HomeStyle-Spring-2013

PLUS Color is back/Page 9DIY bathroom makeover/Page 20

Spring 2013 Meeker County Advertiser and Hutchinson Leader Shopper

DECORATING with

StyleSince 2007, Anita Liepke has helpedcustomers with their decoratingneeds/Page 3

6 Essential Tools for fixing, installing, removing,replacing or otherwise improving the home / Page 15

2 Spring Home Improvement Hutchinson Leader/Litchfield Independent Review Sunday, March 17, 2013

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LeaderLeaderH U T C H I N S O N

LITCHFIELD INDEPENDENT REVIEW P.O.Box 921,

Litchfield,MN 55355-0921Phone: 320-693-3266

Fax: 320-693-9177E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.independentreview.net

THE HUTCHINSON LEADER 170 Shady Ridge Rd.NW,Suite 100,

Hutchinson,MN 55350-2440Phone: 320-587-5000

Fax: 320-587-6104E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.hutchinsonleader.com

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Hutchinson Leader/Litchfield Independent Review Sunday, March 17, 2013 Spring Home Improvement 3

By KAY [email protected]

When Barry and SharonBarton of rural SilverLake decided to remodeltheir kitchen, they turnedto Anita Liepke for help.

Liepke launched her decorating business,Bella Stanza, in 2007. It was a natural exten-sion of the family business — Liepke’sDecor-Aiding (formerly Liepke’s Wallcover-ings).

The one-woman shop provides servicesranging from paint consultation to projectmanagement.

Liepke had worked with the Bartons pre-viously to update their bedroom. Her hus-band, Michael, had wallpapered in thehome, too.

The kitchen remodel project started inJanuary 2012 with meetings to discuss whatthe couple wanted to do.

With the first-floor rooms flowing intoeach other of the 1979-built split-levelhome, the question was asked, Where doyou stop remodeling? It became clear thatfor Bartons’ open-floor plan idea to work,they would have to expand the job fromjust the kitchen to include the entry andfirst floor.

“We had a lot of wallpaper and carpet,”Sharon said.

Demolition started in March with the lastdrawer slipped into place on Dec. 21.

Liepke advised the couple on designoptions as well as serving as project man-ager.

“I came in and took control,” she said. “Iwork with all the subcontractors. I makesure everyone is on time and things aregoing well.”

The two women estimated about 90 per-cent of the labor and materials came from

Decorating withstyleSINCE 2007, ANITA LIEPKE HASHELPED CUSTOMERS WITHTHEIR DECORATING NEEDS

STAFF PHOTOS BY KAY JOHNSON

The Bartons’ living room after it was remodeled. Hardwood floors replaced the carpeting and panels replaced theheavy drapes. The couple also had the spindles between the dining room and living room removed and replaced withan open walk-through. Paint colors were changed, too. The rooms flow comfortably into each other and yet maintaintheir own sense of style.Continued on page 4


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the Hutchinson area. “It worked out very well,” Liepke said. “It

brings revenue back to our area. I’d like tosee a bigger wedge, but you’re limited bywhat’s available.”

Working with Liepke was a positive expe-rience for the couple. It gave them thehome they wanted.

“If you need help,” Sharon said, “hire adecorator.”

“It’s worth the price,” Liepke added.

How it worksWhen Liepke launched Bella Stanza, the

economy was just about to tank. She wasable to stay in business thanks to the repu-tation she and her husband had earnedthrough their wallcoverings business.

Her early customers called, asking aboutpaint colors. “They wanted to do some-thing,” she said, “but they weren’t sureabout the future.”

Today, Liepke believes things are gettingbetter.

Continued from page 3

Decorating

Continued on page 7The Bartons’ living room before remodeling.


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The “before” kitchen in Barry and Sharon Barton’s home. Note the stove topwas installed in the peninisula counter. The oven and refrigerator shared thesame wall. Colors were orange and brown, popular in 1979 when the homewas built.

Earth tones replaced the orange in the Bartons’ remodeled kitchen. The spacewas opened up and the peninsula counter was removed. A center island with agranite countertop now provides extra counter space and a place for dining.Not pictured is a round kitchen table to the left of the island that providesseating for four. Extra leaves expand the size of the table for larger parties.


