Re-Design Blog

It's easy to make your own greener, cheaper cleaners with ingredients already in your pantry. FOR COUNTERTOPS AND WINDOWS: Combine a tablespoon of white vinegar and a quart of water in a spray bottle, squirt, and wipe dry. Vinegar is a mild acid that dissolves dirt, hard water deposits, and soap scum. Be careful when using vinegar, which can irritate skin, eyes, and mucous membranes. FOR A CLOGGED DRAIN: Pour in half a cup of dry baking soda, followed by half a cup of vinegar, then cover the drain. Wait 15 minutes, then flush with two cups of hot or boiling water. FOR FABRIC STAINS: Attack with white vinegar or lemon juice. FOR FAUCETS AND DIRTY OVENS: Sprinkle baking soda over the area (only when it's cool) and scrub with steel wool and water. The gritty soda scours off dirt and raises the PH of water, which helps remove chalky white buildup around faucets. Avoid this abrasive method on glass stovetops. Keep in mind....If you don't want to give up commercial cleaners, cast a skeptical eye on products labeled "eco-friendly" or "organic." Look instead for specific claims such as solvent free or phosphate-free, and for the "design for the Environment" label. These products have been carefully screened for their environmental effects. Louisa Thomas

FLAT FINISH: Provides a velvet smooth, non-reflective coating; hides wall defects. Authentic finish for vintage colonial style rooms; good background for art. difficult to clean; sponge marks and fingerprints may show; use in low-traffic areas. gives appearance of light texture; easy to apply. A method to apply color at less-than-full intensity for a softer look in rooms. For a uniform look, use consistent stroke; for freer looks, vary the stroking technique. EGGSHELL: Minimally reflective surface; acceptable base coat for broken color finishes. Same applications as flat finish. Easier to clean than flat finishes. Provides a light dappled appearance. Delicate and elegant effect for translucent color, for whole rooms or room fetures such as molding and trim. Somewhat difficult; execute this effect with a partner. SATIN OR PEARL: Slightly relective; often chosen for trim, moldings in flat-finished rooms; excellent base for broken color finishes. Trim or walls where easy cleaning and low shine are important. Easy to clean; smooth surface may reveal wall flaws; requires good wall prep. Easy effect for applying multiple layers of translucent color. Whole room treatments anywhere in the home; or use as accent treatment on a single wall or feature. Easierst of the broken color finishes; for most delicate looks, must use fine, evenly pored sponges. SEMIGLOSS: Very glossy and durable finish. Same applications as semigloss; use where high shine is desirable. Glossy paint shows every wall flaw; smooth wall essential for best results. Provides a beautiful, complex, and delicate texture. Somewhat dificult; execute this effect with a partner. TEXTURED FINISHES: Depending on degree of texture, gives impression of suede, sand, or nubby fabric. Use where texture makes sense; for the look of aged or rough walls, or to duplicate textured fabric. Requires more paint than other smooth coatings for effective coverage; once applied, can be difficult and messy to remove.

LATEX: Spreads easily; cleans up with soap and water. All interior applications may be diluted with water for broken color effects. Inexpensive brands may lack durability. Fine arts paints, water-based; intensely pigmented. Good for broken color effects when small amounts of a color are needed. Intense colors mean these paints need to be diluted for lighter tints. ACRYLIC: Same as latex; higher quality solids. All interior applications, same as Latex. Best quality are 100% acrylic. Not a paint; these are pigments used for adding color. Good for adjusting to a specific custom color. Pigments are quite intense; should be added to paint drop by drop. OIL-BASED PAINT: Spreads evenly; durable finish; longer drying time than water-based products. All interior applications; dilute with its solvent (usuallly mineral spirits) for broken color application. Must be cleaned with mineral spirits or other solvents; produces fumes; requires excellent ventialtion during application and drying. Available as powder; mix with other paints. Add the sheen of various metals to a paint medium. Handle carefully; wear a mask and gloves. GLAZES: Clear or translucent coating for broken color effects; may be oil or water-based; should be applied over opaque base. Can be easily manipulated for many special effects. Relatively short drying time requires quick application; working this paint with a partner is helpful. Clear product applied over a base coat, then overpainted with a second opaque layer; this product makes the second layer crack to an antiqued, alligatored finish. Good for creating an aged, distressed appearance on woodwork, furniture, and walls. Best for use with decorative trim, paneling, doors or cabinet surfaces; more difficult to get great results on large expanses of wall. MILK PAINTS: Vintage recipe for paint that provides eco-friendly finish; available as a powder to be mixed with water. Provides a smooth, dead-flat finish; good for walls and furniture in colonial or other vintage rooms. Somewhat soft finish needs to be protected with clear polyurethane or wax; surfaces other than raw wood should be primed. Usually acrylics; mixed with a textured medium-small acrylic beads or sand-to produce a visibly textured finish. Produces a look that imitates suede or other textured material. Difficult to remove; application usually requires more paint than ordinary opaque coatings. ECOFRIENDLY PAINTS: Few or no VOC's; many brands also formulated without harmful chemicals. Among the brands are products for most interior applications. Because many pigments contain VOC's, some brands only available in lighter colors. Creates a smooth surface to which new layers of paint can adhere. Needed when changing colors, especially dark to light, to prevent bleed-through; provides surface integrity for any paint job. Match primers and paints from same manufacturer; ask for advice when painting special surfaces: glass, metal, plastic, etc...These may require special primers. Painting your House Inside and Out

