Painting Paneling So many folks are interested in " updating " their older wood paneled den walls, but are leery of painting the paneling. Well my motto has always been that once you have the necessary info and the right tools and plenty of time… " GO FOR IT"! Again, once you know the correct paint tips, the results will be an eye opener! Start by washing the paneling with a vegetable based soap to remove cooking grease and furniture polish that has built up over the years. When finished, the walls should be dull and smooth, not filmy. Next you'll have a choice of either lightly sanding the wood using 0000 sand paper (extra fine) or getting the same results by using a product, which de-glosses the surface and adds tac to the wood. If you sand by hand, be sure to go with the grain of the wood. Using the liquid sandpaper? Please READ AND FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS VERY CAREFULLY…this stuff is REALLY strong and can be toxic if you don't have the windows open and the A/C on blow and go! Next you'll apply an OIL BASED PRIMER. If there has been excessive cigarette smoke or a heavy build-up of cooking grease on the walls, use a SHELLAC BASED PRIMER. These two primers are different than paint and require separate clean-up tricks, so be sure to ask the paint store clerk to assist you on selecting the right one for your job. Also insist that the primer be tinted to a shade as close as possible to the finished topcoat color. Speaking of color, I always advise AGAINST a white or a really light color. Using a medium color, (one that is found in the middle of most paint charts) will give the room a more comfortable and homey feeling. Remember that the color you select will always look lighter on the walls, especially if the paint is oil base or alkyd! And don't forget the ceiling; a ceiling that is painted a pale tint will compliment the paneling and give the room that extra touch of class. Again, stay away from white, it tends to be cold and looks gray. After the primer has dried for at least 24 hrs. you're ready for the last step. The type of paint you select for the top coat will be based on how you intend to use the room; here's an example: for homes with sticky little fingers or cleaning concerns, use an ALKYD SEMI-GLOSS otherwise latex enamel or even latex flat paint will do. Now for the most important step… leave yourself enough time to finish the job. Remember this is NOT a one-day project! © copyright 2000 DESIGN SERVICE INC. Bird bath make over Spruce-up an old concrete birdbath by giving it a bath of color. Simply take a blue-green oil based paint (Sherwin Williams #2257 works the best) and thin it with 75% mineral spirits. Then brush the mixture onto the concrete surface. Once the paint dries and has fully soaked into the concrete simply smear the entire birdbath with vanilla yogurt. (SEE who said I can't cook!!) Now it will be ready for the final touch…a good burial! That's right, just dig a hole and bury the birdbath for about 2 months. When you dig it up, the yogurt will have aged to a mossy green color and the thinned paint will be a perfect accent color for the new "ANTIQUE" birdbath. © copyright 2000 DESIGN SERVICE INC.   Painting lawn furniture Old and out of date wrought iron furniture can be updated without a lot of effort or $$$$. To give your furniture a wonderful custom vertigris finish, check out these tips. Here's how: Start first by covering the floor with a drop cloth before you start…. this job is extremely messy! Start by cleaning the metal with 0000 steel wool to remove any rust or light dirt. Next, rip a small section of a household sponge (cutting with scissors will not give the same effect) and dip lightly into oil base paint. I recommend Sherwin Williams #1203 alkyd gloss, but any dark blue - green teal color will work. Apply the paint - dipped sponge in a blotchy pattern over the entire piece making sure to leave several sections of the original black color showing through. Before the paint starts to dry and become dull, begin this next step. Using a small cheap nylon paint brush, break the bristles by crushing the tips into the palm of your hand to create a perfect "effects tool". With a light twisting motion, twirl the dry brush through the still wet paint. This will automatically drag and swirl the paint into the light and feathery pattern found in expensive VERTIGRIS FINISH furniture. After the swirled paint has dried completely, you can protect your "new piece" from the weather by applying a light coat of liquid car polish.   