tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9830650380030773532024-03-05T04:12:46.144-08:00DesignerelishSuzy Zillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032184494095337707noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-983065038003077353.post-2450364836637765542013-06-13T23:27:00.000-07:002013-06-14T17:36:25.654-07:00A DIY DESIGN EXERCISE: LIVING THE NEW YEAR' S RESOLUTION ALL YEAR LONG!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:DocumentProperties> <o:Revision>0</o:Revision> <o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:Pages>1</o:Pages> <o:Words>1341</o:Words> <o:Characters>7650</o:Characters> <o:Company>Ziller Consulting Services LLC</o:Company> <o:Lines>63</o:Lines> <o:Paragraphs>17</o:Paragraphs> <o:CharactersWithSpaces>8974</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:Version>14.0</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> <w:UseFELayout/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Story:</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhADBq3Qs_Ug18GKYUjteUxaqsjv05rdUDVILZmGUWfyGdzKDsk6OXlfHrI4HuAlPz_vG2bvR-GtRGQ8Ot2FC1y9kaOAnoZb_diZhOqgNn6FMnsHnlskLKzpNXkKFAoBc11A35uZgt78-WC/s1600/Picture+Book+582.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhADBq3Qs_Ug18GKYUjteUxaqsjv05rdUDVILZmGUWfyGdzKDsk6OXlfHrI4HuAlPz_vG2bvR-GtRGQ8Ot2FC1y9kaOAnoZb_diZhOqgNn6FMnsHnlskLKzpNXkKFAoBc11A35uZgt78-WC/s400/Picture+Book+582.jpg" width="211" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhADBq3Qs_Ug18GKYUjteUxaqsjv05rdUDVILZmGUWfyGdzKDsk6OXlfHrI4HuAlPz_vG2bvR-GtRGQ8Ot2FC1y9kaOAnoZb_diZhOqgNn6FMnsHnlskLKzpNXkKFAoBc11A35uZgt78-WC/s1600/Picture+Book+582.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I was young I used to hate exercising. Sweating and being out of breath was like torture to me and I avoided it at all cost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seemed so unnecessary and pointless. I was very small all through my school years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I graduated from high school in 1983, I was 5’2” and weighed a mere 96 pounds. Twenty-five percent of that was probably the weight of my larger than life, 1980’s, waist-long hair. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My eating habits would have definitely made Mrs. Obama cringe. I absolutely never ate breakfast and my lunch each day consisted of a Hostess Apple Pie, French fries, and an orange drink from the school cafeteria. If I had time before heading out the door for rehearsal each evening, I might throw down a peanut butter sandwich, some chips and a Milky Way bar. Of course there was always pizza at 10 pm if I was still hungry. I grew up during a decade when teenagers were expected to eat junk food and healthy eating and exercise was only for Olympic athletes once every four years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After graduation, my appetite changed and I started eating a wider variety of foods. Still not necessarily healthy foods, but at least I branched out from the daily Hostess Pie and I started to realize that there might be one or two more vegetables out there that weren’t made from potatoes. By the time I got married in 1988, I had gained a much-needed 10 pounds, weighing in at 106. Exercise was still not part of my life in any way but by this time I was working as a registered nurse on my feet all day and lifting patients in and out of bed. I figured that was enough. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, as I reached the age of 25, I started to notice that my clothes were growing increasingly tight and my old adage of eating whatever I wanted wasn’t really working for me any more. I decided to go to Weight Watchers with my mom and I quickly lost 25 pounds and got back down to my wedding weight. At this point I could easily drop three to five pounds a week with dieting alone, so exercise still seemed unnecessary.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I gave birth to my oldest child Emily, when I was 26 years old and spent the next five years of my life either pregnant with or nursing a baby. I barely had time to sleep much less exercise and my weight was bouncing up and down like a ping-pong ball. Finally when I realized that my baby-making career was over at the age of 31 with the birth of my third and final, I was left with a less than fortunate figure and a metabolism that was floundering. It was at this point I started to consider the idea of exercising.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://nikkigsblog.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/nordick-track.jpg?w=300&h=299" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://nikkigsblog.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/nordick-track.jpg?w=300&h=299" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My husband bought a Nordic Track Ski Machine on the recommendation of a friend and had started to work out several times a week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He gradually became disinterested and the contraption just sat collecting dust in the middle of the finished basement in our first house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The old Nordic Track machines were a bit awkward and required you to pull on cords with your hands while your feet slid back and forth in a skiing motion. Although I almost strangled myself in attempting to master the mechanics, the desire to get my “post-three-babies-body” into shape inspired me to persist. Surprisingly, once I got the faux cross-country skiing down, I didn’t actually hate it. The exercise provided much needed stress relief for a mom of three small children and I started to see results in my weight loss as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The problem with the exercise machine was that we really didn’t have a space to store it that was out of the way. The basement was the main play area for the children and I was constantly worrying about them hanging themselves in the cords. When the new HealthPlex opened up close to our neighborhood, we decided to sell the machine at a garage sale and join the health club instead.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.fairfield-city.org/images/devServices/healthplex_2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.fairfield-city.org/images/devServices/healthplex_2010.jpg" width="304" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://volunteertv.eviesays.com/image/83037_200x200b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
</a>The health club was a wonderful place to go and workout. It was filled with two stories of elliptical machines</span><span class="Apple-style-span">, free and Nautilus style weights, and exercise classes galore. There was even a day care center for small children to play while mom worked out. There was a pool, a running track, and access to personal trainers. It was awesome. Awesome that is…when I went. It wasn’t that far away but if the weather was bad, the car needed defrosting, or the kids were sick I found myself skipping workout days. Worst of all I would see so many people I knew there. My workouts were always interrupted by conversations with friends and acquaintances and I always felt like I had to look my best. So if I was having an extremely bad hair day or my non-shabby work out clothes were in the washing machine, I would often opt to stay home. By the end of a year of membership, I realized that I was just not getting my money’s worth. The fact was, when I was working out at home I could get up, throw on some sweats, and have my workout completed in far less time than it took to get ready, drive to the health club, chat with friends, and finally get in my exercise routine.</span></span><br />
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<o:p></o:p> </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Therefore, when we built our second home we included in the plans for the finished basement a separate workout room. The room was generous in size with laminate wood-style floors and a full, mirrored wall. By this time our daughters were taking numerous dance classes and I had returned to performing as a professional singer and actress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The room would also serve as a practice area for the girl's dancing and a space for my vocal and acting rehearsal. I finally had a designated room for an elliptical machine, free weights, and exercise mats. We installed a TV in the corner of the room to help pass the time while on the tread machine and a VCR to play my Pilates instruction videos. My husband wired speakers for sound and hooked up his jukebox in the room. When my children reached high school age and would host parties, we would push the larger equipment into storage and the space accommodated a dance party for 20-30 friends. Over the next 8 years, exercise became a regular part of my daily and weekly routine and I got into the best shape of my life. Our home workout room was one of the most used, multipurpose spaces in the house. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two years ago, when my family relocated to Pittsburgh, I had hoped to find a house that would have a workout space in the basement just like our Fairfield, Ohio home. Home exercise had become a big part of my life. However, the hilly terrain in Pittsburgh made it difficult to find a home that had a useable basement at all, much less one with a space large enough to accommodate all of our existing equipment. An overwhelming percentage of homes in Western Pennsylvania have the garage in the basement leaving only small areas to finish as living space. We were fortunate after an extensive search to finally find a home with a nice sized finished basement and potential unfinished space that held possibilities for a future workout room.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.lewisandclarkroadtrips.com/art/tp_region2_300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://www.lewisandclarkroadtrips.com/art/tp_region2_300.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our relocation involved a year of me commuting from a rental home in Cincinnati in order to allow our second daughter, Dorsey, to graduate from high school. Every other weekend I was making the 4-hour trip from Cincinnati to Pittsburgh. Without access to my equipment, I tried to keep fit by walking the neighborhoods in both cities but that fell by the wayside when the weather turned inclement. All the commuting as well as travel for my work was taking a toll on my eating habits. Although I tried to count Weight Watcher Points, my 45-year-old metabolism was finding it hard to gain momentum without the exercise. I found myself slowly losing the “Battle of the Bulge”. When I finally moved full time to Pittsburgh in June of 2012, we had so many other home projects that needed our attention that creating an exercise space was a low priority and our health was paying the price.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://southhallcrossfit.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/fat-santa-300x199.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://southhallcrossfit.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/fat-santa-300x199.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I reached critical mass (literally and “figure”-a-tively) this last Christmas. After the holidays, I got on the scale and much to my horror I was over 25 pounds greater than my weight two years before. Over the last year we had repainted and decorated every room in the house, renovated our closets, renovated our master bathroom, and renovated the finished area of the basement. We had done it all on a strict budget but by this time we had exhausted virtually every dollar. Mentally and physically I needed to make a change in my health habits and was desperate to find a way to create an area where I could re-establish my exercise routine and utilize all the equipment we had stacked in storage. This would be a true test of our DIY abilities. This wasn’t just renovating an existing room but creating a space from nothing by building and moving walls, installing a ceiling, installing lighting, and installing a floor. In our former life my husband and I had taken on small do-it-yourself projects but for the most part we hired contractors for the complicated stuff. Although we had tackled renovating the closets in the last year and came through with flying colors, creating the workout room from scratch would be the true test for us. So it came to be, that on January 1, 2013, I took my usual New Year’s resolution to lose weight and kicked it up to the next level.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b>Design Topic of the Week:</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;">EXERCISING YOUR DESIGN SKILLS: CREATING AN IN-HOME WORKOUT ROOM</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I have stated before, we were very fortunate to find a home in hilly Pittsburgh that had a full basement with an adequate storage area with space to build a workout room. Our unfinished area also had an odd little closet space that was walled off with paneling and was accessed through a framed doorway. Basically this closet was the size and shape of our bay window eating area in the kitchen above. When we moved in we were a bit puzzled as to what purpose this strange space was used for. It had no direct access from the finished part of the basement and its cinder-block walls were painted a bright yellow. The cement floor in the partitioned area was painted decoratively to resemble terra cotta tile. My husband speculated that the previous owner had used it as a wine cellar, while I was suspicious that perhaps it had once been a play house for grandchildren. My own teenage children, on the other hand, had more ominous thoughts. All three of them joked that it must have been some sort of lock-up chamber for abducted children. Although none of us could determine the original use for the room, we all agreed that it was of no use to us. It was too small to actually use for anything more than a closet.</span><br />
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However, I could see that the paneled wall adjacent to the door that accessed the finished area, was actually bisecting a very nice sized usable space. If the wall could be moved to the other side of the access door it could create a really nice sized room with an interesting angle bay feature. Since there was an additional access door on the other side of the basement, moving the wall would not impede access to the furnace, water heater, and storage area. Renovation of the space would require a number a building skills and our confidence was low. I had worked in theatrical design for a number of years and had helped build my fair share of stage sets but those structures had definitely been of the temporary nature and only had to look good from the front.</span><br />
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My husband and I crunched the numbers to see what kind of budget would be available for the project. We had spent money on other projects in the house and we now had two girls in college. There really wasn't any more money available. If this was going to happen we would need to do it ourselves and we would need to recycle existing materials to help keep the costs down.</span><br />
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The first step, as always, was to create a master plan:</span><br />
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The wall would need to be moved 10 feet to the other side of the door, hopefully in one or two pieces if possible. The wall fortunately was not anchored to the floor. It would need to be stabilized by screwing two by fours horizontally across the studs in several places, pried from the rafter above, moved into it's new position, squared, and anchored in place.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We determined that we would not frame and drywall the entire room. The cinder-block walls would be sealed and painted a light neutral color. The stained bead-board paneling would be carefully removed and recycled to cover the studded walls and painted in the same light color as the cinder-block.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because of time, access to utilities in the basement ceiling, and our novice skill set, we would purchase additional bead-board and trim to create the ceiling and we would forego drywalling the ceiling. In addition I had researched on Houzz.com bead-board ceilings and decided I actually liked the look. I felt it would add needed interest and detail to a room that would have no windows.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We would purchase a wood-look laminate, snap and lock, floating floor from Costco at a great discount and install it ourselves after looking at online video tutorials. The </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">foam under-laminate along with the moisture barrier actually has a bit of a spring making the floor a good surface for exercise. The floor is also not easily scratched which is great for my tap dancing, musical theater major, daughter who uses the space for rehearsal from time to time.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We would purchase a wall mount for an old TV/DVD combo that we had in storage</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To unify the the paneling and the cinder-block, as well as to cover any gaps, we would purchase and install baseboards and crown moldings and paint them out to match the walls.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two simple but stylish flush mount lighting fixtures would be purchased from Home Depot.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because we felt electrical safety was a must and electrical work was beyond our comfort level, we would hire an electrician to install the lights, move the electrical outlets, and install additional plugs for the TV.</span></li>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The most difficult thing when doing a major DIY project like this is determining the best order in which to proceed. What do you do first, last, and in-between, so you get it all done and don't have to undo anything. After one.... or maybe twelve vigorous conversations, we decided to proceed in the following order:</span></div>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Strip the paneling</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Move the wall</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Replace paneling on exposed studs</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Install the ceiling (remember to accurately measure, mark and cut holes for light fixtures)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Seal and paint all walls and ceiling </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Install floor (done after painting to avoid excessive drips on floor)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Call in electrician to install lights and outlets</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pre-paint moldings (easier done on the ground)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Install trim moldings (done after ceilings, walls, floors and paint to cover all gaps)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Caulk around all edges of trim to seal gaps and then add final touch up paint</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Install equipment, furniture, and accessories</span></li>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It took us about 6 weekends to complete the construction of the room and we were very pleased with the results. My husband paid a great deal of attention to the moldings and trims in the room. When finishing a basement space there are many irregularities that need to be dealt with and moldings go a long way in covering a multitude of sins. It was very time consuming but very worth it as far acheiving a professional and finished look.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One area of particular concern was the place where the steel support beam intersected the cinder-block foundation. A clever puzzle of wood pieces and crown moldings were intricately scribed and interlocked to conceal the issues. Painting the moldings the same color as the wall and ceilings helps to unify and meld the multitude of woodwork and makes the imperfections appear more architectural.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The tall base boards serve a dual purpose of covering the expansion space at the edge of the floating floor and marrying the cinder-block walls with the bead-board paneling.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once construction was complete we again had a warm bright space in which to exercise. It was much more pleasant than the odd, dark and dungeon-like area that we had before we started our many weekends of work. The bright wall color brought needed light into the windowless room. However, although the space was functional it was not yet Designerelish....</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh4OiBEWme46XHORxJvRGdryT-FCVvlJMQQHnbA1pjbnAIm53dPqd3LrNUriSqMrjSqf7uaNgvQ-ABQzeS-YzfR3BR9oBWagYZOrGM-kDOzCZYwB-y5Oj75iqPedsdeFCUYHIhbdUvceRO/s1600/IMG_3855.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="clear: right; color: black; float: right; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh4OiBEWme46XHORxJvRGdryT-FCVvlJMQQHnbA1pjbnAIm53dPqd3LrNUriSqMrjSqf7uaNgvQ-ABQzeS-YzfR3BR9oBWagYZOrGM-kDOzCZYwB-y5Oj75iqPedsdeFCUYHIhbdUvceRO/s640/IMG_3855.JPG" width="640" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't need to remind you that there was next to no budget for this project because I have already mentioned that at least four times. So to get the Designerelish flair I was going to need to come up with a couple of low budget DIY projects and hit my favorite discount stores. Luckily converting a portion of our storage area into an exercise room forced us to go through some of the old pieces of furniture that we had stored there. As we were reorganizing, I happened upon this old painted corner cabinet that formerly lived in my daughter's old bedroom. It had started out as "shabby chic" but had crossed over the line to "just plain shabby" a few years ago. I had kept it because of its nice bones and like many other rainy-day-rehab-projects it got buried among the other forgotten treasures during one of our many moves. I wanted a shelving unit to house workout towels, bottled water, and exercise DVDs and this little piece fit perfectly into the corner of the room plus it was the right price. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first thing I did was to use paintable caulk to seal all of the gaps between pieces of joined wood. Many times people tell me that when they try to paint old furniture that it never looks professional and they are dissatisfied with the result. Caulking is the key to giving painted furniture that factory finished look.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I decided to paint the white cabinet in the same off-white color as the walls and moldings in the room to give it a built-in, architectural look. That would have been a brilliant idea only we didn't have anymore of that paint left. Fortunately, I am one of those people who never throws out those little pint size paint testers that you get from Sherwin Williams. I often buy several shades to try out before I make the final choice and I always keep them even though I am never quite sure exactly what I can use them for. I just so happened to have the the tester of the Navajo White (Sherwin Williams #6126) that I had used in the room.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It wasn't quite enough paint to do the entire cabinet. So necessity being the mother of invention, I found another tester in a golden tan hue and painted the inside backs of the shelves in the mildly contrasting color. The soft gold color worked well with the creamy colored paint and added nice detail to the piece.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The result was awesomely useful and cost nothing but a little bit of effort!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The exercise room in my Cincinnati home had a wall of mirrors just like a professional exercise studio and I yearned to be able to replicate that in this new DIY space. However, when I priced out the custom mirrors for the wall the price ranged from $2500 to $3000 which was completely out of the question since that was almost three times the budget for the whole room. All I can say is that when I really, really want something I get very determined and my brain goes into over time. As I was "Puzzling with my puzzler,"(to quote Dr. Suess) I saw the two discarded mirrored doors from my closet rehab project leaning against the basement storage wall and I got my measuring tape out! I realized that four of these doors would be just the right size to mirror the wall and if I pried off the metal framing they would look almost identical to the custom plate glass. Unfortunatley, I was not able to find another set of doors that were the exact size of the two I already owned but a little online research and I was able to find two new sets at home depot for only $117 each. I purchased the mirrors, a tube of mirror adhesive, and some j-chanel tracks. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img alt="TRUporte 230 Series 72 in. x 80 in. Steel White Mirror Sliding..." border="0" force="1" height="400" src="http://embed.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-thing/size/x/tid/85835328.jpg" title="TRUporte 230 Series 72 in. x 80 in. Steel White Mirror Sliding..." width="400" /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/truporte_230_series_72_in/thing?.embedder=6495326&.svc=blogger&id=85835328" target="_blank">TRUporte 230 Series 72 in. x 80 in. Steel White Mirror Sliding...</a> (clipped to <a href="http://www.polyvore.com/" target="_blank">polyvore.com</a>)</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh86aFOi3WkMSvU0x2X2gRCaqgRYrxKWQLi7LHi7IJ_p3KyXJgbl-YfJCtbUhZGLovHWwGW0COQP7j0vSzs8usyxXJOhCqYAz10uw-xMg9Mm_ca-ba4WTgWPdsBiPgrIa3zxSonSM7HooB1/s1600/IMG_3837.JPG" imageanchor="1"> </a><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/erias_home_designs_72_in/thing.outbound?.embedder=6495326&.svc=blogger&id=85835632" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Erias Home Designs 72 in. J-Mold-208146 at The Home Depot" border="0" force="1" height="400" src="http://embed.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-thing/size/x/tid/85835632.jpg" title="Erias Home Designs 72 in. J-Mold-208146 at The Home Depot" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.polyvore.com/loctite_10_fl.-oz_pl530_mirror/thing.outbound?.embedder=6495326&.svc=blogger&id=85835759" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="Loctite 10 fl.-oz. PL530 Mirror, Marble and Granite Adhesive-1693636..." border="0" force="1" height="400" src="http://embed.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-thing/size/x/tid/85835759.jpg" title="Loctite 10 fl.-oz. PL530 Mirror, Marble and Granite Adhesive-1693636..." width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">My husband and I carefully removed the white aluminum framing from the panels and attached them to the wall using the mirror adhesive and the j-chanel mounting brackets. So for under $300, I had my $3000 mirror wall. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To add just a touch of personalization and interest to a primarily utilitarian room, I chose to keep it simple with a single large scale framed photographic print. The Vilschult London Bus picture from Ikea makes a big impact for only $49.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This project was definitely great exercise for our DIY and interior design skills and the results will have a profound impact on our health for years to come. Since we finished the workout room my husband and I have been gradually working back into our old home exercise routine and I have made some headway by shedding 10lbs. I still have a way to go but I no longer can use the weather as an excuse not to exercise and I'm living my New Year's resolution all year long!</span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76a5af; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dont forget to check out my Designerelish Crock Pot and Designerelish Pantry pages for more great design ideas to use in your own home.</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For those who would like to create their own home workout room and prefer to shop for equipment and accessories from the couch, you can click on the pictures below for links. Enjoy!</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.polyvore.com/designerelish_home_workout_room/set?.embedder=6495326&.svc=blogger&id=85574616" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="Designerelish: Home Workout Room" border="0" force="1" height="494" src="http://cfc.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-set/.sig/lO1qqBWZuAbnkefaHulPg/cid/85574616/id/dQAWBIZeRiqmywaf18Kvew/size/c600x494.jpg" title="Designerelish: Home Workout Room" width="600" /></span></a></div>
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<small><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/designerelish_home_workout_room/set?.embedder=6495326&.svc=blogger&id=85574616" target="_blank">Designerelish: Home Workout Room</a> by <a href="http://sziller.polyvore.com/?.embedder=6495326&.svc=blogger" target="_blank">sziller</a> on <a href="http://www.polyvore.com/" target="_blank">Polyvore</a></span></small></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing?.embedder=6495326&.svc=blogger&id=50047699" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img force="1" height="50" hspace="4" src="http://ak1.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-thing/size/s/tid/50047699.jpg" title="Carson 5 Shelf Corner Bookcase - White" vspace="4" width="50" /></a><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing?.embedder=6495326&.svc=blogger&id=68139495" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img force="1" height="50" hspace="4" src="http://ak2.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-thing/size/s/tid/68139495.jpg" title="Brooks Brothers Terry Hand Towel" vspace="4" width="50" /></a><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing?.embedder=6495326&.svc=blogger&id=83437403" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img force="1" height="50" hspace="4" src="http://ak1.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-thing/size/s/tid/83437403.jpg" title="BALL, BOUNCE SPORT BOSU Susan G. Komen for the Cure Balance Trainer" vspace="4" width="50" /></a><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing?.embedder=6495326&.svc=blogger&id=84439442" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img force="1" height="50" hspace="4" src="http://ak1.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-thing/size/s/tid/84439442.jpg" title="LG 32" Class 720p 60Hz LED HDTV - Black (32LN530B)" vspace="4" width="50" /></a><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing?.embedder=6495326&.svc=blogger&id=83949586" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img force="1" height="50" hspace="4" src="http://ak1.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-thing/size/s/tid/83949586.jpg" title="BODYFIT 5-pound Weighted Resistance Ball" vspace="4" width="50" /></a></span></div>
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Suzy Zillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032184494095337707noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-983065038003077353.post-52376245517463888342013-06-10T12:09:00.000-07:002013-06-13T12:52:30.744-07:00I'M STILL HERE: SIDETRACKED BY SCHOOL, WORK, TRAVEL, AND LANDSCAPING BUT STILL FEELING DESIGNERELISH!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Please don't think I have deserted you! This last month has been very busy for me. During the merry month of May, I traveled to Petaluma, California and Chicago, Illinois for my work in corporate event production. There was also an unexpected trip for several days to my hometown of Cincinnati for a family funeral. In addition to traveling I have been working on a costume design project for a client and produced and directed a the Talent Showcase at my son's high school. To add insult to injury, it finally quit snowing in Pittsburgh (that doesn't happen very often) and the last few weekends have been spent working in the yard planting, pruning, and mulching. So as you can see, my design sensibilities have been pulled in so many directions that I am beginning to feel like a "Stretch Armstrong" doll. </div>
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However, do not fear, my next home improvement installment is just around the corner! I am almost finished with the photography and writing for my next post that features the new DIY workout room that my husband and I have been laboring on since January. So stay tuned and I will have something for you by the end of the week! Until then, thought you might enjoy a peek at some of the fruits of my hectic month.</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Cool Design in a Chicago Hotel Room:</span></b></div>
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Even when I am traveling for work, I can't help but notice great design ideas found in my temporary living spaces. My five day stay at the Wit Hotel on North State Street in Chicago did not disappoint!</div>
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First of all, I had a fantastic view of the city and "L" Train from my 12th floor window</div>
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One cool design element was this yellow film applied to one angled pane of the window. It created a very cool light effect stripe in the room when the sun shown through.</div>
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The rooms designer chose a very interesting and and sophisticate color palette of deep purple-brown and neutral grey with pops of teal, maroon, and orange. The wall behind the bed was a cork-like texture and the artwork over the head board was an fascinating combination of textures and textiles.</div>
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The art piece appeared to be a hard board upholstered in a textural neutral fabric. The red "links" were comprised of a red wool fabric that had been sewn into a tube and then cut into two inch pieces. The pieces were glued or sewn to the board standing on end with a pin-tuck in the center of each to create the perky shape. The bed's head board was upholstered neatly in a mocha faux leather.</div>
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I always love the upscale look of crisp white hotel linens! Funny how welcoming and relaxing it is to come back to this temporary home after a complicated production schedule and long day of work!</div>
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The neutral and somewhat masculine design is given a touch of sparkle and feminine with the bright and comfortable orange chaise and the the crystal drop floor lamp.</div>
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The exciting city view was even better at night when glittered with lights!</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Everyone has a special talent so why not show it off?</span></b></div>
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Sometimes my design skills are put to work on the stage as a director. It was my privilege to work with an awesome team of adults and students at Bishop Canevin High School to produce the first ever Talent Showcase!</div>
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Whether it was my son Cory Ziller singing to girls sweet and cute.....</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKQ48L2i7uJeMHjaopa2CHYlIOKUgN0rTEUTy8b4LJqHubaRnEykRh3Gr_gQbpubSBpNSLkO6t1xAxRaPB6bdeVc7BBfGOKNjpiav0PZQh71rXqoHbyQSkf5NXGRaqtvjbuaDgghjHKN09/s1600/IMG_2868.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="423" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKQ48L2i7uJeMHjaopa2CHYlIOKUgN0rTEUTy8b4LJqHubaRnEykRh3Gr_gQbpubSBpNSLkO6t1xAxRaPB6bdeVc7BBfGOKNjpiav0PZQh71rXqoHbyQSkf5NXGRaqtvjbuaDgghjHKN09/s640/IMG_2868.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Or hearing the sweet pure sounds of a soloist playing the flute.....<br />
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A song sung to the fun rhythm of a Solo cup.......<br />
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Or the whole crew busting out a show tune, What's up???.....<br />
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The thrill of a dancer in flight....<br />
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Or a martial artist marveling us with the fight...<br />
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Every twirl.....</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOh2JH_9pPyXbJkTe60JQfekxRAPjRBrPHJMPlDfon9MyvpYO4AXXd4_3Kb0N9HZESjGQwO2MOHFZeM6Fp1bUVSqQJ-hhKr7KecU_-0n4csr3TXNtz_F09xb-QbPN2s0zpVcy_0oZ7h1ZI/s1600/IMG_3046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="423" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOh2JH_9pPyXbJkTe60JQfekxRAPjRBrPHJMPlDfon9MyvpYO4AXXd4_3Kb0N9HZESjGQwO2MOHFZeM6Fp1bUVSqQJ-hhKr7KecU_-0n4csr3TXNtz_F09xb-QbPN2s0zpVcy_0oZ7h1ZI/s640/IMG_3046.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Every swirl.....</div>
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Every Boy and Girl.......</div>
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Did their best and made me proud!</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The Longest Yard:</span></b></div>
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What started out bleak and bland....</div>
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With three weekends, 12 yards of mulch, about 50 plants and shrubs, an electric hedge trimmer, and a bottle of Ibuprofen later....... is now grand!</div>
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The pictures tell their own story!</div>
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Question: What are we doing next weekend?</div>
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Answer: The backyard!</div>
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<br />Suzy Zillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032184494095337707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-983065038003077353.post-15916813330803389602013-05-01T00:24:00.001-07:002013-06-11T10:45:29.362-07:00EVOLUTION OF THE CLOSET: THE HONEYMOON IS NOT OVER YET!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">THE STORY:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As the youngest of four children one would think that
staking claim to closet space would have been a challenge for me growing up.
