skip to main content

Home Decorating

Making Progress (pics included)...

15 years ago

I have been agnoizing about decorating our newly built house to the point that it has crippled me from making any decisions. I finally said decided to suck it up and start somewhere. I want to work with what we have and the purchase what we need a little at a time.

I am a bit stuck on the LR right now, but just ordered some curtains this morning and am purchasing a console table and mirror from a local shop tonight (can't wait!).

Last night, I finally hung up a few old paintings and prints I have been hanging on to. I also found some fake hydrengas for the table and finally put my china in the cabinet. About time! The DR will house our piano, which is currently in Missouri until Thanksgiving.

As always, suggestions are appreciated.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

kbmas0n
Original Author
15 years ago
Wow, these pictures are HUGE! I'm sorry!
teacats
15 years ago
Pretty house!

First -- try the table in the other direction (for now until the piano arrives!) -- and IF possible -- sit one of the chairs on each side of the buffet cabinet. If not -- just place one chair at each end of the table. Pretty centerpiece!

In the cabinet itself -- try the coffee pot, teapot and creamer and sugar pot in front of the large platter to create a focal point. Pleace the bowl (and its underplate) on the top level in the middle window. Stand one of the plates in EACH of the "windows" -- to match the ones on the top level. On the bottom level -- stand a plate on each side of the platter.

IF you don't have enough of the dinner plates -- then stand a side plate on the outer windows to create a pleasing visual balance. "Spread" out the dinner plates amongst the windows to create that balance. THEN place the smaller items in front of the standing plates .....
Related Discussions
Need help making exterior not so plain - Pics included
Q
Comments (15)
Thank you for the continued help.:-) I really appreciate it. Oopsie - The view out our front door and porch area is a beautiful one, lots of trees, a windy street and a pond with a fountain. My only hesitation about a front door with glass is the privacy issue. Not so much security, as I think if someone's going to break in they're going to break in. But, I do think about not being able to sneak up to the door and peek through the peep hole to see if I want to answer or not. I have always loved the doors with clear glass with divided grills like I posted above, but the privacy thing sways me away from them. Hmm... A solid door would be cheaper and more private, and I'm glad to hear that at least some of you think it would look okay.
...See More
My DIY headboard -- bedroom makeover in progress (pics)
Q
Comments (47)
marti8 and sheetalN, we do love waking up in there. I need a 9x12 rug to ground the space, but it's so much more serene with the lighter color and softer headboard. Makes such a difference! Before the room was a bit too masculine for me. BlackChamois, here's the link for the tutorial. As far as tutorials go, it was just ok. She left out the hardest part which was getting the fabric around the curves. We figured it out eventually, but it took some tries to get the fabric straight so it wouldn't bunch. nosoccermom, the paint color is BM Nimbus. I think it's either at 75% or 80% -- i'll have to check the can. I love the color - it's a true gray with no undertones. I've repainted both of my bathrooms with it. Here it is at 100% in my daughter's bathroom (sorry for the big pic): Here is a link that might be useful: Tutorial
...See More
Vintage, low-budget, progress pics:
Q
Comments (49)
Thank you all for your compliments--I'm so happy that you appreciate my kitchen, and I am very touched by your kindness. Since I love spreading the DIY news, I'll share some info one the cup-shelf project: I've mentioned using scrap lumber, left over from other projects--everything was scrap! I ripped the shelf and support pieces from a 1x12 board, and used a 1/4" cove bit in the router, to trim the bottom edge of the support piece. The towel holder corbels and spice shelf are attached to support pieces, which are screwed into the wall studs, parallel to the counter. The pieces are all connected. All the screw holes were countersunk and filled. Here's a close-up showing how everything fits together: The shelf sits on top of, and is screwed into, the long support piece, and there's a screw that goes through the corbel into the shelf, toward the front. LOL, at this distance you can see the seam where the two corbel pieces are joined. Oh, well, it adds character ;). The corbels are cut on the same upper curve as the supports for the old school cabinet, across the room. They're 1.5" wide, compared to 3 inches on the school cabinets. This pic is of the underside of the corner, with a scarf/miter joint. Each piece is cut on 45 degrees, then fitted together and nailed, making a stronger joint than a butted joint. It's actually backwards, because my miter saw 'reclines' in only one direction, and I didn't want to cut the angles by hand. One could also use a biscuit/slot to add strength. This is the support for the towel holder: The corbels are attached to either side of the 'placket', which is screwed into studs. The window used to be wider, so there's an extra stud in that area. The corbels were then attached to the cabinets. The underside of a cabinet, showing how the corbel is attached--you can see the screw holes: Hope this helps!
...See More
6 months in! Progress pics
Q
Comments (31)
thanks, arapaho, czarinalex, Fun2behere, cyn427, bethpen, lisasam, linelle, and raphaellathespanishwaterdog. So glad so many familiar faces are still around that remember my little house. I lurked a little over the last two years and have enjoyed watching all the projects here. chispa, it was a long and complicated process. We thought it would take 6-8 months to get plans/permits, but it ended up taking 2 years. I won't bore you with the details, but it would have been a lot easier and less expensive just to tear down and build new. Our city has so many building restrictions and a complicated approval process, as they don't want it to turn into another overdeveloped area, which I support and understand, but as a homeowner just trying to improve on a property that needed a lot of work, it was challenging. 1929Spanish, I love San Pedro. Such a great little city with character, and the views are unbeatable. rockybird, I didn't know that your beautiful house was abandoned for 10 years! wow! You have done a great job thus far and it has been fun to watch it evolve. Did you decide on counters? We just purchased our Neolith. I'm little anxious about being a bit of an early adopter, but it feels like the right choice for our home. tnfarmhousefixin, we did a 2-3 month clean up before we moved in to make it livable. We had the house fumigated, painted the interior, and installed all new flooring except for the baths. At that point, the scope of the remodel was smaller -- we were going to keep the existing footprint and just remodel the kitchen and baths and upgrade the exterior. But after living there for a year or so, we realized the layout did not work for our family. The kitchen had no storage and no pantry and was isolated from the rest of the home, and the open living area went largely unused but had the best view in the home, so we decided to move the kitchen into that space, and turn the existing kitchen into a den/TV room. So it expanded from a fairly small scale remodel project to a much larger project. I'm glad we lived with it before we launched into the remodel, as it gave us time to figure out the flow and what worked.
...See More
kbmas0n
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks, teacats!

