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Chances are you’ve heard of feng shui (pronounced “fung shway”), the Chinese discipline that teaches us how to attract and enhance our life energy (called chi) according to how our homes are arranged. But do you know how to put it to work for you?

Karen Rauch Carter, feng shui consultant and author of the best-selling Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life to give you a fun, fast and results-oriented introduction to this ancient art. Karen has outlined quick feng shui strategies to help you attract the chi you need to have a happy and healthy life. You only need to know two things to get started:

1. What is a bagua and how do I use it?
   A bagua is a feng shui road map. It divides your home into nine sections (called guas) that correspond to the nine main areas of your life. The graphic below is a representation of a bagua. Your front door opens up into the skills & knowledge, career or helpful people gua. From there, you can divide your space up into nine parts and find each of your other guas. Learn more about the bagua here.
2. What part of my life would I like to change?
   This is the easy part: Just click on the area you need help with below.

Create your own unique room design online

Redecorating a room? Or just love experimenting with color and design? Our new Design a Room tool is the perfect place to unleash your inner interior designer. This innovative point-and-click design tool allows you to choose the style and type of room (living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens and more) and change the Armstrong flooring, ceiling, walls, and cabinetry until your room design is just right.

To create your dream room design, first select your room and its style. Then have fun changing the flooring, the wall colors, the ceiling types and colors, the cabinetry and more. Enlarge your design to take an up-close look, and save your finished room to your idea folder, where a personalized product list has been created for you.

Design Your Dream Room

Before you choose a single can of paint or upholstery fabric, play with wall color, flooring, cabinetry and more. Use Design a Room as the first step in your room makeover process.

Home Organization on a Budget: Accessories for less than $10

Think you have to break the bank to bust the clutter? Think again. Home organization for less is easy and achievable! These 10 home organization accessories — each less than $10 — will help you streamline your home and stay on budget.

13-Slot Accordion File Folders
This common office product can be used to file bills, greeting cards, recipes, articles or just about anything else you can think of. It’s all about how you label the sections. For example, make each section a month, and you’ve got a handy place to stash receipts and stubs after paying your bills; at the end of the year, store the entire folder with your tax return. Or label each section with a category (appetizer, entree, dessert) and file recipes. You can also label by category (health and fitness, hairstyles, home renovations) to store articles you want to read or save.

Hooks
This inexpensive hardware can tame the mess of jackets in the hall closet or the dress-up clothes in the playroom. Hooks keep your purse, keys and dog leashes handy at the door. And because they can be hung at varying heights, they’re great for short and tall people alike. The new Command hooks by 3M can even be removed in one piece without leaving a sticky residue. And the largest size holds up to seven and a half pounds!

Baskets
Made in every shape, size, shade and material, baskets no longer qualify as strictly country decor; finding designs to suit your style is easier than ever. These lidless beauties offer easy access but can quickly become catch-alls for clutter, so be sure to label them. Tie on a tag with ribbon if you’re not fond of sticker-type labels.

You can get the entire family organized by having one big basket per person in the mudroom for shoes, backpacks and umbrellas. Create a welcome basket by putting all those free samples in one place for use by your houseguests. Place a smaller basket near the TV for remotes and program guides, and use a larger one for grab-and-go snacks in the kitchen.

The garage is one of the most versatile spaces in a home, able to house anything from cars to gardening supplies to school memories. That’s precisely why it’s also a breeding ground for chaos, which becomes quite apparent once you start looking for a road map, spade or high school yearbook. You can tame the clutter, though, with the help of Jamie Novak, author of two best-selling books, 1,000 Best Quick and Easy Organizing Secrets and 1,000 Best Quick and Easy Time-Saving Strategies. Here, Jamie reveals how to make the most of your garage space.

1. Sort Your Stuff The first step is figuring out what you own. Start by sorting everything into categories. Separate the gardening tools from the car maintenance supplies and sporting equipment. The “like with like” principle is a basic, yet powerful, organizing technique.

