Create your own headboard

2009-07-02T14:13:00.000-07:00

Okay, company is coming to town or you are just tired of not having a headboard for your bed. Here are a few easy, inexpensive ideas for you.

Buy painter's canvas from a craft supply store and you can cover with fabric or paint. I have done this project both ways and it is one of the easiest and quickest ways to add that "wow" to your room. Painter's canvas comes in many different sizes. For the headboard I would recommend canvas that is at least 28" tall. You can either place the canvas panels right next to one another on the wall or leave a few inches in between each one. For a twin bed I recommend two panels. For a double I would do three. For a queen I would do three to four (depending on your spacing) and for a king I would go with four panels.

Have fun with this project. For a girl's room you could paint butterflies or flowers on the canvas. For a boys room try painting sporting equipment. If you are artistically challenged you can paint the background of the canvas and then cut out wallpaper border for the images. Simply cut out images and use wall paper paste to glue down on the canvas.

For a teenagers room you can get creative using geometric shapes and a variety of colors. This is your opportunity to allow them to select the colors they want but if you need to sell the house tomorrow you can pull off the canvas hangings and alas, a plain wall emerges. I have also made one of these for a teenagers room (not for over his bed but running across the length of a wall). I used a brick as an outline to create a "wall" on the canvas and then the teenager did his own "artwork" on it. Great way for him to have a say in his room decor and easy if he wants to go from skater to jock...just repaint or cover the canvas with fabric!

For a master or guest bedroom I recommend using fabric wrapped on the canvas. It is a great way to introduce new colors and bold patterns.

For those who are anti-craft store, no worries, there are other items you can use. You can use an old cottage style door turned on it's side. Paint in a soft shade of gray, off white, blue or green and the distress the edges using sandpaper. This makes a great headboard for a girl's room or a Shabby Chic style home.

Another easy low cost idea is taking a bold color or wall paper up to the ceiling the width of your bed. Outline that strip of paint or paper with wooden trim. Paint the trim white or an accent color. Great option for those not wanting to commit to an entire room of paint or wallpaper but need a little pizazz!

Last but not least is for those who are into purchasing, not painting. You can purchase a screen or room dividers from such stores as Pier One. From metal to bamboo, there are many styles out there. Just place the screen behind your bed between the mattress and wall.

Sweet dreams!

Decorate for Less In a Down Economy

2009-07-02T11:27:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my blog-

Times are tough and we are all looking for ways to dress up our living space without spending a fortune. Here are some basic tips and suggestions for you from a professional decorator:

Okay, so I think we have a heard that painting a room is the most economical and biggest way to make an impact on a room. Great. You rush down to your local hardware store and there you are staring at the endless selection of colors. You were set on soft green and off white and now you are not sure if you should do a Sage, Dill, khaki, something with more brown than gold undertones or more gold than brown? So you move on to the "Whites"... that will be much easier until you realize the hundreds of different off-white shades just sitting their waiting to drive you insane. No worries. You grab a handful of samples (and by handful I mean every sample you can possibly carry or stuff in your purse) and you head home. When you arrive home you tape all of your samples to the wall looking like some sort of childcare center or a frustrated artists facility. You stand back to admire the samples and feel completely overwhelmed. Stop. Relax. Look at what you actually have in your home. Furnishings, window coverings, wood, etc. It is important to use colors you like but also colors that work in YOUR home. In the last few years it was popular to paint one bold accent wall in a color such as a red. If you had other red throughout the home it worked. If not it looked like you got a great deal on red paint and were bored one weekend so you painted a wall.

My rules for paint are fairly simple. If painting an accent wall, select the wall the first catches your eye and go for that wall. The accent color should be bolder, brighter or darker than the surrounding areas. It should be a color that you would like to use sparingly in other areas of the house. This can be achieved with throw pillows, pictures, area rugs, etc. If you are painting an accent color around kitchen cabinets make sure the cabinets compliment the paint. I know that sounds simple and pretty straight forward but I can not tell you how many homes I have gone into on a "painting emergency" where people pick colors that do nothing for their cabinets. For example f you have oak cabinetry, do not go with a gold base paint. If you have dark cherry cabinets avoid dark browns or reds.

Another one of my rules is stick with three colors and white. No, this does not mean you can not have fun adding colors to bathrooms and bedrooms. It simply means for the best flow (rooms that you can see from one area to the next) use three colors. I recommend a neutral for the main color, a second color to compliment that neutral and then an accent color. For example you could do a light tan with a sage green and then a rust for an accent. Ceilings, doors and baseboards could remain in the white. Otherwise, if you have too many colors in an area, the eye does not know where to look. Your space starts to look like a patchwork quilt or Rainbow Brights Palace instead of the chic, stylish look you were going for.

Have fun adding an accent. Colors trends are bright and bold this year but make sure it will work with the rest of your home. Don't just pick a color because it is trendy. Pick something that you can live with and a color that will aid the rest of your accessories, not compete with them.

To learn more about me, please visit my website at http://www.decoratinglady.com/

Don't trust yourself? I offer personalized online decorating consultations anywhere in the U.S. and home visits to those in the greater Phoenix area. Visit my site for more information.

Decorating Lady's Tips & Advice

Create your own headboard

Decorate for Less In a Down Economy