Decorating for Your Private Times Recently I have come to realize the importance of making time for me…notice I said MAKING time not carving out, nor fitting in, not even finding time for me, but rather actually making time in my busy life… just- for- me! It was a difficult transition going from high energy & always moving and never taking the time just to be still and actually think. For me it was an illness that got my attention and turned my thoughts and priorities inward- no not for selfish reasons but rather for the benefit of all of God's creations. It's my true and honest belief that once we stop "running" we can actually start living and really appreciating the natural beauty and gifts we were put here to discover; thus a huge win/win for all of creativity and humanity. For it's only when we stop and really "smell those roses" can we truly begin to experience all that life has to offer and we can then discover what we are capable of giving in return. While using my newly discovered skill for making time for me, I've realized that creating a comfortable space just for my most private meditations and talismans was paramount in keeping me on the relaxation path. Here are a few decorative ideas that I've used to create a relaxing and peaceful environment so that I can continue to shine with the light of peaceful creativity: - Take long showers and indulge with a herbal in a body scrub that leaves the skin feeling smooth and refreshed ( see attached easy to make recipe ) - Burn a sweet lightly scented incense stick in a potted live plant so that the droppings will fall into the leaves fertilizing the plant thus not ruining the furniture… as an added benefit, you'll love the way your home smells - Take the time to discover the true pleasure of journaling. To make it more of a treat, discover the treasures of fine leather and hand made paper found in wonderfully attractive blank page journal books…and be sure to store it away in an equally "special" place such as wooden altar box. These are available through specialty catalogue companies such as ILLUMINATIONS. To get your free catalogue of unique gifts and relaxation decorative accessories, call 1-800-226-3537 to request your copy. SOOTHING SHOWER HERBAL EXFOLIANT 26 oz. Non- iodized sea salt 4.2 oz. Commercial body / bath oil (Neutragena, Keri, Baby oil etc.) 1 tea. ROSEMARY pure essential oil 10 drops TEA TREE pure essential oil 15 drops LAVENDER pure essential oil 1 ½ tea. LEMON pure essential oil 8 tbl. Finely chopped fresh herbs Yield: (3) 8 oz. Containers   Painting over cigarette damage Our painted kitchen walls have turned yellow from cigarette smoke and cooking grease. We seem to paint every year and it's now worse than ever! What type of paint do you recommend? A.K. – South Carolina It's not the paint but how you prepared the walls before you painted is the culprit! All of the old stains kept bleeding thru adding to the new dirt and damage because you didn't use the correct primer and do the necessary homework. To get an 'A' on a fresh new kitchen, you'll first need to wash the walls and ceiling with a granulated cleaning powder. After this dries apply 1 coat of a shellac base sealer. I recommend KILZ. Remember to read the label for clean-up instructions; unlike paint, turpentine and water is not used with this product. Then paint with 2 coats of a latex enamel or alkyd semi-gloss. Be sure to open the windows for plenty of fresh air in the kitchen and if you are pregnant or have upper respiratory problems STAY OUT OF THE HOUSE!!! and let another do this job! © copyright 2000 DESIGN SERVICE INC.   Bird bath make over Spruce-up an old concrete birdbath by giving it a bath of color. Simply take a blue-green oil based paint (Sherwin Williams #2257 works the best) and thin it with 75% mineral spirits. Then brush the mixture onto the concrete surface. Once the paint dries and has fully soaked into the concrete simply smear the entire birdbath with vanilla yogurt. (SEE who said I can't cook!!) Now it will be ready for the final touch…a good burial! That's right, just dig a hole and bury the birdbath for about 2 months. When you dig it up, the yogurt will have aged to a mossy green color and the thinned paint will be a perfect accent color for the new "ANTIQUE" birdbath. © copyright 2000 DESIGN SERVICE INC.   Creating a HEALTHY HOME Creating a home that is comfortable and safe for our families is at the top of everyone's list. Unfortunately, there are hidden dangers in all of our homes, and it's our jobs to see to it that we decorate and maintain our houses in the best way possible so that we can live comfortably and securely within the place we like to call HOME. Over the years I've found that there are two areas that require our attention the most : indoor air quality and personal safety. Here's a few simple and inexpensive ways in each category to assure our houses are living up to the phrase " HOME SAFE HOME" INDOOR AIR QUALITY Change heating and cooling filters at least once a month – dust, dust mites, and other allergens collect