The Switch Is On: Decorating Ideas

Inspiration is the  framework of decorating ideas.

decorating ideas

We all glean “eye”deas from home decor and home furnishings seen on blogs, websites, in stores, showrooms and shelter magazines.

Isn’t that the idea?

Some of the ideas work and some don’t, but try we do.

Beauty and style only fail when inspiration ceases to exist.

Portfolio 5" x 5" Brown Chandelier Lamp Shade

Determination is a powerful force.

What does determination have to do with a chandelier shade you may wonder?

Simple math.

$5.97 each  X 12 shades = $71.64.

That’s $71.64

I could have put toward the cost of a new chandelier and did not, so you can bet I’m gonna make these work.

I’m wired like that.

French crystal chandelier

With the intent of introducing a French modern decor to the dining room, it makes total sense to move the crystal chandelier to the dining room and the Williamsburg to the foyer.

Let’s project!

chandelier installation

The Williamsburg chandelier is a lovely fixture, but my thinking has been it is in need of decorative lagniappe beyond the chandelier shades.

Remember my idea for converting craft finials into chandelier drops?

I will still be doing that for an all wood English chandelier, but once the Williamsburg found its new home in the foyer all was, and is, decoratively well.

foyer chandelier

The shade is not crooked, the angle of the shot was just right for this unwanted effect.

I do want to call your attention to the blue lining of the chandelier shades in the bottom left image in the collage above.

At night when the light fixture is turned on the color is so rich and the cast from the brown exterior and blue lining combination is phe-nom-e-nal!

We measured the height of the fixture pre-install for clearance assurance.

There are times when unforeseen issues arise.

Dave the Builder & Son informed me due to wiring safety and placement consideration the height would come in over the initial projected measurement.

There goes my idea for modifying the center ring with a finial.

Too many family members blessed with height guarantees an unfortunate introduction to the low hanging finial.

Adapt.

Proceed.

Project on!

light fixture removal

Onward and upward we go with a wiring modification, a coat of fresh ceiling paint and  install of the crystal chandelier in the dining room.

Stay tuned.

 

Show & Tell

Oven Roasted Smoky-Sweet BBQ Corn on the Cob

Putting a smoky-sweet spin on an already near perfect summertime BBQ side dish is always a tasty discovery.  Oven Roasted Smoky-Sweet BBQ Corn on the Cob is as easy to prepare as it is delicious. The smoky-sweet BBQ rub is a flavor boost with the right amount of balanced seasonings. I like the idea of adding a bit of water to the roasting pan and covering with a lid for a steam effect. It’s an extra step that enhances the roasting and seals in the flavor.

Oven Roasted Smoky-Sweet BBQ Corn on the Cob

fresh corn

Ingredients

4 ears corn

4 Tablespoons Smoky~Sweet BBQ rub

1 stick butter

½ cup water

 

Smoky-Sweet BBQ Rub ~ Southern Living

¼ cup kosher salt

¼ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

2  Tablespoons plus 2 tsp. smoked paprika

2  Tablespoons granulated sugar

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground ginger

Stir together all ingredients. Store in an airtight container up to 1 month.

 

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350˚F.  Carefully pull back husks and remove the silk from each ear of corn.

Smoky-Sweet BBQ Rub

Spread butter on each ear of corn, coating well.  Sprinkle each ear of corn with  1 Tablespoon Smoky-Sweet BBQ rub (or more if desired).

seasoned corn

Pull husks back up and place corn on rack in roasting pan that has been filled with ½ cup water. Cover with lid.

corn in husks

Place roasting pan on bottom rack in oven. Roast corn for 30-40 minutes or until tender.

oven roasted smoky-sweet bbq corn on the cob

C’est si bon!

Show & Tell

On The Market: Tips For Showing Your Home

You know what they say about first impressions. Never is a first impression more important than when selling a home.  From curb to master bedroom, potential buyers closely examine every nut and bolt of architecture, aesthetic, design, and flow.  Let me share with you tips for showing your home.

Tips for showing your home

The question of numbers is always important in the home game.  Most home buyers have a set checklist saved to memory of the selling points that will speak to their needs. What information to furnish is as easy as recalling the questions you had before purchasing the property. This applies to self listed or Realtor showings. Based strictly upon our experiences as both, the general FAQ sheet provided to potential buyers at showings and open houses supplied information and hit the home buying high notes:

FAQ Sheet Suggestions:

Homeowner warranty

Sellers possible participation in closing fees

Age of property

Builder/architect name if available

Average utility bill amount

School district and zonings

Alarm system information (homeowners insurance discount)

Neighborhood Fire Department location (homeowners insurance information)

Age of roof

Age of HVAC unit

Energy efficient features

Clearly convey to your realtor what, if any, items are not included with the sale of the home (reserved).  Include this information on the information sheet.

