A FREE bi-monthly home decorating ezine!
published by KatieDid Design
June 2000
brought to you by:
KatieDid Design
www.katiediddesign.com
mailto:contact@katiediddesign.com
This free e-zine is published each month to all those who have asked to
receive it. Thanks for joining us! If you ever need to subscribe or
unsubscribe, simply drop an email to contact@katiediddesign.com
or use the online forms at http://www.katiediddesign.com/ezine.html
May 25th, 2000 - June issue
Hello Dear Readers!
Summer's on the way! I don't know where you all live, but down here in Florida it's getting down-right hot already. (*sigh*) I've already had to shut the house up and turn on the AC. Well, this month, I've finally got that guest article for you! Read on...
Congratulations go to Vickie of California! She was the lucky winner in the free drawing among the April subscribers! The prize was a free fabric-covered fan. She wanted a traditionally-styled fan with pastel blue and yellow. For hers, I added some flowers and tassels in place of the bow. I'll have a picture of this one up on the site in about a week. This month's prize will be a Potpourri-filled Decorative Umbrella! (http://www.katiediddesign.com/fa-umbrella.html ) The winner will get to choose potpourri scent, fabric, and colors! So forward this to your friends, or send them by the site to subscribe so they get their chance to win! All those subscribed at the end of the month are automatically entered. For more information on the drawing, see my E-zine page at
http://www.katiediddesign.com/ezine.html.
Also, I will slowly start adding small advertisements to this ezine. I promise to keep them short, inoffensive, and small in number. This a standard part of most newsletter and magazines, online and offline, so I trust that this will not be a problem for you.
Finally, is there anything specific you'd like to read about? Tell me at katie@katiediddesign.com. Feel free to forward this on to your friends who may enjoy it. On with fun stuff!...
IN THIS ISSUE:
1. THIS MONTH'S SUBSCRIBER'S SPECIAL
- Invitation Keepsakes
2. TIPS & TRICKS
- Making Your Bed Beautiful!
3. FEATURE ARTICLE - guest article
- Wall Color Selection
4. CHALLENGE OF THE MONTH
- Your Bed
Advertisement:
$5.00 FREE!
Why would someone give you $5.00 free? Because they'd like you to check out their Free services!
Click on this link to visit PayPal and find out how you can get $5.00 free!
https://secure.paypal.com/refer/pal=design%40katiediddesign.com
1. THIS MONTH'S SUBSCRIBER'S SPECIAL
- Invitation Keepsakes
This month's subscriber special is my Invitation Keepsakes. These beautiful framed keepsakes are each custom-made to reflect that special event... whether it's an upcoming wedding, graduation, a baby christening, orin celebration of a wedding 50 years ago! All you have to do is send me the invitation and envelopes. I'll design a one-of-a-kind gift around it. If you don't know any more about the bride's preferences, then I'll design it around the clues that the invitation provides. But if you know what colors, fabrics, flowers, and ribbons are going to be used in the wedding, I'll go find some and incorporate them into the design. You can always send samples for me to use also, if you'd like. Check them out! I'll take $10% off through June 30th! (Rush ordering is available.)
And don't forget... there's still a few days left to take advantage of the May special! You can still save on Crochet Boxes and combinations with other florals! Your subscriber discount, through May 31st, is $1.00 off each crochet box. And, as an added bonus, I'll also take 15% off anything else you order from the Florals Department when you order them all together. You choose the other items! For example, if you order two Crochet Boxes, and a floral accent to match, you will receive $1.00 off each crochet box, and 15% off the floral accent!
These offers are available to anyone who is already a subscriber, or who subscribes when they place their order. Just tell me what you'd like and mention that you're a subscriber!
2. TIPS & TRICKS
- Making your Bed Beautiful
Here are a few tips that may help create that one-of-a-kind haven of rest that you'd like to snuggle down in every night.
If you've found a beautiful bed-set that you love, but can't afford, try purchasing just the comforter and shams. Then find some less expensive sheets, pillowcases and beskirt in a solid or stripe to coordinate. Or, you can often do it the opposite way... buy the bedskirt, sheets, and a throw pillow, and use them with a less expensive solid comforter... just fold the comforter and sheets down to show off the print of the sheets!
Dress your bed up with lace! Lace trim can be added to the top of sheets, to the bottom of bedskirts, to the edges of comforters, etc... You can make a brand-new set of ivory sheets look vintage with the right lace along the top of the flat sheet and opening edge of the pillowcases!
Finally, add a few unique throw pillows! There's really quite a selection of throw pillows out there ready-made. Or I can always make some for you. The great thing about throw pillows is that they don't have to exactly match if you have more than one. Three mismatched pillows, for instance, look great on a bed - as long as the general style and color-scheme are kept in mind. (In other words, if your bedroom is Victorian pastel pink and green, don't be afraid to add pillows in blue, yellows, etc... just make sure they're Victorian or Traditional, and keep the colors pastel or muted at least.)
_.~*~.__.~*~.__.~*~.__.~*~.__.~*~._
This article Copyright 1999-2003 - Kathleen Peters, KatieDid Design. Reproduced with permission.
Kathleen Peters - 'Katie' - is a custom window treatment and bedding designer, and owner of KatieDid Design, her online shop. She is also the editor-in-chief of Decor, Decorating, and Design, a free bi-monthly ezine filled with articles, tips, and guidelines to help with your home decorating.
http://www.katiediddesign.com
3. FEATURE ARTICLE - Guest Article
- Wall Color Selection
Are you tired of living with off-white or white walls, but are afraid to choose a color? Take heart!
