Chinoiserie is one of my all time favorite words…I like how it looks on paper and I love the way it sounds (sheen-waz-a-ree). Chinoiserie, according to Webster, is a style that reflects Chinese qualities or motifs, an object or decoration. Europe fell in love with the Asian influence of China and Japan in the early...
Choosing exterior paint colors doesn’t have to be rocket science. Our expert Mark Masica of the Edina Hirshfields teaches us some new things about color that will help you the next time you’re up to your ears in paint chips. Use the LRV (light reflective value) rating of a color. LRV is sometimes found on...
Choosing exterior paint colors is among the hardest decisions a homeowner can make. After all, everyone else seems to have an opinion about the outside of your house – because they have to look at it all the time. But choosing the right color scheme is of top importance according to exterior paint expert, Mark...
Faux Bois is french for “fake wood,” as it looks like wood but it’s not. Replicating the faux bois look appears to be easy, fun and fairly inexpensive. These photos are showing a painted base, then one or two (I can’t remember what the Old Masters rep said, I’ll find out) layers of stain that...
With melting snow and a warming sun, I feel like I’ve received a new lease on life! This was a tough and long winter, and I’m itching to be done with the cold, the snow and the dark evenings. But as I’m inspecting the perimeters of my house, I’m finding that winter left behind some...
March Madness is once again upon us. As millions of hoops fanatics are swept away by college basketball euphoria, it may be time to try to make sense out of the madness that can be your children’s trophy collection — by creating displays that will make those victories live on. Here are some creative ideas...
As I’m sweeping my kitchen floor, readying it for the vinegar-and-water mop I use to clean them, I wonder why I love hardwood floors so much. They are more work to keep clean, for sure! They get scratched by shoes, falling toys and un-manicured dog paws and they fade with too much daylight! In my...
When my husband and I first moved into our home, the downstairs wallpaper was the first to go. It had pictures of antique fishing lures and might have been cute in a lake home or cabin but it didn’t fit our personal style. We spent hours steaming away the paper and scraping the walls. It...
It is difficult to find motivation to clean and organize a basement, isn’t it? It has to be on the list of worst household tasks! I enlisted a friend who is a professional organizer and she came to help me with an area in my basement, and in the process I learned practical tips that...
Clutter makes me crazy! It eats away at my inner peace and hard-earned zen, and my loudest wish since day one of motherhood has been that my offspring (and husband) would understand how much clutter- not only clutters my home, but my mind, my patience and honestly, my love for them. But, I have had...
