Repainting a room is one of the easiest ways to freshen the décor while changing
the feel of the room. The hottest design trend this year takes this to a whole new
level. Color-blocking techniques are dominating magazines and social media with
vivid color palettes and bold geometric patterns, turning the traditional painting
project into something special.
Color-blocking takes many forms—everything from a simple way to differentiate
one space from another by changing the wall shade, to artistic pairings that would
feel at home in a modern art gallery. Your style most likely falls somewhere in
between. The common theme is to try something new while changing the feel of
the room.
Before you start your project, take time to consider the desired final look.
Consider the relationship of your chosen colors and how each plays a part in the
design. Bright shades create a sense of energy while softer tones are calming. Use
blocked color to trick the eye into adding or subtracting space using light or dark
colors. Color-blocking can also be used to draw attention to architecturally
interesting elements, such as a curved entrance or crown molding.
This weekend is a great time to update your space by trying something new and
modern. Choose traditional color palettes and subtle shapes to compliment your
current design or go bold and completely change the room. Any home décor style
can benefit from the techniques of color-blocking with a little imagination,
masking tape, and a paintbrush.

Remember the feeling of walking into your favorite restaurant and looking
forward to a nice meal in a great atmosphere? With the shutdown of indoor
dining around the country, social media has been flooded with beautiful pictures
of homemade food. Now it’s time to bring that same enthusiasm to your dining
room décor and complete the transition to a true restaurant-quality experience.

• Add Texture – Looking for a bistro feel? Add some fuzzy pillows and a cozy
(preferably washable) floor rug to draw attention to the space.
• Change Up the Seating – Have you noticed that more and more restaurants
are using non-conventional furniture in their dining rooms? Adding some
armchairs, stools, or benches to the dining room will have a big impact.
• Gild the Room – One of the easiest ways to bring elegance to your dining
room is to add a gilded mirror. Keep an eye out for these and other special
touches at garage sales and some décor stores.
• Mix and Match – Take an eclectic approach to your dining room. No need
to use matching chairs or place settings.
• Add Ambience – Keep an interesting vase full of fresh flowers on your
table, add soft lighting or candles, and play ambient music over speakers to
remind you of your favorite restaurant or bar.

Offer those delicious meals a special place to be enjoyed by adding a few simple
touches to your dining room. Even with more time at home, there’s no reason we
can’t enjoy a “dining out” sense of elegance.

If you have paint cans stacking up in your basement or closet because you aren’t sure whether to keep them or how to dispose of them, you’ve come to the right place! First, you will want to determine if the paint is still good or not. Any solvent-based paint typically has a 15-year shelf life. If you are able to stir it, it’s probably okay to keep for touch ups. Latex paint has a 10-year shelf life. If there is any way it could have frozen in storage, it may not be usable. You can test to see by stirring and brushing the paint onto newspaper. If there are lumps, the paint needs tossed.

Next, you’ll decide what you actually want to keep. If your walls are no longer that color, it is likely time to get rid of that paint. If it is a color still in your home, it will be good to hang on to for touch-ups and repainting in the future. If there are any loose lids, be sure to seal them carefully. If you have the information, now would be a great time to label them with color name, number and date of purchase.

If you have good paint that you can’t use, offer it to family, friends and neighbors, or call a local paint contractor. Some charities take paint too, especially those that do work helping the elderly with home renovations.

Now that you’ve handled paint you want to keep or donate, it is time to dispose of what is left. Disposal is dependent on the type of paint. One gallon of paint can contaminate thousands of gallons of water, harm fish and aquatic plant life and eventually poison the food chain.

For latex and acrylic paints, you can solidify these paints and throw them away with the household trash depending on the municipality. To do this, mix your paint with a clay-based cat litter at a ratio of two parts litter to one part paint. Do this in a well-ventilated area, away from pets and children. Many hardware stores carry additives to put into your paint to solidify it for disposal.

For oil-based paints, you will need to check if there is a scheduled household waste collection day in your community. You can also bring paints to a specified collection site along with other toxic products you want to get rid of, such as paint removers, used solvents, pesticides and herbicides and you can get that information from your local community waste programs. If your community does not offer this service, call your County Extension Home Economics Agent, the local waste management agency, your area’s water treatment plant or the local landfill, and ask what the procedure is for where you live.

