Oh...to be a kid again!

Many of us have uttered this phrase often in our lives, whether it was when school was letting out for summer and the joy is plastered on school-aged children everywhere, or when you passed a playground and could hear the laughter and chatter of all the kids playing the day away while you trudge along to your office. Sigh….to be a kid again. Looking back at my childhood, I would love to be a kid again and redesign my bedroom…again! I was lucky, my parents let me decide what I wanted when it came time to redo my bedroom and what else came out of a girly third grader’s mouth, “I want pink!” Yes, my bedroom ended up being varying shades of pastel pink, and if I remember correctly the paint color was called little bo-peep pink and the carpet was bubble gum pink! If I could go back with even some of the knowledge I have now, my bedroom would’ve been something for a magazine. Now days parents are putting more into their children’s bedrooms, gone are the days where your nursery is either pastel pink or pastel blue, and gone are the days where they get you cartoon character bedding and call it good. Kid’s bedrooms now are well thought out to create fun and exciting spaces that a child and parent truly enjoy. Here are some fabulous children’s rooms… A tiger room for this little girl gives a touch of whimsy, without going over the top.

A chic twist on the classic yellow-pink scheme really pops in this nursery.

Pirates and sailors alike would enjoy this nautical themed room. It even has sails!

Blue, white and red are a great color scheme for this boys room and will continue to grow with the child.

Bold colors and patterns create a girly scheme any tween girl would love.

This camp themed room would be a treat for a boy or girl...anyone for a picnic?

The orange accents gives this teen boys room a pop against bright blue walls.

This great orange scheme is a fun and unique palette for a teen girl who doesn't want pink.

How was your childhood bedroom decorated? Or how are your kid’s room done? I’d love to hear from you!

DON'T BE AFRAID OF COLOR!

After seeing so many articles about all white or mainly neutral design palettes for a room, it was so refreshing to come across this article in this month’s Metropolitan Home magazine all about a home that wasn’t afraid to use color, bold color! Not that those white or neutral rooms aren’t amazing and chic on their own, but living in Minnesota where half the year we look outside and see no color, those palettes seem to just add to that late winter dreariness. Adding color into a design, especially in our region, helps ensure that your home will look lively and inviting no matter what time of year it is.
Check out some of the images from Metropolitan Home magazine’s article “A Home with Fearless Color”…

…or follow this link to see the entire article http://www.pointclickhome.com/decoration_inspiration/articles/home_fearless_color

Now don’t be afraid of color - liven up your home!

EASY ART

As you look around your own home, are you noticing a lot of blank walls? I will admit that my house has a few of them too. Art is a very personal addition to one’s home and at times a big investment. Soon though, those blank walls start to call out to you for something, anything to make them an attention grabber versus the wall you continually ignore. If this has become one of your design dilemmas and you haven’t had the time or budget to make a large investment in a new piece of art, here are a few simple ways to dress up your walls.

The painted canvas in this image was done by Nathan Thomas, last season’s winner on Bravo’s TV show ‘Top Design’. All it took was dripping/pouring paint colors down an upright canvas. How simple and chic is that!

Instead of a single piece, why not create a collage of images. Here simple black frames with white mattes are a fantastic way to display your favorite photographs. Printing the images in black and white creates a cohesive feeling among the various images. Try varying the frame sizes for an eclectic look.

Did you know you may have your own personal artist among your family? Take your child’s most recent artwork from school and forget about putting it on the refrigerator…put it up on your wall! It instantly becomes the most personal and sentimental piece of art in your home. You can even frame their art and easily change it out when a new drawing or painting comes home from school.

Now go do something fabulous with your empty walls!

LIVING OUTDOORS

With warm temperature in the forecast, I’m so excited to start “living” outdoors. Being that our warm weather season is so short, I, like many others I’m sure, am planning on spending as much time outside as possible! Outdoor living spaces are becoming increasingly popular, they are more than just a lawn chair on the patio, they are extensions of your indoor living spaces. People are creating entire “rooms” to relax in and enjoy nature's beauty.

