How to make blue-grey tones warm and inviting in the living room. How to add accessories and details to highlight the wall art. Why use bolder objects for display. Just like most of us, my client wanted a comfortable living room to relax. Her preferred paint colors were blue-grey with tan and blue-green colors for upholstery. And she disliked orange. Period. … [Read more...]
Drapery Yardage Calculator Basics
What is the cost of the fabric for those pretty window curtains I want to make? This could be the first question that crossed your mind when you started dreaming about getting (or making) curtains for your home. So, you might have been putting this project away, right? Perhaps, this drapery yardage calculator basics guide is more precise than a digital one you find … [Read more...]
How to Keep the Cold Out. Tips for Every Budget
Even though Ukrainian winter was comparatively mild in Odessa, still every November my grandmother was adamant about how to keep the cold out. F.Y.I., of course, we didn't have any tools at all. So we used rolled newspaper (yep, that was in Ukraine in the eighties) as draft stoppers. Sometimes, it was cotton balls stuffed between the two panes of window glass and lovingly … [Read more...]
Curtains for Arched Windows. Step-by-Step Reveal
When we see beautiful curtains for arched windows we assume that it costs a lot and just wait till we get rich, right? Contrary to a general belief, drapes for arched windows do not have to cost as much as you think. For example, the image above shows a pair of swags and a pair of jabot. If you learn how to make them with ready-made patterns, you can do it yourself. Design … [Read more...]
When Kids Come Back Home as Guests
It feels weird that this is my first holiday season when my kids come back home as guests. No matter where my mind is during the day, holiday gifts shopping or meeting with a client, at the end of each day all my thoughts somehow get squeezed into only one funnel - my kids. This is for twenty-five years and two hundred and ten days since the first one was born. Now, when … [Read more...]
