Seattle Sun Newspaper - Vol. 7, Issue 3, March 2003
Copyright 2003 Seattle Sun. Please feel free to use the article and photos below in your research. Be sure to quote the Seattle Sun as your source.
DECORATING DILEMMAS:
New column offers tips on beautifying your home
By ROBIN DALY
It's funny, but after being cooped up inside all winter, I start dreaming about redecorating! Oh sure, I want to get my hands in the dirt and muck around with some bulbs, but my heart yearns for making a space that's inspiring and attractive. I know I'm not alone; there are others out there that share this same addiction.
Perhaps it has to do with winter hibernation; then that redecorating energy springs forth when the sun starts shining through the dusty windowpanes. Whatever the case may be, it's a great time to get started on some projects around the house.
This column will focus on helping you on finding those secret (and not so secret) Seattle resources that can transform your home into something unique. Plus, we will spend time on your Decorating Dilemmas, and find the right answers.
To start, I've got to tell you about my favorite cheap (I'm not talking "modestly priced," I mean CHEAP) home décor spot. It's the dollar store! Here's my latest treasure: I purchased a black and white photo of a European park scene for a buck.
The white frame I hung it in cost $6 at Tar-Jay, and I mounted it from a cool Fleur-de-lis hook I found at Ace Hardware on Roosevelt. I topped it off by using a French ribbon to hang the frame on the hook.
All told, I spent less than $10. Not bad for a piece that beautifully sets off the hallway's butter crème walls! Do you have any Secret Seattle Resources? Share them here. Mail your questions to me c/o the Seattle Sun or send e-mail to news@theseattlesun.com.
Decorating Dilemma of the month:
Q: I live in an older north-end house that has an upstairs bedroom with slanted ceilings. Two walls follow the slope of the roof, so they are only about four feet high. The other two walls are somewhat normal, except in the corners where the roof and walls meet.
How do I keep the ceiling from looking huge and awkward? Do I paint the sloped part of the ceiling the same as the wall or the ceiling?
A: These sloped ceilings present and interesting dilemma. Do you paint the slope the same as the wall and end up with a LOT of color, thereby shrinking the feeling of the room, or do you paint it the ceiling color consequently creating an unintended focal point?
Typically, you paint the slope with the ceiling paint. This frees you to be bold in your wall color choice without it becoming overwhelming. Some hot new colors right now are warm reds, burnished golds and the perennial northwest favorite, moss green.
Another interesting solution is to wallpaper the walls. I did a bedroom with a similar ceiling, and we chose a wallcovering that was a toile design (imagine French pastoral scenes of lusty milkmaids and cavorting cows done tastefully).
The pattern was a tone-on-tone coloration, but the design effectively took the eye away from the ceiling line. This resulted in an interesting room without the ceiling becoming the focal point.
Remember, being an upstairs room, you have freedom to play a little bit. Plus, what a great opportunity to express yourself with boldness!
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Robin Daly is a third-generation co-owner of Daly's Paint and Decorating in the Fremont neighborhood. You can e-mail her via the Seattle Sun at news@theseattlesun.com. She looks forward to solving your Decorating Dilemmas, however, relationship dilemmas are extra!