What Color Should I Paint my Walls?

June 24, 2018

Sara Silver . DIY, Home Design, Home Projects, Inspiration, My House

The first time we walked through our new home as potential buyers, our real estate agent said very plainly “…well, I can see why they don’t have any offers.” Moving from room to room was like being transported back to the early 90’s…yellowy beiges and dark reds in terrible color combinations were everywhere.

What I saw was potential. I am admittedly a ‘beach chic’ girl and I could envisage the walls in a light grey with white trim and our subtle beach themed décor highlighting the homes pretty structure (my husband on the other hand was siding with the agent).

I am not easily deterred and the day after closing, I had my sleeves rolled up and my paint brush (Purdy!) in hand. The color I settled on was Lattice by Sherwin Williams.

Lattice is like a chameleon. In the full sun it looks pale and light with a hint of grey. In the evening it seems to transform to a subtle shade of blue. Whatever your design style might be – from ‘beach chic’ like me to contemporary, to cottage – Lattice takes on the hue of whatever surrounds it. It’s the perfect backdrop for a subdued neutral scheme or the framework to make your bright colors pop. From the minute I put it on the walls, I was hooked! I started with the family room above (after immediately removing those valences) and painted the whole first floor of the house.

In a later post, I’ll dive into how I transformed this dining room from the scene of a horror film (scary red!) to the pretty, bright, inviting room it is now. Thanks for reading!

How to Create an Indoor Flowering Cactus Garden

April 29, 2016

Sara Silver . Home Design, Home Projects

Spring is all about flowers but keeping fresh flowers in the house all the time can get expensive! Enter the indoor desert oasis of the mini cactus garden. It’s adorable, right? The textures and colors make this perfect for adding visual interest to the flat lines of your kitchen or bathroom and it’s easy to do.

via HGTV

When to Start: Spring

At Its Best: Early Summer

Time to Complete: 1 1/2 hours

Materials Needed:

shallow planting bowl
pebbles
cacti soil
sand
newspaper
spoon
heavy-duty gloves
watering can
miniature cacti; this selection includes: silver torch cactus, Mammillaria, elephant-ear pricklypear and Rebutia

Before You Start

Cacti famously survive on little water, but if you want them to grow and flower they should actually be watered regularly during the growing season. Giving them a thorough watering before planting will help the roots make good contact with the new soil, and they should grow very well.

Aid Drainage

All cacti hate to sit in water, so make sure it will run freely through the growing medium, and out of the bottom of the pot. The container should have lots of drainage holes, covered by a layer of pebbles, to prevent the soil from clogging up the holes.

Set Out the Plants

Put on your protective gloves and start arranging your plants. If you have chosen the position for each of your cacti before you start, planting will be easier and you are more likely to end up with a good overall effect. It makes sense to put smaller ones at the front and larger ones at the back, but also consider planting those with different habits, textures and flower color next to each other.

Planting Tips

Wrap a folded strip of newspaper around the top of the plant. This will help you slide it out of its pot and maneuver it into the larger planter without getting spines or fine hairs in your fingers. It also protects the plant.

Fill in the Gaps

Once the plants are in position, use a spoon to carefully fill the gaps between them with a cacti soil. Add small amounts of soil at a time and keep firming it down with the back of a spoon to ensure that there are no air holes left around the plant roots.

Brush Off Soil

No matter how careful you are, some soil will inevitably get caught in the cactus spines and hairs. Use a soft brush to remove it and to keep the plants looking clean and neat.

Water the Plants

Water all the plants in well. In summer, they can be watered whenever the surface of the soil dries out. In winter, they should be left dry; start watering again sparingly when you see signs of growth in spring.

Apply a Sand Mulch

Use the spoon to spread fine sand around the surface of the planter. This helps water quickly drain away from the surface, preventing rot, and gives the planter an authentic desertlike appearance. Set your arrangement in a bright, sunny position.

Top Tip: Watering Crowded Pots

Cacti are often sold when the plants are almost overflowing the sides of their pots, making it tricky to water them properly before planting. Sit these in a container of water until the root ball is damp.

Smart Tiles..Before and After Makeover

April 19, 2016

Sara Silver . DIY, Home Design, Home Projects, My House

Last weekend I decided it was time to revamp my kitchen and I wanted to start by doing a tile back splash. Neither my husband or I are very “handy,” and by that I mean our tool box is not a box at all but rather a small duffel bag. The thought of grout and a wet saw was a bit overwhelming. I had almost given up until I came across these Smart Tiles at Home Depot. I will be honest…at between $6.97 and around $10.00 for a 9.7 x 10.95 in. wall tile they are not much cheaper than the real thing. What they do offer, however, is a quick and easy makeover with little to no mess and I was super impressed by the results.

