The blank wall is in play again. I found a little arbor on the street 2/1/2009 - 2/1/2009
High decorative value for the money, not bad at all but certainly improvable.

Great windows in our bathroom 9/29/2008 - 9/29/2008
The feeling of an outdoor shower - indoors for 365 day use.

Christoph Bücheler, landscape architect, comments on decorating the "blank wall" 3/30/2008 - 3/30/2008
A fortunate coincidence connected me with Christoph Bücheler, a landscape architect from München (Munich, Germany as we say in the south.). I asked him about "the wall."

Exterior decorating, fixing the Reeder Circle circle 7/4/2007 - 7/4/2007
The mud puddles and ruts of our circle are big time ugly. I'm trying to make it better.

Rating the home fix-it, do it yourself, design, flip, and renovation TV showss 3/7/2007 - 3/7/2007
I promised to write about the home related TV shows and the ones I like best. I'll give it a try.

Finding and fixing the leak so we can finish the bath 10/11/2006 - 11/14/2006
The dampness (euphemism for leak) in our big bathroom has been there for years. It showed as discolored grout, loose wallpaper, and dimpled sheetrock. Never saw any water though. The Curl Bothers come to the rescue.

Silver Wave Mirror and Sconces 9/25/2006 - 9/26/2006
The gray bath is nearly complete now that we've hung the "Silver Wave Mirror" from Pier 1. And, we finally hung some sconces.

Painting the porch ceiling 9/21/2006 - 9/22/2006
The ceiling is very high and very white. It seems as if the space takes something out of you. We're painting it blue.

Painting our concrete patio 9/19/2006 - 3/30/2008
We never go out there but there is a decorating opportunity anyway. Gordon made us realize our bedroom overlooks a "driveway." It could actually look good and make our bedroom look better.

Art for the gray bathroom 8/30/2006 - 9/5/2006
I don't know what got into me. I had to get some color in there fast. I found an image, blew it up, and made it out of scrap wood, old paint, and family photos.

Time for the last bathroom 8/20/2006 - 8/20/2006
17 years of baths for 3 kids nearly wore that thing out.

Painted Windows in the White Bedroom 8/20/2006 - 8/20/2006
We painted the moving parts of the windows and the fans thought it was too laud so I toned it down.

5 new colors and the back bathroon stripe plans, refinished tub and hall shag rug 7/27/2006 - 8/20/2006
Today was a color bananza, finishing finishing the exotic bedroom by painting a chair, starting the back bedroom and the back bath.

Rug details for Cheryl 7/25/2006 - 7/25/2006
Lot's of folks like this rug. It's pretty than the pictures. It's from Meyers Carpets in Atlanta.

Odds and ends: neon fan, plant, sconces 7/24/2006 - 7/24/2006
We're doing lots of little details. I think the lamps turned sconces are great.

We hung a headboard and two new ceiling fans 7/1/2006 - 7/1/2006
BR #2 is shaping up. I hung the screen as a headboard and a fancy new ceiling fan. BR #4 got a new ceiling fan too. The idea with the fans were to get them closer to the ceiling and compliment the decor. It worked.

The bedroom hall floor goes white too 6/21/2006 - 6/21/2006
The hall the adjoins the two white floors and the two while tiled baths needed to be white. It was a natural colored oak floor in perfect condition. It seemed wrong to paint it. But it tied everything together. It's like we make another coordinated house in our house. The purple hall is the transition.

5 rugs on approval and painting bath 3 6/18/2006 - 6/21/2006
Have a look. I don't have any words right now.

We painted another oak floor white, oh my!! 6/5/2006 - 6/5/2006
I like painting, I like the results, I'm not bad at it. What's driving me crazy is trashing perfectly good rooms in order to empty out the room I'm painting. When the empty a room on HGTV, they don't show you where they put the furniture.

Notebook pages 5/13/2006 - 5/13/2006
I carried the notebook nearly everywhere, It has the colors, the measurements, prices. It went to Home Depot, Lowes, Briarcliff Paint, ...

We painted an oak floor white!!! 5/11/2006 - 5/15/2006
We were speechless when Gordon suggested it. Who in the world would paint an oak floor? We didn't like the carpet any more. So we took it out. The floor needed refinishing anyway. We could spend about $600 to refinish all 185 square feet and have it look like the rest the floors. Or would could spend $50 on a gallon of paint and supplies and have something unusual, special and VERY BRIGHT.

Making mirrors from Reflective Mylar to back the screen 5/7/2006 - 5/14/2009
We found a damaged screen at Home Good and decided to use it as a headboard.

