Your Best Tip for Moving into your First Home?
Emily H
8 years ago
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Leah & Byron McFarlane
8 years agoRelated Discussions
Add your best clutter clearing tip!
Comments (60)@littlehoneybee - that reminds me of another thing I do to help with clutter. I actually do like magazines for reading in certain situations (when traveling, mostly) or will buy them occasionally when I want inspiration for something. However, who wants a whole stack of magazines sitting around just because you like two pictures? So as I'm reading I mark the pages where there's a picture/column/etc. that I want to refer back to, and then when I get home I go through and if I still like whatever it is, I cut it out of the magazine. Magazine goes in the recycle pile, cutting goes in a file folder temporarily. I have a set of cutting books (basically just sketchbooks with a solid binding) labeled by category (house, kitchen, fashion/makeup, artistic inspiration, etc.) and when I have time or a movie I want to watch, I get those out and a glue stick and my cuttings folder and stick the new cuttings into the books in appropriate places. (If it's a column or article where I need to see both sides, I staple it just at the top or side so you can flip it over.) This keeps the overall amount of stuff I'm saving small, PLUS it's actually very useful because over time you'll start to see patterns and preferences that you might not have been aware of if you actually sit and look at the things that catch your eye. (Like you might think you like a color in a particular photo, but when you put it next to other things you've liked in the past, it becomes evident that it's not necessarily that color so much as the contrast, or the light levels, or...) You could also take photos or scan them in, of course, and save them that way, but sometimes I like to have a physical object to look at. Seems to work better for me creatively. (And yes, sometimes I do print out pictures from online to add, too, even with Houzz and Pinterest. Some stuff I just need in hard copy.) ETA: This has come in super-handy for hair issues, actually. The book I use for fashion/hair type stuff is small enough that I can take it with me to the salon, and I group hair styles together based on timeline (i.e. there's a page from when I was in college, and then when I graduated and felt I should have a more 'grown up' look I started a new page, etc.) so I can show my stylist the current page and she can see what I like and then advise me on how to get something similar that works with my hair and facial features. So I don't get a cookie-cutter haircut and I get something that's flattering, but still has elements of the look I liked....See MoreYour Best Tips for Saving for a Renovation Project
Comments (9)As a designer, I am asked all the time how to create the look you want within a budget you can afford. Here are some of my favorite tips for stretching your designs dollars to reach further than you might imagine! 1. Work with a designer! While it may seem expensive at first glance, working with a designer will allow you to make well informed decisions and prevent costly mistakes. Be upfront with your budget and let your professional find the solutions for you. 2. Stockpile materials when you are able. Found your dream tile on sale but you can't afford to begin the entire project? Go ahead and buy it to save for when you're ready to go. A word to the wise, however, make sure you purchase at least 15% more material than you think you will need. Especially important for do it yourselfers... you don't want to run out of a product that was purchased through a close out! 3. In love with a piece that's way out of your budget? Take a photo of the item with your phone and use the google app to have it identify the item and search for similar pieces that may be available for far less. 4. Recycle! Your appliances, that is! Kitchens are expensive projects no matter how you slice it, but you can help offset the cost by selling your existing appliances and components to help them pay for your new acquisitions. Post an ad on an online message board, put a flyer in your local market, ask around to see if friends or family know of anyone who may be able to use some gently used pieces. You'd be surprised how much you can actually save by letting what you would normally throw away help pay for your purchases. 5. Spend the big bucks on the "wow factor" pieces and keep the other components on the frugal side. It's easy to live with less expensive cabinet pulls when you have a spectacular light fixture to fixate on. Spend your money where it will make the most dramatic impact in the space. 6. Saving for a new kitchen? Vow not to eat in restaurants and instead stash that money in the project fund....See MoreYour best wallpaper removal tips?
Comments (73)There is a way to make wallpaper removal easier. You need to know Brian Santos "The Wall Wizard." I went to a presentation he gave at a Home Show and learned more from him than anyone else regarding paint and wallpaper. Here is what he recommends: WALLPAPER REMOVER FORMULA BY WALLPAPER WIZARD 3 Gallons of hot water 22 ounces of wallpaper remover (this is the enzyme that eats the starch) 1/4 cup liquid fabric softener (a surfactant that makes water wetter) 1 cup white vinegar 2 tablespoons baking soda (the vinegar and soda together make the mixture pop and fizz) Use a Paper Tiger tool to score up the surface of the wallpaper. This will allow the formula to get to the glue. Using a new garden sprayer (like a Hudson sprayer) begin spraying the remover on the walls. Best to spray from bottom of wall up. Spray the wall 2-3 times in a row to really get it wet. Next, here is the most important part. COVER THE WET WALLS WITH PLASTIC (trash bags, sheet of plastic whatever you have). The plastic prevents the remover formula from drying out. Let it sit for a several hours or overnight to allow the chemical to breakdown the glue. Then you should be able to peal it off the wall much easier. Most people use chemicals but do not allow them the time to work. Using Brian’s method I took down the wallpaper in a small bedroom in 45 minutes. I have also used his idea of covering many other cleaning jobs with plastic. Had mineral deposit build-up around the tub drain. Placed soaked paper towels in vinegar and covered with plastic. Came back the next day and it scrubbed of easily. Did the same thing to a toilet ring that would not budge. Its now gone. Brian Santos website: http://thewallwizard.com/ You can SEE a number of HIS VIDEOS online: https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=brian+santos+wall+wizard&tbm=vid https://www.google.com/search?q=brian+santos+wall+wizard+books&biw=1600&bih=629&tbm=shop&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi0xNy69M_OAhVN52MKHZfgAbQQ_AUICCgB&dpr=1#q=brian+santos+wall+wizard+books&tbm=vid He also has many BOOKS on the market: https://www.google.com/search?q=brian+santos+wall+wizard+books&biw=1600&bih=629&tbm=shop&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi0xNy69M_OAhVN52MKHZfgAbQQ_AUICCgB&dpr=1...See MoreTell us: What are your best space-saving tips?
Comments (49)Bookish53: The Pull Out Tray System is manufactured by Conestoga Wood Specialties and can be ordered through an authorized reseller such as The Cabinet Authority or The Cabinet Joint. We bought ours along with our cabinets but they should work with any brand of cabinet that has a face frame. They will need interior dimensions of the cabinet as well as the width of the opening and the distance from the interior side of the cabinet to the edge of the face frame. The Blumotion glides are the same used for drawers; the included screws are used to attach a bracket to the rear of drawer cabinets. For the pullout system I recommend using flat head screws instead of the included round head screws to allow the trays to go in and out more easily. They can make the trays to fit virtually any width up to about 36"....See Moreazafatajulie
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