CREATE YOUR OWN STENCILS WHAT YOU WILL NEED: Photocopier Scotch Tape Stencil paper Fine-tip permanent marker X-Acto knife Unused cutting board or craft mat Repositionable spray-on adhesive Drop cloth Acrylic paint or paint specific to your surface. Textile medium to mix with paint for use on fabric. Small paint brush Wax paper BEFORE YOU BEGIN: Clean the surface to ensure the area is free of lint and dust. If you are stenciling on fabric (like a pillow cover), wash it according to instructiions first. Place wax paper under the area you plan to embellish to protect it from paint that might bleed through. When painting fabric, mix one part paint to two parts textile medium so your stencil won't come off in the wash. 1. PICK YOUR PATTERN find design inspiration from stationery, art, or even fabric patterns. Susyjack.com has great desktop calendar designs. Organic shapes are more forgiving of mistakes than pataterns with straight lines or tricky center cutouts. Once you have found a design you love, photocopy it, enlarging or shrinking the image to suit the object you are embellishing. 2. TRACE THE DESIGN On a cutting board or craft mat, carefully cut out the photocopied shape using an x-Acto knife. Tape the cutout to a piece of stencil paper to prevent it from shifting. Then flip the stencil paper over and trace the design using a fine-tip permanent marker. When finished tracing, remove the design from the stencil. 3. CREATE THE NEGATIVE Tape the stencil paper to the cutting board or craft mat. Pressing firmly, guide the X-Acto knife over the design outline. Try not to lift the knife from the paper as you cut from point to point--you will end up with a more precise template. Pop out the shape and discard. 4. PAINT THE SURFACE Spread out a drop cloth to protect your work area. Spray repositionable adhesive on one side of the stencil paper and let set. Place the stencil on the fabric or other material, then press, making sure all edges adhere to the surface. Fill in the design with two coats of paint, allowing 30 minutes of drying time between coats. 5. PEELL OFF THE STENCIL Let the paint dry for a few minutes before removing the stencil. Allow the surace to dry completely (at least 24 hours) before decorating your space with the spruced-up item. Red Book Magazine

We know that paint quality has a big imnpact on coverage, but what role does paint color play? All colors have different degrees of opacity or transparency, which determine the way they reflect light. Opaque paint colors tend to obscure the color of the surface, while transparent colors tend to allow the surface to show through. So which paint colors are more challenging in terms of coverage? Bright, clean yellows, oranges and reds are pigments that tend to be more transparent in nature. What about a bright, clean blue? It's the same issue. Any primary color that's really clean tends to be more transparent. You get more hide when you add muted colorants, such as iron oxides or black. In general, muted,grayed-off or duller colors have better hide. What should you keep in mind when choosing paint colors? Some colors can cover a surface in one coat, but many can't. If you look at some paint companies' color palettes, often the colors have been "dirtied up" for optimized hide. If a company says its paint can hide in one coat, the colors generally are not bright and clean. If you want to use a bright, clean color, what can you do to maximize hide? Primer is the best system to ensure the best possible hide. Sherwin-Williams is one paint brand that uses Color Prime System which includes six gray shades for tinting primers that have been matched up scientifically to optimize color. What about primer that has been tinted with the topcoat? Conventional Wisdom says you should use a white primer or one tinted with the topcoat color. Primers tinted to the right shade of gray creates the ideal balance of light absorption and reflection, which gives you superior hide. Bold, vivid hues reach their true color in fewer coats when applied over a gray-tinted base coat. How should you determine which gray shade to use? On the back of Sherwin-Williams color chip it will be coded for the recommended gray-shade primer. P1 for the lightest gray, through P6 for the darkest--indicating which shade of gray your primer should be tinted. Sherwin-Williams, Mural on the Wall

