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Do you remember your first place? When my husband and I first got married, we lived in a one-bedroom apartment that had two closets and a living room so small my husband could stretch out his arms and almost touch both walls. In a word, tiny.

Even though there were times we felt we were tripping over each other, we often got compliments on how nice and (surprise!) even roomy our place looked. It wasn’t until we  crammed in 20 people for parties that our guests would realize they were actually in a crackerbox.

Decorating small spaces isn’t hard, it just takes a bit more strategy. Instead of just making decisions based on what you like, you have to think about how everything will affect the space, meaning how much it looks like there is.

One common thing I see a lot of people do is cram big, bulky furniture into a room that screams for sleek lines. Just because you had two armchairs in your old living room doesn’t mean you need two chairs in your new, smaller one. And if your round dining room table with 8 chairs makes it hard to walk through your dining room, it’s time to pare down to a rectangle table with 4 chairs.

Dark colors are another way to instantly make a room feel smaller. When it comes to creating the illusion of space, it’s all about light. You want light, airy colors on the walls. Window treatments should also be light and airy, to allow more natural light in.

And the easiest way to make a room (any room) look larger? Simplify! That’s means taking a good, hard look at all the things you have in the room and asking yourself if you really need it all. What things are just collecting dust? What things can be better used in another room? The fewer knickknacks and accessories you have, the more open the room will feel.

So even if you don’t have the most space, there are ways to make the most of it, and make your house feel more like a home, less like a shoebox.

I’ve told you before how I love find new ways to use ordinary things I have in my home. Today I’m going to share a few more with you, though I can’t claim credit for them. These are things I’ve seen in magazines, on the Web, even in my friends’ homes - and I just couldn’t wait to try them in my home.

The first is using a toothbrush holder as a flower vase. Use a toothbrush holder with a covered top that has four holes in it. Stick a flower in each hole and voila, instant flower arrangement. Of course, before you try this you’ll want to make sure all of the dried toothpaste is scrubbed off the holder.

The next idea is using wineglasses as candle holders. Using glasses with a thick wall, place votive candles inside. Use sand or very small pebbles to create an earthy bed for the candles to lie in. The look is interesting, elegant and romantic.

One unique idea is to use binder clips to display photos or postcards. You can either stand the clips on their metal legs and insert the picture into the clip, or have the clip lying flat-side down with the pictures in between the metal legs. This has a very modern look to it. You will want to use smaller pictures, as large ones would fold over.

And you know those bulletin board squares you usually use to tack up notes or bills on? Repurpose them into jewelry holders. Decorative push pins add some glamour, and then you can hang up your necklaces, bracelets and earrings.

So there you have it, just a few of the creative ways you can use everyday items. Cheaper than buying the real thing, and you’ll feel so decoratively clever, even if the ideas did come from a magazine or website. I won’t tell.

Happy decorating, Amy

Sharing decorating ideas with friends, reading blogs or poring over your decorating magazines are great ways to get home design and decor ideas, but sometimes you need real inspiration. One of my favorite spring and fall events is our local parade of homes. I can’t wait to walk through these showplaces, admiring the lush decorating, fine details and better-than-last-year’s floorplans. What better way to get ideas first hand?

If you’re not familiar with the “Parade” idea, it is generally something like this — builders offer up their model homes to be part of a parade so that potential buyers and looky-loos walk through the homes. The builders only pick their best work for the parade and these homes are decorated to the nines. It is a perfect to way to experience the new trends in decorating and building. Many civic organizations do similar events with home or garden tours for fundraisers throughout the year. Those are also a great way to become inspired.

Here are a list of some parades and tours around the country. I’m sure your area has one, too. Have fun looking and regards!

Central Oklahoma: http://www.paradeofhomesok.com/

Central Pennsylvania: http://www.paparadeofhomes.com/Details.aspx

Dallas: http://www.paradeofhomesdallas.com/

Denver: http://www.paradeofhomesdenver.com/

Kansas City: http://www.kchba.org/shows/shows.shtml

Key West: http://www.oirf.org/events/tours.htm

Minnesota: http://www.paradeofhomes.org/parade-home/parade-home-search.aspx

Northern Virginia: http://www.vaparadeofhomes.com/about_parade.html

Orlando: http://www.paradeofhomesorlando.com/parade.cfm

West Texas: http://www.lubbocknewhomes.com/Parade08/

Welcome back readers, for the third and final installment of Feng Shui 101. Now that you’ve laid out your Ba-gua (feng shui floorplan) and have figured out which area of your life/space you want to work with, it’s time to start incorporating the feng shui elements.

Each area of the Ba-gua has an element to go with it. They are:
Water: career, life path
Earth: knowledge, health and relationships
Metal: creativity and children, helpful friends and guides
Wood: wealth and family

Each element also has coordinating colors. They are:
Water: blue, black
Earth: yellow, orange, apricot, pink, peach
Metal: lemon, gold, silver, white, magenta
Wood: green, turquoise
Fire: red, violet, lilac, lavender

To use the water element, you’ll want to incorporate both the elements and their colors into your space. For example, if you were focusing on the career space you would be using the water element. You could paint the room blue, using black as an accent. You could bring in blue and black throw pillows and blankets. The water element could be brought in by adding a small fountain, or a picture of a water scene. The possibilities are endless. For more ideas, http://video.about.com/fengshui/Color-and-Feng-Shui.htm offers some solid tips on how to use the feng shui colors and elements in your home.