Bedroom 2 and urns for night stands 5/4/2006 - 5/8/2006

Arbor design experiments 4/10/2006 - 4/10/2006
How big should the arbor be? Can it curve to match the front door? What material? What size of material? How far from the house?

An arbor and more pictures of painted houses 4/8/2006 - 4/11/2006
We went looking for an arbor on West Wesley and photographed some houses with paint and stone.

Shopping on April 7 4/7/2006 - 4/7/2006
An afternoon on the I-85 Access Road to outlets, overstocked places looking for rugs, and as usual, everything else.

Picking colors for the exterior 4/1/2006 - 4/4/2006
Rule 1: It can't be the same color as any house on the street. Rule 2: It has to be a knock out. Rule 3: I'm filled with dread thinking about painting myself because I have to re putty the windows. Many of them are 20 feet above ground.

Painting the garage 4/1/2006 - 4/1/2006
The Lynch's next door are fixing up their backyard. They tore down the deck and are building a stone patio. Our garage is a major eyesore. Gordon says to paint it very dark so it will disappear.

How to hang a folding oriental decorative screen on the wall 3/18/2006 - 7/15/2007
I've been fretting over this for months and finally just did it. This page will probably be at the top of Google for "hang folding screen."

The colors we tested, we used and we didn't use for redocorating 3/16/2006 - 10/24/2009
We've had some many questions about or colors that I decided to collect them all on one page.

Stripes finished in the hall and looking "stripey" 3/12/2006 - 3/12/2006
A mile of masking tape, staring at Hibiscus in a small space, painter errors, tape bleeds. It spanned four days.

How about painting the floor instead of a rug? 3/7/2006 - 4/12/2007
Our entry has a octagon tray ceiling. We could just get a rug. We could make an octagonal rug or we could paint the octagon on the floor.

Pretty exterior paint 3/7/2006 - 4/7/2006
We'll have to paint it some day. I like the current paint job but Gordon has us looking at something new - maybe something darker, maybe dark green.

Painting the entry hall and maybe doing stripes 3/7/2006 - 3/12/2006
I had big ambitions for the weekend, to paint stripes in the entry hall. First I painted part Tan and part Hibiscus. I was so tired and so intimidated by the thousands of feet perfectly plumb masking tape, we decided to sleep on the new paint before we painted stripes.

Hibiscus for kitchen, dining, and hall 2/26/2006 - 2/26/2006
A statement color? A punchy color? A cheerful color? A fun color? Yes, I think. It's made me phototropic: My eyes seem drawn to it. It doesn't just sit there, it gives off a light of its own. P.S. See our purple and yellow porch chairs in progress.

Testing colors for the big room, kitchen and porch. Don't try this unless you are gifted or have a professional on hand. 2/18/2006 - 2/19/2006
Now we're painting upstairs and punching the porch.

The perfect "important" thing for the foyer 2/16/2006 - 2/18/2006
Actually many "important" things would work. This thing from Mexico via Horizon knocked us out and wasn't expensive. We even moved the kitchen rug into the foyer to compliment it.

Sofa, ottoman, wing chair, and VOODOO pillow 2/16/2006 - 2/16/2006
It's cheaper to buy inexpensive ready-made stuff than it is to make slipcovers or worse - reupholstering. And, you get pieces you want. See the fabric samples too.

Making a piano disappear 2/15/2006 - 2/15/2006
How the make the piano receed in to the wall ans cause the room to look bigger.

Cute carports 2/4/2006 - 3/23/2006
They just don't build home these days with two car garages. In our neighborhood a decent garage is a big selling point but they are rare. Our puny garage is typical. Maybe we could do a carport.

Old guitars as art? 2/4/2006 - 2/9/2006
Even the worst guitar is better than most art. Even the worst sounding guitar is nice to look at. Bad guitar players should keep their guitars on the wall.

Making a pattern for my desk and making the prototype 1/27/2006 - 4/23/2009
Dan Curl asked me to call Gene Riggin about trying to build a desk prototype or pattern. He had some very practical advice. Of course the prototype will probably be the final model. Except, after a week, I'm changing the shape.

Headboard problem solved! 1/21/2006 - 1/21/2006
It's not pretty but it's not very visible either. Nobody will mistake me for a wood craftsman.

A&R Welding makes a table into a bed bench 1/17/2006 - 1/17/2006
I mentioned A&R Welding in the last article. Today they delivered. A $35 table, Gordon's suggestions, A&R does the job in less than two days.

The sofa, chairs and "fabric" arrive 1/14/2006 - 1/14/2006
It's a great day. The furniture is better than we expected and fits. It's bigger but we've spent our more than 20 years near the floor in our old sectional. Setting up the furniture triggers a new round of suggestions. A&R Welding enters the picture.