This was our starting point. I read some tutorials and hit up YouTube for installation recommendations and all suggested wiping off the wall with a degreaser or all-in-one cleaner prior to placing the wall tiles. Other than that, all we needed was a straight edge and a box cutter.

The sheets or wall tiles are peel and stick so getting them up on the wall was the easy part. The challenge was making sure that they were lined up correctly. If you take this project on this Spring make sure to do your measurements!

All together I had the tiles in place and the outlet covers back on in about 3.5 hours. Here is the finshed product!

Although to me the tiles look pretty great on their own, I added a line of white caulking between the Smart Tiles and the counter tops to give it a more realistic feel. Total cost was about $120 and the kitchen looks like a totally new space. Clean up took just a few minutes…love it!

10 Clothing Storage Solutions…Perfect for Every Space

July 13, 2013

Sara Silver . Home Design, Home Projects . Organization, Storage

Bonanza

Hanging and folding clothes is not my forte. In fact, I try to avoid laundry at all costs. I love to clean and mop and dust and decorate…I just really, really hate laundry. Can anyone else relate? With that in mind I am constantly looking for easy ways to organize clothes – making the transition from the dryer to the closet seamless and if possible skipping the whole folding thing all together. We’re in an apartment for the time being so for now space is an issue too. If you’re in a flat or studio apartment then creating a closet space is really the biggest challenge. Here are some great clothing storage solutions for any type of home and for anyone who hates folding as much as I do!

Apartment Therapy

I love this because traditionally if you’re in an apartment you’re stuck with white walls. Hanging your clothes is plain site brings in a lot of color and texture and besides, what could be easier than standing up on your bed and deciding what to wear!

Ifra Lahell

Whimsical and perfect for displaying clothes in a nursery or toddlers room.

FFFFound

My husband has a hundred hats and I find them laying all over the place which is why this set up would be great for him. The idea of a shelf and hanging bar would be excellent for heels and skirts as well. Displaying a picture over the clothes storage area completes the look.

Ikea

Oh, IKEA…stop making things that I want to buy.

We Heart It

Closet systems are available everywhere and are relatively inexpensive. This one is a shoe rack, dresser and hanging closet combined. I love the colorful storage boxes; they give this a polished look.

SF Bay Girl

This is a guys room down to every last detail. The clothes are easily accessible and organized and they look perfect hanging in this space (which helps if you’re bringing a girl over).

Radical Possibilities

I have to admit, this is one of my favorites. All you need is some hardware and a corner. Utilizes every inch of space which is vitally important when space is limited.

https://reclaimingyourcastle.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/e6af5-closet.jpg

Source Unknown

Vintage perfection. You can find these salvaged pieces at any thrift shop and mimic the set up of any prefabricated storage system. Love this.

Apartment Therapy

Again, accessibility is key and with this you can go from the laundry basket to hanging in one step. The natural look is nice here, too.

Be Different Act Normal

Finding creative ways to organize accessories can be challenging – all this is from a cork board! Very cool.

7 Centerpieces for Your 4th of July Table…

July 2, 2013

Sara Silver . Home Projects, Inspiration . 4th of July, Holidays

Controlling Craziness

So, we’re getting closer to the 4th and now that we’ve figured out who’s bringing the cold pasta salad and jello mold we can focus on decorating the table, right?!? This is my favorite part because for me, the decorations are what pulls everything together and gives the day meaning outside of just a family get together. I’ve come across a lot of fun and festive July 4th centerpieces in the last few days – here are the ones at the top of my list!

#1.

BHG

Look for inexpensive lanterns at your local consignment or thrift shop and pick up a few cans of spray paint. These don’t come around often though, so if all else fails you can find them at IKEA for relatively cheap.

#2.

Giggles Galore

So easy! Bright container, fresh fruit and marshmallow…this one can be admired and eaten simultaneously!

#3.

Top Dreamer

I love this idea because I have 4,000 glass vases (ok, that might be a slight exaggeration) lying around my house…a festive ribbon, a $2.50 bag of Twizzlers and your set. This is a perfect option for the decor procrastinator.

#4.

