THE TRENDY HOME | The Trendy Home | Home Interior Design Ideas & Decorating Tips

Interior Decorating Tips – The Mud Room

The 21st Century Mud Room

Before we look at today’s mud room, lets look at the history of the Mud Room. Farm and manor houses had a back room or porch where farmers would deposit their soiled clothes and boots and wash up at a pump before entering the main house.

Farm House Rear Mud Room

This is a perfect example of a farm house with the mud room attached to the back of the home.

In the late 1970′s, the laundry room moved up from the basement and the mud room/laundry room combination became the logical transition from the outside into the home.

Combination Mud Room/Laundry Room

The disadvantage to this arrangement was the obvious conflict between outside dirt and the need for cleanliness with the wash. Today, the laundry rooms are usually separated from the mudroom and are built closer to the bedrooms. This ideal has been well received by homeowners especially in two story or split-level homes, or even in the larger single story home.

Family Mud Room

Ideally, today’s mudroom should serve as an entrance to the house from both the garage (if attached) and the rear of the house. A well-designed mudroom serves as a great place for backpacks, sports equipment, purse, car keys, jackets, umbrella’s, brief cases, boots, sneakers, beach bag, and more.

Mud Room and Family Pet

This keeps the clutter out of the kitchen and helps keep busy families better organized. This is also a great place to hang a bulletin board with game schedules, or a chalk board to write short reminders to other family members.

Family Mud Room

Mudrooms can accommodate such things as hooks, hangers, storage cabinets, walk in closets, locker size cubbyholes, shoe racks, umbrella stand, and built in desks.

Keeping Family Organized

Mudrooms may even serve as a dog kennel when the family is away from the home.

Better Homes and Garden Mub Room

The mudroom should be where the FAMILY entrance to the home is, not at your front door where you receive your guest.

Front Entrance

Where mudrooms are for the family and located at the back of the home, it’s a smart idea to have some accommodations at your front entrance as well. This entry features a cozy recessed niche that offers a place for you or your guest to drop off a bag, purse, or briefcase and ample room for coats.

Mud Room Addition

If your entry space is in short supply and you’re tired of entry turmoil, consider a mudroom addition to accommodate your family’s needs. Here an addition provides just enough space for a mudroom to serve a full house. Hooks hold purses, coats, and hats while a storage bench conceals winter-weather accessories. Reliable tile flooring makes cleanup easy.

Let us help you turn your home…

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Cathy C

Decorating Ideas For The Home

Decorating Challenges for your Bed, Bath, and Living Room.

Today’s challenge #1: Do you have too much jewelry? Or is it you just don’t have enough room in your jewelry box, does it look like this?

Today’s solution #1: Turn your tangled jewelry into artwork. Use shadow boxes or frames to group pieces of your jewelry together to create great works of art, and when you want to wear it you open up the shadow box and put it on!

Not only will your bed room walls sparkle with color, but you may find out that you actually wear your unique pieces more often because you see them on a regular basis. Doing this will free up your jewelry box for your “better” jewelry to be placed in a safe place.

Today’s challenge #2: No Towel Rack

Today’s solution #2: In this picture they are using a wine rack to place rolled towels on, not only are the towels easy to reach, but they are an instant decoration.

Another look is a big decorative basket full of colorful towels.

What I personally use is a Comforter Rack and I hang our bath towels and our hand towels, makes for a perfect towel rack when you don’t want to drill holes in the wall paper.

Today’s challenge #3: No Focal point in the room.

Today’s Solution #3: If your room is lacking a built in focal point such as a fireplace, or built in entertainment center one needs to be created.

In this picture they hung a large size mirror on the wall, and paired it up with two wall mounted swing arm lamps and a table below to create a point of interest on the far wall. This gives a place for the eyes to focus on first when you first walk into the room, and it also added height and definition to this room.

Another great decorating tip is in hanging a mirror in a smaller room will always make the room appear larger, and with mounting the two lamps on the wall will give the room light without taking up floor space.

I hope you enjoyed today’s challenges having to do with your Bed, Bath, and Home; I hope I have helped you in making your home….

thetrendyhomeBLOG-THUMBNAIL

Cathy C

Living Room Decorating Tips – Trendy Home Challenge

Today’s Trendy Home Challenge #3: Furniture lines every wall!

Today we will be looking at Living Rooms and how to make intimate groupings that encourage conversation.

