CasaSugar

May Is Small Changes Month!

CasaSugar — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:00:43 -0700

April flowers bring small changes! That's right: May is Small Changes Month! All throughout the month, I'll be bringing you products, tips, and projects to help you make a difference in your home with minimal effort and cost. Minimal effort and cost, you say? What a lovely combination of words!? Expect to be reading about small ways you can incorporate color into your digs, how a little rearranging of your furniture can make a vast transformation, about accessories and furnishings that'll give your pad an entirely new look or function, or lighting solutions that will take a room from stage-ready to seduction-ready! Expect to be seeing a lot of Before and Afters, and prepare to submit your own as well. I'm not going to give any of my industry secrets away just yet, so you'll have to stay tuned if you want to make small changes in your home!
Source

Making Small Changes Real Simple

CasaSugar — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:00:18 -0700

In the latest issue of Real Simple, I spotted an article that was absolutely perfect for this month's theme of Small Changes. "Ready, Set, Redecorate" shows how several families, with the help of redecorators, were able to reimagine their homes by simply rearranging their furnishings. That's right - not a vase, lamp, or frame was added from outside sources. All of the fabulous changes were made by simply rethinking and rearranging. How's that for a cheap thrill?

To see my favorite rearrangement, read more.

My favorite rearrangement was implemented by Dawn Falcone for the Gitonga/Delarama family, whose 12-foot-wide living room needed some rethinking. She moved the sofa out of the corner and gave it a great view - that of the family's fireplace. Another important change she made was to get rid of the massive entertainment cabinet and place the television out of the main sitting space (it's now near the back windows, where family members can watch a show while others visit in the main space). I think it's a great change. How about you?

For all of the other great rearrangements, check out the latest issue of Real Simple.
Source

Su Casa: Making any Small Changes?

CasaSugar — Fri, 02 May 2008 14:00:27 -0700

Since it's Small Changes month, I'd love to see some photos of any updates you're making in your home. Rearranging a room? Painting a wall? Changing out a light fixture? Have you organized your kitchen cabinet? Maybe, like Divagwendolyn did, you found a trash can to smile about? Show off all of your home updates in my group on TeamSugar called Su Casa, where readers can share snapshots and stories related to home decorating, crafts, organizing, and gardening.

A Su Casa post could be anything from a photo of a loved one's home to a tiny nook you're tickled by. Think of it as a Look Book for home style. If I see something I like in Su Casa, I might feature it on CasaSugar, so don't be surprised if you get an email from me!

To learn how to join and post in the group, read more.

To join the Su Casa group, just follow this link and click "subscribe" beneath the photo on the lefthand side of the page. Once you're subscribed, click Share in the upper lefthand menu of any TeamSugar page and choose what type of post you want to create. If you have just one photo and some text, create a blog; if you have a gallery you want to share, select "photos."

TeamSugar has a great primer on how to create a blog post, so check that out if you've never posted one before. Here's a rundown of the basic process:

Add a Title and the Body (content for your post). Don't forget to click Check Spelling link and Upload an Image to make your post stand out!
Post this to a group? Click on the dropdown menu and select the Su Casa group. You will only be able to see groups you're subscribed to, so if you haven't joined Su Casa yet, you will need to.
Click on the dropdown menu and choose the Home and Garden Channel and add some keywords (use a comma, if needed!) in the Tags text box. Then click "I'm done" to view your post!

Source

What Room Needs a Small Change?

CasaSugar — Wed, 07 May 2008 07:00:02 -0700

Sure, some of us would be happy making small changes to every room in our homes, but is there a certain room in your house that's just calling out for a rearrangement? Maybe a thorough cleaning? Perhaps some paint on an accent wall? Tell me what room in your house needs the most help, and then tell me all about it in the comments.

Casa Quickie: Wallpaper a Nook

CasaSugar — Fri, 30 May 2008 15:00:41 -0700

One small change you can make that will cost only the cost of a roll of wallpaper (if that) is simply to wallpaper a nook, rather than an entire room or even a whole accent wall in your home. Christiana Coop of Ferm Living shared images on her blog of a San Francisco apartment styled by Eden & Eden's Rachel Eden. Rachel chose to wallpaper one wall in a small nook of the otherwise predominantly white-walled apartment with Ferm Old News Wallpaper ($94) behind an industrial, stainless steel cabinet. The busy paper used throughout the apartment would be overwhelming, to say the least, but the small dose of pattern is intriguing and subtle.

