DIY Projects

Make a Big Impact to an Outdated Kitchen

But you don’t need to shell out big bucks to make a big impact in an outdated kitchen. Whether you’ve lived in your house for years or you just got the keys, here are some easy ways to add accents to your kitchen.

Get new handles and pulls.
Changing out cabinetry hardware is one of the easiest and quickest updates. But resist the temptation to get something too personal or cutesy. I’ve seen people use hardware that looks like forks and spoons or mini chickens. Those options are fun, but they get old fast.

Consider painting your cabinets.
A complete overhaul wasn’t in the cards, so instead, she gave the cabinetry a fresh coat of paint. Citrus-like colors — orange, yellow and green — look great in a kitchen.
Swap out (or even remove) cabinet doors.Replacing existing doors with glass-paneled ones looks like a major upgrade. Use frosted glass, if you feel like your shelves aren’t display-worthy. Or, ditch the doors altogether to create the effect of open shelving.

Paint an accent wall.
Not game to spend hours painting cabinets? Quickly do a single wall instead. Go darker than you usually would. Hang a pendant light.
If you’re irked by your kitchen’s decades-old light fixture, replace it with a colorful pedant. Since lighting is so important in any room, this one change can totally transform the entire space.

Think of small appliances as decorative accessories.
An orange fridge might be too bold (and too expensive) for most homeowners. But go nuts with everything else — like a cobalt toaster, or a cherry red mixer. These things are like jewelry for your kitchen.

Hang window treatments.
New drapes can really spruce up a space but think twice about the type of treatment you hang on the window above your sink. You don’t want something with too much fabric that could get ruined from splashing. Use a roman shade that you can easily pull up while you’re washing dishes.Place a rug in front of the sink.It does double-duty by making your workstation more comfortable on your feet and adding a splash of color. (Triple duty, if you count covering any ugly flooring!).

DIY Projects

Window Treatments (diy)

While redecorating a room can seem overwhelming, a good place to start might be by focusing on the window treatments. Imagine what sort of mood you want your home to convey. Do you want an airy look? Would you rather have a warm, cozy look? Do you want it to be romantic or elegant?

Since windows treatments come in so many shapes and sizes, there are just as many types of window treatments to use on them. One great benefit of a well-designed window treatment is that should you decide to put your house on the market, well-designed windows will up the value as prospective buyers gaze on in admiration.

Keep in mind also that another great benefit is the potential that a window treatment has for conserving energy. You might want to block the sun out of a bedroom, while taking advantage of the sunlight in a family room.

 

·Sheer window shades allow you to control light levels and privacy and help soften the look of your home. In addition, you can choose sheers with light-filtering or room-darkening options.

·For parents concerned about kids becoming entangled in window shade cords, there are a number of cordless options that are beautiful, stylish and safe.

·If you love the idea of wood blinds, but not the warping, cracking or fading that goes along with them, think about engineered or faux wood.

Look for vertical blinds that are energy efficient, use soft fabrics and operate without the use of bottom weights and chains.

Consider roman or roller shades. Both combine the operating benefits of a window shade with the subtle textures and patterns of drapery style fabric.

See our pinterest page for more ideas:  https://www.pinterest.com/robertmoyer3194/easy-window-treatments/

Funny Garden Moments

Survival of the Fittest

Survival of the fittest. You see that every day in the garden, and not only among plants and bugs. Every spring I barely survive my own enthusiasm. This is the time of year when I’m wishing the snow away and eager to get out into the yard, where the first thing I’ll likely do is strain something. I do it every weekend. At the first opportunity I’m out there poking away at the dirt to see if it moves. If it does it means the frost is out of it and it is dry enough to do something, so I run to get something to dig with. Then I spend the rest of the week walking funny and cursing when it’s really my own fault for letting myself get out of shape.

As each year goes by I’m finding harder to stay in shape, so I came up with a great idea. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before. Maybe it should create a garden gym. Tied a couple of bricks to a shovel, and I hooked up a rake to the wall with a bungee cord.

Being cooped up in the house without the distractions of nature I’ve discovered a whole new perspective on what I’m actually doing to myself out there in the yard every spring. After a few weeks, I’ve come to realize how much stress I actually put my poor body through.

No wonder it’s always grumbling. I now believe that gardening is just as grueling as any sport. Why, maybe gardening should be in the Olympics. That would be so thrilling. Can you imagine the spine-tingling tension of a topiary competition, or the excitement of competitive weeding? And let’s not forget the sheer titillation of questionable garden clothing.

But then I suppose there’d be the usual scandal over the use of illegal growth hormones (that will be a biggie, I’m sure), and we’d have to watch those hokey interviews with the medalists: “I owe it all to my cow, Jenny, for providing me with what it takes to grow healthy plants.” Meanwhile the medalists will all be sitting there holding shovels with trademarks showing and wearing shrink-wrapped spandex with the logos of huge fertilizer companies plastered over them.

Maybe not. Maybe I’ll skip today’s workout and give the dirt a poke instead.