and breed in our fabrics and carpets throughout the house and by changing the filters on a regular basis, we can keep down the "stray" allergens that invade our homes air whenever we vacuum, dust or fluff the pillows. Trim the wicks on candles to no more than a ¼ inch length before each and every burn - by keeping the wicks short, we are insured of a complete combustion process thus preventing excess soot from getting into our air and dirtying our walls. To learn more please visit the national Candle Association web site at http://www.candle.org Remove foam carpet pads and padding from basements and other locations below the exterior grade – because of the "rising damp" or moisture that occurs in all concrete areas below the exterior surface grade, we need to keep our basement floors free from materials that will become a breeding ground for mold, mildew and fungus, and foam carpet pad is at the top of the list. Haven't you ever wonder why your finished basement room always smells "musty"? …it's the pad. A great decorating trick that will solve that problem and save a few extra dollars while making for a GREAT look is to paint the concrete floor or install sheet vinyl and than use lots of brightly colored throw rugs! Add several live house plants especially "spaths" or peace lilies to all areas that have just been re- carpeted – the natural air cleaning process of the plants will help to absorb and get rid of that horrible new carpet smell . PERSONAL SAFETY Clip all looped window cords and controls found on blinds, curtains, draperies and vertical window treatments – Since several small children and pets have actually been strangled when they became entangled in the loose cords PLEASE replace the loops with appropriate tie down brackets or split weighted ends that eliminate the loop all together. Manufacturer Hunter Douglas has gone a step further by developing a window shade that features a "lite rise" controller that will lift and position the shade without cords. To get several great ideas on window treatments that are child safe and easy for adults to use please visit http://www.hunterdouglas.com Remove all plastic and vinyl mini blinds installed prior to 1996 since most of these imported blinds may contain lead which is extremely harmful to young children . To learn more please contact the Window Coverings Safety Council at 800-506-4636 or the National Lead Clearing House at 800-424-LEAD Never pry, scrape or otherwise disturb a vinyl or vinyl tile floor that has been installed since 1985 since most of these floors and the glue used contain asbestos – during remodeling projects, simply cover the existing floor with a ¼ underlayment or plywood and install the new flooring overtop . Asbestos found in older existing flooring products is only harmful when disturbed and the fibers are allowed to become airborne. For more information please call the Consumer Products Safely Commission at 800-638-2772   Basic "BUILDING BLOCKS " of decorating Creating a design-savvy end table arrangement is always a tricky challenge unless you know the "pro" secret of using the basic building blocks of any decorating arrangement; 1 table lamp, 3 – 5 hard cover books, 1 small green plant, and 1 large candle . Create this no -fail arrangement by first centering the lamp towards the rear of the end table. Next add the books propped against the right side of the lamp. To complete the grouping, the plant goes on the left side of the lamp and the pillar candle in front of the plant . To compliment the different decorating styles, be sure to select a lamp and plant container that will compliment your design and color scheme; brass and crystal lamps always work well in a traditional home. To give your table top arrangement that final touch , don't forget the style and color of the candle. For homes with a traditional décor, add a bright brass base and tall crystal hurricane to a tall ivory colored pillar candle. For arrangements in a contemporary styled home, use a large and heavily textured 3 wick candle situated on top of an oversized polished nickel base. See, decorating like a pro is easy…. once you USE the basic building blocks of design !   Measure for Wallpaper like a PRO! Measure like a pro! Measuring for any wallcovering can be an intimidating challenge; what if I order too much?