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Remodeling“I’m getting bigger jobs,” she said. “Peo-

ple are feeling more confident.”Liepke’s business is about equally divided

between commercial and private clients. For a $50 consultation fee, she’ll come to

your home and offer decorating sugges-tions about what you can do.

For $75 an hour, she’ll come into yourhome and rearrange a room with your ownbelongings.

She’s willing to purchase items, too. Pay-ment is based on a sliding percentage.

If you have a big project, Liepke recom-mended tackling it in stages because it’s notso overwhelming.

The majority of Liepke’s clients comefrom referrals or word of mouth.

“Working one-on-one is so rewarding,”she said. “I go in and find out the back-ground to get a feel for the person. I askquestions. Who uses this room? How does itget used? If you can’t satisfy someone’s likesand dislikes, you’ve missed the mark.”

TrendsWhen it comes to what is fashionable,

Liepke identified wallpaper as the No. 1trend.

“It’s not your grandma’s wallpaper,” she

said. “It’s 54-inch commercial wallpaperwith texture and depth.”

At this time, 90 percent of Liepke’s hus-band’s work is in the Twin Cities hangingwallpaper.

“Accent walls are big,” she said.When it comes to kitchens, Liepke does-

n’t see hardwood floors, granite counter-tops and stainless steel appliances goingaway anytime soon.

She also identified the mid-century mod-ern design colors such as aqua blues andyellows as strong.

“It’s fun,” Liepke said. “The one thing Ilove about it is it’s fun working with people.I’ve never met a bad customer.”

For more information, call Anita Liepke,owner of Bella Stanza, at 612-599-1110, oremail: [email protected].

DecoratorAnita Liepkewith home-owner SharonBarton. Thetwo womenworkedtogether onthe Bartons’home-remod-eling project.

When the Bartons were remodelingtheir kitchen, Sharon didn’t want alazy Susan corner cupboard. She sawthe corner-drawers idea and had itmodified to work in their home.


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Color is back By KAY [email protected]

If you’re wondering how the econo-my is doing, all you have to do is visita furniture store. When the economytanked a few years ago, furniture col-ors trended toward dark and sober.

With the economy improving, color is backin a big way.

Poppy red, nectarine, linen, Monacoblue, lemon zest, African violet, tendershoots, grayed jade, dusk blue and emeraldare the spring colors reported by Pantone,the world-renowned authority on color.

The day this reporter visited Slumberlandstore in Hutchinson, the front-entry displayfeatured a sofa in light green (tender

shoots) and an accent chair in light green(tender shoots) and blue (dusk blue).

Factory Direct, also in Hutchinson, fea-tured a poppy red sofa with an accent chairupholstered in a modern design of red,black and gray circles on a cream back-ground.

“There’s a re-influx of color,” said KevinHeikes, a member of family-owned FactoryDirect in Hutchinson. “We’re seeing greens,blues and reds as accent colors.”

Kelli Starrett, Slumberland store manag-er, echoed Heikes’ observation.

“Color is coming out,” she said. “Acces-sories bring in color with patterns andstripes. Florals are coming back bold andmodernized. We’re seeing all different

FURNITURE AND ACCESSORIES SPORTBRIGHT COLORS FOR SPRING


Kevin Heikes showed a sample of a distressed wood finish available inDaniel’s Amish dining room tables and chairs at Factory Direct Furniture. Continued on page 10


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shades of green in patio furniture.”Color isn’t just restricted to the living

room. You can find it throughout the houseas Starrett pointed out a child’s bright pinkheadboard and bed frame, lime-greenlamps and colored ottomans.

While color is popping out all over, onefinish that isn’t catching on as fast locally asit has nationally is the worn, distressed-wood look.

“We’re very conservative,” Kevin said.“We don’t push the limit on trends.”

That said, rustic oak with slate accents isso popular, Factory Direct has trouble keep-ing it in stock.

Power-recline furnitureOther than color, another furniture trend

at Factory Direct and Slumberland is“power” furniture.

If you’re thinking Grandma’s lift chair,you’re wrong.

