Change Is Good

Jay Johnson -- Sometimes you can make a decorating decision and you'll be stuck with it for a long time. You decide to put a wall . . . over there . . . and once it's up, you'll undoubtedly think twice about removing it.

But the beauty about many decorating elements is that you can change them up again and again. You can rotate works of art on the wall. Getting tired of Still Life with Cactus and Plate of Brownies? No problem. Just take it down, store it in the closet or attic, and replace it with Little Girl in a Swing. Or whatever floats your boat.

It amazes me how many people are terrified to make changes in their home decor. When you put an assortment of paper weights on your coffee table, please note that they are not Crazy-Glued to the furniture. There is nothing holding you back, except for your imagination, from rotating your knick-knacks and accessories.

Change is Life, folks. Plants begin to sprout, mature, flower, and die away. You change your clothes to go with different style trends, the weather, or the occasion. So why are so many homes maintained status quo, year after year, like Museums of Design Decisions from Long Ago?

Pick out fresh paint colors and go for a different look. Switch around the art and accessories. Substitute colors and textures on throw pillows and throws. Put new lampshades on your lighting to freshen up the look. Sell or recycle what you're tired of and find some replacements from a store, yard sale, or on eBay. Rotate the pieces of a collection that you have on display to avoid boredom. Find a new purpose for a seldom-used room -- like a son or daughter's old bedroom in an empty nester's home -- and make that sewing room, hobby space, office, home theater, or meditation retreat that you've always wanted.

Just don't stay stuck! While the world changes outside your front door, your home is not meant to stay in a decorating holding pattern. Be brave, make changes, add more stimulation to where you live, and switch your home from a museum to an exploratorium.

In the over 200 home videos contained in my Design2Share Video Diary on YouTube, you will see examples where I have taken my video camera -- a sturdy palm-sized Radio Shack $99 camtastic special -- and gotten bursts of design inspiration from my travels. This week's Video Diary takes you to a north shore resort town on Lake Michigan, and I do some video window shopping in  Rug Talk. I was hooked on the rugs (get it -- hooked, rugs?) in the window of an old-fashioned dry goods store, and it suddenly dawned on me. We can change rugs to make quick changes to our home decor, too. So roll up a rug, store it, and roll out another one. Change the look with the season, switch rugs according to your mood, or roll out an extra-special welcome. In the video, you will see this inspiration slowly take shape as I commune with the rugs in the window.

So, dear reader, what's it going to be? Death by Design Stagnation or Regular Invigorating Design Changes? (You've already got my recommendation.)

Share your design make-overs and brave decorating changes with me. Please add a post . . . .

Fleas Forever

Jay Johnson -- Summer days are perfect for yard sales. You may call them garage sales or tag sales where you live. Basically they're ways for neighbors to get together and clean house. The kids' old toys and games and outgrown clothes are recycled, and your trash becomes someone else's treasure.

Flea markets are popular during the summer, too. In year-round warm climes, these are going concerns year-round. The Internet, and particularly eBay, have taken a bite out of flea markets. Sixty-three percent of Americans will buy something online this year, spending over $79 billion. Reports say that many of the trashy treasures and unexpected bargains that people used to love are rarities in today's "fleas." They've become places to buy cheap, new merchandise like plastic toys, tube socks, and kitchen spices.

But the National Flea Market Association says that fleas are more popular than ever, and good furniture and used items still abound. They're likely to crop up, with an astounding 2.25 million vendors selling $30 billion in merchandise each year in this country!

Fleas are also sometimes found on dogs, and this not-very- subtle segue is something you might protest. (How ham-fisted that guy can be!) But let me explain. One of our wonderful neighbors in the country, Joyce, runs a home-based business called Just A Dogs Adventure Bed & Bonefest. It's a dog and puppy boarding service, and I can't recommend it highyl enough (FYI: it's in Bucks County under a New Hope phone listing). My daughter Meredith's fraidy-cat dog Sammy, a stray who wound up on Mer's doorstep one rainy evening, was boarded regularly at Joyce's home, and he found love and attention in her special care.

In the over 200 home videos contained in my Design2Share Video Diary on YouTube, you will see examples where I have taken my video camera -- a sturdy palm-sized Radio Shack $99 camtastic special -- and visited with my wonderful neighbors in their home settings. This week's Video Diary takes you to the Best Puppy House Ever, and here's where I tie in my flea theme. Joyce's flea and yard sale finds decorate her amazing accommodations for dogs. You will see an avid recycler in action.

My neighbor finds valuable treasures in flea markets and yard sales, and she adds her heart of gold to give lonely pups a lovely, welcoming place to board. Joyce, you can adopt me any day!

Tell me about your favorite flea market and yard sale finds. Please add a post . . . .