Jeff figures out how to put legs on the "thing" 1/7/2006 - 1/10/2006
Thanks to Jeff Ashworth. He actually knows how to do stuff. He figured out how to put legs on and has the know how to get it done. Actually, I just watched, provided moral support, and ate sawdust while Jeff built it for me. Jeff would ask, Does that look straight?" I'd say, "Perfect."

One week junk pile 1/1/2006 - 1/1/2006
It's just like the TV shows: get rid of clutter. We just keep moving our clutter around. As we move it the laws of thermo come into play. The clutter grows. How'd we get all that stuff in the house to begin with?

How to "redesk" my office and in general make it work and make it look good? 12/30/2005 - 1/27/2006
It worked pretty well for me before but it wasn't pretty. I don't want to put any of it back like it was.

Painting my office and making a new mess 12/27/2005 - 12/27/2005
On the day after Christmas I painted the office, made a another big clutter mess, and ran out of paint right after the paint store closed. So I have to live with the office  mess a day longer than I planned.

Hiding the wires and lighting the kitchen cabinet 12/22/2005 - 12/22/2005
New appreciation for electricians: I've always admired how they can work with wires and fixtures without being electrocuted or burning the house down. The real trick is mounting lights on the underside of things with the tiniest screws on earth.

A rest period and catch up before Christmas 12/20/2005 - 12/21/2005
We hoped to have our sofa and chairs by now; we hoped to have our fabric. Instead we're getting few minutes to breath and do Christmas.

Help us solve headboard problem 12/15/2005 - 1/21/2006
I'm carpentry challenged. How to make a footboard into a headboard? Attach it to the wall? OK, except that it's curved. And, if we get new mattress someday, we may have to lower or raise it.

Hanging pictures in the bedroom, what they don't show you on Trading Places, and dancing dogs 12/14/2005 - 12/15/2005
Bedroom transformation day 1. Clean room decorating. Tricks with picture framing.

Upstairs picture hanging, and blue back, a frog on a pedestal. 12/12/2005 - 12/13/2005
Today we hung pictures and mirrors upstairs in the entrance hall. And a little more ...

Bedroom painting and accessories. Pulling and balacing color almost explained. 12/12/2005 - 12/12/2005
I painted, the crew went to HomeGoods.

Bedroom paint test, the mirror, and painting 12/10/2005 - 12/10/2005
We tested three paints. The criss cross mirror arrived but we didn't put it where we expected. There was a much better place. A new picture expanded the bedroom.

Sofa off the street, bedroom colors, carpentry ahead. 12/8/2005 - 3/7/2006
Gordon spotted a junked sofa on the curb and sent me after it for the legs. We picked three colors to test on the "strong" wall in our bedroom. Two small jobs for real carpenters are two overwhelming jobs for me.

The red lamps and headboard 12/7/2005 - 12/8/2005
We're having chain reaction redecorating. When one place starts looking good, it makes the rest of the look bad. How can we fix up our bedroom on the cheap? It all started with the red lamp. We hang the 8 picture frames.

Is your designer opinionated and an expert at sales? On the experience of working with a designer. 12/3/2005 - 8/23/2007
If he/she isn't, you'd better get another one.

Jungle rug installed and painted bar stools 12/3/2005 - 12/5/2005
It's better than we thought. Advice: just move the furniture out before you lay the rug, really, just plan on moving it on out. I guess we have one room finished. Clutter is driving me nuts as never before.

Flora Dora flower arrangements arrive and "the chair" 11/30/2005 - 12/5/2005
We took home four flower arrangements. We picked up "the chair" but we're not feeling too good about it. Our third try at shades for the fan light.

Jungle Rug! 11/28/2005 - 12/14/2005
The mission today was to order the jungle rug for the office, but first, Flora Dora again. Then to Atlanta Water Garden where we were close to buying a fountain. We developed a case of funky fountain funk.

We trial the kitchen hardware and it is "good" 11/27/2005 - 12/5/2005
Track light, carpet pads, shades for the fan lights, and the kitchen hardware too.

The ceiling is blue and we have two more rugs 11/27/2005 - 11/27/2005
While I painted two coats of "834" on the ceiling JoAnn and Gordon shoped. I thought the ceiling was going to be the big deal, until they came home with the kitchen rug (and other stuff).

Beams ??? 11/25/2005 - 3/22/2006
I made some beams out of brown paper. Do we do it? How many? What colors? How much work? How much time? You won't find any answers in this article.

"The" fabric 11/24/2005 - 12/5/2005
This is the color chart for everything. We take it everywhere and everybody seems to love it. The design itself might be old fashioned but that adds to the eclecticism we're going to have. "Fusion" is the current term. The colors are the important thing though. Everything we do takes these colors into account. It's all about "pulling color" from one place to another, making the eye dance.