…what if I don't order enough ??? both of these scenarios can cost you big bucks! So to get you quickly educated in the practice of measuring like a wallpaper pro, here's a few tips to keep in mind: First take an accurate measurement of your room and be sure to use only a metal tape instead of a flexible fabric tape or yardstick . Determine the lineal footage of the room by measuring the length of each wall and then adding all together. Then multiply the total by the height of the wall surface to be covered. Then divide by the appropriate factor or what I like to call the "magic number" for the size of wallcovering you are using. Use this example to help Room size: 10 x 12 Ceiling height: 8' 20 ½ EURO roll: divide by 25 10 +10+12 + 12 =44 44 x 8 = 352 352 25 = 14.08 or 15 single rolls . Since euro rolls are only sold and packaged in double rolls, you will have to order and purchase at least 16 single rolls or 8 double rolls TIP: be sure to order at least 1 double roll extra for any future repairs or problems Here's the rule of thumb for the "magic number divide factor" for each of the three types of residential wallcoverings commonly available. 27" AMERICAN ROLLS divide by 30 20 ½" EURO ROLLS divide by 25 36" NATURAL ROLLS divide by 36   Arrangement Tips for Boring Bookshelves Ever feel like a decorating wannabe whenever you compare your boring book shelf arranging efforts to those of the pros whose talent is expempfied in the simple but yet elegant symmetry of the latest home magazine layout ? Don't worry, to develop the skills necessary to arrange your shelves with the same balance and design savvy of the pros, just remember that it's not rocket science …just a new look at high school geometry! Arranging and decorating the individual shelving of any bookcase or open storage unit can create a tricky situation unless you remember back to good 'ole high school math class . I know it may be hard, but try to think back and recall the basic shapes from geometry class, because it's these shapes that you will be using while you create your individual shelf arrangements. Shapes such as the triangle, square, circle and rectangle will play an important role in determining your finished decorative shelf arrangement and make working like a pro easy and fun! BRING ON THE SHAPES Just like arranging a group of pictures on the wall, decorating a 3 section shelving unit calls for a variety of textures, colors, and interesting shapes and "fill" patterns on each shelf as well as maintaining a uniform balance with the individual shelf contents directly above and below each shelf. Sounds confusing??? Don't worry, it's nothing more than shape geometry so even if you flunked math class, you can't fail in this class ! Here's an example to get you started on decorating your bookcases, bakers racks and any other shelving area within your home. THINK SQUARE For a three unit bookcase or display cabinet area , begin your shelving 'arrangements' on the middle shelf of the middle bookcase unit. Notice that the space you will be working in will be a RECTANGLE so try to incorporate a few shapes that are square or circular in nature. Be sure to include small groupings of family photos and hard bound books with lively jackets covers all tied into your overall room color scheme. Be sure to fill the entire space so that when you step back and look, this entire shelf or rectangular space , seems to be completely filled. Next arrange approximately 7 – 10 collection of hard back, novel sized books in the center of the uppermost shelf . Secure the books with a pair of great looking bookends and prop a few 5 x 7 photo frames on either side of the bookends. This overall book and frame arrangement will form a SQUARE directly in the middle of the rectangular shelf opening. On the shelf directly below the middle shelf, duplicate the same square shape but instead of the books, substitute a large bushy plant and position it slightly off center to either the right or left side of the shelf. Proceed to add the photo frames etc just as in the shelf above. For the plant, be sure to select a variety that has a few trailing leaves and positions these so that they are dangling off of the shelf and into the next opening below. Now , for the remaining shelf , create a similar arrangement but be sure to insert a large CIRCLE or prominent object that has a circular shape. Baskets work nicely for this, as do decorative plates and round trays. Position these round objects in the corners and WOW….. when you step back and look, you've just created a wonderfully arranged bookcase unit! For the other two units, repeat this overall geometric pattern making sure to keep staggering the shapes between shelving units and shelf openings. For added interest, remove the center two shelf boards so that the centermost space located within the center unit will actually form a square instead of a rectangle and fill this space with one "knock out" decorative object such as a unique floral arrangement, interesting piece of pottery or even a moving art form such as a water feature Depending on your overall available space within the "focal point" area, you may want to consider a small wall mount fountain or a handsome natured inspired table top fountain. With the natural simplicity of real