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Get Your House Guests Talking
Create a Conversation Magnet With Something Clever and Unexpected
My husband and I live in a 1950 ranch-style home a few miles west of Madison, Wisconsin. When I'm not working, I like to do projects around my house, get out in my solo canoe or go camping, read design and psychology blogs and work on mixed media art.
My husband and I live in a 1950 ranch-style home a few miles west of Madison,... More »
We all love when our house guests tell us how much they like our homes. Sometimes it's what keeps us going, right? I'll be the first to admit that some of my projects get done only because somebody is coming over and I want something new to talk about — I'm a sucker for house project talk. But what can you add to your home to make it stand out from the rest? Is a bold paint color really enough to get people talking? I've found that most conversations in my own home start when people come across things they have never seen before. Like our weird stove that's sheltered by a house of bricks with the oven off to the side (see photo at the end of this ideabook). It's a fun way to get people to chat about things other than work or yesterday's weather.
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by Allison Cosmos
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| Imagine showing up to a new friend's house for the first time and knocking on a door like this ... you'd know right away that this person is going to throw a great party! This is an easy and budget-friendly way to add something fun to your own home. A quick online search for "stencils" will yield endless results and will make for a fun weekend project. |
Okay, check this out: Isn't that library that's cozied up into that little slanted area the coolest thing ever? I'm sure this is a magnet for conversation. And a great way to keep guests in the kitchen (if you want them there) while you are busy cooking.
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| The stained glass window does a lot for this space. I'd love to have my glass-artist friend make me a piece! I'm not so sure about energy efficiency, but you'd be dancing whenever you saw this anyway (at least I would be) so it would all work out in the end. But really, if you want something like this and are concerned about energy, you can always place stained glass over an existing window. Easier than adding or replacing a window, right? |
by Living2Design
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Speaking of windows, I am absolutely smitten over this room divider. I see old windows at on Craigslist all the time. If you're interested in doing this but can't find matching window sizes, just get whatever you see, paint them all the same color and lay them in a square shape on the floor. Make up for large gaps in between by hanging art or open frames in the middle. Get creative!
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| When I saw this, I instantly thought about my basement. We can't decide if we want to close off our stairs or leave them open. This pretty much solves that problem! P.S.: I'll be sure to have a bottle of glass cleaner on hand at all times. |
| And now that we have the sides of the stairs figured out, what should we do with the space underneath? Oh, I've got it — how about a bathroom! Seriously, this is genius. I've seen stairway closets that house paint or sports equipment, but never a bathroom. A very clever small space solution too, might I add. |
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If you don't need another bathroom, why not turn the empty area under the stairs into a fun area for kids? The coolest part is that you can get away with painting it bubblegum pink and not wonder if it will work with the rest of the house. The kids will love visiting and will remember your house forever. I know this because my aunt had one, and it was so much fun. Plus, we'd keep ourselves entertained for hours on end and the grownups never bothered us.
by Tara Seawright
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I love how the curtain panels on this doorway make it look like an ordinary window. Is there anywhere in your own home that you can do something like this? It's a nice way to hide clutter without having to explain what's behind the door that you refuse to open. Just act like they're window treatments!
by Shannon Poe
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"Hey Erin, where's the salt?" "Oh, just pull on that hunk of moulding. No, I'm not kidding — really, it's in there." I'm totally using this idea somewhere in my house. Super secret storage compartment!
| I will tell you that adding a pull-out area to write or work on will make a world of difference if you are as unorganized as I seem to be. It's so nice to just pull it out and start writing without having to move a bunch of stuff first. Anything to make life easier!
What fun or creative things have you added to your own house? Are they the highlight of your house tours you hoped they would be? More: Secret passages and hidden spots Browse more home design photos |
Comments
Erin Lang Norris Here's a photo of the funky stove/oven area I was talking about. While we do love it and it adds a bit of charm to our 50's ranch house, it can be quite a challenge when 2 people are cooking on the stove & the walls get in the way of pot handles pretty regularly. But it's still fun. :) 
2 years ago · Like
Christina Ebbers Love this ideabook! I am still inching away at the basics of getting my house designed in a way that I like, but I'd love to do some more creative stuff one day!
2 years ago · Like
Lisa Fun stuff! Esp the door and the old windows. And the important thing is NOT that the grownups never bothered YOU, but that YOU never bothered the grownups!!!
2 years ago · Like
Shannon Wheeler We live in a 1890's Victorian home with original stained glass in two windows, and you're right about energy efficiency! The great news is you can get excellent storm panels that really don't show from the outside and are very reasonably priced, and now your stained glass is totally energy-efficient!!! (and the panels aren't ugly like storm windows of old.)
2 years ago · Like
Ideabook updated on March 22, 2011.
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