12
Decorating Tips and Tricks
Decorators have many tricks to make
a living space appear larger than it is.
One way to maximize your interior is
by using variations of the same color
throughout. don't paint each room a
different colors instead, use different
shades of the same color to make
your house seem bigger.
Involve Your Teen
While you may be the parent and your
teen lives in your house, you have to
understand that your teen's bedroom
is his place of refuge, where he gets
to have some sense of autonomy.
How he decorates his room is probably one of the few topics he may feel
that he has a say in. After all, he is the
one who spends most of his time
there. It's important that you both enter this collaboration with willingness
to compromise.
When you meet, make a list of deal
breakers and non-negotiable. Perhaps, you don't want any graffiti on the
walls or anything that will devalue the
property of your home. However, in
return, he may have a list of things he
is adamant about. Be sure to keep an
open mind. You just may have to
agree to allow your teen to choose the
color scheme of the room himself.
Color Theme
Turn Your Balcony Into a Retreat
.A crispy fern flanked by a flapping
towel and a bike with two flat tires—
sound like a balcony near you? As
close as your own French doors, perhaps?
can crack and fade in
the hot summer sun.
Balcony basics
Make a sun/shade map
and plant accordingly. It
will save your time and
money to know your fullsun balcony would be a
death zone for to shade
plants like ferns and
philodendrons, or that
the sun-loving rose bush
you've fallen for won't
survive your northern
exposure.
Once you settle on function—dining room, book
nook, romantic retreat—
define the