When the TV returns to inside the cabinet, the top surface is another useable space.

Even with compact flat screens, sometimes TVs are problematic to decorating. Perhaps you don’t have enough wall space in your bedroom for a TV. Or maybe you want a TV in a more formal room but you don’t want it to conflict with your décor. If you are trying to reduce TV watching in your home – but don’t want to eliminate the TV completely – you might be looking for a complete storage solution.

I have the answer for you: a cabinet or console with a TV lift installed.

These are perfect for anyone who wants occasional use of a TV because the TV actually drops into the cabinet, giving you a smooth surface on top. When you’re ready to watch the TV, you simply punch a remote control and it rises from the cabinet. When you’re finished, hit the button and it returns to its hiding place.

I recently had one of these installed for a client who wanted a TV but the walkways in her living space made a wall-hung or tabletop TV impossible. We placed the lifted TV inside a console table, and now she can access it when her family is ready for TV yet it’s not in the way at other times.

Components for your lifted TV can also be hidden in the cabinet so they don't distract from your decor.

Another client only had adequate wall space for a dresser mirror but also wanted a TV. Our technician mounted the TV inside her dresser, so now it can be raised to watch TV from the bed or lowered for full access to the mirror above it. The dresser’s drawers remain useable, although they are shallower to make room for the lift mechanism.

This concept works especially well for rooms full of windows, such as a high-rise where the focus is on the view. Plus we can add a 360-degree swivel base to make the TV visible from any angle in the room. And since lifted TVs can be added to virtually any type of cabinet or console, you don’t sacrifice function for beauty. You can also hide your media components inside the unit, providing a clean look.

If we can help with creating a TV lift cabinet for you, or with any of your design needs, please contact us.

With its brass nailhead trim, this white headboard coordinates with the bedding as a soft accent to the bedroom's dark woods.

If you want to change things up in your bedroom décor but don’t want to invest in new furniture or paint, consider adding a custom headboard. Since a bedroom tends to reflect a lot of wood finishes due to the dresser, nightstands and other pieces, an upholstered headboard adds just the right amount of extra texture and color.

Even better, it gives you a comfortable spot for leaning back if you want to read, watch TV or, well, whatever activity you might want to do in the privacy of your bedroom. Did I mention an upholstered headboard also adds a bit of romance?

We can design the headboards in any shape, size or fabric to match the look you are seeking. The headboards can be rounded on top, for example, or oversized. They can be tufted with buttons or even nail heads, and they are padded to be cushy but not bulky. In the right room, a leather headboard adds a bit of glamour, while a rich-colored microfiber is cozy and soft. In short, anything goes.

Any durable fabric can be used for custom headboards.

Once your headboard is manufactured, we simply hang it securely on the wall over your bed. The bed fits snugly beneath the board, giving the bed and frame a seamless, professional look. You’ll love it!

Please contact us at Style on a Shoestring if we can help with a new headboard or any of your home design needs.

Artwork, a cute chandelier and a charming color scheme make for an inviting nursery.

If you’re expecting a new addition (or a grand-addition!), you’re probably thinking about how to decorate a special room in your home for Baby Boy or Baby Girl. There are so many options on the market these days—everything from super-discounted to wildly high-end—that it can be difficult to know where to start.

When I design a nursery, I typically begin with the furniture and design the room around that. So decide what kind of crib you want—dark wood, painted wood, etc.—and then build from there. Also consider you will need a chair of some sort (more about that in a minute) and a changing table. There are many other furniture pieces you can buy, of course, but those are the basics.

Next, figure out what kind of theme you like. It’s easy to get caught up in fanciful ideas—jungles, racecars and butterflies—but remember, you’re going to be spending a lot of time in that room. A little goes a long way when it comes to nursery décor. So don’t feel bad if you want to skip the giraffes and tigers in favor of just a color scheme you can use as a palette for paint, bedding and fabrics.

That said, we work with a fantastic mural artist who can literally paint anything on a wall. If you want your baby to sleep among soft, flying fairies, for example, she can create that. Or perhaps you want an array of stripes for a boy’s room—we have a contractor who can provide that feature. If you want to give the room a DIY personalized touch, write the child’s initial in a beautiful script over the crib (practice in pencil first and then fill it in with paint, or use a stencil).

After the crib, the chair is probably the next most important item in the room. You will use it for nursing—and you might just collapse into it once you get Baby to finally fall asleep. That means it needs to be comfortable, sturdy and have an easy gliding function. Pottery Barn Kids (see photo below) makes affordable chairs just for this purpose. We also design and manufacture our own chairs for clients at Custom Furniture Galleries, where you can get any type of fabric or design you want.

Pottery Barn's Kids Comfort square arm glider works well in a baby's room.

A few more things to think about: storage (IKEA’s Expedit cubbies are perfect for diapers, tiny clothes and toys), window coverings (add blackout linings to make naptime easier) and lighting (delicate chandeliers are darling in baby girls’ rooms). Whatever you do, be sure to buy quality items for your baby’s room that meet safety standards—visit the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s website for specific guidelines.

