Decorating time!

We have already been over decorating with paint and shelving. Now it’s time to add another level — one you may have taken for granted.

The world of clocks!

It's all in the numbers. Add this to your study or work space as you number crunch.

Clocks don’t have to be boring, digital devices just meant to tell time. They can actually and an artistic décor to the place. Feel free to use your digital clock for waking yourself up in the morning, but for the purposes of decorating, use analog . Trust me, it always looks better than the glowing green or black box-like numerals. I also prefer roman numerals if you are going or an antique look, and numbers for a more modern approach. But of course, these rules aren’t set in stone.

I will take you room by room to help decide what style would be best, and I’ll suggest some possible buys along the way. Definitely check out clockstyle.com and karmatrendz, who picked some of the coolest clocks.

This updated school clock makes the numbers visible as time ticks on, letting you be focused on he now.

Study/Library

You can make your study area a focused space without turning it into a classroom. Play around with your intellectual creativity by taking the normal school clock and modernizing it. Check out school clocks that add something different. Experiment with how the numbers look, or don’t look. Sometimes taking away any numeral reference can update a traditional look to something more artistic and modern. Make your study area fun, inviting and allow it to be a space to pick your brain.

This octagon dayclock serves as a calendar and maintains a professional look, all the while embracing the fun of casual Friday.

Kitchen

The kitchen is a unique space. It’s made for feel-good smells and creative juices. Literally.  So, have fun with your kitchen space. My recommendation is to choose a theme and pick two or three big items to bring that theme to life. Assuming you will make a clock one of those themes, here are a few of my suggestions. If you are going with a country theme, try to steer away from the typical rooster. Think about color, ways the numbers should look, what pictures could you have as a background. Kitchenclocks.com is a great place to find suggestions.

If you are going for a more modern look in the kitchen, you might try a do-it-yourself project. Take an old set of silverware and a large plate. Use the spoons and forks and glue them on the plate in place of the numbers. Use the knives and the long and short hand of the clock.  Of course, you can buy this style.

If you want your kitchen to have a restaurant feel, buy a clock that actually says “kitchen” on it. Many will feature various Italian words, faded lettering and perhaps a drawing of grapes, wine, cheese, a coffer cup or whatever else gives the feel of European cocina.

This silverware clock makes for a crafty kitchen.

Bathroom

Much like the kitchen, the bathroom is a theme-driven space. Going overboard with a gigantic clock would make the bathroom seem even smaller than it already is. Save big items for the bedroom or living room — if you have the space.

This clock resembles a seagull flying over sea when the time is right.

To me, the best bathroom clocks don’t look like clocks at all. They can be fun and innovative..

Living room / bedroom

These two rooms don’t differ as far as style possibilities. Pick a century  and a specific decade or couple of decades to stick within if you want an antique, retro, or even gothic style. Then, find items that fit into that era. Clockstyle.com has a nice side bar that organizes clocks into antique, traditional, retro, and modern styles. If you are going for a more updated look, pick something unique and interesting to look at. Unless it’s a den or basement, avoid tacky car, beer, and pin-up girl styled-clocks.

I prefer to turn my place into  a gallery. I like big, dramatic clocks that double as art. But, beware of mixing too many pieces together. The art should fit into a collection. Think of a fashion show: you want there to be some uniformity in your living space. So think about picking the same kind of textures, colors and leaving some clear spaces on your walls to avoid a cluttered look. Don’t just buy a clock because you like it, buy it because it looks good in the space you have.

Well, have fun. And look forward to more decorating tips!

Bring a piece of your personality or passion into play!

This clock doubles as art, plus it adds color!

This clock incorporates the colors of your fabulously painted wall by simply cutting out the numbers. It fits well into any modern room.

A personal favorite of mine, and soon to end up in my room, this grand-central-station-style clock sticks out from the wall and gives any space more character. It works great next to a window or bookshelf anc can be found at Hobby Lobby.

These kitchen clocks can inspire any cook!

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Get crazy with hangings

If these four walls could talk, they would ask to be accessorized.

Pictures and paintings, which we will talk about later, are not the only way to dress your walls. Just like every good outfit needs jewelry, or at least a tie or watch, walls should also be given special attention.

Hooks, shelves, clocks and mirrors are a great way to add character to your walls. It gives the room a more dynamic shape and can make a $500 pad look like a $2,000 downtown condo — save the awesome view. But that’s what city-scape pictures are for…

Anyway, here are some tips on how to put icing on your painted walls or dress your plain white walls to give them pizzazz.

box shelving can serve multiple purposes

Shelving

Shelves can serve as art, a place to put books, display pictures and trophies or keep a jewelry box.

The number one rule for shelving on the wall is that, if it is visible (meaning not in a closet) it should not be cluttered.

The number two rule is that every shelf should contain a piece of you. Don’t be afraid to display cards, pictures, trinkets, or special items. I have little gifts made by my sorority sisters, a mask from a masquerade ball, a beautiful thank you note from an old friend, pics from my childhood and an old jewelry box I used to use. Everything on my shelf has a story to go with it. My shelves are not just decorations, they are conversation starters.

Now, that doesn’t mean you should display the tattered Teddy bear that you couldn’t sleep without, or the sock you wore when you won the championship game in high school. You want to display things with character, but they also should look nice. Some thought should go into what gets the honor of being put on a shelf. But you also should consider how certain colors work together or the height of objects to create balance in your shelving.

colors on shelving should be carefully chosen and paired.

create a mood with your shelving choices.

Shelving does not have to be expensive either. Hobby Lobby (Right off Drake and Westnedge if you live in Kzoo) has a great selection and currently is advertising iron shelving at half off. But, those aren’t your only options.

