Comfy on a couch

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Architecture, Community, decorating, Design, Family, Florida, Home, Homeowner, Houses, Humor, Memories

When you live a short drive from “Mickey and Minnie’s house” in Florida, you have overnight guests at least once a month. In the event of a big crowd, a few may even stay on your couch. Here are a few ways to make guests feel comfortable and welcome, even when they’re bunking on a sofa bed:

1. Replace end tables with dressers: Being able to unpack is key to feeling at home. To avoid mysterious piles of clothing in your living area, use a small dresser in place of a traditional end table to give guests space for their things.
2. Clear out closet space: Luggage can take up valuable real estate in tight quarters, so making room for your guest’s luggage in your closet helps both you and them feel better about sharing a small space.
3. Arrange an amenity area: Whether it’s your coffee table or end table, make sure your guests have useful items such as a small fan, an alarm clock and a table lamp within arm’s reach.
4. Stage a plug-in hot spot: Set up a designated charging area for phones, laptops and tablets. That way, guests can recharge at the end of a long day without having to hunt for outlets. Don’t forget to leave your WiFi password.
5. Provide bedding storage: Carve out a place where bedding can be stored during the day so that your sofa can be used while you are entertaining your guests. Try a chest, closet or storage ottoman.
6. Stock the liquor cabinet: Your guests won’t mind their accommodations at all.

 

Look for more inspirational home ideas in Renee’s book, “Sweet Beams: Inspiring everyone who lives under a new roof,” available on amazon.com

An Illuminating Hobby

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Architecture, Christmas, Christmas light show, Christmas songs, decorating, Design, Holiday, Home, House, lights

Jim Cheslin estimates it takes 200 hours to set up his annual Christmas Lights display.
That sounds about right, since it includes more than 13,000 lights on the roof, over 9,600 lights on the walls, over 6,200 lights on the windows, over 5,800 lights on the columns and over 3,400 lights on the palm trees.
“It is a labor of love,” admits Jim, a technology engineer for VISA, who started the process on September 20 and finished November 22.
Indeed, his Florida neighbors have loved his Christmas light show for the past eight years.
“It’s gotten bigger every year,” says Jim, who only needs a 28-foot ladder and partner Alex Laneaux to install it.
On a recent afternoon, the third garage bay of the 3,100-square-foot home was converted to a staging area: 25,000 feet of lights – 1,200 separate light strings – sorted by color and folded with zip ties, lay stored in clear plastic bins.
“We use 13,750 feet of extension cords,” Jim says with a grin. “That translates to 375 separate extension cords.”
Neighbors suggested “premiering” the Light Show on Thanksgiving Eve and the resulting crowds have been huge. Their street is blocked and full of people. Children line up along the curb, while adults bring chairs or sit in golf carts.
This year, the lights are choreographed to 30 Christmas songs which can be heard from speakers mounted above his front door, as well as a local FM station (which broadcasts 300 feet, for spectators who remain seated in their cars.) The show is run on a computer using Hardware and Software from http://www.lightorama.com.
“The show runs every night from 6 until 9 o’clock and on Christmas Eve, until 1:00 a.m.,” Jim says. “If I see people out there, I can extend the show. If nobody is watching, I can turn it off.”
The 53,000 L.E.D. (Light Emitting Diodes) lights use 90 percent less power than traditional lights. That means the cost of electricity to run the 2013 show was about $1.25 per day.
How much does the couple have invested in their decorations?
“A lot,” Jim says, laughing. “Over five figures. I’d be embarrassed to admit how much I’ve spent on this hobby.”

Photo by Susan Torregrosa/Studio T Photography

Bigger might look better!

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bathroom renovation, Build, Construction, Design, Homes, Houses, interior design, mirrors

There are plenty of ways to “open up” your living spaces by fooling the eye to make others (and yourself!) think that your home is much, much larger than it actually is. It doesn’t always require tearing down walls or major renovations. Here are a few tricks to make your home a real “treat!”

