real sense of renewal for spring.  Think about getting back to basics and protecting your space as the haven it should be.  You might just wind up feeling like you have your own hotel suite around the clock.

Look at each bedroom as you would imagine a stranger would in order to gain a little distance in your perspective.  Would someone raise an eyebrow at the kids’ toys taking over the master or the home office space that started in a corner but has seemingly grown?  Refocus your space on the essentials: sleep, privacy, and clothing storage.  That may mean hauling out items that just don’t belong and that are choking out your space, rest, and sense of peace and calm.  Reapportion those non-bedroom items to other appropriate areas of your home, incorporate them into storage, or remove them altogether through a charity donation. 

Take the opportunity to try a new furniture arrangement to refresh what you have and perhaps get more than you had before.  You may find a way to add a small seating area in the master bedroom with a new orientation, like moving the bed to another wall or on an angle or pushing two chests of drawers together to turn two pieces visually and spatially into one.  You may open up space in a child’s bedroom to take toy storage vertical or incorporate a desk area as they progress through school or now have some room for a new storage piece in your guest room.  Work off the premise of keeping the essentials and making them as attractive and functional as your space allows.  On a smaller scale, rearrange your wall art or small décor pieces within a room, or swap things out from other rooms for a new look without making a purchase.

Do some reorganizing.  If you didn’t really hit the dresser drawers during your closet organization, sift and sort and make sure what you’re storing is being worn, not just cramming your drawers.  Clean off the nightstand tops of items that just seem to be piled there, and go through the drawers for a clean out.  Clear out under the bed, vacuum with the wand extensively, and only put back what is stored neatly.  Under-the-bed storage bins are great low profile storage pieces that can easily be pulled out and pushed back, and they keep loose items from just being shoved under.  Use them to store things like gift wrap rolls, flat packed bags, additional shoes, travel or seasonal accessories, or nail care supplies. 

Expend the energy for some deeper cleaning.  Vacuum under furniture, even if you don’t rearrange the room. Launder drapery panels if that’s an option, and give the windows and blinds a thorough cleaning.  Launder the bed skirt, comforter, blankets, and shams that aren’t cleaned in your regular routine.  Clean baseboards, door knobs, and light switches right along with your furniture dusting and mirror cleaning.             

The bedrooms are supposed to be the quiet, restful retreats in your home.  The effort to ensure they function that way will be well worth it when you stand back and marvel at your spring-ready spaces.  Now, get some good sleep.  Next week: the home office!  

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

Manage Your March: the Closet

The closet space: prime real estate in any home, and yet, many feel somewhat like a desert tundra, parched and gasping for air.  And space.  And order.  Turn that wasteland into your own private clothing store where every piece is easy to find and up for grabs.

The closet purge is one of the biggest steps to hurdle in reorganizing a closet, but it is also one of the most rewarding and freeing when all you want is some freed up space to really get your things in order.  Take the time to go through, piece by piece, all of your clothing, shoes, purses, belts, ties, scarves, and any other accessories present.  Pull out what you truly won’t wear again, using criteria like fit, fashion, and favorites.  Does it fit you well?  Is it current among the wardrobe you’re wearing?  And does it make the cut and make the rounds in your washer and dryer because it’s actually in your rotation?  If the answer isn’t yes to all 3, you’re likely wasting a hanger better put to use with a new piece.  Gather all the items headed out the closet door and make good use of them through a local charity donation.  Then keep a bin or bag on the floor of your closet to add pieces to over time, taking it to a donation site when it is filled up. 

Consider the space you have.  If every shirt, pair of pants, dress, or jacket is cram-packed in, and you struggle to get hangers in and out, rethink your quantity.  It has to be based on the space you have.  Know your closet’s limits for good use and proper storage and easy-to-see principles, and store accordingly.  My rule for my closet, which is at proper capacity, is a new piece in, an old piece out.  I don’t have free hangers; they are in use, and if a new item comes in, one that doesn’t make the cut as outlined above goes out.  Free hanger, meet my new selection.

Use tools suited to your needs, like belt and tie hooks or loops, clear bin shoe stackers or shoe racks, sweater bins, shelf dividers – whatever it takes to have a place for everything so you can easily keep everything in its place.  These items may not be acquired all at once, but consider consciously adding storage pieces to your space over time.  Hang, line up, or contain the purses you do carry.  Utilize any open wall space for a jewelry organizer or added shelving if you have the room.  Try to keep folded t-shirts or sweaters in dresser drawers to avoid avalanche clothing piles on shelves, or contain them in bins or clear containers to maintain order and accessibility. 

Utilize the closets throughout your home to ideally store items not related to clothing and accessories outside the bedroom closet.  Make over a hall closet to hold linens, towels, and the vacuum cleaner.  Bring in under-the-bed boxes to move keepsakes, gift wrap rolls, and so forth out of your closet.  Move some appropriate items to cabinets in your laundry room, kitchen, or bathroom.  Corral luggage in a guest closet, storage space, or attic. 

Use some online inspiration from organizing websites, some time over a weekend perhaps, and some muscle to sift, sort, and store what matters to you in the most orderly and fashionably accessible way.  Next week: the bedrooms!       

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

Manage Your March: the Kitchen

As spring is on its way and March can have you motivated to clean and organize (here’s hoping, right?), we’ll dedicate this month of columns to managing your home, spring cleaning style.  First up: the hub of the home, the kitchen.

Get down and dirty to get one of the most used areas of your home sparkling and renewed.   Start inside your pantry and cabinets.  Remove everything, one shelf or cabinet at a time. You can remove more than one section at a time if you intend to do some rearranging as you put items back (or if the really undone look won’t overwhelm you).  Wipe down all the surfaces with a hot, soapy dish cloth or antibacterial kitchen wipes.  Replace old contact paper with new versions if needed (the spongy, easy-cut material can be better and more stay-put than the older paper styles). 

Go through all of your pantry items and check dates, throwing out outdated, long overdue, or skipped-over food that likely won’t get eaten.  Look into your dry goods, oils, spices, boxed meals, and canned goods in particular.  Take stock of what you have and what you need, making a pantry restock grocery list as you go.  You want to keep general use items on hand, like staples needed to make a batch of cookies or cook spaghetti, and buy specialty items only as planned recipes call for them.  This helps you manage your space and keep your inventory in check. 

Look over your arrangement of glasses, dishes, cookware, and bakeware.  Is your layout in your cabinets the best use of the space you have?  Does it make unloading the dishwasher and setting the table a streamlined process?  Could you better use the space you have or remove unused pieces altogether?  Let your answers to these questions direct any action you take to make your kitchen storage space function at the highest level.  Do the same for your drawers.  Clear them out, wipe them down, and reload them, keeping like items together in the proper storage bins and dividers, and getting rid of stirring spoons, spatulas, etc. that have been burned or torn and could cause little pieces of plastic or silicone to come off in use.  If you need to revamp your stock, add some pieces to your wish list. If you have cooking or serving pieces that are “so old” and don’t get used anymore, or you have multiple mix-matched sets that could use some paring down, consider selling or donating your excess to open up some storage space, leaving you with an uncluttered, easy access look. 

Finish off with your countertops.  If you leave small appliances out that seldom get used, consider storing them away for clear, open, easy-clean counter space.  Other options to consider are using a knife block designed to fit inside a drawer or doing away with the container of utensils and opting for storing them in divided drawer bins instead.  Give every surface a thorough cleaning, including over and under the microwave, toaster oven, and every grip, handle, and pull in the room.

Tackling a kitchen spring cleaning project can be a lot of work, but it can reap major benefits for the chef in you.  Next week: the closets!        

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

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 . . .