Feminine, glamorous interiors

Loving this pink and gold.  I don't know how much of this my sweetums would tolerate.

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If only my dining room was ever this clean and serene.  It's being used as an office until Chris is finished with his masters, and promises that once he's done the table will always be clear.  Time will tell...

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Add A Little Interest To Your Hallway

Since hallways aren't meant for hanging out, we tend to leave them out of the decor process. Here are a few ideas to bring your hallway a little more love:

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Add a touch of luxury with decorative molding. It's eye catching without taking up necessary space so it's perfect for small hallways and tight corners.

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Add decorative corbels or moulding for some character.
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Add a dynamic impact to your hall by adding a chair rail and painting one half a contrasting color.
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Adding some floor to ceiling curtains can make the hallway feel more luxurious and grand. A beautiful light fixture makes the space seem well thought out.

Decorating for the later years

As we grow older, there are many things we need to consider. From what we’ll do with our time, to how we’ll stay fit and healthy, the options at our disposal are endless and that can leave us a little unsure about what to do.

In particular, how we approach decorating our homes can be a tricky thing to manage. It may seem relatively unimportant in the grand scheme of things but the appearance of our home can have a profound impact on our attitudes, emotional health and general well being.

No one wants to spend their retirement staring at four unsightly walls and here we look at a few tips for decorating your home in your later years.

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Shelf for success

From books and ornaments to films and music, you’ll undoubtedly have a lot of need for storage in your home. Wall-mounted shelves should be at an accessible height and not contain anything too heavy. Anything you require regular access too should be stored at a comfortable height on freestanding bookshelves or display units. You can always arrange items by color for something artistic and playful.

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Spare a thought for cleaning and maintenance of these though. Depending on where you live, you may be able to get some help with this. For example, retirement property for sale from leading firms like McCarthy and Stone offer domestic cleaning services with some of their developments.

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Get it framed

Whether you’re a proud grandparent who wants to show off pictures of their beautiful grand kids or someone looking to take a trip down memory lane through old photos, it’s important you get them framed.

There are many styles to choose from but popular favorites include collage frames which display multiple photos in a large frame or single frames arranged in a symmetrical or eclectic pattern. This set-up can also be applied to artwork as well as to personal photographs.

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Go minimalist

Accessibility is an important buzzword as you age so make sure your decorating takes this into account. Keep walkways clear to prevent the risk of falls and embrace minimalist styles that promote clean layouts and minimal furniture. Combine natural woods with light, neutral colors for a stylish contrast.

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Power of Paint and a Giveaway

Today I'm sharing a sneak peek on a project as well as a fun giveaway!  First, the sneak peek.  Since Christmas, I've been quietly working on a few projects here at home.  I was really hoping to have them completely finished before sharing them with you on the blog.  But, I just can't stand waiting any longer.  So, I'm going to give you a sneak peek of one of them.  

For Christmas this past year, my daughter asked for a bedroom makeover.  We are almost finished, and I plan to share all the details of this makeover with you as soon as we are completely finished.  But for today, I wanted to show you what has naturally evolved from that project.  It's her adjoining bathroom.   This bathroom is shared with our guest bedroom.  Because of this, it's never really felt like her bathroom.  

There is the main bathroom area with a three piece.  Then, in the room beyond there is an additional sink with a vanity area.  It's hard to tell in these images, but the stripes were hand painted in a purposefully loose way (by the previous homeowner).  For some reason, they marked the stripes with a red pen and you could see these marks on every single stripe.  Made me crazy.  It also had a "circus" quality to it.  Don't ask me why, but it reminded me of a circus mural. 

The tile in this bathroom is contractor grade and super basic.  One thing that always stood out was the taupe tone in the tile.  The purple stripes seemed to really accent this this. Again, making me crazy. 

 One other tidbit to note, I really REALLY dislike painting.  So, my very gracious sister-in-law, Rosemary, agreed to come for a weekend visit and do it for me!  I know right?!  Very sweet.  

After removing all the switch plates, Rosemary got busy.  She started with a very cool trick to keep your paint can clean during the process.  

She punched holes in the can's edging so any excess paint would drip back into the can.  Then when you replace the lid, these holes will be covered for an air tight seal. 

We were fairly certain the stripes were an oil based paint, so we (notice how liberally I'm using the word "we" here - I did absolutely nothing) used a primer specifically made to cover an oil based paint, and allow you to paint over it with a latex based paint.  This is a wonderful solution for these situations. 

I chose Sherwin Williams Sea Salt, and the color is wonderful.  You will notice in the different images below the color really changes based on the light in the room.  This is the vanity area, and it looks more green in this room because there is less natural light.

I've got big plans for the large wall to the right.  If you recall, I had three large framed marbled papers stacked there.  We decided to use one of them in the bedroom, so we are starting fresh on this wall.  The color in the image below is the most true to the real color in the room.  The lighting along with my very poor photography skills made it challenging to get a picture of the true color. 

OK, this image your are looking into the bath area and notice how different the color looks with all the natural light.  So, interesting.  I love a color that changes like that from room to room.  

We removed the medicine cabinet over the pedestal sink, and I found this mirror.  A bit sad they chalk painted it, but we have plans for it too!  

Last thing, my daughter wanted a pop of color in the space, so we found these watermelon pink towels and had them monogrammed.  It's finally starting to feel like her bathroom, and she's thrilled about it.  

