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How About All-White Kitchens?

Jun 28th 2012

By: Debbie Fiskum

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What do you think about white kitchens? White flooring; white countertops; white, white, white! As a home decorator, I’ve got a pretty much white kitchen to re-design with very little budget! How would you work with this delemma?

The cabinets, countertops and floor are all in pretty good condition, and since we don’t have a lot in the home decorating budget for re-doing it all, I have to find some ways to make it more interesting.

These photos make the cabinets look a little darker than they are. They are actually an “antiqued” white. The flooring is a very light tan but mostly white. It needs just a little color somewhere to give it more personality. So we step in with some practical home deocrating options.

Since home decorating is all about making your space a place that you like and want to come home to, different things appeal to different home owners.

Some home decorating things we could do to perk it up:
1. Stain the existing cabinets a richer color
2. Replace the countertop with a darker one
3. Bring in splashes of color with lots of accessories
4. Paint the backsplash a richer color
5. Or add a tile backsplash in some texture-rich darker color.
Any one of these home decorating ideas would help to give this very nice kitchen a little more character. Which one we do will be up to the home-owner and their budget. Short of replacing the cabinets, countertop and flooring, there’s still much we can do to upgrade this kitchen. Give me your thoughts on what home decorating changes you’d make in this lovely kitchen.
Bathroom and kitchens, Home decorating, Home Decorating Ideas, Home improvement

decorate your home, home decorating, home decorator, home improvement
The Heat is On – Stay Inside and Decorate Your Home

Jun 25th 2012

By: Debbie Fiskum

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With the heat here in Colorado at all time highs, it’s not even pleasant to be outside. So, what can you do when you have a little extra time? I do a little home decorating or home decor planning.

If you’ve had some projects you’ve been hoping to get to, this is a good time to work indoors. If you don’t know what you want to do yet, this might be a good time to plan your next project. I love to do a little rearranging of furniture online or on paper and see what my rooms would look like. That way, I know exactly what fits where and what other items would be nice to add. Now when I go shopping for my home decor items, I know what I need and don’t just buy random things.

If money is an issue for your home decorating plans, I suggest budgeting it in and planning for the future. Or, break up your project into affordable chunks so you don’t over-extend yourself. What do I mean? Maybe instead of buying a lot of furniture at once, find one great piece that will be a focal point in your room. Then, pick up others as you can afford.

Same with painting, replacing appliances or any part of your home decorating. Do what you can and stretch it out. It would be nice if we could all do whatever home decorating we wanted, but only a few can do that!

So, plan your projects and do it right! Home decorating should be fun and affordable!

Home decorating, Home Decorating Ideas, Home improvement

debbie fiskum, decorate your home, home decor, home decorating, home decorating denver, home decorating projects
Distinctive House Plaques Make it Easy to Find Your House!

Jun 19th 2012

By: Debbie Fiskum

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Ok, let’s think about the outside of your house and how easy it is – or isn’t, to find it when people are looking for it. Especially in the dark, it can be frustrating to find a house if the numbers are small, obscure or un-lit. Here’s a great solution from your home decorating expert here in Denver.

I’ve talked before about taking the time to decorate the outside of your house just like you do the inside. And part of that home decorating is making sure your house stands out. What better way to make it look classy, stand out and be easy to find, than putting up a high-quality, unique address plaque? Choose one that fits your home style and your preference. They come in many difference designs, colors and types. You’re sure to find one that will enhance your home’s front.

And here’s the best part, right now, you can get a free solar light to illuminate your sign and make it even easier for friends and aquaintances to find your house! A light over the sign, whether up on the house, above the garage, or on a post in the lawn, will call attention to it and draw people to it.

And your home decorating doesn’t have to stop there. Check out these cute address signs that you can get on various other things like doormats, mailboxes, and even an impressive-looking stone and brick column that announces your house!

Your house is one of your largest investments. Take the time to give it the care and upgrades that will keep it’s value up. Remember, home decorating isn’t limited to the inside of your home, adding some enhancements to the outside gives people a taste for what’s inside. Beautiful, well-crafted house address plaques will help you do that for very little cost.

