Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Home Décor Mistakes Anyone Can (But Shouldn’t) Make


So, you’ve got yourself a Grand Junction real estate gem, and you’re thinking about decorating. Like most people, you’re planning on doing it yourself, with maybe some ideas from magazines – no decorator. Your enthusiasm is commendable, but we know you don’t want to make mistakes. With that in mind, here are some of the more common ones, and how to avoid them.


The Furniture Doesn’t Fit: This is the most common decorating mistake. Furniture displays in stores are set up to sell you the maximum amount of pieces, but an extra night table won’t do you much good if you don’t have room for it. Measure the room, and determine how much furniture you can handle. Oh, and while you’re at it, measure the width of the door – you don’t want pieces that are going to require you to take out a wall.


Too Many Colors: Contrary to past belief, it’s perfectly OK to mix florals, plaids and stripes as long as they’re in the same color family. That said, too many patterns can also be overkill. Resist the temptation, though, to play it safe and be all “matchy-matchy” – you don’t want the room to look as if you opened up a catalog, picked up the phone and said “Send me page 47.”


But Mom Insisted: Family heirlooms are fine, but realistically, you can end up with too much of “You’ll want this; it was your grandmother’s.” Kindly but firmly tell Mom that you just don’t have room for everything, and graciously accept a few accent pieces.


Hang Your Art Properly: Nothing says “I don’t know what I’m doing” quite like paintings hung so high you have to crane your neck to look at them. Art is meant to be viewed at eye level.
These are just a few common mistakes that are easily avoided. Now you know – have fun decorating!


Sources:

Monday, May 12, 2014

Good Things Come In Small Packages – Landscaping a Tiny Yard



Even if you don’t have a lot of space to work with, your little piece of Grand Junction real estate can look fabulous. Of course you’ll have to make the most of what you have, and you won’t have quite the flexibility as someone who has all kinds of room to play in and make mistakes with, but it’s do-able.


First, you’ll want to think about what you want for your yard. Then switch focus and decide what you can take off your “want” list, because you can bet you’ve got too much there. Decide what you can live without, and just work with your “must haves.”
Remember that when you’re making your list of shrubs and plants, that they’re going to grow. That cute little juniper you saw in a pot at your favorite garden center could end up taking over the entire yard. Fortunately for small-space gardeners, many plants come in dwarf varieties.


Ideally, you’ll want a mix of flowers and shrubs, and perhaps a tree or two. If you can work it in, water features are very popular, and come in a wide range of DIY sizes. If you can, you might want to go with a multi-level approach, creating terraced beds – this is a fabulous way to make the most of your small space.


If you’re a frustrated farmer, you could incorporate vegetables and herbs into your space. Here again, raised beds can be your best friends, with trellises running a close second. A word of warning on the herbs, though – some varieties can be very hard to get rid of if you change your mind. Mint, for example, is very invasive and will take over your entire garden if you let it.


Whatever you decide to grow, do your research and draw up a plan. Attractive landscaping, even in a small space, can be a great feature if you’re selling your home, and of course a source of quiet enjoyment to you if you’re not.


Sources:
http://www.superpages.com/supertips/landscaping-ideas-for-small-yards.html