Living Room #1

This is a large beautiful Living room but is the furniture spread too far apart? Can you reach the coffee table sitting on the sofa or chair?

Living Room #2

In this Large Living room they actually made two intimate groupings, two identical sofa’s are lined up back to back with a sofa table between them to add height and separation between the two groupings.

Living Room #3

In this living room you get a nice close and Personal feeling, nobody likes a wallflower, especially when it comes to furniture.

Living Room #4

Moving the furniture away from the wall and making an intimate grouping will actually make your room seem larger.

Living Room #5

In the United States, sometimes the living room is reserved for more formal and quiet entertaining while a separate recreation room or family room is used for more casual activities.

Living Room #6

In most of these groupings they have something in common, two matching sofa’s facing each other with a coffee table in between to support the beverage and light snacks.

Living Room #7

This last picture is a living room in a Condominium or Townhouse where the rooms are not as large or defined as in your standard house, but as you see they have created a very nice, intimate area for two people to enjoy a conversation and the ambiance of the fireplace.

I hope you enjoyed today’s challenge of creating a more personal, intimate space in the Living Room and have helped you in making your home….

Build-Ins Decorating Tips – Trendy Home Challenge

Today’s Trendy Home Challenge #2: Blank Build-ins

Bland Built In

To be honest with you this is an example of beautiful workmanship - I sincerely hope this picture was posted before they were done, but for this blog this is a sample of a bland built in.

Add texture and Color

Add punch to a window seat or built in by adding texture and color. Add your cushion and decorative pillows to give you your texture and comfort and top it off by a colorful throw.

Bedroom Window Seat

What color do I choose for my throw?

Window Seat

Look for a predominant color on the dust jackets or spines of the books in your shelving and repeat it in your throw.

Window Seat

As attractive as window seats are, only a few older homes with deep dormers seem to have them.

Kitchen Window Seat

As we have seen in these pictures by adding texture and color the space demands attention, and is a beautiful addition to any room in your home.

Show house Window Seat

If you have a beautiful window seat, built-in, or just a boring corner in your home add a touch of color to splash it up.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog today and I hope I have helped you in making your home…..

thetrendyhomeBLOG-THUMBNAIL

Cathy C

Window Decorating Tips – Trendy Home Challenge

Today’s Trendy Home Challenge #1: Low Ceilings

I can across some really cool tips for almost every room in your home, most of them are very inexpensive decorating tips that can generate a complete new mood to any room.

Thank you Better Homes and Garden for all your great ideals.

You have low ceilings in your home and you would like to generate a little height in your room.

Low Ceilings

Solution: Make a room seem taller by installing the curtain rod ABOVE the window frame. Draperies should graze the bottom of the window sill OR on the floor like the next picture.

Create elegance with length

You can also create Height and Elegance with length – in this picture they hung the decorative curtain rod above the window to take your eyes up, and then down with the long drapes to the floor giving the room a high ceiling effect.

Cornice Box

If you do not necessary like that look but you want to create height to your room you can make a Cornice Box to conceal your window hardware and give it a much needed face lift. These cornice box’s can be made out of plywood and crown molding like the one above, or just plywood and be covered by matching fabric. This little tip can be used in every room in your home.

Elegant Cornice Top

In this Dinning Room they covered the Cornice Box’s with matching drapery fabric and fringe to create a very Formal and Elegant look; they also installed chair rail and wainscoting in this room that will also keep your eyes busy giving the room a much larger feel.

Hope this gave you an idea or two for the windows in your home, stay tuned for our Challenge #2

Thank you for taking the time in reading my blog and I hope they help you make your Home… thetrendyhomeBLOG-THUMBNAIL

Cathy C

Bathroom Remodeling – Interior Ideas and Tips

Trendy Bathrooms in Pastel…

When it comes to remodeling your house the Kitchen and the Bathroom are the two most popular rooms in your house.

Soft Aqua Bathroom

So, why is it that one of the smallest rooms in the house—the bathroom— can costs so much to upgrade? This is the subject of today’s blog. We have a little secret: Bathroom overhauls don’t have to put the hurt on your wallet! In fact, you can have fun adding personality and pretty touches without spending a fortune. One good idea when remodeling or upgrading a bathroom is using wainscoting, the benefits are numerous, the look is beautiful, and you can do it your self. Here are some great bathrooms all using wainscoting, and a touch of color to brighten up the room.