2. Toss the Trash Keep a few heavy-duty garbage bags handy as you sort so you can easily toss things away. Be ruthless; 86 all the broken equipment, rusted tools, and toys that are missing pieces. Haul the recyclables to the curb or to the recycling center, and check www.eiae.org to learn where you can drop off hazardous waste, such as computer equipment and paint cans. Insider tip: home supply stores sell a powder mix that can be added to paint cans to make them safe to throw away.

3. Share Your Stuff Once you have separated items into groups, and tossed the trash, you may be surprised to see how much good stuff you own. Keep the best and give away the rest.

• Give away your unused items for free at www.freecycle.org
• Donate to a local charity and take the tax deduction
• Give back borrowed items to their rightful owner
• Schedule a garage sale for the items you’ve earmarked
• Return abandoned family items

4. Measure the Space To see exactly how much room you have for storage, park your car in the garage and open the doors and trunk. Use chalk to outline the floor space. Measure the gap from the top of the open trunk to the ceiling; you can then hang things above your car.

5. Plan the Space The items you decide to keep need a home, and the floor is not an option. Plan out the space, designating certain areas for specific items. Look at your categories and pick an area of the garage for each one, keeping accessibility in mind.

6. Store It Where You Use It Keep the items you use most in the easiest to reach locations. For example, store your bulk paper goods near the house so you’re not walking through the garage for a roll of paper towels. Stow infrequently used items—like outdoor holiday decorations—in the hardest to reach places, like the rafters.

7. Add Storage Options Now is the time to add shelving and cabinets, tubs and bins. Old kitchen cabinets and versatile pegboards add valuable storage along the walls. Use all the space from floor to ceiling, making sure you can open all doors without banging or scratching something. Be creative: use the backs of doors including the ones on cabinets.

8. Give Everything a Home Don’t mix categories and store similar items together. Consider a sports rack for balls, gloves, cleats and hula-hoops. Leave room to grow—moderately. Use smaller containers that you can easily move once they’re full. Protect treasured items in waterproof containers, and do not store photographs or other temperature—and moisture—sensitive items in the garage.

9. Label, Label, Label Label each bin, shelf, container and cabinet door. This makes it much easier to maintain order, so even when you’re in a hurry, you’ll be able to quickly put things away. Label the lid and all sides so you can read the contents from any direction.

10. Maintain the New System To keep your garage looking great you’ll need to break the old habits that caused the clutter in the first place. Adopt a household rule that you’ll put away the item when you’re done with it.

You can say goodbye to garage clutter using these 10 steps, but they only work if you do. Dreaming about an only gets you so far. Schedule a time and get started; it is easier than you are anticipating. Work on small sections over a period of time or do a weekend marathon session; the single best way to transform your garage from chaotic to contained is to give yourself a deadline, enlist the help of others, and get started.

The area around your house can be transformed into a beautiful garden no matter how terrible it might look right now. Begin by thinking in terms of a general plan. Put aside your thoughts about color combinations and other specifics until last.

On a map of your property, indicate existing trees and natural characteristics like slopes and areas where the soil is best so you can make the most of them in locating other features.

When you have decided on the best location for each in relation to the house and exposure to sun and wind, indicate the areas where plantings will tie the units together. You will soon see where trees are needed for shade and where shrubs will give you privacy and enclosure.

When the general plan is complete, you will be ready for more detailed planning. Consider the texture, form and color of various plants as you work out individual gardens and other plantings.

Here’s a kit with everything you need to get started with organic gardening from Clean Air Gardening.

Paths
Paths that are frequently used should be at least 3 feet wide, have a hard surface and lead you from one point to another on as direct a route as possible. Paths, drives and parking areas are the first items to locate on your plan.

You should then decide on the placement of terraces, utility and play areas, as well as flower gardens.

Utility Areas
Compost piles and bins and other utility areas should be as near as possible to the kitchen, garage or major garden areas for convenience. If they are unsightly, consider screening them with fences or hedges.

