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If you are like me and love to update your home every season or so, this post is for you. It would be insanely expensive to purchase new furniture every time you get bored with one. Best solution…up-cycling! Any time you have a piece of furniture you are looking to change, simply upgrade it with a new look. Whether its changing the hardware or painting it a different color, these tips are easy enough to do yourself. With the dresser below I went with a subtle change but one that had a great impact on the piece. It made it look less mainstream and more one of a kind. I decided that changing the color would be too much of a hassle, I didn't want to drag it out of the house for all the prep and such. So instead I went with an easy fix. Maybe next time the client will let me paint it. What do you think? Let me know in the comments.
Here are a few design tips on up-cycling key pieces:
Nightstand- If it has drawers, change the hardware to something interesting. Anthropologie has some funky knobs. Dresser- If you like the hardware it currently has go for a color change. Make sure to prep your furniture before applying any paint. Take a chance on an intricate design or a bold color. Chairs- If you have wooden chairs with that yellowish tone, sand them down and re-stain or whitewash for that bleached beachy look. Coffee Table- If you have a glass top, change it to a smoked vintage looking glass. This will add interest and be a great conversation starter. Dining Table- Yes, the table can be easily updated without having to spend hundreds on a new one. Start by evaluating the piece. What do you want to change? The color, the finish? Then prep accordingly. All supplies can be purchased at any home improvement store. Let me know in the comments below what you would like to know next. Check us out on Instagram @dennison_dampier and like us on Facebook. Hope to hear from you! -Paulina
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 The desk is the most common clutter area, especially for students and people who work from home. It is so easy to over stuff your workspace with post-its, crumbled paper, pencils and pens and just plain junk. This can create such a stressful work environment. Let me tell you about some great ways to declutter your desk and the must-haves to make your desk practical. The photo below is a great example of a minimalistic workspace. Clutter free desk will help you focus and get the job done. Try to keep only the items you use often. Don't over clutter your desk with pieces you think you may need. Store away any items you don't use much. Keep the top of your desk as simple and as practical as you can. Adding interest with a pen holder, a plant, or a photo frame will make your desk more personal and pleasant to be at. Here’s a decor tip…swap the plastic trash can for a practical and aesthetically pleasing basket. Art is a great way to personalize your desk space without using up actual space. Feel free to hang personal pictures or inspiration photos. For this client, I used a surfing photo which doesn’t create a distraction but is calming and relaxing instead. Let me know in the comments below what you think and if you would like to see any desk organization DIYs. Follow us on Instagram for updates and inspiration photos. Like us on Facebook for more updates on projects. -Paulina   Sooo cute! Is probably the first thing that popped into your head when you saw this enchanted looking exterior. But what awaited me inside was no fairy tale. I could hardly get my foot through the door with all the stacked bins of books and junk. Before the project began the client and I established that this will become her outdoor library where she can store all her amazing books and have a little getaway when she needs. This amazing fully finished shed went through a huge transformation by decluttering and organizing the existing items.  We focused on trying to fit all of the books since we did want this to resemble a library. However storage was very limited so we needed to make a quick trip to IKEA and purchase 2 bookcases…it was downhill from there. We started of by removing everything from the room. Having a clean slate to look at helps to visualize the potential the space has. As soon as the bins were out I knew I wanted the daybed to be the focus of the room. It was perfect for relaxing with a good book and looking on to the yard.  Next, I started separating the books by color and placing them on the new bookcases. according to size. From largest to smallest. Then alternating between propping them vertically and horizontally <—this helps create interest. I placed a few smaller items and sculptures to make an interesting visual as well as give them a new purpose. We were tight on budget so I made sure to utilize as many pieces as possible. Anything we couldn't keep was given away. With some organization and little decor tricks this drab forgotten shed turned into an enchanted outdoor library sanctuary where you feel like any moment a unicorn might show up. Yeah thats how magical it is. - Paulina    Ps. Everything was very budget friendly and I ended up decorating with existing items. The only items we have purchased were the bookcases. ($25 each)
Monty Don is one of my favourite gardeners. In this video his powers of description and sense of humor and wonder lead you on a journey through the most beautiful gardens of Italy. This show he has done is just so inspiring! A gem to watch. I hope you love it as much as I do and it inspires you to do something wonderful with your own garden. -Tara Arched windows are an amazing feature in a home but can be difficult to dress. Home owners tend to leave the arch open, and although that may look nice, it’s not always the most practical… especially if you want to hide out from the sun. Well look no further! Here are 2 options of how you can dress your arched window. First, this is something you can actually do yourself if you are the crafty type. Measure the size of your arch and the entire window. Take a ride to your local fabric store and purchase the amount of fabric you will need for the arch and drapes. Go with Sunbrella fabric, it’s great for drapery use because it takes forever to fade after being exposed to the sun. Cut the fabric to the size of the arch. Fold in the raw edges and sew over. Attach evenly spaced metal eyelets to the arched drape you had just done. Screw in hooks to the ceiling and hang the arched drape by hooking the eyelets on to the screwed in hooks. VOILA! You have yourself an arched window treatment. Option 2: Hire someone to do this for you. It will save you a lot of headache if you are not into sewing and being crafty. Hope you enjoyed this little tip. If you would like to see photos of the DIY process of arched drapery leave us a comment. Help us give you what you want by leaving a comment or suggestion of what you'd like to know next. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram for design ideas and inspirations. -Paulina  Let me start of by telling you that there are probably a gazillion ways to organize your closet. All you need to do is think outside of the box…like seriously way out there. There are so many different tips and tricks. I will share a few of my trusty ones with you all. If you have questions or better suggestions please leave a comment and let me know! I’d love to read them. Having a tiny closet means you have to declutter often. Best solution for those clothes you toss out of your closet is to donate them. That way you know someone will get to enjoy them. Start with a clean slate. Begin by removing each article of clothing and asking yourself the three W’s (Why, When, Where) Why did you buy it in the first place? If it was for an occasion, toss it. Chances are you will never wear it again. When was the last time you wore it? If it was more than a few months ago, toss it. If it’s that easy to forget it is not worth the space in your tiny closet. Where will you wear it again? If you plan on wearing it some time in the near future, toss it. It will never happen, because if you are like me ( insert ashamed face emoji here ) by that time you will have purchased a new article of clothing. After the shock of an empty closet settles, think of arranging the shelves differently or adding new storage options.<— Not to store more but to store smart. Great way to de-stress your closet: matching hangers and color coding. Try out the finger spacing method when arranging your hangers back in the closet. This will make your mornings less stressful when you are trying to get dressed. Tension rods and wire hangers are your closet savior when it comes to storing shoes. Bend the hangers to form an anchor. Insert the anchor edges into the shoe and hang from the rod. Easy and manageable storage for shoes. For more tips and trick, leave a comment below or on our Facebook page at Dennison and Dampier. Follow us on Instagram for home inspirations and more. - Paulina  Before After
Stress free closet organization. Finger spacing method.  Tip: Fold your t-shirts this way instead of stacking to make them all visible and easy to grab.