1.Go With Glass
If you are doing a bathroom renovation, choose glass shower doors over a shower curtain, which becomes a visual barrier instead of letting your eyes take in every inch of space that exists. Similarly, you can replace wooden doors for french doors, or any doors with interior glass panels.
2.Hang Mirrors
You can choose either individual mirrors, or mirrors that go from floor to ceiling, to reflect light and make a small room feel more open. Think about what parts of the room you want to see reflected before hanging anything.
3.Choose the Right Furniture
Avoid heavy, solid furniture or skirted sofas. Instead choose pieces on raised legs, or made of clear materials, that have less visual weight.
4.Raise & Widen Your Curtains
Extending the curtain rod beyond the actual window- both in terms of height and width, makes you think the window is larger, and the ceilings taller, than they actually are. If there are two or more windows side by side, try one curtain on the entire wall – hanging separate pairs unnecessarily chops up the space.

“Sweet Beams: Inspiring everyone who lives under a new roof!” is available on Amazon.com

The Entryway

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Architecture, Build, Construction, Design, environment, Home, Homeowner, Houses, real-estate, Residence, Shelter, style

Though you live in your backyard, the world inevitably beats a path to your front door. Well-designed entryways can offer, privacy, light, charm and character to your home – without breaking style or the budget.
A new door, some well-placed windows or a fresh coat of paint can work wonders on a tired façade or an out-of-date entry. According to architect Richard Hartmann, “The ambiance of your home actually starts outside. It’s a whole sequence of events. Meandering through landscaping on a slightly curved path, for example, enhances the experience. ”

Here are a few tips for adding style:

* Add window boxes. They add color to a plain exterior when they’re overflowing with plants or flowers.
* Replace old hardware with brass numbers, handles, a mailbox or kick plate. Ceramic or hand-painted house numbers are good alternatives.
* Add a new front door, sidelights or transom. If you can’t afford to replace the door, add decorative molding around the one you have.
* Use clay pots or sculpture to spark an uninspired entry.
* Add an awning over doors or windows. With Florida’s seasonal rain showers, it’s practical as well as pretty.
* Add carriage lights on either side of the front door or low-voltage path lights along the walkway. They can help bring your best foot forward.

Sweet Beams: Inspiring everyone who lives under a new roof! is available on amazon.com.

Sign me up

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Architecture, book, Conversation, Design, Family, Home, Homeowner, Houses, Memories

Recently I was asked to do a book signing at an upscale boutique in Tampa, Florida. Emails went out to the shop customers, an exterior sign heralded my name, and items appeared in newspaper columns, announcing the event.

I was a bit uneasy about engaging a lot of strangers in conversation, (“Do you need a house-warming gift?”) but it turns out I didn’t need to be: The people who arrived were old friends – some I hadn’t seen in more than a decade – like Fred Rock (pictured above.) They came to congratulate me, to catch up and be supportive. (One even brought the most delicious donuts to tide me over until I could eat a late lunch!)
I was humbled and happy to see each of them.

Today, few friendships survive corporate relocations, divorces or deaths. Virginia Woolf summed it up rather nicely: “I have lost friends, some by death, others through sheer inability to cross the street.”

But I thank God every day for the lasting ones – the people you call when the doctor says “I‘d like to run a few more tests,” or your child moves in with someone you’ve never much liked or trusted.

Funny thing – I’ve no idea how many books were sold last week. I simply know how many friends showed up. And that means so much more…

“Sweet Beams: Inspiring everyone who lives under a new roof!” is available on amazon.com.

Giving birth to a book

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Architecture, author, book, Construction, Design, Family, Gardens, Home, Houses, Housewarming, Humor, kitchen, Memories

Working with a graphic artist to design a cover for your book is a bit like giving birth to a child: After months of effort, you hope it will be reasonably attractive when it‘s delivered.
I’m a writer (not an artist) who recognizes her design limitations. Trying to convey a sense of contentment, encouragement and happiness at home on an 8-by-5 inch book isn’t easy. The cover has to speak to potential readers…beg them to pick it up and look inside.
I’m delighted to say my new book does just that. After a flurry of emails – both photographs and text – graphic artist Kristin Johnson did an amazing job of selecting just the right image and type font. (Don’t you love finding the authors’ names hiding under the bed?!)
I hope this book and its cover will speak to you, too. “Pick me up…look inside.”

Sweet Beams: Inspiring everyone who lives under a new roof! also is available on amazon.com.

A brush with color

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Architecture, color, Design, Home, Homeowner, Houses, Memories, Paint, style

I’ve discovered my dream job: Naming shades of paint.

Sherwin-Williams offers 1,500 different colors of paint and the Cleveland-based company relies on just one woman to name them all. Jackie Jordan, director of color marketing, draws inspiration from foods, books, song lyrics – pretty much everything.