Casa Quickie: Group in 3s and 5s

CasaSugar — Tue, 06 May 2008 13:00:38 -0700

One simple (and free) small change that you can make in your home in minutes is to regroup. As we accumulate "stuff" - things we love, things we inherited, things we can't seem to get rid of - we build up clutter. In extreme cases, this requires a full Spring cleaning, but most of the time, a little regrouping will take things from chaotic to composed. Unless there's a theme that runs through disparate pieces in one place (i.e. a mantle full of green glass), my general rule is to group similar items in 3s or 5s to keep them from looking cluttered. Three white vases. Three wheatgrass planters. Five pillar candles. This small change will make your decorating look intentional, like your possessions belong where they sit rather than like they are in motion.
Source

DIY: Ribbon Trimmed Lampshade

CasaSugar — Tue, 06 May 2008 12:00:17 -0700

A painless way to personalize a plain, big-box retailer lampshade is to trim it with a bit of grosgrain ribbon. The small change will not only make an otherwise boring shade distinctly you, but it can help bring together the mix of colors in your room. You can choose to run your ribbon across the top of your shade, top and bottom, layer ribbons to cover the entire shade . . . the possibilities are endless!
Supplies

Grosgrain ribbon
Plain lampshade
Fabric glue
Clear nail polish

To learn the steps, read more.

Cut your ribbon about an inch longer than the circumference of your shade.
To prevent fraying, paint each end of the ribbon with the nail polish.
Apply the fabric glue to the back of your grosgrain ribbon.
Run the ribbon along one edge of your shade to adhere it.
Smooth out air pockets, bubbles, and wrinkles as you go along.
Make sure the ribbon looks straight, and then overlap the extra inch or so at the end of your ribbon onto the beginning part.
Repeat as you like on the top or bottom edges.
Fini! How's that for a small change?

Source

Before and After: From Jumbled to Wonderful

CasaSugar — Wed, 07 May 2008 09:15:37 -0700

TeamSugar member HarmonyFrance set out a few months ago to make a complete change to her living space. She was tired of her disorganized, messy, and jumbled home. Well, it's been a long journey, but she's made some incredible progress. Take, for example her "landing strip," which used to be covered with mail, keys, and assorted detritus in a big messy pile.

Here's what it used to look like:

To see what it looks like after some diligent work, just read more.

So lovely! This seems like a much more welcome way to come home at the end of the day, don't you think? Let's take a closer look at how she's organized things.

If, like HarmonyFrance, you've made some small (or big!) changes at your house, month, you should show off all of your home updates in my group on TeamSugar called Su Casa. What changes are you making?

Casa Quickie: A Low-Budge Rug

CasaSugar — Wed, 21 May 2008 05:30:49 -0700

If you're dismayed by the prices of accent rugs these days, or just looking for an inexpensive solution to pull a room together while you look for the perfect one, I have the answer to your problem-o. Stop by a cheap home furnishing store (Ikea, Bed Bath & Beyond, a local outlet) and pick up two or three small cotton rugs, which you can find for $2 to $10. Then, tape or stitch them together to create a larger accent rug, which would normally cost you upwards of $100.

I once took this project into my own hands with some household duct tape and two $7 rugs from a local linen outlet. No, it doesn't make for the most crave worthy rug, but it's a quick, small change that can make a room look a bit more composed.

View 7 Photos ›

How-To: Make Changes That Don't Cost a Thing

CasaSugar — Mon, 19 May 2008 15:00:14 -0700

I've offered you some inspirational small changes that involve switching out hardware or painting an accent wall, but you don't have to spend money to see some big results! Take a look at my list of ways you can improve your home without spending a dime.

Start a collection. Choose a favorite color or theme, and then scour your home for items that fit. For instance, group white objects such as vases, small trinkets, statues, and bowls together for a surprisingly pretty collection.
Start with your closet, and organize!
Make your lingerie drawer smell lovely by assembling some no-sew sachets out of an old t-shirt or skirt.
Try grouping objects in 3s and 5s.
Take extra glasses or mugs out of your kitchen and use them as stash pots for your makeup, q-tips, and other bathroom necessities.

For other suggestions, read more.

Rearrange a room! It's fun, illuminating, and does your house a world of good. Look what it did for HarmonyFrance's dining room!
If you have a yard, arrange a nontraditional bouquet from tree branches, tall grasses, shrubbery, or a mix of these and flowers.
Clean out your junk drawer.
Take the time to transition your hall closet or entry closet from winter mode to summer mode. Store all of your heavy blankets, winter jackets, and other unneeded items elsewhere, and make room for sunblock, balls, bats, croquet mallets, and other summer necessities.
Switch up your photo display by making a Polaroid trellis. And don't worry - you can use regular photos, too!
If you're tired of some of your furnishings, have a garage sale, then use your extra loot to get something you truly want.

Have other suggestions? Leave them below!

Source