What Is Your Concept of "Home"?

Irwin Weiner ASID - Most of us take for granted what "home" is. I've known people who have lost their homes due to foreclosure and eviction, and it's a life-wrenching experience. I was intrigued by this National Film Board of Canada video from Montreal focusing on four different home experiences, all in rehabbed buildings. Is "home" where many people can live together in community - yet have their own space or territory? Are we drawn to a building because we love it enough to want to save it? Is "home" where the heart is, or is it merely a roof over our heads as we go about everyday living ... and in some cases, aiming just for baseline survival?

This video got me thinking about my own concept of home. It's not always about professionally decorated spaces. It's not always about our mid-century, romantic notions of home and the nuclear family. Sometimes "home" is about found furnishings and salvaged goods; it's about relationships between people; it's about what you can afford; it's about choosing (if you're fortunate enough to have the means to choose) between something new and something old; and it's about bringing your personality and your essence into any space. My thoughts are with you and your families today, and hoping that your home - whatever and wherever it might be - is a happy, productive, and nurturing place.  

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Reorganize Kid Space to Make Way for Baby

Irwin Weiner ASID - Is it just me, or are we having another baby boom? It seems like there are a lot of pregnant women walking around the streets of NYC lately, and another boom will leave many families with the task of squeezing the older children together in a single bedroom and clearing out a separate room as the nursery for the new arrival. DadLabs offers sage advice for fathers on all-things parenting, and this how-to video demystifies the process of prepping your living space for a new baby, and I like the three-step process they use: getting rid of clutter; using vertical space to organize; and arrange furniture in a logical fashion. Go to the terrific website Arranging It All for great tips on organizing your home.

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Top 10 Feng Shui Tips

Irwin Weiner ASID - Leave it to an LA-based designer, Elizabeth Chamberlain, to come up with a play on "face lift." Her feng shui and interior design consultancy, Space Lift, offers full-service feng shui and design services, assisting clients to realize the optimum potential for their space and life. Listen, you don't have to be a feng shui or woo-woo zombie to follow the principles of feng shui - and that's precisely why I liked Elizabeth's video that we're featuring today. Her 10 tips are practical and useful. They're common sense, and you don't have to stretch your faith or your budget to completely buy in. Every home benefits from good flow, and that's what feng shui accomplishes. (Look for our monthly feng shui advice in our Feng Shui 101 column on Design2Share.) 

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Update on July 18, 2011 by Design2Share

Super King Size Leather Beds: We just found a great collection of sleek leather bed designs. They add sophistication, whether your bedroom decor is traditional or modern. 

Featured Project: DIY Painted Headboard

Now is the perfect time to think about freshening up your interior space. With a splash of color here and a new piece of furniture there, it's easy to redecorate. Here's a quick, budget-conscious DIY design idea to help get you started.

Paint Your Own Headboard

Chances are if you if you purchased your bed frame as part of a bedroom set, the headboard is already included. If you don't want to put forth the extra cash, especially after paying for a pricey mattress, no problem! Painted headboards are a great way to add a pop of color to your bedroom.

Step 1: Measure the width of the head of your bed and mark it with blue painter's tape from floor to ceiling. Now, choose your color based on your desired color scheme. You obviously don't want it to be the same shade as your walls, but it should complement that color.

Step 2: Once you have your color, paint the wall, staying within the blue painters tape. Once the paint dries, if you choose to do so, you can detail with paint or with some removable wall decals from a company like Blik. For as little as $40, Blik makes easily removable wall decals in fun shapes like bookshelves, chandeliers, birds, etc. If this sounds like too much work, don't worry and leave your wall a solid color.

Step 3: Simply position your bed up against the painted wall, prop up some decorative Euro pillows in coordinating colors and patterns, and you have yourself a headboard. You might want to take this opportunity to invest in a new comforter or duvet in fun, light, spring colors. You'd be surprised at what a little bit of paint and some new bedding can do for your space!

Contemporary vanities and more at Decor Planet for your bathroom needs.

Colorful Fun House in London Adds a Dollop of Surprise to Design

Ab Rogers Design
Irwin Weiner ASID - If you're Ab Rogers Design in London, you take on projects that are fun, creative, fresh, and challenging. You're not afraid to tackle a project designing a home in a bad part of town. Instead, you come up with something so innovative that it becomes a catalyst of positive change for the entire neighborhood. You'll enjoy watching this witty video tour of their Rainbow House project, complete with a rainbow-hued spiral staircase that sends color inspiration throughout each floor - not to mention fun surprises like a rotating bed and a trapdoor that lets you slide down to the breakfast nook (see top photo). Notice the floor design (superb). A clean, daring, livable example of home as work of art. Well done.

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