Wayne New for Council
Expert tips to make your new house feel like home
(BPT) – You know that moving into a new home can be one of life’s biggest stressors – the packing, the paperwork, the unpacking and of course finding the nearest coffee shop. Making your new house feel like your home can help alleviate some of this stress and provide a safe-haven for some much needed relaxation.
“Everyone has a different sense of what home is,” says Elizabeth Lindmier of The Art Institute of Colorado. So while the same aesthetic won’t work for everyone, she offers her top five tips to start you in the right direction.
1. Texture and textiles – Instead of having a bunch of hard surfaces, cozy up your home with something soft or textured. This could be a blanket, curtains or area rugs. These items will also provide some acoustical value so noises aren’t echoing in an empty space.
2. Comfort – Have some place in your home where you can relax, recharge and feel at ease. “Make a space where you would like to spend time,” Lindmier says.
3. Color – A monochromatic scheme with pops of colors can bring you into a place where you feel comfortable and happy. “Do your research on color theory before painting any space,” says Lindmier. “Different colors can spark different moods, emotions and even behavior. Discover what you’d like a given space to accomplish, and use colors as a tool to create such environment.”
4. Lighting – There should be aesthetically pleasing lighting. Look at the difference between warm and cool lighting colors to decide what helps achieve the look you want. Also consider task, ambient and accent lighting for your space. “Lighting plays a key role in any home,” Lindmier says. “Through lighting design you can highlight design and architectural features, create lighting which is more useful to the human eye, and work with natural light while keeping energy use to a minimum.”
5. Clutter/stuff – “Less is more, but make it more meaningful,” says Lindmier. Get rid of your clutter. When sitting in your space, make sure you can look around and adore the things you see.
“Mies van der Rohe’s old adage, ‘less is more,’ certainly holds true here,” says Jackie Barry, Interior Design instructor at The Art Institute of Houston – North. “Select significant pieces of furniture and art to move. You don’t need to have or show everything you have all in one room.”
Barry also advises incorporating a concept called biophilic design, which recognizes the inherent need of humans to interact and affiliate with nature to achieve and maintain optimum health and well-being. “Bring the outside in; don’t neglect good views to the outside, accentuate them,” she says. “Let your garden and landscaping work for you on the inside. Connecting with nature can also have a calming and a comforting effect.”
For more information about The Art Institutes, visit artinstitutes.edu.
Timely, budget-friendly solutions for getting your house ready for the holidays
Timely solutions for getting your house ready for the holidays
(BPT) – The fun chaos of the holidays is right around the corner. Family gatherings to plan, delicious meals to prepare, gifts to find and purchase, and a house to decorate … the list goes on!
With entertaining season approaching at warp speed, it’s time to get your home spruced up and looking like new. Your time is precious around the holiday season, so to help make the most of your days – and budget – try these easy solutions to prepare for the holidays while keeping your sanity.
* A fresh coat of paint is a quick and easy way to give your home a new look at an affordable price. Consider starting with the rooms most frequently used, but don’t forget the guest bedrooms and bathrooms. To make the most of your effort, use a paint that has the durability and color-lasting qualities you need. Valspar Reserve, available at Lowe’s, resists stains and fading and allows you to easily wipe away marks without taking off paint, even if your guests accidentally scuff walls with their suitcases.
* A simple way to decorate for the holidays year after year is with an artificial tree. Lowe’s offers four trees pre-lit with color-changing LED lights, meaning you can change the look – and color – of the tree with just a push of the pedal making your decorating process much easier. For a formal dinner event, glowing white light sets a perfect ambiance. Switch to the multi-color option to delight the kids.
* Use holiday decorations in unexpected ways to add festive cheer in every room of your home with minimal effort. Try hanging ornaments to decorate live plants, light fixtures, doorway overhangs, stairwells, mirrors and even the mantel. For this project, don’t use expensive or family heirloom ornaments – just purchase coordinating ones that work with the color pattern you already have in the room.