Planning an outdoor living and dining area? At this time of the year nothing is more wonderful than entertaining outdoors and connecting with the natural world. Creating the perfect shaded area amongst cool green plantings with a pergola to sit under or a water feature bubbling away. Using trellis and climbing plants you can create an outdoor room, a true sanctuary that draws you outside. Include lighting, a water feature and add strands of lights and hanging lanterns for night time use. Large urns filled with annuals add colour throughout the year. Outdoor rugs and Sunbrella cushions add to the room appeal. Take a look at these Houzz articles for more photos and inspirations. http://www.houzz.com/photos/3670231/Birds-of-Prey-Courtyard-Garden-by-Living-Green-contemporary-patio-other-metro http://www.houzz.com/photos/1770973/Bruces-Garden-traditional-patio-charlotte
Thank you Ann M. for this great suggestion on coffee table styling. The coffee table is an essential element to the living room or family room. Even the table needs some love and attention. Spruce it up and make it an interesting piece of the room. Fresh flowers- They are a great addition to any table actually. Whether it’s a small mason jar filled with a few flowers from the yard or a large vase with ornate flowers, they always liven up a room. Of course if you don't have a green thumb like myself, go for the faux flowers. They are great for busy bees who want the blooming look all year round. Coasters- So helpful in keeping the table less messy when company is over. Especially in the hotter months of the year, when condensation from your chilly drink slowly spills onto your nice reclaimed wood table. Can’t even tell you how many great tables this has ruined for me…those water rings never come off. Hey, winter time is not my tables friend either, with hot beverages, coasters always protect the surface. Coffee books- They make for an interesting conversation piece. Place them together is a neat stack opposite of the rest of the items. Try placing a fun paper weight or a small sculpture to create some drama and interest. Try to keep the large coffee table books to a maximum of 3 depending on the thickness and size. Candles- This is my favorite essential when styling my own coffee table. They create great mood lighting at night and make for great air fresheners during the day. I tend to overstock on my favorite scents…Mahogany Teakwood for winter and Island Margarita for summer. (Bath and Body Works) Tray- This serves as a great way to keep smaller items together. With my obsession with organization, trays are my favorite styling item. They make the table look much more organized when everything is tucked away on the tray…hey that rhymes! Below, I went with a more simplistic styling. Keeping the decor items to a bare minimum. For this client the necessities consisted of a wooden sculpture of a female silhouette and her favorite books. Feel free to comment and ask questions. Follow us on Instagram for more about our projects and like us on Facebook for updates. -Paulina  Many people use their vehicle as large storage on wheels which can conveniently travel with you. But it is very easy to let it get out of control, with a crumpled bill here, a pair of shoes there. (<—I’m guilty of this!) Enough umbrellas to cover the entire car, toys, receipts…you get the picture. It’s time to organize that mess into a tidy stress free “storage” car. Contain the crazy with small storage like the basket I used. Check out the space it provided for groceries or beach chairs. This is a great tip for someone traveling with little ones. Sorting their toys into one place makes a big difference on the interior appearance and maximizes usage of the car. Re-purpose a simple plastic to-go cup into a mini car trash can, it will help you with staying on top of the tidiness. Don't even get me started on the glovebox…yes, I'm guilty of this too! It is one of those compartments where all the unwanted junk gets tossed in. Go through it to see what is necessary to keep and the rest toss out. Contain the remaining items in a ziplock bag which conveniently fits. Keep a few wipes handy for those sudden-breaks coffee spills. For all those commuters out there, always keep some change near by. (…and I don't mean on the floor or between the seats) Put the change in an easily accessible small container. Please comment below for more organization tips or questions. Drive safe and next tune in for house talk. -Paulina   As over time bad taste becomes good and good taste becomes boring, an
interior designer makes the case for rooms that feel uncontrived, and even impermanent. http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/07/the-question-of-taste/ |
AuthorsMary Dampier, Tara Dennison and Paulina Brajczewska. Archives
October 2016
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