Stuck in your home?

It's an open secret. The American economy is in trouble, and President Bush acknowledged that fact by unveiling a $150 billion economic stimulus package recently. However, that package contains no provisions for raising the $417,000 conforming loan limit to allow Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to begin purchasing so-called jumbo loans.

The main thrust of the president's plan is to try to stimulate economic growth through about $100 billion in relief tax cuts and incentives for individuals, families, and businesses. No specific mention was made about trying to revive the country’s sagging real markets or the intensely troubled mortgage lending industry. Disagreements within Congress have continued to hinder the progress of legislation that would allow Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to be able to purchase larger loans, as well.

As far as trying to bolster the housing market, the Bush administration has concentrated its efforts on FHASecure, which a new FHA loan guarantee program that would allow some delinquent borrowers who have adjustable-rate mortgages to refinance using fixed-rate loans, and a voluntary program they can Hope Now, which encourages lenders to work with borrowers in creative ways to refinance or restructure their loans rather than moving forward with the foreclosure process. However, some critics of the plan contend that neither one of those programs will provide any real help to the nearly two million American homeowners who are facing foreclosure, especially in light of the fact that home prices are declining in many areas of the country.

The Mortgage Bankers Association recently estimated that some 384,000 loans are currently in some stage of foreclosure, although many of those loans don’t cover owner occupied real estate. There is some good news, though. The MBA also reported that some 54,000 loans were restructured during the third quarter of 2007 and another 183,000 were modified to establish repayment plans that would allow homeowners to stay in their houses.

The real estate crunch is far from over, however. The National Association of Realtors recently suggested that any stimulus package passed by Congress needs to include an increase in the conforming loan limit for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac if the country’s housing market is to recover any time soon. According to the NAR, simply raising the conforming loan limit to $625,000 would reduce the supply of homes on the market within a couple months, would strengthen home prices by at least two percentage points, and could increase real estate activity by more than $40 billion. The NAR also stated that raising those conforming loan limits could reduce foreclosures by as many as 210,000 in a relatively short time.

It’s yet to be determined if the Bush package will be amended to reflect those suggestions. As of this moment, there is no such wording in the plan.

Fix up the home you're living in with Seven Secrets to Glorious Home Design at Residential Design Guide

Question about boring walls

Jeanie asked me what to do with her boring two story living room walls. Some many newer homes have gigantic living room height with a small footprint. It seems the developers wanted the rooms to feel spacious when in reality the rooms don't use up a lot of precious land.

It's good to keep housing cost down and to give a room that feel large. However, so many of these spaces feel just plain boring and even too cold.

One solution, paint, offers color to compensate for architectural detail. It's just so hard to paint these spaces! You must get over any fear of heights and be able to stand on a ladder for hours or have enough money to pay a professional. Unfortunately, too many homeowners bought these houses and got in over their heads with the mortgages. This leaves little left for making the home feel emotionally warm, especially in the coming cold weather.

Another solution is faux wood beams. You can get lightweight imitation beams and attach them to your walls with a little help. This doesn't take as long as painting and cutting in and can cost about the same. You can faux finish the beams before you hang them.



Many faux art and decorative paint finishes can also help you transform your blah rooms. See Flip That House with FAUX for great home improvement on a budget ideas.

Joy,

Jeanette

P. S. My new book compares Aimee's Castle and Scotty's Castle to ancient art. See Residential Design Guide.

Comparing Castles

Does Aimee Semple McPherson's getawayhome in Lake Elsinore remind you of millionaire Johnson's desert retreat, better known as Scotty's Castle?

Both homes were built by eccentrics who didn't care what other people thought. I added at least 20 pages of color photographs of the extraordinary interior design found in Aimee's Castle and in Scotty's Castle to Seven Secrets to Glorious Home Design. You can get the ebook for a fraction of the cost of the print book at Residential Design Guide. The copy editor just sent a few typos back to me and the book goes to print Monday.

Dream a little about your castle design.

Jeanette

Home Tours

I loved seeing the changes made to Aimee's Castle in Lake Elsinore.

Today, The City of Orange hosts a walking tour of historic homes.

Enjoy!

Jeanette

What do you think is the most important design element?

After finishing my last book about our Flip That House project benefitting Habitat for Humanity, I got inspired by faux art in Aimee Semple McPherson's and Albert Johson's castles.

Adding faux art to interior design psychology brings a new dimension to home design. I asked my friends and collegues the question, "What do you think is the most important design element?" They all got it wrong. You can see a couple of answers on my Facebook page. Add yourself as a friend and answer my question. Jeanette's question.



This book, started on Monday with shower musings, is 105 pages so far with all color pictures.

Joy!

Jeanette

Faux Art Extremes

It seems that faux art is not limited to interior design.



We're building a new website for art cars. If you have an art car to share, please email me a photo and I'll post your information free on Art Car Show.

Joy of Art in Flip

Photographer Ed Crisostomo captured the joy essence of mural artist Kim Schaffer in this photo.


See more about the story:

Video:
http://www.pe.com/video/southwest-index.html?nvid=179302

Podcast and story:
http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_D_mural29.3d55bdb.html#

More about Flip That House with Fishers

(I was told the show will be on at 9:30 tonight.- Jeanette)

It's Time to Get the Fireplace Ready

Turn your ordinary fireplace into an outstanding home feature in time for the holidays.




Evan Dahlke, professional faux finisher and fine carpenter, resurfaced the fireplace in our Faux Flip as seen on Flip That House.


Former Fisher home in Florida



Kim Schaffer, expert decorative mural artist, also knows faux finishes for fireplaces.

Check out my Slide Show!

Update Your Walls with Ragging

Adding a faux finish can add drama and interest to any wall in any room, and ragging is a technique you can easily use to transform the look of a room. Ragging lends a textured effect to a wall while still allowing your chosen background color to show through.

First you'll want to choose your colors. There are no hard-and-fast rules here. You can choose colors that are relatively close on the color wheel or you can choose any combination of colors that you think will be pleasing to you and will create the effect you're hoping to achieve. The more radical the color difference, the more bold your ragging statement will be.

Once you've finishing painting your wall with your base coat, let it dry completely. This will generally take about twenty-four hours, but once it's dry, you're ready to begin ragging the top coat.

Wearing a pair of rubber gloves to keep your hands from getting coated, start by dipping your lint-free rag into your top coat, which will be composed of a four-to-one mixture of glaze and the color of your choice. As you work, don't forget to stir the glaze/paint mixture occasionally, because it will have a tendency to separate as time goes by.

Squeeze out the excess paint and then open your rag completely to evenly distribute the mixture before loosely crumpling it again. Start at the top corner of the wall and press your rag down gently. Work in an area of about one square yard before moving on. As you move along, uncrumple your rag from time to time to vary the pattern. Remember, this is a unique work of art you're creating. You don't want it to look like wallpaper.

After you've recrumpled the rag several times, repeat the process of dipping, opening and recrumpling your rag, and dabbing paint onto the wall until you've finished the entire surface. If you're doing several walls, you'll get the best results if you work on opposite walls first. Take a few steps back from time to time to check the uniformity of your ragging texture.

For a crisper texture, you can use a polyester rag instead of a cotton one. Plastic grocery bags also give a rougher texture. Regardless of which type of rag you choose, the key to a great-looking wall is to take your time and strive to achieve a random, yet uniform texture across the entire surface. It's not an expensive remodeling technique and it will take time to do, but with patience, you can dramatically change the look of a room by giving it a unique texture--one that you can proudly tell your guests you created yourself!

For professional decorative wall finishes, take a look at the Faux Artists who worked on the Habitat for Humanity project on Flip That House

Copyright © 2007 Jeanette Fisher

FENG SHUI & GREEN DESIGN

Best Show of the Year

International Conscious Design Conference & Expo
September 27 -28-29-30 2007 -Sheraton Hotel - Parsippany New Jersey

Join us to learn about creating beautiful, empowering and healthy space!
This event will feature the latest in : Green Design, Feng Shui, Architecture, Interior Design, Sustainable Living, Garden & Landscape, City *& Neighborhood Planning, Healthy Homes-Schools-Medical facilities and Commercial Space, Real Estate, and lots more ! Our vision is to connect with people from around the world that are interested in creating beautiful, healthy, empowering homes, schools and offices.

