decorating - Dargan Real Estate

Easy Room Makeovers

May 10, 2016 by Nicole

As much fun as it can be to decorate your home, it can also be pretty time consuming and cause you to put it off longer than you would like to. With Spring in full swing, the urge to redecorate is strong. We have some ideas for you that can make over your home in a flash.

Rearrange your furniture: A little feng shui can go a long way to changing up the look and feel of your home. For example, moving your furniture away from the walls of a room creates a more intimate setting for you and your guests.

Add color: The warmer months beg for color, so why not add it inside your home? Think cheerful colors like bright yellows, royal blues, crisp whites and intense greens. Use them on your bedding, as curtains, or any other spot in your house that needs a little brightening up!

Try a bold tablecloth: Just switching out your tablecloth can make a huge difference in your dining room. Strong color combinations and graphic patterns can add just the perfect amount of punch and take no time at all.

Show your shelves some love: Painting only the shelves in a room takes very little time, but can make a lasting statement. Go for eye-catching colors like orange and red, or use lighter complimentary colors that enhance what your space already has.

With these tips, you can freshen up your living space without spending a lot of time!

Holiday Safety

December 10, 2013 by Dargan

While decorating our homes for the holidays, it’s crucial that we remember to protect our investments–and more importantly–our lives. Hospital emergency rooms treat approximately 12,500 people a year for injuries (broken bones, lacerations, electrical shocks) received while decorating for the holidays, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

Ensure your home, yourself, and your family are safe by following these helpful tips.

Always keep burning candles within eyesight and away from trees and wrapping paper. Speaking of wrapping paper, never throw it into the fireplace. It ignites suddenly and burns intensely, which may cause a flash fire.
Check your holiday lights before putting them up to make sure they have been tested by a recognized lab and meet safety standards. A red label means the lights can be used both indoors and out. A green label means they can be used indoors only.
Make sure lights (new or old) are free of broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections. Discard any lights that are damaged.
Use no more than three standard-size sets of lights per each extension cord.
Ensure all lights on trees or other items are unplugged before you go to sleep or leave the home.
Never place lights on a metallic tree. The tree can become electrically charged and cause electrocution if the tree is touched.
Fasten outdoor lights securely to protect them from wind damage.
For artificial trees, make sure the label indicates it is “fire resistant”. For real trees, keep them well hydrated and fresh.
Place trees away from fireplaces and radiators, as well as out of the doorway and high traffic areas.
Use thin wires to secure a large tree to the walls or ceiling. These wires are nearly invisible and will prevent the tree from toppling over. This is especially important if you have mischievous pets.
Keep children and pets in mind by placing non-toxic and unbreakable ornaments on the lower branches of the tree. Use ribbon instead of metal hooks to prevent choking or injury.
Keep your inflatable outdoor decorations from blowing away by securing them properly. They can easily become dangerous, flying objects. Shut off fan blowers when it’s windy outside or when you aren’t going to be home for long periods of time.

10 DIY Home Decorating Projects

July 17, 2013 by Dargan

Last week, I posted a few simple things that can be done to stage your home in a way that entices buyers. I recently read a great article on Better Homes & Gardens website that listed several DIY (Do-It-Yourself) projects that are quick and easy. I thought I’d share a few of them, along with a few Pinterest finds, for more ideas on adding that extra oomph to the decor in your already great property!

1. DIY Pouf

For approximately $50, add extra seating or a footrest with style to any room by making this DIY pouf. Download step-by-step instructions and take advantage of BHG’s free pattern here.

Photograph Source: Better Homes & Gardens

2. DIY Lamp Revamp

Add your own personal style to an old lamp by using ribbon and spray paint. Spray paint the base with a metallic colored paint and wrap shiny ribbon in fun, bold patterns around the lampshade. Secure the ribbon with a hot glue gun or pins. Paint your favorite quote, poem, love note, or Bible verse with acrylic paint around the lampshade instead, like Micheala at Happy Apple did in the picture shown below.

Photograph Source: Happy Apple

3. DIY Photograph Masterpiece

Find simple objects you love and take pictures of them. Play around with the hue, saturation, and brightness of the photograph with an online photo editing tool. (Clueless about photo editing? PicMonkey offers a free online editor that doesn’t require a user login and is fairly simple to use.) After you’ve created the perfect picture, order large prints and frame them on black mats with white frames for a sleek modern touch.

Photograph Source: Better Homes & Gardens

4. DIY Bathroom Wall Design

Randomly place wall decals for added flare to your bathroom walls. They are relatively cheap and create a completely new look.

Photograph Source: Better Homes & Gardens

5. DIY Roller Shade Accents

Find your favorite fabric, ask a retailer to cut the shade to fit your windows, and insert a curtain rod in the bottom pocket. Read the entire DIY description here.

Photograph Source: Better Homes & Gardens

6. DIY Marble Art

Marbleizing is so trendy right now. Create your own personal marble art by marbleizing paper, scanning it, and sending the design to a print center to be printed on canvas. Waterpaper color works best for this project.

Photograph Source: Better Homes & Gardens

Directions: Fill an aluminum baking pan with about an inch of water and place it outside or on top of a drop cloth. Drop generous amounts of acrylic paint into the water in a range of coordinating colors across the surface. Mix the colors gently with a stirrer or toothpick. Too much stirring creates muddy colors so try to swirl the paint instead. Gently place a piece of the paper on top of the water and carefully lift it off. Rubber gloves will keep your hands clean. Add more paint after using three or four sheets. Alternate with contrasting colors and shades. Place the dipped paper on newspaper to dry or hang it on a clothesline with clothes pins. After the paper is completely dry, flatten it overnight by pressing it between two books.

7. DIY Patterned Furniture

One of the easiest DIY home projects is simply painting a piece of old furniture. Freshen it up a bit by replacing the knobs or handles and painting patterns or designs on drawer fronts or tabletops with paint pens.

Photograph Source: Better Homes & Gardens

Photograph Source: Pin found on Pinterest of Craigslist posting

8. DIY Candle Cylinders

Transform a candle into a beautiful centerpiece by wrapping pre-punched paper found at craft stores around a glass cylinder. Voila!

Photograph Source: WeHeartIt.com

9. DIY Stone Tub

You must admit, adding stone to a bathtub is pretty genius. Blogger Rachael at Lovely Crafty Home created a brand new tub by applying a lightweight stone to it with adhesive!

Photograph Source: Lovely Crafty Home

I’m sold! On the project AND the home!

10. DIY Crate Bookshelf

Build your own crate bookshelf with crates found at any craft store. Spray paint them any color you choose and secure them together with bolts. You can find complete step-by-step instructions from the blogger and inventor herself, at Calm Cradle .

Photograph Source: Calm Cradle