Decorating Ideas « Newnique News

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Sharing my ‘Haul’

September 1, 2010

I am not a fan of the ‘haul’ blogs that seem to be so popular but … today I just had to share. I went to Salvation Army this morning. Here is a picture of what $3.20 buys there.

The picture frame will most likely be my Thrifted Treasure for On Purpose Networking tomorrow. I would like to have something a little more thrilling but the thrifting gods were a little cranky this week. The frame is one of those seen at major department stores priced at $15-$20 but you can almost always find on sale at about 50% off. It looks like new and cost $0.25.

I am most excited about the ‘architectural pieces’. They have a groove in the top and are probably meant to hold plates. I think I am going place them under a very modern shelf in my entry to look like brackets. Paint and metal leaf will be involved. $1 each.

The welcome plaque – it just called my name. I predict paint in its future also, no clue what color. It has a lot of detail and is weathered on one side. A good spring door decor?

The candle, just because it is in good shape and I can always use candles. This may be a glitter experiment.

Happy Thrifting. Keep your eyes open for your own treasures.

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Paper Flowers

August 23, 2010

A couple of weeks ago the childrens group at my spiritual center made these flowers in their class and gave them away. I didn’t know where to put it and simply wrapped it around a lamp on my foyer shelf/table. It was very random and now I really like it there. It is so summery and cheerful. Sometimes these random placements last longer than we think. This will stay until I decorate for fall. Then I like it so much maybe I’ll wrap some faux leaves around the lamp.

The entry really needed some color so this work well with the other things on the shelf.

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Leopard Rug and Habitat Restore

July 1, 2010

Yesterday I was in east Baltimore and visited the Habitat for Humanity Restore. I am on their email list and each week see the tantalizing list of things in the store. I wanted to see for myself in case I am in the market for kitchen cabinets, appliances, tile or similar things. I also wanted to see what they have that can be repurposed for decorating. There are lots of appliances – some of them new. And a large selection of bathroom sinks – lots of them with vanities. I was also surprised to see a lot of furniture. Nothing there this time tempted me to bring it home but it was in good condition and there were some dining sets that I thought would look good in client’s homes especially if I painted the chairs.

And the best surprise – new rugs. I bought this leopard print for $35. It is approximately 5 X 7. Now, we are not talking luxury here. The rug weighs less than 10 pounds and ‘plush’ will never be used in describing it. In the fall I plan to put it in my living room with a very good rug pad under it and it will work very well. I have wonderful wood floors and don’t like to cover them so this will be a winter accessory only. It will not get a lot of wear so it should last until I find the perfect rug for the spot. And since I consider leopard to be a neutral, I can move it to almost any room in the house.

They had several rugs in oriental, traditional and contemporary patterns. There were also other animal prints. I did not see any larger than this one. They had runners and some smaller rugs also. The highest price was about $60.

Habitat is certainly worth checking if you are doing any rehab or want another source for items to repurpose. Kitchen cabinets to kitchen island? Hang a cabinet low on the wall with an interesting top for an entry way catch all with built in storage? The possibilities are here.

Tags:Baltimore, Habitat for Humaint Restore
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Window film for privacy or decorating

May 27, 2010

A couple of weeks ago I was working with clients to liven up their entry way. The house is a lovely Victorian with a large porch, stained glass surrounding the front door and a large white sandblasted window in the door. It was very flat and plain looking. To give the window some depth and interest we added clear window film with a cut glass flower pattern

Window films are available in many weights, colors and degree of opacity. They insure privacy or hide an unattractive view. Today there are many online sources and the local big box hardware stores carry a few.

I love this one . It lets in light, allows you to see someone at the door and at the same time does not leave your home completely visible to everyone who walks by.

If you are handy with a razor blade or craft knife you can create your own designs by starting with plain frosted film and a stencil or your own drawing.

Commercial Use From Decorative Film

And it does not have to be a small project. Look at this application in a commercial building from Decorative Film.

A friend has a large plate glass panel in her entry that serves as a wind block. It is trimmed in brass and does not fit into her traditional decor. She applied a large frosted rose medallion and corner frames. It looks wonderful and diminishes the impact of the stark frame.

The Decorative Film site also has a large selection of rice paper films. These would create wonderful faux shoji screens. They can also be applied to mirrors if you inherit large expanses of mirrors when you buy or rent a home where removal is not an option. The same site has cut glass and glass bubble film. These would look great applied to the plain glass fronts of cabinets. The colors of your dishes will shine through and not the stacks of plates or mugs.

There are so many options, just google ‘window film decorative’ or variations and let your imagination create a new look for you. If you need help, contact me from Newnique Redesign and I’ll be glad to help you choose.

Tags:window film, windows
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Garden Trivet

May 21, 2010

A very easy ‘hack’. I found this butterfly trivet at Salvation Army on half price day. I liked it but do not need anymore trivets. And then I remembered – a few years ago I bought a garden ornament. A bee that lies on the ground at the edge of a flower bed. So I decided to change the trivet into a garden ornament simply by putting it in the garden. Perfect, it already has a nice patina.