Lavender in Luxury

Another great DIY idea is painting your bathroom, yes the room is small and it is not the easiest to paint, but never underestimate the power of paint!

If purple is your royal color, then this lavender bathroom exudes that same royal feeling. The pale lavender walls, white wainscoting, a black sink to create some “drama”, and a nice set of shelves to show case your bathroom accessories and beautiful towels.

Bubbles in Blue

If Baby Blue is your color, this is the bathroom for you. Soft blue walls and creamy white wainscoting shimmer against sparkling chrome faucets and sconces. While your upgrading your bathroom with new paint, it’s the perfect time to upgrade those fixtures and towel racks. When it’s all done, sit back and enjoy that bubble bath!

Grandeur in Green

Set at treetop level, this attic bath set in soft green walls, cool white wainscoting and white “Pegasus Versailles” sink. Building a fake wall to hide the plumbing was also a great way to make a shelf behind the sink, just another creative way to use the wainscoting and create a focal point in the room.

Pretty in Pink

What a beautiful Claw Foot Tub, painting the exterior black makes a beautiful statement along with pulling out the black in the floor design. Adding the new “vintage” hardware makes it easy for daily cleansing rituals. This black and white bath gets a shot of color from a soft pink paint color on the walls, along with the white wainscoting to give the bath a true vintage flare.

Yield in Youthful Yellow

When I saw this yellow bathroom and reminded me of a previous blog when I said “Yellow” is the in color this year, yellow has been very popular in home decorating this spring.

In this smaller bathroom, they painted the upper walls in a pale yellow, lower walls in white wainscoting, and added a new pedestal sink to give it a updated look.

Hope I inspired you to give your bathroom a face lift, or even a new color, and turn your home into……

thetrendyhomeBLOG-THUMBNAIL

Cathy C

Need Outdoor Fencing? Things to Know before you Start…

We all know that adding a fence around your home, or just the family yard provides security, privacy, protection, and can improve your home’s curb appeal.

What kind of fencing do you really need?

What kind of fencing do you really need? Is the fence for keeping in the family pet? Are you looking to block noise and add privacy? Or are your wishes complex: You need to protect the family pets and family from the surroundings, but you also want to add a decorative element to your home’s exterior.

Do Your Homework!

Do your Homework! If you live in a gated community or in an association check with the officials regarding covenants that could dictate fencing materials, height limitations, and overall look and placement of your fence. Check with your local city hall regarding building codes to inquire if a fencing – building permit is required.

Do You Need to Hire a Professional?

Do You need to Hire a Professional? If you do need a building permit to build your fence, along with drawings and renderings of what the fence will look like when completed to get it approved by the City you may need to hire a professional. This process could be more than what you want to take on, visit The American Fence Association they can help you find a licensed contractor in your area.

If you do hire a contractor, ask to see fencing jobs that they have completed, and not in just the last year. You want to see how there work also stood up to the test of time and climate. Feel free to call the State Contractors Board and check against their contractors license to see if there are any complaints filed against them with the agency.

Be a Considerate Neighbor!

Be a considerate Neighbor! My advise is to be open and up front with your neighbors about your fencing plans, and needs – you may find out you have a lot in common. A Common or Party fence can be built and shared by two or more neighbors, but such agreements “should” be made in writing and only after the property boundaries have been professionally determined. You may be the best of friends with your current neighbors, but if they move you will want to have good documentation for any future neighbors. Tip: Do not block your neighbors views unnecessarily!

Installation-Hardscape-Precast block wall_small

Choosing your Material

Choosing your Materials! You may want to go with the classic White Picket Fence, but before you decide to purchase those wood posts and whitewash, think about the maintenance! Wood will require painting almost every other year, wood rot, and warping. You may want to consider the new low-maintenance vinyl fencing that offers the look of wood, or other material options such as wrought iron, chain link, steel, or a block wall. Some material may cost more upfront but may be cost effective when considering maintenance and duration.

Consider Your Climate - all vinyl fencing

Consider Your Climate! Where do you live? Cold northern climates that experience front, concrete anchors are necessary for fence posts. Post should be secured 36″ deep to avoid cracking in a cold snap. For warmer, damper climates, the experts feel that the new vinyl is your best material choice, as wood would be more susceptible to the climate conditions.