Congratulations on your new baby! As always, please contact us at Style on a Shoestring if we can help with any of your home design needs.

If your kids have summers off from school, you probably feel like you want to cover your home’s interior in plastic until fall. Somehow children seem to find what is sticky, dirty and wet no matter where they go for their summertime fun. But there’s no need to panic – here are a few tips to make your home both kid-proof and kid-friendly as you celebrate sunshine and school vacation with your little ones:

• Several paint manufacturers now make washable paint. In just a few hours you can use it to cover the walls where your kids play most. Even more fun is chalkboard paint, which is actually meant for kids (and parents!) to write on. Ask your favorite paint or home improvement store to point you to these helpful paints.

Benjamin Moore chalkboard paint

• Colorful plastic dishware is practical for summer meals, whether inside or out. Pottery Barn’s new Kerala line (potterybarn.com) is made from sturdy melamine in a vibrant Indian motif. It’s shatterproof, dishwasher-safe and affordable at $26 for four large dinner plates.

Pottery Barn’s Kerala dinnerware

• Lighten up your kids’ bedrooms by removing and storing heavier bedding and blankets. The Land of Nod (landofnod.com) has duvet covers with matching sheets in cool gingham, dots and stripes patterns that will let you freshen the kids’ rooms without blowing your budget.

Gingham bedding set from The Land of Nod

Dots sheet set from The Land of Nod

• Protect your floors and patio surfaces with indoor/outdoor rugs. Outside, a rug provides a cozy play place. Inside, the easily cleanable rug offers your eat-in kitchen a punch of color.

Rugs from Macy's

• Instead of putting covers on your furniture – which can look sloppy – clean and then treat it with a stain guard. Give Chris Grant at Fibercare a call to service your sofas, chairs, dining chairs, carpets or other surfaces: (800) 939-2101.

Have a great summer, and please contact us at Style on a Shoestring if we can help with any of your home design needs.

1. The first thing to consider when decorating your nursery is safety. Be sure to check out safety guidelines before buying or borrowing nursery furniture. You can also look up product recalls on government websites. This is a good thing to do before you start shopping for furniture.
2. Start visiting swap meets, tag sales, and garage sales as soon as you know you’ll be needing baby things. Use any secondhand sources you can think of, particularly for items that you’ll use for a very short time, such as a bassinette, walker,  or jumper.
3. Select furniture and furnishings that will convert to good use as the child grows from infancy to the toddler stage. Planning ahead now will really pay off in the future. You’ll only have to buy once.
4. Choose colors for the nursery that will coordinate with the colors of toys. Then the toys become decorative items themselves.
5. The best way to save lots of money is to do as much of the work as you can yourself.  Paint furniture, sew curtains and quilts, paint the walls, and put up wallpaper.
6. Use your money to buy things that will last through childhood – or at least a few years. Invest in a good bed and chest, but borrow or shop at discount stores for everything else.
7. If friends will be having a baby shower for you, this is a great time to get some things that will enhance your chosen room theme. Register for some things to decorate the room, such as bedding, furniture, and accessories.
8. Select a paint color for the walls that will “grow” with the child. Pale pink or baby blue are adorable for an infant, but may not last long.
9. Use baskets, drawers, and shelves to store toys, clothing, and other infant essentials.
10. Expand storage space by building shelves and adding extra clothes rods for the closet. You can buy simple do-it-yourself kits at home centers.
11. Instead of trying to wallpaper the whole room, paint the walls and decorate with a simple border or stencil a design around the windows, ceiling, and doors.

  

Tracy, Mary and Brian,

Thank you all so much for the wonderful job you did in my son, Jackson’s room. Your creativity and imagination are incredible. The surfboard on the wall was a great idea. He loves his room so much he can’t wait to show it to all his friends. I can’t wait for the next decorating phase. I look forward to the day when my entire house is by “Style On a Shoestring.”

Thanks again,

Heather and Fred Hanover

Want to give your kids free rein to decorate their rooms without the wall looking like something from a swiss cheese factory? Now you can with the creation of a new wall covering that is a magnetic primer, which contains non-toxic iron particles. You’ll need at least two base coats of this special primer under the paint of your choice. The resulting surface will hold magnets, which in turn can hold artwork, including posters. (For best holding power, use broad, flat, or ultra-strong magnets.) Now when your kids change their pictures, either daily or monthly, there won’t be a trail of holes left behind in your newly painted walls. 

Where To Buy:

Does it feel challenging sometimes to any of you to find bedding you love at the stores out there?  I definitely feel challenged by that alot.  I am so excited about a company I have found who makes custom bedding at a great price.  It’s fun to pick out fabrics of all kinds and create a one of a kind look in the bedroom.  If you’re careful and choose some inexpensive fabrics you can create a great look and it’s not out of this world.  There are really some great fabrics out there.