...because home doesn't happen overnight.
Last week I shared a few inspiring blogs, designers and books. I meant to include magazines that consistently spark DIY decorating ideas in my head but, somehow, the week ended abruptly. In the words of my two-year-old, “Sorry ’bout dat.” I simply cannot leave out glossies. I get so excited when new issues arrive in the mail and can’t wait until the kiddos are in bed at night, so I can devour them {the mags not the kiddos}. Here are a few glossies that we refer to time and time again when making our house a home.
Better Homes & Gardens – No surprise here. This magazine has and will be around for ages. It appeals to designers and everyday homebodies alike including articles on decor, food, family life and gardening. I especially like the “I Did It!” page at the end of every issue featuring a homeowner who took the renovation or redecoration of their space into their own hands to save money and create something unique. BHG is a great source for DIYers, homemakers and people with careers that don’t necessarily relate to design. Total motivation.
{Happy Saint Patty’s Day! You like my censored address label?}
House Beautiful – Oh, House Beautiful, how you get me dreaming. Unless I win the lottery {which isn’t likely to happen since I don’t play}, I’ll probably never own anything ever shown in the pages of this high-end glossy. And that’s just fine with me. So what does HB do for me? Instead of getting pouty about all the stuff I’ll never have, I study this glossy page for page taking cues from the pros, dumbing it down and putting my own spin on things. It’s a great source for color schemes, room moods and furniture placement. I especially enjoy the house tours which include an interview with the interior designer. They always talk about the shortcomings of the space and how they ‘fixed’ it. There are usually a few tricks I learn and take away from reading the designer interviews.
Flor – I guess technically this is a catalog. But it’s one that I’m always surprised by. Who knew a carpet tile product catalog could be so inspiring?! The styling, vignettes and colors are creative and part of the not-so-overexposed side of design. I love finding inspiration from unexpected sources!
The Family Handyman – This is for all you{r} Handy Hubby’s out there! Mine included. I can’t lie. I don’t read this magazine but Handy Hubby does and loves it. He’s found countless little DIY tips along with ideas for making large scale projects easier and more doable in this glossy. {Can I call a handyman magazine ‘glossy?’} And since Handy Hubby is half of the team over here, the information given in this magazine ends up in the designing aspects of our home at some point. What usually happens is I get a crazy idea for a decor project and Handy Hubby says something like, “Oh, I could use the {insert applicable product, tool or method here} like I saw in Family Handyman!” Then he refers to the mag for advice and resources. It’s a great way to get my better half involved in and excited about home decor and home improvement.
Lonny Magazine – This FREE online glossy {that can be printed for a price if you’d like} is simply scrumptious. It’s pretty evident that it was founded by a designer and photographer duo. The images offer inspiration galore and focus on independent thinking and individual style. I like different. Lonny is a great way to expose yourself to new design ideas that are a spin-off of the traditional.
Those are the glossies that get my wheels turning when I’m contemplating design in my own home. I try not to copy what I see but, rather, change it up into something I can afford and/or DIY. If these subscriptions are too pricey for you add ‘em to your birthday or Christmas wish list…that’s what I do. You can always check out each mag’s website {as linked above} at no cost for just as much inspiration. Again, as with inspirational books, I would encourage you to read the material offered in these mags – not just peruse the images. There’s so much info in the text. Check out the back of magazines for paint, furniture and accessory resources…very helpful if you find something you really like.
You may have noticed that all of the images I showed above aren’t from current issues. There’s a reason. They’re some of my favorite issues. Once I finish an issue, I make a cut-throat decision to keep it {or a page or two from it} or get rid of it. I just don’t have the space to keep every single issue I read. If it’s a particularly inspiring issue, I’ll find a place for it on my bookshelf. If not, I’ll usually tear out a page that I want keep for future reference then pass the rest of the magazine on to a friend/family member or toss it in the recycling bin. It keeps me and my inspiration folder focused.