Terraces
Terraces, patios or decks are probably already in place at your home. Brick, stone, concrete or wood are all good materials for a terrace or deck. The larger your terrace, the more comfortable it will be. Set off your terrace with an accent piece like a beautiful garden arbor.

Shade trees
If you don’t already have trees in your yard, then you probably want some! In making a planting schedule, put shade trees first on your list, because it takes a lot of time for them to gain enough height to cast significant shade. Select native trees to your area that have deep roots so that lawns and groundcovers can grow beneath them.

Flowering trees
Bright with flowers in either spring or summer, many flowering trees also have colorful autumn foliage. Once again, look for native varieties for best results. Use them as specimen trees on your lawn or as accents in the flower garden. Flowering trees don’t typically grow as tall as shade trees, but they are useful for pinpointing shade on picture windows and doorways.

TreePlantingGuide.com provides more information on tree planting.

Shrubs
Deciduous kinds and most of the needled evergreen types of shrubs need sun. Broadleaved evergreens thrive in the shade. Flowering shrubs are attractive as screens and dividers, although they do require more space than borders composed of hedges.

Flower gardens
Select a location for flower gardens where they will receive at least a half day of full sun. Plan them in detail after you have completed the general planting plan showing their location. Don’t miss our entire section about planning a flower garden.

Vegetable gardens
The more sun the vegetable garden gets, the more productive it will be. A vegetable garden looks best when it is enclosed by berry bushes and dwarf fruit trees. Grapes trained on a tall fence make an excellent background. Paths edged with herbs and flowers bring color to the vegetable garden, and ornaments like strawberry barrels and sundials, if used judiciously, heighten interest and insure a good year-round effect.

More and more people are working from their homes, both as self-employed small business people and as employees. There are a lot of advantages to working at home–including the fact that the dress code is generally more casual–but there are also a number of important things you’ll need to consider before setting up a home office. The most basic consideration is local zoning ordinances. If your home business consists of no more than a desk and a computer in a back bedroom, chances are no one will even know you’re operating. But if, for example, your office is open to the public (say you’re a chiropractor or a notary public) or you keep inventory on site, then your business affects your neighbors and is likely to be regulated.

A home office is a good room, for both parents and children, because it provides a designated area for quite study and concentration. Learn how to create the right atmosphere in your home office to reduce distractions and stimulate productivity. This section will help you find ways to create, decorate and organize a home office that will best suit your needs.

Basic Considerations:

* Once you’ve determined that you’ll be working at home, the next step is to find some office space. Professional office designers do it like this: first add up the sizes of all the furniture, equipment, and storage you’ll need, then design the space around it. Unfortunately, you’ll probably be limited to a few choices, so you’ll have to make them work no matter what size they are.

* Keep in mind that privacy–or a lack of it– can make or break a home business. Don’t underestimate your needs. If you are constantly being interrupted by family members because you are accessible, it’ll be hard to give your work the necessary concentration. If you have children, you probably know how futile it is to expect them to be quiet, too. Privacy is one of the most important considerations in choosing office space in your home.

* A second important consideration may be access. If clients will come to your office, you’ll need to have an office that is accessible without walking through the entire house–or you’ll have to clean up every time you expect a client. If you can’t find office space where there is a door nearby, you may want to consider adding a room.

* If accessibility is not a major issue, there are a lot of spaces in the average home that can be turned into office space. You may be able to divide your office into two or more spaces. For example, you may have a niche under a stairway you can use for a desk and a phone only. But just behind that niche might be a closet into which you can put a file cabinet, copy machine, and office books and supplies. It’s not as handy as having everything at your fingertips, but it may work. Here are some more ideas on finding space for an office.

* Adding Space–Building a room for an office is not really “finding” space–it’s “making” space. The advantage is you can design the size and layout you want. The disadvantage is its cost. You’re probably looking for a way to have a home office within your existing building. But don’t overlook the obvious but more expensive route of adding on. Possibly the room you add on as an office can become a bedroom or family room if you sell your house. You may get all your investment back, if the new room is appropriate, and have a nice office space all the years you used it.

