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You might have noticed scuff marks or damage along the bottom edge of your bookshelf. This is caused by shoes constantly rubbing the front edge along the floor. Poorly designed bookcases, or impromptu placing of the wrong type of bookcase can result in the lower bookcase shelf being almost ignored. Bring your bookcase up by raising it with a toe-kick base.
Decorating your home with American antiques adds nostalgic, comforting reminders of days gone by. Whether you live in a 100-year-old country house or a studio apartment in the city, antiques add charming character to a space. Mixing old furniture pieces, home accents and other household items with new, modern counterparts creates visual interest and cozy warmth.
Hanging a magazine rack for the home requires you to keep the specific shape and size of the magazines in question in mind. Hang a magazine rack for the home with help from the writer of a nationally syndicated newspaper column on decorating in this free video clip.
Repurposing a triple dresser is a great way to take a piece that you might not have any use for anymore and put it to good use. Repurpose a triple dresser with help from an interior and life designer in this free video clip.
Wrought iron furniture needs to be cleaned in a very particular way to avoid damaging the piece. Clean wrought iron furniture with help from a home cleaning professional in this free video clip.
Restoring a wood dresser is a great way to breath new life into an older piece of furniture. Restore a wood dresser with help from a master precision craftsman in this free video clip.
Not all types of bedroom tables are going to go well in a shabby chic bedroom. Find out what kind of bedroom table to put in a shabby chic bedroom with help from an interior design professional in this free video clip.
When decorating using eclectic antique, it's always great to have a little fun and mix and match items. Find out about decorating using eclectic antiques with help from a national interior design expert in this free video clip.
From a practical standpoint, a metal shelving unit will make a very useful headboard. By simply placing the shelves against the wall, then placing the bed against the shelves, you've created the look of a "headboard." The problem comes in the design. Visually, metal shelves are best suited for a garage, shed or rec room. In a bedroom, metal shelves can detract from the ambiance, turning the room into a less than pleasant place to retire at night. With a few simple modifications, you can reclaim the atmosphere of your room and keep the practicality of the metal shelves.
An oak dresser isn't only sturdy, it has a rich color and beautiful grain. An oak dresser withstands wear, tear and abuse better than mass-produced dressers made out of particle board. It also costs less to build your own dresser, made from oak, than all but the cheapest store-bought offerings. However, building a dresser is generally considered one of the more difficult woodworking tasks due to the joints required and the accuracy needed. A simple oak dresser, made from lumber or oak plywood, is the perfect starting point for honing your skills and providing furniture built to last.
The arrival of a new member to your family can be expensive. On top of the need to purchase a crib, stroller changing table, toys, bottles and clothes, you can also look forward to buying seemingly endless amounts of diapers. By making your own baby dresser, you can save money and have a piece of furniture that perfectly matches the nursery. Moreover, since you are using quality materials, the dresser will last years.
A spiral bookcase is a stylish piece of furniture that can rise up to your ceiling, be centered in the middle of the room or a smaller version set upon a turntable for easy access. The books are kept inside wooden box shelves that are set on top of each other at an angle that allows for a spiral shape to form, which looks much like a spiral staircase, except each step is filled with books.
There’s something about coastal décor that is instantly welcoming. Whether it's for homeowners who live on the water, or those who hanker for the sound of waves from their landlocked abodes, a beachy look invites warmth and shows off a sense of style. “Anything goes, from shabby chic to ultra modern to the warehouse look or a mix of styles,” said designer Cathy Hans of Color Dreams Interiors of Atlanta. “The important thing in the current economy is to create a clean, fresh space that makes you feel good, so surround yourself with things you love that make you feel…
Installing an entertainment center can save floor space and utilize wasted wall space. You might do away with small cabinets in the room used for storage, creating a more open floor plan for furniture. Constructing the unit from floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall, for example, allows storage for items such as media equipment and books. Consider various options before deciding on a final design. You want the entertainment center to look appropriate in the room for years to come.
