The Rural Voice, 1998-01, Page 43Home Decorating
Making decorating resolutions for 1998
BY PATTI ROBERTSON
Happy New Year! Looking back at
1997, there are two things I did which
definitely were a benifit to the
aesthetic value and interest of our
home. First I contacted architect John
Rutledge of Goderich to assist us with
the new verandah for our home and
then I contacted Brian Folmer, a
landscape architect from Walkerton to
assist with a direction for my
perennial beds, trees and shrubs. Both
of these professionals gave me a
positive direction with our home and
saved me many hours of analyzing on
my own! You get what you pay for!
Now for 1998. I don't know that
there are any rules on the course that
New Year's resolutions are to take,
but this year instead of personal
resolutions (which I so bravely make
and then proceed to break within a 24-
hour period), I have made a list of 12
"Household and Maintenance Resolu-
tions". Hopefully these will assist in
providing a guideline to the care and
upkeep of our home! Perhaps some of
these will inspire you as to some new
possibilities for your resolutions!
Resolution number one will be to
dismantle and properly store all
interior and exterior Christmas
decorations before the end of the first
full week of January '98, allowing me
a clean slate to start on all my other
planned projects.
Next, I resolve to sort out and
collect together all the odds and ends
of ornaments, gadgets, furnishings etc.
which we no longer have a use and
need for. These, I intend to organize
ready to contribute to the Town's
"Give Away Day" since, after all, one
man's junk is another man's treasure!
This will save me much needed time
in finding a buyer or taker or carting it
off to the dump.
While I'm digging stuff out I
might as well start spring house
cleaning. I'll re -organize closets,
drawers etc. I can re -fashion window
treatments, re -position accessories and
art work for a new look.
In conjuction with my spring
cleaning I resolve to give all my
inside trim a fresh coat of paint. I've
used my favourite "Designer's White"
tint throughout our home, so one coat
should work wonders and only one
brush will be required.
Number five, (if you are counting)
will be to glue down all loose
wallcovering
seams and
borders. I may
even replace a
border or two to
update my
decor! By this
time, the stained
glass panels for
my skylights
should be
completed and
I'll need Ward's
assistance in
cutting and
painting the
moulding and of
course the installation of the panels.
And speaking of windows, by this
time I should be able to get outside
and give the exteriors of the windows
a good cleaning with vinegar and
newspapers.
I need to seriously consider
replacing a few scatter mats. The
diningroom oriental carpet will need a
professional cleaning and I'm going to
be on the lookout for a new Persian
carpet to match the den's decor.
Speaking of the den, the furniture
has to be recovered. This resolution is
going to cost! I've already decided to
reupholster the sofa and love seat in
denim which is very hot on today's
decor scene and will work wonderful-
ly with my existing valances and
decor. Denim will no doubt be much
more rugged wearing than the prevous
cotton.
By the way, one does not choose
reupholstering these days because it is
cost effective. Many new sofa sets can
be bought for the same price or less
than reupholstering, so the question
comes down to the quality, historic
value or sentimental value of the
piece. In my case these were custom
designed to fit the space, so obviously
a recovering is the best solution.
My bedroom is boring me! I
resolve to give it an update. I'm
contemplating smooshing over top of
the textured, rose -toned wallcovering,
adding new bed linens, window
treatments and updating a few of the
accessories.
And how about an overhaul of the
patio furniture — repair, paint and
restore, before putting it away for the
winter of 1998!
And this should be the year I have
the surface of our dining table
refinished!
Finally for number 12. I resolve to
update my Christmas decorations for
the 1998 festive season. Possibly if
I'm on my toes and will brave the
Boxing Day rush, I'll get some
wonderful knick-knacks at a fabulous
price and will alleviate next
December's rush!
So, these are my household
resolutions for 1998, no doubt you
have many of your own. Drop me a
line and tell me what innovative ideas
you have to add to the progression of
your home's maintenance and decor!O
Patti Robertson operates Classic
Interiors in Wingham.
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JANUARY 1998 39