Power recline provided by a small built-inmotor makes it easy to smoothly adjust thepitch of couches, recliners, chairs and love

seats. No more hard-to-move manuallevers. Just a touch of the remote and youcan easily adjust the angle of your seat.

“Over half of the reclining furniture wesold last year was power-based,” said KeithHeikes, a member of the family-ownedbusiness.

In addition to power recline, Starett saidcouches and sectionals are available withall sorts of bells and whistles includingbuilt-in lights, speakers for your iPod, stor-age, tables, as well as with rocking andreclining sections.

“People want it,” she said.Power is also moving into the bedroom.

Factory Direct and Slumberland have seena jump in the sales of power-bases — alsocalled lifestyle bases.

A remote is used to adjust the mattressfrom a flat position to an upright positionas well as provide massage.

“People are doing more than one thing ina room,” Kevin said. “The traditional officeis going away.”

“Lifestyle bases are huge right now,” Star-rett said. “Everyone wants it. They watchTV. They do their laptop stuff in the bed-room.”

While mattresses come in a variety ofmaterials today, the traditional innerspringmattress remains the most popular at Fac-

Slumberlandstore managerKelli Starrettdemonstratedhow a power-recline remoteworks.


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tory Direct.At Slumberland, people are buying Tem-

pur-Pedic mattresses, which are made fromviscoelastic memory foam. It offers a luxu-rious feel with firm support.

“If customers don’t go for Tempur-Pedic,“Starrett said, “they go with our Optimum bySealy or TruEnergy by Beautyrest. TruEner-gy offers the best of both worlds — coils, geland memory foam with an air-pocketedfeel. People are spending a little bit moremoney on a bed now.”

In addition to power-base beds, theHeikes brothers offer Daniel’s Amish bed-room furniture and dining room tables andchairs. Built to last, the solid wood furniturecomes in a variety of finishes ranging fromoak and cherry to maple, hickory and more.

“It’s furniture your grandchildren willfight over,” Keith said.

Dining room furnitureWhile dining room sets continue to be

popular, the Heikes brothers said they areselling fewer traditional china hutches andcurio cabinets each year.

“People don’t collect anymore,” Kevinsaid.

Rather than a china hutch, a buffet is the

The poppy red sofa is showcased sitting on a zebra rug with a red, black and gray on cream accent chair. The electricfireplace, a popular purchase, adds a warmth and coziness to the room grouping at Factory Direct.

Continued on page 11


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preferred buy. It can be used for serving aswell as storage.

If you struggle with trying to find a placeto store the extra leaves for your diningroom table, the problem has been solved.Dining room tables now are available withself-storing leaves that fold into the table.

Wonder why someone would want ataller-than-average dining room table? Itworks if you’re a baby boomer with soreknees or hips. You don’t have to bend downso far to sit on a chair.

It’s also a hit with crafters who can standand work comfortably at the taller table.

How to chooseIf you’re heading to the furniture store to

buy something new, it’s helpful to planahead. What do you want to buy? Whatcolor? What size? Where are you going to

put it? How much do you want to spend? It’s also beneficial to bring along a scaled

floor plan of the room when you go furni-ture shopping. In your floor plan, includemeasurements and the location of a fire-place, doors, windows, heating and electri-cal outlets.

And don’t skimp on research. Take sometime to discover what’s out there by lookingat magazines and online.

Bring along a small tape measure. It’s dis-appointing to buy the perfect couch only todiscover it’s too big for your living room.

Not finding what you want on the salesfloor? Both local furniture stores offer cus-tom orders. Flexsteel Furniture, forinstance, offers 1,200 fabric options.

When it comes to getting the best price,you don’t have to go out of town. FactoryDirect and Slumberland belong to largerbuying groups, which allows them to takeadvantage of economies of scale — largerorders, better selection and prices.

“Come in and see the new things,” invit-ed Starrett.


Dining roomThis traditionalwingback-stylechair fromSlumberland isan example ofthe new floralsavailable. Theupholstery fea-tures bold col-ors and a mod-ernized look.

Don’t skimp on research.Take some time to discoverwhat’s out there by looking at magazines and online.


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Do I Need aBuilding Permit?

