Household Tips

Elfa Products are going on sale at The Container Store.  It’s the best selling brand of the site, specializing in compact and convenient storage solutions for the home. Below are just some of what you can get from the ongoing sale….

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Here’s a wonderful design idea you can perhaps do the same at your own house —

This bookshelf is made of cardboard only. It’s a work of art. It’s a work of genius. It’s making use of materials that help keep the earth clean and doing away with really expensive furniture that could deplete our personal funds.

The man behind this is Eric Guiomar who happens to be a furniture maker who has discovered the plenty of ways one can turn cardboard into something very useful at home.

If you’ve got the creative skills, you can probably do something similar. Maybe not as elaborate and ambitious as this one, but you get the idea. Check out his other design at Freshome, where he painted over the cardboard bookshelf so that it looks blended together at the house where it’s found.

Gilles Eichenbaum of Paris is one crafty designer who has made use of old and ugly kitchen utensils and turned them into these artsy gorgeous looking household designer pieces. Well, just take a look at these:

These are literally from trash to class.

These pots, pans and other kitchen aides have been in the dumpster but the designer has dug them up and otherwise made something glorious out of it. What started as a pastime for the designer soon became a profit making venture, which has earned him quite a reputation in his hometown.

Gilles Eichenbaum makes use of anything from electric drills, to old useless phones, to top hats, to create these timeless lovely pieces. They have so much character, don’t they? They look even lovelier than brand new pieces.

You can check for more of this here.

Door handles, as it is, are already quite expensive that when I was younger and was deciding to build a house, I thought I could only do with one door and just have curtains in the other rooms.  But that is, of course, a silly attempt at cost-cutting. Doors are important. And door handles are just as important…and maybe even contribute to the way the house looks.

There are many choices for door handles, to suit every kind of homeowner preference. If you’re one who is building a really classy house and thus have the budget for it, this Swarovski-studded door handle should fit into your design ideas perfectly.

Classy and sparkly, this will make your house uniquely opulent, a house fit for royalty.

Via Archiportale

As the whole world has seen it, yesterday was the day the Obama Family moved into their new address 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. They left this wonderful house in Chicago’s south side (photo, right) for the time being.

How did the Obama’s prepare for moving day? And how did they make their new home, the White House, the home of the American President, comfortable especially with two young daughters living in the very famous address?

The Obama’s have chosen Michael Smith to be its premiere decorator. He is in charge of designing the First Family’s private rooms. Smith’s reputation in Los Angeles is impeccable. Many of Hollywood’s most famous have enlisted his services for their mansions and palaces. Smith is also into antique pieces that can blend well in the modern setting, mixing expensive with fun and affordable. His is a style Michelle Obama feels very comfortable with.

According to reports, Smith has chosen to mix pieces from Target, Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie. The Congress has set aside $100,000 every four years for this renovation. There is also a ready made warehouse for historical antique pieces designers choose from.

Yellow is apparently the color of the year, if you’re thinking of repainting your house’s interior walls. Yellow is warm, fresh, cheerful. Yellow is also the color of energy.  It is a very nurturing and calming color that inspires positive thinking. At these times when the whole world is in transition, we do need a dose of optimism, don’t we?

Changing wall colors is a serious decision. It’s making a commitment that should stay with you for several years, as you cannot change the colors of your wall every time. So, before deciding on it, make sure you’ve laid out the plan very well and have carefully thought it over. Sometimes, you don’t have to necessarily color every walls in one color. You can mix and match hues and even colors, for a more desired effect.

The queen of all things domestic has gone on record with her favorite tips for wrapping your holiday cheer!

Wrapping Paper
— To make gift wrapping less hectic, buy a variety of papers in a beautiful palette that works with any ribbon you choose.

— To distinguish identically wrapped presents, vary the color, width, and texture of the ribbons.

— Gift tags aren’t necessary if each family member is assigned a different color wrapping. Choose papers in solid hues that will
complement one another and enhance the colors on your tree.

Ribbons
— Ribbons and tags can get crushed, so don’t add them until you’re ready to unveil your gifts.

— Using the same type of ribbon is an attractive way to unify packages wrapped in different papers.

— Save bits of ribbons, seam binding, and twine along with decorative fruit, silk leaves, and miniature Christmas ornaments for adorning packages.

— With a little scissor work, basic self-adhesive bows are transformed into sumptuous blooms. For each “flower,” cut the loops of one small bow and one large bow at an angle. Then affix the small bow to the empty center of the large bow. Coil a short length of matching ribbon; place coil in center of the small bow, and secure with double-sided tape. Showcase a single bloom, or pair with more matching ribbon.

Tasteful Tags
— Gift tags are all the sweeter when they happen to be crisp cookies. To make them, cut gingerbread dough into shapes or letters, punch with a small hole for threading with cord, and bake. The cookies can be eaten while the unwrapping takes place, or hung on a tree as ornaments.

Photo Gift Toppers
— Decorate with a familiar face (or many of them). Print or copy a photo onto heavyweight paper. Then wrap the package with a wide band of ribbon. Using double-sided tape, secure the photo to ribbon. You can use the photos to identify the giver or the getter, or attach one favorite photo to all your presents.

I have to admit. I am NOT a trend-setter. I am not even a trend-follower. I may pick up a cute pair of shoes or a jacket to throw on with my jeans and t-shirt, but it’s hard for me to imaging re-decorating my house to the current fashion. That said, our friends in High Point have published their take on the latest home decor trends. So what’s in? Studs. No, not those. Those never went out of fashion! Nail studs on furniture! And the 20’s and 30’s Hollywood look. (I know, goes well with the studs, right?)

Color: Eco-colors continued to saturate new product introductions with earthy tones in various shades. Freshest now are combinations of brown and green. Grays and oysters serve as modern neutrals and are juxtaposed with bold metallics, orange-y reds, pink-y reds and saturated teals.

Print Patterns: Retro styling moves to the fore with geometric repeat patterns and oversized florals remaining strong. Animal-skin inspired patterns continue to serve as neutral counterpoints while stripes and linear polka dot variations abound.

Texture Trends: Patent, metallic, suede, leather, knits, inlay and paillettes along with “Gaudi-esque”-ornate detail were the key textures “on hand” in High Point. Along with faux bois styling and tactile designs, the trend is toward textures that beg to be touched.

Silhouette Status: When it comes to silhouette, today’s key shape is the long, lithe rectangle and structured styling with an origami edge is on the horizon. Even so, organic design still dominates in many manufacturers’ showrooms. The hottest home furnishings looks appear to have “sprouted” from Mother Earth.

Designer Details: “Stud-ly” style is coming to a store near you. Keep an eye out for furnishings embellished with nail-head trims used in interesting new ways. Reflective design is another crystal clear fashion trend shining through, with chandelier-like details popping up in unusual places. “Boho” is seen in small doses and amped up in attitude with a luxurious bent and more structure (think minimal shift dress versus flowing caftan as an apparel fashion correlation). Chunky furniture “jewelry” will be seen in the form of ornate legs and pieces “dressed” in oversized beads and crystals.

Era Inspiration: Global design, spanning a wide array of historic periods, is being brought forth in fabulous 21st Century style. From
Britannia and Celtic to Craftsman and Americana, and Old World Euro to Pan-Asian-there is a look to satisfy all tastes and pocketbooks. If new product introductions here are an indication of what’s to come in homes across the country, urbanites in particular will soon be “glamming it up” with furnishings reminiscent of Old Hollywood, 1920’s and 1930’s Parisian styling and very modern takes on Deco.

For more tips on decorating a small space, check out this post on dorm decor.