 

guest table

Holding an open house is a great way to showcase the property. A welcome table should greet potential buyers with important home information, a FAQ sheet, and refreshment.  My refreshment of choice is ice water with lemon slices.  In case of a spill, water is easy to clean up without muss, fuss, or stain.  Provide sharpened pencils and notepads for potential buyers to use for taking notes.  If they’re writing it’s a good sign they’re interested.

lemon water

Encourage open house attendees to take a FAQ sheet with them as they view the property.  Potential buyers often hesitate asking questions. Viewing real estate can be an overwhelming process- leaving potential buyers easily distracted in the moment.  Being a proactive seller and information provider puts potential buyers in the know and you ahead of the game.

First-Alert-The-Fire-Protector-Key-Lock-Safe

Another thing to offer potential buyers when viewing the home- benign neglect.  Buyers want the freedom to move about the home and make comments- good or bad.  If your home is listed with a realtor, by all means leave the showing to the agent.  If self selling, allow the potential buyers to look and inspect on their own.  Before showings or open houses, perform seller due diligence.  Secure valuables, removing items from stairs, and make arrangements for the pets to be absent from the home during this time.  It is just the prudent, liability safe and responsible thing to do.

lawn boy lawn mower

 

Now to the package that will sell the product- exterior and interior home appeal.  Maintain and manicure the lawn, hedges, and flowerbeds. Pressure wash away any signs of mold or mildew on walkways, decks, siding, soffit and fascia.  Remove chipping paint from soffit, fascia, exterior doors, windows, etc… and coat it up fresh.  Wash windows and porches.  What you may have turned a blind eye to will be the one thing potential buyers zero in on.  Trust me on this one!

paint-brush

Paint weighs in again as a solution for affordable updating.  Glue down any wallpaper edges that have curled up.  A couple of drops of Elmer’s School Glue will do the trick.  Declutter kitchen and bathroom countertops.  Utilize decorative storage options such as baskets to less the mess.  Consider new cabinet and drawer hardware for a quick and affordable update.

grey-flat-front-kitchen-cabinets-antique-brass-hardwareDecorPad

Size and space matters! Pay close attention to closets and cabinets.  Edit clutter from all closets.  A small closet will appear bigger if it is well organized.

It’s all in the presentation!

Select a cabinet and a drawer in the kitchen and bathrooms to organize and leave open.  Most interested buyers will open them anyway, so why not have them organized, opened and ready for inspection.

slettvoll Slettvoll

Promote an inviting and comfortable effect by turning on the lights.  Turn on the lights in each room including table and/or floor lamp(s).

Open window blinds/raise window shades.

Make sure to set the thermostat to a comfortable company’s coming setting.  It’s hard to focus on the business at hand when the temperature in the house is either too hot or too cold.  

Empty all trash cans.

Make the entire house smell so good with the inviting and delicious scent of vanilla.  Pure vanilla extract is not an overpowering scent, and makes the house smell so nice.  Preheat oven to 250 degrees.  Pour ½ cup of vanilla extract into an oven proof baking dish and place in oven for 30 minutes.  

pure vanillaPure Vanilla Extract from King Arthur Flour

These tips for showing your home offer sound and selling advice. Take the time to set the stage and offer potential buyers a visual of style.  Minimal effort and money on this side of the listing can make a huge difference on the other side of sold.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Show & Tell

Focal Potential: A DIY Light Fixture Project

Necessity and sticker shock is the mother of all DIY projects.  If I search for an item and either can’t locate it or can’t bring myself to shell out $$$$ in order to make it mine a DIY light fixture project is in the making.  At times I succeed with the project, other times I exceed all expectations, and plenty of times it fails miserably. I’m rolling the dice on this one.

DIY light fixture project

Italian scroll chandeliers cause inspiration to tug at the creative part of my brain. The fixture style is lovely and wildly popular, but the sticker shock gives pause. Ouch!  Truth be told, the drops and the finial are the true eye catchers of the piece. A quick search landed me in a more affordable neighborhood. Gorgeous hand painted chandelier drops from Aidan Gray and a Tara Shaw Italian gilded tassel finial from Layla Grayce will be added to the shopping cart if this “eye”dea of mine falls flat. Here’s what I’m thinking~

Williamsburg chandelier

The crystal chandelier is pretty much pristine sans burned out bulb.  I found the fixture on eBay six years ago thinking it would be perfect for a client. When it arrived I immediately knew it was staying out of inventory.  It’s moving to the dining room.

foyer light fixture

The 12 light Williamsburg chandelier is an inherited left over from the original dining room design.  I added the shades last year with pleasing decorative success, but talk about further darkening the room. Personally I love it, but my camera and aging eyes hate the thing. I’ve studied and studied the fixture with a modifying intent. Paint it?  No. Lose the shades?  No.  Move it to the foyer?  Yes! That’s a start, but I want more for this chandelier.

decorative wood finial

We measured the clearance in the foyer noting the links would have to be removed to eliminate any head to fixture contact.  Hurdle #1 cleared. I’ve Googled till I can Google no more with very limited success in locating wooden carved chandelier drops. I asked Dave the Builder if he could channel his inner MacGyver to come up with an idea for the chandelier drops and decorative finial. How about…

chandelier parts

Dave found these craft finials at Lowe’s.  The mixed Oak craft finial (top left) is $2.98 and the Early American table leg (bottom right) is $1.48.