* Guest Bedroom–Taking a wall or two from a room that might be used 10 or 12 nights of the year for guests is not unreasonable. You can build bookcases and/or other office storage up and around the bed. Or get a Murphy bed which folds up into the wall. Then the few nights the room is used for guests, push your office stuff away, and drop the bed down.

* Maybe you can buy a hide-a-bed type couch for another room in the house for infrequent guests, and make that guest bedroom into a full-time office.

* Basement–If you have a basement, this may be where you’ll find the most available space. There may be some disadvantages, such as client accessibility, a lack of natural light, or dampness. But the advantage of abundant space might outweigh all the disadvantages.

* Attic–The disadvantage of taking over the attic is that there may be no insulation, heat, electricity, air conditioning, etc. The advantage is that an attic can be a large, quiet space–and also bright and cheerful, if you install skylights or roof windows.

* Attached Garage–The layout here is often favorable, especially if your business involves having clients in. A garage will have easy and private access. It has quite a bit of room and can be finished off fairly easily. The big space left by the overhead door is a wonderful opportunity to design in some nice windows and/or door into your office. A big disadvantage is you lose your garage. Of course, if your home business does well, you can build a bigger one next year.

* Hallway–Hallways with niches or extra space are opportunities for small office spaces, although they may be just enough to get by.

* Closets–Closets are usually in short supply, so taking one over for an office space may not be a popular idea in your household. But possibly the closet contents can be moved to a basement area, attic area, or someplace that is good enough for storage but not good enough for office space.

* Sharing Space–A wall or two in the family room, living room, a bedroom, or some other room may be appropriate. Possibly some office functions can be in one space and others in a second or third space.

* Many of these spaces depend on how much privacy you need to work, but be imaginative as you look over all the possibilities. There may be more office space possibilities in your house than you think.

* Electricity–Don’t underestimate the amount of electrical power you’ll need in your office. Your needs will depend on how much electrical equipment you’ll be using, of course, but chances are you’ll want a 20-amp circuit. Preferably, that circuit should be dedicated to your office alone, so you won’t have to worry about someone in the house turning on a hair dryer or toaster at the same time you’re making copies and printing documents.

Common architectural symbols used to draw a floor plan.

A parallel layout is a good design for someone who regularly sees clients. The

An L-shaped layout is a good design for someone who spends most of their time working at the computer. A temporary layout table can be set up in the center of the room when needed.

A straight line layout trades storage and convenience for the ability to fit a conference table into the room.

Distinguishing one wood from another can take time, but is utterly necessary when it comes to purchasing and, especially, restoring antique furniture. Many antique pieces are covered with veneer, a precious layer of wood atop a lesser quality wood. Often, the wood can easily be identified by searching out an unfinished area. The following text discusses various types of wood used in many antique pieces of furniture.

Birch was first used as a veneer in the 1700s. A very fine grain and regular texture, birch wood is a creamy-white with golden hues. It has unique luster of its own.

Mahogany mainly derives from the West Indies and parts of Central America. A popular import, mahogany wood is a strong wood with a deep red color. Many antiques are made with mahogany as it was one of the most popular woods for furniture making in the nineteenth century. Today’s mahogany is more course than its former self that displayed more characteristic finesse.

Rosewood, a Brazilian import, is somewhat similar to mahogany, but contains tell-tale nearly black streaks across its reddish wood. Common to nineteenth century European antiques (also used in 18th century), rosewood can be difficult to polish.

Kingwood comes from the West Indies and dramatically resembles rosewood; however, its streaks are more purple-hued and fade to a light gray-brown when set in light.

Varieties of satinwood come from both the East and West Indies. West Indies satinwood has a stronger gleam to its honey-colored wood. The paler, East Indian strains produce more delicate graining; this variety was used to make English Sheraton-style pieces.

Walnut, once a commonly used wood, took a back seat to mahogany by the middle of the 18th century. Essentially used in cabinet-making, walnut enjoyed a resurgence in popularity toward the latter half of the nineteenth century where it was used to construct everything from planks to chairs.