The 2007 International Conscious Design Conference & Expo will be held from September 28 - 30th at the beautiful Parsippany Sheraton, 199 Smith Road, Parsippany, NJ. The Sheraton offers discounted conference rates, beautiful ambiance, delicious food, and we are very proud to say that the Sheraton has been a leader in incorporating green renovations and energy efficiency. The hotel features a fuel cell, full recycling program, and incorporates energy strategies at every opportunity, rated in the top ten by Energuard.



Celebrity Spotlight : Meet Dan Schachner, host of the hit show Curb Appeal broadcast on the Home and Garden Television (HGTV) network. On Saturday, September 29, 2007, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., Dan will be on hand to sign autographs, answer questions and say hello.

Learn Clay Wall Techniques from Anita Turner of New Mexico. Anita uses American Clay, a natural green clay to create beautiful walls: Clay walls have been called “living walls”.

Curious about a Straw Bale House? Come and see for yourself, as expert Ron Horning has
created a special exhibit for you, and will explain the fantastic benefits to building with strawbale.

The fantastic Labyrinth Walk will take place on Saturday evening for conference attendees.
Joachim Becker of the NJ Labyrinth project will guide you through this ancient walk.

Learn how the American Institute of Architects and the ASID are bringing green and healing design into mainstream America. Mark Biedron, Founder of the Willow School in Bedminster will discuss the benefits of building healthy schools. Alex Stark, renowned fengshui designer will talk about healthy design for the health care industry.

Learn about Real estate from the Real Estate Queen: Holly Ziegler Holly has written top selling books on the feng shui secrets to successful real estate sales. If you love real estate and HGTV home and garden shows, remember to stop by and meet Dan Schachner of Curb Appeal on Satuday.

And so much more: World experts, fantastic exhibitors, an unforgettable experience.

Special Focus Day – Thursday Sept 27 1:30-4:30 -Focus day features 6 fabulous teachers in a pre-conference workshop intensive format. These classes cost $99.00 : Color Alchemy, Empowerment in the Office, Sacred Architecture, Sound Healing, Feng Shui Basics, and the Healthy House.

Conference Highlights -World Renowned Speakers

* Trade Show - Over 100 Vendors
* Lectures- Workshops- Classes
* Book signings
* Meet the Manufacturers – Forum Presentation Room
* Green/Fengshui Designers and Architects
* Healing Garden - Massage & Stress Relief
* Professional Organizations making a difference
* Door Prizes and Gifts
* Labyrinth
* Delicious Medieval Benefit Dinner at the Castle - for Habitat for Humanity
* Hands on Exhibits – Art – Furniture Arrangement – Interactive Displays

Organizations and Partners
AIA – American Institute of Architects NS - Conscious Design Magazine - IFSG- International Feng Shui Guild - Morris Habitat for Humanity -ASID – Interior Design -IBE- International Institute of Bau-Biologie & Ecology -Community Green -Holistic Moms Network -Emy Louie Radio Show - Ridge & Valley Alliance –Institute for Sustainable Enterprise –Fairleigh Dickinson, and more.

Scheduled topics include Green Design guidelines and case studies, Bau-Biologie, City Planning, Feng Shui from beginning through advanced, Real Estate Tips, Color, Shape & Sound, Sacred Geometry, Clutter Clearing, Healthy Schools, Health Facility Design, Interior Design for both professionals and the public, Sustainable Building and Architecture.

Registration is easy : Call us, Fax in a registration form or Register online at www.ConsciousDesignExpo.com

Phone 888-459-1020
Thank you for joining us in this healthy home event.

Mural Artist Inspired by Bamboo Women

Mural in Main Bedroom of the Faux Flip

Mural artist Kim Schaffer, inspired by the Bamboo Women community, created a Bamboo Woman Tea Room and added a bamboo mural to the main bedroom in the Habitat for Humanity project house featured on Flip That House.

Bamboo Women learn how to soar like the hardy bamboo plant. Many bamboos percolate under the soil for years. With nourishment or protection, bamboo breaks through hard-packed earth and sprouts to six feet or more in sixty days. Women who need business plans or simply plans of action to achieve a goal come together to support each other. For more information about the new community, please see BambooWomen.com.

Kim's incredible artistic talent is showcased in most rooms at the Faux Flip. Before becoming a stay at home mom and a part-time faux artist, Kim taught school. There isn’t a room in the house that Kim didn’t help work on. She even hand painted a design on the pool deck to mimic the intricate Modello Designs (Custom Stencil Pattern for Faux Finishing) applied to the pool floor!

Visit Kim's website and see her incredible custom decorative murals and then check out the other faux artists who helped a home come alive with love.

Copyright © 2007 Jeanette J. Fisher

Home & Garden Tour

Old Town Tustin's
Annual Promenade
Home & Garden Tour
Saturday, May 19th from 9 am to 4 pm.

Tickets and information: Tustin History

Send your home and garden tour announcements to Jeanette:
Home Decorating Interior Design Ideas

Joy to the Home Journal, April | Why Faux?

Hi,

I hope you are enjoying spring.

We're feeling refreshed this spring with a sense of renewal. Faux artist and author Adrienne van Dooren has given me fresh inspiration to complete our Habitat for Humanity project for the TV show Flip That House.

After my husband Brian passed on, I was painting the bedrooms in the fixer by myself and feeling miserable. Today, I'm receiving love and support from volunteer artists and local businesses. Adrienne, who just happened to also support Habitat for Humanity with a book, gathered faux artists to help me take our project to a new level.

New York artist Arlene Mcloughlin is painting a ceiling mural for our faux flip. (In the picture, she's painting a different ceiling.)

Why Faux?
You've heard of wi-fi? Well, in this article, we're going to talk about why Faux is becoming a hot trend in home remodeling. Faux finishes can make a dramatic change in the look and feel of a house, and the possibilities for using faux techniques are virtually endless. Read about Faux Art.

Past articles from Joy to the Home Journal posted on the main website:
Do You Want to Become an Interior Designer?

Why You Might Want to Decorate Yourself/What is an interior decorator?

Interior Designers' Ideas Help You with Home Decorating Gain Inspiration from the Great Interior Designers
Elsie de Wolfe's Interior Design Philosophy and Style

Dorothy Draper, the Martha Stewart of her day

Mario Buatta: Five Interior Design Philosophies Help Homemakers

Residential Design Guide Features articles on Ranch, Tudor, and Green Styles

Joy to your home,

Jeanette Fisher
America's "Dream Home" Maker
Joy to the Home, Design Psychology
Homes for glorious living and top-dollar sales

Flip That House with FAUX for Habitat for Humanity Project

Faux Art for you:
Book by Adrienne van Dooren: Faux House gives you inspiration to redesign one corner, a room, or an entire house. Plus, you get to help Katrina victims. Enjoy!

Faux classes and supplies in Southern California: FauxMasters

Faux Contractor in Temecula Valley: Mark Mason can take out walls, build an arch, and then faux it.

Arlene Mcloughlin Murals

Healing Homes

I was interviewed weeks ago by Anndee Hochman for an article that appeared today in the Philadelphia Inquirer. I had forgotten about the interview. What surprised me is the topic of healing. After the interview, my husband died suddenly and I now have a deeper understanding for the healing power of home. I'm adding a chapter to the upcoming book Joy to the Home®.

"Designers are learning that the way you decorate and furnish your home reflects who you are inside - and can change you." - Anndee Hochman

* Soothing touches for your home Philadelphia Inquirer

Jeanette Fisher
Joy to the Home®

Gain Inspiration from the Great Interior Designers

Elsie de Wolfe's Interior Design Philosophy and Style
Elsie de Wolfe invented the interior design profession and wrote the first great decorating book. Take the interior design philosophy of de Wolfe who said, "I opened the doors and windows of America and let the air and sunshine in." Some of her home decorating touches include: Elsie de Wolfe Interior Design Ideas

Dorothy Draper, the Martha Stewart of her day, offered home decorating tips on a wide variety of issues to her eager readers. Founder of the oldest established interior design firm, Draper's interior design ideas favored exuberant and bold colors and patterns. Dorothy Draper Interior Design Ideas

Mario Buatta: Five Interior Design Philosophies Help Homemakers
Mario developed his own unique design philosophy, and has become most famous for a style he calls "the undecorated look," in which he tries to provide a comfortable atmosphere within a carefully blended combination of contemporary and antique furnishings. Mario Buatta Interior Design Ideas

Do YOU want to Become an Interior Designer?

