home + garden
Welcome to Homegirls. You'll find a sassy sampling of décor and design tips, frank conversation about everything from holidays and homekeeping to home improvement and our picks and pans of new products, stores and events.
Contributors: Kim Palmer, Lynn Underwood, Connie Nelson, Kim Ode and Nicole Hvidsten.
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Posts about Decoration and design
Can we be done decking the halls now?
Posted by: Nicole Hvidsten Updated: December 26, 2012 - 8:58 AM
The halls were decked, the Christmas tree had lovely branches and although chestnuts were not roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost was surely nipping at our noses. We had Christmas, it was merry, and now I want closure. More importantly, I want my living room back.
A few weeks ago, I had a casual conversation with someone at the dentist office about getti
Ready to be done with the holidays?
I'm not sure when the switch flipped for me. I'm one who loves to leave the tree lit 24/7 leading up to the holidays; the soft glow of the tree makes me feel warm inside.
Now? I look at the soft glow and all I see are legos and bits of wrapping paper and tape on the floor. What seemed warm and cozy just two days ago now seems cramped. Christmas stockings are laid all over the place, their contents leaving a trail from tree to, well, everywhere.
But is too soon to say farewell to the holidays?
When I start to mention de-holidaying I get a few whimpers from the kids, who think that the holiday season should last as long as school's out. When I start to get serious, they usually scatter. Everyone loves putting the tree up, but no one likes taking it down.
More often than not I hold out until New Year's, but each year it's getting more difficult. I'm eager to put everything in its place and start the new year with a clean, organized house. (A girl can dream, right?)
How long do you wait before taking down the holiday decorations? Do you even decorate at all?
Defying tradition
Posted by: Kim Ode Updated: December 17, 2012 - 10:55 AM
I have immense respect for tradition. I'm usually the one saying, "But we've always done it this way." Or, "the kids will expect it." Or, "Because. Just because."
So I have no explanation, or defense, for what happened this weekend: I changed how we (cough, I) decorate the Christmas tree.
In some ways, I saw this coming. I've been itching to change up things lately, whether it's where I store the flour to which window gets which plant. A bout of the crappiest cold I've had in years slowed me down some, so we were a week behind getting tree up ... and it was smaller than usual ... and I suddenly saw an opportunity.
This year, instead of being loaded with a highly varied collection of ornaments gathered over the past 30 years, our tree now has about two dozen glass balls in shades of green, and about a dozen feathered birds -- the sort you stick into equally fake wreathes or whatnot.
I like it, and the rest of the family has given its blessing, although my husband looked at me a little too closely before nodding, apparently deciding I was a danger to no one.
The fact is, I just couldn't face all those ornaments this year. The ritual of placing each one, which I normally find calming, just sounded annoying this season. I'm not defying Christmas, just some of its habits. And, I'm finding that we survive and may even be reinvigorated. I mean, odds are huge that I will revert to tradition next year, probably because I will want to see the ornaments again.
It's not as if my traditions hadn't already changed. As most married couples know, vows never cover the really important things, like how you decorate your Christmas tree. I moved from being a flocked-and-twinkle-light woman to a colored bulbs and tinsel spouse. The adaptation was only a little painful. Frankly, I never thought I'd change again.
Until this year.
Have you changed long-held traditions, whether in decor, or food, or rituals? Was it accepted? Did you revert the next year? Did it lead to other tweaks? What happens when someone - say in the younger generation - wants to change tradition?
Decorating rebel
Posted by: Lynn Underwood Updated: December 14, 2012 - 12:39 PM
Still miss Domino? Lonny.com is the next-best thing.
I’m a regular reader of the bi-monthly online shelter magazine because it’s just like flipping through a real glossy mag. It’s also full of relatable down-to-earth design ideas and offers a smart take on how real people outfit their interiors
This month’s issue ponders “Interior Design Rules You Should Break.” DIYers are intimidated by conventional wisdom regarding how to put together a room, said Lonny. When I went through the checklist, I discovered I was a already a decorating iconoclast – unintentionally.
Rule: Match Your Wood Finishes
Many people are afraid to mix wood finishes in a single room, said Lonny. I must be pretty brave because my family room is an assortment of whitewashed wood hutch, dated 1990s golden oak coffeetable and dark walnut side table from a junk bonanza. No worry. “Varying wood tones create a layered look,” said Lonny.
Rule: Every Window Needs a Window Treatment
Two walls of windows remain bare and exposed in our family room addition finished four years ago. At night, the neighbors can easily watch me watching “Gray’s Anatomy,” and during the day the space feels unclothed and cold. I’ll dress the windows some day. “There’s no shame in a naked window,” says Lonny.
Rule: Use Small Furniture in a Small Room
I have a tiny dining room and it’s overstuffed with a huge mahogany dining room table. At Thanksgiving, guests have to take turns pulling out chairs before sliding in. But beggars can’t be choosey when given a cast-off from a relative who moved to Florida. “Using a few large pieces in a small space often creates the illusion of a bigger room,” said Lonny. Often doesn’t mean always.
