Q: For those of us who rent houses, any suggestions on inexpensive ways to spruce up or personalize a house? I’m looking for ideas that are not permanent, but still make the place feel like home.
A: Invest in something you love, but that you can take with you when you leave your rental. Art is the best way, and you can find tons of beautiful, inexpensive art on sites like eBay or etsy.com, or splurge on one piece you’ll keep forever. If your landlord allows it, paint is always a quick and easy way to revamp a space and make it your own.
Think outside the heart-shaped box. Check out some of our favorites for this Valentine’s Day.
For the chef
For her
For the music lover
For the home
For the traveler
Be sure to pick up the March 2010 issue of Southern Living Magazine. Muffie’s design of a southern porch will featured. She will also be in a special issue of Southern Accents on The Best Southern Rooms.
Q: How do I make the 1960s green tile in my bathroom look like it belongs in 2010?
Make everything else modern by painting the ceiling and walls white. Remove all the old fixtures and replace them with something updated and hip. If it’s a full bath, get a white shower curtain and decorate it with an initial in the same color as the tile or a chocolate brown.
I cannot stop thinking about this bedroom. It was featured in House Beautiful last month. Your bedroom should be a place of relaxation. Just like the scent of lavender, the color purple is known to induce sleep. I get relaxed just looking at this room.
Barbara Biel’s cross and heart paperweights are the perfect gift for any occasion. Each one is handmade from fabricated stone with gold or silver leaf. I have given these as house warming, christening, birthday and wedding gifts. They look beautiful on a table or hanging on a wall. The crosses and hearts are available in 3 sizes; small, medium and large.
A good hook is hard to find. Once again House Beautiful provides us with a great reference of hooks and hangers that can instantly update a room. Some of our favorites are below.
Q: There are so many rooms in my house in need of updating. Where do I begin?
Whether it’s a cluttered mudroom or a stressful office, start with what drives you most crazy and fix that. You’ll feel better, more motivated, and able to move on to the rest of your house. If you’re hesitant about decorating any room while you have small children, don’t be. Just invest in pillows and keep any other elements above waist level. You don’t need to be afraid of white either; that’s what Clorox is for.