Green Building Demand for Homes

Green building continues to gain momentum every year as demand grows and builders begin to focus on filling that demand. Going green no longer means geodesic domes or strange-looking houses, owned by staunch environmentalists. Green has become more and more mainstream over the past several decades, until a sizable number of new homes contain at least some green features. Green Building Demands

Americans will spend close to two billion dollars on home remodeling projects this year. Few home owners will consider preservation of natural resources when they choose building materials for their home makeovers. Green Remodeling

If you're old enough, you can remember when the concept of green building was considered to be just a strange notion held only by tree huggers and other members of the environmental lunatics. However, that's no longer the case, and green building is one of the hottest trends in America today, so much so that it's considered unusual NOT to have at least some environmentally friendly and energy efficient components in new construction. Residential Design Guide - Green Building

Spec builders focus more on filling new home buyer's demand for green building features. Spec Builder Green Building Tips

Halloween FUN!

Decorate your home with something different! ANd FUN! A roll-up carnival mirror for only $27. Order today for your Halloween party: Fun House Mirrors.


Halloween can be a wonderful time for decorating, since it's so different from any other holiday, and it has really taken off as a chance to let people's imaginations run wild over the past few years. Here are a few ideas for adding some spooky Halloween spirit to your home:

FUN Halloween Decorating Ideas

Halloween Decorating Ideas

Halloween is a uniquely special time of year, regardless of whether you're a kid or just a kid at heart. It's a holiday time that offers lots of wonderful opportunities to decorate your home creatively, since the subject matter is different from any other holiday. If you're thinking about decorating your porch and yard for the spookiest night of the year, you can do it without having to spend a lot of money. Here are a few low-cost ideas for showing your Halloween spirit to the world:

Low-Cost Halloween Decorating Ideas

Pumpkin Dream Home

What's your dream home look like?

Learn how to decorate for fall and winter. Turn your current home into your fantasy dream home! Free home interior design teleseminars and decorating tips.

Home Decorating Interior Design Ideas

Redecorating Your Guest Bathroom

Remodeling Powder Rooms for Maximum Effect on Visitors

Remodeling or redecorating your powder room, which is the bathroom your guests will most often see (as opposed to your master bathroom, which is strictly for you) takes some thought and careful planning in order to create a strong positive impression on visitors to your home. Here are a few tips to bear in mind as you go about creating an impressive powder room. Remodeling Powder Rooms

Master Bedroom Makeover Teleseminar

Sunday, September 10 at 6 PM Pacific 9 PM Eastern

How does you bedroom make you feel?

Have you redone your bedroom but still feel that its missing something?

Do you stay up too late because you don't want to go to bed?

What difference would a bedroom designed for happiness make in your life?

Learn why the bedroom, which is the last room on most home decorators list, may be the most important room in your home!

What is the purpose of your bedroom?

* Romantic Getaway?

* Reading Hideaway?

* Sleeping Sanctuary?

Send me your home decorating questions about making your bedroom support your emotional needs.

I'll share pictures of a romantic getaway bedroom created for under $500.

Get Maria's conference call details.


Jeanette Fisher, America's "Dream Home" Maker

Remodeling a Powder Room Doesn't Have to Be Expensive

by Jeanette Fisher

The typical powder room, that half bath in your home with just a sink, toilet, and mirror, only averages about four-by-five feet, yet even though it's generally the smallest room in the home, your powder room can create a powerful impression on guests. In fact, given its small size and the amount of use it gets, especially when you're entertaining, your powder room may actually be the most valuable square footage in your home.

The nice thing about having your powder room small is that it can be the least expensive room in your house to dramatically make over. There just isn't that much to change, but upgrading can make a huge difference in the impact your powder room can have on visitors. Here are a few suggestions for remodeling your powder room.

One of the least expensive and quickest things you can do is to change the color of the walls. Deep, lush colors can make a more impressive impact than gentle pastels. Earth tones have also been showing a strong trend recently. The idea is to create a strong impression, and nothing can do that better than bold colors.

Another hot trend has been to add vessel-style sinks to the powder room. They come in an incredible variety of styles, and you're bound to find one that suits your taste and budget. You'll be able to choose among a number of materials and textures, as well, including porcelain, glass, bronze, ceramic, and stainless steel.

If you're looking at a new sink, don't forget to pay special attention to the faucet that will be attached to it. The right faucet can make a huge difference in the overall impact of a powder room. Like sinks, you'll find a wide variety of faucets to choose from, and tying the faucet and sink together is an important part establishing a decorating theme for your powder room.

When it comes to choosing a toilet, give careful consideration to a one-piece style. A stylist one-piece toilet can lend your powder room a furnished feel, rather than simply being a necessary piece of plumbing. Your local home improvement center will offer lots of different colors and designs, so you're bound to find one that will help create the overall impression you're trying to make in your powder room. One-piece toilets have the added benefit of using considerably less water, as well, and they're quieter when flushed, which most of your guests will appreciate.

When addressing the splash section behind the sink, you'll find that slate gives a warmer impression than ceramic tile. Slate can also be integrated with granite or quartz countertops to create a lush feeling without giving the impression of being too showy.

The floor is always a remodeling consideration, too, and the recent trend has been to employ hardwood or shiny surfaces like granite or marble to give the powder room a bit more of a plush, luxurious feel. You can also use radiant heat beneath a ceramic tile or slate floor to eliminate the need for a secondary heat source.

The easiest way to add the illusion of space is with a new mirror, especially if you have an old small medicine chest above the sink -- the type with a stainless steal frame. These old-fashioned medicine cabinets really date a home. Replace with a mirror spanning the wall all the way up to the ceiling. Or, look for an extra large framed mirror and paint the frame to match your décor.

Remodeling a powder room doesn't have to be expensive, but since it's such a small room, you can often incorporate more expensive materials and features than you'd be able to do in one of the larger rooms in your home. This will allow you to impress your guests with your taste and your willingness to be a gracious host.

Bathroom Remodeling Ideas

Free Home Decorating Interior Design Ideas

Copyright © 2006 Jeanette J. Fisher

Bathroom Remodeling Designs

It seems as if bathrooms have undergone more radical changes than any other room in the modern home over the past few years. In fact, it's been less than a century since bathrooms were first brought inside of the home, and since that time, their evolution has been ongoing. Modern bathrooms bear little resemblance to their utilitarian counterparts of bygone days.

Modern bathrooms mix elegant, romantic, and dramatic elements that combine to create a relaxing, inviting, and comfortable atmosphere. For instance, you can add soft enchantment to your lighting scheme through the use of chandeliers or lights with dimmer switches to create the exact atmosphere that fits your mood.

Sinks have also become more elegant, and come in an infinite variety of styles and shapes. Whether you hang them from a wall, mount them in a countertop, or allow them to be freestanding on top of a pedestal, your bathroom sink can be both a work of art and a reflection of your lifestyle and taste, setting the mood for your temporary getaway from the cares of the world.

There's even a trend in today's decorating schemes to bring outdoor elements into the bathroom. For instance, bathrooms are enhanced with something as simple as the soothing sounds of a gurgling water fountain or something as elaborate as an atrium garden or even a small stream. At the very least, large windows can allow expansive views of the outdoors, whether it's a panoramic view or a private garden. Adding such elements can blur the line between "indoors" and "outdoors" and can provide a wonderful sense of peace and tranquility.

Tubs and showers have also gone through a considerable evolution. There's an increasing trend toward oversized tubs equipped with spa jets to add a greater sense of relaxation and enjoyment. For taller folks, tubs are also getting longer--some of them are up to 75 inches long! You also have a much wider variety of showers to choose from, including some that combine standard shower heads with pulsating heads, hand showers, and body sprays. Just as with sinks and tubs, your choices are endless, depending upon your taste.

