Turning a Medicine Cabinet Into a Home Message Center

I love the idea of using re-purposed furniture and the like for interior design and remodeling projects like this one.

Besides its obvious utility in a bathroom, a vintage medicine cabinet can double as a kitchen spice rack or a curio cabinet.When shopping for a vintage medicine cabinet for this project, look for a surface-mount unit. You can find vintage cabinets on eBay and Craigslist, but be sure to check out architectural salvage yards as well.

Turn a Medicine Cabinet Into a Message Center by Amy R. Hughes

4 Home Upgrades That Don't Pay

When thinking about interior design and remodeling, it's just as important to know what to avoid as it is to know what to pursue.

It's no secret that the real estate market is extremely tough right now, particularly for sellers. Because the U.S. housing market is flooded with unsold inventory, home buyers have countless choices available to them - which gives them all the power. If your home doesn't suit their fancy, they'll simply move along to next house on their mile-long property list.

Overall, it's good to put some work into your house before you try to sell it, as it can add value and make it more attractive to potential buyers. However, there are some things that will have the buyer running for the door - or will at least not add anything to the house's closing price. While it's certainly a smart move to make a few improvements, don't overdo it. If you spend stacks of cash on remodeling expenses, you'll probably never recoup your investment - especially in this buyer's market.

So how do you know which upgrades are worth the hassle and which ones aren't? Real estate pros point out four upgrades aren't worth your time and money... [read more]

4 Home Upgrades That Don't Pay by Amy Bell

Recycle and Reuse to Redecorate #interior_design

A great reminder that recycling and reuse go hand-in-hand with interior design and remodeling.

When you decorate or redecorate by reusing and renewing, you end up doing both yourself and the planet a big favor.

In recycling, we process something to regain use out of it. By putting glass, plastic and papers in the recycle bin, we are practicing post-consumer recycling. All those items can be processed to regain some use. Pre-consumer recycled materials are typically collected waste products from a manufacturing process that are put to use as some functional product. For example, the textile industry uses pre-consumer waste byproducts by turning fibers, fabrics, and trim into new raw materials for mattresses and upholstery.

Try using both pre- and post-consumer products when decorating your home, and browse garage sales and thrift shops for undiscovered reuse gems.

"Interiors: Redecorate with Recycled Décor" by Rosemary Sadez Friedman

A Masculine Bath More Traditional Gentlemen’s Club Than Locker Room #interior_design

Those interested in interior design and remodeling of bathrooms will be fascinated by this renovation.

Nothing speeds up a bath redo like a shower leaking into the room below it. At least, that was the impetus for  to finally tackle the  in Wilmette, Illinois. Remodeled in the 1980s, the charmless master bath of Martin Stock's 1910 home was lined with bulky beige built-ins. "I just wanted to throw three grenades in there and blow it up," he says.

Turning to designer Karen Walker, Stock presented her with magazine pages and offered up a piece of antique stained glass he bought in London. Walker fit the new amenities within the original footprint, using the existing plumbing lines - smart moves that allowed for high-end luxuries, such as custom cabinetry, an alabaster pendant, and marble floor tile. The result is a vintage-style space that’s stately but simple.

"A Ho-Hum Bath Becomes a Handsome Retreat" by Lauren Piro (This Old House Magazine)

Using less space to give greater quality of life

For those who believe that - when it comes to house - bigger is not necessarily better, this classic book on interior design and decorating for smaller homes is a must read..

In The Not So Big House, architect Sarah Susanka and coauthor Kira Obolensky propose "clear, workable guidelines for creating homes that serve both our spiritual needs and our material requirements." Susanka's urges homeowners to get creative with their space, and offers loads of ideas to encourage that creativity in chapters such as "Rethinking the House," "Making Not So Big Work," and "Lifestyles of the Not So Rich and Famous" - whereas "Dreams, Details, and Dollars" looks at quality versus quantity, budgeting, and what "low end," "middle ground," and "high end" really mean in home design and construction.

The Not So Big House by Sarah Susanka and Kira Obolensky

The Decoration of Houses

A classic book on interior design and decorating by Alexandra Stoddard.

Alexandra Stoddard has reinterpreted Edith Wharton's and Ogden Codman Jr.'s 1897 groundbreaking book The Decoration of Houses for a modern audience. Readable and appealing, the book offers a thoughtful analysis of the intersection of architecture with personal style, along with concrete and sensible suggestions for the decoration and use of floors, walls, furniture, and storage space.

The Decoration of Houses by Alexandra Stoddard

Waxing and Caring for Antique Furniture

This is a really great article on on interior design and decorating, specifically how to care for antique wooden furniture. I am also very impressed with The Furniture Connoisseur and the products that they offer.

For centuries, wax has been recognized for its natural protective qualities. Used throughout history by craftsmen, wax provides surface protection and enhances the inherent beauty of wood.

Furniture wax should never be considered a protective finish, but rather as a protective barrier, providing added wax protection to a finish or substrate from such things as moisture, dust and airborne pollutants.

 

[read more from Wax and Caring for Antique Furniture]

Animal-friendly design solutions to complement human-centric décor.

Animal lovers will really appreciate this post on interior design and decorating by Sonia Zjawinski.

There was a time when pets were pets. They had bowls and beds, and that was about it. But that's no longer the case.

Kristi Linauer, a Waco, Texas, interior decorator, put it: “Pets have become family members. We love them like children, so people are naturally drawn to anything that gives our pets a special place in our homes.” For some animal lovers, that means creating their own animal-friendly design solutions to complement their human-centric décor.

One example is a kitchen island with alcoves for food and water dishes, drawers for leashes and treats, and roll-out storage bins to hold bulk kibble. Another is a bathroom renovation planned around a cat's litter box, including a dedicated lavatory exhaust vent.

Animal-friendly design solutions to complement human-centric décor.

The Pros and Cons of an Open Floor Plan Home

A really interesting post on interior design and decorating by Ronique Gibson.

In the 1950s and 60s, the idea of compartmentalized rooms was a common theme.  By the 1980s floor plans evolved and rooms began to flow into one another. Today, the open floor plan has become a sought after amenity in homes. Yet the open floor plan concept is not for every family. Use these tips to see if it will be a fit for you.

The Pros and Cons of Having Open Floor Plan Home