Garden Pallet for Small Spaces

Fern at Life on the Balcony is a whiz at maximizing garden space

This is an easy way to bring a garden to a small area, wall, or apartment balcony. This project calls for 6 simple supplies:

a pallet, 2 large bags of potting soil, 16 six packs of annual flowers or herbs, a small roll of landscape fabric, a staple gun, and sand paper.

What a great way to re-use a pallet and a creative idea to design an unusual garden. It will bring color and nature to a space that might not usually have anything, give a small space definition, or create a scene on a blank wall.

Guest blogger: Katherine Fountain

$1 : Turn Dollar Store Finds into Home Furnishings

Smart Move Design was given a challenge by our local newspaper. We were handed $25.00 to see what kind of home decor we could buy or create from the dollar store. We scoped out the best dollar stores in town and got creative. For the full article and before and after photos of all the items, click here

Small Space Design

Since 1960 homes had been doubling in size. For the first time in 50 years the census data now shows a decrease in home sizes. With a decrease in size comes the challenge of adjusting from large spaces to smaller while still having a feeling of comfort and design.

5 tips for small spaces

Have a bench and hooks at an entry way to allow jackets, hats, and shoes to stay together in an organized way.

Make a room feel more open by using glass tables.

Hang a mirror at or above eye level to open up the space without showing clutter on the floor. Hang it across from a window to bring more light into the room.

Create multifunctional zones within a room: a drop leaf table behind a sofa can act as a sofa table, dining table, and desk.

Larger furniture with fewer accessoires allow a room to feel comfortable and uncluttered.

Guest blogger: Tess Johnson

Have fun with murano glass beaded wallpaper

Faux glass bead wallpaper makes for a lovely and glamorous look for your wall anywhere in the home. The wall coverings shed beautiful light to give an impact. They give a statement to any space and are available in a wide array of colors. This is an easy way to bring color and texture into your home while making an impression on the space itself.

Guest blogger: Katherine Fountain

Cheryl Tiegs visits the Syracuse Parade of Homes

Cheryl Tiegs, spokeswoman for Cambria Stone Products stopped by the Sciuga Home in the Syracuse Parade of Homes today.

The Sciuga Home has Cambria products for the kitchen counter and island, bathroom vanities, laundry room, fireplace and even the master shower walls. The home is gorgeous!

The Parade of Homes runs Sept 10 through Sept 25 and is located across from Wegmans on Taft Road in Liverpool.

This is the 2nd year Lisa Ryan has worked as the designer and decorator for the Sciuga Home.

Redesign Complete

These before and after pictures are from a recent redesign in Syracuse, NY.
Scope of this project: window treatments, area rugs, some furniture pieces, art, accessories, and putting it all together.

Green Tip(s) of the Weeks

Going Green - 5 Easy First Steps to Going Green - The Daily Green

www.thedailygreen.com

To get started going green, check out these 5 easy first steps. Bring your own bag, turn off the lights, keep your car tires inflated to the right pressure, shop at farmers' markets and skip bottled water.

Green Tip

Looking for a way to warm up your toes this winter and keep them eco-friendly at the same time?

Consider rugs that are made with natural fibers (cotton, hemp, jute, and wool), are formaldehyde-free, and then lay them down on grip pads that are not made with carcinogen PVC.

The following are some nice green alternatives.

Prairie Rugs at Target

Felt Rugs at Peace Industry

Jute Rugs at West Elm

Cotton Chenille Rugs at Amazon.com

Information provided by Ideal Bite

Smart Move Design is a Home Staging and Redesign company located near Syracuse, NY and serves the Central and Northern New York areas.

Question of the Week

This week's question comes from J.R. in Buffalo, NY

What paint should I use in my shower to keep mildew away?

Sherwin William's Bath Paint and Benjamin Moore's Kitchen and Bath Paint are both excellent.
The absolute best mildew resistant paint is Zinsser's Perma-White. It has a 5 year mold and mildew proof guarantee. The only drawback is, it's only tintable to off-whites or pastels.

Besides mildew proof paint, there are other things you can do to keep mildew under control.

Turn on the bathroom fan.

Fans will help pull moisture from the air, preventing the growth of mildew. If your bathroom doesn't have a fan, use a dehumidifier, air conditioner, or open a bathroom window. In the winter, turn on the heat. Heat will help dry the bathroom faster and remove excess moisture from the air.

Turn on the lights

Turn on lighting before, during and after a shower or hot bath. Mildew doesn't grow in well-lit areas. Leave lights on an extra fifteen minutes after showering.

Clean

Mildew feeds on body oils and soap scum trapped on painted surfaces, grout, shower doors, curtains, and tiling. Scrub bathroom shower walls and doors with a solution of bleach and water (1 cup chlorine bleach to 5 cups hot water). Bleach kills bacterias like molds and mildews. You can use regular household bleach or cleaners containing bleach. Wash the shower curtain regularly in hot water, adding a cup of bleach to the water.

Keep the area dry

Wipe down the shower and bath area after bathing to help remove moisture. Use a squeegee or sponge. Wet towels and washcloths are also hot spots for mildew growth. Hang towels, clothing and anything that can collect moisture.

Smart Move Design is a Home Staging and Redesign company located near Syracuse, NY and serves the Central and Northern New York areas.

House Highlight

Our house highlight for this week is a beautiful 3 bedroom, 2 bath ranch located in Fayetteville, NY. It is listed for $174, 900. This home boasts hardwood floors, a newly renovated kitchen with breakfast bar, updated baths, a wood burning fireplace and 2 new exterior decks. See here for additional real estate info on this home or to contact the agent.

Staging highlight for this home - we defined spaces with area rugs and furniture while maintaining the open feel of the home.

Smart Move Design is a Home Staging and Redesign company located near Syracuse, NY and serves the Central and Northern New York areas.

Green Tip

When it comes time to move to your new abode consider hiring the services of Green Movers.

Many green movers offer reusable boxes, offset their emissions by planting trees and run their trucks with cleaner biodiesel (instead of regular diesel).

Check out Green Movers USA, they rate their affiliate movers so you can see exactly how eco friendly each one is.

Information provided by Ideal Bite

Smart Move Design is a Home Staging and Redesign company located near Syracuse, NY and serves the Central and Northern New York areas.