The Giveaway

Now for the giveaway!  One thing I learned from Rosemary during this entire painting process is you must be patient and make sure each coat of paint is completely dry/cured before you paint another coat.  This small bathroom took three days to paint.  She would paint a coat and then wait until the next day to paint a second coat.  Well, today's giveaway is going to make this process of waiting much easier.  The Paint Brush Cover is a wonderful product that allows you to store a wet brush between coats of paint.  You will also not believe the price point on this product!  The cover actually seals the brush in such a way it stays wet and fresh without washing it out between coats.     

I have a project I'll be using my cover on very soon (it involves some painting in my daughter's room).  But in the meantime, The The Paint Brush Cover Company has generously agree to give one to a lucky reader of the Muse!  

Here's are the details on how to win!

1. To be eligible you MUST click over to The Paint Brush Cover, watch the video, then come back and leave a comment about what you thought of the product.

For additional entries(increase your odds, people!):
- Pin your favorite painting project on Pinterest and come back and tell me about it (you will need to include in your comment a link to the pinned item for me to see).
- and if you're a blogger, post on your blog about the giveaway

Be sure to include a separate comment for each extra entry including contact information (so I can contact you when you win)!  Winner will be selected by random.org.  

Deadline for entering is next Wednesday March 5th at 5:00 PM Central.  

Good Luck and Happy Painting. M.  

The easy, livable style of interior designer Sasha Emerson

Interior designer Sasha Emerson adds an undeniable sense of ease and comfort to her spaces. They all have a quality of warmth and family, and with character to boot! The four below showcase the home of Emerson herself.  You can see and read the entire article at Country Living.

Love the gray of the walls with the tan console and headboard.

Below are some of my favorite spaces from her website.

What do you think of Emerson's style?

Rethinking Side Lights

There are lots of homes where side lights are the most appropriate option for the style of the home.

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  However, there are times when I see homes with sidelights that could really benefit from a different entryway door.  It's often a super ornate/grand door style paired with a ranch style home.  To add to this, I find the door style is completely opposite from the homeowner's personality and sense of style.  Many will have a very laid back casual style inside their homes, but you would never guess this from the street.  I think the main reason is the door has always been there, and it doesn't even cross their minds.

While catching up on a few back issues of my favorite magazines, I saw this gorgeous image from The Cottage Journal and instantly thought, "that's it!" This could be the perfect solution for an entry where the you need the additional light, but don't want the traditional side light look.  They actually fold back to create a nice breeze way into the home.

Once I noticed this, I started seeing more of them as well as simple french doors as the main entrance.  Don't you love how that happens?  Love it!  So, if you are considering one investment this year, think about your front doors and how this can single handedly change the entire look of the exterior of your home.

Traditional Entry by Atlanta Architects & Designers Frederick + Frederick Architects

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Traditional Entry by Memphis Interior Designers & Decorators Jennifer Estes Interior Design
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Bright and easy spaces

Here are some rooms I am loving these days. A touch of color, great windows, natural light, and a feeling of ease and comfort that makes you want to stay for a while.

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The foliage in this bright office provides the pop of color.
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via House Beautiful

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Design bedside lights for bedroom with creative ways

Top creative ways to design the bedside lights for bedroom and how you choose the right place for bedside lamps and lighting in your bedroom

In autumn, when the cold and come on the street becomes damp and wet, especially want to feel the warmth and comfort of your own home.

Hot fireplace, comfortable sofa, rug, warm lighting, rooms - all these attributes make us a little happier in the ugly weather.

Today we want to talk about bedside lights on the sleeping area . After bedroom - this is the place where we spend a third of your life. And it is particularly important, in what mood you fall asleep and wake up. Especially in cold weather.

Place bedside lamps on tables :

Most easily doable be put on both sides of the bed table lamps . For this you need is just a socket on either side of the headboard or the extension, neatly hidden behind the headboard or carpet.

Bedside Table lamps always look very expensive and elegant. They give some hint of tradition, thus creating a sense of peace and quiet room. Especially relevant now bright conical lampshades on glass or chrome bases long.

Bedside wall lights for bedroom :

If your bedroom is currently under repair, you have a great opportunity to lay wires for connecting wall sconces. They are good because they do not take place on the bedside table, profitable illuminate the area behind the headboard, which is often isolated or accent wallpaper, contrasting color or decor.

Bras are very comfortable on a regulated basis - if you want them, you can move close to the wall, and during bedtime reading adjusted so that the light fell on the book correctly.

Use hangers for bedside lights:

Most popular now become a ceiling suspensions over the bed. If the layout of the room and the bed you are sure in the coming years until the next repair will not change its location, feel free to use suspensions. It looks very stylish - on a long cord for a distance of 50 cm and above on bedside tables will hang a small chandelier . With the design can play as you wish. The main condition is not to choose too large diameter chandeliers, so they do not interfere with you in the bedroom.

Pay attention to the bedroom ceiling light :

Ceiling light, like no other, is the most functional. It disperses light streams so that the light maximum space around them. That's why design the layout of the ceiling chandelier in the middle of the room, having a diagonal from one corner to another.

Choose a chandelier itself, starting from such indicators: the size of the room, ceiling height, interior style. All these criteria will tell you what type of sources of illumination watch - on the one chandelier lamp or with 8 horns on pripotolochnye chandeliers or pendants on forged or chrome base.

Pattern the bedside light zone :

This technique is one of the favorite among architects and designers. Zone headboard worked pretty well, and there are options - to make similarity niche and spotlights to illuminate it, hang a lot of small decorative hangers, place the head of a solid LED or fluorescent lighting.

If you are interested in a method similar decoration of bedside lights. consult a specialist to compile a technical drawing. This would be a deliberate decision and, as such structures, although not difficult element, often can not afford a person working in another field. You will save yourself from unnecessary rework costs, and save your time and nerves.

Good luck put their ideas in the house!