The Rural Voice, 1998-07, Page 44Home Decorating
The lessons clients taught me
By Patti Robertson
In my profession, I meet many
varied and interesting people, who call
upon me for assistance to help them
with their design dilemmas. What has
become a most interesting aspect of
my job, is how often I happen upon
both new and innovative solutions to
everyday situations which my clients
teach me! I take great delight in
sharing both the sources and the ideas
with you in this month's column.
It was Sherri Hallman of Hanover
who taught me that there is no need to
remove the hooks from semi -sheer dra-
pery when laundering. Sherri simply
gathers together the tops of the drapery
and inserts them into a pair of panti-
hose, using the legs to secure the tops.
She then launders gently and always
hangs the draperies wet! I've used this
trick with great ease and success,
passed it along to you previously and
shared it with a multitude of clients ...
it's a winner! Sherri's mom came up
with the clever idea of knitting colour
co-ordinated booties for the bottom of
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each chair or stool leg. This prevents
the bottoms of chairs from scratching
your hardwood or ceramic tile floors.
Anna Turton of Goderich taught me
that often a sturdy straight pin (as used
in sewing) is capable of holding light-
weight artwork,
crafts, small
wreaths, etc.
securely on the
wall. Using a
pin creates only
a "pin sized
hole" instead of
a nail hole!
Betty Anne
Elphick of the
Ripley area
taught me that
books of all
shapes and sizes
are also
accessories.
Betty Anne's
There are lots of
little tips that
work
passion is books. This spring we spent
time rearranging accessories, bits and
pieces, and many books. Whereas
many people's books become clutter
once read, Betty Anne cherishes all
that she reads. She even has a set of
her grade school primer books. We
had great fun planning how and where
to display her extensive library.
Everything from coffee table treasures
to a reading area in which her child-
hood dollies and teddies appear to be
curled up enjoying a book. What fun!
Another idea, with a collection of
books, is to make book covers from a
marbled or small print wallcovering,
thereby co-ordinating them with your
setting. Collections are most enjoyable
when displayed throughout a home, by
being worked into everyday situations.
Sylvia Campbell of Wingham,
taught me that even the most simplistic
and tiny flowers can be turned into
exotic miniature arrangements when
displayed in appropriate containers.
The trick here is to colour co-ordinate
and match the scale of your florals to
your container, (florals should be
approximately 1 1/2 times the height
of the container, and always start with
appropriate greens to give your crea-
tions a base). Before I started using
Sylvia's innovative idea, I'd consider
myself lucky if I got one bouquet a
week from my garden. Now, I enjoy a
variety of three or four miniature arr-
angements each week. My favourite, is
the one I create each week to sit on the
ledge of my kitchen window. Behind
this arrangement I position a votive
candle and you should see the "light
display" I enjoy each evening as the
candlelight highlights and appears to
dance amongst my treasured nosegay.
This idea is a great way to use all those
miniature vases one collects over the
years. I have great fun adding these
arrangements to unexpected areas in
my home, often placing a small
nosegay beside the telephone or on my
bedside table, and a grouping of two or
three is pretty on the bathroom vanity.
The sky is the limit, and what a
delightful way to bring a breath of
fresh air into one's interior.
Gail Sheppard of Kincardine
fascinated me with her innovative idea
of moving her indoors, outside for the
summer. One evening last summer I
arrived at Gail's to be greeted by the
sight of a baker's rack positioned on
her patio. Gail had skillfully arranged
each shelf with a variety of teacups,
vases, candles, decorative pie plates,
etc. — the odds and ends that over the
years she had collected and been
given. Things that otherwise would be
redundant inside her home and
possibly would have been put into
storage rather than being used and
enjoyed! Gail had planted alyssum in
teacups, impatiens into the pie plates,
etc., creating a visual treat for one's
eye. Each evening Gail retreats to her
personally created haven to enjoy her
evening tea by candlelight.
This summer I plan on putting a
variation of Gail's idea to work on the
outside of my own house. I'm going to
attach a shelf with fancy brackets to
the side of the house directly above
our outdoor buffet table. It will serve
as a display area for assorted knick-
knacks and candles that I have coll-
ected especially for outdoor display.
Thanks to each one of you for
sharing your time -saving and
charming ideas for creating a more
graceful lifestyle, and to you my gentle
readers, please if you have tricks you'd
enjoy sharing drop me a line at Classic
Interiors, Wingham.0
Patti Robertson operates Classic
Interiors in Wingham.
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