Are you a decorating rebel? Tell us what works for you.
If you’d like to see the complete list of rule breakers, go to www.lonny.com.
Photo from Lonny.com
Taking Christmas lists to new heights
Posted by: Nicole Hvidsten Updated: December 12, 2012 - 8:58 AMA decade ago the top of my Christmas list read like a Tiffany's ad -- I wanted all things sparkly and shiny. Last year, I wanted warm boots. This year? I could really use an extension ladder.
Over the years I've found that not only has my Christmas list changed, I have as well. The material things aren't nearly as important as spending time with the people that matter most to me, and as we've gone through several belt-tightening measures, my list has become more practical than fanciful (hence the warm boots). And my list is more home-centric than ever. Although practicality usually rules my Christmas list and pocketbook, it sure doesn't hurt to dream. So, just in case a certain someone might be reading:
Dear Santa:
I'm sure you remember me -- we're the ones who usually have to rely on generous friends and sometimes elves of the Keebler variety to leave a solid treat on Christmas Eve. Despite that, I am hoping I've earned a place on the "nice" list this year. If I do, here's my list for you to consider:
Sitting pretty: My son's bout with the flu last week makes a new couch high on the list.
Candice Olsen designed this couch, which would look great in my house.
Nailed it: My parents gave me a sweet electric sander a few years back. I love it. But it would be great to have a small nail gun to accompany it. My only request: no compressors. They intimidate me.
Upsizing: Vaulted ceilings and stupidly placed light fixtures are sometimes the bain of my existence. An extension ladder would help me reach new heights -- literally -- and will come in handy as I start in painting the ENTIRE interior of my house over the next year.
Storage wars: I've been searching high and low for a cabinet to that could become a make-shift pantry. Should you see something, 31 inches wide is what I need.
Counter fit: I love the burn rings and stains on the light gray countertop that mark my children's kitchen adventures, but they're growing up, so shouldn't my countertops follow suit?
Safe travels on the sleigh, and we'll actually try for homemade treats this year.
XXOO, Nicole
Homes of the 1 percent
Posted by: Kim Palmer Updated: December 11, 2012 - 12:05 PM
As a reporter who writes mostly about homes and gardens, I don't get a lot of hate mail or angry phone calls. Nothing like the days when I covered city hall and could expect at least one or two a day.
Life is calmer, but I have sometimes wondered if anyone -- other than my mother -- is reading my stories at all, or just glancing at the pretty pictures.
But homes, in this economy, are a lot more controversial than they used to be. Just this week, the Star Tribune published two letters from readers critical of the Homes section. Here's today's: "Opening this section makes me sick. I am usually not a bitter person, but I can only wonder how anyone can afford this stuff." (http://www.startribune.com/opinion/letters/182904101.html)
I also fielded a few annoyed phone calls last month when we published a story about pianist Lorie Line's $4 million lakeshore mansion, and then, three days later, a story about it heading into foreclosure. (www.startribune.com/lifestyle/homegarden/179217631.html)
Featuring rich people's houses is "rubbing it in readers' noses" that they will never live like that, one caller told me.
For what it's worth, we do try to feature a mix of houses -- big and small, expensive and modest -- as well as overall home-related trends that affect everyone. When we do have a grandiose home in our section, we try to balance it with another story about something more accessible.
Before the recession, big, expensive homes rarely generated comment. And their owners were, on the whole, happy to share them with readers.
The faltering economy changed that dramatically. Affluent homeowners got a lot more reluctant to showcase their affluence when so many others were struggling. When we did feature a big, expensive house, we got a lot more negative feedback.
Last week, I had lunch with a freelance writer who told me she's changing her focus. "I can't write about rich peope's houses anymore," she said.
Me, I'm still fascinated by all the spaces we call "home" and the people who create them. I love the quirky starving artists' homes and the freedom they feel to glue rocks to their woodwork and paint murals on their ceilings. I love the elegant old mansions, and the sleek modern dwellings. I even loved the "punk house" I wrote about a few years ago, where a bunch of young musicians were staging shows in their filthy basement.
How about you? Are you sick of seeing homes that you can't personally afford? Or do you like peeking inside all kinds of homes?
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recent posts
- Organized exercise
- 2013: A year of possibilities
- Can we be done decking the halls now?
- Learning to let go
- Defying tradition
- Decorating rebel
- Taking Christmas lists to new heights
- Homes of the 1 percent
- Green chic
- Holiday push
- Cast-off couture
- Fix your own stuff
- Five-minute holiday decorating
- Year in review, home-improvement style
- Memories make odd ornaments precious
- Deck the halls, eventually
- Holiday entertaining: The clean before the storm
- Let there be light
- The curse of an open floor plan
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