No matter your skill set or price point, there are great ideas to revamp your home. “I often suggest that clients start by taking everything out of a room and painting it,” says Barbara Marcus, showroom manager and assistant buyer at Interior Design Outlet Centre in Cleveland. “Slowly bring furniture back into the room, editing as you go.”
Here, our designers offer a handful of creative ideas for your home. For more tips, browse the Boulevard Idea Design Center at the Home & Garden Show and consult with designers who can steer you in the right direction.
Candy for cabinets
“If you had an outfit you wanted to update for a new season, you would change your jewelry,” she reasons. Switching hardware is immediate and simple, requiring only a screwdriver.
Visit a supplier such as Cleveland Granite and Marble, where you can choose among an array of granite colors and patterns. No two pieces are the same. Request a beveled or turned edge, Marcus says.
“The top will weigh enough that it will stay stationary on the existing table,” Marcus says, noting that granite is versatile enough to “re-cover” a small side table or grand dining room table.
Nekic suggests purchasing four square canvases, sized so they match the length of the fireplace when placed two by two. Ultimately, you will create one large square by grouping together the four canvases. You may stack several four-panel groupings to consume white space in rooms with 20-foot ceilings.
Purchase stretch canvases at craft stores, and spray paint them a solid color. Nekic has painted a group of four canvases black, and another grouping lime green. The effect is a stained-glass window look that can pull dominant colors from an accent rug or sofa pillows.
Break the monotony by painting a piece, says Linda Runion of roomScapes in Wooster. “Paint a side table to match wallpaper or paint a shelving unit for books and photos,” she suggests.
Prepare furniture first by cleaning the piece with white vinegar and sanding lightly. Then prime and coat it with paint. “You can get wild with paint,” Runion encourages. Animal prints are not off limits. “It’s an accent.”
Still, for modernists, a stark white shade pairs well with newer lamp bases in bright colors, including lime green and red.
A statement for windows
Add interest to a curtain rod with bejeweled or sculpted finials. “This is a chance to dress up a window treatment,” Marcus encourages. You’ll find leaves, glass ornaments, sunbursts studded with gems, or more modern, curvy hardware.
Meanwhile, dress those large, Palladian windows without completely blocking sunlight with a single, airy panel of fabric drawn to one side. Leave the crescent-shaped transom window open, Nekic says.
Don’t forget to balance that shot of color on the couch with a vase or piece of art elsewhere, she reminds.
If you choose to re-cover the sofa, you can cheat by converting pretty fabric into a slipcover. “You can make slipcovers out of anything,” says DesAnn Collins, owner of Design by DesAnn in Elyria. “Don’t look at a shower curtain as a shower curtain. Think of it as material.”
This project requires a design plan and expertise in cutting and laying tile. Hire a professional if you do not feel confident.
Want a do-it-yourself, whimsical backdrop to fill space between countertops and cabinets? Collins suggests “tiling” the area with framed rectangular photos, cherished recipes and artwork. “If your style changes, you can quickly switch the backsplash art,” she says.