If you are planning a home improvement project and are wondering if a permit is required... please call the Hutchinson

Building/Zoning/Planning Department at (320) 234-4216;visit the City’s web site at www.ci.hutchinson.mn.us;

or stop by the City Center at 111 Hassan St. S.E.Our friendly knowledgeable staff is eager to assist you!

9638

5 HI

• Check out the March edition of the Monthly Real Estate Guide magazine at 85 area newsstands now.

• Search listings by location, price, property type, house style or agency at independentreview.net or

hutchinsonleader.comJust click on Real Estate.

REALESTATEBUYER’S MARKETPLACE FOR McLEOD, MEEKER, RENVILLE, SIBLEY AND WRIGHT COUNTIES

Published monthly by the Hutchinson Leader and Litchfield Independent Review MARCH 2013 • FREE

Homes, Farms, Lots, Lake

Property and Acreage

4,000

Distributed

Monthly

Hundreds

Of Area

ListingsDistributed

In 95

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Guide

Online

Guide

FIND YOUR DREAM HOME

Kandiyohi4+ acres, Schult home. Newroof, newer siding, 4 seasonporch, 3 car fin. att. gar. 2 newersheds. Lots of room for toys,shop or business. $98,500.Jeff MenkenMenken Real Estate & Insurance335 East Hwy. 12, Litchfield320-593-3324

Grove CityUnique 5 BR, 3 BA. Ceramictile, 4 season sunroom/patiodrs. to deck. Custom cab., fullw/o fin. bsmt. w/in-floor heat, 3car att. gar., 4 acres. $269,900.Gwen CramAll-Star Realty30 3rd St. E., Litchfield320-221-3840

GlencoeTotal renovation throughout thiscustom 5 BR, 2 BA rambler. 2stall gar., maple kit. w/newappl., lg. dining, 3 BR on main& lg. full BA. Must see. $149K.Tim & Michaelee JenkinsReMax Homes1930 E. 10th St., Glencoe320-864-6870

Forest City2+ BR home on large corner lot.Ready for your TLC andupdates. Offered at only$54,900!Norm & Lorna MenkenMenken Real Estate & Insurance335 East Hwy. 12, Litchfield320-593-3324

Norm & Lorna MenkenBroker, Realtor® [email protected]

Tim & Michaelee JenkinsRE/MAX HOMESTEAM JENKINS RE Inc.Broker Owner, CRS, GRI, e-PRO, CDPE320-864-6870

RE/MAXHomes

LOOKINGTO BUYOR SELL?Contact one of theseprofessionals for allyour real estate needs.

Building Lots

CosmosYour choice of 5 building lots,only $8,900 each. Possible con-tract for deed terms.

Litchfield5 ac. country building site 6 mi.from Litchfield. Has well &shed.Norm & Lorna MenkenMenken Real Estate & Insurance335 East Hwy. 12, Litchfield320-593-3324

Grove CityNeat & clean 3 BR, 2 BA ram-bler. MF FR + FR & one kit. inbsmt. Formal DR, 2 kit. w/applincl. Lots of storage. 2 car insul.att. gar. 2300 fsf. $116,900.Gwen CramAll-Star Realty30 3rd St. E., Litchfield320-221-3840

Today’s Realty

Dean SabackyRE/MAX TODAY’S REALTYBroker Associate, [email protected]

Hutchinson4 BR, 3 full BA custom builtminutes from Hutch. 1.6 ac.,3,538 fsf, mst. suite, mf laun-dry, maple cabinetry & floor-ing. Built in 2003. $369,900.Kaye WebsterColdwell Banker Saber RealtyCokato, [email protected]

LitchfieldLg. 4 BR rambler in woodedsetting on 5.5 ac. betweenHutch & Litch. Updated kit.,great room w/fp, HW floors, 5gar. stalls, lg. barn. $289,900.Dean SabackyRE/MAX Today’s Realty255 Hwy. 7 E., Hutchinson320-234-2515

New GermanyStunning remodel! 4 BR, 2 BAw/oversized 2+ gar., lg. 2 leveldeck, steel siding, new furn.,HW floors, cust. oak kit., lg.sun htd. porch. $145,000.Tim & Michaelee JenkinsReMax Homes1930 E. 10th St., Glencoe320-864-6870

NEW

NEW

The Weekly Real Estate Guide is a full color page appearing each Wednesday on the back page of theHutchinson Leader and each Thursday in the Litchfield Independent Review. Combined circulation of the twonewspapers is 9,300 homes—that’s more than 20,000 readers with same-day delivery to 15 area cities.

