April 27, 2009 by newniquenews
This weekend I worked a booth for someone at the Mt Washington (Baltimore neighborhood) Garden Show. The booth next to me was a snowball (a Baltimore delicacy) stand. The people working the booth were doing it for the community. They had a “professional” snowball machine and several large bottles of syrup, including choclate. They keep this machine on their backporch all summer because they love snowballs, they don’t sell them just make them available to family and friends throughout the season. The owner told me she has several during the day.
To me this is luxury, know what you like and enjoy then find a place for it in your home even if it is a little out of the ordinary. Enjoy the early summer days we are having now.
Tags: Baltimore snowball
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April 23, 2009 by newniquenews
Last weekend I was shopping at Ikea with a friend for items for her new home. Looking with a creative mind she was able to get what she needed to create a serene beachy feeling in her new bathroom. Candles, vases, plants all at wonderful prices. She saved hundreds over what she had seen at some of the upscale mall stores.
While we there I saw this wonderful frame.
Ikea Ung Drill Frame
In person it is a shiny black obviously plastic frame. If you like it for it’s kinda of tongue-in-cheek look that is ok. I would use one of the plastic spray paints to redo it in a metallic with an overlay of very fine black to give it an anitque look and put it in a modern room as a focal point. It would also look wonderful in a bright color or white in a casual room such as a vacation/beach house. And the price is right $24.99. You can have fun with it and find other ways to express your own style.
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April 15, 2009 by newniquenews
(Note: I messed up with my scheduler and on 4/14 scheduled this for 4/1, so it is appearing twice.)
One great way to add color to your walls is to add murals. You can get them from many online sources. Just google ‘home wall murals’. They are available in many sizes, from small dots, animals or scenes. In a windowless room you can add a window scene of woodlands, sea or mountains easily and inexpesively. Murals Your Way (there may be others) will turn your own art or photos into a mural of just about any size. Larger sizes arrive in many pieces that are then applied like wallpaper with overlaps.
'Eucalyptus' from Murals Your Way
Many of the murals are kitschy, and some are wonderful. I can just imagine them behind some modern furniture or contemporary bed. This image could easily cover an entire wall and not be overpowering because of the apparent transparency.
I have also seen murals used to cover cabinets. This is an inexpensive way to add interest to your kitchen without installing new cabinets or fronts.
Costs range from less than $200 to over $1,000 for a 12′ X 8′ mural.
A more personal, yet more expensive alternative is to have a mural painted by a local artist.
Check the many sources available, you may find the perfect mural for your home.
Tags: cabinets, mural, walls
Posted in Decorating Ideas | 1 Comment »
April 13, 2009 by newniquenews
My business partner and I have finally finished our first investment property and it is ready for the perfect tenant or new home buyer. We are offering it for sale, rent or rent to own. My partner wrote about it on her blog so I won’t repeat. Check out what she has to say here or go directly to our online description of the little house on Miles.
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April 9, 2009 by newniquenews
The Goodwill closest to me has become an “Outlet” store. They sell clothes, housewares, books etc. by the pound. I was there to check on the household items and furniture. It seems that the furniture selection is about the same just marked down a lot more. In my experience Goodwill does not have a lot of furniture I can use but once in awhile a real “find” pops up. Two weeks ago there was a nice mid-century bench/table. It had great lines. And now I regret I didn’t buy it and store it until it fit into a customer’s home (or maybe mine).
I got a little sidetracked. The point of this post is if there is a Goodwill Outlet near you, keep it on your list. You can still find some good deals.
I looked in some of the bins for clothes and found an adorable Christmas apron. It cost about 25 cents.
Tags: Goodwill
Posted in Thrift Stores | Leave a Comment »
April 8, 2009 by newniquenews
On Sunday I went to Michael’s Crafts to see if I could spend a 50% off coupon. While searching for items to use in my polymer clay jewelry I found a kitchen deal. In the “dollar bins” they had silicone mats, pot holders, hot pads — whatever name you want to call them. I have been wanting one of these for awhile but didn’t want to pay the $10 prices I had seen. My other pot holders are all burnt or dirty. The silcone is not suppossed to burn and will go in the dishwasher. I love my dishwasher.