Whether it’s a rooftop urban oasis, a cozy screened in porch or a simple furniture arrangement around a fire pit, there are many ways to make your outdoor living space a fantastic addition to your home. Here are some simple ideas to liven up your outdoor space…

Some seasonal pots to put lush greenery or wonderful fragrant flowers in…

Some cozy pillows that can be left out in the elements and still be beautiful…

Some great furniture ideas other than the old standard lawn chair…

Ways to light up your space…

And make sure you stay hydrated...

Now get outside and enjoy this gorgeous weather and your outdoor living spaces!

Taking Center Stage

A new trend is taking place, and it’s in our bathrooms. Gone are the times where our bathtubs are selected just for function and are tucked into a corners, tubs are now becoming the center of attention. They are now an important part of the entire design of a bathroom, something to not be forgotten.

Here a simple tub is accented with rich stone mosaic tiles, drawing the eye from the tub up the accent wall behind.

A great, sleek egg shaped tub stands out against the warm wood wall inviting you to come and relax while enjoying the view.
A classic claw-foot tub is offset with contemporary fixtures and finishes. A unique mix creating a space that doesn’t fall into one particular style.
Here a modern limestone tub with a crystal chandelier mounted above gives the feeling of rain falling and collecting in the tub below.
An exotic retreat is created with this free standing tub surrounded by Asian décor.
A luxurious spa feeling is immediately felt with this overflow tub and fabulous fireplace. Everyone say aaahhhh…..

Goodbye Incandescent bulbs!

We all hear about it, changing out our incandescent light bulbs out to compact fluorescent will save energy. But many of us are not fans of compact fluorescent because of their color. They are not the warm light we are all used to; they tend to be a much bluer, colder light. Unfortunately our incandescent bulbs we all love will no longer be made come 2012. The energy billed that was passed in December of 2007 states that incandescent bulbs will be banned by 2014, the phase out will begin in 2012 with the 100 watt bulb and end with the 40 watt in 2014.

What will replace our incandescent bulbs? The compact fluorescent will be one option. This option uses about 75% less energy than an incandescent; it costs around $10, and has an average lifespan of about 6,000 hours. The lower amount of energy consumption and cost of the bulb per hour are the big advantages for using a CFL. However there are always disadvantages. CFLs contain small amounts of mercury which means special clean up if a bulb where to break and proper recycling should be done at the end of its life. Another major concern is the actual light; the color rendering is just not the same as our incandescent bulbs. It does take getting used to, but manufacturers know that this is a concern for many consumers.

The second option to replace the incandescent bulb is LED bulbs. These are currently being used in car’s break lights, traffic signals, Christmas lights, under cabinet lights and recessed lights. Industry experts think that the LED will eventually replace CFLs. A low wattage LED bulb can produce the same amount of light as a 40 watt incandescent and produces little heat. It uses dramatically less energy than an incandescent, about 1/3 to 1/30th less! The average lifespan of a LED is around 50,000 hours, but the cost of the bulb tends to be high. Although the cost of the bulb is expensive, the costs are recouped over the lifespan of the bulb. Also, the industry is still working on producing a white LED bulb that can illuminate a space effectively which is why its currently only being used in spotlights/recessed lights.

Although the phase out isn’t for a few years consumers are already starting the transition from incandescent bulbs to CFL and LED bulbs. They are gradually changing bulbs as they burn out to the new options which give them the ability to spread the replacements costs out over time. Lighting fixture manufacturers are also making the change. Some companies already offer fixtures that use CFL or LED bulbs and all other companies are working on designing new fixtures to release to the market. We will still have great looking fixtures; they will just be more energy efficient. I think this is a step in the right direction to becoming more energy efficient even though I love my incandescent bulbs!

NW Suburban Remodeling Fair

Thank you to everyone that stopped by our booth this past weekend! It was great to meet and talk with so many people.

We hope to hear from you soon and get started on a project together!