Current Open Houses and new listings will be featured weekly. For the latest up-to-date real estate listings, lookfor the Weekly Real Estate Guide.

Contact your Ad Rep today!

Up-to-date listingsevery week.

LitchfieldBeautiful rambler in the coun-try. 4 BR, 2 BA, lg. LR + lg. FRon lower level. Nice kit. w/lotsof cupboards. Newer windows& shingles in ‘03. $220,000.Gwen CramAll-Star Realty30 3rd St. E., Litchfield320-221-3840

NEW

Gwen CramALL-STAR REALTYBroker/Owner/GRI320-593-1100, Cell [email protected]

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6Hutchinson Leader/Litchfield Independent Review Sunday, March 17, 2013 Spring Home Improvement 15

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By DAN RAFTERCTW Features

When Jonathan McIntosh’sdaughter graduated fromcollege and moved intoher own home, she askeda common question:

What tools do I need?McIntosh knew the answer. “There are

so many people who feel lost when itcomes to tools,” he says. As founder andCEO of Omaha, Neb.-based CoMc, a com-pany that produces a locking-tile systemknown as SnapStone, he’s familiar with thetraditional barriers to doing some serioushome improvement.

“You can do a lot with a small groupof important tools. Those are the tools thatI tell homeowners to get,” he says.

FOR FIXING,INSTALLING,REMOVING,REPLACING

OROTHERWISEIMPROVING

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Continued on page 16ALL PHOTOS FROM SHUTTERSTOCK


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Tools

You'll need Phillips-head screw-drivers as well as flathead. Buy onethat can store detachable driverheads in its body to save space.

If you’re not fortunate enough to be related to a home-improve-ment expert, here is a look at some of the essential tools that every-one, homeowners and renters alike, need in their toolboxes.

The ScrewdriverMarie Leonard, a Boston-based home improvement expert and

author of the book “Marie’s Home Improvement Guide” (Seal Press,2009), recommends everyone to have at least four screwdrivers, twoeach of the flat-head and Phillips-head varieties. It’s the most basicand frequently used tool, for everything from opening the batterycase on children’s toys to putting together furniture to tighteningloose light switches.

Specifically, Amy Matthews, the home improvement expert forconsumer home-improvement website HomeAdvisor, recommendsthe seven-in-one or five-in-one screwdriver. This tool includes justone handle but holds several different screwdriver heads inside itsbody, so consumers can save money and space in the toolbox.

The DrillLeonard calls the cordless drill one of the most essential tools that

a homeowner can have. With both drill and screwdriver bits, it actual-ly functions as two tools in one, a drill and a high-powered screwdriv-er.

The cordless drill is indispensable when hanging pictures, tighten-ing loose screws in that wobbly living room floor, hanging drapes and


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shelves and assembling furniture.Matthews recommends the 12-volt variety for people who anticipate average use for

their drills. While 12 volts used to be too weak for regular use, Matthews says the newversions are both lightweight and still pack enough power in their relatively small frames.

The Tape MeasureThe humble tape measure is an extraordinarily useful tool, McIntosh says, and it will

save a lot of time traveling to and from the home improvement store.It’s important for simple tasks, like measuring a doorway to make sure a new chair will

fit through it, and more complex tasks, such as building bookshelves or hanging drapes.

The Wrenches and PliersEvery homeowner’s toolbox should contain a variety of wrenches and pliers, McIntosh

says. He recommends buying a set that will include the most frequently used varieties ofthese tools, including a combination wrench, adjustable wrench, socket wrench, needle-nose pliers, tongue-and-groove pliers and flat-nose pliers

The SawUnless you plan to finish the

basement yourself, be frugalwhen it comes to saws, McIn-tosh advises. A simple, inex-pensive handsaw will sufficefor people who will only cut alimited amount of woodthroughout their lifetimes.

