The Chilliwack Progress Wednesday, May 4, 2016
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Ideas on restoring secondhand furniture Secondhand furniture has long been used to furnish homes and apartments. While young people working with tight budgets and living on their own for the first time might be the most likely to rely on secondhand furniture, such items are not exclusive to recent graduates and young professionals. Homeowners with a love of antiques or those who simply can’t resist thrift store bargains also are likely to lean on secondhand furniture. Used furnishings range from expensive high-end antiques to bargain bin chairs and couches found in thrift stores or at garage sales. Pricey antiques often come fully restored, but that still leaves legions of shoppers who need to bring their secondhand furnishings back to life. The following are a few ways to do just that.
primer to make it easier for the paint to bond, making it less likely the new coat will chip or crack in the months to come. After applying primer, two to three coats of paint should give the item a fresh new look. Allow the item to dry for several hours before showing it off and putting it to good use.
Upgrade old upholstery. Old chairs and couches tend to have ample wear and tear. But they are still useful as long as their bones are still sturdy, even if cushions have flattened out and fabric is suffering from tears or stains. Reupholstering old furniture can turn inexpensive but worn down older items into seemingly brand new pieces. Reupholstering furniture can be a tedious process so you can consider employing a slip cover to hide stained or torn upholstery. Slip covers are typically inexpensive, and they can be purchased in various fabrics, designs and colours.
Wash away years of wear and A fresh coat of paint goes a long way toward stylizing secondhand tear. Restoring secondhand furfurniture. Once items have been niture can sometimes be as easy as sanded, smoothed and cleaned, apply
washing away years of wear and tear.
Old chests of drawers, dressers or armoires might just need a good scrubbing to look as good as new. Before cleaning older furniture, remove the old wax with a stripper bought at a hardware store. Old coats of wax can prevent cleaners from reaching the surface of the furniture, so they must be removed for cleaning products to be effective. When cleaning old furniture, it’s a good idea to solicit advice from antique dealers, who can help you avoid damaging the piece even further. A small amount of dishwashing liquid mixed with warm water can be used to gently clean old wax off of furniture. When applying such a mixture, be careful to avoid soaking the item or letting the mixture pool on its surface. Work slowly, gradually cleaning small areas one by one and wiping them down with a damp cloth to ensure wax and other residue has vanished completely. Once the item has been thoroughly cleaned and been given ample time to dry, you can apply a new coat of wax.
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Wednesday, May 4, 2016 The Chilliwack Progress
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Fresh flowers, new throw pillows and lightweight draperies are some easy ways to transform a home for the spring and summer. Come spring, many homeowners are eager to throw open windows and doors and breathe new life into their homes. Simple changes can improve interior spaces and brighten the atmosphere of a home. Go plant shopping. Research from NASA suggests adding at least one plant in your home per 100 square feet is efficient enough to clean air. Fresh foliage also makes a home feel warm and inviting. Watering and misting plants introduces moisture into indoor air, which can make rooms overcome with dry air from heating systems feel comfortable. Just be sure to avoid overwatering plants, which can lead to mould growth. Swap out throw pillows. Accent pillows on beds and sofas are quick and inexpensive ways to add new bursts of colour to rooms. You may be able to make over a room’s entire colour scheme with new pillows. Invest in pillows that you can switch with each season so your decor will never look tired or dull. Clean existing light fixtures. Another way to brighten the mood in a home is to periodically clean light fixtures to make sure they are working effectively. Spend time dusting them and cleaning off any accumulated debris. If need be, switch out old lamp shades for newer ones that let more light shine through. If inadequate lighting is a problem no mat-
ter how many lamps you have, consult with an electrician about installing more overhead and accent lighting. Give rugs and floors a deep cleaning. Recirculated air may be full of dust and other microscopic particles that end up blowing throughout your home. Also, it’s easy to track in dirt and other materials on your shoes that become imbedded in carpeting. At least once a year, rent or enlist the surfaces of carpet and upholstery cleaners to give floors a thorough cleaning. You may be surprised at how clean and fresh a home looks and smells once rugs and carpets are deep-cleaned. You also can make a dry carpet cleaner using baking soda, corn starch and desired fresh herbs for fragrance. Sprinkle and then vacuum up after a few hours. Colour-coordinate bookshelves. Group all books with similarly coloured covers together for an instant and eye-appealing look. Simmer some homemade home deodorizer. In a large pot, boil water and some scented herbs, such as rosemary, citrus rinds, vanilla, or lavender. The aroma will waft through the home, creating a pleasing scent. Invest in new window treatments. Lightweight draperies or new blinds or shades can transform the look of a room. Be sure to keep curtains and blinds open during the day to maximize the hours of sunlight.