Posted in Decorating Ideas, DIY, Gardens, Making a Home, Thrift shopping | Leave a Comment »

Hallway Decor

May 4, 2010

I have a short hallway in my house that has had a blank wall for way too long. Other than a wonderful print in my bedroom that was a gift from a friend I could not find anything that I wanted to display there. And I liked the print in the bedroom so it wasn’t moving.

Then I went to Salvation Army and found a small, colorful print of tulips that I really liked. On a previous trip I had picked up a treasure – a heavily carved display shelf. Total cost for both $4.75.

I hung them both and added three heavy glass votive holders. I am glad they are heavy because when I brushed against the shelf, it crashed and dented my oak floor. The votive holders are unharmed. I am looking for a new way to hang the shelf and will keep you posted on that project.

Keep looking when you have a space that needs that special ‘something’. It will eventually appear and you will know instantly when it does.

Happy thrifting.

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Design Blogs

April 9, 2010

Today I had a lot of administrative work to do and not feeling very inspired. A web search found this blog posting from Pad Style – the Top 25 Interior Design and Furniture Blogs. Great inspiration, instantly.

Have a good weekend.

Posted in Decorating Ideas, Modern Design | Leave a Comment »

Using Plastic Paint

April 7, 2010

In my March newsletter I talked about using paint to update plastic items. Here is what I wrote:

In this newsletter I want to expand a little on one particular kind of paint – plastic paint. This is paint formulated to be applied to plastic. I don’t know the science behind it but it seems to actually bond to the plastic.

A few years ago I purchased some plastic office chairs to pair with my glass dining table. I liked their style, size and comfort. The only negative was the color – a 1980’s kinda burgundy/maroon. My vision was a bright red, so I painted them with conventional paint. The finish was a little rough and almost immediately the paint started to peel off in sheets. Plastic paint was fairly new then and I tried it as soon as I could find it. It sprayed on easily, the color was true to the can top and it has not peeled or chipped in years of use. A miracle paint! I have since painted many things in many colors and had good results with all of them.

Krylon Fusion was the first plastic paint and the one that I have used for all of my projects. It now comes in 35 colors – here is a link. http://www.krylon.com/products/fusion_for_plastic/

Rustoleum has a plastic paint primer which allows you to use any paint on plastic once the primer has been applied. (The primer comes in spray on or brush on varieties)

Some ideas for plastic things that can be updated with paint:

Thrifted laminate side tables
Ikea chairs, stools and tables – good shapes, often limited colors
Inexpensive flower planters
Plastic patio furniture
Decorative bowls and trays (nothing that will hold food)
Plastic shelves
Office and desk accessories
Crocs and other plastic shoes (I haven’t tried this yet)
Picture and mirror frames
PVC pipe, I have seen these cut to different lengths, painted and lit with votive lights. Stunning.

Try it on anything you want to update inexpensively. Let me know the results of your projects.

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Create Your Own Wall Poster

March 22, 2010

The “Keep Calm and Carry On” poster has become ubiquitous in online and paper decorating sources. Some bloggers are beginning to make disparaging remarks when it appears in yet another layout.

If you prefer a unique poster with your own quote or picture you can use inexpensive online sources to design it.

Zazzle lets you design the poster, choose the size (up to Colossal), paper quality etc. Zazzle then prints the poster and sends it to you. Prices start at $9.95.

Block Posters has a different approach. The poster is created from a downloaded pdf file. This file is printed on multiple sheets of paper, you print them, and paste the pages together for your poster. You can trim the white borders or leave them for a more artsy look. View the posters created by users in the Gallery to find a look you like. The process starts with your uploaded image and the pdf is ready in seconds for download. This is free – the only cost is paper and ink.

You can create very large posters using this tool. The quality of the image depends on the resolution of the original picture. The site claims that pixilated pictures look good in large scale. The price is right to experiment as much as you want.

Wig Flip has a free tool (called AutoMotivator) to allow you to create motivational posters. There is an option to send them to Zazzle or you can save the image of the poster and upload it to Block Posters to print your own.

I created this image using the Wig Flip AutoMotivator. I then created a poster with Block Poster but have not printed it yet.

Ember is my cat with gorgeous eyes and Ember’s Eyes is a name I am playing with for my polymer clay jewelry business.

Posted in Decorating Ideas | 2 Comments »

Rehabilitated Christmas Tree Star

March 8, 2010

I found this star lamp at the Goodwill store and pounced. I have wanted a lamp shaped like this since I rehabbed my home. I wanted a glass and metal pendant in the foyer. I have very low ceilings and could not find one that would clear the front door.

Because of the spiral base I think this is a Christmas tree topper, probably from Target. However it is very heavy and not well balanced. The tree would have to be a redwood to support it.

I wanted to use it as an accent lamp and needed to remove the base. I was all set to get out my Dremel tool, attach the cutting disc and do the surgery. I decided to try less drastic ways first and after a few pulls and twists the base wire came out.

It now sits on a table and creates a light pattern on a bare wall. I am still looking for my perfect star light but this is a nice decorative spot in the meantime.

Posted in Decorating Ideas, DIY, Thrifted Treasure | 1 Comment »

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