Decorating with Faux Leather Throw Pillows

Many people like the look of leather but do not like real leather so the next best thing is to decorate their home with faux leather throw pillows and home accessories.

Last week one of the interior design clients said he could not find a leather look pillow at the mall I recommended that he check out my friend Nadine May's print-on-demand shop because she has created home accessories that have a faux leather texture look. My client thought her collections were fabulous and this is why I am recommending her throw pillows to you.

Here are a few throw pillows that I would recommend for a modern interior. These pillows would look sensational in a gray or black room theme.

Leather Look Throw Pillow by Just_Kidding

Leather textured pillow by Just_Kidding
Browse other pillow designs on Zazzle.

These graphic pillows were designed with care and are sold at Zazzle but you will not find them at a shop at the mall.

Know that faux leather throw pillows are a great way to update the look of your interior. I have bought several and found that the pillows from Zazzle are high quality. They are soft to the touch and wrinkle-free.  I highly recommend them for your modern home.

Cosmetic Bathroom Remodeling Ideas

My husband showed me a bathroom set up that he liked in a magazine. It certainly was manly or masculine and I saw that the colors were different but did not mind. Then he showed me the modern black cabinetry that he liked along with gray, black and white pattern granite in the shower stall and I knew that his BIG idea was to gut the bathroom with a sledge hammer.

Here are some photographs of bathroom designs that appeal to many men including my husband. Note the style is modern and the colors are black, white and gray with nickle or shiny chrome accents, along with neutral stone floor.

I would prefer that he would find another way to express his personal style because gutting the bathroom to make it ultra modern, uncluttered with a streamline appearance bathroom would not work with our finances or the design of our southwest adobe home.

I decided to try and compromise with my husband.

Since he likes the colors; black, white and gray. I told him that I thought it would be better if he did a cosmetic remodeling of the bathroom rather then gutting it. I suggested that he make a list of what he wants and then I would do a design board to show him the cosmetic changes.

I shopped at home improvement stores to get ideas, took photographs of products I thought he would like and then presented the paint colors for the walls, hardware update for shower door, faucets, and towel brackets. There was enough money for a black double door cabinetry, plus a new sink with granite top. I shopped online at Wayfair.com and found some bath towels that would look really nice in husbands bathroom and also found bath accessories.

Lucky me my husband agreed that the cosmetic improvements will appeal to his needs and agrees that it is better to not put all of remodeling budget into one project.

Know that when it comes to a man it is best to draw out or do a design board to show them your design ideas. Many times when they see that men see the cosmetic remodel l that is all the need to put down the sledge hammer and forget about taking out an interior wall.

Shopping for Vintage Style Bathroom Decor

Today woke up early, got dressed and was up out the door at 7:30 AM.   Presently the weather is extremely hot so I wanted to get my shopping done.  I Shopped at the antique mall because I was looking for the cut glass perfume bottles, did not find any so I went  to Hobby Lobby to shop for vintage style bathroom decor.

I really like Hobby Lobby because their inventory is always current, with new merchandise coming in weekly so whenever you shop there everything looks fresh. They also have great sales.  

Decorate bathroom with silk flowers in a ceramic vase

This week I was working on updating my guest bathroom and needed some cute décor items to add some pop to the room. I found a silk fern in a ceramic planter that was on sale and it was exactly what I needed for on top of my linen cabinet. I also found a night light that was shaped like a vintage bathtub and bought it.

Here is a video that offers some decorating tips for vintage style bathroom.

I left Hobby Lobby and thought I would go to the mall but changed my mind and headed home. Knew that there was a sale at zazzle.com and thought I would shop there and take advantage of their store-wide discount/coupons.  I am happy that I checked out zazzle because I found some cute decorations for my guest bathroom.

Here a few of my finds:

Vintage Bathroom Posters

Old Fashioned Bathroom Poster by wildapple
View Bath Posters online at zazzle

Glass Tile Bath Poster by wildapple
Check out more Bath Posters at Zazzle

Delicate Vintage French "Le Bain" Bathroom Decor Soap Dispenser by riverme
Check out more Bathroom Toothbrush Holder and Soap Dispenser Set at Zazzle

Delicate Vintage French "Le Bain" Bathroom Decor Soap Dispenser by riverme
Find additional Soap Dispensers at Zazzle

Vintage Bathtub Light Switch Cover 2- customize by MakaraPhotos
Check out additional light switch covers at Zazzle

Vintage French Perfume Ad Art Bath Mats by GrafixMom
See another Bath Mat at Zazzle

HGTV Home Design Projects are Not Reality

My husband watches the home improvement shows on HGTV and gets motivated. But when the project does not come together as fast and efficiently as he would like he gets discourage.