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The Chilliwack Progress Wednesday, May 4, 2016
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Tips to create more space in your home As real estate prices continue to climb, the cost to trade up to a larger home is on the upswing across the country, especially as markets remain hampered by tight inventory levels. As a result, more and more people are choosing to renovate their current homes instead of relocating. While the hunt for more square footage can be challenging, homeowners shouldn’t feel like a costly second story or complete addition are the only options. Here are five great ways to create or optimize space in your existing home. 1. Finish an unfinished basement. A basement renovation can hold
limitless potential and increase the resale value or income potential of your home. Think about the possibilities: a home theater, office, spare bedroom, basement apartment or recreation room. The key to doing it successfully is to focus on what’s behind the walls, especially since moisture is a common issue in basements. Choosing the right insulation is critical. Look for products that are vapor permeable, dimensionally stable and mold and moisture resistant. 2. Create a more open-concept feel with light and color. If your home wasn’t blessed with towering windows, installing French doors and pot lights can encourage light to travel more freely, creating the illu-
sion of space. Likewise, choosing a paint color for walls, trim and moldings that is lighter and cooler in tone (think soft grays or blues) will help to reflect light and give the room a more open feel. 3. Remove non-load-bearing walls. Homeowners have the opportunity to rethink the layout of their home by removing non-loadbearing walls. Removing structurally unnecessary walls can make your whole home feel larger, improve flow, lighting and the function of your home. 4. Convert your garage into usable living or work space. For many homeowners, the garage becomes an
overflow room for storage –– and is often a walk-in headache. Convert your garage (or a portion of it) into another living space, guest bedroom or home office. Install carpet and quality thermal insulation to block outdoor noise and keep in warmth. 5. Choose furniture and accessories carefully. Adopt a minimalist’s eye. Begin looking around your home for furniture or accessories that overwhelm the space. Interior designers recommend choosing low-profile or small-scale furniture for rooms with less square footage. Dual-purpose items, such as ottomans with storage chests inside, are a budget-friendly way to save on space while staying organized.
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Crown moulding is an inexpensive approach to adding beautiful detail to your home. You can create a dramatic new look throughout your home or highlight one area with crown moulding. Although crown moulding is generally identified as trim for the area where a wall meets the ceiling, moulding is used for many other home decor applications. It can create an appealing visual element when used at chair height along a wall, sometimes with thin vertical pieces attached to accent a wider area. It also can serve as an attractive window cornice or as a frame for a wall-hung flat screen television or vertical mirror. The possibilities are only limited by homeowners’ imaginations and finances.
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Buy one 3.79L container at regular retail price and get the 2nd 3.79L at half price. Offer valid on following REGAL® Select products : K547, K549, K550, K551, K552, K400, K401 & K402. Qualifying purchases must be made in one (1) single transaction. Discount applied at checkout. Offer available from 4/08 to 4/11 and cannot be combined with other discounts or promotions, or applied toward prior purchases. Expires 10/2/ 4/11/15. At participating retailers only, while supplies last. Details in store. ©2015 Benjamin Moore & Co., Limited. Benjamin Moore, REGAL and the triangle “M” symbol are registered trademarks
Need assistance with choosing g colours for your home? Matching ng g your walls, doors, trim, etc., to new ew w or existing furniture or flooring can ca an be challenging. Janet Riediger can help you avoid making a mistake with your paint colour choices. She has over 30 years decorating experience and is available for a convenient in-home consultation. Just call Janet at Chilliwack Decorating to arrange an appointment today at 604-792-1544.
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