Ceramic Isn't Just For Dishes Anymore - Textured Ceramic Buttons

Sometimes when companies give you product they want to promote, the product is really not to your liking. This wasn't the case for me when I stopped by the Blumenthal Lansing booth at the CHA show last January. I admired their line of ceramic buttons and lo, and behold they sent me some! I thought I'd share them with you.

I think they look particularly sophisticated. They have different patterns embossed on the surface and are glazed in different colors. I was especially enchanted by these three. I love the 70's mod quality they have. They're very Jonathan Adler, aren't they? The herringbone pattern is especially chic. I'm going to use them on a coat I think. The size and scale of them are perfect for that. To see the other styles, or if you'd like to use them in a project they can be found at Fabric.com. What would you use them for?

#03-18 The Big Finish - Part Two

Hello people! This week on the show we’re showing you all the little details of the renovated apartment. It’s such fun to dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s. One of the things we discussed this week was training your drapes. It’s easily accomplished and should be done when new drapes are installed.

Begin by cutting strips of scrap fabric about 4" wide, then stack the drapes back as far as they’ll go, and arrange the folds as you’d like them to be. Then wrap the strips around the stacked back drapes and pin the in place. There should be a band about every 3 feet. Leave the bands on the drapes for about 2 weeks. When you remove them the drapes will “remember" their position when ever you open them.

#03-16 A Soft Touch for the Soft Touches - Carpet and Upholstry

Hi people! We’re coming into the home stretch with the renovation! This week we’re installing the carpeting and doing some upholstery. Don’t miss it!

I’ll have some exciting news for you next week. Be sure and check back!

#03-13 Cork - It's Not Just for Bulletin Boards Anymore

Hello people, this week on the show it’s all about cork. Part of our renovation found us lining the walls of the office and eventually the ceiling in the kitchen with cork. It a wonderful retro 60’s/70’s treatment and it’s practical to boot! It makes a perfect memo board. The process isn’t difficult – just a little messy. Contact cement is the adhesive of choice and it’s a bit like rubber cement – apply it to both surfaces, wait for it to get tacky, then fuse the surfaces together. As with last week’s project, this is essentially a tile job, so plan out your tiles so the seams are centered on the wall for a professional look.

#03-12 Decorate your Desk with Decoupage

Hello people! Brini here again with some more ideas for your home. This week it’s all about decoupage! Yes, it’s not just for Victoriana anymore – decoupage is a technique that can be adapted to all sorts of fascinating projects.

Now I used it as a furniture finish for the surface of my desk and it’s proved to be both durable and decorative for 7 years now. It’s an easy solution for unfinished furniture and can become the focal point of a room.

What makes decoupage interesting is what you choose to apply to your surface. Now we used computer printouts of a wall paper pattern that mimicked tile. We just scanned the paper into the computer, broke out an individual tile from the pattern using a photo editing program and then printed it out 60 times. We laid the job out like a traditional tile job, working out from the center of the surface. We also planned out the job first, so we could just lay the pre-cut, pre-fitted tiles out without cutting as we went.

Now you don’t have to use tiles or even computer printouts. There are so many options for decoupage out there – magazines, newspapers, playbills, virtually any paper product can be decoupaged to a surface. Some things to remember are that edges can catch and peel, so thin paper is best, if you plan to decoupage a table or desk top it’s a good idea to cover the art with glass and plan the project out before you glue it down – the medium is notoriously unforgiving.

#03-11 God is in the Details - Sanding, Spackling and Painting

Hello people, Brini here with some more ideas for freshening up your home. This week we’re finishing the cabinets and desk that we made on the previous episodes.

Finishing is an important step. Here are some tips.

Webbing tape is a must for filling cracks and holes. It gives the spackle something to cling to and makes the whole process a little easier.

If you have large gaps in your wood work fill them with shims. The shims will fill in the space so you don’t need so much spackle.

Don’t forget to sand – Sanding your spackling job will make it blend into the woodwork.

After you sand, run over your work with a tack cloth. Tack cloth is a loosely woven cloth impregnated with a sticky substance that picks up the dust.

Repeat this process twice for a super smooth look. You can even sand between coats of paint if you want a hand rubbed finish.