Know that my husband has completed many projects, and has done a good job. When he applies what he learns from the experts at home depot store. But if he runs into a problem then he does become discouraged and tends to shut the door and then gets angry with the HGTV shows because they are not reality.

The home improvement show shows the realtor and his brother; one guy and the home owners doing all the work and this makes my husband think he can do the same. Normally the show indicates that an entire house is renovated in a matter of 3 to 4 weeks. I say Nope, NO Way, Not reality. I am certain there is entire design team working behind the scenes to get the design project completed.

If you want to do the home improvement yourself the best thing that you can do is have a plan of what you want to accomplish, make a list and design a project makeover, get that design checked by a contractor to make sure it works with your floor plan and then do the work yourself or hire a handyman.

Finish the entire home project before moving onto something else. That is the only way to take on a house renovation without getting overwhelmed and frustrated. Plus remember that the HGTV shows have a design team working on the project and it is never one or two people doing the work.

Design Ideas for Laundry Room Makeover

What started out to be an organized and easy laundry room makeover turned into a costly project in a matter of minutes. A few days ago I decided to redesign the laundry room and thought the project would come together and be completed in a few days. 

 My design consisted of moving the laundry appliances from the mudroom to a hall closet. I drew out a design that would allow me to have a private laundry room. Then the mudroom would feature oak cabinets and additional storage with shelves to feature home decorations.

So I started my laundry room makeover project today.

1. Removed the clothing racks and shelves from the hall closet.
2. Patched the holes in the walls and sanded them so walls were smooth
3. Removed the faded Berber carpeting and padding.

I was hoping to find hardwood flooring under the carpet pad but instead I found a half inch sheet of plywood. I called my friend to have a look and to see if I should remove the plywood. He suspected that there was hardwoods underneath and we removed them only to find that there must have been a water leak because the hardwood floor had rotted out. 

This rotted wood discovery is not good because the floor is not strong enough to support a double stack washer and dryer. In fact it is dangerous. At the moment my laundry room project has been scraped because I must fix the floor where there was a water leak.

So going forward the double stack washer and dryer will be installed in the mudroom and neighbor will install oak cabinets to conceal the look of the appliances. This will make my side entrance more eye appealing and welcoming. 

Update your Space with Blue Pillows

Adding the color blue to the decor of your home is a great way to update it. Right now blue is a trendy color and many people are featuring the color by accenting their living space with blue throw pillows.

Pillows come in a variety of sizes and fabrics so you can enjoy them indoors and outdoors.   

When shopping for blue pillows you may want to choose an accent monogram blue pillow or a pattern square throw. Then coordinate all of the blue colors and pillow sizes to make a feature area on your sofa or your side chair.

This room set features blue home accessories with a neutral color sofa and area rug.  This space has been updated with the color blue.

Here are a few Zazzle pillows that have a blue design.

Dark Blue Chevron Monogram Throw Pillows by LittlePlaidDuck
View more Initial Pillows at zazzle.com

Blue Monogram Throw Pillow by Susang6
Check out these Pillows at Zazzle

Bright Blue Rhinestone and Satin Monogram Throw Pillow by LittlePlaidDuck
Check out more Black Pillows at Zazzle

See more Blue Pillows at zazzle.com

Remodeling Idea for Laundry Room

I want to create a space for my washer and drying that enable me to close the door and keep this area private. So I have been studying my pantry and think I have up with an idea that will make me happy.

Know that this space was never a pantry, it was at one time the landing to the steps to the basement but the owner of the house before me removed the steps and closed off this area. He turned into a storage closet, then my husband turned it into a pantry and now I am going to turn it into a laundry room.

Presently when you enter my home using the side door you have to come in through the mudroom, this is where I have my washer and dryer. This entrance means my laundry has to be perfect all the time and that everybody sees my hamper of dirty clothes. So the pantry would be ideal laundry room because there is enough space for a stacked washer and dryer and there is a door.

Once the washer and dryer is installed I then can redecorate the mudroom. This area would be more appealing if there were lovely oak cabinets on the wall with eye appealing décor on top.

I can install cabinets for storage and decorate the top of the cabinets with silk ivy plant and woven baskets, decorative jars, and farm accents. I think the new cabinets and the home decorations will open this area and the mudroom would be more welcoming to guests.

