THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 17, 1996 TAG: 9603150073
SECTION: HOME PAGE: G2 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: AROUND THE HOUSE
SOURCE: MARY FLACHSENHAAR
LENGTH: Medium: 99 lines
THE GENTLE ART of gardening is very much in vogue as Americans seek relief from the stress of their nine-to-overtime workdays. Even if you lack a green thumb, you can still garden, indoor-style. Decorating products that turn a room into an indoor garden abound in Spiegel's spring/summer '96 catalog, as well as other home catalogs and stores nationwide.
If you favor a formal look, the room pictured here might appeal. Spiegel's Victorian settee with deep cushions is decorated with an ivy pattern and framed by urns spilling flowering plants and vines. The garden theme continues with a pine chest hand-painted with flowers in the background, a verdigris-finished trellis table up front and a ceiling fan overhead.
If you are more casual, perhaps the farmhouse-chic look is for you. Go with oversized upholstered pieces and cabinets in a woodsy green finish, suggests a press release from Spiegel. Scatter lots of farmyard accents such as a shutter frame around a mirror, wicker baskets and a painted birdcage. Gather for meals around a pine farm table.
Flimsy pastel curtains that billow in the breeze bring the outdoors in. Quilted bedspreads, chair and pillow covers give the feel of an old farmhouse, as does dinnerware etched with fruit and vegetables. PICTURE YOUR PERENNIALS
For those who forget where the perennials are planted during the dormant stage, the March issue of Better Home and Gardens magazine has this advice: Paint a picture of the perennial on a stone in the garden where the flower will come up next year. The rocks will also help you visualize your garden during the winter months, so you can plan for springtime changes, says the magazine. BRIGHT SPOT IN DECORATING
Bright colors are hot in interior decorating. But they need to be used wisely or else they will overwhelm a room. If you're ready to crank up the color, heed these guidelines from the March issue of Southern Living magazine:
Balance two dominant colors for a color scheme, pairing a warmer color with a cooler one, for example, yellow and blue. Two warm colors, such as yellow and red, tend to overpower a room.
Select the same intensity or brightness in the major colors. Trying to pair clear, pure colors and grayed muted colors is tricky.
Paint the walls the warmer color. Color chips aren't always accurate indicators of how a color will look on a wall. Better to mix several small cans in shades of the color and try samples on the wall.
If your newly painted room looks too warm, stay cool. After the other colors are introduced, the intensity will tone down.
Use touches of clear, pure white as a relief from bright colors. Try white trim and woodwork and fabrics such as stripes and checks that alternate white with color.
Vary your color theme with different patterns in your colors.
Repeat the wall color in at least one fabric. Pillows are the quickest and easiest way to add accents of key colors.
Break away from the predictable with a single dose of one more bright color. In the blue-and-yellow room featured in Southern Living, dining room chairs are covered in a vibrant green check. KEEP IT SIMPLE
Tips on de-cluttering home and lifestyle are coming at us fast and furious. The following are our favorites from a long list of suggestions in a recent issue of McCall's magazine:
Do as much as you can in the evening to ready the household for the next day. Make lunches immediately after dinner. Have everyone line up backpacks and briefcases by the door. If you can't quite get it all done, make a list of what's to do in the a.m. so you'll be guided in those groggy, pre-coffee moments.
When possible, use the phone, not the car. Don't drive to a store to find out if an item is in stock; call and ask.
Load up on socks and underwear for everyone in the family. That way, you won't have to do laundry round the clock just because you're out of the essentials.
Do errands in bunches, and you'll save gas and time. Limit trips to the dry cleaners, bank, etc. to one or two times per week.
Keep track of warranties and repair records by attaching them to the appliance in question. Keep appropriate paperwork under the VCR, TV and microwave. Store auto-repair receipts in an envelope in the car's glove compartment. MILDEW MEDICINE
Save money by making your own mildew medicine. Mix a solution of one part bleach to five parts water in a clean plastic spray bottle. Periodically spray tub and tile surfaces with bleach mixture, let sit, then wipe with a damp clean rag.
The good advice comes from a column of household hints in the Baltimore Sun. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Spiegel
Spiegel creates a garden sanctuary with its ivy-patterned Victorian
settee and numerous outdoorsy accessories.
by CNB