Tulipwood has a pinkish tint to its grain and is a smoothly-textured wood of considerable beauty. Native to Brazil and Peru, tulipwood was very often used to produce parquet floors.

Amaranth is a dark brown wood of dense grain. It was most frequently used as a veneer in France. Amaranth is sometimes referred to as purple heart. It was especially popular in the 17th century.

Other commonly used woods that produced antiques were oak, pine, yew and harewood. Because different types of woods require individual kind of care, learning to denote the differences between them allows one to care for and restore them properly. Also, certain types of wood pieces fetch higher prices than other kinds. Knowing the difference means knowing what you are paying for. In other words, you do not want to overpay for a lesser antique and you will certainly want to snatch a quality piece at a bargain rate.

When assessing a piece of furniture, look it over carefully; pull out drawers to discover what type of veneer covers what type of wood. Antique furniture is a lovely investment and an emblem of its era of origination. Loving antiques means learning about their make up to give them the best possible care.

By Murray Anderson

A cool, damp basement, musty smells, and maybe even mold or mildew on the walls are all indications of moisture getting into your basement. The main cause is likely poor drainage around your home that allows moisture to build up and remain in the soil around your foundation, and then work its way right through your foundation and into your home. Fixing drainage problems around your house can be a relatively inexpensive proposition, and they often come down to a couple of causes - how rainwater is handled and the grading or slope of your property.

Handling Rainwater

Gutters (or eavestroughs as they called in some parts of the country) are an important part of the drainage system around your house. If yours are nonexistent or in poor repair, or if the downspout empties right beside your house, they could be causing the problem.

Gutters need to be installed properly so that they will catch the water coming off your roof and channel it away from your house and foundation. Gutters should be installed with a downward slope of 1 inch for every 2 feet of run to ensure they drain completely. If your house is more than 35 feet wide, the optimal installation would have the gutters sloping down from a high point in the middle to a downspout at each end of the house.

All gutters need to be firmly attached (screws are best, since they won’t back out over time) with the center of the downspout aligned under the lip of the roof. Gutters can be made up of sections of trough (usually 10 - 12 feet long), or installed as a long continuous piece up to 37 feet wide. If yours are in sections, make sure the seams are well sealed and water doesn’t leak through. Gutters that leak are a problem not just because they drip water on your head, but because the drips land close to the foundation.

Downspouts need to be large enough to handle the large amount of water that can come running off your roof in a heavy rainfall. The minimum size for a downspout should be 2 x 3 inches, but a larger size (like 3 x 4 inches) is even better. The larger size makes it less likely that anything will be able to block the downspout - even a tennis ball will drop right through, and you know water won’t back up into your gutters during a heavy rain and possibly overflow.

At ground level, the water from your downspout should be directed at least 5 feet away from your house. It’s best to have the water flowing onto a hard surface (like a driveway) or a fiberglass or concrete splashguard designed to spread the water and stop it from puddling on the ground. Flexible plastic diverters or hinge attachments for your downspout allow you to swing it up out of the way when cutting your lawn, so you’re not constantly tripping over the downspout.

Proper Grading and Slope

Once the water is on the ground, it’s important that it doesn’t just sit there. This is where the grading of your property is important. Most building codes require that the ground around a foundation slope away from the foundation at a minimum of 6 inches in the first 10 feet and with another foot of slope in the next 100 feet. (This is a minimum - more slope will obviously help get water away from the foundation faster). Don’t change the grading of your lot, and if you notice some low spots developing, be sure to fill them.

If you have a problem with water constantly accumulating in a particular area, you might consider installing a “French drain.” A French drain is a small trench with a perforated pipe surrounded by sand or gravel that directs the water flow away from the foundation following the grade. Not only will it get the water away from the house, it will do it without any possibility of water runoff damage or erosion.

Bare spots rarely form in your yard for no apparent reason. To fix a bare spot, you first have to know why it’s there. So, the first step to repair the spot is to take care of what caused it in the beginning.