Decor for the Holidays

You can’t go wrong with fresh flowers and I love the vintage look of the tag. Add a few pops of red to round things out…sometimes the simpler the better.

#5.

BHG

Blue glass can be found everywhere from Dollar General to Wal-Mart and you may even have some stashed in your cabinets. How amazing do they look in a collection of heights with stems of red flowers?

#6.

Chicken Scratch NY

If you have access to scrap wood or wood cutting materials, get yourself 3 cuts at varying heights , drill a small hole in the center an inch or so deep and fill with wax. Use rope to simulate a wick and paint to finish. Follow the picture link for the complete tutorial…love these!

#7.

BHG

Scrapbook paper is a great medium for decorations any time and the 4th of July is no exception. For this piece, roll a section of festive paper and adhere with glue. Cut a circle, add a slit and glue together for the topper. Add sand to a metallic tin to hold your fireworks in place.

10 Color Combinations for a Beautiful Bedroom…

June 25, 2013

Sara Silver . Home Design, Home Projects, Inspiration

Fabulous Home Blog

I love introducing new color combinations into my bedroom – I recently went from greens and yellows to browns and blues and the change is really nice! There was a time (unfortunately not too long ago) where I thought the more color the better…blue bedspread, green curtains, yellow pillows and a red throw…yeah, that kind of works, right? (My husband very graciously let me work through that phase in my own time.). What I found though was that focusing in on one or two complimentary colors and adding in neutrals around them really gives the room a polished finish and allows the eyes to rest.

Here are 10 beautiful color combinations to consider for your room!

#1. Pink and Green

The Suite Life Designs

#2. Blue and Orange

Northern Lights

#3. Gold and Navy Blue

Style Design Life

#4. Purple and Teal

Turn View

#5. Orange and Brown

Coastal Living

#6. Greyed Jade and Salmon

Decor Hound

#7. Pink and Navy Blue

Sheridan French

#8. Brown and Red

Style at Home

#9. Brown and Pale Blue

Sunday in Bed

#10. Coral and Taupe

Fabulous Home Blog

And here’s mine!

Reclaiming Your Castle

Transforming Mini Blinds into Chic Roman Shades…Weekend DIY

June 14, 2013

Sara Silver . Home Design, Home Projects, Inspiration . Weekend Projects

The Happiness of Living

Window treatments can totally update the look and feel of a room but they can be so expensive! Thanks to The Little Green Notebook that’s not a problem anymore. Take your old, unflattering white blinds and use the bones of the slats and pull string to create custom roman shades – with no sewing at all!!!

via The Little Green Notebook

Supplies–
Tape measure
Scissors
Fabritac (or comparable fabric glue – NOT HOT GLUE!)
Mini blinds (like the $3 Target mini blinds)
Fabric (yardage depends on the size of your window)
Trim (optional)

1. Measure you windows carefully. Then do some math and figure out how many folds you want in your shade. I like the look of a fold every 9 inches, which meant I only needed 6 slats for my small windows.

Little Green Notebook

2. Let out the blinds all the way, making them the longest they can be. Carefully cut away all of the thin tilting/ladder-like strings, being very careful not to cut the thicker lift cord. I simply ran my scissors along the top of the slats, cutting away the tilt strings and avoiding the lift string altogether.
3. Take out the plastic plugs from the bottom of the miniblinds and remove and put aside the thick bottom slat piece (you’ll need this later). Then simply pull off most of the slats, while leaving the few you’ll need for the folds of the shade. Like I mentioned before, I only needed six slats for my shade.

Little Green Notebook

4. Make sure the blinds are still let out all the way. Measure carefully and reinstall the thick bottom slat so that the length of your window and the full length of the shade are roughly the same. I decided to make my shade about 1″ longer than my window measurement. Just to make sure it would be long enough.

Trim the extra cord away off the bottom.

Now cut out your fabric, using the shade skeleton as your pattern and leaving a 2.5 inch (or so) border on all sides.

5. Congrats! You’re done with the hard part! You should have something that looks like this:

Little Green Notebook

It’s time to start gluing.

6. Start with the top of the shade. Fold over and glue the fabric together to make a clean edge and glue that to the front of the big top rail mount. **NOTE: Do not glue the folded hem to the very ends of the rail mount. You need to be able to slip the rail into the wall-mounted brackets, so the fabric needs to stay unglued on the very ends.

