Hack Your Home

Remember when our dad's could fix almost anything with a roll of duct tape and some chewing gum? I think some of them still can, but now we don't laugh at them carefully wrapping silver tape around anything that doesn't move; we call them hacker's, and they are probably laughing all the way to the bank, as they sign their second million dollar book deal telling us all about even more ways to use that five dollar roll of duct tape.

Maybe it's because we are so busy, or maybe it's a small nod towards saving money, but life hacks are one of the biggest trends right now. For some reason, a hack sounds far more fun than a short-cut, and while we can't wait to try a hack, no-one exactly jumps up and down in anticipation of a new short-cut.

Regardless of the name, there are definitely some wonderful ideas out there, and if they don't work, all we have lost is a little bit of time and something to laugh about.

Recently, I was so inspired that I really thought that putting duct tape on my bra was a good idea. As I ran out the door, I felt the wire from my bra poke through, and I grabbed the roll of duct tape sitting on my counter (it was black, and so was my bra - it seemed perfect). Strangely enough, the wire had poked through by the time I had got to work, and I was left with the disturbing realization that instead of doing what I had asked of it, the tape had firmly attached itself to my skin and my clothes. Apparently, duct tape can stop a five hundred pound air conditioner from falling out of my window, but it is no match for a tiny wire and some stretchy fabric.
Needless to say, I would not recommend this idea to anyone, but for all the other quick fix fans out there, here are some of my favorite (tried and true) home design hacks....

• Fix small nicks on appliances and tile with Nail Polish - it comes in a million different colors, and you can usually buy a cheap one for less than a couple of dollars.

• Use a shoe organizer for storing toys, make-up, household cleaners, gloves and hats, snacks - anything but shoes (unless you are a perfect Women's size 7, and have exactly twelve pairs of shoes).

• When you're done painting a room, store some extra paint in a screw top jar (label with the name, number, brand, date and room that you used it in). This is perfect for quick touch-ups, and will keep for much longer than if it is sitting in a paint can.

• Update your old brass lamp stands (and accessories) with black chalk board paint for a gorgeous, matte black finish that is durable and looks like cast iron. No primer needed. (I have also painted shoes, walls, cupboards, picture frames and glass storage containers with chalk board paint).

• Use old necklaces and costume jewelry as tie-backs for your curtains, and decorative shower curtain rings in place of curtain hooks.

• Turn your window into a seasonal headboard - center your bed in front of it, place some nice curtains either side of it, then decorate the rest of the room. Your room will feel larger, and you will automatically have an ever-changing focal point. 

• Or, use a bookcase as your headboard - it looks great, and so practical!

• Remove cupboard doors in your kitchen for instant open shelving, and take out a drawer or two to store and display cookbooks horizontally.

• Use self-stick hooks to hang a light curtain rod, or, ditch the hooks altogether, and use a shower curtain tension rod to hang your curtains (which might have been made out of a pair of decorative sheets).

• Update lamp shades by decorating them with paint, sharpies and decorative fringe etc. Tape off areas to create stripes, use heat safe glue to add decorations, and let the children draw all over them with sharpies. 

• Store necklaces, belts and scarves on an old tie rack, keep small pieces of jewelry in old tea cups, ice cube trays, plates and saucers, and stack bracelets on an old paper towel holder (which can also be used to store spools of ribbon if you like to wrap presents). 

• Add metal coat hooks to the backs of almost every door; ideal for keys, coats, bags, jewelry, organizers, brooms and mops (just attach a ribbon to the end of the handle - drill a hole if you need to - and hang them upside down). 

Living and Layering

Removing Christmas from my house requires a lot of loud music, comfy clothes, and perhaps the occasional glass of wine. While I love my home, the spaces are small, so I have to rearrange everything to accommodate the Christmas tree; furniture is forced to move around like some bizarre game of musical chairs, and I find myself almost apologizing to the over-sized, vintage radio as I decide to wiggle it awkwardly into the coat closet for the month.

Ever the decorator, I am not content to just jam it all into place, so it takes me hours to basically redesign my home just for the sheer joy of having a Christmas tree in the front window. So, this last weekend was spent taking down Christmas, moving furniture and pictures back to wherever they came from, and freeing the old radio from its hiding space.