Jordan has been with the company for 27 years and has come up with more than 10,000 paint names. “Blue Sky,” Cherry Tomato” and “Stolen Kiss” are a few of the easy ones. “Wall Street” refers to a dark gray shade, while “Indulgent” is actually lavender. The intention is for homeowners to develop an attachment to their chosen color.
“It’s an emotional thing,” Jordan says. “People like to have an association with a particular color.”

Most colors have a life span of 10 to 12 years, but the names stick to their respective hues forever. However, they can’t have too many letters or they won’t fit on the a paint card. Names with three or more words are rare, making up only 3 percent of colors.

The longest? “Colonial Revival Green Stone.” (I’d definitely keep ‘em short and sweet.)

Where do I apply?

Live with what you love

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Collections, Conversation, decor, Design, diy, Florida, Home, Houses, style

Less isn’t always more.
Arranged on a fireplace mantel, hung on the wall, or displayed on a console, collections of objects and art can bring a living room to life by injecting it with the homeowner’s personality. Adding collections to a home’s interior design scheme not only communicates individual passions, but also creates a distinctive decorative statement that visitors won’t see anywhere else.
Happily, they don’t have to be expensive.
I began collecting tin sand toys from the 1940s-50s while living in Michigan – I missed the white, powdery sand of Florida’s Gulf Coast beaches. (Walking across dirty brown gravel to plunge into the icy waters of Lake Michigan wasn’t much fun for me.) Today, sand pails, sifters and shovels cluster atop my kitchen cabinets, where I enjoy them every morning as I make my coffee.
Regional design celebrity and author of “The Collected Tabletop,” Kathryn Greeley defines collecting as, “The passionate search for items that speak to you, that you can use on a day-to-day basis…or enjoy as art.”
I’ve seen unusual items add zip to a home:
– Antique musical instruments suspended from tall ceilings.
– Rubber duckies nesting on bathroom shelves.
– Model trains running on suspended tracks around a family room.
– Large antique apothecary jars holding rocks, shells, marbles, or other small objects in a single dust-free display.
Collections are an ideal way to fill the void in any room. They add interest, spark conversation and bring your personality into what could otherwise be a sterile decorating scheme.
According to designer Greeley, who has created uniquely personal environments with collectibles in the Southeast for more than 30 years, “It’s of no joy to you wrapped up and packed away in a closet.”
I read somewhere that everyone collects something…how about you?

To grandmother’s house we go

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Design, Family, grandparents, Home, Memories

My grandmother kept a toy chest ( hidden behind an armchair in her living room) to entertain us.

Undoubtedly, Nana would be appalled to see the latest trend among grandparents is renovating basements and bedrooms into lavish accommodations for their favorite houseguests – their grandchildren.
Custom-built beds, play kitchens, ping-pong tables and workbenches (not to mention swimming pools and basketball courts) are altering affluent grandparents’ homes to ensure frequent visits from the little ones.

At Pottery Barn Kids the most common request this year comes from grandparents looking to create nurseries in their home, says company president Janet Hayes. “They decorate full rooms with the intention of creating a space for them to stay over,” she says.

An online children’s furniture store based in North Carolina reports cribs that cost an average of $1,000 and hand-painted wooden letters that spell out the names of their grandkids are best-sellers.

Last year, an AARP survey of 1,904 grandparents indicated they spend $1,000 a year (or more) on their grandchildren. To accommodate multiple grandkids from different families, they purchase height-adjustable tables and chairs, stain-proof upholstery and removable floor tiles that hold up to spills.

Throw in a teepee to play or sleep in, a chalkboard wall, custom murals and some electronics and you’ve got a weekend retreat that rivals the Magic Kingdom.

Looks like baby boomers who are becoming grandparents won’t be downsizing anytime soon…I wonder how my grandmother spent so little money, yet we could hardly wait to spend time with her?

Metaphors

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Architecture, Build, castle, Construction, cottage, Design, Homes, Houses

The use of metaphors during the design process can turn hopes into pictures.

 

• I want my home to look like a … castle, a cottage, a boat, a garden. Words carry such power.  Metaphors transform one idea into an other.  They bridge our abstract ideas with the real world.
  • ” People can be classified according to whether they aspire to live in a cottage or in a palace.” -George Sand

   

  Excerpted from “Home: Celebrating the Spaces of Your Heart.”