Home decorating, Outdoor spaces

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Home Decorating Takes Off in the Summer!

Jun 8th 2012

By: Debbie Fiskum

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Feel like really changing up your home decorating in the summer? Me too! The warm weather energizes me, gets me thinking about flowers, plants and lightening-up.

Alstromeria is colorful and lasts a long time

Bring in plants and flowers to give your home a breath of fresh air and life. There’s no question that greenery (the real thing) adds to your sense of well-being. Colorful flowers, whether they’re cut and arranged or in pots just makes you feel great.

Put away the heavy afghans and throws and give your rooms a lighter look. While you’re at it, de-clutter those shelves and surfaces so your rooms open up. Add a few new candles for ambiance and you’re done! Home decorating can be simple.

If you’re in the mood to re-paint a room or two, choose colors that make you feel good. Shades of blue, green, and soft gray are tranquil and appealing. Adding a little spice with bolder colors like tumeric, chili pepper and cinnamon will make your rooms “pop!” Just don’t go over-board on the dark colors – a little bit goes a long way! Decorate your home with your best colors and you’ll living in your home.

Home decorating, Home Decorating Ideas

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Can You Combine Travel And Home Decorating?

Jun 6th 2012

By: Debbie Fiskum

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I’d like to suggest to you that it’s easy to combine your love of travel with a passion for good home decorating! When you travel to new places, you broaden your mind and pick-up new ideas. There are so many ways to combine your interests and you’ll find yourself refreshed and renewed.  And if your travel takes you to great historical or cultural spots – even better! Just such a place is Central Jersey, rich in old world charm, history, culture, arts and more.

Parlor in an historical mansion

Take for instance, you want to re-decorate a room in your home and you really love antiques. You can visit many of the historical sites and old homes, founded by well-known patriots. Not only will you find great home decorating ideas, you’ll get a sense of the immense contribution these people made to our country. Then, check out some great shopping for those special touches for your home. It just seems that you’re more creative (and maybe more open-minded) when you’re traveling to unique places.

Or, if you really enjoy good food, served in elegant style, Central Jersey has some pretty good restaurants to choose from. Again, checking out great restaurants is another way to add to your knowledge of home decorating. What better way than to see fine dining rooms, lovely chandeliers and lighting, flooring and top notch service.  You’ll take away some ideas for recipes, serving ideas, dinnerware and making your next event a memorable one. Then, relax and enjoy the nightlife. Hey, all travel doesn’t have to be a learning experience – or does it?

I always enjoy the art scene, whether it’s museums filled with popular art, historically significant pieces or just plain fun to look at creations. And for me, no place is complete without checking out the music scene.  If your thing is spectacular concerts in great halls, they have that.  Or maybe you’re like me and enjoy the free music scene featuring local bands and even cross-cultural music. So, combine your love of travel with any of your hobbies and find your bliss in Central Jersey!

Home decorating

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Love Home Decorating – Hate Home Cleaning?

Jun 6th 2012

By: Debbie Fiskum

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You know you LOVE home decorating (or you wouldn’t be reading this blog…), but maybe you’re just not so passionate about home cleaning! Well, make it easy on yourself and cut your cleaning time by…half…or more?

When you think about items for your house, think about cleaning them before you put them in. Like, do you really need all those collections displayed and needing to be dusted? Or what about storing extras like afghans, pillows and magazines when you’re not using them? Are open shelves right for you and your family? A little pre-planning can save you time later when you have to clean quickly for company or you just want a clean house.

Cut cleaning time by keeping the “cutesy” stuff to a minimum. Sure, some of it is cute, but usually one, beautiful piece, showcased on a shelf, looks better than a lot of extras. Collections, displays and other ornamental stuff takes time to dust (not to mention that it looks cluttered if there’s too much of it). To clean, you really should remove it from the shelves, clean under and around it, then clean each piece. Too much for me!