Ironically, my music of choice was David Bowie's, "The Singles 1969 - 1993"; songs that I grew up on, and could easily belt out the lyrics to in my sleep. I mention this only because he passed away the very next day, and I had no idea that he was so ill while I was singing along to some of my favorite music and chasing pine needles around with the vacuum cleaner.

At the end of the day, my home was pulled back together, and I started futzing around with the table by my front door; playing with shapes, and layering photographs that I had decided to relocate from another room. I spent at least twenty minutes on that tiny space, and as I did, I thought, that as designer's, we often forget to mention the details that really matter in an effort to make decorating appear as simple as possible.

Layering accessories is one of those details that can make or break a home. We see it done so beautifully on mantles and bookshelves, but the truth is (don't laugh) that if you just put several things in front of each other, with no thought at all, it could probably be called a mess, and the difference between a mess and the art of layering is all about taking a moment to find a common thread, and taking even more time to play with what you have.

So, if you love the look of layering, and want to add a bit more personality to your home, try grouping things together before you begin (by color palette, shape, theme, style, or texture). Forget about using matching things, the more eclectic the better (and often the easier it is).
The goal is (essentially) to have designed clutter; to just teeter around the edge of it looking undone, and almost accidental in appearance, but in a very deliberate way.

I always start with either the largest piece, or my favorite, and then add the other items around it. Books are a great way to add a layer, and they automatically provide a shelf for something else to sit upon. Mixing old and new gives us a feeling of warmth, and a curated layer is the perfect spot to put the occasional, quirky doodad that you just can't do without.

The magic of layering is that it allows us to take the ordinary things that we have, turn them into what we love, and relax them into a casual, decorative story. So, when you have a moment, turn up the music, grab your drink of choice, and start playing.

Let's Get Comfy!

I can't help it, but sectional sofas remind me of parties with Hugh and perky leotards with bunny tails; days when their soul purpose was to fill the corners of an impossibly large living room, and cradle the tired faces of several someones who had enjoyed a very long liquid lunch.

Sadly, I never wore a bunny tail, but now I find myself wishing I had, and wondering if it is still too late? I have never seen it listed on a bucket list, but it seems like a very good contender for mine, and probably more attainable than climbing Mt. Everest or lining up the colors on a Rubix cube.

So, with thoughts of parties and bunny tails, it didn't come as a complete surprise that I have also been thinking about buying a sectional sofa; I finally see the appeal of having a sofa that invites us to put our feet up and get comfy.

You see, it has always been difficult for me to sit with my feet on the ground, and I worry that I am not being very lady-like in the way that I cross my legs, so why not have something that almost encourages my potential bad manners. (Mind you, it could also be the amount of chocolate that I ate over Christmas that is sweetening my sudden love affair with outstretched, fabric-inclined laziness).

When I think past my lazy thoughts, I also like that there are options, but not like going to a diner options; these are simple and not-too-over-whelming options. Do you want the lounging bit on the left or the right, what fabric do you like, and how big do you want it to be? There are more questions I am sure, but it isn't hard to navigate, and isn't likely to make you run away or just give up and order the grilled cheese.

And, did you know they can fit more people? Even the smallest one will seat three or four, without unsettling your host or making you feel that you are teetering on the edge of someone else's personal space. In fact, they might possibly be my new favorite piece of furniture.

But then I talked to someone who said that they didn't like sectionals at all. She said she didn't know how to sit on them properly, the thought made her uncomfortable, and that they looked like a bed in the middle of the living room. She preferred to sit up, and at a distance, rather than lounging awkwardly close to her friend's bare feet.

As we talked, I understood what she meant, but I also hoped that if she visited someone it was because she liked them, and that they would be okay with her asking how on earth she was supposed to sit on their comfy (but confusing) furniture configuration. Because at the end of the day, it is all about comfort, and if she isn't comfortable I am sure that her friend would happily take off her bunny tail, open a packet of chocolate biscuits, and invite her to sit down at the kitchen table instead.

Musical Chairs for the Holidays

Even if you don't love to entertain, don't you find that there is something about this time of year that makes you want to invite people over to your house? For some, it is about showing off the perfect tree, and for others, a need to share that cozy family feeling that we all crave. Whatever it is, the holidays are here, and all those extra people eventually need to sit down and eat their shrimp.

