Lighting consultant Michele Thompson points out some clever ideas for decorating with functional items.
- A number of items that can be found at garage sales or even lying around your own home can be used to decorate as well as to add function. The first tip is to look in attics, garage sales and basements to find unique, older items that may be of no use to someone else but might be of some use to you.
- Old throw pillows can be dressed up by wrapping them with a decorative scarf or fabric and tying with cording.
- Doorstops can be a decorative item. An antique iron one works great as well as an old tea or cookie tin. Simply fill either item up with sand.
- To create the feeling of height in a room, place furniture that is tall and slender in that room. Items such as a tall chair in the corner work very well.
- Cover a scratched or worn desktop with colorful fabric. Have a piece of glass cut to size, then place it on top.
- Use a tiered pie plate in the bathroom to store washcloths, decorative soap and jewelry.
- Sew pockets on the outside of the shower curtain to store bathroom toys, scrub brushes and shampoo.
- Lampshades are a quick and easy item to decorate in a room. You can decoupage them in a matter of minutes.
- Turn boring old light-plate switches into something more appealing. Just remove the plate and go to work. Painting the simplest flower will make the switch plate look so much better. Tape a stencil onto the plate, and spray with spray paint. Remove stencil, and when dry, spray with clear coat.
- Thoroughly wash out an antique watering can from the garden, and put it in your living room or great room for an old-fashioned touch.
- Use an old ladder as a creative bookshelf or knickknack stand.
Guests Michele Thompson
Lighting Consultant / Manager / Decorator, Southern Lights
12550 West Frontage Rd.
Burnsville, MN 55337
Phone: 612-890-8977
Fax: 612-890-4822
Website:
www.southernlightsinc.com
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