Create Your Entrances

Create Your Entrances! For convenience and safety your fenced area “should” have at least two gates. Plan ahead and make sure one gate can accommodate bulky outdoor equipment such as a lawn mower, Bar-B-Q grill, patio furniture, large garbage cans, etc. (You get the picture)

Mix It Up

Mix it Up – Mix your materials! You just moved into your new home and you want to add fencing to the front to create that curb appeal, and you also need fencing in the back to secure the family pet. This is the perfect time to mix your materials, add that white picket fence out front in either wood or the vinyl and do the back yard with 5′ high chain link fencing. Not only will this combination save on the installation costs, but it also will reduce the amount of fencing that might require repainting.

The Finishing Touch!

The finishing Touch! Once your fencing is in place make your statement by adding a Arbor / Pergola over your walk way to create your curb appeal. Add color to your front yard by planting a row of flowers in front of the fence for a truly welcoming facade, and you will always have fresh cut flowers for your home.

I hope I helped you and gave you some things to think about before you build your fence, most of these tips came from Better Homes and Garden and some are from my 30+ years experience working in the Construction industry.

Turn your Home into The Trendy Home you’ve always dreamed of…

thetrendyhomeBLOG-THUMBNAIL

Cathy

How to Dress A Trendy Bed…

Beautiful Bed in Gold

Have you ever walked by a Linen Department and seen a bed in the middle of the department that was so magnificent in grandeur that it made you think, how can I create this look in my home? To be honest with you, it’s very easy! It’s called “Dressing the Bed”, just like you dress your self in the morning, you dress your bed. When it’s cold out side you put on layers of clothing, a bed requires layering, and the more layering, usually the more beautiful a bed becomes.

Romantic Bedroom

Designer looking bed

Looking at this photo; Let’s start with the sheeting which includes the FLAT sheet (A), the FITTED sheet (B), and the pillow cases (C). Most likely all of these pieces will match and are considered a Sheet Set. Sheets can be very basic from 300 thread count cotton, to 1500 thread count Egyptian Cotton, or Satin Sheets – this is what you will be sleeping in between, I say make them comfortable and a dream to sleep against! This is one area that I don’t mind spending a little more for higher thread count sheets, we all deserve a little luxury in our life! Note: your sheets “should” enhance the top of the bed components, such as the duvet cover, shams and coverlet.

J15376X_08ONYX_FC_V2

Our next layer is a Coverlet, or matelasse. (D) Coverlets are available in a variety of fabrics, weights, colors, and styles. Selecting the “right” one is a matter of personal preference. Coverlets are a great way to add depth to the bedding ensemble and some coverlets come in set’s with matching shams. At The Trendy Bed we have a great selection of Egyptian Cotton Quilted Coverlets in seven different colors with matching shams. Note: If using a patterned Duvet Cover and Shams, a coordinating solid color Coverlet is the perfect way to break up a bold and busy pattern.

J19133X_09SATINROSE

The Duvet Cover (E) and Shams are now added to the bed, some people like a Comforter instead of Duvet Cover, this is personal choice. Your Duvet Cover and Shams (or Comforter) is the inspiration for the entire look. Most likely these 2 pieces are of the same pattern and tie together the entire ensemble. While placing the duvet cover at the foot of the bed with a lofty Goose Down Comforter inside evokes the feeling of relaxation, comfort, and elegance. Placing the Shams at the head of the bed are what adds the height to the bed.

D15294X_08KEEPSAKEJA_5

Shams come in different sizes, with the European Sham (F) being a large square pillow placed against the headboards to the boudoir sham (G), which are smaller travel size pillows that add the “decorative” touch, along with dimension and character to the bed. The more pillows used on a bed, the more elegant and luxurious of a feel it creates.

We are talking about the bed skirt next, but I must say… This goes on your bed FIRST between your box spring and mattress. Some bed frames today are very decorative and do not require bed skirts, (H) but I believe if your bed is a work of art, then the Bed Skirt is it’s pedestal upon which it sits. Bed Skirts or Dust Ruffles come in many styles today; Ruffled, Box Pleated or tailored are the most common. Your bed skirt can match either the sheeting or the duvet cover and shams and create a very “finished” look to any bed.

G15453X_09MONTICELLO

To give your bed a creative and daring look, and making it your own is where you can throw on a couple of beaded or embroidered decorative pillows (I). Like getting dressed in the morning and putting on a bracelet, necklace and earrings, this is where you accessorize the look.