I am a big believer in sourcing my home before I shop, and it always surprises me what I can find at the last minute. When hosting, I do think it is important to coordinate my seating with the amount of bottoms that will be coming to visit; there is nothing worse than friends being forced to stand and look uncomfortable, while others are wiggling their toes on your favorite sofa. This doesn't mean that you have to provide luxurious options, it just means that it is always nice to be prepared, and offer them a little something to sit upon.

Here are some extra seating ideas that may help you in your last minute entertaining pinch:

Forget about matching everything. They are coming to spend time with you, not judge your furniture.  
Grab the obvious things first; kitchen and dining chairs, ottomans and stools etc.
Check out your garage and basement for bar stools, and folding poker chairs, that you may have forgotten about.
Look outside. Do you have a nice garden bench, chair or small, sturdy table that could be cleaned up for an extra bottom to perch on?
Peek in the bedroom. What about your reading chair, or that bench at the end of your bed?
The office. No, not those gigantic, spinning Star Trek chairs, but maybe you have a more traditional chair that you could use.
Spare Room. Remember that old wooden trunk, and the love-seat that you pile your laundry on? Perhaps they could easily be carried to where you need them.
Big, European Size pillows: Grab these from the beds if you need to. Children, teens (and some adults) will be happy to sit on the floor if you give them a soft place to land.

Now, you have no excuses; thaw the shrimp, and pour the wine!

Photograph from http://katyhahndesigns.blogspot.com/2012/06/mismatched-dining-chairs.html

Holiday Survival Tactics

Right now, you could probably knit a sweater from the dog fur cozying up in the corners, my tree has lights but no ornaments, and the other night I actually offered a friend a teaspoon of peanut butter to go with her cup of tea. But that is how it should be; she laughingly declined the peanut butter, we found some leftover fudge, and spent the rest of the evening chatting about who knows what.

As organized as I feel in November, it all seems to go to custard in December. I start to worry that I don't have enough presents, and I am sure my bank has made a mistake with my balance, yet I still find myself wandering the supermarket looking for imported chocolates and fascinated by cinnamon sweet rolls that pop out of a can (I don't even care how they taste, there is so much happiness to be had from twisting a can until it pops open - a little like a jack-in-a-box without the nightmare-inducing clown).

After a week of eating too much leftover fudge and gazing fondly at the joyful pop-up cans, my Christmas crazy is officially over. Today I plan to decorate the tree with my daughter, and sort through the shopping bags that are starting to get drooled on by the dog; he has resisted so far, but I know that given a few hours by himself, and an accidental open door, he will be very happy to tear into the chocolate and investigate what I have bought.

I really intended to write about holiday decorating ideas this week, but there is so much information out there already, and mine tend to be more of the homemade variety, that I decided to share a few of my holiday survival tactics instead.

Have a happy (and relatively) clean entrance to you home 

Whether you are coming home from work or shopping, welcoming a friend, or whatever else you do, the last thing you want is to stumble over the front step into a mess. Keeping it tidy will make everything else better.
I actually had this happen to me the other day. Our front door opens straight into the living room, and the coat closet is right there. I was running out the house, and couldn't find the boots I wanted, so I literally flung the one's I didn't want to wear out of the closet onto the floor, left the closet door open, and walked out of the house. It seems so minor, but coming home to boots all over the floor (and cat poop in the closet) almost put me in tears at the end of a very long day.

Take care of yourself 

This sounds so airy-fairy, but even if we love the holidays, most of us find this time of year a wee bit emotional and stressful, so don't forget to schedule something nice for yourself. It can be as extravagant as a vacation, or as simple as spending a few hours with a friend, watching a movie or taking a nap, but don't forget. If we're rested and cared for, it makes us (and the world) a whole lot nicer, and, if we are exhausted and cranky, we are no good to anyone.

Be prepared (especially when you don't want to be)

Even if the word organized makes you break out in hives, this is the time to do it. Make the season easy on yourself, and pick up a box of your favorite sweets from the supermarket, or keep a roll of cookie dough in the freezer (whether you are expecting company, or are going to visit someone, just slice up a few cookies and they will be done in fifteen minutes. p.s. In case of an emergency, make up a couple just for yourself). Being a tiny bit prepared stops the last minute panic when you are visiting (or being visited) but far too exhausted to face the supermarket chaos.

Like many people, I have a bit of a complicated relationship with Christmas, but I do know that if your family and friends really love you, they will take you as you are, and happily accept (or decline) to share your teaspoon of peanut butter .....