A hutch is a type of storage unit that incorporates both drawers or cabinets and open shelving. Often used in the kitchen, a corner hutch is a convenient place to store special occasion china or extra dishware. If you could use a little extra storage space in your home, consider building your own corner hutch. In order to complete this project, you must first frame the unit using some kind of durable building material such as hardwood or plywood. Once you have completed the frame, you can customize the hutch to suit your needs.
Having a place to set your television that also keeps frequently used movie and game systems nearby can maximize storage space in your home. While large entertainment armoires are available as most furniture stores, you can make a TV hutch for much less on your own. Even a basic hutch can accommodate a television that measures up to 34 inches wide and 30 inches tall. Once your hutch is constructed, plan to stain or paint it to match other furniture items in your home.
The only problem with books is that they take up space. You place bookcases along walls and soon run out of wall space. Instead of placing bookcases side-by-side against a wall, place them back-to-back. Instead of walking around the two bookcases, attach them to a Lazy Susan. The bookcases turn on the Lazy Susan. Make a spinning bookcase using small, cheap bookcases that are lightweight. The books add weight so the bookcase does not spin too fast.
Dressers are ideal for storing your belongings, but may not fit into your bedroom efficiently, especially if you live in a small condo or apartment. One solution is to utilize the spaces you do have in order to store your belongings, such as under the bed. Underbed dressers allow you to create the storage you need without taking up the entire bedroom. Make your own underbed dressers using inexpensive materials.
Whether you want to perk up a plain piece or add the finishing touches to a do-it-yourself upholstery job, consider adding decorative nailheads along the bottom of your ottoman. Upholstery nails come in numerous metal finishes and sizes, and they complement most decorating styles. Nailheads look best on ottomans without skirts. Though nailhead strips are easier to install, adding individual nails results in a high-end, professional look.
Tucking secret items behind or inside books on a bookshelf is nothing new, but if you really want to make the items private, hide them inside a hidden compartment. Hidden compartments in bookshelves give the appearance of a clean back wall behind your books, but for the person who knows the compartment is there, a simple push is all that is needed to open the hidden compartment and get access to the treasures inside.
Decorating older or antique walls will breathe new life into a room. However, you could damage older walls while decorating if you don't take proper care. Over time, paint or plaster you apply over antique walls may peel or crack, causing damage that is more extensive to the vintage walls. Before you begin decorating, take the necessary step of fixing any cracks or holes in the plaster or drywall with joint compound. In addition, scrape peeling paint off the antique walls with a paint scraper.
Displaying prized antique furniture should be the focal point of your dining room. While a dinner room buffet was originally designed to be a workhorse in the dining room or kitchen for serving food, buffets are sought by antique buffs and designers for their versatility and design element. An antique dinner room buffet is also a great place to showcase some of your other antiques and vintage finds. Most antique dinner room buffets are large and can be up to 78 inches long; this offers a large area for displaying your very best décor.
Shabby chic is an interior decorating style that incorporates a distressed and classic appearance. While there are many pieces of shabby chic furniture available for purchase in home stores and online, you can create the look for yourself at home using a few simple supplies. This will allow you to customize any piece of furniture that you wish, including a vanity. You will also be able to save money by executing the task yourself. While you can use any color vanity with this method, shabby chic pieces are usually lighter in color.
An ottoman can receive burn damage from a variety of sources, such as cigarettes, candles, a hot plate or other hot item. If the damaged area is small, you may be able to patch the hole. If the damage is large, you can replace the top fabric with a fabric that complements the rest of the ottoman. Both types of repairs should only take a few hours to complete.
Building an entertainment center composed of floating cabinets is an efficient and attractive way to store your television and supplemental electronic equipment. Plywood or MDF makes an inexpensive and sturdy construction material for this project, and when placed around a frame of 2-by-4 boards this entertainment center is capable of bearing the weight of any modern television or accessory equipment. Adjust the dimensions of the frame as needed to fit within your room or around your equipment.