sheet sheared slate, water's worn cobble stones, and patina enriched warming metals such as copper and brass an artistic water feature positioned within your bookshelf will go a long way in creating a dramatic sense of design style while empowering you with the necessary decorating skills to banish boring book shelves forever! And If locating the all important focal point piece is proving to be a challenge, I'd like to recommend a few fountains from designer NEIL SATER and his work at creating a truly handsome WATER WONDER . Check out the possibilities for your bookshelf on this link   Quick and Easy Brass Lamp Update Just in case you were wondering, yes, shiny brass is OUT and the new IN metals for lamps and decorative accessories all feature an age worn appearance such as burnished pewter, rusty toned irons and opaque silvers. The fact of the matter is that while these latest metal trends are the current metals of choice for decorative finishes and accessories , most folks are still stuck with tons of shinny brass lamps and countless bright gold- toned book ends. So in an effort to still retain those glaringly yellow metal items, whose only fault is a color issue, here's a quick way to instantly transform the brass metal to a stylish browned toned rusty iron finish…..and it's affordably done with shoe polish! But before you begin you must first understand that the reason why brass is out and these so called new metals are 'in' , is that metals also go through a dating cycle much like trendy colors. But unlike the limited run of a color scheme generally lasting 8 - 12 years, metals stay current on a longer time table . Popular during the 70's, 80's, and 90's, the reign of shinny brass has come to an end now that the new HOUSEHOLD generation is taking hold. In other words, metals will change on average every 25 -30 years or just about the time when a new generation is reaching the age range to be able to purchase a new home. As an example, my mothers generation decorated their homes using antique brass and dull looking metals. My generation, the baby boomers, ushered in the advent of bright chrome and shinny brass. While the bright chrome had faded early in the 70's, the popularity of shinny brass had continued until about 2 years ago ( 2002) . It's then that we began to see the next generation of metals appear to be used extensively in new construction and in the decoration of homes. And today in 2004. it's now the next generation's turn; that of my 28 year old son's generation to begin to decorate their homes in the new silver toned pewters and rusty metals. Now that you know WHY you are changing the lamp metal color, here's HOW to do it!: To start, you'll need to collect three new containers of a quality wax shoe polish in the following colors: Brown, black and rusty brown. You'll also need to pick up a liquid shoe polish with the attached sponge dip applicator in cordovan. After placing the lamp on a few sheets of newspaper or protective drop cloth, remove the shade and harp ( the wire piece that holds the shade ) and lightly clean the lamp with a brass cleaner making sure to remove all residue . Also, at this time if you'd like to give the lamp a more rustic appeal, you may 'swirl wipe' a pattern into the shinny surface using a heavy grit sand paper ….the more circular the pattern the better as long as you go in the same direction throughout the entire lamp. Next is the fun part. With a standard shoe polish blunt edge applicator brush, simply dip into the solid pad of brown wax polish and tap onto the lamp in a random fashion making sure NOT to cover all of the shinny surface. Repeat the process the using each of the other two colors but in diminishing amounts….in other words you will have more brown polish than black on the lamp, but when finished, you will still see bits of the original brass color peeking through. Wait for the wax polish to dry for at least 3 hours and then randomly dab several hits of the liquid cordovan polish over those areas on the lamp which still have a shinny brass color. This also includes those hard to reach areas such as the metal folds and collar area. Be prepared for the liquid polish to run and look bubbly white, however rest assured, it will dry to a raised area in a dark blacky red coloration. Now comes the final application of color. After the liquid polish has dried for at least 24 hours, using once again the brown wax polish, dab a light swirling pattern of polish over the entire lamp covering all surfaces. And then guess what ….wait again! Okay, almost finished…. When the last bit of polished has dried, you then simply apply a thin 'misting' layer of satin polyurethane and wait for all of the compliments on your 'new 'lamp' !   