A number of relatively new innovations are also becoming more popular in today's bathrooms, such as towel drawers that can be heated, so you can reach for a warm towel when you step out of the shower on a frosty winter night. Although television has been available in many bathrooms for some time, you can now install a TV behind a special wall-mounted mirror. The mirror looks like any ordinary mirror until the bathroom lights are dimmed and the TV is turned on. Only then can the television be seen--a great way to hide modern technology when it's not in use.

Bathrooms have come an incredibly long way since their introduction into the home, and that trend shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. You're limited only by your imagination and budget.

Kitchen and Bathroom Remodeling Information

Copyright © 2006 Jeanette J. Fisher

Extreme Gardens for Family Fun

Today's families love to spend time at home--in their gardens. Outdoor kitchens and extreme amenities like person-sized chessboards, tropical waterfalls, and entertainment stages compete with weekend getaways.

Some times it's just more fun to stay home!

Extreme Gardens

Enjoy!

Jeanette Fisher

America's "Dream Home" Maker
Joy to the Home, Design Psychology
Homes for glorious living and top-dollar sales

Interior Designers - Who was America's First?

Who is your favorite interior designer?

Two ladies of interest who influenced interior design, Elsie de Wolfe and Dorothy Draper, vie for the title "America's First Interior Designer."

Elsie de Wolfe, First Professional Interior Designer? Elsie wrote what may have been the one of the first great books on interior design. I love her motto: "Never complain, never explain." Elsie de Wolfe

Even though renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright called her an "inferior desecrator," Dorothy Draper had decorated scores of offices, restaurants, hospitals, and even a car for Packard (in 1952) and an airplane interior for Convair (the 880) before she died in 1969. Dorothy Draper

Enjoy!

Jeanette Fisher
America's "Dream Home" Maker
Joy to the Home, Design Psychology
Homes for glorious living and top-dollar sales

Joy to the Home Journal Posted

In this interior design newsletter issue:

Garden Tour Pictures

Which Interior Design Method Would Best Help You?

* Vaastu - Vastu Shastra
* Feng Shui
* Wabi Sabi
* Shabby Chic
* Environmental or 'Green Design'
* Design Psychology

Interior Design Newsletter

Enjoy!

Jeanette Fisher

Earth Day 2006 - Good News for the Environment

Even though American rivers don't catch fire anymore and the smog levels have decreased in most major cities, there's still a long way to go. Urban sprawl is still endangering woodlands, prairies, and farmland, and global warming is still on the rise. Even so, the overall trend is positive. But we must all work to continue the momentum set in motion by the first Earth Day in 1970.

http://environmentpsychology.com/earth_day.htm

Explore Environmental Psychology and consider environmental design for your home.

Joy,

Jeanette Fisher

Kitchen Makeover

We're finally remodeling our kitchen. The first step, taking down the wall that blocks the view from the living room. You can see the demolition pictures and watch the progress Kitchen Remodeling Pictures

I checked into all types of countertops--concrete, paper (stronger than any other material!), copper, tile, granite, limestone, marble, wood, glass... the list goes on. I really loved the way the paper countertops feels. Turns out, paper countertops really aren't made from recycled paper but from cut trees!

Joy!

Jeanette Fisher
Interior Design Psychology Kitchen and Bathroom Remodeling

###

Plan an Extraordinary Spring Garden

Now that spring is officially (on the calendar, at least), it's time to think about how to turn your garden from ordinary to extraordinary.

Waterwise Xeriscaping

Joy to the Home Journal

Discover how Mother Nature guides your home interior design to create an environment that supports your emotional needs.

March 2006
Joy to you in Spring!

In this Issue
Don't Be Afraid of Color!
Color Warning
Gift: Interior Design Psychology Teleseminar - Color Power
Updates from Jeanette
Read the latest issue online. Please note: You must be a subsciber to download the free ebook.

interior design newsletter

Wind Power

Spirit Lake Wind Project

Iowa is a national leader in wind power energy production, and much
of what is taking place is at the grassroots level. Just ask the
folks who live, work, and go to school in the Spirit Lake School District.

Wind Energy Information: Spirit Lake Wind Project


Enjoy,

Jeanette Fisher
Joy to the Home
Homes for glorious living
http://www.joytothehome.com

###

Interior Design Psychology for Home Makeovers College Course

February 11, 2006 9 AM - 1 PM Mt. San Jacinto College

Menifee Valley Campus

Create a home for happy living. Explore new interior design ideas based on how psychology helps you choose interior design details. Avoid costly mistakes in room makeovers. Learn how to use color psychology and the four other design elements that compose a home for happiness. Discover how to get the designer look on a budget. You'll be on your way to a complete change of thought about your home environment and how to makeover your home!

"I wish I learned all this before we bought our first house 25 years ago and before we had our children. Not only would our homes be more harmonious, but so would our lives together. It's amazing to learn how colors, lighting, sounds, and patterns affect us so deeply." -Angela Pederson, Palm Desert. California

* Discover how your home's design details influence your emotions.
* Learn the basics of interior design elements and how your choice of color and patterns affects your feelings.
* Topics covered include the applications of lighting, colors, patterns, furnishings, textures, and finishes along with the underlying psychological consequences.
* Become skilled at making the right choices to achieve your ultimate dream home without spending a fortune.

Jeanette Fisher, author of Home Staging for Top-Dollar Sales, Doghouse to Dollhouse for Dollars: Using Design Psychology to Increase Real Estate Profits, Joy to the Home: Residential Design Psychology for Happiness and Well-Being, and other books, has researched the effects of environment on emotions for over 15 years. Jeanette teaches Design Psychology and real estate investing.

Call Mt Jacinto College to register 951-487-6752 ext. 1700, 1701 or 1702
or go to the classroom Room 1013B a few minutes early.

Section # 9057

For more information, go to Joy to the Home

###

Thinking about a Home Makeover for Your New Year's Resolution?

If you're thinking about major home makover projects, you won't want to pay for expensive upgrades using your credit cards. Credit card debt can ruin your happiness, even in a perfect home!

We're offering a free credit help Teleseminar January 7, 2006. Although the Teleseminar will help people with credit problems, the main focus is on how to build credit for home financing. This will help you if you want to refinance your home to pay for your home makeover.

Also, get home makeover tips and spend less money for the designer's look:

FREE Interior Design Teleseminar: Home Makeover Help!

Joy to you in 2006!

Jeanette Fisher



###

Dramatic Powder Room Makeovers

Develop you personal home interior design skills without committing to a huge project. Your guest bathroom, or powder room, presents a great place to start with your home makeover. This small room takes less money and effort to decorate than your larger rooms.

Because guests view this little space privately, visitors take more time to notice the interior design details. For this reason, you want to showcase great design to make a good impression. Also, hospitality shines in a well-appointed guest bath where it takes just a couple of splurges on extravagant fixtures to make a huge impact that your guests will remember. Company may not remember your living room walls because they're focusing on the people in the space, but they will remember your powder room.

What if you don't have a powder room and guests use your children's bathroom?

Children appreciate being treated as adults and don't need a childish bathroom. Don't use juvenile-patterned wallpaper or accessories.

Keep bathtub toys in the bathtub (in one of those plastic-coated wire baskets) and hang a ceiling to floor curtain in front of the bathtub. This curtain can be hung in front of the normal plastic liner from the ceiling. For small bathrooms, where the daylight comes in over the bathtub, use white or another light-emitting fabric. A curtain made of soft gauze or cotton does double duty: it softens the space with fabric while masking the bathtub, which is not a guest-bath feature.

Powder Room Basics

To finish any proper powder room, you need a great sink, faucet, and cabinet with a large mirror, plus the toilet. If you're working on a budget, look for sinks on sale at a warehouse store or at Habitat for Humanity’s thrift store, ReStore. Don't buy a poorly constructed cabinet; look for an antique dresser or buffet that spans the wall space.

Dramatic powder rooms emphasize remarkable mirrors. You may be tempted to keep the ugly wall-mounted medicine cabinet, but if you truly want an impressive guest bath, hang a spectacular mirror instead.