Here are a few other glossies that I regularly receive or sometimes buy and find helpful:
What are some of your favorite go-to magazines or catalogs?
images: 1-4) Dana Miller for House*Tweaking 5) Lonny Magazine
Many of you have suggested posting tips and ideas for prepping and staging a home for sale. And since we just hosted our first Open House this past weekend {yep, our house is officially on the market}, I thought I’d share with you what we did to get it ‘buyer ready.’ Of course, there’s the traditional dusting, vacuuming, decluttering, burning candles, baking cookies, hiding stuff in the car, etc. I’d like to step outside of the usual prepping box and mention some ideas that aren’t always talked about. Here goes…
- Turn it on. Furnace {on colder days}, A/C {on warmer days}, lights, music {on surround sound speaker system if you’ve got it}, fireplace {again on cooler days} and ceiling fans all function to make a home feel comfortable and inviting. Take advantage of them all to welcome potential buyers into your home.
- Nitpick when you clean. Use an eagle eye to clean nearly every surface in sight. Control laundry clutter by doing a load daily while your house is on the market. It will help to keep your laundry room and closets tidy. Hang a squeegee in each shower for a quick wipe down after each use. This will help maintain a clean shower in between actual full-fledged scrubbings and may even extend the time between cleanings. Don’t forget to look up! Dirty ceiling fixtures, vents and bathroom fans can be real turn-offs. If any appliances will be included in the sale of your home, clean the insides. Potential buyers may want to peek in them.
- Get it out. Empty trash cans, unpark your car {ask a neighbor if you can borrow their driveway for a few hours} from the garage and furnish outdoor areas. Sure, it might be too cool or wet for dining outside on the day of the Open House, but potential buyers will get the idea that dining outside is an option when the weather is accommodating.
- Hide ‘em. So you already got rid of a bunch of stuff in an effort to declutter and make your space look/feel bigger. Great! Just remember to hide those unsightly everyday items you use: hand soap pumps, toothbrushes, visible toiletries, kids’ bath toys, plungers, stinky toilet brushes, and wet dish/wash cloths. Take a good look around. It’s easy to forget these everyday uglies as we get use to seeing them! This required us to stash Handy Hubby’s CPAP in a bin under his nightstand. If you’ve never used/seen one before, they could be a scary bedroom discovery.
- Up off the floor. Get toys, unnecessary furniture items {this may be contradictory to photo styling/decorating} and dirty clothes off the floor. The more floor potential buyers see, the larger the room/closet will seem. Having a toy storage system already in place makes this easier. I did remove the 2 step stools we previously had in the laundry room {for propping open the door to our front-loading washer} and in our kids’ bathroom {to save our backs at bath time} making these smallish rooms easier to navigate. I also relocated a large floor plant that was blocking the view in our two-story foyer. {If you look closely in the second image below, you can see the round mashed carpet area where the plant use to live.} After all, you’re selling the house – not the stuff in it.
- Man up. It recently dawned on me that men {and probably some women too} like to walk around the exterior of homes and into the basements to check out possible ‘man spaces.’ If you’re a woman preparing your home for sale, remember to wipe down all man doors {including the front door and any walkout doors} that might be used to scope out any outbuildings, yard or landscaping. And if you have a shed, Shop Vac it like Handy Hubby did.
Ok, so maybe that last bit about vacuuming your shed isn’t overtly practical but I just had to include that pic I took of Handy Hubby a few hours before our Open House. As I was busy cleaning inside, I happened to glance out of the sunroom to see Handy Hubby vacuuming the outside of his ‘man shed’ with the Shop Vac. I thought it was hilarious. Have you ever seen a man vacuuming his shed?! If a spotless custom shed {built and cleaned by Handy Hubby himself} doesn’t sell this place, I’m not sure what will.
