Commitment Problem

Everyone has a problem with commitment at some time or another whether it be personal, financial, family, or design.  Design commitments will have far less impact, hopefully, than family issues or employment decisions,  but hesitance to make design commitments seem to result in people doing nothing rather than something or anything, when it comes to changes in their home.

I, too, have commitment problems with some design challenges.  My solution is to find an option that will give me more choices.  The most recent dilemma I faced was what to do about the inside of my upper cabinets in the kitchen.  The doors on the upper cabinets are glass and therefore expose my dishware, which is white; with the interiors painted white, there was no contrast and hardly made an impact.  A few weeks ago, I emptied the upper cabinets of all the dishes and glassware on both sides and painted just the back wall of each of the upper cabinets the color of the kitchen walls: a soft sage green.  While I liked the change, it was barely noticeable.  At least that exercise forced me clean all the glass shelves, and the new color did give it a fresh look.

Still not satisfied with the lack of impact in those cabinets, I had toyed with the idea of painting the backs of the cabinets black—yep, black.  I can imagine what many of my readers may be thinking, “Is she painting the entire house black”?  I do like a bit of drama in design.  The kitchen is one of my favorite places, and I thought the introduction of a little more black would give me the impact I wanted.  Painting the backs of the cabinets is not an “in your face” dramatic change; it is more subtle.  In fact, people hardly notice it; but I do, which is the point.

As for the lack of commitment, I decided to use black foam board cut to size before painting the cabinets and then painting over the black if I did not like it.  I have suggested to clients over the years that to add a little color in bookcases or glass fronted cabinets, first use foam board painted the color they want, to see if they liked it, before painting the back of an entire bookcase.  This option also allows for seasonal changes for displays for Easter, Halloween and Christmas.

I will confess that painting would have been cheaper and take less time than I spent on cutting foam board and going back to the office supply store for more material.  I was pretty sure I was going to like the black, but thought I would give the foam board a try.  I am glad I did.  I like the smooth texture as opposed to the less than perfect plaster walls behind my cabinets dating back to 1938, and all the things that have been done to these cabinets over the years

I still have some black paint plans for my home.  They too will be subtle, but will make an impact.  If you have considered taking an old entertainment unit or bookcase, and using it as a room divider or as a display area for some of your collections, you might consider removing the back of the cabinet and painting it a bright accent color that you are using elsewhere in the room.  Painting an old cabinet or dresser that you are re-purposing, is a win-win project, with little to lose and a good exercise in trying something new.  Try it, you might like it.

Tempered Glass Bits

Several years ago, a glass shower door in our home spontaneously shattered.  What a racket!  Thankfully we were downstairs, and no one was near the door when it exploded.  Sadly, it was a week out of warranty.  The glass, was just bunches of broken bits, none of it was sharp because the glass was tempered.  Once we swept up all the bits, my question was, “what to do with it all?”  It was a pile of shiny, sparkly glass, like diamonds, I needed to find a use for it.

I have seen small bags of tempered glass in craft stores; now I had a five gallon bucket of it.  Christmas was the next holiday on the calendar, and I thought of ice, which made me think the glass was a good substitute.  My idea was to use the glass as a base for a small vignette: a cardinal bird, a bit of greenery and a nest sitting on the glass “ice”.

Earlier this year, my daughter and I were planting small container gardens using succulents, and I brought along some small stones, both natural and colored, and some of the tempered glass for added interest in the gardens.  I liked the contrast of colors and textures of the plants and glass in the copper colander, I used as a container.  The succulents can take the heat of the sun reflecting off the glass in the small gardens.

I have a simple glass container to which I added some beach glass from Kauai, and have a few pairs of earrings hanging from the rim; I added some tempered glass pieces for interest.  You could add layers of clear and semi-clear stones to a tall, glass cylinder vase; the stones would give your creation an interesting texture.  You might add the vase to a vignette.

I added some of the glass bits to a tall vase, with a single gerbera daisy; the combination makes a beautiful, simple statement.  A grouping of similar vessels would make a pretty centerpiece for a spring or summer table setting.

A “found” medium can create a fun opportunity to spark ideas for its use.

A Few of My Favorite Things

Decorating is always personal, and Christmas decorating may be the most personal of all. I will share with you some of my favorite things. Things change in my decorating scheme from year to year, but for the most part there is continuity. Our fresh cut Christmas Tree is the focal point of our living room. We like to see the fully lit tree each evening when we drive up the road to home; it stands in front of the sliding doors with tall windows above, and it is very welcoming and cheerful. I never tire of seeing it in all its colorful glory. The tree is one of things you can count on at our house. It is always filled with lots of colorful lights and shiny bright glass ornaments with the sparkle of pretty glass icicles that catch the lights in prisms of color.

