TheDesignFile

Untangling Christmas lights: A buying guide

I've decided to change the color scheme of the Christmas tree I have on my front porch. So a couple days ago I went out shopping for a couple new string of lights to serve as the base for my decorations. I found myself just standing in front of all the shelves of options, along with a few other confused looking shoppers.

LEDs. Opalescents. Multi-faceted.

So how do you choose? The online garden centre Dobbies.com wants to help out.

The store has created a Christmas Lights Buying Guide, which is intended to take the hassle out of choosing Christmas lights for both inside and outside the home.

"One of the potential headaches for consumers in the run-up to Christmas is pulling the lights out of storage and discovering that they are not in full working order or that they no longer have the appeal they had in years gone by," the folks at Dobbies said in a statement. "Alternatively, some households like to change their Christmas lights every year to make each festive season unique."

Twin beds make for fun, practical guest rooms

There's something I find incredibly comforting about a guest room with matching twin beds.

I think it might be the symmetry. It appeals to my desire for balance. Just look at the gorgeous matching beds in this bright, fun room from Better Homes and Gardens.

Or it could be nostalgia. When my sister and I stayed at my grandma's house as kids, it was always in a room with two twin beds sitting parallel. We would giggle until we went to sleep but there was no kicking or fighting over the covers in the middle of the night.

But mostly, I think I'm drawn to the practicality of a guest room with two beds, even though it's not what I have in my own home.

A room with two twins is perfect for kids. A couple can use the room but so can a couple of friends -- without the uneasiness of a shared bed.

I think rooms like this look best when the beds are matching as they are above and in most of the photos below.

Check out these other twin bedrooms:

 

Above is a room created by John Willey Interior Design and photographed by David Jacquot. I love the beautiful butterfly duvet covers, the gorgeous shams and shades, and the custom-ordered Moorish-inspired carpet on the floor.

Thanks to John Willey for permission to use this photo.

 

The pretty room above in lavenders is from Better Homes and Gardens. The simple bedding is such a great compliment to the floral wallpaper. This is too country for my own home but so sweet that I'd love to be a guest here.

Design Translation: JCP ottoman gets the nod

It's no surprise that with the holiday last week, we didn't get a lot of votes on the post about choosing an ottoman for our virtual room makeover.

But as it turned out, the vote wasn't even close anyway. The Ande Cocktail Ottoman from JCPenney won in a landslide.

I personally love this choice. And although it was the most expensive option -- at $378 for two -- it's pretty affordable. It leaves us with $1,063 from our original $3,000 to buy a club chair, lamps, a side table, a coffee table, and art.

On Tuesday, we'll start consider club chair options.

In the mean time, check the photo at right to see how our room is shaping up next to our designer inspiration, which was created by New York-based Shawn Henderson.

Sunday roundup: A holiday tablescape

I decorate largely with red and green at Christmas, although I've been slowly integrating some other colors.

So I love to see the color schemes created by others, like the muted pink, silver and teal palette used by Robin at the blog All Things Heart & Home.

Robin created this beautiful tablescape (at right) on a budget using items she already had plus a few inexpensive new finds.

"See all the darker teal glittery ornaments? I got those at Walmart for almost nothing," Robin wrote. "I planned on spray painting them to soften the color, but fell in love with them when I started decorating. I did spray a matte finish over them so they would quit shedding glitter! It worked like a charm!"

See more photos and inspiration at the All Things Heart & Home post.

Here are some other things to check out:

Tips to make your Christmas 'greener'

I love Christmas and all that comes with it -- the spiritual as well as the decorations, shopping, gifts and parties.

But it's good to remember that with the holidays comes excess. I'm not really talking about spending (although that's certainly the case too). I mean the environmental impact of all the catalogs, the packing materials, the twinkling lights and the, well, stuff.

So I'm happy to share these ideas from eco-retailer bambeco, a relatively new company that sells earth-friendly and innovative products for home and life.

"As we get ready to dive into the holidays, we want to provide some easy, achievable tips that will encourage all of us to re-think those longstanding family traditions that can be easily modified to be earth friendly," said Susan Aplin, founder of bambeco.

• Rethink holiday cards. Send an e-card. If you like a traditional holiday card, look for recycled paper with earth friendly dyes. The Santa cards at right are made using 100% Recycled Paper containing 30% post consumer fibers and earth-friendly soy inks. A box of 14 is sold by Amazon for $9.95.

• Green your lights. Switch from standard tree lights to LED tree lights. Above is a GKI/Bethlehem Lighting Indoor/Outdoor LED Multi-Color Light Set from Amazon. Think about a light timer to minimize usage.

• Bring nature indoors. Pick ornaments and decor made from natural objects or recycled materials, such as reclaimed metal, natural wool, recycled wood, hemp or other materials. Bambeco sells the Recycled Metal Ornament Set at left for $20

• Balance carbon footprint. Buy carbon offsets for your holiday travel. Try CarbonFund.org, the largest seller of carbon offsets, www.carbonfund.org/Calculators.

• Wrap with care. Buy holiday paper made from recycled paper and earth friendly dyes.

• Think local, edible. Find a farmer or local market. Anything produced and bought locally comes to your home with reduced emissions from unnecessary travel time.