Here is a video that shares some good tips on how to organize your laundry room.

Gothic Style Black Rose Bedroom Ideas

The Gothic subculture is dark, black and purple being prominent colors however it is also elegant with strong ties to Victorian and romance. 

Know that when it comes to creating an elegant Gothic-style guest bedroom for a friend, I needed to research the look so that I could learn more. I also had to go to my friend's Facebook page to learn about her likes.  

When I felt comfortable I created a Gothic-style bedroom set for my friend that features a Victorian-inspired black rose wallpaper, a black rose lamp, round pillows, and also a regal black tufted sofa, ornate crystal chandelier, and black and white high back bed with black pillows.

 Gothic black rose guest bedroom set that I created for a friend.

The bed that I featured in the set I found at outthereinteriors.com the stripes make the bed frame interesting and you can change the look of the bed with a black on a black brocade duvet cover.  Normally you see the black Victorian four-poster bed, or an iron bed but I thought I would add a unique bed style to the set.

Below find a few black rose gothic style home decorations that I created at my Zazzle store.  Use these products in your bedroom or another living space.  Click the text below the image to view it at my store.  Note the rose pillow with urn and filigree first pillow below it was created from a photograph of Victorian wallpaper its not perfect as the wallpaper had aged. I personally like the "old" look but if you want perfection then this elegant vintage rose pillow is not for you. 

Black Rose Home Decor

Elegant Vintage Black Rose Victorian Gothic Throw Pillow
by Susang6

Black Gothic Rose throw pillow by Susang6

Black and Gray Rose Table Lamp by Susang6
Look at another lamp online at zazzle.com

Black and Gray Rose Table Lamp by Susang6
Browse other Black rose Lamp-In-A-Box Lamp

Vintage Gothic Black Rose and White Magnolia Flower Round Clock
by Susang6

Updating Home with Replacement Windows

My home is 87 years old and the 21 lead glass with rope pulley system windows have never been repaired but instead sealed so that they cannot open. We have storm windows however the home is still drafty.

Husband and I decided it would be in our best interest to replace 9 of the windows because it would be better insulation and also allow us to have cross ventilation. I love the historic windows due to their charm but they are cosmetic only as they do not function and they are not insulated.

Pella replacement windows found on lowes.com

Finding Replacement Windows

The first thing that we did was take the measurements for the windows we were replacing and then we shopped online to get an idea as to what was available and the costs.

Where to Shop for Replacement Windows Online

homedepot.com

searshomeservice.com

lowes.com

homeadvisor.com (reviews and ratings for window contractors)

Our online search provided us with an estimate for the costs, and we were able to look at a variety of window brands and styles.  We picked out what we liked online and then went to our local Lowe's store.

We ended up buying Pella vinyl windows because we liked that they were

quality made and there is a guarantee that they will reduce our heating and air conditioning energy costs and also keep us warmer in winter and cooler in summer.

In comparison to the other windows that we looked at, both my husband and I liked Pella window designs and think that they will improve our comfort by putting a stop to drafts and will make our kitchen, dining room and bedroom plus make our historic home look beautiful.

Add Ambiance with Dale Tiffany Lamp

Recently one of my clients asked me how she could add ambiance to her living room,    My reply was to buy a Dale Tiffany stained glass table lamp, ceiling mounted light and floor lamp.

Here is a Dale Tiffany Stained Glass Buffet Lamp you can see that it is timeless elegance.

Know that a stained glass lamp shade is made up of hundreds of multiple colors and cut glass pieces that are welded together. Tiffany lamp shades are elaborate works of art that will accent a formal living room beautifully.

Of course, the benefit from this multiple pieced glass shade is when you turn the light on. The entire room comes to life as it is filled with a cozy glow that is projected from the shade. Dale Tiffany table lamps will provide the ambiance that is eye appealing, colorful and inviting.

Buying Tips:

1. Choose a lampshade that will complement the color theme of your room.
2. There are many color themes available and I recommend buying seasonal lamps.
3. Coordinate your seasonal decorations with the stained glass table lamp.
4. Dale Tiffany is renowned for quality heirloom stained glass lamps that are handmade.

Where to buy a Dale Tiffany Lamp:

If you are interested in learning more or buying a table lamp then I recommend these online shops for the best selection and prices.

Wayfair.com

Jcpenny.com

Thelightingshop.com

Lampsplus.com

Learn more about Dale Tiffany and how to make these stained glass lamps at YouTube.com video