Store toothbrushes and other necessities in the cabinet below and move medicines to the kitchen, out or reach of children.

If you need to replace the toilet, which only needs to be functional because the other details will outshine it, look for a toilet which blends in with your home's style.

Powder Room Makeover Tips

Besides the bathroom fixtures, your flooring, walls, and ceiling offer the most economical home makeover opportunities. Because of the small area, you can use large ceramic tiles that mimic stone, marble, or even wood. Also, linoleum comes in a multitude of interesting patterns and has the benefit of being warmer to bare feet than tile.

The area that makes the greatest interior design impact, the walls and ceiling, give the best place to have fun with your home makeover. Decorative paint finishes, like subtle layering of glazes, add the designer’s touch without the expense. Choose colors that harmonize with the rest of your home to reinforce your color theme. Use color psychology to make your powder room present a cooling oasis or a warming shelter.

Use an essential oil diffuser to help your powder room smell as good as it looks. Avoid unnatural sprays that cause irritation to those with sensitivities.

The final interior design detail, exquisite lighting, doesn't need to kill your budget. Perhaps your dining chandelier would make a better statement in your bathroom than it does in your dining room. If you life in a climate with high humidity and hot summers, a ceiling fan helps keep the room cool. Look for a fan with lights that point upward. Lights shining down on you in a small space feel over-powering. Also, use wall sconces on either side of the vanity mirror instead of the usual builder’s light fixture above the mirror.

Finishing touches, guest towels, hard soaps, and lotions make your guests and yourself feel pampered. Choose generous, thick, and soft hand towels to add softness to an otherwise hard surface space.

Because people feel more comfortable in smaller bathrooms which offer privacy, a guest bathroom offers the perfect place to practice your design skills. Splurge a little on lavish wall finishes and guest towels to showcase your home's interior design.

Copyright © 2006 Jeanette J. Fisher. All rights reserved. (You may publish this article in its entirety with the following author's information with live links only.)

Free Interior Design Teleseminar: Home Makeover Help! Jeanette Fisher helps homemakers transform their homes with five easy steps. Free Design Psychology ebook and information at http://www.joytothehome.com/

Ornate Tin Ceilings

(The author of the article below has beautiful examples of her family's work on her website, Heritage Ceilings.)

Thinking About Buying Ornate Tin Ceiling Tiles?
By Jean Morrison

Use Aluminium Instead Of Tin

An aluminum alloy has now been created to especially suit these beautiful art metal ceilings. Aluminum is a corrosion resistant, durable product which doesn't rust, unlike steel which is used by some manufactures of pressed tin. The panels are still widely known as pressed tin even though they are not made from tin.

Think About The Design In Your Ceiling Panels And whether They Will Suit The Measurements Of your Room

With a little forethought you can create a "tin" ceiling that exudes the "Wow Factor". The "Wow Factor" is the reaction you will receive when your visitors look at your new ceiling for the first time. To get that factor you need to spend a little time thinking about how the ceiling panels will fit your particular room. If the repeat pattern you have chosen measures two feet by two feet, will you need to trim all the outside panels in order for them to fit the dimensions of your room? If this would be the case then you need to re-think your plans.

You have two choices: choose a small all-over style which will look perfectly fine if trimmed to fit the room or you can use a border panel around the outside of your room and have the larger designs in the centre of the ceiling. Most of the larger designs require a border or filler strip around the edge, otherwise they don't look so elegant when installed. Border or filler panels most usually have a small pattern on them which complements the larger main panels in the centre of the ceiling. If you require a border around your main panels then it will be worth consulting an expert to find out how wide the border should be. It is easy to upset the balance of your ceiling by having a border that is too wide or conversely too narrow. Ask your supplier for help on this topic.

Is Crown Cornice Needed?

There is now a delightful range of crown cornice moldings made from aluminum. These come in a variety of sizes to suit various ceiling heights. Crown cornices need to be mitred in the corners of the room and there are now various accessories to suit the individual cornices. These accessories are very handy as they hide the mitred cut edges which can sometimes be a little rough for those home handymen who have little experience in mitring. An alternative to metal crown cornices are timber moldings. Plaster cornices should not be used with metal ceilings.

Can You Install Your Tin Ceilings Yourself?

The easiest way to install pressed tin is to firstly fix building ply to the old ceiling or walls and then nail the tin to the ply. Timber battens can be used but building ply makes the job much easier. It is best to remove existing cornice before the ply is fixed to the ceiling.
Most reputable ceiling suppliers will offer detailed fitting instructions. If you lack experience in this area, you may prefer to employ someone with building experience. However, most metal ceilings are fitted by their owners. Tacking nails should be used initially until you are satisfied you have everything in its final position. Tacking nails are quite long and must only be partly nailed in so that they can be removed easily with pliers. When you are satisfied that everything is in the right spot then you can remove the tacking nails and finish the job off with small nails. Details of which nails to use should be in the manufacturers fitting instructions.

Painting your Metal Panels

Painting an ornate, aluminum ceiling in fine detail is easy because it is painted before it gets fixed to the ceiling. Most aluminum paneling is sold with etch primer already on it so it is immediately ready to paint. You can use one colour over the whole ceiling, you can add just a touch of colour on the moldings or you can can paint every detail in various shades of paint. The patterns in aluminum ceilings are more deeply pressed than other types of ceilings so they create lovely shadows themselves just from electric light or from natural daylight. Accordingly most people use one colour of paint over the whole ceiling. It is strongly recommended that pale shades of paint be used. Darker colours can be appealing in theory but in practice they can often give a heavy oppressive feel to a room. Oil based paints are recommended. If the nails are still visible you can dob each one with a little paint.

About The Author

Jean Morrison is owner of Heritage Ceilings, a unique ceiling decoration business dedicated to bringing beautiful ceilings back into our public buildings and homes.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com/Expert Jean Morrison

Free Interior Design Teleseminar: Home Makeover Help!

You asked and we listened. Tell us what you want to know about Design Psychology.

Happy New Year!

Spring Cleaning for Your New Year Already? Time to take down that ugly wallpaper!

Tips for Stripping Wallpaper: How to Get Rid of Ugly Wallpaper!

I broke my promise to myself and stripped wallpaper again. While stripping the wallpaper, I realized that many homemakers get wrong advice for this horrendous task. After years of experience on over 30 houses (including one 6,000 square foot Victorian with layers of painted-over wallpaper!), I offer my tried and best tips to strip wallpaper:

1. Use a clothes steamer or rent a professional steamer.

2. Soak a large section of the wall.

3. Run a "Paper Tiger" scoring tool across the damp section.

4. Steam the section again.

5. Spray the section with fabric softener and hot water.

6. Score the section with the paper tiger again.

7. Steam again.

8. Remove any curling edges (sometimes large areas peel off).

9. Scrape with a six inch sheetrock blade or a plastic scrapper if you have a heavy hand. Take care not to scratch the walls.

10. Repeat the above steps on the section until most of the wallpaper and sticky glue scrapes off easily.

11. Scrub with hot water, TSP, and a sponge with a scratchy surface.

Cautions: Use the Paper Tiger gingerly so you don't scratch or gouge the walls. Use gloves with the harsh chemical TSP.

Don't live with ugly wallpaper any longer!

P. S. Please email me if you have any additional tips on stripping wallpaper that would help others!

Copyright © Jeanette J. Fisher.


Jeanette Fisher loves to help home makers create homes for glorious living. She teaches five easy steps to makeover your home for happiness. For free ebook on Design Psychology go to http://www.joytothehome.com

Holiday Decorating Ideas

Party Planning

Make decorating your home for holiday parties a pleasure instead of a stressful nightmare. Organization and planning helps you keep on top of your holiday parties.

Create a gorgeous party planning notebook with an inexpensive plastic three-ring binder that has a space to insert an inspirational picture. Keep cutouts from magazines of ideas you love about decorating, themes, menus, and recipes. Keep notes about your party afterwards so you remember what worked well and what to do differently next year. Your personal party journal will be an invaluable assistant to help you avoid holiday stress.