If you have a dog, there’s a good chance that your pet may be contributing to the bare spot. Should you happen to already know that’s the reason, you can’t fix the bare spot permanently until you do something else with your dog. You have a similar problem if the bare
spot is the result of over activity from your family’s use of the yard. Unless you’re willing to change their play and recreational habits, you’re most likely stuck with a bare spot.

Moles can be another culprit. They push up the earth and expose the plant roots to air. This dries the roots and kills the grass. In order to repair the yard, you will have to either poison or trap the mole. There are several excellent products that will do one or the other.

You may have that spot from too much of something natural occurring. It might be too much shade from a tree. If the spot has tree litter covering it too often, you may have a soil problem from things that leach from the leaves and sticks decaying there. A low place that keeps standing water too long can do in the grass that tries to grow there.

Weeds can take over a patch of your lawn and when they die in the summer heat, a bare spot is left behind. You may just be unlucky enough to have poor soil in a small area that needs some attending. It may be where you burned leaves last fall and now the grass isn’t coming back because you changed the soil composition.

If the problem is from an animal or excessive use and you’ve eliminated the problem, take a rake and loosen the top inch or two of soil over the whole area. Sow a generous amount of the correct type of grass seed over the area. Cover with a thin layer of straw. This will keep birds from consuming your new seed.

One of the most neglected parts of your home is your bathroom. People often focus on remodeling their living room, bedroom and other commonly seen rooms. It is often forgotten what an impact it can make to have a beautiful bathroom!

Before you jump into any home remodeling project, it is best to do a bit of research and investigating. There are some important signs to look for to determine whether or not you should do some bathroom remodeling. If you match this criteria, it is definitely time to remodel your
bathroom!

The first sign that you should remodel your bathroom is that you have an unhappy state of mind when you are in the bathroom. This concept may sound strange to some, but many studies have shown that our surroundings heavily impact our mood. If your bathroom is dodgy, out of date, and depressing, it is time to remodel.

Another sign actually relates very closely to your mood and feelings about the bathroom. If your bathroom is unsafe or in poor repair, it is definitely time to remodel your bathroom. In this case, you really have no choice but to repair immediately!

A bathroom is one of the most used rooms in your home, so it is very possible that yours is in disrepair. Over time mold and grime build up and make for an unsightly, and unhealthy, mess. Tiles may loosen, the caulking around the tub may be severely cracked, the towel rack may be coming out of the wall, and so on.

OK, so those things sound pretty unseemly and terrible! It is definitely time to remodel and get rid of this embarrassing problem. Once your research how to remodel your bathroom, you will find that you have many options. You could simply fix the problems at hand, or do a complete makeover and turn it into a space you’ll love!

If you want to truly feel good about the safety and look of your bathroom, you should go with the latter choice. Take this chance to have total freedom! In fact, your bathroom may be a wonderful place to start with changes to your home. Bathrooms are usually smaller and less costly to remodel than a kitchen, living room, or bedroom.

How to Decorate a Small Room

Very few things are more complicated than decorating a narrow space. Such experience can make you spend a long time only to bring into the house all the things you need, without thinking to a way for them to look good.

Here are some tips that will help you in your attempt to decorate a very small room. First, you must know that the light is very important and the overall look of the room, especially the room’s size, depends on it. The mirrors reflect the light from a room and make it look more spacious.
Placed on the wall in front of the window, the mirror will have a greater effect.

Assess the degree of illumination of the room and examine well the room’s corners, taking care that they are not shaded. For more light, add lighting objects on the wall, preferably suspended. Also, make sure the windows are decorated in bright colors.

It is essential to keep cleanliness in a narrow space, although this can be a challenge: anywhere you sit down, the things seem crowded and the mess appears quickly. Therefore we recommend you to use furniture and accessories that fulfill several functions at the same time (a coffee table with drawers, as it has a storage space; beds with drawers).

It is preferable the furniture’s division in small groups, than using a large space that gathers all the objects. Also, the room will be more attractive if the furniture is placed at a certain distance from the walls and not stacked on them. Regarding the bulky furniture- the bed, the sofa, the desk, and the closet- it is appropriate that they be placed in angle in front of the wall.