Actually the opposite was true. Our family home had four bedrooms. My parents
inhabited the master suite and that left three other rooms to split between the
four children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My sister who was eleven
years my senior, was the oldest. Consequently, the privilege of getting a
private room was deemed as her birthright. My two older brothers were delegated
to share the largest of the rooms because they were both boys. This left me odd
girl out and by default I was awarded my own room like my sister. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzVrBn57yEGu8jHUNrCyFnErwYO4bS86jS8fbVrQiS1jGWtatwTMhabmWbDoCcroU5CbQAzL7cXB-wccKz5Pig5_xFtQmwdBgE4_rvmphyphenhyphenTdzkTk0z8WWu-Enr4k7J7OGxrpJPcUucKm6X/s1600/Picture+Book+021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzVrBn57yEGu8jHUNrCyFnErwYO4bS86jS8fbVrQiS1jGWtatwTMhabmWbDoCcroU5CbQAzL7cXB-wccKz5Pig5_xFtQmwdBgE4_rvmphyphenhyphenTdzkTk0z8WWu-Enr4k7J7OGxrpJPcUucKm6X/s400/Picture+Book+021.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Brother Mike, Sister Holly, Mom, Brother Pat, and Me<br />at my 30th Birthday Party seventeen years ago</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHgP6-q3vasu6af77ytgRMgKKmzmxJGGkdrWb9flvnz1AFPr7wa6Pw0m2uzOictZihP19duHnoC3PIsb28hwDTBv3P4zQZ07LcESE2E-EA_topZCWwvdtFeCqszKf243vjJivI45b6nHKY/s1600/Picture+Book+604.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHgP6-q3vasu6af77ytgRMgKKmzmxJGGkdrWb9flvnz1AFPr7wa6Pw0m2uzOictZihP19duHnoC3PIsb28hwDTBv3P4zQZ07LcESE2E-EA_topZCWwvdtFeCqszKf243vjJivI45b6nHKY/s400/Picture+Book+604.jpg" width="382" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My Sibs and I with Mom<br /> Christmas sometime in the late 1990's</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My room was definitely the smallest of the four but the
closet was equal in size to the others. As my siblings matured and eventually
flew the coop, I gradually absorbed the spaces that they vacated. By the time I
went college as commuter in 1983, I had all three rooms and three closets at my
disposal. Although youngest children often complain about too many
hand-me-downs and domineering older siblings, to be completely honest there are
definitely some great perks to being the youngest in birth order.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I left my parents home after graduating from college, I
was fortunate to find a two-bedroom apartment that I rented with my roommate,
Monique. The apartment wasn’t very fancy, but it had nice sized rooms with
great closet space. Plus my parents still allowed me to store most of my out of
season things at home. I had grown very accustomed to being able to spread out
my belongings without having to share storage space. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, when I got married at the age twenty-two I was in
for a rude awakening. My husband and I moved into a one-bedroom apartment that
had a single walk-in closet. For the first time in my life I was forced to
share closet space and it threw me for a bit of a loop. The space was cramped
and my husband didn’t have the same closet habits as myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Getting ready for work each day was a daunting
challenge with inaccessible, tightly packed clothes and toe-stubbing obstacles
created by his possessions on the floor. The situation was definitely a point
of contention in our new marriage. Unlike my siblings who had grown up and
moved out, my new husband was here to stay. Lucky for him, he was a very cute
guy who had stolen my heart or I might have encouraged him to move out just
like my sister and brothers before him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeQ_IThNY4rtz-KYdcQYsicU-RTbi03MX1VQFIKiYGn000E1svNoi1EjixG6TFAXlvrEqCT1JhDbTNC6MFiL9O1L6_e515Gcgmix0oeXapp2nlRRETReAjO8FQOr2fNfuS4z1IATay6h6E/s1600/SuzySiblings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeQ_IThNY4rtz-KYdcQYsicU-RTbi03MX1VQFIKiYGn000E1svNoi1EjixG6TFAXlvrEqCT1JhDbTNC6MFiL9O1L6_e515Gcgmix0oeXapp2nlRRETReAjO8FQOr2fNfuS4z1IATay6h6E/s640/SuzySiblings.jpg" width="514" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The four of us together on the last day I would have my own closet</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Needless to say, by the time we built our own first home
with four bedrooms I was very ready for the larger sized walk-in closet in the
master suite. Plus there would be three other walk-ins in the spare bedrooms
that would allow me to again spread out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was like a dream come true! I would no longer have to fight my poor
husband for storage dominance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unfortunately, all dreams, good or bad, come to an end in
the light of day. My bliss was cut short over the next 5 years as I gave birth
to three children who moved into the bedrooms and began to fill the extra
closets with their own clothes and toys. As the kid’s possessions grew in
number our own closet appeared to shrink in size. My displaced clothes came
home to roost back in the master bedroom and I found my self struggling to find
clothes buried in the over crowded racks and tripping over stacks of items on
the floor. It was like being a newlywed all over again…but not in a good way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When we eventually built our “Dream” home in 2001, master
bedroom closets were a big priority. At this point I was completely done with
sharing and the blue print was designed to accommodate two separate walk-in
closets in the master bedroom. We went one step further and hired a
professional closet organizing company to come in and design custom shelving,
racks, and chest of drawers in the “his and hers” closets. The result was
phenomenal. Not only did the closets look wonderful but they functioned
wonderfully as well. Getting ready each day and keeping things accessible and
organized was a breeze. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I said before, it seems like really good dreams sometimes
end abruptly. This time it was reminiscent of that reoccurring dream many
people have where they feel like they are falling backwards and when they land
with a slam in bed they are once again jolted back into reality. My husband’s
career sent us free falling into relocation from Ohio to Pennsylvania, which
included a year of rental properties as well as buying and selling homes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The rental home that I lived in for one year during the transition
between Cincinnati and Pittsburgh was a very tiny charming old house. It was
built after the Second World War at a time when closets were an afterthought in
most floor plans. In a few short days I went from having the best closet I had
ever had in my life to the worst closet I had ever had in my life. The closets
in the rental were so small that my daughters and I kept the majority of our
clothes on rolling racks in the creepy old basement. When I got ready each
morning I would take great care to give each article of clothing a good shake
to make sure there wasn’t any little six or eight leg critters sleeping within.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1O3BAACiFBWdVeVOY3VU3vSsMRdlMB0J3UFqHWB2Q2vt2sbO5phRyVxPcgVLxJYDYqJEb6ripTDTmnNN3GanAR46FgYre9X_6XzHVCbiY8ogvN30frjhPFY2aIEu5upEnGBC4miX7Roj3/s1600/IMG_0871.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1O3BAACiFBWdVeVOY3VU3vSsMRdlMB0J3UFqHWB2Q2vt2sbO5phRyVxPcgVLxJYDYqJEb6ripTDTmnNN3GanAR46FgYre9X_6XzHVCbiY8ogvN30frjhPFY2aIEu5upEnGBC4miX7Roj3/s640/IMG_0871.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My post-war rental home</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To add insult to injury the master closets in our new Pittsburgh
home, although fairly roomy, were poorly arranged and meagerly equipped. There was a
single large walk-in with an impractically small amount of wire shelving and partitioned wire hanging
racks that didn’t allow for sliding clothes back and forth. In addition there
was a separate wall closet with a set of sliding mirrored doors. The door
opening was much smaller than the actual closet, which made a large portion of
the space inaccessible and unusable. I still remember the first weekend I
commuted from Cincinnati to Pittsburgh. I pulled my suitcase into the master
bedroom to unpack. When I opened the closet doors and saw that my husband’s
belongings were filling every inch of both closets, I knew instantly that this
was going to be a big problem when I eventually moved in for good at the end of
the year. That old newlywed feeling hit me once more but as far as the closets
went the honeymoon was definitely over.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Design Topic of the
Week:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Using Space Wisely: A Closet Makeover<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The closet renovation was the first priority on our long
list when I moved to Pittsburgh full time last June. Only this time, we would
not have the same budget as we had when we built our “Dream” home a few years
back. The year of commuting, the expense of the long distance move, and the higher
cost of living in Pittsburgh would not allow our budget to cover hiring a
contractor this time around. Any closet improvements would need to be strictly
DIY. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After quite a bit of research I was
lead to what I like to call, “A new home owner’s best friend” otherwise know as
IKEA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The IKEA store is known for it’s reasonably priced storage
solutions and I was very pleased to find a customizable closet organization
system that would fit our needs. Although IKEA has amazing products the deep
discounts come at the price of sweat equity and self-assembly. IKEA is not for
the faint of heart. There are usually lots of parts and screws and the
directions resemble the comic strips you find in the Sunday newspaper, very few
words and lots of pictures. It can be quite intimidating but my deep desire
to once again have a functional closet and my need to accomplish this on a
strict budget outweighed my fear of misinterpreting the hieroglyphics. In the
end IKEA won me over with quality design at a great price and my husband and I
dived into the world of IKEA to renovate and organize our closets.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Choosing and installing closet wardrobe frames and
accessories is very involved but following in my footsteps may help you to demystify the process.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdcENTh8ntF8A0LBz2_he44xZs0vID4eDXZ7tgsXLOYFmPVidA5SSAeiAEyu4f2mvQUMpd6nLpR3xljmp4tFmOcdONTW4c7XrG4vkbOsPKw_iYnw_VNMrRWagn1xjA35PlzxQ2W153Y_O2/s1600/IMG_7562.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdcENTh8ntF8A0LBz2_he44xZs0vID4eDXZ7tgsXLOYFmPVidA5SSAeiAEyu4f2mvQUMpd6nLpR3xljmp4tFmOcdONTW4c7XrG4vkbOsPKw_iYnw_VNMrRWagn1xjA35PlzxQ2W153Y_O2/s640/IMG_7562.jpg" width="426" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first thing we did was to formulate a
strategy. The plan was to configure and install wardrobe units in the master
bedroom walk-in closet that would have adequate short hanging storage and
shelving to accommodate both my husband’s and my clothing. This would also
include creative storage for my Imelda Marcos collection of shoes. In addition
we would remove drywall around the sliding door closet to create a larger
opening to better access and utilize the space. In this opened up space we
would install two wardrobes for long hanging storage and built-in chests of drawers
and a smaller wardrobe with shelving to serve as a linen closet. These would be
finished off with cabinet doors and trim molding. We set a time frame of three
weekends for completing the project. One weekend for building and installing
the units in the walk-in, one weekend for demo of the sliding door closet, and
one weekend for building and installing the units and accessories in the
sliding door closet.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once the strategy was in place. I took detailed
measurements of each wall and door opening (height and width in inches) in the
walk-in and created a scale floor plan on graph paper. I did the same with the
inside dimensions of the sliding door closet.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next I took a trip to my local Ikea store to
investigate the dimensions and storage options for IKEA’s Pax Collection and Komplement (storage accessories) Collection. I
noted that the 24” deep frames held more hanging storage than those that were
only 14” deep. The 14” depth worked well with shelving and shoe rack options. I
also found that there were very nice three drawer units that fit perfectly into
the 39” wide, 24” deep wardrobe frames. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our ceiling height was over nine feet in the
master bedroom closets so I was able to determine that we could use wardrobe
units that were 93” tall. Being able to physically touch and view the IKEA options
helped me to formulate ideas about what types of storage and accessories would
work best for our needs.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After my field trip, I had a good idea of what
types of units and accessories I wanted. The next step was to research online
the exact dimension options of wardrobes from the Pax collection at IKEA. The
wardrobe frames come in two depths of 14" and 24", two heights of 93" and 79", and three widths of 39", 29", and 19". (I have
rounded these measurements to the nearest inch. Please check the IKEA website
for exact measurements.) I then took my scale, graph-paper floor plan and
started experimenting with penciling in scale representations of the Ikea wardrobe
options.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/images/products/pax-wardrobe-frame__43280_PE139002_S4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/images/products/pax-wardrobe-frame__43280_PE139002_S4.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">IKEA Pax Wardrobe Frame</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It took a couple hours of trial and error but
eventually I had a drawing that worked well for my two spaces and I then was
able to take that drawing and make a detailed shopping list. Going to the store
with a detailed list that includes dimensions and item numbers for each piece was
very helpful. It greatly reduced time and stress. I was able to walk into the
warehouse area and hand the list over to the sales associate and have him find
and accumulate all of my items.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/images/products/birkeland-door__09359_PE085835_S4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/images/products/birkeland-door__09359_PE085835_S4.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">IKEA Birkeland Door</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/images/products/komplement-interior-chest-of-drawers__0134770_PE291382_S4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/images/products/komplement-interior-chest-of-drawers__0134770_PE291382_S4.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">IKEA Komplement</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Interior Chest of Drawers</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/images/products/komplement-shoe-organizer__58193_PE163846_S4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/images/products/komplement-shoe-organizer__58193_PE163846_S4.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">IKEA Komplement Shoe Organizer</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Depending on the number of wardrobe frames and accessories you purchase, it is important to note that the boxes can be very heavy. We were able to transport 11 wardrobe units, 5 doors, several sizes and quantities of shelves, and a number of other accessories in the back of our minivan and SUV. However, the next week we found out that we had blown a rear shock absorber on the minivan and we attributed it to hauling the weight of the wardrobe frames. If your project requires as many units as ours I advise borrowing or renting a truck for transporting them.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When building and installing your wardrobe
frames be patient with yourself. It took us over 2 hours to put together the
first unit. It’s a bit like working a three-dimensional puzzle and it
definitely requires two people for building and installation. However, once we
figured out the construction of the first unit it only took 15 to 20 minutes to
construct each subsequent wardrobe frame. We very quickly got the process down
to a science. One important thing to note is the size of the unit in
relationship to the size of the closet door and any angles that might be
encountered when carrying the unit into the closet. This is especially
important when working with the taller 93” units. We found it was easier to
build most of the units inside of the closet to avoid trying to squeeze the
heavy wardrobes through the door opening.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To make sure your units are safe and won’t topple
over on you, follow the directions for anchoring them to the wall and to each
other with the provided hardware. Until they are anchored they seem a bit
flimsy so make sure you have help stabilizing them when you are moving them
into place. Once they are anchored they are incredibly sturdy.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The wardrobe frames that we built into the expanded sliding door closet were not as deep as the actual closet space so my husband screwed in two rows of two-by-fours to the back of the closet at the top and middle of the back wall. This allowed us to bring the boxes out to the edge of the drywall opening so the doors could swing freely. It also provided a secure surface on which to anchor the frames.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhksaxOyJtsF5i96GGgetv2tvoeqM5T4Gnkn6DjGG-7TByW49gG7V7T01WR5Y7utf-HE7SYc4ing-LO7C6gqZiRAP4wRQYTRUuK4wczkpIr0LGfe8C309MKjtXMru6Zcpmvh1nckGxyZmeG/s1600/IMG_7566.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhksaxOyJtsF5i96GGgetv2tvoeqM5T4Gnkn6DjGG-7TByW49gG7V7T01WR5Y7utf-HE7SYc4ing-LO7C6gqZiRAP4wRQYTRUuK4wczkpIr0LGfe8C309MKjtXMru6Zcpmvh1nckGxyZmeG/s640/IMG_7566.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two-by-fours were used to build out the back of the closet <br />and provide a sturdy surface on which to anchor the wardrobe frames</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyA4syOeLYFLHnEDQ56LVe1I90acBeHqRecrmCagZ4q9tz8j2jVUDdGSa17Pl-Y293VUYJngqXmMB3CYUhDgntMkI-rp1sMQv-sRNcBHeLWKMNVOvTvhj7g4atwmIg1K3UKtsFdR4AG6jk/s1600/IMG_7568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyA4syOeLYFLHnEDQ56LVe1I90acBeHqRecrmCagZ4q9tz8j2jVUDdGSa17Pl-Y293VUYJngqXmMB3CYUhDgntMkI-rp1sMQv-sRNcBHeLWKMNVOvTvhj7g4atwmIg1K3UKtsFdR4AG6jk/s640/IMG_7568.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My husband and son took advantage of the opportunity to graffiti the walls that would be hidden<br />when the closet was completed while Pigwideon the cat took advantage of the temporary perch.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEjOElcRnYD7gPxJYWFrLa5DH_A55MYS-0vrQRzHz_DqCD2VGXlIr-EABvbGw4S1fCb-_jWVGYRQA3LOV6-8QBUPPvL1n3mgblV9ii7FsXkjLcVMNa1bKULts6rxb3HrXvLD9FpPinqM7s/s1600/IMG_7570.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEjOElcRnYD7gPxJYWFrLa5DH_A55MYS-0vrQRzHz_DqCD2VGXlIr-EABvbGw4S1fCb-_jWVGYRQA3LOV6-8QBUPPvL1n3mgblV9ii7FsXkjLcVMNa1bKULts6rxb3HrXvLD9FpPinqM7s/s640/IMG_7570.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The drywall was removed to snuggly accommodate the wardrobe dimensions</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhot9AxiuJnQABHlrBxOpz_F3cJ1Cma4JcX6HuUnCwmsWNfPsYfaEp7HQgOxE34rVyVQItBXORSa4m51xnbjyk6Mi4fGdlLSvKjBVEjqUivDq6hJyF-cU4aV10AyP2QctMnqH3OHr9AH9jb/s1600/IMG_1817.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhot9AxiuJnQABHlrBxOpz_F3cJ1Cma4JcX6HuUnCwmsWNfPsYfaEp7HQgOxE34rVyVQItBXORSa4m51xnbjyk6Mi4fGdlLSvKjBVEjqUivDq6hJyF-cU4aV10AyP2QctMnqH3OHr9AH9jb/s640/IMG_1817.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The IKEA Birkeland doors and trim molding was added to finish off the new closet</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What once was a small sliding door closet was now two large wardrobes with built-in chests of drawers plus an extra linen closet. The first wardrobe nicely accommodates my husbands long hanging items and the sectioned top drawer of the chest provides organization for his ties and accessories.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid_biW9T5cBirk-bIfDr_64pFk8TvQ3WovEY0YdYRzro1QuuHPGo2PpMRtsFqHZRjgzs7v_IIGazDtZb64EeZoAC6a5qLUjzlB5KHiINkHgHpDjofKQ0kwjwkoQmp57JTWXhhHrRRg9LH0/s1600/IMG_1837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid_biW9T5cBirk-bIfDr_64pFk8TvQ3WovEY0YdYRzro1QuuHPGo2PpMRtsFqHZRjgzs7v_IIGazDtZb64EeZoAC6a5qLUjzlB5KHiINkHgHpDjofKQ0kwjwkoQmp57JTWXhhHrRRg9LH0/s640/IMG_1837.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The second wardrobe provides long hanging space for my dresses while the sectioned drawer is perfect for my jewelry. Since the ceiling height accommodated the taller, 93" Pax wardrobe frames, both wardrobes were able to house an additional top shelf for extra storage.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwZuYhhHtjsHM1GM_nde1MOkwbXtdb46epFRXz5r-WPMrusVyyvsn6qA_pDitSqMdyt8Icl2xL27IinxmjGwzkJWRvUgr022G63xy4k8LutkhDlid1JhGk26J0GCF7ryhpr-GYhV77-OYg/s1600/IMG_1841.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwZuYhhHtjsHM1GM_nde1MOkwbXtdb46epFRXz5r-WPMrusVyyvsn6qA_pDitSqMdyt8Icl2xL27IinxmjGwzkJWRvUgr022G63xy4k8LutkhDlid1JhGk26J0GCF7ryhpr-GYhV77-OYg/s640/IMG_1841.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The third, narrow wardrobe was placed at the far end adjacent to the bathroom and accessorized with shelving to create a convenient and spacious linen closet.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Having my own separate walk-in closet was not in the cards for me, so I did my best to provide separate "his and hers" spaces within the confines of the single closet. Directly across from the door we placed two large wardrobe frames accessorized with hanging bars to create four separate short hanging sections for my husband. The high ceilings in the closet not only allowed for upper shelving above the short hang sections, but also additional storage on top of the cabinet.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For my portion of the closet I decided to create a small hallway within the closet by placing opposing wardrobe frames on the walls. Previously the closet had one long piece of venilated shelving across the end wall that only provided long hanging and one upper shelf. By creating this hallway I was able to provide in the same space, four full sections of short hanging with two shelves above, and extra top-of-cabinet storage. While on the opposite wall, I gained two large 14" deep wardrobe frames filled with shelving for folded sweaters, clothing, and accessories as well as even more top storage. I was virtually able to build a closet within a closet.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The only part of the closet we share is the shoe wall. I have to admit that I consume a much larger portion of this area. Using the sliding Komplement shoe organizers I am able to house Forty-eight pairs of shoes in a little over half of a 14" deep wardrobe frame. The two top shelves provide space for five pairs of my boots and sweater storage for my husband. The adjacent cabinet holds shelves for my husbands shoes and folded clothing items. One thing to note is, with the three standard widths and two standard depths of frames available from IKEA, I was able to work out a combination that utilized every inch of the closet space almost perfectly with one exception. My shoe cabinet overlaps one of my husband's short hang cabinets slightly. This creates a recessed area and a tiny bit of dead space in that corner. Not exactly perfect, but considering that we almost quadrupled the storage in this closet, we felt it was well worth the small sacrifice.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To finish things off we added a few inexpensive racks of hooks from the local home improvement store to hold belts and some of my long beads and necklaces. The space at the end of the small, created hallway was the perfect spot to put a laundry hamper, while the space on the end of the cabinet by the door worked well for placement of an inexpensive full length mirror from IKEA.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This project was quite an undertaking for my husband and me but a very necessary part of integrating me into the home after the long year of commuting. Although I was skeptical at first that I could ever be comfortable sharing closet space with my husband again, I was pleasantly surprised at how well the organized new spaces functioned in the end. With the help of the brilliant designers of IKEA Furniture, I was actually able to accommodate all of the possessions that formerly lived in my old private walk-in closet and then some. The space saving organizational accessories helped me to store more items in less space. My husband and I also came to the conclusion that the DIY closets that we had put together ourselves were actually sturdier and better quality than the cabinetry that was provided by the custom closet company we had used in our old house.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I won't sugar coat it, this endeavor was a lot of hard work but in the end we saved over two thirds the cost by doing it ourselves and the quality of the product was as good or better than custom. The key to success with this kind of a project is to create a plan in advance. Map every thing out on paper and buy everything you will need before you start. Although we may have killed a rear shock absorber carrying it all home, we were able to keep to our strict three weekend schedule by having all needed materials on hand. We didn't have to waste time starting and stoping because we had to leave in the middle of our work to go to the store. Remember you can always return unused items so it is better to go ahead and get it now and take items back afterwards if they aren't needed.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am very happy this time to say that my husband and I are like newlyweds again after spending most of the year apart in different cities. Only this time, sharing closet space doesn't mean the honeymoon is over!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">EXERCISING YOUR DESIGN SKILLS: CREATING AN IN-HOME WORKOUT ROOM</span></div>
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Suzy Zillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032184494095337707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-983065038003077353.post-53176771863711354282013-04-21T20:50:00.002-07:002013-05-04T20:11:11.215-07:00GREAT EXPECTATIONS: WAITING FOR THE BATHROOM<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Story:</span></b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The bathroom is most likely the smallest room in any
house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These days, however, this tiny
room of necessity comes with great expectations. I could not begin to count the
number of TV interior designers who quote the cliché,” Kitchens and bathrooms
sell houses”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Something about that
statement doesn’t quite ring true to me. After all, if the bathroom is what
sold the house then why do I know so many new homeowners (including myself) who
are renovating their bathrooms? I do admit that a well-appointed, clean, and stylish bathroom is appealing to most people shopping for a home. But the
truth is, that when you are looking at what’s available on the market the
perfect bathroom is relatively hard to come by. I think the statement should be
revised to say, ”Location, space, structural soundness, and price sell houses
and a nice bathroom doesn’t hurt.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://www.coastalviewsrealestate.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/sold-sign-home-for-sale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://www.coastalviewsrealestate.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/sold-sign-home-for-sale.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">All joking aside, there are so many factors to consider when
buying a house that many times the non-public spaces, like a master bathroom,
take a low priority as long as the sink, toilet and shower work. If we can
entertain our family and friends in stylish living spaces and the price is
right, most of us choose to back burner our own personal spaces and comforts
for the time being in hopes of renovating at a later date. This was the case
when my husband and I bought our new home in Pittsburgh two years ago. Coming
from our custom-built dream home in Cincinnati we had a long list of must haves.
