Thursday, July 31, 2008
If you need a headboard, but want something personalized, you can make your own fairly easily. You will need a tape measure, paper to make a pattern, plywood, saw, sandpaper, upholstery foam, an iron, batting, muslin, decorative fabric, electric drill, screws, staple gun, and if you want trim you will need cording or braid.
First, measure your bed so you can decide how wide and tall you’ll need to make your headboard. Normally, a headboard is slightly wider than the width of the mattress, and about 8 inches of the headboard is seen above the pillows leaning against it.
Use paper to draw your headboard shape. You can make the headboard a rectangle, an arch, or some other creative shape. Then, cut the shape out of the paper to make a pattern. Buy extra paper if you aren’t sure what shape you want to go with. This way you can cut out several shapes and tape them to the wall behind your bed to see which shape you like the best. If you aren’t sure which fabric to use for your headboard, you may want to try choosing a fabric that matches another fabric in your room or your bedding.
Next, lay the pattern on the plywood and trace the shape with a pencil or pen. Don’t forget to trace legs to raise the headboard the correct distance off of the floor. Now, cut the shape out of the plywood with a power saw.
Check back tomorrow for part two of this blog.
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Surprisingly, a larger piece of furniture used where you used to have several small pieces will make a room look bigger. They create a less cluttered, more open space, with large blocks of color. This makes the room look less busy and more comfortable.
Using a monochromatic color scheme will help to make your space look bigger. Stick with the colors from the previous tip to maximize the illusion of a bigger space. Try to choose furniture colors that are similar in color to your walls. If you choose contrasting colors it will break up the space and make it seem smaller, so make sure you do not pick colors that are too different. You want to focus on creating a simple, calm looking effect.
A simple ruler is helpful for many projects for cutting guides, measuring, and marking.
Blue painter’s tape is essential to have for any painting project to mask off areas that you don’t want to paint. I find that it works best if you pull the blue tape off while your paint it still wet. If you wait until it is completely dry to pull it off, you may have problems with the paint you just painted on the wall peeling off with it. Blue tape can also be used to mark the locations of studs, or even to protect floors from dirt and scratches when you are moving.
A flat head and Phillips head screw driver are very handy to have around for little fixes around the house. These can be used to tighten screws when kitchen cabinet hardware gets loose. It is also advisable to have a tiny set of screwdrivers to tighten eyeglasses or work on electronic equipment.
You could paint one wall a contrasting color. You could paint this wall a darker shade of the color it already is, or you could pick a color from a pattern in your couch to paint the wall. Another option is to paint the wall to match the new pillows you just picked up.
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When testing paint on your walls look out for factors that will make your test inaccurate. For example, if you are thinking of painting your wall tan, and the room is currently red, the red will reflect on the tan sample area and change its color. Brightly colored curtains can also reflect onto your paint sample and change the color.
While you are shopping around for paint, make sure to keep your samples grouped by the store you were shopping in. It is frustrating to get your samples out of order and forget where you need to go to get the color you choose. Another way to keep from getting frustrated is to measure the area you want to paint before you buy your paint. That way, you can buy the correct amount and not have to make another trip to the store for more paint, or to return unused paint.
It can help to look at the full sample strip of a color you are considering. That way, you can see the colors that will match your walls and have a better idea of whether this is really the scheme you want.
Everyone gets the urge for a midnight snack on occasion, so leave a few snacks and a bottle of water in the guest room. If you really want your guest room to be five star you can even leave a coffee pot in the room with powdered cream and sugar.
Guests will enjoy having a clock next to their bed, 
First of all, you want to make sure your guest bed is comfortable. If you can feel the springs or it is too hard, you may be able to get a simple egg crate pad to put on top, or a feather mattress topper if you can spend a little more. If your bed is just too saggy, you could consider an air mattress on top of a box spring instead, or even on the floor. It is also important to supply several different types of pillows, so the guests can choose one like they are used to. Attractive bedding can add a lot of appeal. You can iron the bedding to add a little extra appeal. Providing an extra blanket or two is a nice touch. It is also a good idea to have an extra set of sheets on hand, in case a guest needs to change them for some reason.
It is easy to add color with window treatments, and you can always change these easily if you tire of them. Modern art is another easy way to add a splash of color.