Establish ‘tracks’ over the room and arrange the furniture and the other accessories around them. Let a larger space around doors and windows and try to always keep free the shortest way to reach them.

Finally, get rid of ornaments (try to use them in line and depending on the season), minimize the number of art objects, use a single color for all the walls of the room (preferably a light or a warm one), move the photo collection to a special place (such as the walls that are up the staircase, which leads in the room) and, last but not the least, use shades in the room that ensure a harmonious environment.

If you have a small house or a small closed in room, a great way to make the space feel larger is to open it up visually with an interior window. You can find old windows at garage sales, second hand stores and old house parts stores. If you are handy or have access to someone who is, this would be a great project that could completely transform the feeling of your space.

• Adding a window to a solid wall in a hallway, closet or small bath can make a space feel less claustrophobic.
• Dividing walls can define a space, but by adding a window you don’t block all the light plus you add a charming detail to the space.
• Even if you don’t actually put in glass, cutting out openings or avoiding a solid wall gives a more open feel.
• In a windowless room, you can add a window to take advantage of the view and light coming from a room that does have a window!
• Change out solid cabinet doors for glass and you’ll be amazed at how much roomier your space will feel!
• Vellum sheets, curtains, shutters or stained glass can be added to interior windows if privacy is desired!
• Changing out a solid interior door for a glass door is another way to make a big impact by visually expanding your space.
• If you want a quick or less permanent fix, a mirror can always stand in for a window.
  And if you place it across from a real window, the impact is doubled!
• You can even create “windows” outside to expand those dark corners!
  Put mirrors on the outside of your house, hang them on fences and above potting tables!

Make the most of the space you have with a few interior windows to increase the visual size of your room, magnify and reflect the light and even give your room a brand new view!

It’s no secret that every good parent wants to have a great playroom where a child can explore and imagine to his or her heart’s content. But so often this space ends up becoming nothing more than an eyesore to poor mom and dad! Many feel that in order to create a truly enjoyable room, they will have to spend a fortune. But that just isn’t the case! With a little creativity and ingenuity you can create an inspired play place. Here are some simple steps that anyone can take to ensure that the playroom lives up to its full potential.

Step 1: Customize! Each child is unique and has individual interests. Find out about them! If you have a few kids then see if there is a theme that they can collectively agree on and go with that. Creating a theme for a room can be as simple as a fresh coat of paint and a few strategically placed items. For instance, if your daughter is interested in fairies, find a playhouse that fits that theme and turn it into the centerpiece for the room. If your son is interested in jungle animals, frame some posters with that pictorial theme and hang them around the room.

Step 2: Organize. Most of the clutter in a playroom is due to disorganization. By creating some clearly defined areas in the room, children can learn to be organized from a young age. A delightful reading area can be created by simply placing a comfy chair and bookshelf on a colorful kid-friendly carpet. Action figures and dolls can be placed on one shelf while art supplies can have their own corner. All of this ensures a clean space that can be fully enjoyed by children and maybe some parents too! And don’t feel pressured to keep every toy forever. If your child isn’t playing with it anymore sell it or donate it!

Step 3: Think Ahead. We all know that children’s taste can change rapidly, so when planning your renovation, don’t get too carried away. Choose a color that will be able to grow with the child. Pale greens, blues and yellows have the ability to match a multitude of themes while still infusing some color into the room. Go for broader themes that don’t rely on a single character or show. This doesn’t mean that they can’t be included in the room; it simply means including them in a different way. Opt for a painting of them which can later be sold instead of a wall mural which will inevitably have to be painted over. The idea is to include elements that can easily be removed, but don’t look like an afterthought.

Most importantly: Have fun with it. Don’t try to compete with your local theme park when designing the playroom! The goal is to simply create an environment that encourages imagination. A little thought and effort will go a long way in aiding a child’s enjoyment of his or her special room. So, set aside one weekend and get to work!