When you’re looking for additional pieces for your home decorating, maybe they can do double duty like, coffee tables that have storage drawers, shelves or baskets to corral the magagzines, mail and little stuff. If not, consider adding a few large baskets (preferably covered) to a corner so you can dump these things when you don’t need them. Also try storage ottomans, sofas with storage for remotes, TV guide, etc.

If you’re not a neat freak (and I’m not), then open shelving isn’t your best choice. Look for shelving units with doors, drawers or add baskets to keep things neat. Again, planning your home decorating saves you in the long run.

Lastly, my motto since January of this year has been, “simplify your life.” To me, as a home decorator, that means getting rid of things that I no longer need or want; things that are worn out or out of date; and stuff that just plain makes my life cluttered. If you have things you don’t know what to do with, pack them away and see if you miss them. If you don’t after a year, you can probably get rid of them!

Home decorating is fun – cleaning is not! Simplify your life and start enjoying it more!

Home decorating, Home Decorating Ideas, Home Furnishings, home organizing

debbie fiskum, decorate your home, home decor, home decorating, home decorating denver, home decorator, home decorator denver, home organizing
Decorate Your Home Or Next Event With Flameless Candles!

Jun 5th 2012

By: Debbie Fiskum

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Why decorate with flameless candles? You’ve no doubt seen them and thought about using them. Don’t you just love the look of flickering candles and the lovely scents they bring into your home? Don’t think you can get that with battery operated, flameless candles?

If you’re like me, you love candles but don’t want to worry about leaving them lit and forgeting about them. If you worry about kids tipping them over and spilling wax or worse, starting a fire, then flameless candles may be a good choice for you.

I know…if you’re a true afficionado of candlelight, you may want the “real thing” but there are some great alternatives out there! I love decorating my home or my clients homes with candles and all the beautiful holders, sconces and arrangements. And when I was staging homes, you simply can’t have “real” candles burning. So a great alternative is these scented flameless candles. Most of them look so real, and have a nice, pleasant scent, that you’ll have to actually go up to them and check them out to know which is real and which are the flameless, battery-operated candles.

And if you’re decorating for an event like a church dinner, a wedding, or holiday office party, try LED Tea lights. You can find them in flickering, color changing, remote controlled and even rechargeable. There are many different styles of votives and candles to display them in and you’ll find the perfect candles to light up your event!

Obviously, using flameless, battery candles for your events will be so much safer, especially if you have children around. Ever watch children play with the candles on tables while they are bored? Or for that matter, I’ve seen plenty of adults play in the melting wax and get it all over or destroy your candles. Using flameless candles solves that problem and now all you may have to worry about is guests taking them home. But if you can hang onto them, you’ll have them to use over and over for your events.

Decorating with light is one of my favorite ways to bring ambiance and warmth of emotion to your rooms. Consider using some type of specialized lighting for you rooms or events!

You can find safe, beautiful candles that will look just as great and not be a problem.

Home decorating, Home Decorating Ideas, Outdoor spaces

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Summer’s Here-How’s Your Outdoor Home Decorating?

May 17th 2012

By: Debbie Fiskum

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Do you think “outside the house” when it comes to home decorating? If you live in a single-family home, you most likely have some outdoor spaces that can expand your home’s living area.

Comfy front porch

Do you have a wonderful front porch from which to view the world (or at least your neighborhood)? Make it come alive and then find time to use it! A few colorful, potted plants or hanging flower pots will make it welcoming and inviting. If there’s room, add a bench or even a couple of comfy chairs and small table for a glass of lemonade or morning coffee.

Now, how’s your home decorating quotient in the back yard? If you’ve been blessed with a great space to use for lounging, entertaining or gardening, you’re a lucky home owner! But even if the space isn’t all that great, you can still use your home decorating skills to carve out a nice place to relax or eat out.

This home’s backyard went from a basic concrete slab and no shade to a fabulous oasis in the middle of the neighborhood. Neighbors have described it as a vacation spot without leaving home! It took a little planning and a couple of years to develop it fully, but now it’s a beautiful place to spread out and enjoy living “out of the house!”