But as we explored what was available in the higher priced housing market,
reality set in. It soon became apparent to us that we weren’t going to get
everything we wanted or were accustomed to and that we were going to need to
make some tough choices. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://j-rconstruction.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/IMG_1556.50161455_std.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://j-rconstruction.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/IMG_1556.50161455_std.JPG" width="240" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://j-rconstruction.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/IMG_1556.50161455_std.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>I’m not sure exactly what it is that happened to all of us that changed our expectations of the </span><span class="Apple-style-span">bathroom over the years. When I was kid, my
parents had a very tiny master bathroom with just a shower, toilet, and a
single sink without a vanity. My three siblings and I shared a small tub
bathroom in the upstairs hallway. Although we were far from it, we thought we
were rich because many other people we knew had only one bathroom for
the entire family. In fact my Aunt and Uncle had six children and only one
bathroom. Eventually my uncle added an open shower and toilet in the basement
but my cousins refused to use it because of the unfinished creepiness. Back in
the day, a kid could wait for the bathroom quite a while depending on his or
her alpha status among siblings!</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In that same vein, the first home that my husband and I built actually had a master bathroom that was, believe it or not, smaller than my parent’s. But again, we were looking for advancements in other areas of the house and didn’t rank our private comforts as high on the scale as the public spaces.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmSP8aPIAWbWQmheYAAdPybIIsQK8T8HUttkh9ciLGvcpeppHuRN9SzZgUaDy-GJ9i1I2otFnRWWZ0OImzxTK4PymNKjnfSEhWjZ5LTJqo8OwrEywsBf0GjZPmsuYFrMtB-DigFYWWl6k/s400/5065420406_4bcd708e50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmSP8aPIAWbWQmheYAAdPybIIsQK8T8HUttkh9ciLGvcpeppHuRN9SzZgUaDy-GJ9i1I2otFnRWWZ0OImzxTK4PymNKjnfSEhWjZ5LTJqo8OwrEywsBf0GjZPmsuYFrMtB-DigFYWWl6k/s640/5065420406_4bcd708e50.jpg" width="500" /></a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Just as many brides have bought into the industry hype that
has driven the cost of weddings into near or over six figure price tags, the phenomena of HG-Reality-TV has convinced us all that we can’t live without
double vanities, heated floors, and whirlpool bathtubs. Believe me, I am no
better than anyone else and have bought the swampland hook, line and sinker!
When we built our second house the master bath had most of the bells and
whistles you could think of including a custom stained glass window, TV, and in wall stereo speakers. I loved
it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was very spacious, in fact, so
much so that I remember having a house warming party shortly after we moved in.
I was giving the girlfriends a tour of the house when we all piled into my bathroom.
One of my friends joked, as she looked around at the seven ladies holding glasses of wine and said with a laugh that the bathroom was “large enough to have a party in
it”. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Regardless of the hype, there are many wonderful things to
be said about a spacious well-appointed master bathroom. Double vanities are convenient for couples that get ready together at the same time each
morning and a whirlpool tub can be very relaxing and stress reducing at the end of a hard day. Not to
mention the added benefit to your marriage when you don’t have to exercise your
alpha status over your husband just to brush your teeth. The master bath is a
room that we all use daily and the design of the space can affect our mood and
attitude. Good design choices can make it a place of uplifting enjoyment instead of a
place that starts us out each day with frustration. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Moving to Pittsburgh, after forty-six years of life in
Cincinnati, presented many challenges for me and the master bathroom was just
one on a long list. However, the biggest benefit of the overwhelming relocation
process is that it has forced me to re-evaluate priorities in my life and my
interior design. As I have sought to create a new home for my family that meets
our needs physically and aesthetically, I have learned to filter some of the
hype, mix in some reasonable comforts, and create convenient spaces that function
well and fit our life and budget. The master bath in our new home was far from
a dream but we practically opted to tackle other key projects first. After all these
years I found myself "waiting for the bathroom" once again. But unlike my years
of standing in line as the youngest of four siblings, my newly renovated master
bathroom has proven to be well worth the wait.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Design Topic of the
Week:</span></b></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A Cinderella Story: Master Bath Renovation</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The master bathroom in our Pittsburgh home was in spotless condition when we moved in two years ago . The house was only eight years old and the en-suite looked like it was practically brand new. Well.....brand new that is, if we were living in the late 1980's. It was very apparent that the home's builder was still holding on to some sort of "Hunt Club" fantasy when designing the interior of the house in 2001. The long double vanity had a hunter green countertop with molded sink bowls. In fact the built-in soap holders that flanked the basins were a bit reminiscent of ashtrays. The counter height was so low that at five feet, two inches tall I literally had to bend in half to brush my teeth, not to mention the discomfort for my husband who stands at six foot, one. All the fixtures and metal trims were a shiny polished brass, including the shower enclosure. The walls were painted in a dark, "paper bag" brown topped with an acanthus motif wallpaper border. Dark stained wooden blinds covered the large window and when the blinds were shut as they usually need to be for privacy, the room was dark and dreary.</span></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikHMYYzEMOPfoniZNpAv4djg02_FwxqhYfr3kx2taL8wE-wT-jxl0zRISUIldSPGj45whJzzBcDxJtEPW6unanzJTEuU0X0OOnec3h23PGlXklJRdXIbJTKmERuY_nCTdWD0j33ZY7FGyI/s640/IMG_0051.PNG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Before" photo of my master bathroom</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As I mentioned earlier, there were many projects to tackle in the new home and since the master bath was in good condition, had nice square footage, and was functional we opted to move any renovation plans for the space far down on the list of priorities. However, I did find myself avoiding the space as much as possible. Quick in and quick out. Too much time spent in the room left me feeling fairly disappointed and longing for my old home. I could see the potential that existed but knew that renovating was not in the cards for the near future. For now Cinderella would be stuck in the background while her ugly stepsisters soaked up all the money and attention.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Fortunately or unfortunately there was intervention from above. Not in the "spiritual" sense but in the "major leak in the ceiling sense." We woke one morning during a storm to the sound of something dripping in our bathroom and it wasn't the faucet. Water was falling from above the vanity and the soggy ceiling was cracking in several places. After four weeks of more storms, three visits from two different roofers, removal of a large section of drywall, and several home-spun experiments with my husband standing on a ladder with a garden hose, we finally determined that a leaky upstairs window was to blame. A small sliver of a crack in the mitered corner of the vinyl window trim was the culprit. So almost 3 months and a tube of caulk later the problem was fixed. However, the summer of bountiful rain had left my pristine but dated bathroom a little worse for the wear. Knowing that a major drywall repair was in our future we decided to move the bathroom renovation off of the back burner and to turn up the heat.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Although I would have loved to gut the entire room by this point, we just couldn't afford to start from scratch. My husband and I realized that this renovation was a bit beyond our time constraints and skill set. We were going to need some professional help which would affect the price of the project. Several compromises would need to be made to accommodate this. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The tile wasn't exactly what I would have chosen for myself but it was in good condition and was neutral and non-intrusive in color. Because of the design of the shower, replacement of the tile would have been involved and expensive so I opted to work around it instead. Ideally, I would have also replaced the massive whirlpool tub with a smaller free standing soaker because the deep ledge at the end of the tub deck was an inaccessible, dust collecting, wasted space. When exploring the options I quickly realized that the cost of replacing the tub would add thousands onto our bottom line so once again I sought out design ideas that could incorporate this existing element. The low vanity, massive green counter top, and dated brass shower enclosure were the main sources of our discontent so we decided that they would need the most attention and the lion's share of the budget.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Besides being sub-standardly low in height the extremely long double vanity ironically held very little storage. The drawers were too small to hold a hair dryer, there was no upper or medicine cabinetry, and there was no linen closet in the bathroom. The taste specific hunter green countertop with its built-in ashtray like soap dishes didn't help either. The dark color showed every bit of tooth paste, shaving cream, and soap residue. It required constant cleaning but always looked dirty even after only one or two uses. Researching several design plans that worked with our basic plumbing layout, I finally decided on two separate 36 inch high vanities that would be separated by a furniture-like bank of drawers toped with a tall cabinet. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">For the countertops I picked a low maintenance natural granite that doesn't require sealing. The color and pattern of the granite hides dirt and coordinates well with the existing tile. The under-mount white porcelain Kohler sink basins add brightness and are also easy to clean.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">To solve the dust-collecting tub deck dilema, a hutch was built from the same style cabinetry to hold extra towels and decorative accessories. The oversized base drawers are great for holding larger items like my hair dryer.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The cabinetry was not custom but my carpenter added a few inexpensive custom touches that elevated the quality of the look. He created custom kick plates that gave the stock cabinetry a furniture style. I also had him add a flat board to the top of the upper cabinets and finish them out with moldings. This way I had a solid platform on which to place decorative items with out the objects sitting below </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">the line of the crown molding.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Because there were hints of bronze and metallic gold in the existing "fleur de lis" tile border, I didn't think that silver fixtures would work very well in the room. Instead I chose to go with antique bronze when replacing the dated polished brass. The look of the dark bronze is both updated and historical all at the same time.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The original bathroom had an immense plate glass mirror with unflattering and inadequate overhead light fixtures that cast shadows down on the face making it difficult to see when putting on make-up. Extra can-lights were added to the ceiling and sconces were placed on each side of the separate cherval-style mirrors that hang over the individual vanities. The lower placement of the sconces gives front light to the face and is great for make-up application. I was not very impressed with the sconce lighting that I was finding in our price range at the local home improvement stores. It was all too unimaginative for my taste, so I branched out from the indoor lighting and found these small outdoor lantern sconces. The vintage bubble glass works well with the historical bronze fixtures and their style adds unexpected interest to the bathroom. The price was very good too.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6lYAJV701wA93ViCra2amZKDj9Eb0yuVBBFU0GN2AZH1U8m9J0ts50kkGIYCDfDtiymldA_7SVXzKVHSG40tiuEcxMZWQA3j07BV4BQkORkgeAW6yibwS-Rlvyq-Tmv2LserJVKFAr746/s1600/IMG_0053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6lYAJV701wA93ViCra2amZKDj9Eb0yuVBBFU0GN2AZH1U8m9J0ts50kkGIYCDfDtiymldA_7SVXzKVHSG40tiuEcxMZWQA3j07BV4BQkORkgeAW6yibwS-Rlvyq-Tmv2LserJVKFAr746/s640/IMG_0053.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The frameless glass shower enclosure went a long way in bringing this bathroom into the new millennium.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX01TN0bK1YjSLpz0xxF23cKWtO27LQAPCk2qTRBiKkE0ZwXMuExT93CRzsBECWNzDnm7iK77AzMibwdSAqfWD352Zrrx0EE3ZcN-eVHlGJF4X35SEUiEmlo2bvj81X2046vKguLkcUONB/s1600/IMG_0081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX01TN0bK1YjSLpz0xxF23cKWtO27LQAPCk2qTRBiKkE0ZwXMuExT93CRzsBECWNzDnm7iK77AzMibwdSAqfWD352Zrrx0EE3ZcN-eVHlGJF4X35SEUiEmlo2bvj81X2046vKguLkcUONB/s640/IMG_0081.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Personally, being somewhat claustrophobic, I have never been a fan of doored toilet rooms. In fact, if I had my druthers, I would have removed the door and part of the wall to open up the little closet-like space. However, I know that many buyers really like the idea of this added bit of privacy and taking out the wall would have required additional tile work and expense, so I had to find another solution for my fear of small closed spaces. Changing the solid door to one with frosted glass still serves the desire for privacy while letting in just enough natural light to keep one from feeling entombed.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When doing a partial master bathroom make-over, the decorative finishings and accessories can really go a long way in giving the room a high-end renovation feel. Just like nice shoes and jewelry can make a bargain basement dress look couture, the right accessories can take your corner cutting renovation to the next level. This relatively inexpensive chandelier purchased at home depot adds eye catching bling to this bathroom. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This tailored straight-line-sewing window treatment in a cabana stripe is actually stapled on to a two by four piece of wood and is screwed to the wall. The decorative gimp trim adds a bit of sophistication. The soft aqua color works well with the bits of green found in the existing tile border and lends a pop of color to this light and bright room. I made this treatment for under $40 from out door fabric. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Tip:</b> Out door fabrics come in many colors and patterns and are relatively inexpensive. The treated fabric holds up well in high moisture areas and it's a beautiful and practical choice when making window treatments for a steamy bathroom.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I found the two vintage landscape pictures at a local antique store. I was specifically looking for square framed artwork to hang over the rectangular mirrors and fill space on the tall walls. When I saw the perfect aqua matts on these twin companion prints, I thought that I might finally be getting some real intervention from above....the dry kind.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A few pieces from my antique compote collection, a couple of mercury glass objects from Home Goods, and discount store apothecary jars filled with colorful contents found at Pier 1 complete the accessories and make the bathroom feel just as important as any other room in the house. If space allows, placing an ottoman, chair, or bench by the tub can also help to make the utilitarian room feel more like a comfortable living area.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Even though I wasn't able to afford every bell and whistle this time around, I am just as pleased with my new bathroom renovation as I was with the custom built bath in my old home. Re-prioritizing can be an extremely enlightening process. When we can't have everything we want, we are forced to focus on what we actually need. When our true needs become the center of our attention we tend to make better choices in life and design. Many times this added scrutiny actually assists us to better meet our real needs and helps us to find greater satisfaction and comfort in the end. Cinderella's Fairy Godmother worked with what she had to create a beautiful coach and some dashing footmen. There might have been an old pumpkin and some scampering rodents underneath but skill and a little magic got Cindy to the ball. Likewise a good interior designer can make magic in any room even if the budget requires working with what's on hand. When renovating your bathroom, concentrate on prioritizing your needs and allot the budget accordingly. Tackle the biggest sources of concern, work around the rest, and throw in a little bit of magic in the form of accessories. Keep this in mind and your renovation can be it's own Cinderella story complete with a "happily ever after." </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Using Space Wisely: A Closet Make-Over</span></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Suzy Zillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032184494095337707noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-983065038003077353.post-7206720267501071562013-04-15T00:54:00.001-07:002013-04-16T21:04:24.997-07:00ANTIQUING: GENERATIONS ON THE HUNT<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Story:</span></b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My love of antiques was passed down to me from mother. Since
a very young age I remember tagging along with her and my aunt to excitingly
strange little shops filled with unique pieces of furniture, odds and ends of
china, and mystery objects galore. At that time, the local mall would also host
traveling antique shows with multiple dealers all in one place and that was a
particular treat. Whether in a store or at the mall, shopping for antiques was
always an exciting expedition. Many weekend hours were spent rummaging through
cramped and musty little stores in search of the perfect whatnot or a wonderful
addition to one of my mother’s prized collections. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a child it was an extremely fascinating,
treasure hunt adventure and I especially enjoyed asking what the strange
objects were and hearing my mom and aunt tell nostalgic stories of their own
childhood as they explained. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Heart of Ohio Antiques Center</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Through the years, I have never lost my fascination with
antiquing. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My mother and aunts, who are
currently in their eighties, still love the pastime and now the excursions
often include four generations of treasure hunters. My sister, my cousins, and
I organize antique outings and sometimes our own children, who have been
dragged along over the years and have developed their own love of the hunt,
accompany us with their little ones in strollers. We have a long list of
favorite stores and antique malls and my recent move to Pittsburgh has opened
up a whole new area of exploration for my antique obsessed clan.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our antique outings have taken on a life of their own. The
itinerary usually includes a road trip, a stop for lunch, and dinner out that
evening after the hunt. Dinner is always accompanied by a celebratory glass of
wine and dessert, because eating and drinking also runs deep in our blood. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our little group has encountered many
interesting things on our trips over the years , including obscene looking salt and pepper shakers, overly solicitous shop owners, hideous lamps, and an occasional book-throwing ghost. My cousin Amy, who has taken on the role of researcher, is our resident source of information and we often refer questions to her about the history of certain objects. She is a virtual Wikipedia of pattern glass.The trips are filled with
lots of conversation and laughter and we never feel like our outing is
completely blessed unless we see pictures of Pinky and Blue Boy at some point
during the day. (This is an inside joke because we always see pictures of Pinky
and Blue Boy. They must have been mass-produced by the millions!) If one of us
cant be present for a given outing, we often text pictures to the MIA antiquer of their
favorite collectables so that they can take part in the expedition vicariously.