7. Measure 9″ (or your preferred fold length) from the top of the rail. Adjust and glue a slat into place. Continue all the way down, gluing the slats to the fabric. I glued the rounded, convex side of the slat to the fabric so there was more slat-to-fabric contact. Make sure not to glue the lift cord to the slats or the fabric.

8. Glue, turn in and glue again the three other sides of the shade to finish off all the edges. Let it all dry.

9. (Optional) Glue on some trim to the bottom slat. I picked up some super, super tiny ball trim at JoAnn’s for less than $1 a yard. (only needed one yard)

Little Green Notebook

10. Hang up the shades just like hanging up mini blinds. The cord still functions the same way and, as long as you didn’t glue the lift cord to your slats or fabric, the shade should lift and fold beautifully.

Affordable Updates for a Classic Kitchen…

June 12, 2013

Sara Silver . Home Design, Home Projects, Inspiration . Kitchens

SF Girl By Bay

I love the look of shiny granite counter tops and big stainless steel appliances but that’s not the only way to showcase a lovely kitchen. If you’re in a position where remodeling doesn’t fall within your budget, consider some bright paint colors and imaginative storage and display options to revamp a retro, classic kitchen…it can be just as quaint for a fraction of the cost.

Fluxi ion Tour

Look for modern signature pieces – a bold lampshade or pendant light, a contemporary piece of art, bright dishes in interesting hues or clever decals like the LOVE emblem above.

Design Sponge

This is clearly an older kitchen, but the bright tea cups and bold color choice in shelving make that an afterthought. Despite the outdated cabinetry this looks very cute and welcoming.

Feita De Detalhes

Love the bursts of colors here against white board paneling. Using light blues throughout pull in the dated tile and make it feel purposeful and unique.

Daily Dream Decor

An apartment kitchen can be small and boring but this one is so colorful and visually interesting that the plain white cabinets fade completely into the background. Notice the bursts of yellow that keep things light and help pull everything together.

Here are a few more beautifully classic kitchens updated with charm…

Follow Pics

We Heart It

Martha Stewart

Source Unknown

Easy Bathroom Makeovers…Before and After Pictures

June 9, 2013

Sara Silver . Home Design, Home Projects, Inspiration

Decorology

Happy Sunday! Yesterday morning I rolled out of bed and into the bathroom, looked around and decided it was time to do some sprucing up. In my search for inspiration, I came across an article from Better Homes and Gardens that I had to share in case you were in your bathroom this weekend thinking the same thing! I love these ideas because they’re cheap, practical and can be knocked out in just a couple of days. You won’t believe the transformations…

BEFORE

BHG

I lived in Philadelphia for a few years and this reminds me of every row home bathroom I was ever in. Crowded and with one tiny window; the clutter and outdated tile seem a bit insurmountable.

AFTER

BHG

Amazing! A few easy updates like paint and well-chosen accessories is all it took to turn this bathroom around. The sandy color of the tile inspired a beach theme, brought to life by the soft blues and greens of a new shower curtain and linens. The clutter was moved out and replaced by a wooden coat rack (great idea!) – trendy and perfect for storing shower accessories, robes and towels.

BEFORE

BHG

The strip light fixtures and tile vanity really date this bathroom – strip lighting above the mirror is pretty standard in most homes today and can give off a really cookie cutter look.

AFTER

BHG

Paint! It changes everything…the vanity was painted a bright white to appear more like a dresser than a standard piece of bathroom furniture. The sink fixtures and counter top were changed out but the floor tiles were left as is. Wall sconces and a new medicine cabinet finish off the look.

BEFORE

BHG

The monochromatic tiles running from the floors to the walls make this small bathroom feel cramped and dated – and the sink is too large for the 7 x 7.5 foot space.

AFTER

BHG

It’s hard to believe this is the same bathroom! A pedestal sink opens up floor space and solid-surfacing panels made to look like bead board wainscoting give the walls a fresh farmhouse look. Yellow accents and a new medicine cabinet pull it all together. The use of shelving to add more storage space is genius.

Have you done any bathroom updating lately? Any tips for getting a great look on a budget?

Liven Up Your Memorial Day Table…Painted Glass Tutorial

May 26, 2013

Sara Silver . DIY, Home Projects, Inspiration

Repiny

If you’re anything like me you have a dozen or so old flower vases and various glass bottles scattered around the house (mine are crammed under the kitchen sink). Why not put them to good use and throw together a bright, fun centerpiece to liven up your Memorial Day Table? Try using red, white and blue paint for a patriotic touch!