* Guests in the house mean more foot traffic and chance for a mess, but you don’t have to worry about those inevitable spills or stains. STAINMASTER carpets available at Lowe’s are 30 percent more resistant to stains than other brands, and with new carpets on the floor, you’ll have a fresh new look in your home that won’t cause you stress when everyone arrives for the holiday parties.
* Potted evergreen plants decorated with lights bring plenty of festive feelings into a room. The best news is that when spring arrives, you can plant them outside in your backyard, or donate them to a community project that needs evergreen trees. Using live plants infuses the room with light and good, clean oxygen, and it’s the subtle touches your guests will appreciate and remember.
With these timely tips, you – and your home – will be ready for a holiday season of celebrations.
Fa-la-la: Jingle, Mingle & Mix
Don we now our gay apparel for holiday merrymaking. This is the season to be jolly: Fa la la la, la, la, la, la. Now garish tinsel! Now latkes! Now cider and punch! On cocoa! On toasty holiday drinks! This is not the season for subtlety. This is the season for good old-fashioned family fun, whether festive Christmas lights or eight nights of lights.
The music to Deck the Halls is believed to be Welsh in origin and reputed to have come from a tune called “Nos Galan” dating back to the 16th century.
Here are our holiday jingle, mingle and mix choices for shopping, dining and entertainment to fill the season with joy and deck out the blazing Yule before us:
3 Catch the Valley’s all-time family-fave holiday production, Colorado Ballet’s Nutcracker featuring dazzling costumes and onstage blizzards. Shows are at the Ellie, Nov. 29-Dec. 27. Information: 303-837-8888.
3 Dash over to Sixth Avenue United Church to view and buy ceramics and jewelry at the Denver Potters Show, Dec. 4-7. Information: 303-377-5535.
3 The hot cider and cookies will be delightful during Paulino Gardens Christmas Open House, Dec. 5-7. There’s great gift ideas plus daily drawings for poinsettias and gift certificates. Information: 303-429-8062.
3 View “When Wishes Come True,” the Arts at Denver holiday show with an Encore reception Dec. 5, 5-8 p.m. Information: 303-722-0422.
3 Enjoy Colorado Hebrew Chorale’s Hanukkah Concert with candle lighting and food at Four Mile Park Dec. 18, 6:30 p.m. Information: 720-865-0815.
3 Feast in The Weber at the Inn at Cherry Creek featuring special Christmas (Dec. 24-25) and New Year’s Eve menus. Information: 303-377-8577.
3 Slip into the Roaring ’20s and flap into the New Year at the White Rose Gala in the Ellie, Dec. 31, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Information: 303-321-4304.
3 For a crackling New Year’s Eve take in the spectacular fireworks along the 16th Street Mall, 9 p.m. and midnight. Information: 303-534-6161.
3 Celebrate the season in Victorian fashion with the family during A Colorado Christmas at Four Mile Historic Park, Dec. 14, 12-4 p.m. Holiday-themed activities include traditional games plus arts and crafts. Learn the history of Christmas in the Cherry Creek Valley while visiting Father Christmas. There will be roasting chestnuts and families can help decorate the Four Mile Tree. Information: 720-865-0800.
The air is crisper, Jingle Bells can be heard on the streets, holiday wreaths top buildings and the Valley’s business districts are twinkling with festive lights. From the rich history anchored in the holiday hustle and bustle on Larimer Square, to the glow of frosty window displays in Cherry Creek, the season is always a rich mix of holiday life.
Cherry Creek and the Mall were once the crown jewel for holiday shopping. Will holiday magic miraculously brighten the district’s construction-damaged image?
Enjoy the month in merry measure, while I tell of Yule time treasure: Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Men, and Batteries not included! As you take pleasure in hot buttered rum, don’t forget to share with loved ones. Nor be surprised if Deck the Halls sneaks its way into your head. ’Tis the season to jingle, mingle and mix: Fa la la la, la, la, la, la.
— Glen Richardson
The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.