Semper Fidelis; no antique lover left behind.</span><br />
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<a href="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQoJOIptOfFMd3gm0JbO9yMCQMEFPv3pDsfSvWhDN57jQZlt14-dA" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="248" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQoJOIptOfFMd3gm0JbO9yMCQMEFPv3pDsfSvWhDN57jQZlt14-dA" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We each have our own special collections and treasures that
we hunt. My mother collects vintage “Ribbon Doll” pictures... </span></div>
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<a href="http://img3.etsystatic.com/004/0/5550737/il_570xN.368379303_i1zm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://img3.etsystatic.com/004/0/5550737/il_570xN.368379303_i1zm.jpg" width="572" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">...and my sister accumulates vintage porcelain shoes. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_cHtshf4EQxX2jhPEDyHU7wT6NECMmZ70rpiallB9zXA3Vp6rNf0s8zvhnl6AKmnaFzZ3_KoRbATn_MJwGHOEiAVib2XupP34AAPpBLIOaELh5tw6AmU6Y_dMDWD32lDHYmDssH5IwyZm/s1600/IMG_0588.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_cHtshf4EQxX2jhPEDyHU7wT6NECMmZ70rpiallB9zXA3Vp6rNf0s8zvhnl6AKmnaFzZ3_KoRbATn_MJwGHOEiAVib2XupP34AAPpBLIOaELh5tw6AmU6Y_dMDWD32lDHYmDssH5IwyZm/s320/IMG_0588.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBMp5GPsBAgudhpyQBx6wRUGcRPnrrn4mLnU4LZRyh6rL_HiAE9rO3-Rr8_PshNCT-eDCfdkwHQMFQFEjK6uVK4niFVuladyOsrM25oONpp9CRNPS_XtMdF_rK-uFhh4QRnL6XApQsbRr5/s1600/IMG_0586.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBMp5GPsBAgudhpyQBx6wRUGcRPnrrn4mLnU4LZRyh6rL_HiAE9rO3-Rr8_PshNCT-eDCfdkwHQMFQFEjK6uVK4niFVuladyOsrM25oONpp9CRNPS_XtMdF_rK-uFhh4QRnL6XApQsbRr5/s320/IMG_0586.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a> </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My Aunt Mary Jane collects vintage glass
powder boxes.... </span></div>
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<a href="http://img1.etsystatic.com/002/0/5605135/il_570xN.406025041_6383.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://img1.etsystatic.com/002/0/5605135/il_570xN.406025041_6383.jpg" width="309" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">...while my cousin Amy searches for antique glass cream and
sugar sets.</span><br />
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<a href="http://img3.etsystatic.com/014/0/7499331/il_570xN.420678075_sa4r.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://img3.etsystatic.com/014/0/7499331/il_570xN.420678075_sa4r.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My daughter Emily loves to hunt for gnomes and pink Depression
glass, my niece Abby is a collector of Jadite, my niece Katy has an affinity
for milk glass, and my cousin Vicki loves anything related to Abraham Lincoln.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://img0.etsystatic.com/009/0/7615228/il_570xN.413154096_hlcc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://img0.etsystatic.com/009/0/7615228/il_570xN.413154096_hlcc.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Depression Glass</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR-VTRVnABwRhl_2ynFLDGYeS4OcCrKGqqgAGtDxngo2qQL7FK_" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR-VTRVnABwRhl_2ynFLDGYeS4OcCrKGqqgAGtDxngo2qQL7FK_" width="298" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jadite</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://img0.etsystatic.com/009/0/6821230/il_570xN.438637408_fy0u.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://img0.etsystatic.com/009/0/6821230/il_570xN.438637408_fy0u.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Milk Glass</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://img2.etsystatic.com/016/0/5524834/il_570xN.448139646_fy6l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://img2.etsystatic.com/016/0/5524834/il_570xN.448139646_fy6l.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Abraham Lincoln Memorabilia</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vintage gnome</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I myself have several collections including vintage wooden boxes, pencil boxes, antique mirrors, vintage aqua pottery, and my drug of choice: vintage silhouettes.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkaEagNV3kJ7o3GzM1vq6EdHA_-ybZjO0lOH0nDYJpovpc7vKvFvGKlG1Np2EHeWsp5ZRyGKh88L5BSwlHfL2Iv7dFQdm8jNwnc4NO8ENUjGv-pguzmZaqpqUEd667Y5SP-Wj41sNbLq86/s1600/IMG_0020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkaEagNV3kJ7o3GzM1vq6EdHA_-ybZjO0lOH0nDYJpovpc7vKvFvGKlG1Np2EHeWsp5ZRyGKh88L5BSwlHfL2Iv7dFQdm8jNwnc4NO8ENUjGv-pguzmZaqpqUEd667Y5SP-Wj41sNbLq86/s400/IMG_0020.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vintage Wooden boxes</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1iwq4cVNhb3lQVCl1OY3tiBa1v9TD-t-LUkZQ0eVePk-9thlhU2PoggfUxWA_N9jRN9K5CpSKtfgZ8K0RZ5bRBvbqWiQHgo8MAdqeF51xNtrmCD-KbGnHB9UwWUY3aAdjdMJBw2C20qfg/s1600/IMG_9982.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1iwq4cVNhb3lQVCl1OY3tiBa1v9TD-t-LUkZQ0eVePk-9thlhU2PoggfUxWA_N9jRN9K5CpSKtfgZ8K0RZ5bRBvbqWiQHgo8MAdqeF51xNtrmCD-KbGnHB9UwWUY3aAdjdMJBw2C20qfg/s640/IMG_9982.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Antique pencil boxes</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoAxxSy0CwT-PVqLAwy7bpPx-iLK9wYEfL-o1lvhtfjKfJysuF9W5jdi41XjcFZh9uH7iZ8vKsozqu-r3uZPA2GJcvQTnILd8sn6DwhGPtI4VQafU-L8H8hhsZIlcU3el6XktLJEBfGJnP/s1600/IMG_0023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoAxxSy0CwT-PVqLAwy7bpPx-iLK9wYEfL-o1lvhtfjKfJysuF9W5jdi41XjcFZh9uH7iZ8vKsozqu-r3uZPA2GJcvQTnILd8sn6DwhGPtI4VQafU-L8H8hhsZIlcU3el6XktLJEBfGJnP/s400/IMG_0023.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Vintage Aqua pottery</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZqorZA8x5SY1j5kbu9PAd5xR5mx04C2s2qtrYgUtqRtfkfMVNzIoPOthGeDILnLv76gu0pMXnx8DyqGbgF-atR1baqLVX__gUQ4w-5jdcf2GcWq-IvozxqSuvVr8cVoDvOo6oAf6tzltl/s1600/IMG_0034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZqorZA8x5SY1j5kbu9PAd5xR5mx04C2s2qtrYgUtqRtfkfMVNzIoPOthGeDILnLv76gu0pMXnx8DyqGbgF-atR1baqLVX__gUQ4w-5jdcf2GcWq-IvozxqSuvVr8cVoDvOo6oAf6tzltl/s640/IMG_0034.jpg" width="258" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Silhouettes</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We all get along swimmingly and the diversity of collections
work out quite nicely with none of us stepping on each other’s toes with one
exception; we all collect Early American Pattern Glass Compotes. This is the
one point of contention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The group as a whole
owns well over two hundred and fifty compotes and we have virtually depleted
the local stockpile. The site of one of those glistening pedestaled bowls
sitting on a store shelf is enough to send even the oldest amongst us into an
all-out frenzy. The “Clan Antiquing Rules” dictate that the first person to see
a compote gets the first right of refusal, though there are a few among us who
try to bend the unwritten rules a tad. The worst offenders are my mother and
aunt who surreptitiously make their way out ahead of the pack in hopes of a
first sighting. We have learned to never underestimate the elderly, for these
two little ladies are as sneaky, clever, and cunning as twin Betty Whites.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpSDtgGOMM0HZA0yk8-APVPdGm2mDBUMDUh9jTMUSR4puhD3NvzYHmdhXCacZuLwTMH5LuvHS0VTdk_yXc5A_HWg2FaL1geYaTI84ox-MTRcmieh1bsiCMB5n_UM8MXyMgha0q9nbQWTXg/s1600/IMG_0008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpSDtgGOMM0HZA0yk8-APVPdGm2mDBUMDUh9jTMUSR4puhD3NvzYHmdhXCacZuLwTMH5LuvHS0VTdk_yXc5A_HWg2FaL1geYaTI84ox-MTRcmieh1bsiCMB5n_UM8MXyMgha0q9nbQWTXg/s640/IMG_0008.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Early American Pattern Glass Compotes</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every time I look at one of my vintage collections I think
of this amazing group of women and all of the wonderful moments we have shared
over the years trooping through dusty old shops in search of precious treasures. Likewise, I get to relive these memories when I visit my cohort’s homes and view their proudly displayed collections as well. My mother has a saying; ”Antiques have a way of saving a room.”She has always believed that any décor no matter what style or how worn
or dated, can be improved and made more interesting with the addition of
antique pieces and accessories. In her opinion antiques are the only things
that you can buy for your home that will never go out of style. As a mother of
four children and grandmother/great-grandmother of many more, she also feels
like antique furnishings already carry the scars of many years of use and any
additional scratches or wear and tear only add to their character. Her
sentiment, in combination with the inherited love of antiquing she has passed down to me, has been a recurring source of inspiration in my own interior
design.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Design Topic of the
Week:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Decorating with Collections: “These are a few of my favorite
things”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The best room designs always incorporate what I like to call
“real” art and accessories and by “real” I mean actual items that have personal
meaning to the inhabitants. Not that I am opposed to sprinkling in the
occasional colorful accessory found by chance at Target or Home Goods, because
I often reach in to that bag of tricks to fill out a design and add a pop of
trendiness to my rooms. However, spaces that are completely decked out in those
types of trendy "Not Real Art" finds tend to feel contrived, meaningless, and impersonal. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We all love to watch those “designed to sell” type shows
where a stager comes in and removes every beloved item the homeowner possesses to
create a neutral zone that appeals to the generic buyer. I will admit that I
sit there with the rest of the television viewers across the country eating my
bag of chips and marveling at the “OMG” reveal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Although this concept is great for selling a house, it isn’t necessarily
so great for living in it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think it is
necessary to draw a line between overwhelmingly personal or taste specific and
décor design that represents you personally. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have never been one to plaster the walls of my home with
family photographs but instead tend to use less literal expressions of my
family and my interests as design elements in my rooms. For example, the pencil
drawings of my children are actual artists renderings that were drawn by my
brother-in-law, Paul Ziller, and given to me as a gift. They are not as literal as if I had
framed the actual photographs of my kids but they have deeper meaning and
uniqueness because they represent their uncle’s pride and love.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicpaJGeMQy0U26wJVci9EUiPF65rEGbFUys9Ui-qZqDy41IATWT7bwVJKCAM_Va5xnskghKAlF6W7DxwJt31ldQYc8MtMWXIQBK9olU4pr85WWojbFd8A2JosNyR0kFiNQ_5FEwHQcOIv1/s1600/IMG_9831.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicpaJGeMQy0U26wJVci9EUiPF65rEGbFUys9Ui-qZqDy41IATWT7bwVJKCAM_Va5xnskghKAlF6W7DxwJt31ldQYc8MtMWXIQBK9olU4pr85WWojbFd8A2JosNyR0kFiNQ_5FEwHQcOIv1/s640/IMG_9831.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don’t have any photographs of my mother hanging in my
house either, but I do have a collection of embroidered and beaded fairy
pictures that she made by hand. Every time I look at those pictures it conjures
the memory of my mother sitting in her favorite chair painstakingly working on
her art form. This less literal representation of my mother, holds more meaning
for me than any photograph ever could. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOp-pZ3o1uj0SOoD0FIBwgWBW4qzGsuVS90jkqOWqVFmUIpzqCwDrg405I5vZVXCF6byG-CnsNmlTezHp33tDig8tlbVRL5TG-GyAK1L8SAqfkVovLD7ZHsfoKHwdVXkP0yVkoqJRkkx2V/s1600/IMG_0383.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOp-pZ3o1uj0SOoD0FIBwgWBW4qzGsuVS90jkqOWqVFmUIpzqCwDrg405I5vZVXCF6byG-CnsNmlTezHp33tDig8tlbVRL5TG-GyAK1L8SAqfkVovLD7ZHsfoKHwdVXkP0yVkoqJRkkx2V/s640/IMG_0383.jpg" width="513" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLYuaSCIz817HZGL4y2YrEXSodBJzQqMIkM83krJrjaEbLSz_n6UWZAfm3X-aRamAiiiOzKj64Efm-OByt7LPLqL3XWo3mdk7z6trKK51DYv16byIt0Lx76trwx7lvL10iW6jBi1A1EMX4/s1600/IMG_9836.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLYuaSCIz817HZGL4y2YrEXSodBJzQqMIkM83krJrjaEbLSz_n6UWZAfm3X-aRamAiiiOzKj64Efm-OByt7LPLqL3XWo3mdk7z6trKK51DYv16byIt0Lx76trwx7lvL10iW6jBi1A1EMX4/s320/IMG_9836.jpg" width="185" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzRDP6XYoR1I7pgIuaLLPzoSwEIWlPdcmHC86emRJKUJ0qZ0GeyqXGSpgRekXTi21A0TOtLq2l95OSeu-e3Ko1egH1rPg8yqHW9t6HRZxJ0c60rVX0J2IKIPzgpGXp_7EvaDcbe4s9ZXJq/s1600/IMG_9837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzRDP6XYoR1I7pgIuaLLPzoSwEIWlPdcmHC86emRJKUJ0qZ0GeyqXGSpgRekXTi21A0TOtLq2l95OSeu-e3Ko1egH1rPg8yqHW9t6HRZxJ0c60rVX0J2IKIPzgpGXp_7EvaDcbe4s9ZXJq/s320/IMG_9837.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="203" /></a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-WKs6p89oV9EWCOLtngrkinfgENdUVVmhm3YRC4a1OBqbceXmcHw8jVtsz6-G2I4bJjw6aI4lkhImwoY0XCPf7kYz9OTxeHx2XeSomHXEANlYZs-ntqOZ8cXyc9qOdz1DTeLH7i3T2rJB/s1600/IMG_9976.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-WKs6p89oV9EWCOLtngrkinfgENdUVVmhm3YRC4a1OBqbceXmcHw8jVtsz6-G2I4bJjw6aI4lkhImwoY0XCPf7kYz9OTxeHx2XeSomHXEANlYZs-ntqOZ8cXyc9qOdz1DTeLH7i3T2rJB/s640/IMG_9976.JPG" width="560" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipq1gq14RyTTzP47L1MctbBFgxAmGw9uENEkMswFAj0Tf4nRF8KP_3Cxo_PdoESloQvl0BAfNePweOgRnZq0cCIhTZ12pJpfQTXBzOgl61nFCGBxcthgwK5NIFR8ztDCQ3ufoTs-wNQr1q/s1600/IMG_9842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipq1gq14RyTTzP47L1MctbBFgxAmGw9uENEkMswFAj0Tf4nRF8KP_3Cxo_PdoESloQvl0BAfNePweOgRnZq0cCIhTZ12pJpfQTXBzOgl61nFCGBxcthgwK5NIFR8ztDCQ3ufoTs-wNQr1q/s640/IMG_9842.jpg" width="526" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a similar way, we have several pieces of ornate calligraphy that were made by my husband’s grandfather, Stephen A. Ziller Sr., who was an amazing engrossing artist and owner of Ziller of Kansas City. The framed works of detailed art would be wonderful conversation pieces in any design but we are fortunate to also have a deeply personal connection to them that enriches our home life on a daily basis.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnkPvAhSglmqT9EgBhAsWmnrPOWZhZeZNDW-M_3ccuZKEHnr_1k7puf70QWsfe_KkdF_ru_94t70ypIqJ8IExaSXJwrWznaQd1geiRDjjzNMTHJ3FnPK2mothMt9USSV8pDm2V-_BEmCmv/s1600/IMG_9959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnkPvAhSglmqT9EgBhAsWmnrPOWZhZeZNDW-M_3ccuZKEHnr_1k7puf70QWsfe_KkdF_ru_94t70ypIqJ8IExaSXJwrWznaQd1geiRDjjzNMTHJ3FnPK2mothMt9USSV8pDm2V-_BEmCmv/s640/IMG_9959.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Daniel Webster's Reply to Senator Hayne, as penned by Stephen A. Ziller Sr. and dated 1931<br />(Known to us as O.G. or the Original Grandpa)<br />and Calligraphy Flourish Bird </span>dated 1928 <span class="Apple-style-span">by Harry S. Blanchard<br />who was O.G.'s original calligraphy teacher</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvyAOcIFoUtWl49_PhYUchszlg-Q41KkHY7quUGQ5KK7J3_4UetWNU5Ewkp0s_-t7QoY7zsfvqacjRl9BvOK8RVsEtR4IhnhtPJtD0XafrnCzqtD3xksLmF2lBJUWwaueM0E_7vkJGfOs5/s1600/IMG_9828.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvyAOcIFoUtWl49_PhYUchszlg-Q41KkHY7quUGQ5KK7J3_4UetWNU5Ewkp0s_-t7QoY7zsfvqacjRl9BvOK8RVsEtR4IhnhtPJtD0XafrnCzqtD3xksLmF2lBJUWwaueM0E_7vkJGfOs5/s400/IMG_9828.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Catholic Grace by Stephen A. Ziller Sr.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCqLPUoHmq2SzX7nRNYCibAsjFwMFdFbhEPdK9fG4OKCAPWWflAc_8dx0TEPAFRkquifO8f6b6dedXPLRHg7yfw82t67rE3awbnP6AHTz9NSC_qvBwrorZ6sl-rENzAXQ8au2E4l8tExVl/s1600/IMG_9838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCqLPUoHmq2SzX7nRNYCibAsjFwMFdFbhEPdK9fG4OKCAPWWflAc_8dx0TEPAFRkquifO8f6b6dedXPLRHg7yfw82t67rE3awbnP6AHTz9NSC_qvBwrorZ6sl-rENzAXQ8au2E4l8tExVl/s640/IMG_9838.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My children's names and First Communion Prayers penned by O.G.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSFa8ZYuSDlbqIwNLdJd5NGXL12tC91a8V99BXPDhdGO2_8dZhwySwCyu_qM8JTwH8_qDKHTEo0Tg9qhEtHzEHTA7tK4hnFS2SOi-vv_9BWNSn-KhC5x0uKoMGlW3jqw4vuMBzmUkL7mLg/s1600/IMG_9848.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSFa8ZYuSDlbqIwNLdJd5NGXL12tC91a8V99BXPDhdGO2_8dZhwySwCyu_qM8JTwH8_qDKHTEo0Tg9qhEtHzEHTA7tK4hnFS2SOi-vv_9BWNSn-KhC5x0uKoMGlW3jqw4vuMBzmUkL7mLg/s400/IMG_9848.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Flourish Bird by O.G.</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I realize that not everyone is fortunate enough to come from
a dynasty of family artists and craftsmen and that many people need to purchase
artwork for their homes. My husband and I have several pieces that we have purchased
over the years as well. We have three Frank McElwain Tall Stacks prints that
adorn the walls of my husband’s office. The prints commemorate our memories of
attending the Tall Stacks Festival on the riverfront in Cincinnati and taking a
cruise in one of the majestic old riverboats. If you do purchase artwork for
your home whether it is a signed print or a mass-produced picture from Home
Goods, I suggest that you choose subject matter that has personal meaning to
you. Perhaps you have traveled to France and you choose a rendering of the
Eiffel Tower or perhaps the painting is a picture of your favorite type of
flower. Whatever the inspiration and the price, just make sure it represents <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you</i> in some way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCpp8_3Fn0XGf_m9LRWI244v3QjlEp3HHzcVovGRDNaEC9XdTEUqIKCvbpB5Sj60IpTrfCjCFWVtiY0HDCyubv73229vADJx7QotWPI8bImbxnHvoV0j7z6sHuvvSbNF_lhh9MWYuJTCJq/s1600/IMG_9845.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCpp8_3Fn0XGf_m9LRWI244v3QjlEp3HHzcVovGRDNaEC9XdTEUqIKCvbpB5Sj60IpTrfCjCFWVtiY0HDCyubv73229vADJx7QotWPI8bImbxnHvoV0j7z6sHuvvSbNF_lhh9MWYuJTCJq/s400/IMG_9845.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some of the most interesting homes I have ever visited are accessorized
with the owner’s personal collections and memorabilia arranged in an artful way
that appeals to a broad audience of people. My own personal collections have
become a staple of my interior design. Not only are they “my favorite things” but
also they connect to my personal memories of fun times antiquing with my
clan.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have been collecting silhouettes for almost twenty years. Some of the silhouettes in my extensive collection of over two-hundred, are of friends and family members. Others are of perfect strangers who sat for a cutting at state fairs and festivals all over the country in the early and mid 1900's. Over the years I have purchased them during our antique outings and I have received many as gifts from loved ones. I am fascinated by the amount of personality that shows through in the simple black and white profiles. I truly believe they capture the shadow of a person's soul and I connect to each one personally.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2bEpcAjWoX8yf3ducIucHR6QoEhboJfYTPA9iWxeZDsHtoBx9MPMuhEKKhCY0p0eZXWIaS362vs8c7xG8yjFWGW5LEC4_aE0Z1Zgin18fPbPJ9WfFptzNHYxKV7u8gvCeIXg4KnzVfznH/s1600/IMG_0391.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2bEpcAjWoX8yf3ducIucHR6QoEhboJfYTPA9iWxeZDsHtoBx9MPMuhEKKhCY0p0eZXWIaS362vs8c7xG8yjFWGW5LEC4_aE0Z1Zgin18fPbPJ9WfFptzNHYxKV7u8gvCeIXg4KnzVfznH/s640/IMG_0391.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have found that the best way to display silhouettes is in structured collages. Below we see a large collage that I made on my kitchen wall. To accomplish this square outline, I carefully measured the amount of wall that would create the border and started placing the silhouettes around the edge of the border. Once I had the edge placed all the way around, I randomly started to fill in the inside. It took me seven hours and much trial and error to hang them all, but I think it was really worth the time. The result is a larger than life mosaic that is nostalgic with a clean contemporary quality.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnPIDNmZrxedzvKkGOF5mdyrgYuNX4Z5myLRfL9pMdrA7IFggqDKjUk7sPEvEWThElxKi0oXXyE6eNCEu_Excalx0llmNbbqjtQ13Vc8wTF9-pNO686KlQgSWUTswvNnzuMl1BLWa8GYfP/s1600/IMG_0280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnPIDNmZrxedzvKkGOF5mdyrgYuNX4Z5myLRfL9pMdrA7IFggqDKjUk7sPEvEWThElxKi0oXXyE6eNCEu_Excalx0llmNbbqjtQ13Vc8wTF9-pNO686KlQgSWUTswvNnzuMl1BLWa8GYfP/s640/IMG_0280.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOg37R695lHDwjBfGASnGH8O_5mjHSxdAxugXgghdQ9YOleljT2uprvysYeBz-Ugis1IusvmjFIK0p39MH_GcPkPovTno083IuHya2hcosYqWmmk5KFYOM52apLsHXHoKdYuEd7y8irufn/s1600/IMG_0279.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOg37R695lHDwjBfGASnGH8O_5mjHSxdAxugXgghdQ9YOleljT2uprvysYeBz-Ugis1IusvmjFIK0p39MH_GcPkPovTno083IuHya2hcosYqWmmk5KFYOM52apLsHXHoKdYuEd7y8irufn/s320/IMG_0279.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although I usually recommend grouping collections together for large impact and less clutter, I couldn't resist sprinkling a few strays here and there. "Hello my name is Suzy, and I am a silhouette addict."</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr__GSZyuG6Aza7GsAeqGuZM1xQu602IxpXiR8A0cJn0SvVmXhX3gteXGKrLFbnnrJTteqWOhTuvZl76plSK4xFTjeIoXGeOi8FcaRHmLsZC-aUXPdGiWIbPJN2XF8L0FMYb0dvKQr05wq/s1600/IMG_9863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr__GSZyuG6Aza7GsAeqGuZM1xQu602IxpXiR8A0cJn0SvVmXhX3gteXGKrLFbnnrJTteqWOhTuvZl76plSK4xFTjeIoXGeOi8FcaRHmLsZC-aUXPdGiWIbPJN2XF8L0FMYb0dvKQr05wq/s1600/IMG_9863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr__GSZyuG6Aza7GsAeqGuZM1xQu602IxpXiR8A0cJn0SvVmXhX3gteXGKrLFbnnrJTteqWOhTuvZl76plSK4xFTjeIoXGeOi8FcaRHmLsZC-aUXPdGiWIbPJN2XF8L0FMYb0dvKQr05wq/s400/IMG_9863.JPG" width="301" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This large-scale reverse silhouette sits by himself on another kitchen wall</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJL4661VQK-dVVu9-PQ6g5R6_CfcXjnKit6dFlN1ejAFZMdx6hHWytphH7CAuLFxe3LcKMb8UDYsDtH-cSDDDiJrVyv6eVS8FLEXT_WX6PBLGx0NI5bphv2wFvIu4_NiopsplX5cPvlSu0/s1600/IMG_0227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJL4661VQK-dVVu9-PQ6g5R6_CfcXjnKit6dFlN1ejAFZMdx6hHWytphH7CAuLFxe3LcKMb8UDYsDtH-cSDDDiJrVyv6eVS8FLEXT_WX6PBLGx0NI5bphv2wFvIu4_NiopsplX5cPvlSu0/s400/IMG_0227.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Reverse silhouette sitting on a table in my bedroom</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beatrix Sherman is one of the most acclaimed silhouette artists of the 20th century. Born January 10th, 1894 in Scranton PA, Beatrix went on in later years to study at the Art Institute of Chicago. She displayed her artistry at six World Fairs and cut silhouettes of several US Presidents and dignitaries, including President John F. Kennedy. My sister Holly came to visit me a few months ago and I was telling her about Beatrix Sherman and how much I wished I had one of her silhouettes for my collection but that I really couldn't afford to buy one. I had been following some of her silhouettes online and they were going for hundreds of dollars. At that instant my sister brought out a little bag containing a hostess gift she had bought for me. When I pulled the silhouette out of the bag we were both amazed that it was signed Beatrix Sherman. She had found the little silhouette at an antique show buried in a pile of other pictures and paid $4.00 for it. My sister and I have always shared a bit of ESP with one another but this kind of freaked both of us out. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin3qKf55UZppdFut0ShXltc67JPFDGSQ8O3BBL_9I6_p0HnW_I7CBzWX7yt5ZBUCljef7NSjcAEBwbeETXFl-pftYmwEdcvRikwdoL-lr_FWfMtLf7rZHPhikJZNUrr_NoRi4GsJrPRfIA/s1600/IMG_0017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin3qKf55UZppdFut0ShXltc67JPFDGSQ8O3BBL_9I6_p0HnW_I7CBzWX7yt5ZBUCljef7NSjcAEBwbeETXFl-pftYmwEdcvRikwdoL-lr_FWfMtLf7rZHPhikJZNUrr_NoRi4GsJrPRfIA/s400/IMG_0017.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beatrix Sherman silhouette on table in great room</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzuDAat_fEOw6AGpBs_D_HqYj3GvVuenIfPt-VlwnvT3GFOyDNJfDKeB55E6jVqoFL9PSUIrzoi9xijJGR0CAVmGvt_mLharH-DScnAl3ge8GfaQ7bdXQRuupC996FX98Y3nKmi7VQWRgH/s1600/IMG_9944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzuDAat_fEOw6AGpBs_D_HqYj3GvVuenIfPt-VlwnvT3GFOyDNJfDKeB55E6jVqoFL9PSUIrzoi9xijJGR0CAVmGvt_mLharH-DScnAl3ge8GfaQ7bdXQRuupC996FX98Y3nKmi7VQWRgH/s640/IMG_9944.jpg" width="425" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Silhouettes of my Christmas caroling quartet stacked on a wall in the great room</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Ija3DF24WvL_h8QLIn3Fzhw0VLMYXfb1wn2XnitVPfKMb2sEaEh5OoYTXFjNWqmay95rcU1odf3q646xyh8ZR5AIrYvJ06HhP_pr-_8EdJbPt6SRsmY93LeCM35GyOk8bhMOOgTXLciL/s1600/IMG_0361.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Ija3DF24WvL_h8QLIn3Fzhw0VLMYXfb1wn2XnitVPfKMb2sEaEh5OoYTXFjNWqmay95rcU1odf3q646xyh8ZR5AIrYvJ06HhP_pr-_8EdJbPt6SRsmY93LeCM35GyOk8bhMOOgTXLciL/s640/IMG_0361.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Structured silhouette collage on basement wall</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My new passion is large scale silhouettes. These life size versions were usually made in school classrooms in the 1950's through the 1970's. Teachers would tape a piece of paper to the chalk board and have the child sit in front of an overhead projector to create the shadow on the paper. The teacher would then trace the shadow and cut it out of the paper to create the large silhouette. They were often given by the students as Mother's Day gifts. I have grouped a few in my powder room for a little vintage flair. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8YVS4q-ieeAgYyaBBXGgghj7RiaQpbJOI1u5yThLWhPhdJsc2yAC6Nx699JcaUX6LrAWYXip6TG0HGO8MysbBHbvJMqMEsxjFS32Y-cjQuqMA8FocQaGKlUX5dVdx5yjJMJ7xd8F-ZiUA/s1600/IMG_9856.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8YVS4q-ieeAgYyaBBXGgghj7RiaQpbJOI1u5yThLWhPhdJsc2yAC6Nx699JcaUX6LrAWYXip6TG0HGO8MysbBHbvJMqMEsxjFS32Y-cjQuqMA8FocQaGKlUX5dVdx5yjJMJ7xd8F-ZiUA/s640/IMG_9856.jpg" width="454" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another one of my favorite collections is vintage pencil boxes. As a child I always loved the first day of school and new school supplies. Each time I find a box for my collection it makes me smile when I think of the child who received it brand new at the start of the school year. The scribbled names of many of the former owners are still visible inside the lids of several boxes. Again, it's a personal connection. Collections of small items like this can look like clutter if sprinkled randomly around a room. A glass top coffee table keeps them contained and displays them well.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ah yes, the contentious compotes! Compotes work well in almost every room. That is why everyone in my family collects them. They add sparkle and visual interest without creating a lot of visual weight. They fill surfaces and shelves but keep the room light and airy. As you can see in the pictures below I have mixed them with my collection of aqua pottery on the built-in shelving unit in my great room. Keeping like objects together on the shelves makes a bigger visual impact and helps to keep down the clutter.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vintage pottery comes in virtually every color imaginable. Consider amping up the color in your room with a collection of pottery in one of your accent colors.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pigwidgeon the cat particularly likes EAPG compotes and is almost as stealth in her tactics as my mother and aunt!</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I found an old wooden box stamped Dried Fruit Encino, California, among some of my father's belongings. I loved the dovetailed detail on the corners of the box and the stamped picture on the top. For some reason my father had saved it. Perhaps it's craftsmanship had made it too difficult to dispose of. It was this personal connection that inspired me to collect other wooden boxes. Stacking them neatly by graduated size creates a nifty pyramid effect. A thoughtful display that again increases the impact of the collection while reducing the clutter.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is an old Art Deco hotel in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio that was formerly known as the Omni Netherland. In this grand hotel there is a regal ballroom named the Hall of Mirrors. I can remember attending a wedding reception there years ago and connecting to the ever changing artwork of the sparking and reflective mirrors. This inspired me to collect my own hall of antique mirrors.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When personalizing your own home, remember that it isn't necessary to be literal. A gallery of family photos isn't the only way to honor loved ones and precious memories. Sometimes displaying artwork that evokes fond remembrances can be more interesting and just as personal. Dig out sentimental heirlooms from storage, dust them off, and use them to enrich your life and decor. If you purchase design elements for your home do so thoughtfully. It isn't necessary to bankrupt yourself and it's perfectly acceptable to buy decorative items from discount stores. Just make sure you buy items that relate to you in a personal way and express your history and interests. Collections are a great way to make a big statement in your interior design. Plus they have the added benefit of connecting you to the adventures you had while collecting. Mother was right when she said, "Antiques save a room,"only I would add to her statement by saying "Antiques save a room and surrounding yourself with your favorite things makes your room worth saving!"</span></div>