Plywood, oriented strand board (OSB) and particleboard are all examples of laminated wood. Lamination is the process of creating a rigid product by compressing thin sheets or small pieces of wood together to form a larger piece, using glue. Manufacturers of laminated wood products use pressure and heat to compress the small wood pieces into the large sheets found in nearly every new home. Laminated wood products are very strong, but they are not indestructible. Delamination occurs when the glue that holds the wood pieces together fails.
Tablescapes can adorn more than just a table. Carry the theme of your table throughout your entertaining area and give other surfaces the tablescape treatment. By creating the decorations on other surfaces, you bring more festivity to the occasion. It also adds another layer of attention to detail, something that guests are sure to notice. Create tablescapes with items you already own in addition to purchased items. Some sources for supplies include craft stores, antique or consignment shops and party stores.
Adding bookcases to your rooms allows you to corral books as well as display framed photographs and decorative items. Bookcases in a child's room give you a place to store baskets of toys and books. A well-built bookcase from a furniture store is an expensive item, but making your own saves money and lets you create a bookcase that fits your exact specifications. Use an existing bookcase you like to give you an idea of what you want to build for your home.
Creating shelves for your CD, DVD and VHS collections is a cost-effective method of organization and storage. By carefully measuring and building custom shelving to fit, your collection can slip into a niche between a door and window or on each side of your television. An organized media shelf unit allows you to keep track of your media and encourages your family to place items back into the correct cases and onto the shelves.
Wall-unit media shelves make sense for homeowners who need extra storage for their media collection, but do not have a great deal of space. Rather than purchasing a large media cabinet or installing a built-in media storage rack, building one or more media wall units is an economical use of space. Single-shelf wall units can be built to whatever length you choose and arranged on the wall to accommodate your individual collection.
Whether you use it as a footrest, extra seating, hidden storage or a coffee table -- an ottoman is a versatile addition to any room. It’s easy to find castoffs at yard sales or flea markets and remake ugly into awesome by adding new fabric, provided you purchase the right yardage. Underestimate the amount needed and you'll be headed back to the store. Overestimate and you'll end up wasting fabric and your money. The hardest part is remembering to add seam allowances to the measurements when you buy the fabric.
While built-in bookcases are certainly a bonus feature in any room, if left unframed they can look like unnatural cutouts in the walls. To give your built-in bookcases a seamless look and to add to the look of the room they are featured in, frame them. Framing the bookcases will make them look like a natural part of the room and add even more interest to these architectural elements.
Whether you're short on space or simply want to free up floor and wall space, converting a closet into a built-in entertainment center is a viable option for neat and functional storage for your entertainment equipment. A closet allows you to conveniently store your audio-visual equipment in a space that is accessible without having to take up the extra room that a separate entertainment center would require. With some planning, you can transform a closet into the media hub of a room.
Using a combination of visually appealing materials can upgrade any existing fireplace. Bookshelves should fit into wall sections on each side of the firebox. Risk of fire or rising smoke makes storage of books above the mantel a bad idea. You can, however, place art objects in the shelving area directly above the mantel. Be sure to select a plan that complements the room’s overall décor.
Building a recessed bookshelf is a simple way to increase the available storage in your home without using up a great deal of floor space. DIY recessed bookshelves are a project that most homeowners can complete themselves, and there are many options for customization. Not only can you build the unit to your desired shape and size, but you can also embellish it with decorative wood trim or add lighting to use your bookshelf as a display for collectibles.
Reupholstering furniture requires less precision than sewing slipcovers, and the fitted appearance is often tidier. Leather and fabric upholstery techniques are mostly the same, but decorative and functional upholstery tacks let you fasten some edges from the outside instead of tucking them away in the frame. Surface tack any leather section edges you like, as long as there is wood underneath. Common areas for tacks are around chair arms, the chair’s base, or Ottoman and surrounding large sections, such as the chair’s back or side.
For a barrister, or lawyer, it's important to have an office that looks organized and well-kept. This includes things such as maintaining the finish on the furniture, including the bookcases that display law books and other references. These bookcases also look sophisticated in a home library, study or office. When the finish begins to look worn, you can redo the surface, restoring the luster of the bookcase.