I have lots of trees in my decor, but the only fresh tree is the one in the living room. Some indoor plants take on a bit of Christmas cheer, with shiny ornaments around the base or hanging from branches. There are life like artificial trees that look like they belong in the forest, hung with favorite small ornaments from years ago. One of my more recent trees is an iron tree that is decorated with all the felt ornaments that I have collected or have been gifts from friends and family— the theme here is birds.

Wreaths are also a reoccurring theme in our house. I have them hanging on nearly every door, inside and out. Some are natural evergreen and others are beaded or loaded with berries, whatever the material they make me happy.

Even the succulents that live year round in the house get a bit of holiday shine. There are a trio of them in common clay pots in the family room on an old silver tray. These pots get a little polish when I pour red and gold glass ornaments loosely around their bases, I add a tiny string of green glass garland and weave it around randomly for added interest.

The kitchen window gets a wreath hanging from it on the inside; but just below it, the succulents get a tiny faux holly wreaths around the collar of their clay pot. The pots hold not only the succulents, but a bit of bright green reindeer moss; and between the posts, I have placed some matching tiny green faux pears. It’s just a little touch that does not overtake the room or clutter the counter.

The dining room is usually done in all red, with wreaths of red berries and pinecone trees wound with pretty berries. The table gets set with gold charger plates and our holiday china and old linen napkins that belonged to my mother-in-law—tradition!
Fun holiday pillows festoon the sofas and chairs and the bed in the guest room, along with a beautiful wreath above the bed. Favorite ornaments that friends have given me over the years will hang from table lamp switches in many rooms. The ornaments provide a bit of whimsy that come as a surprise to anyone who happens to be sitting near a lamp—unexpected and fun.

I am always happy to decorate for Christmas. Since the holiday lasts only for one month, I go all out and love seeing all my favorite things around the house. Come January first, it all goes away, and I settle into a nice winter white theme and let the quiet take over.

Swedish Santa Lucia

Make a Eucalyptus Tree for the Winter Season

Every year, I see so many clever and creative Christmas decor ideas that embrace traditional styles as well as traditional with a twist.  While I love new ideas in the world of decor, I am traditional at heart.  Here is a tutorial on a completely original design I created more than 30 years ago: a lighted tree with natural eucalyptus leaves, and topped with your favorite tiny tree topper.

While this is on the easy, it is tough on your fingers, so you may want to use a thimble.  

You will need:  

Styrofoam cone (white or green)

Short string of 25-50 small electric lights (white or green wires)

Hair pins, not bobbie pins ( find them in beauty supply shops)

Eucalyptus branches

Thimble

Scissors or garden clippers

Small beads, either multi-colored, red or white or natural seeds from your garden

Tree topper, a small bird, angel, bow, or star, whatever you wish.

First, open your short (25) string of lights and begin winding at the bottom of the cone, securing them with the hair pins.  Continue winding them fairly close together until you reach the top of your cone, leaving one light near the top of your tree.  You should have a length of cord at the bottom to plug into an electric outlet when you are finished.  It is always a good idea to test the string of lights to make sure they are in working order.

Once your lights are secure, begin cutting (using garden clippers or strong scissors) the eucalyptus branches into short stems; I use the two leaves on opposite sides of the stem securing the stem by pushing a hairpin into the cone.  You can use a glue gun instead of hair pins.  Use the larger leaves on the bottom of the cone and gradually smaller ones the smaller ones as you go up the cone to the top of your tree.

This is a fairly long process, and this is where you may want to have a thimble to help push the pins into the cone.  As you get near the top of the cone, the pins will be too long to go straight in, so angle them downward, so they don’t stick out of the sides of the cone.  You will soon see how the leaves fit around the lights, covering the cords and filling in the cone.  You will want the leaves to be close together for a full look.

Once you are satisfied with the density of the tree, you may begin using your beads, pods or tiny decorations to adorn the tree; this is a very subjective process, so place them as you wish, again using the hairpins.

Your tree topper is the last piece to add, so use your hairpin to secure it.  Find a table top, or corner for your lighted creation and enjoy the fruits of your labor and the season.

This tree creation can be a winter fixture, by using natural seeds or just white beads, or red, like you see in nature.  I keep mine up through January, or throughout winter to brighten the gloomy days of winter.