Testing the ceiling colors 11/24/2005 - 12/5/2005
Benjamin Moore 801 was beautiful but too dark. 795 was lighter but still too dark. Rachel's shirt seemed perfect but we'll have to try it. We tried two more colors. Faux beams anyone?

Shopping list and Flora Dora 11/23/2005 - 12/5/2005
We visited Flora Dora. We see a master bend silk flowers. We got a big thumbs up on our purple laundry hall. We finally hung the pictures and got much more than we bargain for. We rearranged our bedroom. The office got a tree, a table, and clutter management. David painted his picture. It's all good except we destroyed our in the office UPS.

"Local" Art 11/21/2005 - 12/25/2005
We raided our kids' portfolios and commissioned a new one from David. Gordon says the best art in most houses is done by the children.

Benjamin Moore 4/G 1364 for the Laundry Hall 11/21/2005 - 12/5/2005
The hall goes reddish plum / purple. We've already go 6 black frames to go in a group on the wall. Whoa.

Shopping on Sunday, November 20, 2005 11/20/2005 - 12/5/2005
When a designer says, "write this down," the ideas are popping. See how use a dozen cheap nick nacks and a row of Christmas tree lights. How to use a shopping bag as a decorator trick. Discovering a local artist.

Shopping on Saturday, November 19 11/19/2005 - 12/5/2005
We start the day moving the white cabinets into the Office. We were saved by "the green strip. Half dead from that, we go shopping again. Overwhelming! How little things make the room. How shopping for them is a marathon. How about that $10 vase from TJ Max.

Shopping trip on Friday, November 18 11/18/2005 - 12/5/2005
It's all a blur. Fountains, antique mall ...

Our shopping trip is a total failure and yet a total success 11/17/2005 - 12/5/2005
You never know what you are going to get. It all started with a $350 granite top on a $35 table. We ended up with a leather chair, two bookcases, and a buffet!

Prepaing for a shopping trip and lighting experiments 11/15/2005 - 12/5/2005
We're going shopping on Thursday and we made a list. We experimented with outdoor lighting. The words of the day are "free wood chips."

Carl the architect visits and offers some suggestions 11/12/2005 - 9/13/2007
We are fortunate to have a tactful architect friend spend the weekend with us. We talked (actually we listened) about lighting, abors, espaliers, and he designed a pediment for our "blank wall." That's the tall wall with the round window. I regret making him think about work during his time off. Well, no I don't.

Field drawings for the yard 11/7/2005 - 12/5/2005
How much grass seed to buy and how much ditch is needed for a drainpipe.

Pruning for dollars 11/1/2005 - 12/5/2005
After 10 hours of pruning we have a bigger, better looking house. The yard doubled in size. The lot is bigger. The view is more breathtaking. Somehow the trees look bigger and better too. I never imagined. The Magnolia Problem produced a whole 'nother idea.

Ordering the sofa and chairs, two pictures and panic 10/24/2005 - 12/5/2005
Oh boy, we're in deep now. We ordered the sofa and two chairs today and bought two cheap pictures. Panic set in. Is this the look we want? (In layman's terms: Do we really like it?)

We buy the rug, some stools and do another kitchen experiment 10/23/2005 - 12/5/2005
We made pretty quick work of it. Hundreds would look great but you have to settle on something. We used 4 fabric swatches - one we could change later - to focus on the right rug at a decent price. This is a getting serious. To top it off we have our first encounter with a fountain.

New batch of fabrics and experiments 10/22/2005 - 12/5/2005
Gordon brings fabrics. How could so few fabric swatches make me feel so small? We wanted them all but it's probably time to find a rug. We have a plan for our next shopping trip.

Home inspection by Dan Curl 10/21/2005 - 12/5/2005
What's that smell?

Links 10/20/2005 - 4/12/2007
We'll put some links here to places and materials, we find useful

To Linda 10/20/2005 - 12/5/2005
It's a fun process and it can be done in D.C.

The street side view gets a onceover 10/19/2005 - 12/5/2005
Curb appeal needed. Our beautiful trees make our house look small and ...

The design calvalry arrives 10/19/2005 - 12/5/2005
Some designers are better than others but they are all better at it than we are. Did I mention painting the ceiling? Whoa!

We bought a new sectional 10/19/2005 - 12/5/2005
It had to go. We call the design calvary.

We go shopping for the first time 10/14/2005 - 12/5/2005
We find sofas galore and incidentally, find "the thing."

How it was 10/13/2005 - 12/5/2005
Sixteen years with no changes. It's nice, until you try to get up from the couch.