Standard furniture widths may vary slightly, from manufacturer to manufacturer, and when it comes to a chest of drawers, you may find furniture as narrow as 10 inches, or 46 inches or wider. The height of each drawer within the chest also varies, from 3 to 4 inches to as wide as 12 inches.
A bookcase is more than a piece of furniture. Because it holds your books, it makes a statement about your interests, hobbies and values. Bookcases come in many sizes and materials, but a simple wooden bookcase is a good choice for an office, bedroom or family room. Select a bookcase size that works for the room, your budget and the number of books you own, as well as other considerations.
The term "shabby chic" refers to rustic yet stylish looking furniture and decor. Shabby chic furnishings come in many colors, with additional features that make the furniture look worn or old-fashioned. You can create a shabby chic look by painting a nightstand a certain color and using a sander around the corners and top to make it look older than it is.
Television networks and advertisers constantly search for effective ways to quantify television-viewing habits. Knowing the most popular shows helps advertisers determine where advertising dollars are best spent and ultimately dictates each network's programming schedule. In many areas of the world, a TRP rating indicates a television show's popularity.
Brown leather sofas and wood furniture give rooms a stately look, a style that works well in a study or library where deep thoughts are cultivated. However, in a more casual setting like a den or living room, the dark leather and wood tones can make the room seem drab and somber. You can transform the mood with a few simple decorating techniques.
Whether the room you want to divide is large or small, you can create an entirely new look by dividing it with a china cabinet. China cabinets are large enough to give you a proper faux wall but small enough to not overwhelm smaller spaces. China cabinets also give you the benefit of easily removing your divider without having to take down a permanent wall.
Although it's one of the first things you see in the morning and one of the last things you see at night, the top of a dresser often becomes an unsightly catchall for loose change and extra buttons. With thought and planning, the dresser can retain its functionality while becoming an attractive focal point in the room. Arranging a dresser can be a complex grouping of decorative elements, or it may be as simple as a couple of carefully placed objects.
A wobbly or shaky bookshelf presents a danger of collapsing. That can mean not only the destruction of the bookshelf, but also potential injury to anyone nearby when it collapses. Bookshelves often support a great weight in heavy books, and are sometimes top-heavy as well, adding to the danger of a collapse. Children climbing on the shelves only adds to the danger. Adding supports and anchoring the unit to the wall can avoid the danger of collapse.
Bookcases are helpful in keeping your books well organized and in maintaining a tidy room, but you may not want to always see all of the books filling up the shelves. One solution is to enclose the bookcase to provide concealment for your books. Purchase all of the supplies you need to enclose a bookcase inexpensively at any hardware or home improvement store. Using affordable supplies, such as plywood and wood stain, enables you to enclose a bookcase without spending a fortune.
It can be mildly irritating to feel an ottoman shake under the weight of your feet, but don't relax in this position for long unless you want to cause a great deal of damage to the piece of furniture. You need to locate the problem and repair the ottoman to ensure it lasts for years.
MDF, or medium-density fiberboard, is an excellent material for building bookshelves, due to its attractive appearance and relative strength. This material is easily painted and easy to work with. MDF is best attached with metal brackets to increase the strength of the connections. This process can be completed with basic tools and a limited experience with MDF or basic carpentry. The bookcase can be adjusted as needed for depth and length of shelves and overall width and height .
Well-made bookcases provide long-time storage for your most beloved books. If you get tired of its appearance though, your first instinct may be to toss it out and replace it with a new piece. But an outdated bookcase doesn’t necessarily need replacing. You can reuse the old bookcase and save some money by updating the bookcase to achieve the look you desire.
Whether you have low ceilings, short arms or simply horizontal tastes, tall bookcases may not be your style. When that's the case, try building a horizontal bookcase. Since they sit low to the ground, you don't have to worry about anchoring them to the wall or tipping them over -- you can even use the top of the bookcase for displaying framed photos, flowers or other art. When your bookcase is horizontal, your books are always within easy reach.
