Announcing the winner of World Market’s gift card

I want to thank everybody that visited my blog and left a comment on the post “New furniture outdoor trends”. I hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as I did. Also, I would like to thank the people at Cost Plus World Market for the $25 gift card and for the the opportunity of participating on their webminar.

And, now for the winner, here is the randomly selected number and the comment from Michele Malone:

 

Thanks Michele for stopping by and for participating. Stay tuned for more great ideas and new giveaways!

Colored glass jars

Do you like to collect old sauce jars? And, are you running to buy that last minute mother’s day gift? Well, I have a great idea that combines both situations. This will save you time and money. All you will need is some acrylic craft paint and a couple of clear glass pasta sauce jars. But don’t worry if you don’t have these jars, you can also use mason jars that can be obtained at Jo-Ann store and The Container Store. 

  

The clear glass pasta sauce jars I selected had some interesting details which make them my favorite ones. If you have some jars that still have the label, here are some nice tricks to remove them.

Select the colors you want to used for this project. I’m using sea inspired colors since we are near the Summer season. These colors are from the Martha Stewart Crafts collection which you can buy at your nearest Jo-Ann store. Here is the list of colors I used:

1. Cloud 32022
2. Beach glass 32012
3. Green curry 32005
4. Wedding cake 32076
5. Couscous 32066

With these colors at hand, I started pouring small parts of the paint. I tried to let the paint dripped from the bottom to the top (turning the jar upside down) and then, from the top to the bottom. After most of the area was covered, I pour on a spray bottle a solution of water and vinegar (1:5) and started spraying the inside of the jar. This helped the paint to slide better on the glass surface and also for it to have a watercolor consistency. 

    

When I finish spraying the inside of the jar, I let it rest over a paper towel. To speed the drying time, I used a hairdryer. Here is the final result. A neat and colorful plant vase (of flower) for mom. Happy Mother’s Day to all of the mothers visiting I don’t know how she does it!

Disclosure: Acrylic colors were samples provided free of charge by Jo-Ann Stores, Inc and Plaid Enterprises, Inc. You can find more products and ideas at Jo-Ann’s website or your nearest Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores.

Indoor home lighting

Confused about how to illuminate a specific room in your house? There are so many lamps out there that one can start mixing bathroom ones with the bedroom light. Here I’ve detailed some basics for each room in your home. But before you start lighting everything like a Christmas tree, read the three types of lighting that should always be present in all areas.

On every room in your house, there should be three basic types of lighting whenever possible. These are:

1. General or ambiance lighting: This provides the overall and general illumination to any room with a comfortable brightness. It can be a chandelier, a ceiling mounted, recess or track lights. 
2. Task lighting: This kind of illumination helps you to perform a particular task such as: reading, cooking, doing homework, etc. For this type of lighting one could use recess or track lights, under cabinet lamps or pendant lamps. Also, floor and table lamps are very useful; for example beside your favorite reading sofa.
3. Accent lighting: Have you ever had a painting that somehow doesn’t seem to capture your eye? Use an accent lamp! This type of illumination helps to draw the visual interest to an area. Either if it is a master piece, sculpture, or collectibles; make it a focal point by using wall sconces, wall-mounted picture lights, track or recess lights all directed to the object.

Lets see how one can implement these types of lighting in several areas around the house. Here is the legend with the colors:

Entryway lighting

A well illuminated entryway, instantly gives the visitor a warm welcome. To make the most out of this area, use a chandelier on the center of the entryway which will be your general light and it will create an ambient. Combine this with a task light above a console or small table and if you have wall art, illuminate it with a picture light.

Living room lighting

This area should be well lit since it is mostly a high traffic one were the family tends to gathered. To create harmony, a general light should consist of a centered lamp or a ceiling fan with a light kit. These lamps will be working in combination with floor lamps (for tasks such as reading) and accent lighting like recess or track lights that can be directed over a wall art or a display of collectibles.

Dining room lighting

Here, everything happens over the dining table. With that being said, the area to be illuminated should be over it. Use a chandelier or a pendant lamp. If your dining room has a sideboard, you can use a small table lamp to compliment the lighting of the room and/or accent light inside the cabinet to display your pieces.