Painting / Staining Concrete For the last few years today's flooring options have really been limited by your imagination and also by the depth of your pocketbook. AND it's not more evident than when considering the type of finish to apply over a concrete floor. With so many options in regards to color, texture, and finish it's no wonder that easy to keep concrete flooring is the hottest trend in decorating today! BUT before you take the plunge and remove the basic wall to wall carpeting, 20 year old sheet vinyl flooring or your plain old tile squares consider this: concrete floors are cold to the touch and hard on your feet not to mention your back! Also because of the solid cool surface under your furniture the entire room will feel cool and bare UNLESS you incorporate lots of area rugs and interesting textured wall treatments to compensate for the cool flooring underneath. With these facts in mind here's a few pointers to get you started on creating a dynamite looking floor! BEFORE YOU BEGIN….take a peek! Creating a great looking finished concrete floor takes more time and effort than other types of floors, but once finished you'll have a virtually maintenance free floor that will last for decades. Start by examining your concrete floor checking to see if the entire floor has been sealed during the building process. If the floor is "slick" feeling and beads water it's a sure bet the concrete has been sealed with a clear specialty sealer. If you can research the exact sealer used with your builder you'll be ahead of the game; otherwise assume the floor has been sealed and only select products specifically for use on SEALED concrete floors. Now you must perform a two step check for moisture, otherwise you will only end up disappointed when all of your hard work and efforts begin to peel off in sheets! The procedure to check for surface moisture is simple, just lay a few sheets of newspaper on the floor and check it in a few hours. If it's curled and soggy damp…BINGO! This means you have a water drainage problem and a specialist needs to be brought in to stop the water mitigation (outside water coming into your house) prior to painting/staining your floor. If nothing happens then proceed to step #2. In this step you are checking for a phenomenon called RISING DAMP. This simply means that the temperature of the underlying subsoil is warmer/cooler than the top layer of the concrete and this is causing a thin film of condensation to form. Also by checking for RISING DAMP you will have a fool proof way to know if your floor has been sealed since a sealed floor usually does not allow condensation to form. You can make this check by taping a 10"x10" square of aluminum foil directly and tightly to the concrete floor, wait 24 hours and then remove. IF the underside of the aluminum foil is covered with moisture you'll either have an unsealed porous concrete floor OR an improperly sealed floor; in either case knowing this information will allow you to select the proper quality of paint or stain for your floor. NOW THE FUN PART…selecting the look With so many options available be sure to ask a lot of questions and explore different sources of professional treatments in your area. Now that you know whether your floor is sealed or unsealed more importantly, if you have a water problem you'll be better able to refine your search and settle on the one treatment PERFECT for your floor!   Scratch Cover Up for Solid Surfacing To eliminate the whitish scratch marks and dulling stains on all dark toned solid surfacing, here's a tip that I found to be useful on my own newly installed dark bronze CORIAN countertops. Since the scratch marks from dishes, kitchen utensils and other rough footed items will show up more dramatically on a dark color countertop I became frustrated when the appliance cleaner the manufacture recommended didn't work to my satisfaction. So I exterminated and voila … this works to eliminate the scratch marks into the glossy finish of the almost indestructible countertop. And since this is 99% of where the scratching occurs in the darker toned solid surfacing, you will be re- glossing the surface every time you follow this trick. The trick is simple and inexpensive; a small can of readily available GEL-GLOSS a one step fiberglass – marble and acrylic cleaner and polish will do the trick nicely especially when you apply the heavy white liquid to the scratched area. Let dry for at least 10 minutes and then buff with a 6" rotary electric car buffer. The buffer is the key to making this trick work ….. and for under $ 20.00 this is a small investment especially when you consider the cost of the solid surfacing. And relax, buffers are easy to use and lightweight to handle - I found my buffer and extra thick wooly pad in the wax/polish isle of my local auto parts store and keep it handy for quick touch ups.