decorating with mirrors

6 Smart Ways to Brighten Your Home

Written on November 3, 2009 at 10:21 am, by Guest Blogger

It’s officially that time of year. The days are short, and we often leave for work before the sun rises and return to a dark home. We asked Kate Hart, a professional home stager and designer based in Philadelphia, to share some tips with us for how to brighten up our personal spaces during winter months. In addition to TV and radio appearances, Kate’s work has been featured in lots of books and magazines. Her business, Hart & Associates Staging & Design, helps families and realtors get properties ready to show. So she knows a thing or two about making spaces feel cozy, warm and bright. Enjoy! — Team DIY

• Replace your existing light bulbs with full spectrum bulbs. Made to emulate natural daylight, these bulbs most closely resemble the sunlight that your body lacks as the days get shorter. I like GE Reveal bulbs; they filter out yellow light produced by other light bulbs.

• Swap out a large painting with a mirror to push more light around the room. Choose the wall you see when you first enter the room so that your eye is tricked into thinking the room is lighter at first glance. I use Pizzazz MirrorSquares from MirrorMate Frames; they’re affordable, customizable, and they look great in groupings.

• Switch out dark-color or heavy fabric lampshades for lighter, white lampshades to add more light to a space without having to purchase a new lamp.

• Start your spring cleaning early. Make your windows sparkle by removing any streaks that block sunlight from entering your rooms. Vacuum dusty screens (or remove them all together) to add even more light to your space

• Add metallic accents. Your eye is naturally attracted to bright objects. Polished silver or chrome accessories, such as candle sticks, bowls, platters, urns—even mirrored furnishings—will reflect light back into the room, making it feel lighter

• Dress your rooms in winter white. Dark colors absorb light, whereas white reflects it. Replace dark-color bedding with a white or cream comforter or duvet set to give your bedroom a brighter look. Add a white or cream slipcover to a sofa or chair to refresh your living room. Remove dark, heavy window treatments and add crisp white panels. Keep warm by choosing a down fill for your comforter, and accent with soft materials such as cashmere and velvet.

Remember, it takes a few simple changes to brighten not only the home, but our spirits as well!

Visit Kate’s Web site to find even more tips and videos about home staging and design.

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Five Fab Ideas for Fall Parties

Written on October 23, 2009 at 9:05 am, by Guest Blogger

We think Stephanie Tait has a pretty killer job. She works with two of our fave home decor companies—Blissliving Home (adore the bedding!) and Chesapeake Bay Candle. Thanks to her crafty lineage and the time she’s spent at these design-savvy companies, Ms. Stephanie is pretty much brimming with cool ideas. Team DIY asked her to dish out some tips for throwing a fabulous fall party. Enjoy! – Team DIY

I’m crafty. Not in the cheat-you-out-of-money way, but in the “oh-look-construction-paper!” way. When I was growing up, my mother was always into some sort of DIY decorating project—stenciling the hallway, spray-painting the wicker furniture, installing tile in the basement, you name it. Naturally, I’m the same way with home decor and entertaining. And now I’m passing my craftiness on to you.

Fall is an amazing time to entertain. The weather is turning cooler, the leaves are brilliant, and the kids are out of the house (for the most part). When you’re planning an autumn get-together, don’t be afraid to let your inner-Martha Stewart out.

Here are five of my favorite entertaining tips for fall:

1. Put pillars in the fireplace. It’s cooler outside, but not cool enough to light a roaring fire. Pillar candles in a fireplace make a phenomenal statement. Choose any one color or combination of colors (I prefer all white pillars), then vary the sizes. Arrange them in a staggered, non-geometrical way inside your fireplace and light. It creates a real wow factor for your guests. This photo was shot by Dan Whipps at Mei Xu’s own home–she’s the founder of Blissliving Home and Chesapeake Bay Candle.

2. Use natural bounty. Fall is a time for harvest—use it to your advantage! Most fruits or vegetables with a rind or a tough skin are great to use in entertaining decor. Create a beautiful serving bowl by hollowing out a pumpkin and filling it with a rustic pasta salad. Slice off the top of a lime, scoop out the fruit, and use the rind as a votive holder—or try the same technique with a mini-pumpkin. The possibilities are endless! (I found the photo above in a great book — The Candlelit Home: Decorating with Candles Year-Round by John Terrell Fry.)

3. Stagger your buffet. If you’re having a buffet-type of meal, a multi-tiered buffet table is an amazing idea. Place a tablecloth on your empty buffet table, then gather boxes of different sizes. Make sure they are sturdy enough to support platters of food (milk crates work really well). Place the boxes facedown on the table. Then place a second tablecloth over the boxes, tufting the extra fabric between the boxes. Set a platter of food on each flat surface and voila: incredible presentation.

4. Scatter votives. I can’t stress this enough: Everything looks better in candlelight. Everything – you, your home, Mr. Stitches the family cat – everything. Scatter votives everywhere: on the buffet, on the dinner tables, around the bar, the side tables, on the mantle.

5. Use mirrors. Chances are, you’ll have tables at your get-together, whether it’s a sit-down dinner or a casual cocktail party. Placing mirrors on these tables will add a touch of glamour to your decor and set off the candlelight from your pillars and scattered votives. I prefer small round mirrors for this purpose; find them at IKEA or Target. Place the mirrors face up on tables with a votive on top. They reflect the light and sparkle of your party, and pump up the class-factor.

Have fun with these ideas and be crafty. That’s what it’s all about! You can even take all the credit for them. I won’t tell.

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