Holiday Decorating

Enjoy your home decorating for the holidays. Don't try to do too much. Keep in mind that people love to come to homes decked out in festive array but that it doesn't take a lot of cluttering ornamentation to create a holiday statement. Just a few large decorations can add the desired impact without taking a lot of time to set out. Plus, too many little decorations get lost when you have many people standing around.

Where to decorate for impact:

1. Your front walkway: Greet guests at the entrance with lights surrounding your front door and two large poinsettias or evergreen trees.

2. Your front door: A large swag of evergreen decorated with nuts, apples, raffia, and ribbon spiced up with cinnamon sticks and cloves makes a different statement than the usual wreath.

3. Your dining table: If you plan a sit-down dinner, avoid tall centerpieces that interfere with guests seeing across the table. White table cloths reflect the light, add a feeling of elegance, and don't interfere with colored china. Bold colors add drama. Have fun with your table decorations.

4. Look up: Because table decorations get in the way, add garlands above archways and doors.

5. Your powder room: Because guests use this room privately, they take the time to look around and notice decorations.

If your TV looks like a black hole in your room when it's off, play an old black and white classic movie with the sound turned off.

Enjoy your holiday decorating this year. Try some new ideas and keep a party planner for next year. You'll be ready for new holiday decorating ideas!

Copyright © Jeanette J. Fisher

Jeanette Fisher teaches homemakers how to makeover their homes for joyful living. For holiday interior design tips see http://JoyHolidays.com. For FREE Design Psychology ebooks, see Joy to the Home Interior Design Psychology Ideas

Create Your Dream Home

Is money holding you back from creating your dream home?

Join our FREE Teleseminar on Saturday Nov. 26 to find out what it takes to improve your credit so you can have your dream home.

Learn what it takes to get home improvement loans to build your fantasy, without paying too much!

"Don't Shop 'til You Drop on the Saturday After Thanksgiving!"
Saturday, Nov. 26 10:00 AM Pacific Time
Watch as I Guide You Through the Entire Process...

If you can talk on the phone at the same time you go online, you will be able to watch my PowerPoint presentation used in my college seminars.

This class doesn't give you the same information as "credit repair clinics" who can damage your credit. Because so many of my students needed credit improvement to finance property, I researched the best way to strengthen credit specifically for mortgage loans.

Send me an email to join the Teleseminar. Email Jeanette or read more about it:
Free Credit Help Teleseminar

Happy Thanksgiving!

Jeanette
Joy To the Home


Jeanette

Interior Design Secrets to Glorious Holiday Decorating

Seminar at Mt San Jacinto this Saturday morning 9:00 A M to noon.

Menifee Campus
Call to Register: (951) 487-6752 ext. 1700, 1701 or 1702

Decorate differently this holiday season.
Plan a loving family festivity or a grand event.
Apply the secrets of Design Psychology, "American Feng Shui."
Bring joy to your home this season with innovative interior design ideas.
Discover fresh strategies to decorate your home to support your emotions.
Participants invited to bring their list of rooms and desires so they
leave with a design plan or to just sit back and enjoy...

Joy to the Home's Interior Design Styles

By Jeanette Fisher

Wabi Sabi, an ancient Chinese philosophy adapted by the Japanese and practiced by many Westerners today, presents an alternative way of living more than a way of decorating your home. However, you can adapt your interior and landscape design using Wabi Sabi principles for happiness.

"Wabi Sabi" (pronounced "wah-bee sah-bee") was formalized as the Zen Buddhism tea ceremony evolved. Zen Buddhism originated in India, traveled through China in the 6th Century, and to Japan in the 12th century. The ancient wisdom of Wabi Sabi practitioners helps today's busy home makers with interesting interior design ideas. Wabi Sabi interior design followers learn to relax, take time appreciate the beauty and simplicity of natural design, and to know that their home doesn't need perfection to bring joy, which compares to our research findings in residential Design Psychology.

Before you relate Wabi Sabi to Shabby Chic style, understand that the Wabi Sabi way of life starts with simplicity, whereas Shabby Chic interiors often fill spaces with a lot of interesting finds, which can end up with too much to care for and eye clutter, according to Design Psychology principles. This lesson of too much design detail, which stops the eye and makes you feel overwhelmed, became apparent to us when we moved from our expansive Victorian home into a smaller house and had to choose the more important furnishings from the treasures discovered over ten years of collecting, both in antique and thrift stores.

If you want to makeover your home for joyous living, consider Wabi Sabi restraints along with Design Psychology principles:

Simplify your life and home design.
When you choose the best from your treasures, keep those accessories that support positive memories, regardless of monetary value.

Take pleasure from natural beauty.
Choose design details with colors, patterns, and textures similar to those found in nature, which feel harmonious to people because they connect us to the earth.

Appreciate your home and furnishings, no matter how imperfect.
When you love your home, this love shines throughout and makes it easier for you to clean and maintain. Your positive attitude brings you encouragement to find beauty all around, inspiring fresh ideas for home makeover projects.

Wabi Sabi beliefs include the principles of incomplete and impermanent designs, which parallel the Design Psychology principle that your home needs to grow and change, to support your changing lifestyle and emotional needs.

In contrast to Wabi Sabi's use of modest and humble furnishings, Design Psychology appreciates the inherent beauty in all things. Enjoy the fruits of your hard work and don't feel guilty when mixing the humble with quality showpieces. I love my Italian Millifiore glass lamps sitting next to my Mexican Rose rock.

Like any good design theory, Wabi Sabi finds beauty in the unconventional. Your originality in design makes your home unique. Design Psychology practice avoids the use of furniture "groups" and prefers unique, individual pieces offering comfort. If you were tempted by a furniture set, such as matching sofa, love seat, and the three matching tables, don't worry; just know that additional pieces don't need to match perfectly and that blending styles and finishes makes unconventional, unique spaces.

Design Psychology supports fearless home makeovers, bold with colors to lend emotional support yet restrained, without overly-filled rooms, to provide backgrounds for people and harmonious living.

Similar to the Wabi Sabi tea ceremony, practice daily rituals in your home. Create a home to celebrate life, one full of tranquility and beauty. Choose your home interior design style to best support your happiness.

Copyright © 2005 Jeanette J. Fisher. All rights reserved.
Jeanette Fisher, author of Joy to the Home Journal, interior design and real estate books, has researched the effects of environment on emotions for over 15 years. Jeanette teaches college courses on Design Psychology and professional real estate investing seminars. For free Design Psychology reports, visit Joy to the Home.com

Vintage Stoves – Classic Designs to Warm Your Heart

(Note from Jeanette: This article covers most types of wood burning stoves except my favorite-- the Swedish ceramic stove.)

Vintage Stoves – Classic Designs to Warm Your Heart
By Kim Filler

Have you ever been to the antique market, or watching the "Antiques Roadshow", and seen those wonderful woodstoves for days passed? They are absolutely amazing, especially if you can find one in good shape. A friend of mine recently installed a "4 O’clock" stove dating back to the early 1900’s, and it looks marvelous! It got me thinking about woodstoves, in general, and I started to research many of the vintage stoves. I have listed the most popular models below. Get yourself a cup of tea, put your feet up, and read on!

Victorian Stoves – These stoves date back to the late 1800’s. They are generally made from cast iron, and adorned with nickel. This early kitchen stove will meet all of your cooking needs.

Country Stoves – These stoves generally date to around the early 1900’s. It is very similar to the Victorian stove, but more effort has been out into the nickel highlights and the clean, crisp casting.

Retro Stoves – These particular stoves are simply updated versions of the above. In the 1930’s, when these stoves were immensely popular, the kitchen seemed to be the central point in one’s home. These stoves were integral to the "modern" kitchen.

Cylinder Stoves – These stoves are likely the most easily recognizable of the antique stoves. They were renowned for their extraordinary ability to heat a home, while taking up very little floor space.

Potbelly Stoves – Early American photographs abound with images of the potbelly stove. These stoves were found in railway stations, saloons, brothels, and many other historic settings on the western frontier.

Parlour Stoves – Back in the Victorian era, these beautiful stoves were a focal point in traditional parlour rooms. At the height of their popularity, artisans adorned them with various designs such as cherubs, mythological figures, and floral designs.