And there you have it, an abbreviated look at feng shui. As I said before, there are many layers and levels to feng shui. If you are interested in learning more, check out the sites below. Happy decorating and regards!

http://fengshui.about.com/od/glossaryofterms/u/fengshui101.htm
http://shuitogo.com/fengshui/

“Reduce, reuse, recycle” croons Jack Johnson from our Curious George soundtrack. Maybe he is on to something. Seems like you can’t throw a stone without hitting something “green.” And, as far as I’m concerned, that is a good thing.

I am a huge fan of reusing furniture, accessories, fabric, clothes … you name it. Old draperies become my newest table cover, an old picnic basket becomes our favorite new craft carrier, my grandmother’s old writing desk is painted and becomes my sturdy little laptop stand, grandpa’s barn wood hangs our outdoor swing. The list goes on, and I’m sure you can add to it. The idea is finding pieces you LOVE and repurposing them in ways that fit perfectly into the functionality and feel of your home.

There is so much great quality used furniture out there, why always buy new? Not to mention the sentimentality that goes with owning something your grandparents used. To find these hidden treasures, peruse all the usual venues: your local antique or vintage stores, garage and estate sales, Mom’s basement or grandma’s attic, E-bay, craigslist and the like. Ask friends if they have anything they want to part with. You never know, that dusty piece of wrought iron in the garage may be your new quilt rack or funky wall hanging.

With a little ingenuity you can be reusing furniture and accessories in no time. And, if you aren’t into doing it yourself, there are plenty of places to buy vintage that is ready to use. Here are a few of my favorite blogs on old (but new to you) furniture, housewares and fabric and some fun shopping sites, too. Feel free to share your faves or any tips you have on this topic. Enjoy being green and regards!

http://www.lowimpactliving.com/blog/2008/01/01/vintage-used-furniture-find-green-gold/

http://vintageindie.typepad.com/vintage_indie/crafting_diy/index.html

http://plump-pudding.typepad.com/plump_pudding/

http://mediazene.com/

http://www.gono.com/vir-mus/village/bwemporium/furniture/barn%20emp%20furniture.htm

http://www.vintagevending.com/

(Note: There are no affiliate links to the sites. I don’t make any money from these sites, I just believe they are good sources.)

Who doesn’t love, love, love beautiful, unique accents, housewares and furniture? Even if your family isn’t as passionate about beautifying efforts as you are, there is no doubt they appreciate living in a thoughtfully-decorated, well-planned home.

One of my favorite hobbies is assessing our decor and finding what needs updating or improvement. I cherish going from room to room, pondering the perfect additions and wrapping my head around what would make each space more livable and lovable. When I’m done tweaking all the rooms, I wait a while and start over on reviving what has gotten stale. Change is good in life and in our homes.

Sometimes that change is as simple as a coat of paint, and other times it is that perfect picture or piece of furniture. Whatever choice I make, one thing is certain: I crave good deals but also beautiful quality. So, where do I go to find that sometime dubious combination? Here are a few of my favorite online and traditional stores.

Homedecorators.com. I’ve used this online and traditional catalog for as long as I’ve been decorating our homes and was thrilled when a store opened in my city a couple years ago. This company offers an amazing selection of styles, sizes, colors and finishes. If you have something very specific in mind, chances are, you will find it at homedecorators.com. While you are shopping, visit the clearance outlet, but act fast. You can garner some great deals but the selection changes rapidly.

Nellhills.com. Visiting Nell Hills is an absolute MUST if you are ever in the Midwest. Named after owner Mary Carol Garrity’s grandmother, this store is a decorator’s dream: room after overflowing room of lovely (and surprisingly affordable) accents, housewares and furniture that reflects Garrity’s warm, elegant, homespun style. Each season brings an amazing amount of new stock and ideas. If you can’t make it to a store, browse Garrity’s’ decorating books (http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=mary+carol+garrity) to get a feel for her inspired taste and ideas.

Tuesday Morning (http://www.tuesdaymorning.com/indexCatalogOff.asp). I don’t always need something when I go to Tuesday Morning but I always leave with something special. This store carries lovely higher-end items that are steeply discounted. Don’t get me wrong — they don’t give their stuff away, but they offer much better deals than buying full-price. They also offer an online list of great deals that are delivered to your doorstep (https://www.tuesdaymorningoffer.com/). In addition to goodies for your home, if you are looking for wedding, baby or birthday gifts, these stores are perfect for unique items. There more than 700 locations in the U.S. so hopefully one is close to you.

I love new loot, but I also adore good deals on gently-used furniture and accents, too. I often peruse ebay.com and craigslist.com just to see what people are selling. Although you need to be careful of the prices (not always a good deal), quality and shipping charges, if applicable, there are some hidden treasures out there. It is just a matter of finding them.

Warmest regards and happy shopping!
Amy