Shape up your home in time for the expected guests
(BPT) - Excited about hosting a party; but dreading the decorating? You don't have to spend
a great deal of money or invest a lot of time to get your home ready. There are a number of
quick, easy and inexpensive projects you can complete to update your decor before the
doorbell rings.
Since many gatherings revolve around eating, drinking and enjoying each other's company
, why not add personal flair to your entertaining space? Enhance the furniture and accessories
throughout the room where everyone's bound to gather, like the dining room and kitchen.
These easy improvements can be made with a little imagination, paint and new FrogTape Shape
Tape. This tape features a pre-cut, repeating pattern for easy use and endless options. It's available
in three popular patterns: Chevron, Scallop and Wave. Best of all, this painter's tape can liven up
much more than your walls; Shape Tape can be used when painting a number of surfaces - from
furniture, fabric and household decor, it can help add the perfect amount of cheer to any room.
Here are three project ideas that will liven up any party:
Scallop serving trays
Make serving your guests creative and fun. Add scallop patterns to a ceramic platter and you'll be sure to receive tons of compliments on your personalized piece. Apply strips of Scallop Shape Tape across the serving platter in your desired direction. With bake-on ceramic paint, use a different shade of the same color on each section for a classy, modern masterpiece. If you want to create the perfect serving ware for your party, alternate colors in each section. Let the piece dry and follow the manufacturer's instructions to bake your pattern onto the surface. Once it's done curing in the oven, you'll have a beautiful serving piece that's safe to eat from and will impress even the biggest scrooge.
Chairs with character
Getting tired of your dining room chairs? You can easily transform them from ordinary into an eye-catching masterpiece simply by updating the fabric. Select an impressive material that coordinates with your current color scheme and remove the seat frame and outdated fabric. Place the new fabric on the frame and adhere tightly with a staple gun. Reattach the seat frame with the original screws, and your chairs will be just like new. In addition to the new fabric, you can also stain your chairs a darker shade for a more subtle look, or paint them a bright color to create a vibrant, modern style.
Wavy runners
No need to spend a fortune on a focal point for your party table. Festive centerpieces can be effortless and inexpensive. Try creating a custom table runner with tape and fabric paint. Craft an edge along your runner in any direction you choose using Shape Tape. Paint the rest of the runner a color that will coordinate with your decor. Remove the pieces of tape to reveal a unique design in the original color of the fabric.
Make sure your home is in perfect shape for the next party you host. Try one - or all - of these projects to create a festive table fit for your guests.
Decorating on a Budget
Spruce up your home in the new year
(BPT) - Making a New Year's resolution is common, and many people set goals for ways to improve themselves. If you have set a goal to lose weight, learn a new skill or get promoted, congratulations. But while you are striving to attain your personal goal, have you ever thought of setting a goal to refresh your home in a way that will have your friends talking?
Setting a home improvement goal is more
common than you may think and you can
make a dramatic improvement to your home
with a complete remodel. You can take on
several smaller projects - any time of the
year - that will leave you loving your home
all year long. Here are a few ideas to get you
going.
* A fresh coat of paint. Nothing reinvents a room
like a fresh coat of paint. Yet many people put off
painting a room because they can't afford professional
painters and they don't have time to do the job themselves. But you can achieve that professional quality finish at a fraction of the time and cost by visiting RentalHQ.com and renting your own paint sprayer. Use your sprayer to add a neutral color, which provides visual appeal and works with most furniture patterns, leaving you plenty of decorating options.
* Change hardware. Faucets and cabinet hardware can quickly date a room. Replacing hardware can add beauty to your kitchen without adding a lot of extra cost. Be sure to find knobs and pulls that are the same size as the existing ones so you don't have to re-drill the cabinets. Do this for any furniture and in any room for an instant decor face-lift.
* Replace old tile. Outdated tile can make a bathroom look old and dull. Replacing it with new tile that is in style will give the space a rich, modern look. Tiling is a DIY project that anyone can tackle with the right tools. Rent the necessary items like a tile stripper, a tile saw and a mortar mixer to keep your costs down.
* Update curtains and blinds. Textiles play a major role in the overall decorating scheme of a room. New window treatments offer an inexpensive way to introduce bold color and patterns for an instant refresh. Pair your new curtains with decorative throw pillows for a striking impact to the living room.