Franklin Fireplaces – This stove is pure Americana. It was designed by Benjamin Franklin, and early American inventor, craftsman, and President. All wood stoves used for heating owe their heritage to Benjamin Franklin, and his efficient design.

These are but a few of the stove types I came across in my research. These stoves are all wonderful examples of design and function. If you happen to see any of these stoves while shopping for antiques, do let me know. Or buy one for yourself! You won’t regret it!

Kim Filler loves shopping for antiques in obscure, out-of-the-way markets. She is currently obsessing about the Franklin Fireplace. When she is free from her daily pursuits, she writes for fireplacesandwoodstoves.com – a website of interest to those who enjoy fireplaces and woodstoves featuring information on wood burning stoves, old antique wood stoves, fireplace mantel information and more. wood burning stoves
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Tips on Budget Decorating

By Maria Palma

Home decorating on a budget is the ultimate adventure in decorating. It requires a little bit of planning, creativity, and patience. If you are like me, sometimes you wish you could be a genie and wiggle your nose and **poof** it's done. However, that takes away from all the fun! Follow these tips and you'll have a home that looks like a page out of your favorite magazine!

*Visit Furniture Showrooms

Make notes of styles of furniture you like. Also, take note of colors and fabrics that create a "warm" feeling inside of you. By visiting showrooms you can get an idea of the new trends and styles.

*Browse Through Decorating Magazines

Magazines are a source of inspirational ideas. Create a scrapbook of magazine clippings and refer to your book when shopping for your home.

*Shop Second-Hand Stores

One person's trash is another person's treasure can never be so true. One place to look is the classifieds in your local newspaper. I have found great deals on furniture in thrift stores and auctions. Don't worry if an item is not in the best of shape. A coat of paint will work wonders for some furniture. Slipcovers can update an old couch or chair.

*Color! Color! Color!

To create a dramatic, inexpensive change to your home, paint the walls a new color or buy new curtains. Keep in mind the moods that colors can create.

*Create Your Own Art

For me, one of the best parts of decorating is creating my own original works of art to hang on the walls. It could be as simple as collecting leaves when they have turned colors and creating a picture collage. A nice frame makes any work of art look classy. Take a drawing, photography or painting class at your local community college. Gain inspiration by browsing through art books at your local library or bookstore. If you're into black and white photos, but do not want to pay the high price for this type of art, buy a book or calendar of your favorite photographer and frame the pictures.

*Shop Discount Stores

Thank God for discount stores! This place will save you a ton of money on accessories. You will find little treasures such as candle holders, candles, potpourri, and knick knacks for very little money. Who will ever know?

*Be Patient!

Take your time and shop during sales. Decorating should be fun. Remember, Rome was not built in a day!

About The Author

Maria Palma is a writer, painter, jewelry designer, interior decorator, and real estate consultant based in San Diego, California. She received her degree in Psychology from California State University, Chico, but realized that she wanted to pursue her artistic passions. She has two websites: Salon de Maria (http://www.salondemaria.info), which showcases her art, and Home Solutions (http://www.homesolutionssandiego.com), a resource for real estate and home decorating in the San Diego area.

Marble And Granite – What Produces The Shine?

By David Andrew Smith

Many people make the assumption that marble, granite and other finely polished natural stones shine because a "polish" has been added to them. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Natural stones are made of crystals. The crystals are made up of different minerals. Each mineral forms a different crystal shape. These different crystals interlock together to make up the stone. When stone is first quarried it has a very rough
texture to its surface as it breaks along the crystal joints. By using a series of graduated grinders the stone is ground down. The grinders are normally made from industrial diamonds and to start the process a very rough one is used. It is the
same principle as sanding down wood. You start with glass paper that is very coarse and gradually use finer and finer glass paper until you have a fine, smooth finish to the wood. With stone the glass paper is replaced with diamond studded pads and
these get finer and finer.

What the grinding is doing is cutting the rough edges off the stone by scratching it and as the diamonds become smaller and smaller the scratches become finer and ultimately microscopic. What you end up with is a very smooth surface to the stone. The crystals have by a slow process of finer and finer grinding been worn down until on the surface they are all perfectly flat and smooth with each other. A perfectly flat surface will reflect the light uniformly and will look like glass.

Consider a mirror that reflects light uniformly giving you a clear sharp image. Make the glass curved or rippled and you get a less clear, less sharp image reflected back. The same applies to stone. If the crystals are flat then you get a perfect image reflected back and the stone looks incredibly shiny. Roughen the surface slightly and the reflected light ceases to give you a perfect reflection and the stone begins to dull. Any interference with the stones surface can cause this dulling to appear. It could be a series of minute scratches made by dirt or it could be caused by acid materials etching into the stone destroying its shine in that region.

To get the shine back the stone must be ground down again. Consequently the shine on a stone is not the product of adding some chemical to the stone but is a property of the stone itself.. The harder the stone the more difficult it is to grind but the greater degree of shine that can be achieved, which is why polished granite has the greatest degree of shine, followed by marble then limestone.

About the Author: David Andrew Smith runs http://www.wesparkle.co.uk/ a contract cleaning company which specialises in cleaning and polishing natural stone as well as
providing cleaning services throughout the UK

Source: http://www.isnare.com

What Is A Reverse Painting?

By Mayanne Mackay

Welcome to the world of Reverse Painting on Glass.
Reverse painting on glass has been considered a popular 'art of the people' for many centuries. The use of glass as a support for this intricate painting technique has not hindered its continuing popularity.

A reverse painting is created by painting a subject onto one side of a sheet of glass (or plexiglass) after which it is viewed from the other side of the glass, or through the glass.

Contrary to painting on a canvas or similar support this technique requires an artist to paint in reverse, or 'back to front.'

When an artwork is created on a support such as canvas or wood panel, it is painted from the same angle and direction that it will ultimately be viewed from on completion. However, in the case of a reverse painting the painting side and the viewing side of the artwork are opposed to one another.

Similarly, an artwork that is created on a canvas usually begins with a rough outline and gradually builds towards its completion and finishing touches. In a reverse painting this procedure begins where it would normally end and finishing touches such as finer details and the artist's signature are usually applied first and the background applications of colour are added later, hence the use of the term 'reverse painting'.

The effect that glass can give to a reverse painting can make it a very beautiful object. Some artists use thick glass in order to give more depth to their work.

For those who see a reverse painting on glass for the very first time it can take a little while to realise that the subject has been painted on the surface of the glass itself.

Extract from website "A guide to reverse painting on glass" at http://www.reversepaintings.com
See reverse painting artworks at http://www.mayannemackay.com

Copyright Mayanne Mackay 2005

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Because these articles are Mayanne's website content, I'll post the nexr article on the Wabi Sabi Homes blog.

Reverse Glass Painting

One of my favorite family heirlooms, a painting by my husband's grandmother, is a little lake and sunset scene painted on glass with tin foil behind it.

The painting was done in the fifties and still looks like it did 50 years ago.

I'll take a picture and post it when my son comes home from college with my camera.

Anyway, I found a series of articles by an amazing artist that I'm going to post. Check out Mayanne Mackay's website and her fabulous art.

Enjoy!

Jeanette

Interior Design for Lower Heating Costs

It's still hot during the days here is sunny California, but it got downright cold last night. CNN reported this evening that the cost to heat our homes can be 30-50% more this winter.

Think about using warm colors for decorating now. With the rising natural gas costs, consider using effective heat. This means that you home's design influences the way you feel warmth. Warm colors and textures can make you rooms seem warmer, which means that you can keep the thermostat lower.

Joy to the Home Journal

Makeover Your Home and Help the Hurricane Homeless

Now would be a great time to give away your home furnishings and building supplies that you need to upgrade. Check to see if you have Habitat for Humanity near you.

This would help you makeover your home and help those who lost their home. While you're at Habitat for Humanity's thrift store (ReStore), you'll find home building supplies for your home makeover. Look for a ReStore near you.

You could also give Habitat for Humanity money. They like that!

Go to http://www.habitat.org

Joy to the Home blog

Subscribe to "Joy to the Home blog" and receive new posts in your email. Just enter your email address in box on the top right. Don't worry about getting to many emails, I don't post as often as I should. Also, I don't collect these email addresses.