Okay, the upfront cost is minimal.

The plan is to create drops out of the table legs by removing the screws with vise-grip pliers, replacing with cup holder hooks, and staining with an umber or antique bronze to create the desired finish.  A distressed effect is also under consideration.  The craft finial will replace the center ring.  We will retrofit it with a new screw to match the opening size of the chandelier, screw it in, and hope it fulfills my decorative dreams.

It’s well worth the try.

Show & Tell

It’s Time For A New Dining Room Paint Color

A tedious decor project I’ve been working on collided head on with my consulting duties last week.

My schedule got crazy busy and caused a delay in my posting.

Taking a break from the monotony of term sheets and contracts, I shifted my attention to an at home project long overdue.

It’s time to choose a new dining room paint color.

It’s no secret how much I love Sherwin-Williams Fired Brick, but with the lack of natural light in the dining room it is proving to be on the dark side.

The lighting of a space (or lack thereof) is a crucial factor to consider in the selection of paint colors.

Sherwin Williams Fired Brick

I’m heading in the direction of a barely there classic color palette that will:

  •  frame the flow of  bookend color from foyer to butler pantry
  • bring the French inspired ooh la la factor to the space
  •  allow a better showcase for the existing light fixtures

Valspar Mesa Sand

The color choice needs to complement the new kitchen paint color, Curio Gray.

Considering the foyer wallpaper, drapes, and dark finish of the living room suite (not my fav, but it keeps the peace), I’m leaning towards the pink/red family of colors- one with a whisper, a scant hint of pink with a café au lait base.

When done right, pink defies the connotation of  frill and femininity so closely associated with the color.

Achieving light, tone, and shade synergy is the trick.

First up is Valspar Mesa Sand.

dining room paint color

Paint color samples can fool the eye.

I highly suggest purchasing a sample container of the color(s) you are considering and trying it out on the wall.

Paint a large enough area of the wall and let the paint completely dry in order to get a good and proper color read.

Mesa Sand sample

Well that’s a big no go on the Mesa Sand!

What a paint color sample looks like on a chart or in a can is very different from what it will actually look like on the wall.

Mesa Sand looks to be the perfect shade of  brownish pink in the first image, a peachy salmon with a brown base in the paint sample image, and a flat beige on the wall.

On to the next choice.

Farrow and Ball Setting Plaster

Farrow & Ball Setting Plaster is working for me.

The sample is en route and my fingers are crossed.

crystal chandelier

What project Dave the Builder will be tackling on his summer vacation is no longer a mystery.

I’ll show you what else I have in mind later in the week.

Think light fixture.

 

 

Show & Tell

Peaches on Parade: Recipes Featuring Fresh Peaches

Recipes featuring fresh peaches shine in the summer fruit spotlight this time of year.

PeachesEat This Lafayette

The peach is the summer star of the recipes featuring fresh peaches right from the farm show.

My mother and grandmother used to haul our peach picking fannies to a local peach orchard to pick basket after basket of Louisiana peaches.

peaches-in-baskets

Peaches found on the ground were free for the picking up, and we came peach eating prepared with small plastic margarine containers full of Louisiana pure cane sugar.

Good and tasty times!

The peach is so well loved we celebrate it in Louisiana festival glory.  The Louisiana Peach Festival celebrates the summer crop, growers and deliciousness that is Ruston peaches.

2011-poster-smallLouisiana Peach Festival

Long days and warm afternoons can zap the desire to prepare lunch or dinner right out of you.

When my summer got up and go would rather be my summer got up and went anywhere but the kitchen, I refer to a tried and true formula for summer culinary burnout.

keep it summer simple

KISS- keep it summer simple!

Serving summer cold salads, small side sandwiches, and fresh seasonal fruits is the way to go.

biscuit bacon lettuce tomato sandwich

Last week I hit the fresh fruit jackpot with cantaloupes and two Louisiana grown favorites, Sugartown watermelon and fresh Ruston peaches.

The peach is the star of these keep it summer simple recipes that deliver big flavor.