I actually found my shelving on Whites Road at NuWay Thrift Store. These beautiful, deep chocolate iron wall shelves cost me $2.98 a piece, which doesn’t even equal the taxes I would have paid for them at a high-end store.

Another option is to build the shelving yourself. For a few bucks, you can have pieces of wood (or even glass) cut to your desired length and a small container of paint can give you a creative flare. This works especially well if you were already thinking about painting.

Be open-minded. You may know exactly what kind of shelf you want, but shop around. I thought I wanted funky orange wood shelves, but the shadows that the iron shelves create on my walls have given my room a classic, but fun touch. Also, think of what purpose you want your shelves to have.

This shelf has built-in picture frames and is sturdy enough to hold books.

One shelf (see below), in need of a good dusting, is sturdy and able to hold books, heavy trinkets, trophies or whatever. It also has two attached picture frames on the end. So it is a great candidate for someone who has limited wall space and a need to display some novelty items with a little bulk to them. The shelf was $10 at NuWay.

Also, when hanging, be sure to be balanced. Create shapes and make sure things are level. Good shapes to create include, but are not limited to, T shapes, Ls and diagonal lines. Use diagonal lines to cover larger spaces and T shapes when decorating a thin space. L shapes generally look good anywhere.

Check this out: http://perfectcube.wordpress.com/2009/09/15/fold-out-graphic-wall-shelving-by-mark-kinsley/#comment-1649 if you love art and want to give your place a funky or smooth makeover that goes beyond just nailing some shelves in place.

this shelf paired with a long picture frame creates a great look in a tight space by utilizing the T shape.

So, have fun.

Soon to come is how to create a timeless look or jump into a futuristic style with — what else — clocks!

Making shelves diagonal to one another can fill up space on a tall wall.

 

A new face for your place pt. 1

So, the  blogs have been — well, nonexistent– lately because I have been in the process of moving. Let me tell you, I love my new place.

Wish I had taken before and after pics, but this blog was an afterthought since my main joy came from seeing the white walls of my new home get some melanin in em’.

This apartment is not much different stylistically than most other apartments I have lived it. It’s bigger, and the private bath off the master bedroom is to die for, as well as the full tub in the second bathroom (to give incentive in an argument between roommates on who will take the roomy loo with the shower as oppose to the less roomy baño with the full shower and tub combination).

Actually, I think that the true reason why my friend and I chose this new place was because the apartment did a good job of selling decorating possibilities to us. And, the woman at the office even admitted that the complex allows its tenants to paint because they know if people can make their apartment their own, they will probably decide to extend their lease. So, letting crafty residents have at it on the walls is a business savvy move. But not just for the landlord.

Tenants will spend an entire year after they sign a lease somewhere searching for the next place they will live. Mostly because, although you hang a poster or two and put your prom pic on you nightstand, you never actually make the place feel like home. But, there are benefits to staying in one place as oppose becoming a nomad.

Save money on moving expenses, possibly get locked into a cheap rent, get to know maintenance, the landlord and you neighbors that decide to stick around over the years, and avoid having to relearn all of the quarks that come with a new property.

But places can become boring. Take it from me. I have lived in four different apartments in the last 3 years.  No matter how different the layout is or what size the room is, all white walls are just that: white walls. No place proved to be anymore exciting than the next. Sometimes to have a place that feels like the lavish home we want it to be, we have to spent up to or over $1000 in rent. Well, I’m not  rich, so here are the ways I made my most recent move the last move I plan to make for a while (or at least until the economy stops being a jerk and I get a job elsewhere).

Paint Splatters

The best way to cure a white wall is to stay somewhere where you can paint the walls. The more freedom you have, the better. Be careful in choosing a color.

There is personality in the paint!

The way I decided what color I wanted was to ask myself how I wanted to feel when I came home. I work long hours, so i want to come home to something calming and uplifting. I decided to use brown as a main color for its grown-up look, versatility to decorate around  and the warm feelings it produces. Then I thought about what I love. My favorite color has always been orange and I love the vibrant sparks I get when I see orange in nature. I combined the color ideas (it’s important to combine the ideas and not the actual colors, or you might just end up with gunk on your walls) and decided to go with harvest orange; a rustic deep color that can make any room pop.

My roommate loves va va voom red and already had many accessories to match a red and black theme. Red is a very easy color to decorate around, but without giving thought, you could end up with a room resembling a crayola box. If that’s not the look you are going for, then put thought into your complementing color. Paired with black, her red reflects a very adult feel, and her splash of natural colors (tan, beige, grey, brown) gives an artistic flare to the room.

For the living room we went with a sunflower yellow to create an inviting, happy space for our friends to enjoy with us. That color flows into dining room. The weekend breakfasts will be spent against a backdrop of sweet morning color.

Lastly, as far as painting goes, choose if you want color all around you or just an accent wall.

Painting all four walls and the ceiling can create a black-box feel. It makes your space feel smaller and more intimate, but most people like to expand the room size so as not to feel cluttered. Dark colors generally create an illusion of a tight space, while light colors do the opposite.

An accent wall draws attention to one particular point in the room. Be thoughtful in deciding which wall that should be and what else will go on the wall to complement it. If you plan to have a cluttered bookshelf of have a dresser with missing knobs and uneven woodworking, then you probably don’t want to paint the wall you plan to sit these unattractive items on. Actually, these might be perfect candidates for a closet. But that’s another posting.

Look forward to :

• fun with hangings and shelving

• paintings and pics
• big ticket items

All of which will give your new place or old residence and personal touch to keep you saying, “there’s no place like MY home!”