Those who plan on doinglarger home-improvementprojects that require more cut-ting can upgrade to a smallish

The simple tapemeasure willsave you count-less hours driv-ing back andforth from thehome improve-ment store,assuming youremember touse it.

Most non-wood-working home-owners don't needmore than a sim-ple handsaw.Continued on page 17


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circular saw. Leonard recommends the 6-inch variety.If you plan on doing a decent amount of woodworking,

consider investing in a kit that comes with a battery-operated drill, circular saw, handsaw and sander.

The Caulking GunLeonard says that homeowners can save thousands of

dollars by learning how to use a caulking gun. Spreadingcaulk or sealant around the edges of sinks and tubs pre-vents water from seeping into the walls around them.Otherwise, the water can cause mold and rot quickly.

It’s a small investment to save yourself the troubleyears down the line.

Some of these tools may seem daunting, but home-improvement pros have some advice: The best way tolearn how to use cordless drills or caulking guns is topractice on scrap material before using these tools forreal applications. Scrap metal and wood is readily avail-able at the local hardware store.

“I always recommend that people buy some extrawood and screws or practice on their garage walls orsome other place they don’t care about to get familiarwith the tools,” Leonard says. “You can read about usingtools all you want, but until you practice with them, youwon’t feel comfortable.”


The sawLearning to caulk and seal could save thousands ofdollars on fixing water damage.


JEFF’S ELECTRIC

320-587-50471467 Adams St., Hutchinson

www.jeffselectriconline.com

Electrical Contractingand Service Work

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Jeff’s Electric expertly installs:• Residential Remodels• Lighting• Appliances• Warm-Floor Heat• Electric Whole-House Heat

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Get set for Spring!Get set for Spring!Call 4 SEASONS today for all your

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Antiques & Things12,000 square feet of quality used furniture and antiques.Open 7 Days a Week! Mon.-Sat. 8-5; Sun. 10-5

(507) 834-6529

We’re located in Gibbon...it’s worth the drive to visit our shop and the two other antique stores in town!

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Citizens Bank Building • 102 Main St. S., Hutchinson

320-587-2674 9719

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• VIEW 11 DECORATED MODEL HOMES •Full line of contracting services to complete

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*OPEN HOUSE PROMOTIONS*

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By KAY [email protected]

Looking to jazz up your livingspace without spending a lot ofmoney? Accessories are the key.Change the pillows on yourcouch. Switch around your art-

work or add something new. New can come from a variety of places —

stores, thrift stores, garage sales, friendsand family.

In our family, we switch things back andforth. Most of my furniture came from mymom. A wonderful chair I added to myreading area came from my sister, Lynn,who found it as a giveaway on the curb. Agentle cleaning and it was as good as new.

A few years ago, I had my bathroompainted steel city gray. It’s a nice neutralcolor that I could punch up with acces-sories.

Since then, I’ve kicked myself a dozentimes for not being bolder in my color

Bathroommakeover

The “after” bath-room featured thenew black-and-white showercurtain, matchingrug and silver-framed black-and-white art-work. The ques-tion remains ifthe flower decalsalong the base-board will beremoved. Thedecals can beeasily lifted offthe wall andsaved to be usedagain.

A DO-IT-YOURSELF BATHROOM PROJECT DOESN’THAVE TO COST A GREAT DEAL OF MONEY



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choice. Every time I pick up a magazine, Isee at least a dozen colors that are rich,vibrant and all together better than steelcity gray.

While I can’t do anything about theweather, I can change up my bathroom.With a small budget to work with, I optedto switch out the shower curtain and art-work.

Changing the paint color in a room is thefastest and least expensive way to make abig impact. When it comes to painting, Irely on my family — particularly my sister,Lynn, who is a whiz with a paintbrush.

Anyone who knows me knows I am nopainter. I don’t have the patience for it. Theone time I painted a wall in my stairway,my cat jumped in the paint pan and scam-pered up the steps leaving a trail of daintyChinese-red footprints.

Use Scotch Blue Painter’s Tape I’ve beentold. I did. When I carefully removed it, thepaint pulled off with it and I had a verymessy edge to clean up.