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Suzy Zillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032184494095337707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-983065038003077353.post-77052936422467859062013-04-07T22:13:00.005-07:002013-04-14T07:14:42.113-07:00THE PARTY IS IN THE BASEMENT: GOING UNDERGROUND AND MAKING THE MOST OF IT!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The Story:</b></span><br />
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Some of my favorite childhood memories are of family holiday gatherings at my Aunt Mary Jane and Uncle Eugene’s house. Auntie and Uncle Euge, as we affectionately call them, built their tiny cape cod home in 1955, in my little hometown of Mt. Healthy, Ohio. It originally had just five rooms on the first floor: two bedrooms, a living room, one bathroom, and an eat-in kitchen. My Uncle later renovated the upstairs attic to create two bedrooms for their son and daughter and they converted the second bedroom on the first floor into a dinning room. Eventually, he finished the basement to make a family room and second bathroom.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My mother was the youngest of four children and between them they had sixteen children of their own. All of us would gather at Auntie’s house for the annual Christmas Eve party as well as other family events throughout the year. Whether is was a birthday party, bridal shower, or baby shower we happily celebrated together underground. The festivities were always held in the basement because it was the only room in her house that was large enough to accommodate the crowd of adults and children who at that time numbered Twenty-five. In addition, my mom’s cousin and her family would usually drop by at some point during the celebrations to join in the fun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a child, I was particularly enthralled with this idea of a finished basement. The basement at our home was unfinished and resembled a dark cement dungeon. It was filled with stored items, the washer and dryer, and my father’s odd collection of hobbies. Although, it was a great place to roller skate, it had no warmth or charm. To be completely honest it was a bit creepy and the plethora of spiders and the dripping floor drain was a source of childhood anxiety for me.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the other hand, my Auntie’s basement was a mid-century Early American wonderland. It had bright red carpet and comfortable swiveling chairs decked out in fabrics printed with eagles, American flags, and Liberty Bells. The sofa was bright blue and wood paneling covered the walls. A black iron Ben Franklin stove stood in the sitting area warming the hearts and hands of many cold children just in from the snow. Sometimes the stove got so hot that we would all shed the layers of holiday clothing in which our mothers had painstaking pressed and dressed us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As the years went on and we all grew up, married, and had children of our own, we still gathered in the tiny basement and oddly enough the small but open space seemed to grow with the family accommodating additional generations with ease. We never seemed to care how tightly packed we were as long as we were all together eating, drinking, and making merry.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now that I am an adult, I realize that although Auntie and Uncle Euge are not architects or designers, they seem to have an extraordinary gift for making use of every inch of space. They were extremely clever and resourceful in turning utilitarian aspects of the basement into attractive and useful areas to facilitate entertaining large groups of people. For instance, the washer, dryer, and utility sink were located right next to the door that walked out to the back yard. My uncle built a nifty removable, stained wooden top that fit neatly over the washer and dryer to create a countertop. It had a tall backsplash that masked the operating knobs of the machines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The makeshift counter top also held a curtain rod and Auntie sewed a cute full-length skirt that attached to the rod, camouflaging the washer and dryer below. This well constructed yet economical solution, transformed the laundry area into a wet bar for family parties.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another clever creation was a half-table that was built in under the stairs. It served two purposes. It blocked off the dangerous area under the staircase where the head height was compromised and it created a perfect place for my aunt to place snacks for the party. In fact, Uncle Euge was a milkman by profession and used to get many boxes of Ester Price candy from the people on his route as holiday thank you gifts. (For those who might be too young to remember, the “milkman” was the person who used to deliver fresh milk from the dairy to your house twice a week and place it in a box on your front porch.) Auntie was inundated with so much candy that she placed huge dishes of the delicious chocolate on the table under the stairs and we kids were permitted to eat as much of it as we wanted. So you can only imagine sixteen kids hyped on candy chasing each other in the basement. Uncle Euge really saved our heads with his inventive table.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The furnace and water heater were also located in the space. Uncle Euge ingeniously cloaked the area in wooden garden lattice that was stained to match the wall paneling. The perforated lattice kept the unsightly appliances out of view, but allowed for the masking to be built close to the furnace with out compromising the ventilation. This maximized the space in the tiny basement and a gate-style door allowed easy access for maintenance.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig5SgrTCZTnbnlXvK7IOjzdCAiIpHhBYclROXaSdltUIhwbduCcDBPBmv_CjZHgLjFdhG-ekJPJktCiHmnlPNxNIveZmdjngOj1FfT67EVGuoKIZIpwEK6nWrt8rBLB3XNAQ71NeI_ebif/s1600/Ben+Franklin+Stove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig5SgrTCZTnbnlXvK7IOjzdCAiIpHhBYclROXaSdltUIhwbduCcDBPBmv_CjZHgLjFdhG-ekJPJktCiHmnlPNxNIveZmdjngOj1FfT67EVGuoKIZIpwEK6nWrt8rBLB3XNAQ71NeI_ebif/s400/Ben+Franklin+Stove.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Ben Franklin stove with raised seating hearth</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The charming Ben Franklin stove, that warmed us on so many Christmas Eves, was elevated off the ground on a cement block hearth. Uncle Euge extended the raised hearth along the wall and Auntie sewed a colorful cushion, which provided much needed additional seating for party guests.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was a niche created by the foundation jutting out under the front porch. My uncle seized the opportunity to make a storage closet out of this seemingly unusable space. Here they housed stacks of board games and puzzles. My cousins, my siblings, and I were amused for hours playing games like Clue, Monopoly, and my personal favorite.....Mouse Trap. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsSKv1dYUWTMg3sauNnevEaL95L35Rlcz8ct361rK_k5REcj91T0vuq4Y3vLvBTZMV7s_095vX4bIqzSOO-feDdDpC8l9RqIZ64x0IUR7lFFAh5jXRRMnAUVUUikKJv9mUn9qPdEthA0-R/s1600/MJ+and+Eugene.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsSKv1dYUWTMg3sauNnevEaL95L35Rlcz8ct361rK_k5REcj91T0vuq4Y3vLvBTZMV7s_095vX4bIqzSOO-feDdDpC8l9RqIZ64x0IUR7lFFAh5jXRRMnAUVUUikKJv9mUn9qPdEthA0-R/s400/MJ+and+Eugene.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Auntie" and Uncle "Euge"</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Auntie and Uncle Euge are now in their upper 80’s and our family has finally become so large that the amazing expandable basement can’t hold us anymore. Many of our own children are grown and married and many of my siblings and cousins now have grandchildren. We have had to rotate the gatherings between family members with larger houses and we still all gather together several times a year. I feel very blessed that my family has remained close but I have to admit that there is still a part of me that longs for that little red, white, and blue basement.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRtS5zA-XzVxkLspUrAudnfaGMzoy92rFGVlzr8RO3tb1cPBWSzTw2LZBDAZOjUbRDnx3giFun-NYVJXZPMjgV7u9n8w7D0oknG_ddLY7m5bjznlgspi21BCkRTVlQxoUemMH-lcJDJ0oP/s1600/MJ+Frig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRtS5zA-XzVxkLspUrAudnfaGMzoy92rFGVlzr8RO3tb1cPBWSzTw2LZBDAZOjUbRDnx3giFun-NYVJXZPMjgV7u9n8w7D0oknG_ddLY7m5bjznlgspi21BCkRTVlQxoUemMH-lcJDJ0oP/s400/MJ+Frig.jpg" width="230" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sixty-seven year old Philco Refrigerator</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My aunt and uncle have taken such immaculate care of their things and many of the same basement furnishings are still there today. The basement stands as a monument to bygone times when patriotism was chic and family moments were treasured. In fact, Mary Jane and Eugene still house in their basement, the original refrigerator from when they were first married over 60 years ago . The best part of the story is, that the refrigerator still has the same light bulb. It has never been changed, never burned out, and it still works. A true testament to people who made the most of what they had and shared it with their loved </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ones.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ8FXtybGqZGNenc8Nq_1z2MGsJh94Al_4tXW8A9bRgsqj9-TQ4bFMwgG3gcoFNWCt2H7AP7HPyaZd568oP_9pbq7XPBlNe4MB8c6KOU91PWp2sbP-hcOZGLFckXtNOVszwZhVHClpl8pb/s1600/Open+frig+MJ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ8FXtybGqZGNenc8Nq_1z2MGsJh94Al_4tXW8A9bRgsqj9-TQ4bFMwgG3gcoFNWCt2H7AP7HPyaZd568oP_9pbq7XPBlNe4MB8c6KOU91PWp2sbP-hcOZGLFckXtNOVszwZhVHClpl8pb/s640/Open+frig+MJ.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The original light bulb still works!</span></td></tr>
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<b>The Design Topic of the Week:</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Going Under Ground: Elevating Your Lower Level</span><br />
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My fascination with the finished basement has stayed with me through the years. As a teenager I envied friends who held high school parties or sleep-overs in their finished lower levels and as a young mother with small children I longed for a space where the kids could play that gave us breathing room and toy free areas upstairs. </span><br />
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When we built our first house we were a childless couple coming out of an apartment and we thought our new starter home was more space than we would ever need. But within three short years we had two children with a third on the way and very soon the walls and toy clutter started closing in on us. My husband's parents and a few siblings lived out of town and we were frequently hosting overnight visitors. Once the baby arrived, we would no longer have a guest bedroom. It was at this point that we started exploring options to finish the basement.</span><br />
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The walkout basement was a bright space and luckily we had had the forethought to put in nice french doors that lead to the outside when we built the house. On the suggestion of the builder, we had also roughed in for a future bathroom. We hired a contractor to finish the space and build some practical features that would suit our lifestyle as a young family. We added an extra large closet with shelves to store bins of toys out of site and a bathroom was built with a shower. This would accommodate our overnight guests who would sleep on the pull out sofa in the television area. There was a wet bar with cabinets and countertops, a computer desk area, and a space that held a children's table and chairs for the kids to work on art and craft projects. I used an antique dresser to house the many dress-up items that my girls loved to play with. I tried to take a page from Auntie and Uncle Euge's book and create a space that would function well for daily life and allow for easy entertaining.</span><br />
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When we built our second house, we had become so dependent on our underground multi-pupose area that we knew it had to be a priority from the get-go. So we included plans for a finished basement in the initial blueprints. We included many of the family-friendly features from the previous basement like a wet bar, bathroom, and storage closets. However, our kids were a little older now and we had more emerging interests and desired uses for the space. My husband had longed for a billiard table, poker table, and large screen TV to bro-mance his pals, so space accommodations were made for this. I had become interested in fitness and both of our daughters were dance students, so we added a room with wood laminate floors and a mirrored wall to provide a space for these activities. </span><br />
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Although our first basement renovation was well suited to our lifestyle at the time, the dropped ceiling, furnishings, and decor of the space still had a quality that felt a little substandard to finishings upstairs. In the new home I really wanted to elevate the basement design to feel more like the rest of our house. I not only wanted a useful space but a welcoming room that made us want to spend time there. So many times I hear people say "I don't really care about what goes in the basement, after all its just a basement and I don't really go down there very much." I believe that if you treat the space like it's as valuable as any other space in your home, the whole family will use it and enjoy it.</span><br />
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I am not suggesting breaking the bank, just that you give the decor the same level of thought as you do aboveground. Fun and unique furnishings purchased at discount stores, garages sales, or even hand-me-downs can create a terrific look at a great cost savings </span><br />
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Here are a few tips to help you elevate your lower level:</span><br />
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Choose comfortable furniture and put good thought into your floor plan. Think about who will be using the space and how much seating you might need. Provide for good traffic patterns from space to space to avoid running an obstacle course.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Make sure you use accessories, window treatments, and artwork just like you would upstairs. Blank walls, bare floors, and naked windows are not inviting to anyone. Even children need a little more stimulation than that. Break up those walls with flea market finds or framed children's art work if you don't have a big budget. Get creative! We bought inexpensive black frames at Michaels and framed colorful posters from shows our kids performed in over the years. We did the same with some of my husband's old records and hung them in a grouping to add life to a large empty wall.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you have a seating area with chairs or sofas, make sure that you use end tables to provide a surface on which to sit a lamp and a drink. It's no fun to sit and converse or watch a movie if you have to hold your drink or place it on the floor. Again get creative! Do you own an old trunk that can be used as a coffee table or do you have hard suitcases that can be stacked next to a chair? Garage sales are a great place to find small tables for this purpose.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Drywall ceilings go a long way to making the underground space look more like the upstairs and I suggest doing it whenever possible. However, dropped ceilings may be the best option for you if there is plumbing or ductwork that may require access. If you need to use a dropped or acoustic ceiling, I suggest avoiding the long rectangular panels that look institutional. Opt for smaller square panels for a homier look.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Make sure to use doors, woodwork, and trims similar to your upstairs areas. This will help you avoid the "We've just gone underground" shock. Crown moldings are nice but not necessary. Baseboards, however, are a must!</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This may be the most important tip of all. Keep the lighting consistent with aboveground decor. You should try to use a combination of overhead lighting and ambient table or floor lamps. Avoid overhead florescent light boxes if possible, because they give a glaring institutional feel to a room. Can-lights provide less harsh, more focused light and can be used in many instances with a dropped ceiling. There is nothing less inviting than entering someone's basement and feeling like you've stepped into a tanning bed. If florescent boxes are your only option, make sure you have several lamps in the room to provide light. That way you can turn the overheads off when they are not needed for task lighting.</span></li>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When we moved to Pittsburgh, I knew that a finished basement would be a must for us. My son was entering high school and his older sisters had proven to me that a basement area was a necessity to living harmoniously with teenagers and their many friends. When looking for a house, however, we were presented with a challenge that I had not expected. Due to the hilly terrain of Western Pennsylvania, most of the homes have garages built in the basement to avoid overly steep driveways and that doesn't allow for the large, open, multi-purpose spaces that we had grown accustomed to. After searching high and low (literally), we finally found a home with an attached garage and a finished basement. The basement had wonderful open space with areas to fit all of our needs, but the decor was dark and uninviting. The cost of moving had broken the bank for us and I needed to find a way to use only items I already owned and to create an elevated design with the use of paint.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are the photo's of my Pittsburgh basement as it looked when we first bought the house. The room was a very nice size and had a good lay-out but the wainscoting and woodwork was stained brown. That with the dark green tile and even darker bar area made the room feel drab and cave-like despite the large window and glass doors. The previous owners had attempted to lighten things up with the off white walls but the stark contrast created a silhouette effect on the rooms furnishings</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before photo of the basement sitting area</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx7PNSsWshE63auDOgbX9dsKGGAWrkrXJbS1XkuzzePfDM35KRLpYe8zKbHrSfeuwT4CNUiprDmWDUrpvG68PTgWYfSA_F8MOiS4YZ6FD2VODwsWKUuRyTbi86d5kdKcndNQlg_zKvy-O4/s1600/IMG_0059.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx7PNSsWshE63auDOgbX9dsKGGAWrkrXJbS1XkuzzePfDM35KRLpYe8zKbHrSfeuwT4CNUiprDmWDUrpvG68PTgWYfSA_F8MOiS4YZ6FD2VODwsWKUuRyTbi86d5kdKcndNQlg_zKvy-O4/s400/IMG_0059.PNG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before photo of the basement bar area</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was very little artwork hanging on the walls, most likely due the suggestion of a real estate stager. However, as a new inhabitant, I felt the large space looked a bit lifeless and hollow.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn42J3ptw1N9C7aldL29LUdWV6U43fDmq272KZX6AFNLZiRATxvkAOdflWfA1EkWW2UphEzbGwMzOFOyrvAbQqVCxYYSzmMz8CZXKNe3-jSKWfYpgKrKBfEwJq-p-0Y_V2dNh07Vdz97o7/s1600/IMG_0060.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn42J3ptw1N9C7aldL29LUdWV6U43fDmq272KZX6AFNLZiRATxvkAOdflWfA1EkWW2UphEzbGwMzOFOyrvAbQqVCxYYSzmMz8CZXKNe3-jSKWfYpgKrKBfEwJq-p-0Y_V2dNh07Vdz97o7/s400/IMG_0060.PNG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before photo of the basement billiards area</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We lived almost an entire year without really touching the space because our time and budget was being spent on upstairs renovations. We plopped our old furnishings down and that was it. My husband who loves to sit and watch his favorite shows each evening on his big television was becoming frustrated with me because I never wanted to join him. We had always shared this time together in the basement at the old house and he couldn't understand why I didn't want to do it now. For me, the upstairs was looking fresh and pretty while the basement felt dark, dingy, and unwelcoming. Sitting down there did absolutely nothing for my mood, I wasn't sure exactly what to do with the large overwhelming space, and there wasn't really anymore money in the budget even if I did. So I chose avoidance!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One day, I was perusing an online design site and stumbled upon a picture of a basement. The layout was similar to ours and it had similar wainscoting painted white. The light bulb turned on! It would be a very large job but I decided to take on the task of painting out all of the dark woodwork in the room. Nine fourteen-hour days, two gallons of Kilz, and three gallons of Navaho White(Sherwin Williams SW6126) later, it was done! What an ordeal but the result was absolutely worth it.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here you see the room as it stands today and I couldn't be happier! In addition to painting out the woodwork I took the contrast down a notch by painting the upper portion of the walls in Harmonic tan by Sherwin Williams (SW6136). The soft green hue pulls out the subtle shades of green in my sofa and makes all the furniture pop.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGk_lGvjyIjEi9s_cQV3fh8WwXOZL7MIxCKSJFecvH8_KCyPgqZrakBRps6tmlTciQC5TC8Gu5868NvQizjetMnBi_vp8TDNuVMPzBrznZvQS2E-6Tf6JhTitvj7vWahA31AK6exws9D0k/s1600/IMG_0366.JPG" imageanchor="1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGk_lGvjyIjEi9s_cQV3fh8WwXOZL7MIxCKSJFecvH8_KCyPgqZrakBRps6tmlTciQC5TC8Gu5868NvQizjetMnBi_vp8TDNuVMPzBrznZvQS2E-6Tf6JhTitvj7vWahA31AK6exws9D0k/s640/IMG_0366.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Adjacent to the bar, I created a seating area using an antique church pew that I bought at a garage sale for $99. The area is defined with a Persian style rug and an ottoman multi-puposes as a coffee table for additional seating. The collage of silhouettes is one of many I have in my home. Grouping the collection together in a structured way, makes a big artistic impact on the expansive wall.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgew8UnKgnPNVquOV2utGYFMQla4VgHSVO9xH4SdHoUp9QohU0VZCk7NoQ88gcNKWAGvY-Bv39BNuOMhHHaJAphTuqkluSDPvGgOIlyVPHiUXwb-X2NS0YFZn-mlDtIDfH8L-dVyFC7KWtD/s1600/IMG_0360.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgew8UnKgnPNVquOV2utGYFMQla4VgHSVO9xH4SdHoUp9QohU0VZCk7NoQ88gcNKWAGvY-Bv39BNuOMhHHaJAphTuqkluSDPvGgOIlyVPHiUXwb-X2NS0YFZn-mlDtIDfH8L-dVyFC7KWtD/s640/IMG_0360.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The furniture in my basement is actually a marriage of two different sets of furniture in my old house. The chair pictured below was from my former basement and the sofa was from my old great room. Since the sofa was already a montage of many fabrics, I thought a few more patterns couldn't hurt. I cross pollenated throw pillows from both sets and the result is very effective.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63TJlgrEnCBnvGoy8yxpHEV14ciL_XIMwD8o1p7GGbr0f04-XqGEtqL_B0ZH4mAoMQ3ERMtXvaiUtwt5bLqj9HDp7eF5zpzXAOxShfNhiAW8hXI9pwANaU0u6jfzaF0jibw02bfNE5VbS/s1600/IMG_0386.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63TJlgrEnCBnvGoy8yxpHEV14ciL_XIMwD8o1p7GGbr0f04-XqGEtqL_B0ZH4mAoMQ3ERMtXvaiUtwt5bLqj9HDp7eF5zpzXAOxShfNhiAW8hXI9pwANaU0u6jfzaF0jibw02bfNE5VbS/s640/IMG_0386.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This plantation desk was purchased with money I inherited from my grandmother on my dad's side. Nanny, lived to be an amazing ninety-four years old and outlived most of her money in the process. There was just a little bit left when she passed and that was split between me, my siblings, and my cousin. My mother suggested that I buy something with the small sum that I would have forever. I chose this little desk. I have had it now for 20 years and I think of my grandmother every time I look at it.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLrtILmDfWDCCHYgU1QsLnTo4fA9N4E601EbHys8nsNoPhs4AZtWiBlqhbaEy9SVn6mmESDmVDu6GpJqQmNBPSjy_zoOQZ7xqZIDzcBQVnJd8cok94obwDi9qpx8Oh1I7Yb6yR9wRVxG64/s1600/IMG_0380.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLrtILmDfWDCCHYgU1QsLnTo4fA9N4E601EbHys8nsNoPhs4AZtWiBlqhbaEy9SVn6mmESDmVDu6GpJqQmNBPSjy_zoOQZ7xqZIDzcBQVnJd8cok94obwDi9qpx8Oh1I7Yb6yR9wRVxG64/s640/IMG_0380.jpg" width="346" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fortunately for my husband, the Pittsburgh house provided an area for bro-mancing just as well as the Cincinnati house did in its day. There was ample space for his billiard table, poker table, and his most prized possession; the 1970's vintage jukebox.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDLOMj12DAJuR7wDQluQzG1P1Krwmq31XausKGXuGsjFu80XvlJfJd-9qeB7vArZsB2K_eeC1FMfJDBR-AtpkXRWaZEYxbNkXIjLNLWxIGN4-D0vyaEEsxJrV1lq3gOaJHwPfoQjJ9ER3N/s640/IMG_0363.JPG" width="640" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;">The thing holds the scratchy sounding 45's of our youth (and our parents youth for that matter). It was retro-fitted with a CD player. It's a very sad statement when writing about a CD player makes a person feel old. </span><img border="0" height="592" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgomNpDsrTV5N8wzEeiHei0VYgPdwb4qdXyhfC5vAXHPIykGAHNTzHlZ7lHckMtJpbEqPeeInmE-oPOKJk-iOGc2D3oMS2LzIpWN0eUiSxmlO3jg31TNx5ngjDMM2o8mDeufMT0K7MSV_y2/s640/IMG_0403.JPG" width="640" /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My husband purchased inexpensive black frames from Michaels to feature some of his collection of LP's from the 1980's, as well as colorful school musical posters from shows in which our kids performed over the years. The records play into the jukebox theme and the project forced us to clear out some old sentimental junk from our crowded storage space. It's a big visual bang for a little buck.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU0wRrEKwxpcaLl30V4RlTuYA7UcFoqpKyMO1bWhDDyrM7CI6fcFNke_9Q8HfhZYZmh14Evp20kKXivk_lYkFSEx5JOyMV2PdQQ1Xz_cWiO9kVYc_1QuKhNUGTB2yrt1MbIHDnHW1sk3NS/s1600/IMG_0407.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU0wRrEKwxpcaLl30V4RlTuYA7UcFoqpKyMO1bWhDDyrM7CI6fcFNke_9Q8HfhZYZmh14Evp20kKXivk_lYkFSEx5JOyMV2PdQQ1Xz_cWiO9kVYc_1QuKhNUGTB2yrt1MbIHDnHW1sk3NS/s640/IMG_0407.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6k2cEeMMdt1OGhMHtT8xeyr7_8Z8K3x_VKqFjUf1HnD7hC62fgLiqadE4tazaXRX-CRIHZYzo2MLm_vBcskgVXIn2Ub5qI9p_woLz2NPgmcgcSDPTn7wch5PEEs5vH6-1TiwJGaZZTUj0/s1600/IMG_0401.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6k2cEeMMdt1OGhMHtT8xeyr7_8Z8K3x_VKqFjUf1HnD7hC62fgLiqadE4tazaXRX-CRIHZYzo2MLm_vBcskgVXIn2Ub5qI9p_woLz2NPgmcgcSDPTn7wch5PEEs5vH6-1TiwJGaZZTUj0/s640/IMG_0401.JPG" width="640" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;">My mother-in-law gifted my husband with this vintage bowler hat that belonged to her father. My husband was so thrilled with the present that we encased it in glass. The manly chapeau makes a perfect centerpiece for the bro-mantic poker table.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My husband and I purchased this early 1900's jeweler's desk when we were first married as a stand for our "thick" screen TV and VCR. (Talk about feeling old). I have placed an oversize piece of embroidered artwork above it and accessorized it with a lamp, a reproduction Eiffel Tower that I bought in the garden department of Target over ten years ago, and my favorite go-to design element; a pyramid of stacked wooden boxes.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJRg-BU3t_DliHhnSvAp7fY_L_YxyBQD8sRWlgPbceGauX1aa1KCEDDhNDOaDnaZeuS0_3WLgnhvytXoSjCVttFP_6yMdfcZw81nHfhoORd0sm1fcIvEUrpvURQrH5FVgfykowI27N6r_/s1600/IMG_0383.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJRg-BU3t_DliHhnSvAp7fY_L_YxyBQD8sRWlgPbceGauX1aa1KCEDDhNDOaDnaZeuS0_3WLgnhvytXoSjCVttFP_6yMdfcZw81nHfhoORd0sm1fcIvEUrpvURQrH5FVgfykowI27N6r_/s640/IMG_0383.jpg" width="464" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Underneath I placed vintage suitcases that I found in my uncle's garage.</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAeY7SxUAx4x-PmEDOqu8ph06oBeIW5xXhsa-KYjtJfD10t4SrZbciim4KObLXAPp_gk3lEO3IKRdRfQMxzoK5wnpX6Xe9dauQ998a33LM07nRu5a-hhnrm7WYL7wF_r0Y-HpxolI6og-F/s1600/IMG_0382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAeY7SxUAx4x-PmEDOqu8ph06oBeIW5xXhsa-KYjtJfD10t4SrZbciim4KObLXAPp_gk3lEO3IKRdRfQMxzoK5wnpX6Xe9dauQ998a33LM07nRu5a-hhnrm7WYL7wF_r0Y-HpxolI6og-F/s640/IMG_0382.JPG" width="640" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: none; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></span>In case you haven't gathered it yet, I am a silhouette addict. An addict is one step further over the line than a collector. For my fourty-fifth birthday party my husband invited a local silhouette artist to come to our home and cut silhouettes of many of my relatives. I own so many silhouettes of strangers that he thought it might be a good idea if I had a few people in my collection that I actually know and love. Since most of my family members have an affinity for libations, I thought it fitting that their silhouettes should hold court over the bar.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBCPsMEDQTCpUtGNzNPDq_Nelbs_mU5IahZvMDdoTeqvF8haC0jMj5GL5MeFAKTPgVoAUQ9Rl-62ZksBWDerWLy4Vxzl7Kk2KLPnXAAwhAdDU4dRnhltWXBtd2KzyZefOE4i77kiLifuqx/s1600/IMG_0391.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBCPsMEDQTCpUtGNzNPDq_Nelbs_mU5IahZvMDdoTeqvF8haC0jMj5GL5MeFAKTPgVoAUQ9Rl-62ZksBWDerWLy4Vxzl7Kk2KLPnXAAwhAdDU4dRnhltWXBtd2KzyZefOE4i77kiLifuqx/s640/IMG_0391.