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Easy DIY: How to Make a Window Valance from Wallpaper
Mar 12, 2010
{Short & Sweet Friday}
Happy weekend, everyone! Looking for a quick and easy spiff-up you can finish this weekend? Check out this idea from a Sunset Magazine Idea Home. It's a fun way to add a touch of pattern to a room with no sewing or painting, and it gives you a hit of the current wallpaper trend without committing to paste on your walls. It's a wallpaper valance!
PHOTO: David Wakely, Sunset Magazine
How to Make a Wallpaper Window Valance
You'll need:
- Wallpaper, two to three times the width of the window
- Yardstick
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Hole punch
- Cable drapery rod kit
- Mark a sheet of wallpaper with a yardstick and pencil to the height you prefer and at least twice the width of the window. For a fuller look, go even wider. Cut the strip with scissors, maintaining a smooth, straight edge.
- Use a hole punch to create holes about every 6 inches along the top of the valance, placing them at least one inch from the top edge. Wallpaper won't fray or tear easily, so no reinforcement is needed.
- Install the cable drapery rod kit on the window. These kits are inexpensive and easy to install. Try the Deka system from Ikea for $4.99.
- Before securing the cable into the second clamp, string the wallpaper onto it, folding it loosely back and forth as you string it on.
- Secure the cable into its clamp, done!
Do you feel like your room is "stuck"? It's hard to have a vision for a space you see every day. Check out my eDecor Plans, complete room design plans that give you all the ideas and sources you need and even show you what it will look like when it's finished! —Diane
TAGS: how to make a wallpaper valance ikea deka window treatment cable system easy diy project
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The winner!
Mar 10, 2010
The Dwelement fan page on Facebook hit 250 fans this morning! The winner in the random drawing for a free eDecor Plan is Amanda May from Millville, New Jersey. Congrats, Amanda! Watch the blog for the results of her room redesign. Thanks to everyone who joined the fan page! —Diane
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Spill it! A tablecloth that turns stains into art.
Mar 10, 2010
There's just no way around it: Tablecloths get stained. A glass of red wine here, a spot of gravy there. Norwegian textile designer Kristine Bjadaal made real life a part of her design concept for the Underfull Tablecloth. The traditional-looking damask bursts into a flutter of butterflies when a stain happens, turning the tablecloth into a story of dinners past or an homage to clumsiness.
Way to turn a flaw into a feature, eh? The tablecloth is only a prototype, but it's getting a lot of press so I wouldn't be surprised if a retailer snatches it up soon. What do you think?
Underfull - the tablecloth that turns spilling into poetry from Kristine Bjaadal on Vimeo.
TAGS: kristine bjaadal underfull tablecloth textile design
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Easy DIY: Mirror Groupings
Mar 09, 2010
Finding creative ways to make a big impact with a small amount of money is pretty much the foundation of budget decorating. One trick that almost always works is to use groupings of small objects instead of one or two large objects. If you have a space on a wall that's begging for an interesting focal point, but you don't want to shell out for a large painting or grand mirror, try this trick: mirror groupings.
You can pull off this look with a random collection of mirrors or pieces that have something in common, such as frame color. And it's a collection that's easy to grow, and easy to curate. Mirrors of all styles and eras are plentiful at thrift stores and flea markets. Those with flaws can add to the charm if your style is vintage or eclectic. If you prefer a more polished and uniform look, paint the frames all the same color. Or collect only one shape: rectangular, round, oval, fancy.
Don't expect to go out and finish this project in a weekend. Take your time and let the collection evolve and grow. Whatever you do, don't buy a coordinated set if you want a collected look. Here's some inspiration.
White on off-white was the perfect color choice for this filigreed collection. The subtlety of the colors lets the intricacy of the frames stand out. Photo: flickr user kimhas7cats.
Don't be too rigid with the arrangement. At left, the grouping showcases variety in shape and size but keeps a consistent color scheme. At right, round mirrors look beautiful in a linear arrangement on photo ledges. Photos: Martha Stewart Living.
A sparse grouping makes a subtle, artsy statement. Photo: via Remodelista.
Paint frames a bright color for major impact. The idea of consistent color is especially important where more than one collection is displayed. Photo: via AStorybookLife.
Variety makes this collection interesting. Note how objects on the table are integrated into the shapes of the wall arrangement. Photo: Real Simple.
HOW TO ARRANGE A GROUPING OF MIRRORS ON THE WALL
- Lay each mirror on a piece of newspaper or kraft paper. Roughly trace its outline and cut it out.
- Arrange the paper outlines on the wall with low-tack artist's tape. Move everything around until you're happy with the arrangement.
