Serving the design and event needs of the greater Saint Louis area
IT’S NOT YOUR GRANDMA’S WALLPAPER
-The brave new world of wallpaper: For some it’s a passion.
FOR THREE WEEKS I’D BEEN lugging home wallpaper books, propping them around various rooms, matching them to paint and fabric samples, hemming, hawing, gathering unasked for opinions from my children, and changing my mind a dozen times. I’d had an installer [...]
CALLING IT CURTAINS -Drapes from the sublime to simple
Dec-o-rate…1: to add honor to 2: to furnish with something ornamental…syn see ADORN.
I’m consulting Webster because my mate and I differ on the definition of “decorate.” To him it means a La-Z-Boy, a table to put your feet and drinks on, a lamp, and [...]
NO MORE REALITY TELEVISION!
-Covering windows with style-
“DUCK!” MY HUSBAND YELLS. I hit the floor half-dressed. Our neighbor, one of only tow we have so far, is walking his dog and has a clear view into our master bathroom, where I’m dressing. We needed blinds yesterday.
Finally, the walls are painted. Bathrooms are tiled. Carpets, wood flooring, [...]
MOVING PAINS – What to pack, what to let go of, and how to put your old stuff in a new place.
I’M JOGGING WITH MY FRIEND KATHY, who has more money than I do. Otherwise, we have much in common: We’ve known each other since seventh grade, have children the same ages, run a plodding [...]
BUYER BEWARE – Avoiding builder gouge on upgrades: A word from the wary:
IN JOURNALISM SCHOOL, I had a hard-boiled editing professor who taught doubt. “Journalists must be suspicious,” he ranted. “If your mother tells you she loves you, check it out.”
As it turns out, this is also good advice when purchasing carpet, or really, any [...]
CABINETS ARE LIKE CABERNET -The more you know the more you spend.
RULE #87 IN HOME DESIGN: Choosing home finishes is like buying wine; the more you know, the more you spend.
Which brings me to choosing cabinets.
Before I launch into my cabinet debacle, because you know I have one, here’s a cabinet primer. Cabinets will likely [...]
SET IN STONE -The fine art of picking tile, granite, and other stone.
LIKE MOST WOMEN, I’ve often dreamed about having the chance to select all my kitchen and bath surfaces. But when my moment came, I froze like the North Pole in January.
“I want something unique, that won’t hurt resale,” I told Angel and the [...]
Here is my Monday Blog, actually written on Tuesday morning. Life sometimes takes you in a different direction, and due to some important work I had to postpone until this morning. My Tuesday blog will still be written today as promised, please check back with me this evening.
And here it goes:
FLOORED BY OPTIONS – A [...]
THE COLOR OF INDECISION -Finding the right wall color
“CAN’T YOU EVEN THINK without spending money?” Dan asked. I was bringing in a box of eight quarts of paint to test.
“I guess that’s your answer,” I said, plopping the carton on the counter of our shell of a house, built now except for the finishes.
“You’re obsessing.”
“Am [...]
SELECTING WALL TREATMENTS, FLOORING, COUNTERS, TILE, AND CABINETRY
Eat your vegetables before dessert, my mother used to say. The same principle applies to home decorating. You have to tackle the tough part – selecting the backgrounds – before splurging on the fun stuff like that new artwork or a silk floral centerpiece. It takes a little [...]