
How to Choose Lighting
The credo here is “Light the tasks, not the room.” I’ve said that before but it’s the soul of successful lighting so it’s worth repeating. If you want the whole 9 yards on lighting, splurge and buy my book ‘Every-Day Design Dilemmas, Decorating Simplified ‘ There’s a whole chapter on lighting. Why do you need to pay so much attention to lighting? Well, for example, a large ceiling light may or may NOT provide enough illumination so anyone walking in the room can do so safely. Consider the person sitting in a corner trying to read, or sitting at a desk with her back to the center of the room. The book may be in shadows. Let’s not even talk about trying to thread a needle or count the stitches in a row of crochet. This is where the task lighting comes into play. Get out your room usage list and look at each of READ MORE

Paint the Hallway
After living in this condo for three years, I finally got around to painting the doors and trim in the hallway. Typical of a condo of this age, the skinny baseboards, doors and door trim were painted dark brown. Really good high-gloss oil paint, too. That was fun, but thanks to Karen at the paint store, I got the right primer which made the task easier and it covered in one coat. You have all heard me natter on about contrast, and how the lack of contrast makes a space feel larger. This hallway is a perfect case in point. Standing at the end of the hallway and looking down the tunnel from left to right, there are two doors on the left, one at the far end, a large folding door which conceals the washer and dryer on the right side and another door at the near end. READ MORE