Colorful flowers

We added lots of perennials over the 3 year stint. Then, really cared for and coddled the grass and yard.

Composite deck

Next we added a composite deck out over the existing slab to broaden the eating area.

Pergola expands the space

Another year, the pergola was added to bring in some shade and give the place some character. Yard sale finds brought in a table and chairs and gas grill. When using home docorating outdoors, you don’t have to worry as much about a “color scheme.” Mother Nature will usually take care of that. Just provide colorful cushions on the chairs, a few blooming plants and you’re done!

Ready to entertain!

Home decorating, Outdoor spaces

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Retirement In High Style!

May 8th 2012

By: Debbie Fiskum

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Have you thought about retirement? Are you getting close to the age where you’re making plans and thinking about how you’ll spend your days? Well, if you’re lucky enough to have done well in life and are looking forward to “the good life” you have many choices. Some things to think about as you plan for that time…

Where do you want to live? The beach? The desert? Near children and grandkids? Or how about the mountains? Wherever you want to live, you’re sure to find a retirement community that suits your needs. But if you’re the type who is thinking world class golf courses, beaches and sunny and warm days, you can’t beat Palm Beach Gardens, Fla! And one of the best, most elegant places is Devonshire at PGA National.

As a senior retirement community, you’ll be able to play the course that the pros designed and still play! You’ll be treated like royalty and have the utmost luxury all around you, everyday. You can sample menus from 5 top restaurants right on the grounds and make use of the health and raquet club or enjoy the international world class spa.

The entire community has a decidedly “European” feel which speaks of old world elegance, refinement and character. You can have your choice of floor plans, customize it to suit your taste and needs and have one of their distinguished home decorators on hand to help you plan you new home.

And don’t worry if you have special needs, the Life Care part of the community assures you that you’ll have access to wellness programs, assistance if you need it, re-hab and skilled nursing care for you and your loved ones. Stylish living, luxury accomodations, care and help if you need it, what more can you ask for?

Don’t wait to plan for your future – start thinking about it now and know where you’re going!

Home decorating, Real Estate

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What Does Your Choice of Color Say About You in Home Decorating?

Apr 16th 2012

By: Debbie Fiskum

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Love bold, bright colors? Or do you prefer the softer, neutral tones? Color is your outward expression of your home decorating personality. What do your color choices say about you?

This color wheel shows cool colors on the top and left while the bottom, right are the warm colors

Color can be warm or cool. Knowing this can help you understand your color choices in home decorating. First determine if you prefer warm or cool colors then narrow it down from there.

Warm colors are shades of yellow, orange, red, or combos of colors with these in them. Warm, reddish brown or soft yellowish brown are warm colors. Green that contains a lot of yellow is a warm color. Burnt oranges and soft peaches are also warm.

Cool colors contain blues and include all shades of blue plus purple, lavender & green in all it’s many shades. The options are endless – just go stand in front of a paint color display at your local d0-it-yourself store!

If you prefer yellow and oranges, or their associated shades in peach, pink and neutrals, you tend be a warm, welcoming person who loves entertaining and making people feel welcome. In their bolder shades, these colors tend to spring forward and make a room feel more intimate. In the softer shades they just make a room feel cozy and comfortable.

If you lean toward soft blues, green and lavenders, you like a more tranquil, peaceful setting. These colors remind us of the sky, water and nature in general. If these colors appeal to you, you are likely a calm, even-keeled person who handles things with ease and takes life as it comes.

Do you love jewel tones? These are the vibrant shades of purple, amethyst, teal, sapphire, yellow and blues that really “pop” and stand out. Decorating your home with these colors brings a dramatic effect and shows confindence. You tend to be out-going personalities who like to be inspired by your rooms.

Hopefully this will give you a start on choosing colors for your rooms and also a little confidence to choose them and go with it!

Home decorating

decorate your home, home decor, home decorating, home decorator, home decorator denver
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