Rena Bullard's Blog, page 4
January 14, 2014
Spring is Coming
March 20th is the first day of spring. It may be hard to imagine that spring is actually only a few weeks away if you are still cranking up the heat in your home and shoveling snow from your driveway. But, it won’t be much longer before old man winter will be sent packing (at least on the east coast). While you are waiting for the arrival of spring, here are three projects you can begin to think about to get your home ready for spring.
1. Windows – Your windows take center stage once the weather changes from cold to warm. Begin thinking about whether you will wash them yourself or hire someone to tackle the job. If you choose to hire someone, you’ll want to make an appointment now before they become booked solid. Consider what window treatments you will use. Undoubtedly, you will want to switch to a lighter fabric and different color value that is more conducive to springtime.
2. Carpets / Flooring – Our floors take a real beating during the winter months. Whether you have carpet or hard wood, or whatever, chances are your floors could use some tender loving care. Will you tackle the job yourself or hire someone? And, once your floors are cleaned, consider using runners to keep the dirt from foot traffic to a minimum.
3. Outdoor living area – It doesn’t matter what the square footage of your outdoor space is; what matters is that you make the most of it. Take a look at your outdoor furniture and determine what kind of care is necessary before you actually need to use them or if you need to start fresh with new pieces. If you have a fence, what kind of maintenance does it require? Who will cut and take care of your grass this year? If you have a wood deck, does it need to be stained?
These are just a few projects you can begin before spring. Instead of looking longingly at the calendar wishing spring would hurry up, take this time to think about these projects so that when spring does arrive your home will be ready. Soon you will be able to enjoy your space – indoors and outdoors.
January 10, 2014
Romantic Bedding
Whether it’s Valentine’s Day or any other day, couples would benefit from a romantic bedroom. You don’t need to break the bank to create a s
pecial place. A logical place to begin would be your bed. Make it as inviting as possible.
January 7, 2014
January 2, 2014
December 26, 2013
Goodreads Book Giveaway
D.I.Y. Color Confidence
by R...
Goodreads Book Giveaway
D.I.Y. Color Confidence
by Rena Bullard
Giveaway ends December 30, 2013.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
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Goodreads Book Giveaway
D.I.Y. Color Confidence
by Rena Bullard
Giveaway ends December 30, 2013.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
December 20, 2013
December 3, 2013
November 27, 2013
Van Day Truex
Article from: cDecor.com
“I wonder if any element of interior design is more personal than color.
Nothing can more quickly reveal aspect of personality and character than the choice –
or absence of color.” Van Day Truex
Van Day Truex. Not exactly a household name. But after reading Van Day Truex: The Man Who Defined Twentieth-Century Taste and Style by Adam Lewis one recognizes the affect this man had on the way people decorated their homes and tabletops.
Truex was a poor Kansan whose aunt subsidized his trip to New York in 1923 to attend Parsons School of Design. Having been blessed with an innate sense of style and fashion, Truex learned quickly from the leading designers of the day and eventually became Parsons’ president. He also wrote columns on design for Architectural Digest in the 1970s, and was frequently cited in Vogue.
His most influential post was as design director of Tiffany’s, where he made many bold changes, such as doing away with Lenox china, introducing new patterns and reviving classic ones. His designs were based on his travels, frequent dinner invitations to some of the world’s most refined houses and research in the archives of the Metropolitan Museum of New York and the Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris. “At no time in his Tiffany years did anything escape Truex’s eye as a possible source for a new design,” writes Lewis. “One morning he came into the store very excited, carrying an eighteenth-century Imari plate that he had borrowed from a lady at whose table he had dined. He announced that with a few modest changes, the pattern would be perfect for Tiffany’s.”
Under Truex’s supervision, the flagship Tiffany store on Fifth Avenue was completely redecorated, with the walls painted a pale mauve (a variation of the “Truex Beige”), woven split-reed chairs and a bamboo-pattern fabric for the curtains. Today, a half-century later, the store retains Truex’s original design, a testament to his widely embraced sense of high style.
With a considerable number of pictures of Truex’s residences, his product designs and his social circle, the book contains a fascinating glimpse into the social history of the creme de la creme of the western world. Given the copious research Lewis presents, Van Day Truex can certainly be considered the definitive tastemaker of the 20th century.
November 15, 2013
Thankful For Christmas – 10 Tips
My neighbor got started early this year decorating her lawn with reindeer, lights, and blinking gift boxes. It looks really nice. It made me wonder if I was okay seeing Christmas decorations 2 weeks BEFORE Thanksgiving. I decided I didn’t mind at all. I know many may think differently, but I love the Christmas season so much, I don’t mind stretching it out and making it as long as possible. After all, aren’t we all 
“thankful” for the birth of a Baby born in Bethlehem thousands of years ago?
So, if you are like my neighbor and ready to deck your halls with Christmas cheer, here are 10 tips, in no particular order, for you to consider.
Decide on a color scheme early. And remember that everything doesn’t have to be red or green.
Plan ahead so that you are not caught off guard. Even though the holidays arrive at the same time every year, so many people seem surprised when the holidays actually arrive.
You don’t have to buy new decorations. Remember to reuse, repurpose and recycle last year’s decorations. Just use them in a different way by placing them in a different room.
To save money, call a friend or family member and exchange decorations for a fresh look without spending money.
Place your decorations in strategic places to create eye appealing focal points in high traffic areas.
Remember that everything you packed away last year may not be operable this year. Take a day to go through all of your decorations and make sure all the lights work and the bulbs for your candles have not been damaged, etc.
Don’t assume the batteries in your “junk drawer” will work. Purchase a new batch of batteries. Don’t mix old and new batteries.
Think outside the box and be unpredictable. Your relatives that visit during the holidays want to see something different. Be creative and use your decorations in different rooms in your home. This will remove the desire to buy new decorations.
Try not to compete with your neighbors’ outdoor decorations. It is tempting to try to hang one more wreath more than your neighbor, but resist. Decorate the outside of your home with what works for you.
Enjoy the decorating process. But, if you don’t feel like decorating this year, then don’t. The decorations are not what make Christmas special. You may simply want to take time enjoy the holiday and all that it truly represents with your family and friends. Remember the reason for the season.
