{painter’s tape wall design}

For those ambitious DIYers who want to go beyond the traditional wallpaper and paint options for adding a personal touch to your home, have we found a project for you!

Painter’s tape wall design!

Create your own pattern, pick your own paint colors and create a one-of-a-kind design that can serve as a subtle backdrop to a room or as a stunning focal point.

We’ve found a couple of different ways to go about creating your painter’s tape wall design:

This Herringbone wall design looks expensive and chic, but really all it took was some painter’s tape and a couple coats of paint. Sara at Sara’s Closet explains how she created the design on her blog.

Sara’s Closet

{creative ways to display all those holiday cards}

Merry Christmas… Seasons Greetings… Happy Holidays…

All sentiments that are sure to come your way this holiday season via the traditional holiday card. As these treasured expressions of holiday cheer arrive in your mailbox, be sure to display them in a way that honors the sender (In other words, don’t just throw them all in a basket!).

Here are three creative ways to display all of those holiday cards:

Card Tree (Via Martha Stewart)

I love the simple elegance of this DIY card tree. Pick your own ribbon and accessories to incorporate this display into your own decor. Go chic with a brown or crimson satin ribbon or go for a whimsical touch with some gingham or holiday fabric. The branches add a rustic touch and give this card display the height and grandeur to make it a stand-alone piece. How beautiful would this look in an entry way, a dining room buffet or on the family room mantle? Directions to make this holiday card tree can be found here.

Martha Stewart

Holiday Card Wreath (Via KatyDid and Kid)

{reduce, reuse, recycle, repurpose}

November 15 is America Recycles Day – a wonderful reminder to all of us that we should be doing our part to help keep Mother Earth beautiful and healthy. So this week, and every week, just remember to reduce, reuse, recycle and repurpose!

Repurposing old and outdated furniture is a simple way to help reduce landfill waste and cut down on the carbon footprint required to make and ship new furniture. Plus, it’s just plain fun!

Kim Yeager, founder and principal of Lark Nest Design, refurbishes decor and furniture for clients here in the Twin Cities. She recently hosted some seminars for Hirshfield’s on best practices for refinishing furniture. Some of her tips include:

• You can paint metal: You can paint metal, just make sure to prime the surface first!
• The more you sand, the better you’ll get: The more you sand, the more you’ll pick up a technique. You don’t want to sand so deeply that you go beyond the top layer of wood. Learning how your sander handles will also help you when you “distress” painted objects.
• Don’t take shortcuts: If a piece has hardware or drawers, remove them entirely for prep and painting. Because these areas get a lot of use, they are ripe for eventual paint flaking. Sand drawer edges carefully so the old paint is gone before applying new. Two coats of sealer should give the drawers “armor” for future use.

Read more of Kim’s tips here.

Now that you’ve got the basics, here are some of our favorite repurposed projects from around the web!

Old drawers as shelves via RemodelAholic.

RemodelAholic

Old door turned coffee table via DIY Network.

DIY Network

{when to splurge and when to save when decorating your home}

Furnishing a home can be a major investment. You have the necessities – a table, bed, dinnerware, and a place to sit. Then you have the “nice to haves” – wall art, fancy lighting, a glam rug, and accessories to tie the space together. When you’re excited about decorating, and anxious to get started, the line can easily become blurry between the two categories. Which is why we love Apartment Therapy’s post on when to splurge and when to save when furnishing your home.

Here are some of their tips:

Splurge where your health is concerned.
This means mattresses, office chairs and work surfaces at the proper height for the job at hand. If you’re lucky you may find these items at a bargain price, but generally I’d suggest budgeting more for items which directly affect your health and comfort.

A comfortable looking office, color on the wall is Benjamin Moore Hot Apple Spice 2005-20.

We would also add that along with furniture that affects your health, products that affect your health. Consider going with a low or no VOC paint to cut down on odor. Hirshfield’s offers Preserve LOW VOC INTERIOR LATEX FLAT with Microban® antimicrobial product protection and Benjamin Moore Natura® Zero-VOC Interior Paint.

Splurge on statement pieces.
These are the pieces that you love, that you’ll take with you when you move, that make your home feel like yours. The Eames chair which detracts from the big-box store sofa, or the vintage armoire which makes putting away the laundry fun. It goes without saying that falling in love with pieces that are also functional is advisable, but it doesn’t always work out that way.