Garden bedroom

I hope you enjoyed “Dressing” the bed with me, now go and have fun and turn your Home into The Trendy Home you’ve always dreamed about!

Cathy C, The Trendy Bed...

Happy Trendy Easter…DIY Decorating

I wanted to take this time to wish everyone a Happy Easter, and share some of these “Trendy” Easter ideas I found on Better Homes and Garden.

What a way to show your family and friends you care about them with one of these Egg Flower Cups at plate side.

How to make these: Blown-out raw egg with small hole in top to hold individual tulip, then prop your egg inside a silver napkin ring. You can also use a tiny votive holder or an egg cup.

Time to do the Eggs:

These eggs are decorated with scrapbooking materials; impress your kids with this idea and you all can be creative. Pull out your stash of trims, stickers, rub-ons, and gems and let the fun begin. Dye the eggs first, let them dry before you try to embellish them.

This super easy egg decorating is again with your scrapbooking supplies, you don’t even have to dye the eggs first! Let the stickers give your white eggs all the flower power. The deeply cut flower petals are easy to wrap around a egg because they cling to the curves. These eggs are placed in little clay pots, use the pots later to plant your favorite spices.

This one I really liked. Dye the eggs first, let them dry again before you start your eraser decorating. Place some paint onto a disposable plate, dip just the end of the eraser into the paint and dot your egg. Poke- A- Dot- Eggs, fun and simple for the whole family. Tip: you can also use Q-tips to make small dots on your eggs.

Here’s another great ideal that maybe the “older” kids may enjoy. Pour your paint on a disposable plate, picking your two color choices. To make the petals of the flower, dip about 1/4 inch of the toothpick into the paint, then lay the toothpick down onto the egg. Repeat making petals, leaving a space in the middle for the center. Using a new toothpick and a different color of paint, dip just the tip on the toothpick in the paint and dot the center two or three times. Let the egg dry. This can be done on white eggs or dyed eggs.

Hope you enjoyed these little tips, enjoy egg decorating with your family and have a very enjoyable Easter weekend.

Brought to you with love from Cathy @ The Trendy Home

Spring Up Your Home – Spring Decorating

spring home

Spring is here, now it’s time to bring it into your home, with color. You can create a casual and colorful living room that sings “Spring” by adding colorful vases, fresh flowers, spunky colorful pillows, throws and accessories.

Fruit and flowers

Adding fresh flowers to any room is a great way to “Spring” up your home. Kumquats in a vase of water make a unique base for stems of yellow tulips or any other spring flower, what a eye catching center piece this vase would make on any table.

Spring Bathroom mirror

I saw this and to be honest with you, it’s a little too much for me BUT I loved the look of the mirror. This look is done with decoupage, purchase a flat frame mirror and cover the frame with your fabric of choice using decoupage. After four or five coats the surface will be smooth. Brighten up any bathroom with a mirror like this.

Bright room wit natural light

Let the sun shine in and paint your walls yellow, in this breakfast nook they pulled yellow, white, and blue all together in this beautiful look. Adding blue and white plates on the wall, blue candles on a white candlestick, and white hanging light fixture. White baseboards and finished carpentry around the window finishes off this beautiful room.

Sunroom

Adding spring to this sun room is as easy as painting a floral motif on a jute rug, adding some garden-inspired pillows, and topping a table with a simple white runner and fresh cut flowers.

Starcase

As you can see yellow is the “in” color this year, it’s all you see in all the decorating magazines and it comes in so many shades, that’s the beauty of yellow.

Guest room with Amenties

My blogs wouldn’t be complete without adding some Trendy Bed rooms into the mix, and I found this beautiful guest bedroom, in yellow of course. Like the picture of the living room above, they used the same colors; yellow, white and green but have a completely different look.

Plum walls Bedroom

Yellow may be the IN color, but not every room in your home needs to be yellow. Revamp your bedroom for Spring by adding a punch to your headboard by wrapping it with a yard of mod floral fabric. Tired of those boring white sheets, Spring is a great time to put new, colored sheets on your bed. At The Trendy Bed we have a great selection of sheet sets in 300 to 1500 thread count 100% Egyptian Cotton Sheets.

Let the sun shine in, bring Spring into your home and your heart.

Cathy C