Anyway, the price is great — $2. The store I shopped had only two colors, hot pink and orange. I’ll go back and get another. I just wanted to make sure thy were thick enough. I used it to take something out of the oven and then to rest on the counter. No burnt fingers or scorched counter.
Tags: bargain, kitchen
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April 7, 2009 by newniquenews
Their tag line is “New Beginnings and Old Traditions”
Yesterday I visited Raven’s Home Furnishings on York Road. I used to go all of the time when it was a large consignment store. I had not been since the new owners took over.
It is a real mix. Some of the furniture is new, some gently used, some a little challenged and a few antiques. Dione, the owner, explained that she and her family wanted to create a store where everyone can find something. They are always getting fresh stock so stop by often. They also work with local organizations to furnish group homes.
While I saw only a few used appliances, Dione told me they also sell new appliances, including the popular stainless.
They had some very interesting chairs at reasonable prices. By “interesting” I mean older chairs with shapes that fit into my favorite eclectic modern design category. Almost all need reupholstering and paint or new finish on the exposed wood. Be sure to check the back room and upstairs, that is where they keep the finds. The new furniture and gently used is displayed on the main floor. It is well arranged and you don’t have to climb over things to see everything — be prepared to climb or squeeze around things upstairs though.
It is definitely worth your time to stop by and keep returning if you don’t find what you are looking for on the first visit. They really do have things to appeal to a wide customer base. There are a couple of other stores in the same block (closed on Monday when I visited) so you can plan on visiting more than one store if this is not on your regular route.
Raven’s Home Furnishings
5604 York Road, 21212
410.323.0655
Tags: Raven's Home Furnishings
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April 3, 2009 by newniquenews
A recent article/LG ad in Metropolitan Home gave some tips on installing a flat screen TV.
If your TV is HDTV it looks the best when viewed at eye level. I think this is also more comfortable. Installing a TV high on a wall can be uncomfortable when viewing it unless you have a large room and can place the couch/chairs at a comfortable distance.
The screen size also gives you a guideline on where to place the furniture. Multiply the screen size (in inches) by 1.5 to get the minimum distance between TV and where you sit.
If you hang the TV on a wall, think about painting the wall behind the TV darker than the other walls, this creates a focal point while diminishing the impact of the TV when it is not on. An online addition to the article even suggests painting the wall a dark gray to blend with the black frame.
Place a credenza or other low furniture below a wall hung TV. This creates a larger focal point and again does not put all attention on the TV when it is not in use.
If you still think installing over the fireplace is a good idea. Check this “how to” for some useful tips.
Posted in Decorating Ideas | Leave a Comment »
March 30, 2009 by newniquenews
While reading some blog posts I was guided to a couple of sites on line and have spent way too much time checking them out. These sites have all kinds of ways to hack Ikea furniture, cabinets, accessories etc. Some hacks are easy such as painting or covering with fabric. Others are massive remakes of storage units or kitchen cabinets. Check them out if you are a fan of Ikea and don’t want your home to look like an Ikea catalog. Here are the links: Ikea Fans and Ikea Hacker. I hope you find some great ideas.
Tags: Ikea
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March 13, 2009 by newniquenews
Check out floors in high end design magazines to find a style that will look good in your home. And then follow these hints to create the look without the custom design costs.
In magazines rugs are often custom and/or hand made – find similar colors patterns in ready made to suit price range. You can spend more money and buy quality classic wool rugs that will last for years. Or buy less expensive synthetic rugs. Many of these have up to date styling.
Many rug dealers sell remnants of wall to wall carpeting. Have a size cut to your specifications and then have it bound.
No matter what rug you buy, install good padding under it. The pad will make your rug seem much more luxurious.
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