Now you know why the color is stayingand everything else is changing. Localstores offer a good variety of shower cur-tains to choose from. Options range fromprinted plastic to high-end fabric.

For less than $16, I bought a shower cur-tain, covered shower rings and two small

matching rugs. I wasn’t sure if it wouldwork, but the price was certainly right.

Using a gray bathroom rug and stoolcover I already owned, I added the newblack-and-white shower curtain andmatching rug. It was a good change.

One of the great things that came withstarting my journalism career in the artbusiness is that I collected a lot of framedart along the way. I switched out the twocolorful paintings in the bathroom withtwo silver framed black-and-white drawing.

With just these small changes, the roomlooks different. Change is good.

Mirror makeoverAs I looked the bathroom over, my eye

was drawn to the mirror. The edges werestarting to wear. It was plain and in myopinion, boring. What could I do to changeit? I don’t use power tools, so the idea ofbuilding a frame for it was out.

I went to hardware and home buildingstores looking for ideas. I found plenty. Ifyou’d like to jazz up your bathroom mirrorand not spend a lot of money, considerframing it with duct tape. I know. You’rethinking I don’t want that awful gray tapeon my bathroom mirror.

The “before” bath-room featured aflowered showercurtain andbrightly coloredartwork.


9709

2 HI

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Standing

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Guess what? It’s no longer awful gray.Duck Tape and 3M make colored and pat-terned duct tape. It comes in a range ofsolid colors including gold and silver as wellas patterns such as polka dots, leopard,zebra, checkered, paisley and more. It’s easyto work with, too. Frame your mirror withthe printed tape. It can also be used as aborder, on lamp shades, artwork or furni-ture.

I found a couple of other options, too.There’s a new line of peel-and-stick prod-ucts that include a variety of designs andsizes. I liked the stainless steel long grainthree-inch by six-inch tiles. I thought itwould be a good look to frame my mirror,

but my concern was how I would cut it if itdidn’t fit exactly. It’s also more expensive atmore than $15 for a box of eight tile.

Glass tileThat led me to another option —

Veneziana Valore peel and stick mosaics.The 1-inch-square glass tiles were afford-able at less than $5 for a 12-inch-squaresheet. It comes in several colors includingbrown, gray and blue. It is suitable for drylocation installation such as kitchens, bath-rooms, fireplace surrounds and other areasof the home. It is not recommended for wetareas such as shower walls or steam rooms.

My thought was I could cut the sheetsinto strips to create a mirror frame.

I recruited my sister for help.I tested the layout by cutting a piece of

cardboard the size of my mirror. I selectedtwo rows of tile as my frame width. We cutstrips from the three sheets. Each strip had


BathroomJazz up your sur-roundings withcolored duct tape.It comes in a mul-titude of colorsand patterns.

“As I looked the bathroom over, my eye was drawn to themirror.The edges were starting to wear. It was plain andin my opinion, boring.What could I do to change it? Idon’t use power tools, so the idea of building a frame forit was out.”


to be trimmed, so it had a finished edges.Use a sharp utility knife to do this.

We laid out the strips (without removingthe backing) to see if it would work. Thetiles weren’t an exact fit, so we were goingto have to “fudge it” in a couple of places bycutting the individual tiles apart and spac-ing them a touch further a part to make itwork.

By practicing, you know what you haveto do. It’s easier on cardboard than whenyou have the tile stuck to the mirror andhave to try and peel it off to reposition.

Before we applied the tile to the mirror, Icleaned it with window cleaner to removedust and grease. Because we had practicedwith cardboard, we knew what to do. Lynnstarted in the left-hand corner and peeledthe tile away as she placed the tile. Takeyour time. This isn’t a race.

If you need to fudge tiles, do it in a placethat’s not front and center. Lynn was able todo it in the corner where the mirror met thewall.

Once the tile is up, the next step is togrout and seal it. Instructions for applyingthe tile and grout come with each packageof tile. Tile can be purchased by the sheet orin a carton of 10 sheets.

Next on my bathroom makeover agenda:a new light for over the vanity. My sister, Lynn, applied strips of tile to the bathroom mirror.


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HomeStyle-Spring-2013