WHITEOUT! by joel martens “Winter is over, summer’s coming
and I am bored to tears with the way the house looks…” is a recent com- ment that a client made. Followed quickly by; “but I don’t have a lot of money.” Then comes the general query that so often follows, plead- ing, “can you fix it?” But of course… There are no prob- lems, only solutions.
Solutions for “style boredom” this spring/summer season:
1.Simple changes can have big impact. Been climbing the walls, you say? Then now’s the
time to paint them—and get rid of those nasty winter footprints. Pick a favorite accent color from some- thing in the room and go crazy! You say you’re afraid to do a whole room? Then simplify and pick one accent wall and go a little less psychotic. For the best impact, I generally recommend doing the first wall you see when walking into a room. Go a tiny bit more crazy, by painting the wall with a pattern—maybe stripes—either vertical or horizontal. SCARY, but stunning! Take a second to measure the wall and divvy up
the dimension evenly so your stripes are consistent. I generally prefer a nice fat stripe to a skinny one. If you want super-simple, try painting the entire wall with a flat white paint first, let it dry completely—a two-day minimum here, folks. Otherwise you will have a peel- ing problem. Then, tape off and paint your stripes or stamp your chosen pattern with a gloss finish in the exact same color. NOTE: Speaking of footprints, one of my favorite
“out-of-the-box” treatments I did on a wall was using an old pair of tennis shoes with an interesting sole pattern. I lightly painted each alternately with a roller and used them to “stomp a pattern” across the walls and ceiling. Take your time and don’t over-apply the paint before you take your walk. Many other house- hold items can make amazing stamps. CRAZY-Cool.
2. Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.
You don’t have to start over completely, work with 42 RAGE monthly | MARCH 2013
what you have. Does your sofa really have to stay in the same position it’s been in all winter long—or forever for that matter? Try rearranging—move the piece to another location or maybe *gasp* get the lounger off the wall completely and float it. Just make sure it faces the most interesting point in the room, such as a fireplace, a window with the best view or even your kitchen, don’t be afraid to “think outside the box.”...or inside, for that matter. NOTE: A good rule of thumb when moving things
about: clear out all the small bits and leave the largest pieces in the room to work with. Position those first and work your way down. Accessorize with small bits once complete.
3.White is the way. Don’t want to invest in furniture but want a big
change? Make it white, white, white. Have slipcov- ers made for your upholstered pieces in a decent, durable fabric but keep it simple—no ruffles, puckers or poofs. Perhaps vary the textures from piece to piece, but that’s it! Buy an inexpensive white area rug for your room, even if you have wall-to-wall carpet-
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