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.
Email us with tips or questions.
To read Greengirls posts, go here.
resize text 
find us on Facebook
subscribe via RSS
Posts about Home Furnishing
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?
Cast-off couture
Posted by: Kim Palmer Updated: December 4, 2012 - 12:06 PM
Our front entry got an instant upgrade last week. That's because I finally ditched our beat-up old console table and replaced it with a new one that I picked up at a bargain price because it was a floor sample, too imperfect to sell for full retail.
It's got a couple dings on it, but it's still way better than the one we had, with a finish that had cracked and peeled away in strips, as though a giant had raked his fingernails across it.
But the old table quickly found a new home -- in the apartment of our 22-year-old daughter. She and her roommate were as happy to get it as I'd been happy to get rid of it. When the roomie carried it inside, a guy who helped her maneuver it through the door even commented that it was "a nice piece."
Really? It had looked nice enough when I bought it, about 25 years ago, when we were newlyweds. But it was so cheap at the time, and so damaged and dated looking now, that I never considered it an heirloom. Still, it's real solid wood, which is more than can be said for a lot of new furniture today.
Our daughter wants to strip and refinish it, to get rid of the scratches and give it a more stylish espresso color. I explained the process to her, what she'd need and how to do it. When I said goodbye to her, my eye fell on the two little accent tables that I'd refinished myself when I was her age. They were somebody's cast-offs, bought for a buck each at a garage sale. Yet they still have a place in my family room, and they still look good.
There's an awful lot of good-looking used furniture out there. My daughter and her roommate have beem pleasantly surprised by the offerings at local consignment stores and thrift shops. A couple years ago, I toured a new Parade home (pictured above) that had been completely furnished with secondhand stuff from the warehouse of Bridging, a program that helps families in need set up households.
If you have used furniture that you'd like to find a new home for, there are lots of options. Bridging (www.bridging.org) is one; it accepts "quality gently used furniture." The Hope Chest (www.hopechest.us), a foundation that helps breast-cancer patients and their families, also accepts "upscale" furniture donations for sale in its consignment shops. The Arc, a nonprofit that serves people with developmental disabilities, accepts "select furniture with manager approval" at its Value Village thrift stores (www.arcsvaluevillage.org).
What do you do with furniture that's past its prime or no longer useful to you? Do you refinish or reupholster it? Sell it? Donate it? Or hand it down to your kids?
The curse of an open floor plan
Posted by: Nicole Hvidsten Updated: November 14, 2012 - 8:01 AMIs it wrong to be jealous of a TV?
There are times when the television holds the attention of my family better than I do, its sound carries farther than my voice and, thanks to the nature of our open floor plan, it is ALWAYS in plain sight.
Of course the TV isn't always on, but its proximity to our main living area exacerbates the challenges of our living space.
When we first moved into our modest rambler more than a dozen years ago, the open spaces were welcome. We had two small children, and I liked being able to keep an eye on them. Plus, they didn't take up much room. Our living room was filled with toys, and our girls' kitchen sets sat alongside mine. It was cozy, and I loved it.
Now the girls are bigger, and there's a boy, dog and piano added to the mix. I am finding that what I once found cozy now feels cramped. And cluttered.
I have this piece of Pottery Barn furniture, and it never looks this neat.
The living room, dining room, kitchen and entry are all THISCLOSE, which means it doesn't take long for the backpacks to spill into the kitchen or the eating area to spill -- literally -- into the living room. The Little Tikes toys have been replaced by Legos, algebra books, folders, binders, iPods and Kindles. The noise can be deafening, and there are no doors to shut.
And then there's the clutter. When you walk into our home, you hit the foyer, which is on top of the kitchen. It becomes an everyday battle to keep the mail, homework, etc., off the kitchen counter. And it's annoying to have to step over shoes and backpacks just to get to the clutter in the kitchen. I've tried cubbies, bins, baskets, shelves, cabinets -- you name it.
I've been threatening to take the overflowing cubbies out of the entry and shoo the teens into the basement, which is where THEIR living area is. It's only fair that if they have their cluttered living area, I can have my clutter-free one. Right?
Ah, but the open floor plan continues to the basement. The teens, dubbed "the sisters" by their little brother, like listening to music (loudly) and playing music. I don't mind either, but often long for a door to the basement to at least muffle the sound, which can turn into noise if there happens to be a dispute over the remote.
I do need to be careful what I wish for. It won't be long before the sisters will start to leave home, and I will miss being able to see them sprawled out on the living room floor surrounded by books or playing the piano as I prepare supper. But I do hope they take their clutter with them.
What do you do to control clutter in your house? Is it even possible?
ADVERTISEMENT
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
Post By Category
ADVERTISEMENT
inside the StarTribune
-
425 Portland Av. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55488
(612) 673-4000
- Company
- Subscriber Services
- Website
- Buy Ads
- Store
- Connect with Us
© 2013 StarTribune. All rights reserved.
StarTribune.com is powered by Limelight Networks
Newspaper Subscriptions
eEdition
RSS
Newsletters