* Recreate your flooring. If your carpet doesn't need to be replaced but it could use a little refreshing, cleaning your carpets will do the trick. If you can't afford to hire professional carpet cleaners or you feel like taking on the project yourself, renting a carpet cleaner can give your carpets the professional look you've been dreaming of. And if you have hardwood floors that need to be refurbished, renting a floor sander is an excellent first step for this project.
Home improvement projects do not have to include a complete overhaul to provide a new look. These smaller projects will dramatically improve your home all year long. To learn more about the tools you can rent for your next project and to see more ways those tools can help you, visit rentalhq.com.
4225 Research Forest #101 The Woodlands, Texas 77381
Office (281) 363-2500 Cell (281) 413-0830 Fax (281) 363-2740
Home improvement: Faux wood tile leads hot new trends in tile
(BPT) - Fake and faux are far apart. Fake is meant to deceive, but faux is intended as a tribute or a toast to something great or beautiful.
Faux wood tile is one of the hottest trends in home remodeling and home decorating. Paying tribute to beautiful hardwood flooring, faux wood tile is a ceramic tile that combines the rich, textured finishes and warmth of real wood with the durability, functionality and design flexibility of tile. And, it costs a fraction of what real hardwood flooring costs.
"The strong trend toward faux wood tile is due to its contemporary, sophisticated look and durability," says Kirsty Froelich, design director with The Tile Shop, the nation's leading retailer of high quality, premium manufactured and natural stone tiles from all over the world. "That's one of the reasons why you're noticing it in upscale boutique hotels. The other reason is more practical. Because it's water-resistant, you can use faux wood in parts of the home where moisture and water make real wood impractical, such as bathrooms, kitchens and foyers."
Designers and homeowners love the abundance of available finishes in faux wood tile, from natural, earthy tones to colors that many homeowners would never dream of staining in hardwoods, like washed-out whites and light grays. These lighter colors have become increasingly popular in contemporary homes with open, light-filled spaces that bring out the tile's visual wood-grain texture.
Just because faux wood tile looks like a million bucks, doesn't mean it costs a fortune. The price per square foot is a fraction of what a homeowner would pay for real hardwood flooring, a point that has undoubtedly added to its appeal and rise in popularity.
Beyond faux wood, Froelich points to other hot tile trends, including:
Commercial style: Large-size tiles, typically seen in commercial or industrial settings, are all the rage in upscale homes. Large 12-by-24-inch tiles and extra large 16-by-24-inch tiles give rooms a big, spacious look. Instead of paint or wallpaper, consider using 10-by-30-inch long wall tiles to add rich texture and color to your living room or great room.
Glass and stone mosaics: Many homeowners are mixing little mosaic tiles consisting of different shades of natural stone with glass tiles in square, round and rectangular shapes to give their kitchens and baths a distinct, high-end touch of class.
Reclaimed wood tile: Homeowners love the look and feel of reclaimed wood - like the wood from an old barn, an old wooden ship or antique furniture. But reclaimed wood can be quite expensive. Now homeowners can add that reclaimed wood style with wall tiles made of ceramic or natural stone that offer a natural, authentic weathered look.
More texture: Homeowners are shifting away from shiny polished stone and moving toward more marble with a smooth or lightly textured finish. Homeowners are also mixing and matching different styles of tiles to create more contrast and a more layered, textured feel in their spaces.
Floor to ceiling: Tile isn't just for bathroom floors and kitchen backsplashes anymore. Because of the low maintenance and high durability of tile, many homeowners are wrapping the walls of their bathrooms and kitchens, from floor to ceiling, in tile. In living and dining rooms, entire walls of tile add a warm, yet contemporary accent.
Spa feel: The bathroom is still a place where a person can experience some peace and quiet in our busy, high-tech lives. That's why the trend of turning your bathroom into a European spa still continues strong with the use of natural stones and soothing glass tiles.
Timeless feel: For some homeowners, especially those who own an older or historical home, vintage subway tile or arabesque tiles deliver a classic, yet contemporary look that will never go out of fashion.
Simulated stone and incredible patterns: With new printing technology, homeowners can get the natural, unpredictable look of stone in ceramic tile, offering a lower cost option to obtain the high-class look of marble, slate or granite. In addition, a new wave of incredible patterns on ceramic tile is emerging for the more daring homeowner.
To learn more about tile trends and how to install tile, visit www.tileshop.com.