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The basement houses a small guest bedroom and full bathroom. I love to use interesting objects as headboards for my beds. When I first saw this hand-painted Asian folding screen at an antique mall, it screamed "Headboard!" to me.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD4HQswlyfvlV705IKq8pvv2zFXnnK6PGdnvg350yj70_9eHrF0BcVZ2_k8ShVdz3JPc4mFkXYvgRGwZFeJSFVlBxpVwXpbS1tfMNo-GjhNLKaIz4HDu9EDgO1ezOZxbyaYknpo0Es6L9g/s1600/IMG_0419.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD4HQswlyfvlV705IKq8pvv2zFXnnK6PGdnvg350yj70_9eHrF0BcVZ2_k8ShVdz3JPc4mFkXYvgRGwZFeJSFVlBxpVwXpbS1tfMNo-GjhNLKaIz4HDu9EDgO1ezOZxbyaYknpo0Es6L9g/s640/IMG_0419.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The bedroom is clearly visible from the basement's seating area, so I intentionally pulled color and pattern into the room through the bedding to compliment the other space.</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVxD3RB_i6E5aFX052raM9p3TeVaJDhHYeT2uEMWdPwOwd2qB_G7gpu1tbA4bPvvjlt9ka0-D-twXPskcTSgKw4L53rGX3SDgDA0kUgF_PaHmLNMER2cb7GQGj_uEj9EZCFwJxv5iP5Agu/s1600/IMG_0424.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVxD3RB_i6E5aFX052raM9p3TeVaJDhHYeT2uEMWdPwOwd2qB_G7gpu1tbA4bPvvjlt9ka0-D-twXPskcTSgKw4L53rGX3SDgDA0kUgF_PaHmLNMER2cb7GQGj_uEj9EZCFwJxv5iP5Agu/s640/IMG_0424.JPG" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This drop-leaf corner table makes a great beside stand in this very small space. It tucks neatly into the corner and the leaf is easily popped up for additional surface area if needed by guests.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the opposite side of the bed an antique mission oak chair serves double duty as extra seating and beside table.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This small Victorian dresser with it's crewel-stitched picture hanging above, fits nicely under the high window.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaypzLz8vf6_r1Ar5R9PU7UUmSbQ6cP7lshCQ86sBCXk4k9KK9MkzazL394sc6fGFjp0JX1jMwb8aRJLGKH-V8OIAguV_Yngnf6Q7RCtF0f7gw7PuHzGn94dr8U_rZ_w_XoDZ3I34b-q2H/s1600/IMG_0379.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaypzLz8vf6_r1Ar5R9PU7UUmSbQ6cP7lshCQ86sBCXk4k9KK9MkzazL394sc6fGFjp0JX1jMwb8aRJLGKH-V8OIAguV_Yngnf6Q7RCtF0f7gw7PuHzGn94dr8U_rZ_w_XoDZ3I34b-q2H/s640/IMG_0379.jpg" width="418" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some pieces of my grandmothers Blue Onion wedding china become art when displayed against the bright yellow wall color.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhha1XKRhRoGt4g_FiPo0HXN5urLUSA2rqkFfOuwnfbWt_yxXpNBxFONKSH29kQ_J7c0rBsV52cA16fMh5dOVqR9bMF1YINKO5560gBrXgVWlzfoit36oFZ6oFdWolxPW0cBEyj91mAiVAc/s1600/IMG_0422.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhha1XKRhRoGt4g_FiPo0HXN5urLUSA2rqkFfOuwnfbWt_yxXpNBxFONKSH29kQ_J7c0rBsV52cA16fMh5dOVqR9bMF1YINKO5560gBrXgVWlzfoit36oFZ6oFdWolxPW0cBEyj91mAiVAc/s640/IMG_0422.jpg" width="582" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the hallway that leads to the bathroom sits the first piece of furniture that I ever purchased. I bought this antique pie safe when I started my first job right out of college. It has had so many lifetimes in so many places that it would take an entire blogpost to tell its stories.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-i9QQs5U9iPdVuOkRa2J8myFYgDvIs3dgAEU1UUoCKwPwc9GPc-upMD3cU9_nh9QPiSQMfEmSWk3eYOQI4RiCdnzwmzNgbXwS2HxuU2Ex4vpftY37l83ng9Crrb5IJ63wQlSqNXIZp0tk/s1600/IMG_0388.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-i9QQs5U9iPdVuOkRa2J8myFYgDvIs3dgAEU1UUoCKwPwc9GPc-upMD3cU9_nh9QPiSQMfEmSWk3eYOQI4RiCdnzwmzNgbXwS2HxuU2Ex4vpftY37l83ng9Crrb5IJ63wQlSqNXIZp0tk/s640/IMG_0388.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I made this greeting card collage myself from cards I received from well-wishers over the years and I also picked up a few during my antiquing exploits.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnQLiaJWzMzkEHeGawFKvs20l6oeSa0uDMmJdfFuE7Lj2qlvjFRc8OAG9vbElvoJZ7oQ1WAC5xKtPXUgQm4SBXjHdTEvPAK3n7vkAIoyU4DGt7-INLWhY7zcgtMX8RlqgpCoXlMWI2pvmg/s1600/IMG_0389.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnQLiaJWzMzkEHeGawFKvs20l6oeSa0uDMmJdfFuE7Lj2qlvjFRc8OAG9vbElvoJZ7oQ1WAC5xKtPXUgQm4SBXjHdTEvPAK3n7vkAIoyU4DGt7-INLWhY7zcgtMX8RlqgpCoXlMWI2pvmg/s640/IMG_0389.jpg" width="496" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The full bathroom is conveniently located for use by party guests and overnight visitors using the basement bedroom.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The journey has been long road from my Auntie's red, white, and blue basement to my life in Pittsburgh. I seem to have carried with me along the way an affection for the underground spaces that so many others think not worthy of attention. I firmly believe that a well designed basement can be an asset in any home when done in a way that is welcoming and appealing. When designing your own basement use your budget to the best of your abilities to create a space that appears as valuable as the above grade areas of your home and serves the needs of your family and lifestyle. Doing this will encourage you to use the space for entertaining, daily life, and personal enjoyment. For the most part a basement is unclaimed real estate and its potential for bringing families and friends close together and reinforcing life long memories and bonds is boundless. Take a lesson from Auntie and Uncle Euge, be creative, make the most out of what you have, dare to throw parties for lots of people, and you just may be blessed with a light in your life that never burns out!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dont forget to check out my Designerelish Crock Pot and Designerelish Pantry pages for more great design ideas to use in your own home.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Decorating with collections: "These are a few of my favorite things"</span></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Suzy Zillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032184494095337707noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-983065038003077353.post-33479456906928703342013-03-31T14:47:00.000-07:002013-03-31T14:47:41.089-07:00Keeping Up With The Trends: Don't Get Caught With Your Pants On The Ground!<!--[if !mso]> <style>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Story:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I have always hated those icebreaker games that are often played at parties to facilitate mingling. You know, those silly diversions where guests are forced to go around in a circle and tell everyone their name and what animal they would be, if they <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">were</i> an animal. Or worse yet, the one where a partygoer is compelled to introduce himself by relating his most embarrassing moment to a room full of barely acquainted people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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I usually find a convenient excuse to refresh my drink or hide in the bathroom to avoid being drawn into these types of festivities. A party is definitely not the place for such intimate details of one’s personal life to be revealed to strangers. Lucky for you, that sort of story is much better suited to a blog post.</div>
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My most embarrassing moment occurred over twenty-six years ago. I was a young nursing student at the Christ Hospital School of Nursing in Cincinnati, Ohio. One morning my alarm failed to go off and I awoke in a panic because I had a big test that day in my nutrition class. Fortunately, I had woken up on my own and if I hurried I could make it to class on time, take the test, and save my GPA. I quickly rolled out of bed but soon realized that almost all of my clothes were in the laundry. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just like most college students, I had procrastinated to the point that I didn’t have anything left hanging in my closet to wear. Luckily, some of the pile had made it into the dryer. I ran to the basement laundry room stripped down right there and flung the dryer door open. The first two items I could get my hands on were a t-shirt and a pair of my favorite parachute pants. I hastily put them on right there standing in front of the washing machine, then ran out the door barefoot with my shoes in hand. <o:p></o:p></div>
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For those of you who are too young to remember, parachute pants were one of the huge fashion trends of the 1980’s. They where usually made of nylon fabric and had large roomy pants legs that ballooned at the narrow ankle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All the rock stars and cool kids were wearing the unisex fashion statement and I had to have a pair too.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I made it to my class in the nick of time and slid into my seat as the instructor was passing out the exam. Quickly, I got out my pencil and dived into the many pages of thought provoking questions. I have a nervous habit of crossing my legs and bobbing my foot when I am in deep thought. As I sat there over the next thirty minutes trying to answer one hard question after another, my foot was bobbing furiously. I had made it through about two thirds of the questions, when I suddenly thought I saw something fall out of my pants leg onto the floor. When I looked down to see what the object could be, I was mortified to realize that it was a pair of my own bikini underwear! <o:p></o:p></div>
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I quickly swooped down and grabbed the panties stuffing them in my pocket and scanned the room with a red face to see if anyone else had just seen my unmentionables. Fortunately, everyone was struggling with the difficult test and had their heads buried in their papers. I could hardly finish the remaining questions as I was too worried about whom might have seen my briefs and how I might be the subject of panty jokes and/or snickers about my knickers! When the test concluded I darted out of the room, hoping to avoid contact with my fellow students, and headed straight for the bathroom to hide.<br />
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<a href="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQjJp9GUwPHqTJI9r8uZ_KWoNN2ryiGFQYZ0277zET1itnSJID12g" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQjJp9GUwPHqTJI9r8uZ_KWoNN2ryiGFQYZ0277zET1itnSJID12g" width="167" /></a><o:p> </o:p>When I arrived at the restroom, I dashed into a stall and pulled down my parachute pants to make sure that there was nothing else that might fall out and embarrass me at an inopportune moment. Much to my surprise and horror, I not only found another pair of underpants but two t-shirts, a pair of tights, and three socks, all contained in the voluminous pants legs. I had just unknowingly brought half of the contents of my dyer with me to school in the wide-open spaces of my trendy parachute pants. It was at this point in my life when the hidden challenges of managing open spaces became blatantly apparent to me.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Design Topic of the Week: <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Wide Open Spaces: Creating Interesting Harmony<o:p></o:p></div>
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Just as parachute pants were a popular trend in the 1980’s, open concept floor plans are a popular trend today. Currently, one can’t watch a television home renovation show with out hearing the words ”Open Concept “. Show after show depicts clever contractors and designers suggesting the removal of walls to their doubting, squabbling clients.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And although I am a great deal older, I have to admit that I still like new trends and I have thrown myself willingly onto the open floor plan bandwagon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love the free feeling that comes from living in a wide-open space and I especially enjoy the way the spaces flow together when entertaining.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The open concept allows everyone in the family to interact with one another while performing a variety of activities. However, it is important to note that just as my fashion forward, roomy trousers had hidden problems; open floor plans come with their own set concealed design challenges.<o:p></o:p></div>
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When we moved out of our first compartmentalized home and moved into our next custom built, open concept home, I thought that the transition would be a piece of cake. After all, the new home would have much more square footage; surely it would eat up all the furniture contained in the old house with room to spare. However, as the drywall went up in the new home and I started to try and plan out where my existing furniture would go, I realized that open space meant less walls. This would definitely be a challenge because I already owned many pieces of furniture that needed to sit against a wall. Although the square footage in the old house was less, the compartmentalized rooms had each offered four walls on which to place cabinets, sofas, and artwork. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I knew that it wouldn't be a good idea to have five movers with two large trucks of furniture standing around waiting on me to decide where things should be placed. So I devised a plan to determine, in advance, where specific items would be used in the house and where unused items would be stored.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Here is my process:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<li><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>The first thing I did was to sit down with graph paper and blue prints and make a scale floor plan of the new space. When creating a scale layout the process is much easier if you make one foot equal one block on the graph paper. My space was large, so it was necessary for me to tape together four pieces of graph paper to construct one large sheet. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are not building the home, you may not have access to the blue prints. In this case, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I recommend buying a good tape measure and recording exact measurements of each wall in every room when you go onsite for the home inspection. My husband and I did this when we purchased our current home and it was very helpful.</li>
<li>Next, I went around my home with a measuring tape and recorded the width and depth of every piece of furniture I owned. Once I had the list of pieces and measurements, I used graph paper and cut out scale representations of each my furniture pieces. Again one block equaled one foot. I labeled each representation with initials as I cut them out. It was then easy to lay out the small furniture renderings on my graph paper floor plan to see what would fit and where it should be placed.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<li>One thing to note when working with scale representations: a comfortable walk way is three feet wide (three graph paper blocks).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You must allow at least three feet distance between objects that sit in an area that will be the main traffic pattern through the room. A distance of 18” (1.5 graph paper blocks) is standard minimum distance between seating and a coffee table.</li>
<li>Once I had moved my paper representations around several times and found the right placement for my things, I copied the names or initials of those objects directly onto the graph paper floor plan. This became my guide on moving day. As the movers brought pieces into the house, I referred to my homemade floor plan and could tell them exactly in which room and on which wall to place the furniture. This process takes a bit of time and preparation, but in the long run, moving paper blocks around in a paper room is much easier than moving around hundreds of pounds of furniture.</li>
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Another challenge when designing the interior of an open concept home is harmonizing the color palettes of individual defined areas with each other. And by “harmonizing” I don’t mean matching. There is nothing more boring than touring a home where every room in the house has the exact same color scheme. Just as different notes come together to make a beautiful cord, defined areas should have their own interesting, distinct look and palette but all should work together and have an easy visual transition from area to area. </div>
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My new home in Pittsburgh was especially troublesome as far as blending diverse color palettes. The living room, dining room, and entry hall are all one, giant, open space with only two columns that divide the areas. My great room also opens onto this space with the view only partially obstructed by the staircase. I decorated my new great room from scratch and desperately wanted a fresh color palette. The adjacent areas were comprised mostly of furnishings that I already owned and I was locked for the most part into the existing colors of furniture and rugs. My dilemma was, "How do I design a brand new room utilizing a new color palette when it is clearly visible from three other areas that already have an established color scheme?"<o:p></o:p></div>
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The color palette of the front areas is a sophisticated spectrum of neutral shades from white to cream to beige to tan to brown. In addition, there are a variety of green hues, punches of dark rusty reds, and black accents. The great room, on the other hand, has a palette comprised of cream and charcoal neutrals, teals, aquas, and a pop of apple green. </div>
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I found my solution for the seemingly opposing color schemes in the transitional area between the two spaces. Although the entry, living room, and dining room are one big open concept, the columns that divide the space are positioned in a way that they create a defined open hallway between the living/dining area and the staircase.</div>
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The hallway and staircase areas predominantly share the color palette of the front of house spaces, so I deliberately peppered in a few aqua and teal elements to reference the hues in the great room . The pencil drawings of my three children are matted in a pale aqua and can be seen from both spaces.</div>
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The hand embroidered picture that hangs in the transitional hallway was made by my mother. The intricately beaded cross-stitch is a glorious combination of all the colors from both schemes and a key component in pulling the two spaces together. When you have two opposing palettes, a colorful piece of artwork that contains the whole spectrum of hues can be helpful in harmonizing the spaces.</div>
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For an additional color nod to the great room palette, I have subtly added shades of blue into the dining room by displaying my Grandmother's "Blue Onion" china behind the glass doors of the secretary. </div>
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When designing an open concept space it is important to make sure that the areas are well defined. The best way to do this is by giving each area its own focal point. The dining room seen above draws attention with the lighted secretary which is surrounded by an artful collage of antique mirrors and filled with blue china. The living room space pictured below captures the eye with it's massive antique cabinet that displays my old world Santa Claus collection. The Santa's live behind the glass doors throughout the year and come out to play during the holidays.</div>
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One of the main reason's my husband and I bought this house was because it had the perfect place for my Santa cabinet. The antique European bookcase is almost nine feet high and nine feet wide. We had searched for years to find an antique cabinet that would be large enough to hold my precious Elaine Roesle Santa Claus collection and there was no way that this prized possession wasn't coming with me from Cincinnati. Our real estate agent was, at times, a little taken aback with us when we would walk into perfectly lovely houses, take one quick look, and walk out noting that there wasn't a wall large enough to hold the cabinet.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span">The twelve foot ceilings and the large blank wall worked very well as far as Santa was concerned, but the area itself isn't particularly large. In addition, I didn't have a separate living room in the old Cincinnati house and didn't own any sofa or chairs that would work in this room. T</span>he cabinet itself was taking up so much of the area and there wasn't really going to be ton's of space left over. The position of the dividing column was also restricting the furniture placement. <span class="Apple-style-span">I had never imaged that the large open floor plan could actually have space constraints and I wasn't totally sure at first how to furnish this area.</span> </div>
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After some thought, I decided that two large chair-and-a-half sized chairs were the best option. They are slightly smaller than love seats but can each comfortably sit two people. I placed a square, glass-top coffee table between the chairs. Initially, I was concerned because the table is fairly big in size, but after setting it in the room, I realized that the large scale allowed the table to hold its own with the oversized chairs and immense cabinet. A smaller table would have looked dwarfed. The glass top keeps the table light and airy and prevents the space from looking overcrowded. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmEq53THAgcgSUpY_DGfse6sk1NYHHhMbQCKFvNNiTeWfoAPR-lFxlWrm5RGm-D_dL_zNHFQ3bceMbT7kMnM1z6v70g6QXl0G3IDkyOGu7wNt8lXON1hW0m0_kuqqI01qQh98Ki5BJC40P/s1600/IMG_9984.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="457" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmEq53THAgcgSUpY_DGfse6sk1NYHHhMbQCKFvNNiTeWfoAPR-lFxlWrm5RGm-D_dL_zNHFQ3bceMbT7kMnM1z6v70g6QXl0G3IDkyOGu7wNt8lXON1hW0m0_kuqqI01qQh98Ki5BJC40P/s640/IMG_9984.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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There would not be any extra room for end tables and there was no overhead lighting, so the twin stacked-crystal floor lamps seemed to be a good solution in a room that was quickly filling up with furnishings. They added much needed light and their contemporary style keeps the antiques and traditional pieces looking updated. The have a nice impact in the room but the clear crystal lamp bases, like the glass-top coffee table, take up less visual space.</div>
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My husband and children have nicknamed this room "The Conversation Area" because it is a perfect comfortable place to sit and talk in a TV free environment. Our friends and guest have taken to the nickname as well, and often request to sit there and talk when drinking a cup of coffee or glass of wine. At one point, good friends who were visiting for the weekend, were sharing a drink with us in "The Conversation Area" when our kids came over, sat on the floor, and joined in the lively discussion. My friend, in her wisdom, suggested that perhaps I could get two poufs to sit next to the chairs to provide additional seating. I thought it was a brilliant idea and the next week I found these two identical rusty red leather ottomans at Pier 1. They completed my mirrored symmetry design perfectly, were just the right size in the small space, and were comfortable to sit on. They also serve a dual purpose as end tables when extra surface area is needed.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6hePLhG63VSYYsQajbU4FSlPwZeHIsysA5MhrL_m1tRxFEuKnBYoyV5x7RvqYvsnice6Gh7c7ZtmfpcDnrorUQs86wYIZ-MOrUlV1L3K2DTgYpKAHBHMx5wxxMR-AiyUynt_iOzdAO5wN/s1600/IMG_9993.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6hePLhG63VSYYsQajbU4FSlPwZeHIsysA5MhrL_m1tRxFEuKnBYoyV5x7RvqYvsnice6Gh7c7ZtmfpcDnrorUQs86wYIZ-MOrUlV1L3K2DTgYpKAHBHMx5wxxMR-AiyUynt_iOzdAO5wN/s640/IMG_9993.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="481" /></a></div>
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Another way to define spaces within and open concept is to use area rugs. Remember the rugs don't need to match. In fact, I think it is much more interesting if they don't. As long as the rugs share a few common colors within the palette, feel free to mix up the styles and patterns. The carpets in my entry and dining room are hooked rugs with a fruit and flower motif while "The Conversation Area" rug is a tradition-pile Persian carpet. All share accents of black with touches of green and red despite numerous and blatant differences. You don't have to be twins to play nice together in the same sandbox. Unique friends with common interests can easily get along harmoniously.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZtR9KlXdv4_JhJuHv_dLC4jBu4Rh8n-sLu7SJejNBK48qv9F2-jm4lcyGwVAEWDiUN8IXvn21_EjD0pMunFLkXLTo3aTGRIUAFTe5DFfaYnA8cAWE5M2Ln2SzPAl1IjwRm_RoAl5CcjPk/s1600/IMG_9982.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="423" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZtR9KlXdv4_JhJuHv_dLC4jBu4Rh8n-sLu7SJejNBK48qv9F2-jm4lcyGwVAEWDiUN8IXvn21_EjD0pMunFLkXLTo3aTGRIUAFTe5DFfaYnA8cAWE5M2Ln2SzPAl1IjwRm_RoAl5CcjPk/s640/IMG_9982.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNaLeuwQrdr9vgr0tKBvtyIrjhxRVhMUdpeml4tIsvPnBpfUzRxdTP6cN8wl3rjYdMZdkje2p_NhcjVOfQsh0yWygNMMg3kymT5KKtiPUH3ZboN4AQJYKHDoucl-Rrg8_3iQCRR3RcpG0t/s1600/IMG_9990.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNaLeuwQrdr9vgr0tKBvtyIrjhxRVhMUdpeml4tIsvPnBpfUzRxdTP6cN8wl3rjYdMZdkje2p_NhcjVOfQsh0yWygNMMg3kymT5KKtiPUH3ZboN4AQJYKHDoucl-Rrg8_3iQCRR3RcpG0t/s640/IMG_9990.JPG" width="583" /></a></div>
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<b>Close up views of some of the rooms accessories</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Antique EAPG covered compote collection placed on top of the dining room secretary</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY0N38BpyHJT8EsPJDoatuyRqNlpUC2y8AuAYi-lfYyhjnbeYxoYge_Xi8cosRjn7eR5wm_h3Sr0_QT3gYhZ5uieFrkMYiG8v8KlVGUzTyr5o4wdfSmyXQEjjqwomi55waBsN-_ZHJlb10/s1600/IMG_9977.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY0N38BpyHJT8EsPJDoatuyRqNlpUC2y8AuAYi-lfYyhjnbeYxoYge_Xi8cosRjn7eR5wm_h3Sr0_QT3gYhZ5uieFrkMYiG8v8KlVGUzTyr5o4wdfSmyXQEjjqwomi55waBsN-_ZHJlb10/s640/IMG_9977.jpg" width="276" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Antique full length mirror passed down from my husband's Grandmother</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvK1-XBHbdHVDKIlswYPr7EKNEWCAzkt4ITP7wQbMykSsqkmpPYYzg29lRdK0MJg25d9ybLj2aHsX2p_e0s99-cjnz3MFeUjef5_wTBjeB0rLs7-qUKTIjZT1J2kTSnbuix4jHkZCzIn8I/s1600/IMG_9979.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="445" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvK1-XBHbdHVDKIlswYPr7EKNEWCAzkt4ITP7wQbMykSsqkmpPYYzg29lRdK0MJg25d9ybLj2aHsX2p_e0s99-cjnz3MFeUjef5_wTBjeB0rLs7-qUKTIjZT1J2kTSnbuix4jHkZCzIn8I/s640/IMG_9979.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Antique mirror collection displayed as an art wall collage in the dinning room area</td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL7ot0arr85_EGTCoa6bbE3VdmMq5dsVmua89aaifynKw3EN0ix0krFC79urVrMs9q6HgWW9gYsTUPKB8dK2wTrR0afc2T7aXyt7kJRQOkwE8Z1T9ruhdQCX67C1mgyP9ZzpuMmvFSAtf5/s1600/IMG_9987.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL7ot0arr85_EGTCoa6bbE3VdmMq5dsVmua89aaifynKw3EN0ix0krFC79urVrMs9q6HgWW9gYsTUPKB8dK2wTrR0afc2T7aXyt7kJRQOkwE8Z1T9ruhdQCX67C1mgyP9ZzpuMmvFSAtf5/s640/IMG_9987.JPG" width="601" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Antique mirrors in the dinning room create ever changing framed artwork <br />
by reflecting design and architectural elements in the room</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBd6oydhgeUW8ZQ4fqJvmbzFyIoI_huVoQD00WrJZpjY3de_QaFO-XWYdmm8AaMtm5BjUAwbf_v27hbeAt2HKVJ9-T5pP6xxlyn8nNyQX71midb70ZQuqP1qje0mzLwbRuwqbr8j6Avbdm/s1600/IMG_9978.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="423" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBd6oydhgeUW8ZQ4fqJvmbzFyIoI_huVoQD00WrJZpjY3de_QaFO-XWYdmm8AaMtm5BjUAwbf_v27hbeAt2HKVJ9-T5pP6xxlyn8nNyQX71midb70ZQuqP1qje0mzLwbRuwqbr8j6Avbdm/s640/IMG_9978.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entry hall chandelier </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjy0bvk7IaCg-MKKwnfCgSun8gRKdCRgO7RcLmT31q94vOPkHzX23q0BNH7O1lyxvcUm6Zm6rqH39gtyDfBpDTJ0xu1qTpWQFitPa8xR7AJWh3SOex_CLK5Nn45M3L9T1zrX4WTuWKB7FV/s1600/IMG_9981.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjy0bvk7IaCg-MKKwnfCgSun8gRKdCRgO7RcLmT31q94vOPkHzX23q0BNH7O1lyxvcUm6Zm6rqH39gtyDfBpDTJ0xu1qTpWQFitPa8xR7AJWh3SOex_CLK5Nn45M3L9T1zrX4WTuWKB7FV/s640/IMG_9981.JPG" width="421" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinlxLcK_ErfV_KWSrdYVYzv33mS3Eu2-Z6rfAgR6zerxSDfVCA9uJikhv8WjkPNt1IG3Rq0IFAPZoSVYwGyZXgylG0Ij-_Jgn7gLI7lg0d9HQbULB8AxwLKXaSZ7bQd9MssK0QNnxLOt8d/s1600/IMG_9911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="423" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinlxLcK_ErfV_KWSrdYVYzv33mS3Eu2-Z6rfAgR6zerxSDfVCA9uJikhv8WjkPNt1IG3Rq0IFAPZoSVYwGyZXgylG0Ij-_Jgn7gLI7lg0d9HQbULB8AxwLKXaSZ7bQd9MssK0QNnxLOt8d/s640/IMG_9911.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Collection of Elaine Roesle Old World St. Nicholas's</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDQa0QQXLW80hQIgUpD-eM7TVjrFohF5DB1ok__WDKWnozXTU22hSzuJwYUQxWXICrrenG9F9fB3Cx0jRK-KeTZNWUBO2j2dy07AmN6ku5KYpBsQm2hG-qlo6Gn2p-QuOLCGuUczOuPKgD/s1600/IMG_9985.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDQa0QQXLW80hQIgUpD-eM7TVjrFohF5DB1ok__WDKWnozXTU22hSzuJwYUQxWXICrrenG9F9fB3Cx0jRK-KeTZNWUBO2j2dy07AmN6ku5KYpBsQm2hG-qlo6Gn2p-QuOLCGuUczOuPKgD/s640/IMG_9985.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Antique hump back steamer trunk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Unlike parachute pants, I believe that open concept homes are a trend that is here to stay. They offer an amazing opportunity for better family interaction and endless possibilities for entertaining. If a wide-open floor plan is in your future, whether through a new home purchase or a wall-removing renovation, just remember that there may be a few hidden challenges:<br />
