Articles

You know how you're tired of something in one of your rooms but you can't figure out what to do? That's almost a daily feeling for me but last week, I took action. Let's see what happened during my Happy Hour . For 21 years, I've had this white wire shelving from Home Base (remember those stores?) with a hodge podge of favorites crammed on the shelves. At 18" deep x 48" wide x 72," the shelving was the prefect size but direct sunlight took its toll and it was starting to l

This week, let's take a look back at what was new at DecorBook exactly five years ago. While styles change, one thing I know for sure is that I still LOVE the color red. What's not to love about this 1908 masterpiece by Henri Matisse? Imagine a sunny fall day in the South of France where "Madame" is setting the table for a late lunch. How could these colors inspire a dining room a hundred years later? Let's go shopping on-line and see what we can find to create an art ins

I've finally finished turning my office into my study or as P calls it, "Adventure Land." It's really just a 15 x 13 bedroom on our main floor. After working years at home (which my company always encouraged), I was ready to turn my home office into a relaxed, creative space. Let's see the before and after. When this room was my office, those white boxes (IKEA $16.99 for 3) were filled with supplies. Those shelves are now filled with books from my bedroom (which is now

If you're like me, you're exhausted this weekend. I'm rerunning this Happy Hour in hopes of bolstering enthusiasm for trying a paint project around the house. I have a little wooden chair that needs an update. I'll let you know how it turns out, if I can get myself off the sofa. Hot pink might not be for everyone, but don't you love what happened to this old secretary desk? Maybe a Happy Hour is best spent with a can of leftover paint as coloring a piece of furniture migh

Happy New Year! Here's hoping you're feeling optimistic and curious about this new year. I know I am. Unfortunately, we're off to a rocky start in the color world. If you're like me, you look forward to seeing Pantone's Color(s) of the Year. This year, it seems, they have some 'plaining to do. Yellow and gray are "a marriage of color conveying a message of strength and hopefulness that is both enduring and uplifting," according to Pantone's website. Huh? The idea is th

A look back at a fan favorite (April, 2019). Our Oakland A's are batting just over .500, but you know you have decorating-on-the-brain when that sparks another quick and easy Happy Hour. Home plates. Yep, real home plates! Decorating with plates is an inexpensive and colorful way to decorate our rooms. What's more, you probably have all the stock you need right in your cupboard. Let's take a look at some stunning home plates - easily mounted during Happy Hour. instagram

Let's take a look back at the first in this new series (May, 2019) - classic decorating ideas - all easily adaptable in our own rooms. I'll confess.  I'm a fan of blank walls.  Rooms need breathing room, especially to give your eye a place to rest.  But, don't you kinda love this salon-style grouping? The secret is to have enough blank wall so that the collection becomes a focal point.  Arranging art in what's called "salon-style" is a longtime classic.  Another time-honored