Melon and Peach Salad with Bacon and Peach Mayonnaise

Ingredients

watermelon

1 cantaloupe

2 peaches, peeled and sliced

½ teaspoon coarse Kosher salt

¼ teaspoon fine black pepper

2 Tablespoons honey

½ cup peach puree (recipe below)

6 slices of cooked bacon; crumbled

peach mayonnaise (recipe below)

Peach Puree

2 peaches,  peeled and sliced

1 teaspoon  honey

Peach Mayonnaise

½ cup peach puree

1  cup mayonnaise

1 ½ Tablespoon deli mustard

1 ½ Tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon sugar

Directions

Cut watermelon and cantaloupe  in half removing seeds. Using a melon baller, scoop out melon balls and place in medium serving bowl.  Peel and slice peaches and add to melon balls. Refrigerate  fruit until chilled, approximately 30 minutes.

fruit-salad-mix-kosher-salt

Add honey, salt, pepper, and peach puree to melon and peach mixture, gently tossing to coat.

Dish onto chilled salad plate or bowl, top with crumbled bacon and peach mayonnaise.  Serves 4.

fruit-salad-with-peach-mayo-dressing

Peach Puree

Peel and slice peaches and place in food processor. Drizzle honey over peaches. Process until smooth.

recipes featuring fresh peaches

Peach Mayonnaise

In medium mixing bowl, stir together mayonnaise, sugar, honey, deli mustard, and peach puree.

peach-mayo-ingredients

Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

peach puree

Biscuit BLTs with Peach Mayonnaise

Ingredients

1 lb. bacon, cooked and drained

2 large tomatoes, sliced

1 package butter lettuce

peach mayonnaise

1 package frozen biscuits

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil turning up edges. Lay the bacon strips out flat on the baking sheet. Bake in oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until done to your liking.

oven fried bacon

Prepare biscuits according to package instructions.

biscuits

Split each biscuit.

Layer with bacon, butter lettuce, sliced tomato, and peach mayonnaise.

bacon lettuce tomato on a biscuit

enjoy

Show & Tell

Travel Times: Summer Vacation Memories

Deep in the soul of summer travel times with family and friends lurks the shadows of summer vacation memories.

A rise in temperatures signaled the rise in my travel anticipation, even if our holiday road only lead to a local pool, creek, or lake.

summer vacation memories at the lakePinterest

“Summer will end soon enough, and childhood as well.”

– George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones

Hancock Springs poolThe Road Trip Destination Guide

For those times when the holiday road lead to East Tennessee or anywhere in the great state of Texas the party was on!

Summer, family reunions, cousins, and swimming pools go naturally together.

Lampasas, Texas set the scene for our annual summer family reunion. While the parents, grandparents, aunt, and uncles told tall tales, prepared epic picnic fare, and played 42,  my cousins and I clocked hours in the Hancock Springs Pool.

I’m not sure,  but I believe my love and fascination with swimming pools began there and then.

Everything is bigger in Texas, especially the memories!

Great Smoky Mountains National ParkThe Great Smokies

Gatlinburg, Tennessee and the  Great Smoky Mountains National Park will forever be considered my home away from home.

Every summer of my childhood my parents, brother, and I made our annual trek to East Tennessee.  It’s a travel tradition that has carried through to my family.

Memories from the past blend in with new memories we are making. I like a little past served with the present, and summer vacations tend to deliver on that front.

Remember these?

aluminum tumblersLeaf tv

A picnic in the Smokies is a must do for our gang of merry travelers.

As much as convenience tempts me, Solo cups need not apply.

I pack a mean vintage picnic basket complete with aluminum tumblers circa 19ihavenoidea.

Ever the colorista, these darlings make a summer tablescape pop with their blast from the past retro fashion colors.

Holiday Inn signFast Company

Dave the Builder and I were both raised in the era of larger than life hotel and motel swimming pools.

How many of you were too?

Big haul road trips came with the extra added bonus of at least one overnight stay in a hotel or motel.

The mid trip overnighter existed in order to break the “are we there yet?” monotony.

This is where things had the power to get summer splash zone interesting.

The first indication of how good or how bad things were to come was based on the size, style, and neon quotient of the hotel or motel sign.

Didn’t your heart drop at first glimpse of a beloved Holiday Inn sign?

The parents may have measured the quality of the overnight accommodations by the luxury offerings, but the kids knew what really mattered- the swimming pool.

In order for a property to receive the kid approved five star rating there better be a whole lotta pool time on the schedule.

Twin Islands Best WesternGatlinburg, Tennessee

I guess the more things change the more they stay the same.

We’ve clocked many sun screened soaked hours at many a swimming pool with our son.

Whenever I see the swimming pool in the image above my mind and heart immediately take me back to a late July afternoon twelve years ago when our son learned to swim.

It’s those kind of summer vacation memories that become the priceless souvenirs of a lifetime.  

Where will you be making summer vacation memories this year?

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