Upholstered Headboards

As of late, we have been frequently asked about upholstered headboards. Now, upholstered headboards (or U.H's in the future) are not a new trend. They have been around for several years and are a great alternative to solid wood beds. One of the reasons they are so popular is that a person with some basic craft skills can make one. The internet is full of step-by-step tutorials for all different types. Some are made with wood, some are made with cardboard. Some are tufted, use nailhead, and some are stenciled. Stenciling has become a huge trend, (if you remember the previous post). U.H's are also typically less expensive then a solid wood bed and take up less room. Now, if you go with an U.H. and select mohair, you may end up spending about the same as a wood bed. Also, many U.H's can be mounted to the wall which means they are up off the floor. Of course, you can always add feet for a personal touch. U.P's can be re-upholstered for a fraction of the cost (typically) of purchasing a new solid wood bed when it's time to freshen up your design.

U.P's are also popular with pillow haters. Despite photos of well dressed beds filled with euro shams, bolster pillows and accent toss pillows, many people prefer the cleaner, simpler look of just the sleeping pillows, and the U.H's gives the added look of a textured pillow without the fuss. Plus they are more comfortable to lean back into than solid wood.

Due to the popularity of U.H's you can find them at local furniture stores with a wide variety of textiles to choose from. If you don't find something to suit your taste, contact your interior designer for a custom made, one of a kind, knockout upholstered headboard. And don't forget to send us a photo!


All images were taken from pinterest.com

Stencils

When someone mentions stencils, do you cringe? Do you immediately think of cheesy floral patterns on cupboards or yellow ducks in a child's bedroom? For a long time, stenciling was as hip as wallpapering, it was something that you complained about when you bought a house, something you'd have to take the time to remove or paint over with several coats. But times have changed. Stencils have evolved right along with wallpaper.

A company called Cutting Edge Stencils has created an easy, affordable way to add interest to you walls. For those who are afraid of wallpaper or find it cost prohibitive, try a stencil.
If you have a concrete or old wood floor that you can't afford to cover, get some floor paint and a stencil.
Maybe you picked up a dresser from a yard sale or flea market that you're not quite sure what to do with, add a stencil.

This company has something for everyone. Moroccan, geometric, damask, flowers, trees, nursery, words, borders, stripes, birds and ceiling medallions! There are tons of photos for inspiration and how to tutorials and videos. Plus, they come is different sizes.

Another great thing about stencils is that you can pick your own colors. The combinations are endless! Try a monochromatic look in a bathroom or add some metallic paint to jazz up a kitchen. If you end up hating it, you're only out a stencil, some paint and time. Paint over it and start again. Remember, have fun with it.



Their website is www.cuttingedgestencils.com
Images courtesy of cuttingedgestencils











   

Pallet is King

There has been an overwhelming trend to repurpose pallets for home use. Why you might ask? Number one, they're cheap, many times even free. Number two, vintage is in. Repurposed pallets have an old, worn, vintage feel to them. Number three, they're relatively easy to manipulate, meaning, they require little effort to disassemble and once that's done you have wood that is more or less already cut to the same size and all you have to do is re-build it to your liking. This makes producing wall shelves, bookcases and even full beds and headboards fairly simple and quick to make. The wood is almost always unfinished so if painting's your game, you're ready to go.

Naturally because of it's original purpose, the wood is rough cut and not very smooth to the touch. You can always sand areas that will be touched frequently but remember that the purpose, or repurpose of the wood is for it's old worn look and feel, so don't get too carried away or else you'll have something that resembles a failing 8th grade shop project.

Here are some repurposed pallet ideas from the website hometalk.com that we wouldn't mind having in our homes!

Extra Storage?

You house is full of potential storage, are you seeing it?

Saving Animals Lives With Better Design

"On June 2, 2012, Houston became home to the only LEED certified No Kill animal shelter in Texas, the Don Sanders Adoption Center.

The prestigious and progressive Gensler firm here in Houston were the principal architects on this project. The architects were not just brilliant architects but animal lovers with a real heart for this project. Prior to and during construction, we consulted with LEED experts and nationally renowned shelter design experts including the incredible team at Animal Arts in Boulder, Colorado, an architecture firm that exclusively designs animal care facilities. They are responsible for some of the most beautiful, forward-thinking and environmentally friendly shelters in the United States.

Care has been taken with every detail of the building. We are bringing in 100% outside fresh air and turning over the air in each space completely 15 times an hour. We have made certain that sunlight reaches every animal (and staff) workspace and even engaged a professional acoustician from the beginning to ensure that we manage the sound for everyone's comfort.

Our shelter features a state of the art in wall wet vac cleaning system that makes the dirty and smelly drain/hose system used by every other shelter in town obsolete. Those systems simply aerosolize fecal matter, use a ton of water and the drains are not just dirty but a true health and safety hazard. Like so much of the FFL program, we are leading the way for shelters to become what they should be by incorporating forward-thinking design and practice. This cleaning system enables us to maintain a cleaner and safer shelter than the old drain/hose systems. The FFL system is also energy and water efficient and uses a cleaning solution that is 100% safe for the animals but deadly for bacteria and viruses.

Our goal was to create a space that is truly animal-friendly from the animals' point of view. Their sense of smell and hearing are much more acute than ours. They are generally stressed just to be in a shelter environment to begin with. The fact that we know them at all means something has already gone wrong in their lives. It is our task, in part, to provide as stress-free, healthy and interesting an environment as possible. The Don Sanders Adoption Center is adopter/visitor friendly and follows the highest standards of shelter management."


This was taken directly from their website, amazing, be sure to check out the photos. www.adoptfriends4life.org

It's amazing what good design can do. Most of the time we think about how design relates to and affects our lives. But animals' lives are just as important. They think, feel, smell, hear and breathe just like we do. So why shouldn't they live somewhere where someone has taken the time to research their needs and give 
them a comfortable, happy place to live? (hopefully temporarily)

As a designer and animal lover, I am only too happy to share this amazing place with you. The Don Sanders Adoption Center is leading the way for safer, healthier and happier pet adoptions. Not to mention for the employees and visitors.

Give a shelter animal a forever home!

What Size Dining Table Would You Need...

1900-piece Louis XV chandelier!

Staircase...

Check out this gorgeous staircase in Budapest, Hungary

Happy New Year!

We here at the Love The Home You Have blog, want to extend a hearty Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all our followers. May this year be the best yet!
Now, let's dig in.
January is the month to make half-hearted proclamations with little or no follow thru.
This year, try making a resolution you can keep! We here at Love The Home You Have, challenge our readers to find one spot in your home that is being underutilized and change it. That's not hard, is it? It doesn't have to be a major overhaul, just something that you notice. That's half the battle right there. Trying to make yourself see something in a different way that you look at every day is a challenge.
You can do it. Email us your before and after photos so we can post them for everyone to marvel at!
Don't get discouraged, start small, then build from there!
We know you can do it!!

Space Saver Idea...Laundry Room

Who needs a whole room? This is a great space saver idea plus is hides the washer and dryer, cleaning products, tools and provides a bit more sound absorption. Yes please!