Joy to Your Home with Gardenias

Perfume Your Garden and Home with Gardenias
By Jeanette Joy Fisher

One of my favorite plants is the large white-flowered Mystery Gardenia (gardenia jasminoides) that grows to about 5' tall and wide. The perfume-like scent adds an exotic feeling to gardens. Plus, the large white flowers show up well in moonlight when many people more likely get a chance to take pleasure in their garden.

If you want to enjoy gardenias, plant them where they get sun. Most people plant gardenias in the shade because these plants love the same soil as shade-loving camellias and azaleas. However, gardenias can take full sun and prefer at least half a day of sunlight. Gardenias will not bloom well in the shade.

Don't over water your gardenias. Keep the soil surface moist, but not soggy. Don't let them dry out too much during flowering or they will drop their buds. To keep your plants from drying out, mulch well.

Gardenias also like rich organic soil, azalea/camellia fertilizer, and iron. If your gardenias get yellow leaves, they most likely need more iron. During the growing season, feed your gardenias every three weeks.

Don't get harsh when pruning gardenias. They need some leaves left on the stock so they can get nutrition. Prune after blooming but before fall so the plant gets a chance to grow and form new flowers for the next spring bloom.

Gardenias bloom from late spring well into summer. Besides the glorious creamy-white blooms, they give your garden a gorgeous deep green backdrop all year long.

Plant gardenias near your entry door to welcome guests and yourself with the invigorating perfume-like scent. Just one or two flowers floating in a bowl of water fills your home with natural fragrance. With over 200 species of gardenias, you're sure to find just the perfect variety at your local nursery for your garden.

Copyright © 2005 Jeanette J. Fisher. All rights reserved.

Jeanette Fisher, author of Joy to the Home Journal newsletter and other books, teaches interior Design Psychology. Free "What Is Design Psychology" Report (a 3--page eBook in PDF) with subscription to Joy to the Home Journal.

Introduction To The Sauna

By Simon Harris

History and Use

The origins of the sauna have been lost in the mists of time
(so to speak), but it is safe to say its history goes back at
least 1000 years. We know that the nomadic peoples of Finland
had a primitive type of sauna that was made by building a fire
inside a tentlike structure. When the heat had built up and the
fire had gone out, the people would enter the sauna to bathe.
This was very similar to the American Indian sweat lodge.

This type of sauna evolved into a smoke sauna -- a small
building with a stone fireplace inside. There was a small hole
in the roof where the smoke could escape but the fire had to
die down before the building could be entered. This type of
sauna was commonly used up until the 1920s when it started to
be replaced by modern saunas as we know them today. The smoke
sauna, however, has enjoyed a recent revival in Finland. Many
people consider them to be the finest type of sauna.

By the 1930s, a new type of sauna stove was introduced. This
sauna stove allowed the rocks to be heated without being placed
directly over the flames of the fire. This meant that the fire
could burn while the sauna was being used. The earliest stoves
of this type used wood as a fuel but later models used
electricity.

Types of Saunas

Saunas can be built in many shapes and styles. They can be
separate buildings or they can be installed in a house or
apartment. Traditional saunas are wooden structures and are as
beautiful as they are functional.

The worldwide popularity of saunas has spurred innovative new
designs. One of the most unusual of these is the portable sauna
-- folding saunas that can be used almost anywhere. They are
just big enough for one person to sit in. There is a hole for
your head and slits for your hands if you wish to read or talk
on the phone while you are sitting in this sauna.

Another unusual design is the barrel sauna. This is a small
cabin constructed using barrel making techniques and can hold
six to eight people. Barrel saunas can be installed either
inside or outside the house and can be heated with a wood or
electric stove.

Infrared saunas have been used since the 1960s. The heating
source in this type of sauna is an infrared heater. Unlike
traditional heaters that heat the air of the sauna, infrared
heaters heat objects and people but not the air. Infrared is a
type of light and proponents of infrared saunas say that they
have superior health benefits to traditional saunas.

Sauna Construction

Almost every type of sauna is made of wood. The walls,
ceilings, and floors and benches are all made from a wood such
as cedar or hemlock. The only non-wood materials are the stove
and the rocks that are heated on the stove.

The sauna provides a dry heat -- usually between 70°C and
100°C. From time to time water can be thrown on the rocks on
the stove. This creates a cloud of steam which has the effect
of immediately raising the temperature.

The sauna can be heated with an electric or wood stove. Wood
stoves are traditional in the countryside, but most urban
saunas use an electric heater.

About the Author: This article provided courtesy of http://www.whirlpool-tubs-shopper.com


Source: http://www.isnare.com

Article Posting

I received a few emails asking me why I'm posting other people's articles instead of writing my own.

Besides getting ready to teach, I'm finishing a book:
Home Staging for Top Dollar Sales
A Workbook for Applying Design & Marketing Psychology Strategies
(See http://homestaging.us)

Also, we're researching the latest design and psychology for the upcoming Joy to the Home series.

If other writers get posted here, it's because I like what they have to say and hope you do, too!

The Benefits Of A Memory Foam Mattress

By Thomas J. Wacker

On the quest for a more productive day, research has shown that
a more productive sleep at night can be one of the healthiest
solutions. A Memory Foam Mattress could be just what
researchers have been looking for. Concentration, Observation
and even Creativity, are all qualities that can help us on our
everyday journey through work, and life. The key is relaxation.

Any quality that enhances our daily productivity is welcome,
but with a calm mind and rested body, do we find the most
precious resources, that is, through our sleep. Sleep provides
us with an infinite number of possibilities. Possibilities,
which are most efficiently cultivated, while having deep
restful dreams in a peaceful bed. And mattresses made from
memory foam are ideal in this respect.

Ever since the invention of the first electroencephalogram, the
machine that registers brain waves, back in the first part of
the 20th century, scientists have known that sleep is not just
an unproductive time in which we are forced to stop working.
Wonderful things occur at night while we sleep.

During an average night of sleep of eight hours, our bodies
move in and out of consciousness through cycles, determined by
brain wave activity. If these cycles are disrupted by stressing
muscles in certain points, the sleeper, could actually wake up
without fulfilling the full sleep cycle. This means time and
relaxation, are needed to achieve the proper depths of a good
nights rest.

Suppose an average sleeper, gets eight hours of sleep, on a
good mattress. Then she or he, would plunge into the realm of
sleep for about 90min. then slowly come back out, and on return
to the waking world, would have about 10 min. of dreams, almost
wake up, roll over, and plunge back into another 90min. cycle.
If the conditions are good, such as in using the proper kind of
bed, the second sleep cycle will have something like 20-30min.
of dreams, followed by 45-60min. in the third cycle. The longer
we sleep, the more dreams we have.

Maybe, not everyone remembers what they dream, all the time,
everyday, but that doesn’t matter, as much as the fact that
dreaming is, in and of itself the place where we let our worry
and stress of the day to day go free, preparing, for the day to
come. If we don’t value our sleep enough, we carry all that
stress and anxiety from the day before, into our morning, and
consecutively throughout the day, until we finally sleep again,
to give our dreams another chance at freeing themselves.

In a stressful modern day to day, race for time and money like
ours, it’s a wonder why we don’t value our sleep more. Sleep
requires relaxation, and that means sleeping a good night's
sleep. Pressure on muscles must be evenly distributed
throughout the body in a way that keeps our bodies fully
relaxed.

That means keeping the joints well accommodated. Memory foam
does this in a very natural and relaxing way. When the body
heat hits the mattress, it allows the foam to conform to the
body reducing all that tension on the pressure points. No
pressure points, no stress, no stress, means getting that good
night’s sleep that we need so badly to be more productive and
happy individuals. Mattresses made from memory foam keep the
load properly supported, so that no one point is favored over
any other. Relaxation is the road to a good nights sleep. And
memory foam can help the sleeper achieve the ideal nights rest.
While getting tensionless, deep and well relaxed sleep, the
individual can produce more and feel great doing it.

About the Author: Thomas Jay Wacker is the General Manager and
V.P. of http://www.simplepedic.com/. Wacker has over 20 years
experience in the home furnishing industry and leads the Wacker
Management Team in Denver Colorado.