• Recycle Christmas tree. As soon as the presents are unwrapped turn attention back to everyday tasks like recycling. Take your tree to a chipper.

• Trade-in old electronics. Don't buy anything new unless you can recycle the old.
  

• Give a gift, get a gift. Have your children recycle their gently worn toys. When they write their Santa letters, make sure they have a list of toys they are willing to donate for every new toy on their wish list.
  

• Carry holiday shopping bag. Say "No, thank you" to those glossy shopping bags. Get the Floral Bag at right from bambeco for $8.50.

Swanky shop offers vintage decor and modern art

I know many readers are kicking off their holiday shopping today, so I thought it might be appropriate to introduce you to a new Indianapolis store worth checking out.

IndySWANK is located in the Fountain Square neighborhood of Indianapolis and features vintage decor and clothing as well as local art. It's a fun place to browse, with interesting items for your home.

Nearly everything in the store is for sale -- including the sitting area furnishings, much of the shelving and all the art on the walls.

Owner Jennifer Von Deylen chooses all the decor items for the store.

"I like things that are unique," she said. "I like things that are sleek and modern, but that doesn't mean they can't be vintage or older."

Check out this video, in which Jennifer talks about the reason the store is named IndySWANK and describes her goals in opening the shop.

Mid-century settings make for fun holiday table

I hadn't planned a second post today, but then I saw these great photos of some mid-century place settings all done up for Thanksgiving. The photos are from Indiana photographer Craig McCormick, who has a website dedicated to the work of mid-century potters. It's fascinating.

I'm a little jealous of anyone who can set so many Thanksgiving tables that are so completely different. They're beautiful!

But Craig is a collector. He's been collecting mid-century pottery for more than 10 years. You can see the Iroquois Informal Harvest Time by Ben Seibel 1958 above.

"Tamac is my favorite," Craig told me. "But I love the Seibel Raymor Contempora setting."

Thanks to Craig for letting us use the photos. Check out the rest of them here:

Above, Gracetone Orbit dinnerware ca 1959

Above and below, Tamac Pottery in Avocado color 1946-72 from Oklahoma

 

Above, Steubenville Raymor Contempora by Ben Seibel 1953

 

Above, Iroquois Informal Harvest Time by Ben Seibel 1958

Happy Thanksgiving - and a thanks from me

I just wanted to take a moment today to thank all of you who read The Design File.

I started this blog nearly seven months ago as way to express some creativity, to learn more about publishing on the web and to explore interior design, which I had enjoyed largely as a spectator.

It's been a blast so far and an incredible learning experience. I owe a huge thanks to everyone who reads the blog, to the designers who have provided advice and photographs here, to the retailers and manufacturers who let me feature their goods, and to artists who have allowed me to showcase their work.

I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving and enjoy your time with your family and friends.

Etsy pick: Modern lighting with a vintage aesthetic

I stole the headline for this post directly from this week's Etsy pick: My Finch Studios in Athens, Ga.

There was just no better way to describe the shops' pieces than as "modern lighting with a vintage aesthetic."

The chandeliers are older pieces that have been reworked and painted to be fun, vibrant centerpieces for any room. The pendants and lamp shades are dressed with beautiful modern fabrics.

"You can find the perfect ambiance and vivid color for your office or home here," shop owner Alyssa writes on the shop. "I aspire to keep the shop full with new and unique items -- these sell fast!"

Shop owner Alyssa will make the shades with your fabric or any one you find on Etsy. She even has some sister fabric sites for you to shop.

She'll also add a plug to any of the chandeliers or pendants, so you don't have to hard wire them in.

There's something in this great shop for just about any home. And if you can't find what you're looking for just ask Alyssa to create it or check back. The stock is always changing.

Above left is the Raspberry Chandelier for $128.

In the collage, from right to left, top to bottom: Turquoise Burst Lamp Shade, $18; Pendant Drum Shade, $70; Mod White Chandelier, $135; Handmade Lamp Shades, $34

Check out My Finch Studios for lots more options.

Glidden offers interesting list of colors for kitchens

With the holidays upon us, folks are spending much more time in the kitchen. So Glidden -- which distributes paints at Home Depot -- has come up with its list of Top 10 "Just Baked" kitchen colors.

It's an interesting mix of options, with some that far more traditional than others.

I wasn't too surprised to see candy apple (shown at right) or cinnamon stick, warm gold or granny apple (shown below). Those are the kinds of colors you typically see in kitchens.

But there are some real surprises here too, including onyx black, ripe apricot and bright black raspberry, which is shown at right.

What do you think of some of these colors? I'm a little skeptical, especially of the apricot. It reminds me a little of the dinnerware I took to college in the late '80s.

Still, the options are interesting. The list is part of a series of Top 10 Colors from Glidden that is intended to "help simplify color selection and make it easier for consumers to get going on painting projects," the company said.

"The holidays are a time of year when consumers are able to show off their home to family and friends, and paint is an easy way to freshen and warm up the kitchen" said Rob Horton, vice president of marketing for the maker of Glidden paint, Akzo Nobel Paints LLC. "The Glidden brand gets consumers going by making the color selection process simple and fun, which is particularly helpful during the busy holiday season."

The Top 10 Just Baked Colors include: