You’ll find even decorators agree on the best advice of all:  Do be willing to take a chances. 

DO work with strong contrasts.

● There’s something so serene and elegant about this stark combination of creamy white fabric and dark woods.  ● This concept works with styles too:  Imagine a spare loftlike space filled with Old World furniture.  ●  Flowers can be enlisted to reinforce the dominant hue. 

DO use  palette to tie mixed pieces together.

● The bedroom, has a relaxed but polished air because crisp whites and soft blues make the jumble of weathered wood and brass more cohesive.  ● A flower-pot wrapped with fabric is an easy pick-me-up. 

DO use a painted piece as an accent.

● A sweet red-and-green chest has folk-art sensibility and complements the plaid sham and bed skirt.  ● An electric array of extras—a faux-berry lamp, houndstooth mirror hung by a horse, fish-motif luggage—packs plenty of personality.  ● The twig bed suits the woodsy feel. 

DO add panache to practical spaces.

● A freestanding Venetian-glass mirror turns a bathroom sink into an ornate vanity.  ● The leafy chandelier is an unusual but surprisingly fitting fixture.  ● Towels can be designated for guests with weekday monograms or tacked-on ribbons.  ● Candles always cast a flattering light. 

DO make art of family photos.

● Whether they’re hung on a wall or lined up on shelves or a desk, framed photographs are always intriguing and sure conversation starters. 

Don’t lose sight of the purpose of a room.  The accents and furnishings in a bedroom, for example, should reflect a sense of sanctuary, just as those in the family room should be inviting. 

Don’t hesitate to include plants wherever there’s light to nourish them.  Natural shades of green are compatible with anything. 

Don’t be shy about borrowing ideas—from books, magazines, other people’s houses.  Then think of ways to give them your own personal stamp. – Family Circle

Whether you totally overhaul a room or just change one thing, do stay true to who you are. 

DO liven up a formal room with a bit of whimsy.

● The animal print rug keeps this dining room from being too serious, as does the interesting, quirky chandelier.  ● Stain proofed white cotton duck cushions strike a lighthearted casual not on the dark mahogany chairs.  ●  A vivid vase of ranunculus and blue goblets and place mats offer needed touches of bright color. 

DO incorporate “real” furniture into your kitchen.

●  Fine furniture can be made to fulfill almost any function, as in a striking chest fitted with a countertop.  ●  Notice how this out-of-the-ordinary island offers lots of extra storage space. ● Art has its place too, hanging above a handy shelf and on a side wall. 

DO think of stairs as display areas.

● Call it found space.  Steps can handle a parade of small objects, a bend in a stairway can coddie a vase, and broad bottom stairs like these form a natural platform for prized possessions.  ●  This riding gear with ancient urns says anything goes.  ●  A matching painting increase the impact. 

DO set a tone with a repeated theme.

● Animal motifs on china, grape and leaf glasses and the twig flatware all recall English country house living. 

Don’t worry about having everything match.  If  you’re entertaining a group that outnumbers your good china, try alternating it with everyday place settings. 

Don’t keep vases stored away, until you need them.  Even empty, they can make an interesting decorative grouping. 

Don’t underestimate the value of fresh-cut flowers for brightening a room. – Family Circle

End of part 2 … see you on the last part!

Tips to Make Every Room Prettier 

Although there are no hard-and-fast rules for making a house a beautiful home, certain guildelines always hold true.  The pointers here will help you get the look you want. 

DO scout out salvaged items.

●  A weathered door makes an evocative—and unexpected—backdrop to this seating area.  ●  A few accessories in shades of the same color as the pant on the door provide a pulled-together finish. 

DO bring the outside in.

●  There’s something refreshing about porch furniture indoors.  ●  A fanciful wrought-iron patio table works well with other metallic elements in the room, from the filigree fire screen to an eye-catching lamp.

DO carve out cozy hideaways here and there.

●  An empty corner, a wide landing, a deep windowsill are all ideal spots for setting up a resting place.  ●  A small bench or the sill itself can be piled high with comfy pillows and soft throws.  ● A plush mix of textures in soothing tones is guaranteed to establish the right mood. 

DO Show off treasured objects in the front hall.

●  The foyer is a perfect place to display paintings, salvaged architectural details and other finds.  ●    They create a first impressions of your taste and personality.  ●   Another plus: you’ll be able to enjoy the collection every time you walk in or out the door. 

Don’t be afraid to mix together old and new.  Interesting combinations of styles only enhance the charm and character of a room. 

Don’t forget to include the floor and the ceiling in your decorating plans.  Just think of them as your fifth and sixth walls. 

Don’t ignore lighting.  It is as important an element of the décor as the paint you choose or the furniture. 

Don’t  just by candle—light them!  They add instant romance and warmth to any space, and they’re a replaceable resources. – Family Circle

End of part 1.

It’s ideal to choose a pair of wooden twin beds for your guestroom, knowing that, depending on your guests, you can always move the beds together to create a king size one.  By making changes in linens and in furniture choice and placement,  you may choose Azars which can easily change the character and practicality of the entire room.

Whether the beds are pushed together or used separately, the cream-colored, pleated bed skirts remain in place.  In the twin configuration, you can choose to  make your beds with gold, red and white plaid coverings and matching shams.  A low chest of drawers serve as a shared bedside table, and a coordinating mirror is placed above the chest.

When your beds are pushed together, a king-size duvet and matching sheets cover the bed.  The Azar replace the large mirror with a smaller one, and at each side of the bed, they place a skirted table covered in the same fabric as the pillow shams.

At the foot of the king-size bed, a rustic bench provides a spot for a guest’s overnight bag.  Wicker trunks anchor the twin beds. – Julia H. Thomsason

■  Develop a floor plan that will take advantage of the structure’s grid style.  Rooms should be designed to fit within a series of squares and rectangles that are established by the Timberpeg structural frame.

■  Take advantage of the inherent beauty of the materials and structure.  Walls made of exposed wood age with grace and require little maintenance.  The Soaring volume and vaulted ceilings or the extra height created by exposed beams can make a room appear more spacious than its actual dimensions. -Southern Living

Unlike most conventional building techniques, this construction method starts from the inside and works its way out.  Like a modern day barn raising, massive vertical timber posts and horizontal timber beams are carefully joined to form the structural frame.  These joints are then secured with strong wooden pegs (no nails).   Some framework, constructed of white pine, can then be envelope in an exterior shell, leaving the pine exposed as the interior walls and ceiling.

You could carefully select finishes and fixtures to highlight the unique construction.

In the kitchen, for example, large pin beams support the structure and the second floor and enliven the room’s 9-foot ceiling.  In keeping with the character of the structure, headed board and simple carpenter details enhance the cabinets and the island.

You can appreciate the charm of the wooden surfaces, its efficiency, durability, and look of sleek, stainless steel commercial-style appliances.  You can choose for an open-shelf cabinets and partially exposed drawers.  To instill order, you can used wire baskets with the open shelves and along the countertops.  Even the clock, canisters, and bread box contribute to the kitchen’s refined style. – Lynn Nesmith

When you have a three-story home and when you can afford the private deck ,you may enjoy and relax while in a spot to drink morning coffee and watch the sun rise.

To accommodate an air-conditioning duct and to allow for a higher ceiling on the porch below, you may  raise the deck two steps above the floor level of the master suite.  They’d rather have the height downstairs than the convenience upstairs.  In actuality, the step up is not inconvenient.  From the inside, the lock and levers are at normal height; from outside the levers allow the doors to be opened and swung inward easily with a foot.  And the steps became practical. 

Because there is a flat roof beneath the decking, you can have the idea of designing the deck series of smaller, removable panels, each about 3 feet square.  It’s easy to lift it up and check the roof. – Louis Joyner

Clay pots have the advantage of drying out faster than plastic because their material absorbs and leaches out liquid.  However, it becomes unsightly because chemicals in the liquid leaves white sediments on the sides of the pot.  Moreover, clay pots crack easily and their sharp- edges can hurt gardeners and possibly cause serious injuries.  Experts advise gardeners to get rid of cracked pots immediately or to smash them and use the potsherds as garden fillers or cover for pot’s drainage hole.

Although plastic pots remain clean on the outside because it does not leach out liquids, it has disadvantages.  For one, it retains water and chemical residues that eventually make the soil “sour” and could affect plants adversely.  To avoid this, experts advise gardeners to five plastic potted plants only half the water and fertilizer given clay potted plants.

Once a week , flush out the potting medium with a generous drenching of clean, fresh water.  Repot when plants deteriorate.

Choice of Plants.  Don’t let the small space of your garden limit your choice of plants.  With the imagination coupled with resourcefulness, you can put them to good use.  For example, use small trees and shrubs as a living fence.  Or make a living curtain out of vines and trailers to provide privacy.  And, if you share patios and balconies with your next door neighbors, use containerized dwarf trees and low-growing shrubs to set the boundaries of your space.

Here’s a reminder from the landscaping experts.  Remember to use your plants to enhance the small space, not to cram it with too many plants that leave no space for people. – Tita V. Giron

Watering.  Where water is a problem, consider a specialized kind of gardening called xeriscaping, which has its own landscaping designs and strategies adapted to this situation.

Some suggested ideas for water-tight areas include rock garden, water container garden, hydroponics, and soil-less garden.  You can pick your plants from a wide variety of cacti and tillandsias for the rock garden.  Water lilies and aquatic plants will look dramatic in a water container garden.

You can plant most anything in hydroponics.  However, this system may be technical and demanding of time and effort  for a busy person, particularly the housewife who doesn’t need more complications in her life.  But it’s fun.  You’ll need a container that holds water and something that supports the plant so its root can find its way to the fertilizer-fed water.

Soil-less gardening has become popular for small home gardens because of its convenience and sanitation.  For one, it does not contain soil-borne micro-organisms that are known to cause and sanitation.  For one, it does not contain soil-borne micro-organisms that are known to cause allergies and other diseases.  They’re also mostly lightweight, and they retain moisture.

Container.  The choice of containers is no longer limited to conventional clay pot.  Any container that holds soil will grow plants, and that includes everything from cans, ice cream cups, margarine container, bottles, wire baskets, and the limitless plastic pots available everywhere.

An added boon is the potable plant box that can be used for windows, room dividers, shelves and wall top.  These containers are sold at supermarkets and some plant shops. – Tita V. Giron

End of Part 2!