<ul>
<li>Wall space will be at a premium so make sure that you plan well for your most treasured pieces. </li>
<li>Don't let open views keep you from mixing up the color palette. Make sure you subtly pepper in hues from both color schemes in the transitional space between the areas.</li>
<li>Define areas within the open space with the use of rugs. They don't have to match, but they do need to share a few common colors with each other in order to work well together.</li>
<li>Each defined area should have its own unique and dramatic focal point.</li>
<li>And finally, remember that just because a space is open that doesn't mean that there won't be constraints in some of the defined areas. Choose furniture that accommodates seating and functions well, but doesn't visually overcrowd the room.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Keep these tips in mind when designing your wide open spaces and you'll be living large in no time at all!<br />
<br /></div>
My parachute pants exploit taught me a few lessons about life that I have applied to home design. I leave you this week with the moral of my story.<br />
<ol>
<li>The reason I got caught with underwear falling out of my pants was because I was in a big hurry. When planning the design of your open concept floor plan, take your time! Think things out. Prepare a scale floor plan and measure your furniture. Skipping steps and rushing will only cause frustration later.</li>
<li>Good thing I decided to double check my pants or I could have been dropping undergarments behind me, like Hansel and Gretel's bread crumbs, all day long. If you run into a problem or challenge during your design project stop what you are doing and explore your options before moving forward. You'll be much happier in the long run if you correct the mistake now and don't continue down a faulty path.</li>
<li>Don't let a little static cling keep you from being a Rock Star! Sure, I had a little challenge with the wide open legs of my parachute pants, but I didn't let that stop me from wearing them out to a party the next weekend. A little Bounce dryer sheet with a thorough pre-party inspection and I was looking 1980's fabulous without losing my panties. Don't let design challenges bring you down. Set a plan for dealing with them and you will enjoy the results.</li>
</ol>
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Below I have created a collage of products that have similar looks to design elements used in my rooms. If you want to recreate a similar look for your own home, you can click on the collage or the thumbnail links to shop online. Enjoy!</div>
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Suzy Zillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032184494095337707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-983065038003077353.post-24470226181616231672013-03-24T09:08:00.000-07:002013-06-11T15:33:39.571-07:00So you found Prince Charming. Now where is he going to sleep?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:DocumentProperties> <o:Revision>0</o:Revision> <o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:Pages>1</o:Pages> <o:Words>927</o:Words> <o:Characters>5284</o:Characters> <o:Company>Ziller Consulting Services LLC</o:Company> <o:Lines>44</o:Lines> <o:Paragraphs>12</o:Paragraphs> <o:CharactersWithSpaces>6199</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:Version>14.0</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> <w:UseFELayout/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">THE STORY:</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many little girls dream of the perfect princess bedroom; fantasizing about the poster bed with an ornate tester, pink and purple color palette, precious floral prints, and glitz galore. Although we may eventually give up on our tiara and magic wand ideations, as we become young career women, wives and/or mothers, we secretly never let go of our inner desire to live in a space fit for a princess.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="http://i01.i.aliimg.com/wsphoto/v0/419094015/Pink-Princess-font-b-Mosquito-b-font-font-b-Net-b-font-Court-font-b-Bed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="220" src="http://i01.i.aliimg.com/wsphoto/v0/419094015/Pink-Princess-font-b-Mosquito-b-font-font-b-Net-b-font-Court-font-b-Bed.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The blessing and the problem comes for some of us when “Prince Charming “rides into our castle, tossing his shining armor on the chair and trampling on our royal décor with his white horse. Now someone else has to live and function in our fantasy home and he often dethrones our preconceived design sensibilities. Merging glamorous feminine style with masculine bravado can be an especially difficult dilemma when designing a particularly personal space like a shared bedroom.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once upon a time I was a young woman. I married my “Prince Charming”, and we built our first “starter” castle together. The castle was nice, but fairly cookie cutter. All the walls where adorned in the not-so-royal shade of builder off-white and we had very little furnishings. We spent most of our free time trying to make our mark on the home. Gradually, we painted and furnished the rooms one at a time, starting with the public spaces; living room, dinning room, family room, and kitchen. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMjHsL6zeDBgKs4qbfiYHwaDdyBcna83Me_qI33MeT05U_R0kLo9Rn_IkGhyphenhyphen03aAgqZzmQhmdMt-N46I3-w4xlKvNC8bb7nVn7MXF6uytYgJ7BVdu-B6_gBLaulzZF8qnBt1n3MioFvXfp/s1600/SuzyPatWedding-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="531" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMjHsL6zeDBgKs4qbfiYHwaDdyBcna83Me_qI33MeT05U_R0kLo9Rn_IkGhyphenhyphen03aAgqZzmQhmdMt-N46I3-w4xlKvNC8bb7nVn7MXF6uytYgJ7BVdu-B6_gBLaulzZF8qnBt1n3MioFvXfp/s640/SuzyPatWedding-3.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Suzy and Pat Ziller on their wedding day, May 28,1988</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After two years of living in DIY bliss, I had given birth to our first heir, and was eight months pregnant with the spare. By this time all of our public spaces were looking fairly put together and we, of course, had the nursery and “Big Sister” room completed as well. It was finally time to take on the master bedroom. We had purchased a queen size, rice-carved, poster bed early on, but had never moved any further with the interior design. This was the moment I had dreamed of since girlhood. I was finally going to get my dream bedroom. Lucky for me, I was pregnant! Although my “Prince Charming” may have had an eye roll or two at my décor choices, there isn’t a husband alive who is brave enough to challenge a woman with swollen ankles, heartburn, insomnia, and Braxton Hicks contractions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My mother handmade for us a beautiful black and rose quilt and that was to be my design inspiration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spending hours at the wallpaper store, mind you with a toddler in a dirty diaper making havoc in the play area, I painstakingly chose a large-scale wallpaper border with giant rose-colored cabbage roses and black accents. There would also be a rose and white stripe paper for the bathroom with a smaller cabbage rose companion border. Please don’t judge, keep in mind that this was the early 1990’s and I was, as always, on the cutting edge.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I sat on my little throne outside the bedroom door supervising; careful not to inhale any harmful paint fumes. My “Prince” rolled the walls in the perfect color of deep rose. Only much to my dread, when the paint dried it turned a shade of dark mauve that was reminiscent of a bad mother-of-the-bride dress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried my best to convince him to repaint, but the fact that I was uncomfortably carrying his child was not enough leverage to get him to agree. However, with a flood of hormonal tears, I was able to talk him into trying this new and trendy paint technique called “sponge painting”. Again, please don’t judge. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Under my meticulous tutoring, he bitterly dipped an enormous sea sponge into white paint and dabbed it over every inch of the mauve. The result was a look that resembled giant, foggy, pink cotton balls and I was ECSTATIC! The next weekend we put up the wallpaper and the border, I made girly window treatments, and we bought two pink wingback chairs to complete the sitting area. I now had my early 1990’s dream bedroom and only an end to my false labor could have made me happier. Unfortunately, the glee would be short lived.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxi4tlUXMx__ZZndcekD3k8A-QWii_Ojxm9zUbob8mnLdMd8WnWUuTXmBBIxJ2Jhoz05NUmCE9UXWAugbbaxSJmdZq5egk5rH-AvbyKcKrwdOSGIhGRQgUzbCLS6sNCSL9ANgsBJzaarcF/s1600/photo-46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxi4tlUXMx__ZZndcekD3k8A-QWii_Ojxm9zUbob8mnLdMd8WnWUuTXmBBIxJ2Jhoz05NUmCE9UXWAugbbaxSJmdZq5egk5rH-AvbyKcKrwdOSGIhGRQgUzbCLS6sNCSL9ANgsBJzaarcF/s320/photo-46.jpg" width="275" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dorsey Marie Ziller Born February 15, 1994</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few weeks later, I gave birth to our beautiful second daughter and we brought her home from the hospital. As is customary, we were bombarded with friends, family, and well-wishers all stopping by to see the new baby and bearing gifts. One morning the doorbell chimed and I was pleased to see one of my neighbors at the door with a smile on her face. She had small children of her own and we spent the next thirty minutes talking about labor and delivery, children, life, and home. Some how the topic of my newly decorated bedroom came up. She was dying to see it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So with great pride I invited her upstairs to take a look at my <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">other</i> new baby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her reaction was not what I expected. Upon seeing the room she remarked, “It’s very pretty, but how in the world did you get Pat to agree to this. I could never get my husband to sleep in a pink room with all these flowers!”</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I couldn’t believe what she had just said to me. Her pin just popped my bubble and I was so insulted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How rude! Wasn’t the fact that I had just given birth to our second child evidence enough that I had absolutely no problem getting my husband to sleep in our bedroom? Fortunately, the baby began to fuss and my not-so-polite nieghbor politely excused her self and went home, leaving me doubting my choices in a post-décor-partum depression.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As time has passed, I can now laugh at my era-specific design choices and myself. In retrospect the room was extremely feminine. The fact that I had a wonderful “Prince Charming”, who cared more about <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">me</i> than where he slept, was not a good excuse for foisting my girly dream room upon him. Although I was quite indignant at the time, I must admit that my annoying neighbor’s words have stuck with me over the years. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each time I start a new interior design project, I recall her words and ask myself, “Who will want to live in this space?” Now that my girl’s have left for college, it’s just me, my husband Pat, and son Cory. I am acutely aware that the testosterone outweighs the estrogen in my home at this point.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I have matured in my design sense, I’ve realized that the best interior designs incorporate both feminine and masculine design elements. Well-designed rooms should be welcoming, appealing, and comfortable to all who spend time there. Good design has something for everyone, prince or princess alike. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">THE DESIGN TOPIC OF THE WEEK:</b></span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">Masculine vs. Feminine: Designing Shared Spaces</span></b><br />
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</span></b> <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">I am a firm believer that everyone should treat themselves to a beautifully decorated bedroom. So often, it is the most neglected room in our house. We tend to spend most of our time, energy, and budget on the public spaces in our home; convincing ourselves that nobody important spends time in our bedroom and that we should concentrate on the areas that entertain and impress our guests. </span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">I maintain that this is faulty thinking. </span></b></span><br />
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</span></b> <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Most of us only entertain guests once a month and some probably far less than that. However, we all use our own bedroom everyday. It is the place where we retire each evening to rest and recharge for the next hectic day and the first place we see when our eyes open in the morning. Our bedroom has always been my little place of quiet escape when the kids and the chores got overwhelming. It is a place for alone time and romance. We all need to tell ourselves that we are important and that we deserve a room that relaxes us at night, inspires us in the morning, and promotes romance in our relationship all year long.</span></b></span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">Originally I thought that I might call this post "The best things I know, I learned in a hotel" but I didn't think my mother would approve. However, it is a very true statement for me when talking in terms of bedroom design concepts. I travel a lot for work and have stayed at all kinds of places, from the worst budget-hotel to the nicest four star establishment. My husband and I have also been fortunate enough to have taken some really nice trips prior to the onslaught of college tuition. It has been my personal goal to make our room feel like a very nice hotel. We all know how good a vacation makes us feel, well I am greedy and I want to feel like I am on vacation 365 nights a year. If you have a stressful job or existence, a well designed bedroom can change your life. Here are my tips for making your room a vacation spot.</span></b><br />
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The hotel doesn't know if the guest checking in is a male or female, so the designer combines masculine, feminine, and neutral design elements in the execution of the room's decor. That way everyone feels welcome regardless of their gender. I recommend doing the same in your own room, especially if you share it with a person of the opposite sex.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have never seen a bed with a footboard in a hotel. I believe this is because a footboard makes it harder to change the bed linens and it takes up visual space making the room seem smaller. Opt for a dramatic headboard and avoid using a footboard. It will open up your space and make your chores easier.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Often hotels have a bench at the end of the bed so guests can sit and remove their shoes or have a place to drop the items they are carrying. It finishes off the look of the bed like a footboard but is much more useful.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a hard days work when you return to your hotel room, the bed is always made and the room is always clean. Get in the habit of building ten extra minutes into your morning routine to make your bed and pick up your room. You'll thank yourself in the evening when you are tired and want an uncluttered space in which to relax.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When making your bed, let your top sheet hang longer at the top so you can fold it over the edge of your bedspread, blanket, or comforter. That way the only thing that touches your face is the smooth sheet.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hotels only use white sheets. For that four star look and feel, donate those colored and printed sheets and buy yourself a set of white sheets in the highest thread count you can afford.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many hotels turn the covers and sheets down when making the bed. I find that very inviting. It's like the bed is just waiting there neatly and patiently for me to slip under the covers. Also, turning back and exposing the sheets contrasts the spread or comforter and adds layered interest to the look of the bedding.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hotels usually keep the artwork simple, not filling every inch of wall space. I recommend using only a few special pieces of artwork to keep the space feeling light, uncomplicated, and relaxed.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And finally, I love those blackout curtains that many hotels have under their draperies. If you don't have blackout drapes, make sure you install good blinds or shades to keep out those pesky rays of light that ruin your occasional well deserved sleep-in.</span></li>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When designing my own bedroom I have implemented all of these great hotel tips and it has made a big difference in my stress level. I have also made a lot of progress since my days of pink cabbage roses. My current bedroom now reflects both the feminine and the masculine point of view and my husband and I both feel equally at home in the space.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When we moved our life to Pittsburgh almost two years ago, we came with the large amount of furnishings that a twenty-three year marriage accumulates. Although my greatroom dimensions required us to purchase new furnishings to fit the space, I knew we could not afford to start over with new in every room of the house. We had some really great pieces and I had to find ways to make them work with the new floor plan. When renovating the master bedroom last summer I was successfully able to use pieces of furniture that we already owned. In fact the only things that I purchased for this room were paint, new bedding, a second-hand occasional chair, ready made drapery panels and hardware, and a few accessories.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpixX5X1m-XI1pu_k7PnOiTJZPYv7pdi4bx3pC8bvfu8RK5r9MdkcwdWNvyGN-2At61VS2zv0TdWuifKJQB64dS8n98E1zbss-wrooiklrU7PmKnEZiwHtOpAg7kYjsVyuKUWT_P2d_GNG/s640/IMG_0237.JPG" width="640" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: #999999;">Years earlier I had swapped out my old, tall, four poster bed for this unique head board. In fact, the head board isn't really a head board at all. It's a large rustic wall mirror with a primitive painting at the top. The feminine touches in the floral painting and the sparkling glass are counter balanced by the masculinity of the rough hewn wood, square shape, and sheer massiveness of the mirror.</span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg_Kkncr36RqRXK_OPq0h6tLVZMJHmNl99EotH6SwEHOThg6c0OjxTl-x3s1tps-fSG2y8HhDC8-0y-Kw3WUq7vbjqRVX9xJqnfIDFHZb9E-UNE40FTMKhUKwTJgOIUGHMeZuOgFetJpVn/s1600/IMG_0208.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg_Kkncr36RqRXK_OPq0h6tLVZMJHmNl99EotH6SwEHOThg6c0OjxTl-x3s1tps-fSG2y8HhDC8-0y-Kw3WUq7vbjqRVX9xJqnfIDFHZb9E-UNE40FTMKhUKwTJgOIUGHMeZuOgFetJpVn/s640/IMG_0208.JPG" width="640" /></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The coverlet's sheen and delicate embroidery give a lovely ladylike impression which is offset slightly by the neutral color. The ladies prevailed on the bedding but the gentlemen won the walls which are painted in boyish Copenhagen Blue (Sherwin Williams SW 0068).</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The armoire, which houses a television set, was originally used in the great room of my old house. In this house the TV is built in over the fireplace so this grand old cabinet had lost it's home. Luckily, it works perfectly across from our bed and it counter balances the visual weight of the massive headboard. The wardrobe's simple detail and clean lines provide a manly ambiance.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dont worry though, the artful display of colored jars girly it up just enough.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This antique dresser is a piece we have had for about twenty years. My husband and I bought it at an antique store in Cincinnati for about $350. It has lived in three homes with us and has the scars to prove it. Above it hangs an early 1900's mirror that belonged to my grandmother. Both pieces are simple and lean more toward the masculine. </span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg75XENBMc2i01KFkttwCLBz3BmsD3dQKX91Tvo3qsfrllcAtJYvAnhoCRqadE9Kck1jIblK2R3-5_gZuu4ob9wsSLlroFCa1opc41TdIfBxUPGPKRki6COFEhpyNOacPQaSqeM_iBfxpb2/s1600/IMG_0199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg75XENBMc2i01KFkttwCLBz3BmsD3dQKX91Tvo3qsfrllcAtJYvAnhoCRqadE9Kck1jIblK2R3-5_gZuu4ob9wsSLlroFCa1opc41TdIfBxUPGPKRki6COFEhpyNOacPQaSqeM_iBfxpb2/s640/IMG_0199.JPG" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The women's touch is again brought in with the accessories. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The vintage aqua planter has an art deco motif and provides a great place to hold miscellaneous necessities like my husbands wallet, keys, and sun glasses. The 1920's make-up jars and glass dresser tray lets everyone know there is a lady in the house.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These wedding photo's of my husband and I have sat on the dresser in our bedroom since the day we were married in 1988. They are very grateful to have survived the cabbage rose room and are ecstatic to look as young as ever in this new master bedroom.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The boys score a point with the simple burlap drapery panels and antique bronze hardware....</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">....while the girls counter with this dainty occasional chair. I purchased the chair from a second hand store for $45 dollars and recovered the seat. The cushion fabric is a pale blue, Greek Key pattern. The fabric is neutral like Switzerland; it doesn't take sides.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I tried to make sure that some of the vintage art pieces were depictions of couples. It's equal representation under the design law. I found this vintage print at a local antique store for $20. It was already framed and all the colors in the parasol worked perfectly with my room.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In addition to the walk-in closet, this room originally had a closet with sliding, mirrored, glass doors. The closet had a lot of space but the small door opening made most of it inaccessible. My husband and I demoed the closet and made the opening larger. Then he and I built in these beautiful wardrobes from Ikea and dressed them out with molding and antique bronze door pulls. We all want more romance in the bedroom and I think that one of most romantic things a man can do for a woman is give her a great closet!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When designing this room I almost bought a pair of second-hand chairs in a feminine yellow print fabric. However, I already had this pair of nice quality leather chairs that formerly lived downstairs in the basement man cave at the old house. I wasn't sure if they might be too manly for our room but when paired with the embroidered botanical throw pillows I thought they were just the right mix.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><u>The Room's Accessories In Close-up</u></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This reproduction Art Deco print, purchased at Art.com, hangs next to the armoire (left). </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stacked hat boxes make a corner-filling vignette and are useful storage for out of season clothing and other important stuff. The cigar box purse is a great example of merging masculine and feminine (right).</span></div>
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Next to the bed, three smaller vintage pictures create a large piece of artwork when stacked by graduating size (left). The large ceramic birds, on both night stands generate dramatic symmetry. They were purchased for under $20 at Home Goods. A vintage pattern-glass candy dish holds my night time necessities; lip balm, reading glasses, and cell phone (right).</div>
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I am a silhouette addict and I must have one in every room. </div>
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The Victorian fireside bench, that sits at the end of the bed, was inherited from my Uncle Roy. I have recovered the seat three times since owning it. This time, I used the pale blue, Greek Key fabric to coordinate with the occasional chair's seat cushion.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The neutral bedding purchased on sale from the Martha Stewart Collection at Macy's gets a pop of color with throw pillows bought at Pier 1.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As you can see I have come a long way since my days of wallpaper roses and girly pink chairs. It's been a lengthy journey but I have learned from my experiences along the way. I've learned that living like your<i> on</i> vacation is better than living <i>for</i> your vacation, I've learned that sometimes you need to treat yourself with the same graciousness that you give to your guests, and I have learned that a feminine room designed for a princess isn't really my dream room after all.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you've been inspired by my master bedroom and would like to shop for similar items that you can purchase for your own home, just click on the thumbnail links below. Enjoy!</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.polyvore.com/designerelish_master_bedroom_accessories/set?.embedder=6495326&.svc=blogger&id=76430719" target="_blank"><img alt="Designerelish Master Bedroom Accessories" border="0" force="1" height="595" src="http://cfc.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-set/.sig/3L0UK5hywJYOLFN5BPVBAw/cid/76430719/id/w_a-Th6FRWiDZ-IqSRXyNg/size/c600x595.jpg" title="Designerelish Master Bedroom Accessories" width="600" /></a></div>
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<small><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/designerelish_master_bedroom_accessories/set?.embedder=6495326&.svc=blogger&id=76430719" target="_blank">Designerelish Master Bedroom Accessories</a> by <a href="http://sziller.polyvore.com/?.embedder=6495326&.svc=blogger" target="_blank">sziller</a> on <a href="http://www.polyvore.com/" target="_blank">Polyvore</a></small></div>