{window treatment wednesday: shop at home for window fashions with Hirshfield’s}

“The right window treatment is really the jewelry on the dress. It brings the whole look of the room together.”
- Kathryn, Hirshfield’s Shop at Home

You know Hirshfield’s is your Minnesota resource for all the best window fashions – from elegant and durable wood blinds to the sophisticated luxury of Silhouettes and Luminette Window Shadings from Hunter Douglas. But if window treatment shopping just doesn’t fit into your schedule or your project requires a little extra attention, let a Hirshfield’s window treatment expert come to you!

With Hirshfield’s Shop at Home, a Hirshfield’s design professional will bring our window fashions library – which includes the latest colors and styles – right to your home. What better way to see just how your new window treatments will look than in the privacy of your own home in the rooms you are decorating!

Hirshfield’s Shop at Home services include window treatments, custom draperies, shutters, bed fashions and more.

{Hirshfield’s Earth Day giveaway!}

Earth Day is  April 22 – a day to celebrate Earth and support environmental programs. Earth Day is the largest civic event in the world, celebrated simultaneously around the globe by people of all backgrounds, faiths and nationalities.  More than a billion people participate in Earth Day activities every year.

Hirshfield’s is helping to celebrate Earth Day right here in the Twin Cities with a giveaway of two of their favorite environmentally friendly products; Benjamin Moore Natura® Zero-VOC Interior Paint and Smart Strip™ Paint Removal System.

Benjamin Moore Natura® Zero-VOC Interior Paint
Ideally suited for residential applications. Unlike conventional zero-VOC paints, Natura remains zero-VOC even after tinting, which means it remains virtually odorless regardless of color.

Smart Strip™ Paint Removal System
This is a 100% biodegradable, water-based paint stripper that is extremely effective for removing multiple layers of architectural and industrial coatings from virtually all interior/exterior surfaces such as wood, brick, metal, concrete, stone, plaster, fiberglass, etc. Smart Strip™ does not contain methylene chloride, any caustics, or toxic chemicals. It is odor-free and safe for the environment.

{getting your home cleaned and organized for spring}

Spring has finally arrived in Minnesota! This is probably the one time of the year when the word “cleaning” actually has a positive connotation! It just feels so good to get the whole house cleaned and organized after the dreary winter months. Here are some tips for getting your home in fabulous spring form!

• Swap out those heavy quilts and blankets for lighter-weight bedding. Store your winter blankets in under-bed boxes, zippered bags, or vacuum-seal storage bags, which save space and protect against insects. Insert cedar or lavender sachets for extra freshness.

{Hirshfield’s Colour Canvas 2012: Part 2}

We’ve already traveled to Australia, Asia and Europe to visit the forecasted color trends inspired by these regions in the Hirshfield’s Colour Canvas 2012 collection. Now let’s get our passports stamped in South America, North America and Africa!

In South America, design is heavily influenced by Spanish trends, Aztec patterns and the iconic color scheme of deep red orange paired with neutral beige and a calming green.

{Hirshfield’s Colour Canvas 2012: Part 1}

Color is the universal language. Throughout the globe, color is used to convey emotion, personal style, drama and storytelling.

The interesting thing about color is the way it can be mixed and matched to create functional color palettes that compliment larger societal trends.

The Hirshfield’s Colour Canvas 2012 collection features color combinations that harmonize with the greater surrounding colors representative of different regions, along with forecast color trends. Each of the color combinations demonstrates the use of a neutral or off-white mixed with forecast colors and harmonizing hues. In this post, we will take you on a tour of three of the six new collections; the Australian, Asian and European collections.

The colors in the Australian collection represent the area’s rich culture of aboriginal art, the treasured Great Barrier Reef and the simple, clean design  common in Australian homes.

{getting your home ready for holiday guests}

Just like you can’t stop the holidays from coming, you also can’t stop the parties, guests and endless entertaining that always seem along with this time of year! And with all the people coming and going, you want to make sure your house feels warm and inviting. That means those last minute fixer-up projects you’ve been putting off, yeah it’s time to get them done!

Quick fixes to create curb appeal
Your guests’ holiday experience begins at your front door. Set the stage with a beautiful wreath, lights or greenery. Your exterior holiday decor should also reflect your interior decorating style, giving your guests a sample of what they will find inside.

If you prefer traditional holiday decorating, go for a more traditionl green wreath like this one from HGTV.com

If you like a modern, unconventional look use unconventional materials like this peacock wreath also from HGTV.com

Simple, inexpensive projects such as upgrading your mailbox, house numbers, doorbell or knocker can transform the look of your home and will make your guests feel welcome knowing that you care about your home and the people inside it.

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