Decorating Advice and Paint Colors

One of my favorite shows on HGTV is “House Hunters”. The show follows people all over the country, & now world trying to find a home. You get to see how much apartments, condo’s, townhouses, & homes are, what is important to people, & even how they decorate the apartment after. It seems the only common dominator is every other real estate agent welcomes people into their office to sign the offer with “Ready to sign your life away?”. You just spent weeks trying to convince this people that hideous wallpaper is an “easy fix”, and that they can always expand to add the second bath they wanted, and now you are mocking them? Smooth, very smooth. I guess this is supposed to be funny, or the real estate equivalent of how are you?  It just seems like poor salesman ship, if a real estate agent even says that to me, I am just going to say “Nope, I’m not” & walk away.

Tags: real-estate, agent, house, realtors, tips, hgtv, house-hunters

Tonight’s episode of “Design Star” had Alice & David decorating glass houses in New York City. I was torn this episode, it’s like choosing between your children. I thought David was the better designer, but as a host I love Alice. Bottom line I need more information, what show are they going to be hosting? Are they going to be a minor or major character, will they be making up all the ideas ala Martha Stewart, or simply be a host like Clive Pierce? I love Alice, I want to be her friend. However, I thought David had the better house, the screen idea was brilliant. I was yelling at the TV, Don’t put in any color, don’ t you put in a decorative throw pillow don’t you do it David, because I wanted Alice to have a chance. I didn’t even put this much thought into voting for President. So you can cast your vote for the next design star here. I really just want them to host a show together. I loved that they weren’t at each others throats like most reality series, they seem like they genuinely want the best for each other. Heck, HGTV give them both a show!

My freshman year I changed dorms. To this day I am convinced that my new roommate asked me to live with her solely because our stuff matched. It’s difficult fitting everything you will need for an entire year in half a room. It’s even more difficult to make it look good. Here are some tips for a livable dorm room:

1. Functional: Dorms usually have no extra space, everything must serve a purpose. No room for decorative accessories and knick knacks. So bring out your personality in functional items, like this Tommy Hilfiger bedding collection that is 70% off. Click on any of the pictures that you want more information about.

2. Colorful: The walls of your dorm will probably be white, your carpet brown or gray, so infuse your room with color. Bring in bright posters and bedding. Use a rainbow of bright colors, vibrant green’s, oranges, & pinks so your palette will be able to fit with whatever your roommate has. Use a funky rug to personalize the space and make all your other dorm-mates jealous.

3. Organized: In such a small space it is crucial to be organized, well, as organized as a college kid will be. Try baskets underneath the bed to store everything you don’t know where to put. Get the most out of your closet space with these hanging shelves that come in all sizes for sweaters and even shoes.

4. Home: One thing I do in every apartment/dorm I live in, is hang up curtains on a tension rod right over the mini blinds. This makes the place feel more like home, and less like a rental. Use colorful sheers.  This keeps the room still feeling non-stuffy, very college, and also lets in light.