So, there you have it. A few not-so-common tips for getting a house ready to show to potential buyers. In case you’re wondering, myself and the kiddos holed up at my dad’s house about 30 minutes away while Handy Hubby showed the house. I was afraid I’d be way too apologetic pointing out all the things we wanted to change about the house but never got around to. Or that I’d just end up on my knees begging someone to pleeeeease buy my house so I could quit my current stalemate job in 5 years and follow my dream of becoming a designer. That’d probably get me a few brow-raising looks but no offers.
images: all Dana Miller for House*Tweaking
This week I’ve already shared which blogs and designers inspire me to make my house a place I love to live. Today, I’d like to introduce you to several books I own that have played {and continue to play} a part in my wannabe design world. I’ve always been enamored by books. Going to the library is a longtime favorite activity for me. I have vivid memories of going to story time at our local library back when I was no older than 5. I love the hush of a library and the way it smells. Have you ever noticed how borrowed library books smell once you have them at home? {Well, not the ones that have been previously borrowed by smoking homes.} If someone created a perfume of that scent, I just might wear it. I love the hunt for a good book. I love the organized aisles and shelves. I love the anticipation of the library…hmmmm…which book will I bring home with me? I love the vastness of the library. You can find a book on practically any topic. More than anything, I love that it’s free. So, it should come as no surprise that design books are a major inspiration to me. {I wish our local library had a better selection.}
The Nest Home Design Handbook – Carley Roney successfully discusses design room-by-room offering tips on how to style, arrange, organize, clean and personalize your home. The back of the book gets down to the nitty gritty mentioning specifics on lighting, closets, utilities, rugs, housekeeping and furniture layouts. There are even resource pages of grids and furniture icons that you can copy, cut and arrange to play around with room layouts. I love this book not only for its design sense but its practicality and relevance. It would make a great housewarming gift for a first-time homeowner!
New Decorating Book {Better Homes and Gardens Decorating} – BHG encourages you to find your inner designer in this book. It takes you from the very beginning helping you to discover your style. Beyond the room-by-room basics, it includes before-and-after makeovers, quick and easy projects, house tours, emphasis on balance and scale, outdoor living, ideas for floral arrangements, discussions on finishes and unique window treatments. Oh, and it has TONS of pictures. It’s like a magazine made into a book. It is BHG after all. This would be a good book to study and read before starting to decorate your own home as it gives advice on how to find a style, color scheme and mood that you’ll want to live with forever.
Design Idea Book – This book by Karen Templer is a showstopper. Pure inspiration. It features a compilation of designer idea houses that utilize the best of the best in the way of architecture, decor, materials, furniture and finishes. I would never be able to afford any of the homes in this book but they are great go-to’s to mimic on a smaller, less expensive scale. The image of the family room above is one of my all-time favorite inspiration photos. This is one of those books that you could read a million times over and find something new to inspire you each time. This would make a great coffee table book.
Downtown Chic – Robert and Cortney Novogratz are unstoppable. Over the last 10 years, they’ve bought, gutted, renovated and designed numerous homes. This book is sort of documentation of all that. It’s fun to see how their aesthetic has changed and developed over the years. The Novogratz’s are style and business savvy, so it makes sense that their passion has organically evolved into a pretty lucrative career. And they did it all while creating and raising a family…a very large family. Seven kids in total. {Yep, they’re the 9 By Design people.} Yowsas! Their lifestyle and decor choices may not be exactly like mine {I don’t think I could handle the renovation of that many homes in such a short amount of time along with 7 kiddos in tow AND still remain sane.} but I’m inspired by their willingness to learn, try new things, be true to themselves, take risks, follow a passion and persevere. Look where it’s got them so far! I love that the book includes information on hiring contractors and the bumps that go along with modernizing older homes. Many of the photos include {at least some of} their children showing me that families and design can live under one roof.
Amy Butler’s Midwest Modern – You already know that Amy Butler is one of my inspirations when it comes to design. But did you know that she has a book that helps to spread her fresh take on modern living? I absolutely adore this book. Amy’s philosophy on interior design is simple…surround yourself with people, natural elements and art forms that you love. Her home has a real connection to the outdoors and it’s evident that Amy uses nature as one of her main sources of inspiration. Her book also includes topics outside the realm of interior design namely fashion, music, gardening, handmade crafts and even camping! This book will never go out of style as won’t Amy’s view on a simple yet fulfilling lifestyle.