Here are some guidelines that will give you the courage to break out of your vanilla box!
1. When looking at a "dinky" color chip on a paint fan or card, remember...
a. A light color will be brighter and stronger when painted on a wall.
b. A dark color will appear deeper and darker.
c. With "a" and "b" above in mind, choose what "you think" will be the "perfect color," and then choose one shade lighter.
2. Color Rules
a. Light, cool, colors recede from the eye, making a room look larger. These types of colors can provide a wonderful illusion in small spaces or areas where the walls are fragmented.
b. Dark or bright hues advance toward the eye. These work well in a large room, and/or a room that lacks intimacy or definition.
c. If a large or empty room is already dark, due to lack of light, a bright, strong color might be the best choice.
3. Colors Within a Color, or Undertones
a. Choose a color from a fabric pattern, rug, art piece or accessory.
b. Once you have decided on the base color, look for hints of other colors within. For example, a color might be brownish yellow, with a hint of green, or blue with a tint of purple. As you look at the original color, be sure to check the other colors in your space which might need to subtly show up in the paint to tie things together. For example: You may want the color to be blue but you also have green and yellow in the room. Start with the blue paint cards or chips, then narrow it down to samples that lean towards a subtle blue green, and then go even further to a chip that is blue with hints of greenish-yellow undertones.
c. You can also choose a base color, then identify every other color in the fabric, rug, etc.,you are using, and add a hint of each to the base paint mixed at the store. This will provide the undertones the eye will pick up subconsciously.
4. Color selection takes patience.
The best way to be sure of a color is to purchase small quantities of two or three hues, take them home, and paint swatches in different locations of the room. Live with the swatches for a few days, go back to the paint store to make a make adjustments, if necessary, then paint new swatches. Do this until you feel comfortable finalizing your selection. Paint swatches in the following places.
a. Where the swatch will be hit with a lot of light.
b. In a dark corner.
Finally, be sure to check fabrics, accessories, etc. against the paint color, by holding them up next to your swatches.
About the author:
Author: Catherine Foust McGivern, IIDA, Principal,
Design Portfolio, Inc.
Web Site: AboutDecorating.net, http://www.aboutdecorating.net
Décor Discoveries Newsletter Articles:
http://www.aboutdecorating.net/newsletter_articles_archive.htm
Newsletter Archive: http://www.listbot.com/archive/designportfolio
4. CHALLENGE OF THE MONTH
- Your Bed
Spring is the best time of year for painting. That's why it's such a great challenge for May! The windows are open, the breezes are flowing, and you're getting that urge to do your spring cleaning... maybe. ;-) But seriously, even if spring cleaning is a much dreaded and put-off chore, you have to admit that the beautiful weather makes you want everything to be bright and crisp and clean. That's why now is the best time to re-paint (or paper) your walls! What else can make such a drastic difference in your home? And for a relatively small amount of money? You may as well do it now while you can comfortably leave the windows open to let the fumes out!
Here's my challenge for the month. Just pick one room. Sometimes it's easy to start thinking, and before you know it, you're overwhelmed with 7 rooms and yards of molding and dozens of doors that all need it. Sure they do, but you can't possibly do it all at once, so don't let it bother you. Which room have you been focusing on lately? Which room do you walk into and think, 'I really need to do something in here!' Start with that one. You'll have more of an idea what you want to do than if you pick a room you don't think about. And your reward will be greater.
Go over all the colors that you're using or planning to use, and figure out which one would be the perfect backdrop for your other decor. Go over the principles of balance in the article above and check your decisions against them. And if you're not sure what the color would look like on the wall, do this. Go get the smallest can possible, and paint a square splotch on your wall where it's readily visible... about 3' by 3'. Make it good and obvious. Then wait a couple weeks. By the end of that time, you'll know whether you want that color on your walls or not. If so, you've got extra peace of mind. If not, you've saved yourself the money for extra gallons of the wrong paint, as well as the time it would have taken to move all your furniture, mask everything off, and paint it, only to find you don't like it on the wall! After all, it's much easier to re-paint over a 3' by 3' square, then to re-paint 100 square feet of wall behind everything! And when you're ready to finally paint the whole room, do it in four steps.
1) The day before, move your furniture and wall hangings away, wipe down your walls and trim, mask off your moldings, and protect your flooring and furniture. This makes it much easier to...
2) Get at the painting bright and early on painting day. If you paint quick enough and it dries quickly, you can...
3) Do your moldings later the same day, otherwise do them the next day. Make sure everything sits long enough to be totally dry, then...
4) Move your furnishings back in place.
Have fun, enjoy the difference, and don't hesitate to ask me if you'd like to get another opinion on your color choices! katie@katiediddesign.com
That's all for this month! :-) Remember, if your decorating isn't fun, it isn't worth it! So enjoy it!
-Katie <><
KatieDid Design
www.katiediddesign.com
e-mail: katie@katiediddesign.com
Custom Home Decor Design and Giftware
PO Box 381235
Murdock, FL 33938-1235
Your FREE subscription to this e-Zine
is brought to you by www.katiediddesign.com
Don't hesitate to forward this newsletter to friends and associates, but please ask for permission before reproducing the content in any form -- we would just like to know who you are that's all. Thanks!
© 1999-KatieDid Design All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole, or in part,
without the express written consent of the publisher.
Back to the Archives
|