- On the back of each mirror, determine the placement of its hanger and hammer a nail or picture hanger into the wall through the corresponding paper outline.
- Tear paper away, then hang mirrors in place.
You might be surprised what kind of collection you already have in your home, just waiting for its moment to shine! Have me over for a "Work with me, here" session, and I'll look at your stuff with a fresh eye and help you redesign your room using only the things you already own. Sounds impossible, I know. Trust me, it works! Email me for more details.—Diane
TAGS: mirror grouping on wall how to hang gallery style collection antique vintage mirrors
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Before & After: Tiny Bathroom Gets the Dwelement Treatment!
Mar 08, 2010
Dwelement is different from many interior design businesses. I present plans and then give homeowners the ability to put it all together on their own schedule, as their budgets allow and without paying high prices and product mark-ups. The concept has been well received by DIY fans and regular people who want professional ideas but don't want the expense or commitment of working with a conventional interior designer. And working from photos, it allows me to work with clients anywhere in the world, or right down the road.
So I drove down the road to Bellaire when Bev and Terry asked for my help with their small bathroom renovation. The bathroom is primarily Terry's domain, but with its central location is also used by guests. The couple wanted a masculine look that was up to date but blended with the rest of their rustic riverside home.
The existing 3/4 bathroom functioned pretty well but needed a style update. So the plan was to keep the existing layout and redo the flooring and fixtures. Here's a look at the "before":
We talked about function and style preferences, and I put a plan together for a bathroom with a crisp but natural feel. I started by choosing the tile and the rest of the look followed from there. American Olean Porte Leona porcelain tile in Noce with Universal Brick accent strip has a clean and earthy look that's classic enough to have a long life. The upper walls pick up the brick color in the tile with Sherwin-Williams' Reddened Earth (SW6053). I also specified a neutral paint (Versatile Gray, SW6072) as a more conservative option, but Bev and Terry liked the bold reddish brown, and I'm happy they chose it!
I gave Bev and Terry another option by specifying both a pedestal sink and an enclosed vanity cabinet. We discussed the pros and cons of each, and they opted for more storage with a vanity. (Most of the renderings here show the pedestal sink option with a cabinet on the facing wall for storage.) Once the major decisions were made, work began and everything came together to create a simple but bold bathroom that fits the couple's style and functional needs.
Here's a peek at some of the 3D Views I prepared to help my clients visualize the results. There's no guesswork when you can see the space before you spend a dime.
Section planes, or cut-away views, make visualizing a small space easier. It's like removing a wall.
Even small details, like the stone shelving with bronze brackets, are shown in the 3D views.
I did a rough rendering of the alternative vanity option, which the clients ultimately chose.
Here's the bold "after":
A grey granite top settles just beneath the row of accent tiles, and a handsome rubbed bronze faucet is a focal point. I chose square lines for many of the fixtures to create a masculine feel. The undermounted sink is as low-maintenance as it gets.
The vanity is a simple stock unit from Lowes. Its Shaker lines blend with the cabinetry in the adjacent kitchen.
The shower is shown to full effect with a frameless glass door. (Beautiful tile installation by Wayne Strang Tile& Stone, Traverse City.)
This is one of my favorite features: granite shelving above the toilet replaced a dated oak cabinet. Kudos to carpenter Steve Poel for developing a sturdy hanging solution for these heavy but statement-making shelves.
This example illustrates a couple of key points that distinguish my working style from that of conventional interior designers.
You don't have to give your space over to a professional's preferences.
My approach to design is often collaborative. I enjoy giving homeowners choices and helping them understand the merits of each option. The result is a room that fits the homeowner's style, but perhaps with solutions they couldn't have imagined on their own. They feel more invested in the design when it's clear that they have played a part in its development. When a client understands the reasoning and artistry behind a design, they're more confident making future choices for the space.
You don't have to pay for anything but my design advice.
Once I handed over the plan, Bev and Terry were happy to manage the contractors and do the shopping themselves. The plan included live links to all of the products I chose, and I recommended a local tile installer and gave them a local source for the tile I'd specified. They paid no mark-ups on the products, and saved a lot of money by taking on the nuts-and-bolts aspects of the job themselves.
Download the Inspiration Board for this bathroom with live links to all the products here:
Bev & Terry's Handsome Simplicity
Do you need a "second set of eyes" on your room remodel? Maybe you only need help with a few small decisions. No design dilemma is too small for me. I can help you understand your options and lead you to the best decision, saving time and money down the road. Just email me, and I'll figure out the best, most affordable way I can help you solve your design problems. —Diane
TAGS: bathroom renovation remodel before and after pictures photos tile edecorating e-decorating edecor interior designer decorator traverse city bellaire michigan
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