A few more books that I own and have found helpful are:
I almost always purchase my books from Amazon, usually in pairs so I can get the free shipping deal. I’ll ask for Amazon gift cards for my birthday and Christmas because I know there will always be another design book I’m wanting. I keep a running list of books that I want but don’t have and I’m a few years behind when I finally get them. But if they are the really good ones, it doesn’t matter because they’ll always be relevant to the world of design.
I just purchased these two books but haven’t had a chance to sink my teeth into them yet:
Maybe once I’ve had a chance to read up, I can give reviews on them if you think that’s something that would be interesting.
I encourage you to add a few design books to your personal library. They really are helpful in creating a home that’s you, a home that you can live in for years to come. And please, please, PLEASE read them! – don’t just look at the pictures {although that’s fun to do after you read ‘em front to back}. There’s so much information in the text that helps to explain the images. I’ve found myself looking at a picture and not seeing much but then I read the page and learn a wealth of knowledge from the picture. The words and photos are there together for a reason. You’re only shortchanging yourself if you don’t actually read design books.
Another tip I have for reading design books is to keep a little notepad handy for jotting down particular page numbers or images in books that you’d like to refer to again. I know they make those little sticky tabs to bookmark pages but I don’t like them for two reasons: 1) when I flip to that page with a bookmark sometimes I have no idea why I bookmarked it in the first place 2) I like to display my books and those tacky little tabs aren’t that appealing. So keep a running handbook of book titles, inspiring page numbers and a brief description as to why they’re inspiring. Believe me, it’ll be useful someday.
Happy reading!
images: all Dana Miller for House*Tweaking
Back in January, I showed you how I organize my home decor inspiration pictures in a 3-ring binder. Plastic sleeves protect the magazine tear-outs and I file them by room (i.e. kitchen, living room, bathroom, etc).
Imagine my surprise when I got an email (yes! my first email from a House*Tweaking reader!) from an old classmate who took My Little Black Book and put her own spin on it. Shayna and I go waaay back although I haven’t seen or talked to her in ages. We rode the same school bus for nearly 10 years?! (Is that right, Shayna?) In high school, Shayna was by far the most talented artist in our class. She did artwork for our yearbook cover and designed T-shirts for us too. Whenever anyone needed some creative style, they usually thought of Shayna first. So, you better believe I was ecstatic to hear that she had been inspired by something I’d done. Apparently, Shayna has a green thumb (something I don’t have) and a lot of land (again something I don’t have). She enjoys gardening and growing things from the ground up. To document and organize all her plantings and gardening ideas, Shayna put together a Gardening Black Book. Here’s what she had to say about it:
“On the cover you can see I’ve traced in a satellite photo in Illustrator of my property and I’m using that to decide my placement for planting and possible irrigation. I located areas with shade and shadowed them so I know to use shade plants in those areas. (We have a lot of trees) In my binder I’ve kept I log of when I’ve started which seeds and when I need to start others. I also printed useful things I’ve found online. I’ve sprouted inpatients, pansies, and a few other decorative plants that can begin this way. I’m now starting some veggies in larger pots.
You mentioned that gardening wasn’t one of your hobbies, I just thought you might like to see another spin on your idea! – Shayna”
Here’s her Gardening Black Book:
See the way she mapped out the landscape of her property? Isn’t that super cool?! The gray shaded areas are places for shade-loving plants. Genius.
The folder contains a calendar, planting notes, receipts and ideas. I think I even see a little seedling packet. Shayna’s twist on the inspiration folder is a, well, inspiration. Just think, you could use it for recipes, coupons, wedding planning, scrapbooking, sewing ideas…the options are endless.
Thanks, Shayna, for sharing your idea with H*T!
DIY, inspiration