HOME DECOR TRENDS 1. UNIQUELY ME CHIC....Personalized and eclectic approach to design. Re-emergence of styles like Hollywood Regency where furniture and decor is mixed and matched to suit the homeowner's personality and showcase decor they have collected over the years. 2. ARTISTIC LOVE.......Desire for one-of-a-kind items and an appreciation for the artisan, hand-crafted products for the home. 3. PATTERN PRIDE.....An increasing movement toward Art Deco and Art Noveau inspired shapes and patterns, paisleys, geometricsd, floral, botanicals, animal prints and birds. 4. STYLE SHOCK.....Mosaics and patchworks on everything from soft textiles to furniture. One of my favorites and rather ambitious mix of styles, materials and patterns is the Bellini Chair from Versace Home. 5. LUXURIOUSLY GREEN.....silky eco-bedding amd other high-end objects get the Green Treatment, Green goes Luxe will be huge for 2010 and beyond with companies like Anna Sova and SDH Linens bringing to market eco-linens that feel like and look like silk. 6. MODERN EMBRACE......Not really a new trend, in itself, but rather a continued movement toward contemporary design at home. A fun stylistic twist gaining prominence and becoming "mainstreamed" is the re-interpretation of class period pieces in new, fresh vibrant forms and designs. One personal favorite is Louis XV1 Medallion Chair which is Giles Nouhailhac painted a modern color and wearing an updated 21st century upholstery. 7. FASHIONISTA FINERY......Dressmaker details on soft textiles bring th glamour and beauty from the fashion runways home. Accent pillows will be wearing belts, crystals, sequence. 3d floral embellishments and other details that will make the Fashionista in you swoon. 8. DESIGN WITHOUT BORDERS........Merging of multi/cultural designs//Inspired from cultures and nations across the globe, with specific focus on China, Russia, \morocco, several Latin American countries and India. 9. LIVE RESPONSIBLY......Green, Sustainable and Fair Trade in products for the home. Consumers want more than a green label, they want the story behind the product. They want proof that what they buy meets their Green Standard and allows for societal responsibility. One company of several that I like to highlight that produce Live Responsibly products is Malaika. Their linens are created from organic cotton that is grown, spun, woven, sewn and embroidered in Egypt by underprivleged women who are taught how to embroider. 10. SANCTUARY HOME........Designing and decorating the home in soothing earth inspired colors and creating a serence, secure and happy environnment through design in which to retreat from the crazy economic upheaval, global conflicts and the multiude of stresses outside the door of your home. bibliography compiled from 10 home trends for 2009

One person switching to compact fluorescent lighting will save money and give the environment a boost. If every American home replaced just one traditional bulb with an Energy Star qualified conmpact fluorescent light (CFL) bulb, we would save more than $600 million on annual energy bills and enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year. CFL Bulbs 1. Use 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs. 2. Last up to 10 times longer than in- candescent bulbs and produce less heat. 3. Can save you $30 to $60 over the life of each bulb you install. 4. Help reduce the demand for electricity, delaying the need for new power plants. CFL bulbs contain a trace amount of mercury. Before you use them, learn how to properly dispose of broken bulbs at the Energy Star Web site, energystar.gov/cfls. The site also offers information about recycling CFL bulbs. Ameren Illinois Utilities.

Color does affect different types of commercial businesses............so, how  can you best determine what colors work best for your building or business?  A good place to begin is to look  at how your property will  appear in the context of its enviornment.  Walk around your trade area to see what colors are working for other businesses.  You want to fit in, but you also want to stand out.

Consider the building's architecture.  Color can enhance or create attractive features and hide or mitigate unattractive ones.  What colors are used in permanent elements like the roof or stonework?  Would it make sense to "play off" colors by either replicating them or using coordinating or contrasting colors?

Building details are important.  If there are eye-catching details, such as columns, windows or trim, you might consider highlighting them, unless they are so dominant it could make the building look too busy.  If there are unattractive details like gutters and vents, painting them the main wall color will help them "fade into the woodwork."

The art of Re-design is not what you have, but placement with consideration of the architectural features of the room and its surroundings.

We start off by removing all of the accessories, including pictures on the walls, leaving only the large furniture pieces in the room.  We group the removed accessories in a side room or dining room table in likeness of color and texture.  For instance, candles together, pewter and silver, pictures leaning on a wall grouped by color, etc...

Now that we have a "blank canvas" the room is seen in an entirely new way, with primary focal points, architectural  features, room and wall shapes including angles readily identifiable. 

PAINT.........What a difference a day makes with paint color.   The power of color is seen throughout the industry, from paint, tiles and even appliances.  Painting a room has the most impact for the least amount of money than any other decorating component.  It has the capacity to breathe new life into a tired room, making your funishings look fresh and new.

Picking the right color can compliment architectural features in a room or downplay structural flaws...............but, finding the right color can be a challenge, even for designers.

You can play it safe by picking the standard "whites & beiges", or step it up and pick the color that will have the most impact for your dollars spent.