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<a href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing.outbound?.embedder=6495326&.svc=blogger&id=70450951" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img force="1" height="50" hspace="4" src="http://ak2.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-thing/size/s/tid/70450951.jpg" title="Casa Suzanna Iron Swirl Bench - #T4880" vspace="4" width="50" /></a><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing.outbound?.embedder=6495326&.svc=blogger&id=76138827" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img force="1" height="50" hspace="4" src="http://ak1.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-thing/size/s/tid/76138827.jpg" title="Ethan Allen Wexford Sheet Set White/Wilton" vspace="4" width="50" /></a><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing.outbound?.embedder=6495326&.svc=blogger&id=64403674" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img force="1" height="50" hspace="4" src="http://ak1.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-thing/size/s/tid/64403674.jpg" title="Ethan Allen Medium Vintage Glass Bottle" vspace="4" width="50" /></a><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing.outbound?.embedder=6495326&.svc=blogger&id=76401030" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img force="1" height="50" hspace="4" src="http://ak2.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-thing/size/s/tid/76401030.jpg" title="Tuscan Medallion Canister - Kitchen Decor - Decorative Ceramic..." vspace="4" width="50" /></a><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing.outbound?.embedder=6495326&.svc=blogger&id=78024586" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img force="1" height="50" hspace="4" src="http://ak1.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-thing/size/s/tid/78024586.jpg" title="Pier One Bamboo Floor Vase - Orange" vspace="4" width="50" /></a><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing.outbound?.embedder=6495326&.svc=blogger&id=66397293" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img force="1" height="50" hspace="4" src="http://ak2.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-thing/size/s/tid/66397293.jpg" title="Northcroft Loire Wreath Upholstery Fabric" vspace="4" width="50" /></a><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing.outbound?.embedder=6495326&.svc=blogger&id=63585004" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img force="1" height="50" hspace="4" src="http://ak2.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-thing/size/s/tid/63585004.jpg" title="Pier One Oversized Jacquard Check Pillow" vspace="4" width="50" /></a><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing.outbound?.embedder=6495326&.svc=blogger&id=79082739" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img force="1" height="50" hspace="4" src="http://ak2.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-thing/size/s/tid/79082739.jpg" title="Medium Green Ceramic Round Lidded Jar with Scroll" vspace="4" width="50" /></a><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing.outbound?.embedder=6495326&.svc=blogger&id=71916399" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img force="1" height="50" hspace="4" src="http://ak2.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-thing/size/s/tid/71916399.jpg" title="Pier One Peony Cookie Jar" vspace="4" width="50" /></a><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing.outbound?.embedder=6495326&.svc=blogger&id=63306118" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img force="1" height="50" hspace="4" src="http://ak1.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-thing/size/s/tid/63306118.jpg" title="Pier One Metallic Swirls Pillow - Gold" vspace="4" width="50" /></a><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing.outbound?.embedder=6495326&.svc=blogger&id=66591652" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img force="1" height="50" hspace="4" src="http://ak1.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-thing/size/s/tid/66591652.jpg" title="Pier One Calliope Pillow - Maui" vspace="4" width="50" /></a><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing.outbound?.embedder=6495326&.svc=blogger&id=72584968" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img force="1" height="50" hspace="4" src="http://ak2.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-thing/size/s/tid/72584968.jpg" title="Pier One Coral Plush Pillow" vspace="4" width="50" /></a><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing.outbound?.embedder=6495326&.svc=blogger&id=79807038" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img force="1" height="50" hspace="4" src="http://ak1.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-thing/size/s/tid/79807038.jpg" title="Antique Ladder Back Maple Arm Chair with Fresh Upholstery Early 1900's..." vspace="4" width="50" /></a><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing.outbound?.embedder=6495326&.svc=blogger&id=79806252" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img force="1" height="50" hspace="4" src="http://ak2.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-thing/size/s/tid/79806252.jpg" title="George Barbier 'Fashion Illustration, 1914' Framed Art Print |..." vspace="4" width="50" /></a><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing.outbound?.embedder=6495326&.svc=blogger&id=79808901" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img force="1" height="50" hspace="4" src="http://ak1.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-thing/size/s/tid/79808901.jpg" title="Animal: White Ceramic Bird Urban Trends Collection Figurines..." vspace="4" width="50" /></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks for stopping by! </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Drop in next week when the design topic will be </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><u>Wide Open Spaces: Creating Interesting Harmony</u></b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't forget to visit my Designerelish Crock Pot and Pantry pages </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">for more design ideas that you can use in your own home!</span></span></div>
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Suzy Zillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032184494095337707noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-983065038003077353.post-56155795830754642522013-03-17T20:13:00.000-07:002013-03-20T20:49:11.633-07:00Learning the Art of Balance: Life, Love and Home<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">THE STORY:</span></b></div>
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</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When my husband took a job in Pittsburgh two years ago, my life was thrown completely off balance. We had lived in our same home town of Cincinnati, Ohio for both of our collective lives. We grew up there, were married there, had our three children there, had our careers there, and were active in our church and community. Over forty plus years of living in the same ten mile radius had earned us life long friendships. It could be said that our roots ran so deep they infiltrated the drain pipes.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtc1sYW0sc-jKOZOdom2peA6JNK_JvTAWGQI3sLTttCu085i40xdi4zNSEIo79XZOHjiSg8y23q2gTx3IvXiPKEhpsBmCY_NnEtanX79r2JQBnZqY4e_54K6EiwDAtm_S_WdY03uhvq3SC/s1600/IMG_0087.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtc1sYW0sc-jKOZOdom2peA6JNK_JvTAWGQI3sLTttCu085i40xdi4zNSEIo79XZOHjiSg8y23q2gTx3IvXiPKEhpsBmCY_NnEtanX79r2JQBnZqY4e_54K6EiwDAtm_S_WdY03uhvq3SC/s640/IMG_0087.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Our Fairfield Home</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had built our dream home eight years earlier in the little town of Fairfield which is within the Greater Cincinnati area. The house was painstakingly designed to fit our interests and lifestyle perfectly. I was very fortunate to have been able to tailor the interior design and function of the home to accommodate my favorite hobby, entertaining large groups of family and friends. Coming from a very large, close-knit, Catholic family, we often had holiday parties that numbered one-hundred guests. The open floor plan and generous spaces easily met the challenge. The intention was to spend the rest of our days there surrounded by all of our loved ones. We lovingly labored for hours each summer in our garden, hosted parties inside and out, and tenderly cared for the dwelling that was to be a life-long investment.</span><br />
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</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When the economy crashed in 2008, my husband, Patrick, who had worked his way up in the ranks of the same company for seventeen years, suddenly found himself back in the job hunting market at the age of forty-five. Deep cuts and corporate restructuring had led to the elimination of his position. Being the main bread winner in our family and realizing that the job market in our home town was offering limited opportunities, he eventually had to broaden his job search to areas outside of Cincinnati. Our oldest daughter, Emily, was already in college and our second daughter, Dorsey, would soon be following. My work as a freelance entertainer, producer, and designer had provided a nice supplemental income over the years, but it would not be enough to pay all the bills and put three kids through college.</span><br />
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</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The clock was definitely ticking loudly. However, when my husband was offered a great job in Pittsburgh in January 2011, his "good" news was met with mixed emotion. My daughter, Dorsey, was a junior in high school. How could we move her and not allow her to finish school as a senior with her friends? She was planning on auditioning for musical theater programs at several colleges her senior year. It wasn't fair to take her away from her voice and dance teachers at this critical time. On the other hand, our son, Cory, was just finishing the 8th grade and was to start high school in the fall. It seemed equally unfair to ask him to stay and make new friends as a freshman, knowing the whole year that he would have to leave them all and move to Pittsburgh once his sister graduated. Even though he was not happy to be moving, that was a torture he just couldn't bear. How would I ever balance everyone's needs? Hence the dilemma that would result in in the craziest year of my life.</span><br />
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</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After much hand wringing, many tears, and an abundance of heated debate we finally came up with a less than perfect plan. Pat would move immediately to Pittsburgh to start work and live in corporate housing. I would stay in Fairfield with the kids allowing them to finish the school year. It would be my job to get the house on the market and Pat would commute to Ohio on the weekends as much as possible to help. Once the house was sold, we would buy a house in Pittsburgh and I would rent a small home in Cincinnati for a year so that Dorsey could graduate with her class. Cory, my baby, would leave me and move to Pittsburgh with his Dad at the end of the summer and start high school there in the fall. I would commute four hours back and forth every other weekend from Cincinnati to Pittsburgh for one year.</span><br />
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</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a testament to how perfect my dream home was, it sold in less than two weeks of being on the market. We closed on our beloved Fairfield house the last week of May and I was in a rental by the first of June. I moved a U-haul truck full of furniture and necessities into the three bedroom rental and the rest of our possessions were packed on two giant trucks, driven four-hundred miles away, and placed into storage. We closed on our house in Pittsburgh the second week of June. I like to refer to this period as "the time I moved everything I own, three times in three weeks." Unfortunately for me, the scale was looking more like a teeter-totter and I was desperately and frantically trying to maintain the balance.</span><br />
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</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finding a house in Pittsburgh had been very challenging. We had taken a hit on our house in Fairfield when the real estate market tanked with the sagging economy. Pittsburgh's market on the other hand had held it's own and inventory was low. Several large companies had recently relocated their headquarters there and Pittsburgh was seeing a flood of new transplants looking for homes. We would make appointments to tour houses only to have the agent call us back an hour later to say the house was already sold. Because I was still living in Cincinnati, it was difficult for me to get to Pittsburgh to see potential homes. After several house hunting trips with no results, we decided that Pat would continue looking on his own and send me photos. If he found something good we may have to move quickly on an offer. And that is exactly what happened. We put in an offer on our home without me ever seeing the house except for online photo's and a blurry, bumpy video that Pat texted me from his iPhone. When you are finding it hard to reach equilibrium, sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith. I am very lucky to have been married for almost twenty-five years to a man who always seems to find a way to balance me out. So I closed my eyes and fell backwards knowing he would catch me.</span><br />
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</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When leaving <i>your</i> dream home and moving into <i>someone else's</i> dream home, it can be very difficult to balance all of the emotions. On one hand I was very relieved to at least not be moving any more. On the other hand I was devastated and mourning my beautiful, perfect house like a death in the family. Every other weekend I would drive for four hours only to arrive at a house that was not my home. The rental house never felt anything more than temporary and the Pittsburgh house was filled with choices and paint colors that belonged to someone else. I spent every hour in Pittsburgh comparing the new house to my old one and the new house always seemed to come up short. Somehow my old house represented everything good in my life that I was losing by moving. I was venting all this pain and grief at the new house. Why did they build this here? Why did they choose these floors? What were they thinking when they installed these light fixtures? Friends and family would visit from Cincinnati and tell me that the new house had great bones and It would make me so angry! I was making myself and my family miserable.</span><br />
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</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am not sure when I started to have my conversion but at some point things started to come into balance again. It was not something that happened over night. Each weekend, when I would come to Pittsburgh, I would bitterly throw myself into a renovation or redecorating project. After all it wasn't like I had any friends to fill my time here, so I was thinking, I might as well start correcting all the flaws. Over the year of commuting I repainted every room in the house, replaced light fixtures, made window treatments, and the list goes on. With each new project the house was gradually becoming more <i>my</i> home.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From left to right: Pat, Suzy, Dorsey, Emily, and Cory</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My daughter graduated last May and I finally moved to Pittsburgh full time in June. I have steadfastly continued working on the house. Since then we have renovated the master bathroom and built a DIY exercise studio in the basement. I believe my balance was finally restored before Christmas this year. We hosted our first party in our home for new friends. I was dusting and vacuuming every inch of the place to prepare for our guests. The house was decorated beautifully for the holidays and as I was cleaning I found myself admiring the spaces. I was thinking about how hard I had worked over the last year to make the rooms beautiful and functional and I was feeling pride to have friends come and see it. In that instance I realized that my old home was not magical or perfect. It was only special because I had made it that way. The power was in my hands and I held the power to make this house our home. I <i>had</i> made this house our home.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Pittsburgh Home</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I believe that a well designed home can enhance your life in many ways and that the design process can be enjoyable and, as in my case, healing. Good design marries pleasing aesthetics with good function. Your space should elevate your spirits, make you proud, and work well for your family in daily life. My goal is to share with my readers the tools I have learned through my career in theatrical and event design as well as my life experiences designing interiors for myself and others. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Join me each week on my "Home" page as I share my own rooms with you in detail. I promise to have great photos, fun stories, and helpful design tips. Don't forget to check out my "Designerelish Crock Pot" and "Designerelish Pantry" pages! The "Crock Pot" features my original, virtual room designs with links to each product so you can recreate the look for yourself. The "Pantry" holds my staples for good design. You'll find my special articles about favorite must-have furniture and accessories that I have found versatile and valuable over the years. </span></div>
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</span> <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">THE DESIGN TOPIC OF THE WEEK: </span></b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Welcome to my Great Room! It is my favorite room in our new house but it didn't start out that way. When we moved to Pittsburgh from Cincinnati, I brought a houseful of furniture with me and unfortunately the dimensions of this room were not similar to my old space. This room is rectangular and my old great room was larger and square shaped. I had a large round sectional sofa that floated in the previous great room and this room was not wide enough to float the sofa without blocking entrances. In addition because of the built-ins with the mounted TV, the window wall, and the staircase, there is only one wall that worked for the sofa. So fortunately or unfortunately this is the one room in my house that I had to design from scratch.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was actually very fun to design this room. Over the last 25 years I have redecorated rooms many times and I always seem to be tied to color schemes because of existing furniture pieces. The sofa would wear out but the chair didn't so I was was forced to buy a new sofa that worked with the old chair. Although I wasn't happy about having a truck full of furniture that didn't work, it was somewhat liberating to be able to start with a clean slate. </span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">THE WINDOW WALL</span></b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Pittsburgh Great Room</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My Cincinnati great room was decorated in hues of deep red, sage green, and gold. Now, I was completely free to go with a new and fresh palate. I chose charcoal and touches of black for my neutrals, and topped it with shades of blues, aquas, and teals and a pop of apple green.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The previous owner had blinds and window treatments mounted at the top of the lower windows which cut the wall in half and brought the eye down. To capitalize on the scale of the window and high cathedral ceiling, I created long drapery panels by sewing together two ready-made teal panels from Bed Bath and Beyond. I crafted a faux double set of pleats to cover where the panels were seamed together. I left the hem in the upper panel and removed the loops from the top of the second panel. The header of the second panel was then turned down to create the second pleat and sewn underneath the hem of upper panel. To add volume and softness to the large scale room I puddled the extra length on the floor. The ready-mades were on sale and I was able to create this dramatic treatment in an hour for under $100.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I scrapped the blinds and opted for installation of 3M window film. The film is virtually invisible to the eye and doesn't obstruct the view, but it does block harmful sun rays that fade your furniture and it helps to control the temperature in the room. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mid-Century Parker Knoll Wing-Back Chair</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When using shades of blues and teals it is important to use a strong accent color to keep the room from looking too watery. I chose this apple green color for my accent. I was so lucky to find this vintage Parker Knoll mid-century modern wing back chair on Etsy. It's very comfortable and was newly upholstered in this beautiful geometric textural print. For a twist, I peppered in a Missoni-style print lumbar pillow for a little 1970's flavor.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marble-Toped Victorian Chest of Drawers</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The design style of this room is what I call "cohesive eclectic". The mismatched collected look combines different styles and periods of furniture but is pulled together by a coherent color palate that helps to unify the space. The 1950's chair is paired with a victorian, marble-top chest of drawers that I picked up at a local antique store for $350.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graduated Stack of Vintage Wooden Boxes</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have used a variety of my favorite collections arranged in artful ways to add interest to my eclectic room. Here we see a graduated stack of vintage wooden boxes sitting next to one of my antique Early American Pattern Glass compotes.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Below we see four silhouettes from an extensive collection of over two-hundred and fifty that I have hung throughout my house in groupings. (Stay tuned for future blogs about my silhouettes. I will be dedicating an entire post to them soon) I sing in a professional a cappella quartet called the "Dickens Carolers". Last year my husband took profile pictures of us in our costumes and my daughter, who is a graphic design major, turned them into silhouettes for my collection. I'm the one holding the purse!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have created a virtual rendering of my window wall. I was able to find items online that closely resembled the design elements in my room. You can shop from your sofa and recreate this look in your own home. Just click on the thumbnail links below.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/designerelish/set?.embedder=6495326&.svc=blogger&id=75576684" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/designerelish/set?.embedder=6495326&.svc=blogger&id=75576684" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Designerelish" border="0" force="1" height="558" src="http://cfc.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-set/.sig/rHBgGt6eCD7N8PaI0BA/cid/75576684/id/D1NjkAsrT0CrM5PTItN5Qw/size/c600x558.jpg" title="Designerelish" width="600" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/designerelish/set?.embedder=6495326&.svc=blogger&id=75576684" target="_blank">Designerelish</a> by <a href="http://sziller.polyvore.com/?.embedder=6495326&.svc=blogger" target="_blank">sziller</a> on <a href="http://www.polyvore.com/" target="_blank">Polyvore</a></span></span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">THE SOFA WALL</span></b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great Room Sofa Wall</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the sofa wall of my great room. You can see how I have continued the "cohesive eclectic"style. I have combined a contemporary sofa in a durable charcoal velvet corduroy, with a rustic coffee table and reproduction antique end tables. There are some key design concepts that I applied when designing this area:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1.<b> Form follows function:</b> This is the main area to sit and view the TV that is mounted above the fireplace on the opposite wall. There are five people in my family and this sofa fits five comfortably. Someone is sitting or napping on this sofa everyday, so it was imperative that the fabric be durable. We all love those beautiful rooms in magazines with all white sofas. However, if you have a 16 year old boy who likes to eat pizza like me, this is the fabric for you. It looks good and it works for my family, so it's good design.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. <b>Balance and Scale: </b>When choosing this very large framed print of Bacon's Map of London I had several factors in mind. The wall space above the sofa is an expansive area. The opposing wall in the room has a very large fireplace with built-in shelving and carries a lot of visual weight in the room. The built-ins are visually "busy" because the open shelving contains groupings of pottery and antique compotes. I knew I needed weight but didn't want to add anymore busy-ness to the room so I opted for a single large piece of artwork to balance the space.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. <b>Create comfortable conversation distances between seating that relate to the focal point of the room: </b>This rectangular shaped room is not wide enough to float the sofa but a little too wide for a comfortable conversation distance between the sofa and pair of chairs on the fireplace wall. My remedy for this was to choose a large-scale, square coffee table that helps to close the distance between the chairs and the sofa. Because of the doorway that leads into the kitchen, the sofa is not able to be centered opposite the focal fireplace. I chose the right armed chaise for the sectional to offset the coffee table and push it center across from the fireplace and chairs.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Here are some additional views of the room and accessories.)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Below is the virtual rendering of actual items that can be purchased to recreate a similar look to my great room sofa wall. Click on the thumbnail links to shop online.</span></div>
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</b> <b>THE FIREPLACE WALL</b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwnT6FutgrKaO5l0hJqqCcReMKwJFA2mtk3EFjiuLw6nrAPA2dSeo1wvR_uNL4MFu9Cycxh4ETawYfQr6QIk5vOdk5FEjD0s3Bm-8EPnlOfd9mMfwEg2jSrJy4yM-AEfMKUe74n_zhyR7p/s640/IMG_9953.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great Room Fireplace Wall</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In my old house I didn't have any open shelving so I was slightly overwhelmed by the large amount of display space in the fireplace built-ins. When experimenting with placement of miscellaneous objects on the shelves, I felt like the display was just too cluttered for my taste. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">The first thing I did was remove a shelf on each side which immediately cut the clutter by one fourth. I had a few beautiful Early American Pattern Glass compotes and liked the way they looked grouped together on one of the shelves. They had visual interest but the clear glass was light and airy and didn't feel busy or cluttered. I decided to collect a few more and with some donations from my mother's collection of compotes I was able to fill out the shelves.</span> </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early American Pattern Glass Compotes</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although I loved the sparkly clear glass, I realized that a whole wall of it would look a little flat and colorless. So I decided to alternate the compotes with shelves of vintage pottery in shades of aqua and teal to tie into the room's color palate. The problem was, I only had one piece of aqua pottery. I started searching Etsy and local antique stores and found that there was an abundance of vintage teal pottery on the market. I have always been attracted to Van Briggle and Rookwood pottery but have never been able to afford it. I was very pleased to see that there was a lot of less famous vintage pottery out there and it had the same look for a low cost. I purchased most of my pieces for under $15. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vintage Aqua and Teal Pottery</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once I had the two collections perfectly arranged on the shelves, I still felt there was something missing. The light airy glassware and the rich shades of teal were still feeling a bit bland and needed something to ground and set them off. The room already had some dark bronze accents so I chose our initials in bronze metal and slid them in with the pottery. It was just the right spice!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">When designing this eclectic room I wanted to incorporate some traditional elements. To accomplish this I chose the classical placement of two matching chairs on either</span> side of the fireplace. I wanted the traditional nod to have an updated appearance. So I used chairs with modern lines and I mixed things up by using different tables and lamps on either side of the chairs. One must be careful when doing this. The twin chairs create a certain classical symmetry so it is very important to make sure that the unmatched elements have the same visual weight in scale and color. The lamps shades although varying in shape are about the same size and clean ivory hue. The two tables also sit at approximately the same height and both are dark in color with thin dark metal legs. The drum table has a heavier shape than the opposing table so I balanced it out by using the lighter glass lamp on top while in contrast I placed the heavier pottery lamp on the finer table. The result is a wonderful marriage of eclectic interest and calming balance. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Additional views of the room and accessories)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Below is the virtual rendering of my my fireplace wall. Click on the thumbnail links to shop for a similar look in your home.</span></div>
<a href="http://www.polyvore.com/designerelish/set?.embedder=6495326&.svc=blogger&id=75594299" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="Designerelish" border="0" force="1" height="334" src="http://cfc.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-set/.sig/FJkb0jolCAjkBUXmXt1syw/cid/75594299/id/VgSN9lq8QtK1iQPaSsNzqA/size/c600x334.jpg" title="Designerelish" width="600" /></span></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just like my story, this week's design topic was all about finding balance. Balance is always a good thing to have whether you are talking about life or design. The desire to not feel lop-sided is ingrained in our human nature. Imbalanced room design subliminally affects our ability to relax. It can seem difficult to create an eclectic room that looks intentional and doesn't look like a refigerator full of leftovers. The key is to keep the color palate consistent throughout and to balance the visual weight in opposing areas of the room and within vignettes.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks for stopping by! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Drop in next week when the design topic will be </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Masculine vs. Feminine: </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Designing Shared Spaces</span><br />
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<br />Suzy Zillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032184494095337707noreply@blogger.com2