Kitchen lighting

Kitchens should always be well illuminated. Why? Because here is the place where you need a light for cooking preparation, a good general light (to brighten all the room) and an accent light, to compliment. In the example bellow you can see that all the task lamps are in red dots. These lamps are placed on areas where there is a task to be accomplish (under the cabinets and over the island). The general lighting is in yellow dots (in this case, recess lamps) and the accents are in blue. These accent lamps can be use to illuminate inside the cabinets but also framed art in your walls. 

Bedroom lighting

For bedrooms you should always use, in the general lighting, a dimmer switch to generate a calm environment and to adjust the brightness of the room at different times of the day. The side table lamps are used for reading (task lighting) but try using a shaded one to prevent eye tiredness. Accent lamps can be used to illuminate wall art by using track lights which can be redirected.

Bathroom lighting

For day to day use, try implementing wall sconces beside (at face height, for fewer odd shadows) or above the vanity mirror. These will function as your task lighting, but don’t forget to use the general illumination. 

New outdoor furniture trends

Recently I attended a Cost Plus World Market webminar in which they announced their new trends for outdoor decoration. For me, a seminar through the internet was a new experience, and needless to say, an exciting one. From this I could notice that their selection of products was well thought-out and picked. The color palette World Market have selected ranges from the blues to the reds and greens. Here is their collection which they divided by names of exotic and beautiful places: Bali, Rio and Timber Cove. (Keep reading to see how to win a gift card from Cost Plus World Market.)

The Bali collection if filled with lots of bright and exotic colors. Each and every item here evokes the lifestyle of that far and tranquil island.

Blues, fuchsias and greens all convey in this selection. Reminiscent of Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival, this collection will transport you to this lively and vibrant city.

The Timber Cove collection is an all classic American beach destination. In this coastal inspired selection, you’ll be surrounded by everything from whimsical ocean icons to driftwood and jute materials.

If you want to see more, visit Cost Plus World Market website or take a look at their latest catalog here. Also take a peek at their Bali collection video.

To win a Cost Plus World Market $25 gift card, all you have to do is leave a comment in this post. I’ll be randomly selecting the winner on Friday May 11, 2012. Good luck to all my readers!!!

Tips for an inviting kitchen

We are always looking for ways to update different parts of our home. But when it comes to kitchens, sometimes we just don’t know where to start. Here are some great and simple tips from interior designer Marc Thee on what to do when you want to make your kitchen more inviting.

• Replace all fluorescent lighting with incandescent or halogen fixtures.  Ideally, all kitchens should have three levels of lighting: 

1. Overhead task lighting: Recessed cans
2. Under-counter task lighting
3. Decorative lighting: such as pendants or island lighting. 

This example from Better Homes and Gardens gives us an idea on how light works on a kitchen. The yellow colored area are the overhead task lighting, the orange ones at the left are the under counter task light while the pendant above the island are the decorative. The purple area above the paint in the wall (far right) is considered to be an accent light.

Be sure to light your glass front cabinets with small puck lighting, and use glass shelves so the light carries to the bottom of the cabinet. 

• Because kitchens can feel a little utilitarian—especially when the counter tops are granite—add useful accessories that feel a little time-worn or antique.

Candles and antique architectural fragments add softness to this interesting blend of contemporary and traditional styles. The screen can be pushed open if the cook wishes to see the guests in the family room. Note also how the tile backsplash continues along the entire back wall to unify the breakfast room with the kitchen. The shelves in the same stain as the kitchen are an additional unifying element.

• Display in the kitchen an assortment of olive oil, vinegars, and salt and pepper grinders on a big tray.  The tall bottles serve to disguise the electrical outlets, so buy some larger bottles to anchor the back of the grouping.

Following these great tips for your kitchen, here are some excellent examples of modern trays and pendant lamps from… to give that final touches to this space.

  

1. Bamboo Serving Tray 2. Slat Teak Console Tray 3. Swain Large Hammered Bowl

           

1. Pendant Glass Bell Jar 2. Shelton Cylinder Seedy Irregular Glass Pendant 3. Zylinder 5L pendant

Sabrina Soto’s new book “Home Design”

Starting tomorrow, and for sale at Target, the Sabrina Soto’s book “Sabrina Soto Home Design” where she shares with us a step-by-step on how simple it can be the process of designing a space. 

The TV personality from HGTV’s The High/Low Project (with new season premier on May 8, 2012) explains the “how” to develop a design vision in this great manual. Each chapter on Sabrina Soto’s book, is a representation of a “layer” in the process of designing (color, furnishings, etc.).

Here is a great video interview with the author from A Bullseye View from Target. Enjoy!