Kids, husbands and people who eat spaghetti and sometimes spill can all be put in the category of “slobs”. Given today’s economy, who had funds to buy a new chair when wine spills on your neutral chair? Debbie Wiener offer tips on how to minimize the havoc “slobs” can without breaking the bank:
Flooring: Area rugs with patterns and color are your best ally for hiding stains and protecting floors. Afterall it is cheaper to replace a carpet than restain your entire floor. A flat weave, reversible rug is great for families with children. You can flip the rug over once your kids destroy it, doubling your rug’s life span.
Paint: White or cream walls scream for fingerprints! Try a color that brings both warmth or drama, yet creates finger print camouflage. A scrubbable finish, like Benjamin Moore’s Aura, provides one-coat coverage with very low odor. Paint your typical builder-grade banister a dark color, like navy, so it won’t show fingerprints.
Wite it out: Keep the correction fluid “Wite Out” on hand for quick corrections to white cabinetry, doors, wood trim and even white tile grout! It quickly covers flaws, dings and damage until you have the time to re-paint. Got scratches on painted furniture and walls? Sharpie permanent ink markers come in dozens of colors and can be used to hide marks on furniture legs, walls, picture frames…just about anything in color.
Fabrics that work: When thinking about fabrics to reupholster chairs avoid polished cotton, light weight fabrics and solid colors. Patterns provide camouflage, are sturdier for daily use and can stand the use of cleaning products. If you have pets, try choosing fabrics that mask pet hair, like light brown patterns for your sandy haired retriever.
Toss It: If you can’t afford to change the sofa and chairs, change your toss pillows! Soft, down-filled pillows in unexpected patterns and colors will make the seating look new and feel luxurious.
Do the Flip: Rotate sofa cushions to hide wear and tear and to extend the life of your seating. Got a spot on that seat cushion? Turn it over and keep the clean side up when company comes. Rotate your area rug to extend its life span and even out the wear and tear. You may even be able to hide spots and stains under furniture with this simple move.
Debbie Wiener is a DC-based interior designer and author of the top-selling book, “Slob Proof! Real Life Design Solutions.” She has also recently partnered with Crypton to develop the Slobproof! Collection – a colorful line of Crypton-covered furniture designed with busy households in mind.
We are giving away 5 copies of Debbie’s book. Just leave a comment here letting us know your best slob proofing solution or problem. If you tweet the contest, we’ll give you an extra entry. (max 1 tweet per day) Giveaway ends April 24, 2010. Please leave a valid email address.
It took owner and landscape designer Thai Pham and his extended family just 45 days to lays tons of pea gravel, repaint the bungalow, build a tea house and open Green Design Plants and Potteries to the public. The nursery on Meridian Avenue in San Jose, near Auzerais, opened earlier this spring. It’s the second Green Design for Pham, who opened a mostly indoor plantscape on The Alameda last year.
more like a garden than a nursery. And you might just want to take a seat in the tea house, and sit a spell.
Her journey to the rental house has taken a circuitous path. Picanco, her husband, Mario, and their two young children, Gabrielle and Giancarlo, were living in a 2,800 square-foot home in Boise, Idaho — “in search of a calmer life where we could live on one income.” But less than a year into their lives there, she was confronted at the same time with two frightening realities: her mother was diagnosed with colon cancer and her 19-month-old son was confirmed deaf.
After a stint in one Willow Glen rental distinguished by a pink tile kitchen with a butterfly motif, she found the house her family now calls home, a place she hopes to stay in for at least the next several years.
The highlight for us was the White Elephant Sale, a huge rummage sale in a giant warehouse benefitting the museum. We went last year and each brought a large oil painting. So fun! This time, we used the same strategy — arriving no less than two hours before closing on Sunday. That way we would get great bargains — and wouldn’t know what we missed.
Dhelia had already purchased a gorgeous, antique oil painting at 50 percent off the original price. With slight rearranging of her living room, the faux bois chairs sit behind a couch, looking out her french doors to the garden. Beautiful. 
The cottage / garage living arrangements seem to be working out really well. We have learned to cohabitate in a very small environment. A key issue for us was keeping the mud at bay with all the wet days we had.
The weather has really played havoc with the work schedule as we haven’t been able to lay the footings for the new foundation. We have to wait for the ground to dry out some more. With the dryer weather I am optimistic that this week we will see a burst of energy around the house.
Christina Aguilera is unquestionably one of today’s hottest pop stars. Her style on stage is a mix of cutting edge, classic and vampy all at once. I wondered what that meant for her home. Would it reflect her performance costumes or something totally different?
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