This Sunday is the day that only we, as Americans, can celebrate to the fullest, for it is the fourth of July, our Independence Day; the day in 1776 when we declared our independence from Great Britain. It’s a day celebrated with parades, fireworks, concerts with patriotic music, displaying the American flag, gatherings to consume a bounty of hot dogs, hamburgers, potato salad, corn-on-the-cob, watermelon, ice-cream, apple pie and lemonade and all festooned in lots of red, white and blue. Whew, I’m stuffed and tired! Now to settle down for a nice nap laced with dreams of the day.
Speaking of dreams, have you always dreamed of decorating a room in those patriotic colors? This may be the time to do it. Marni Jameson, in an article, Design To Dwell, Not Sell, says that since the housing market has sunk to the point that it doesn’t make sense to sell, there is a perk…we now have license to decorate the way we want. We no longer have to remodel for potential buyers, but for ourselves. However, neutral decor choices are still recommended for sellers. Marni’s friend, Lisa LaPorta of HGTV’s “Designed to Sell” and “Bang for Your Buck” says, “When you update to stay, you don’t have to be safe. You can have a blast.” “…now, finally, we can embrace our homes and have them reflect what we love.” Marni says that’s fantastic to hear because people like her have been doing what they liked all along!
Here are some decorating tips from Lisa LaPorta.
Gun it with color: Don’t be neutral. Trade beige for crimson or citron, or whatever color you’ve been yearning for.
Feature your collection: Create a niche or accent wall to feature collections.
Go for concept decorating: Know the difference between theme and concept decorating. Theme decorating hits you over the head and you tire of it quickly. Concept decorating has longevity and is more sophisticated.
Roll on the paper: Lisa advises viewers in “Designed to Sell” to avoid wallpaper because “it’s like a tattoo.” Now she says to “tattoo your house” but avoid themes and play up concepts and go for textured paper, geometrics and stripes.
Get trendy: Limit trendy to easy to change accessories and stay with neutral for big items like carpet, counters and cabinets that will save having to change for a big expense later on.
Add outside punch: Curb appeal matters whether selling or dwelling but be sensitive to your neighbors as well as your home’s architectural style. Introduce pops of color with shutters, doors and flower boxes.
Get bang for your buck: You’ll get the biggest return by painting, updating hardware, and adding moldings from floor to ceiling-baseboard, chair, crown, window casings and fireplace mantels.
Be surprised: “You might make all these changes and discover you’ve created the home you wanted to buy anyway,” LaPorta says.
Here are some illustrations and suggestions to help you go fourth, independently with red, white, and blue. Also look at Ashley’s post last Monday, Do You See Summer, that featured our new stars and starfish available in patriotic colors. Below are Casart removable wallpaper in Faux Padded Harlequin, Sea Shell Element Panels and Faux Tile wallpaper designs.
A nautical theme is naturally red, white, and blue as seen in this child’s room on Houzz.
It can be as simple as linens, pottery and flowers or a novel way to display a collection of quilts.
OR
as elegant as a more formal living room illustrated in Willow Decor’s 2009 post of red, white and blue decorating.
So, there you have a few ideas to motivate you to consider, as bold as they are, to decorate independently.
Happy Fourth!
– Lorre Lei
Go Fourth Independently or jointly, on this 74th day following the Gulf Oil Spill, the Times Picayune reports:
Chef Susan Spicer has filed a class action law suit against BP and Halliburton seeking compensatory damages. It argues that the oil spill has disrupted the “chain of delivery” of Louisiana seafood. Other restaurateurs may join. There is another suit already filled by several restaurant owners. Several seafood restaurants have closed because they could no longer purchase shrimp and oysters at the escalated prices or could no longer maintain the quality they demanded.
An effort will begin soon to scoop out by hand thousands of turtle eggs from nests on beaches in Alabama and Florida in order to save them from death in the oily Gulf in an attempt to keep an entire generation of a threatened species from vanishing. They will be trucked to a temperature-controlled warehouse at Kennedy Space Center. When the eggs are hatched, they will be placed, one by one, on Florida’s east coast where the turtles can swim oil-free into the Atlantic Ocean. “This is an extraordinary effort under extraordinary conditions, but if we can save some of the hatchlings, it will be worth it as opposed to losing all of them,” said Chuck Underwood of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
72 Louisiana brown pelicans have been released in Georgia waters after being cleaned and flown there on a Coast Guard plane. Chief Petty Officer Jeremy McConnell, officer in charge, said the mission is an unusual one for the personnel under his command who typically are involved in search-and-rescue and homeland security operations. Birds with young in nests in Louisiana may try to fly back to them but juvenile birds are more likely to stay in Georgia and the adults may not have the stamina to fly home.
We are in the process of designing a Gulf Coast mural featuring wildlife in the area. A portion of the sales will be donated to help in the recovery effort. Please take our poll and help us decide what wildlife to include.
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