HG Openhouse Blog

I hear birds, I see daffodils peeking out of the ground, and I feel the warm sun.

Ok folks, it is officially time to show your yard some love!

• Start with a clean canvas – clean up rogue branches and leaves from the yard and powerwash the deck if needed.
• Bring the patio furniture out of storage – try to arrange them differently that you did last year…just for kicks.
• Bring in some color – tune up your flower beds, add some container plants, hang colorful lanterns or a bird feeder, etc.
• Find some new  “must-have” outdoor dinnerware and invite some friends over!

Not only will these projects make you happy, but if you’re considering putting your house on the market, you’ll have instant curb-appeal!

What do you do to prepare your yard for spring?

New media room

In my previous post, “Formal Rooms to Fun rooms, part 1“, I wrote about rooms we have in our homes that get little or no use. You might call them “trophy rooms”, mostly for show.  My friend had 2 rooms with little use, but needed more family activity and entertainment space. So she asked me Read entire post

I’ve always been fascinated by the power of color – and decided to test its powers on my little nook in the playroom which I’ve (attempted) to claim for myself.

Previously, I converted part of the kids’ playroom to a retreat area by placing a twin bed in front of the window. I used lively kid-friendly colors since it was a playroom.

HOWEVER…I’ve tired of the kid vibe, and finally took my own advice and transformed the space using color and texture. Now it’s really a place I can relax in, AND it’s more appealing as our guest room. Now all I need is to install a soundproof curtain to hang in front to make me invisible to the kids!

How have you used color to transform a room?

Click here to see the inspiration room from a previous post.

Goldfish Bowls

Do you ever get tired of looking at the same old candle or centerpiece in the middle of your kitchen or dining room table? I know I am ready for a change. The internet is such a great place to wander when I am trying to get my creative side kicked into gear.

I’ve shared with you before that I am a fan of My Home Ideas. The Room Gallery provides an abundance of beautiful photos grouped into room by room categories.  If you need help as you begin a new project, My Home Ideas will probably be able to help you narrow your focus and direct your planning. As I searched through photo after photo of dining rooms I came up with a few favorites that I would like to share with you.

This first one featured in Cooking light uses Goldfish Bowls. It is very simple and it’s entertaining. What a great conversation starter!!

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I have a dear friend who has a beautiful home. The problem was, she needed more casual space for family and friend related activities. Living in California, most homes here don’t have basements (I guess it has something to do with earthquakes??), so we can’t expand to lower levels, we have to use our above ground or outdoor space to its best advantage.

My friend came to me and said, “Cathy, you’re going to think I’m nuts, but I want to turn my little used living room and formal dining room into family entertainment areas”. I told her, Read entire post

Our grandson turned two last week. He’s come a long way in twenty four months. Every little person is a blessing, but I think having him born weighing barely more than a pound and a half, we consider him both a blessing and a miracle. He is a happy and good little guy, so I don’t believe he has had to spend too many minutes in his time out chair. Of course, Gram can’t imagine ever having to give him a “time out.” LOL 

I found this adorable “time out” chair this morning. How cute is that?! If a home needs a place for time out, don’t you think it should be cute!?! Read entire post

So often I find that “sentimental, can’t part with it ever” items are stuck in the back of a closet, boxed up in the attic or basement, stuffed under the bed or even hidden in plain view beneath a layer of dust and other non-sentimental clutter.

If you truly treasure and object but don’t have a way to use it, you should at least give it a place of honor in your home.

I love this creative display of sentimentality by Eleanor at A Bit of Heaven blog.   She has taken 3 generations of baby silverware and placed them in a shadowbox bordered with a sweet childhood poem.  So much better than storing them in the attic, don’t you think?

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We all have them, those great little nooks, crannies and quirky spaces in our homes. They’re not big enough to be a room, but not small enough to have the extra space go unused. These spaces pop up in  garage entryways,  hallway dead- ends and cut-outs,  landing lay-overs, under stair spaces,  bathroom bump-outs,  kitchen cut-offs,  or plump passageways. Don’t let these prime pieces of real estate go to waste!  You’d be surprised what functional and decorative  impact  you can make in just a couple feet of space. Think vertically to use the space to its best advantage.

Here’s a few spaces  Read entire post

I am sooo over cold weather. I know we have at least another month to go, but I need to start thinking Spring. Just for my mental health I have to start thinking about getting a jump on the next season.

Nothing says Spring and Summer like polka dots, checks, and stripes. Think gingham, patio stripes, polka dot bedding and aprons. The list could go on and on with pillows, umbrellas, rugs, etc.

If you’re looking around your home and thinking to yourself, how in the world can I incorporate polka dots, checks or stripes into my decor? Take a look at a few of the links that follow there are some great ideas, and if nothing else they will give you a sense that Spring is on the way!! Read entire post