Even if you have a beautiful headboard, the space above your bed can seem empty if left untouched. This space can be tricky to decorate, but that doesn’t mean you should leave it blank. There are plenty of ways to spruce up that space without much work. Here are 5 ways to make the best of that negative space!

1. Add a Set of Shelves

Even if you don’t need the extra storage space, you can use shelves to add small decor that is unique to you. Your favorite books, small planters, or even picture frames are a great way to personalize the shelves.

2. Wallpaper the Wall

If you’re worried about adding anything above your bed, consider creating an accent wall with floral wallpaper. Many places sell peel and stick paper so if you decide you don’t love the style or you’re renting and cannot make a permanent change, you can still try out wallpaper.

3. Make the Room Look Bigger With Mirrors

The best way to make a room look bigger is to strategically place mirrors across from open windows or sources of light. You can also place 2 small mirrors alongside a large central mirror if your bed isn’t across from a light source. This will also make your room appear larger while filling empty space.

4. Consider a Tasteful Tapestry or Wall Hanging

Tapestries aren’t just for college dorm rooms. If you aren’t ready to add shelving fixtures but want something a little more than wallpaper, consider adding a pop of color with a tapestry or a statement yarn wall hanging.

5. Create a Gallery Wall

Whether it is gridded and organized or statement and staggered, a gallery wall is the perfect way to add a little more ‘you’ to your bedroom. Frame your favorite family photos or the landscape photos from your favorite vacation.

If you love to entertain when you have guests over, you may be working on building your home bar. While enjoying time inside doesn’t require a bar, sometimes a happy medium between a full-on wet bar and just a few beverages in the fridge can help elevate the hosting experience. Here are the essentials you need for a great home bar:

1. Bar Fridge

Having a separate bar fridge is a great addition for several reasons. First, you can keep your beverages at the temperature they are meant to be kept at. Beverage refrigerators are best kept 10 degrees warmer than the normal fridge temperature. Another great reason is that you will no longer waste fridge space for beverages. Now, you don’t have to worry about taking food out to put drinks in!

2. Bar Decor

Decide what style you want for your bar space. Whether you want an elegant or pub theme, choose pieces that will tell a story.

3. Plenty of Glassware

When hosting guests at your home bar, it is helpful to have a variety of glassware to suit the types of drinks you may be making. Keep rocks glasses, highball tumblers, and stem glasses – with a few red and white wine glasses on hand. Pint and shot glasses are also great to keep in your bar.

4. Cocktail Shaker & Strainer

If you have a cobbler shaker, there is no need for a strainer, as they are usually built in. If you have a Boston shaker, which can be a little trickier to use, you will need to get a strainer for pouring your drinks.

5. Ice Trays

Unless you have an ice machine, you will need to have ice cube trays. Silicone trays are much easier to get cubes out of and tend to be much sleeker in appearance. Try to find trays with larger compartments so your ice will last longer.

6. Bar Accessories & Tools

Some items you may want to have in your bar for some cocktails include:

• Mixing Spoon
• Muddler
• Jigger
• Measuring Shot Glass

Exercise is a key part of staying healthy. Every aspect of our lives are impacted by our health, so doing the little things to ensure you stay in shape aids in your overall health. While exercise is important, many of us lead busy lives. Having your own workout space in your home can help you stay active without sacrificing your time. Here are a few benefits to turning that extra room or extra space in the garage into a home gym:

No Commute Necessary

If you work outside the home, the last thing you may want to do is add more time to your daily commute with a trip to the gym. Instead of spending 2 hours of your time to get an hour long workout, you can enjoy a quick outfit change at home and a 30-second walk to your home gym.

No Closed Signs

Maybe you work late some nights. Maybe you are a morning person and prefer to workout before the sun rises. With a home gym, you no longer have to worry about restrictive gym hours. This is also helpful in creating a routine that you are able to stick to!

No Lines, No Strangers

While many gyms do their best to keep their exercise equipment clean, others leave it up to their clients to wipe down machines after use. If you aren’t a big fan of using sweaty equipment that may or may not be cleaned regularly, a home gym might be just what you need. The best part is, you will never have to wait in line to use a sweaty squat rack again!

No Limits

Do you love cardio machines? Maybe you prefer to run outdoors but love lifting? If you prefer to be able to customize your gym, a home gym allows you that freedom. You won’t need to buy any more than you will use, which makes your home gym a great investment.