I never thought about moving the table the other way! I'll see if my husband is up to moving it tonight.

The chairs are a problem, since I currently only have FOUR. It's a long story, but the table/china cabinet are family and the family always had the mentality that if company came, you brought in folding chairs. New chairs will be purchased as soon as funds are built up a bit :)

I will try what you said above in the china cabinet. I have GOBS of that china for display. It was my Great Aunts, Royal Dalton, and I just *love* it.

Thanks again.
abundantblessings
15 years ago
Congratulations! Building a home can be taxing, so rejoice that the stressful part is over now that you're in your lovely new place. That's a good, make that great, feeling! Take a deep breath and enjoy turning your house into a home. You're off to a lovely start. Great job in picking beautiful colors. Nice that the wall echos the china and you brought the color into the foyer with the pot.

Do add more display china and follow tcs' suggestions. I'm not sure but I think she suggests centering the plates in each window like the one in the top middle window. I might place the dark blue elsewhere unless you have something else to pick up that color. If you have more like the colorful middle plate, it'd be nice to see smaller pieces of them placed in front of some of the larger plates. Not sure you'll need the high-ball glasses if you have enough china. Consider placing the cross in the middle top and the candlesticks either with it or one on each end of the top row. When you piano arrives, maybe you'll like your wedding photo and that of your precious newborn on top of the piano. You can add more family/ favorite pix and other small objects.

If you don't already have a particular end chair in mind, then there are lots of possibilities on ebay or consignment shops since you can go with armless upholstered or arm chairs in wood or fabric.

If you're stuck on the LR it may help to post pictures of what you're working with. Best of luck!
kbmas0n
Original Author
15 years ago
abundant blessings (love the name!) - I have posted pictures of my LR before, but I am still acting on the advice as we speak. I hope in about a week I will have curtains up, a console table in place and some art hung on the walls.

I would love some advice though, regarding my gigantic wall that is vaulted and needs something gigantic too. We will eventually have something else for the TV (inspiration photo shown below), but that will take a few years.

And thank you for the advice about the china. I'm going to move things around tonight and will repost tomorrow!

A few notes about the room below. Things have been changed int eh picture, so it does looks better now, although it still needs a LOT of work.

Related Stories

HOME OFFICES Room of the Day: Stately Study Includes a Cozy Family Space

By Becky Harris

A new fireplace, windows, millwork and furniture make this room hard to leave

ECLECTIC HOMES My Houzz: Stylish City Living, Toddler Included

By Margot Hartford Photography

Natural fabrics and nontoxic furniture make for a home that’s as beautiful as it is family friendly

DECORATING GUIDES 7 Reasons to Include a Little Gloss in Your Decor

By Natasha Saroca

High-shine finishes look good, are practical and can infuse your home with an air of glamour

KNOW YOUR HOUSE Know Your House: What Makes Up a Floor Structure

By Bud Dietrich, AIA

Avoid cracks, squeaks and defects in your home's flooring by understanding the components — diagrams included

FEEL-GOOD HOME The Question That Can Make You Love Your Home More

By Laura Gaskill

Change your relationship with your house for the better by focusing on the answer to something designers often ask

ARCHITECTURE Victorian Details Make Their Way in Modern Life

By Cathy Rebecca

What makes a Victorian house Victorian? Take a tour of the architectural features and decorative details characteristic of the era

GREAT HOME PROJECTS How to Make Your Garage a Storage Powerhouse

By Mary Jo Bowling

New project for a new year: Add shelving and containers to get your stuff off the garage floor — and still have room for the car

ARCHITECTURE Roots of Style: Many Cultures Make Their Marks on Mediterranean Design

By Steven Corley Randel, Architect

If you live in California, Florida or certain other parts of the U.S., your architecture may show distinct cultural influences

LAUNDRY ROOMS 8 Ways to Make the Most of Your Laundry Room

By The Inman Company

These super-practical laundry room additions can help lighten your load

LANDSCAPE DESIGN How to Make Your Painted or Stained House Feel at Home in the Landscape

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

Use color and texture to create a pleasing connection between your house and garden

Sponsored

NME Builders LLC

2 Reviews

Industry Leading General Contractors in Franklin County, OH

More Discussions

DH wants the TV there - what can go under?

7

Living room layout

10

Hang TV on huge wall, or get a console??

10

Help! Need to replace Chandelier

2

Does the Fan of Chandelier will hurt the LED light?

0