Category Archives: Advice

Sprucing Up a Del Ray Duplex Inside and Out

Posted on December 6, 2012 by Leslie | Leave a comment

These Del Ray homeowners live in what they call a typical Del Ray duplex. With an addition on the back, they are fortunate to have a pretty spacious home, but the problem, which many Del Ray families can understand, is what to do with all the stuff.

They won our second special offer for a 50-percent discount on a two-hour home design consult with professional interior designer, Katie Moore of Olios Design. Our first winners were Warwick Village homeowners Eric and Beth, who had their consultation with Katie a few weeks ago.

Here’s what these Del Ray homeowners wanted to achieve and Katie’s spot-on recommendations:

The Patio

The homeowners really wanted help sprucing up their outdoor patio space, updating the dated and worn chairs, finding a more appealing way to seat 10-12 guests for dinner and accommodating their two young children and their friends. They entertain often in the summer months, when they have a well-tended summer garden, and the children often use the table to make crafts.

Katie recommended these simple changes:

Move the grill back a foot or so since there’s still room behind it on the brick.
Use the round table off to the side as a dessert and drink serving table. There’s also a nice paved space around the side of the house where they could use the round table in the same way.
Purchase a long farm table in a teak or all-weather composite material. (The homeowners were willing to purchase new patio furniture.)
Use long benches on either side of the long table that they can push under the table and preserve space. Then, they don’t need the stackable chairs.

The Basement

We went down to see the finished basement that has a black-and-white checkered linoleum floor and cabinets and shelves against the walls. The space currently serves two purposes: as an art studio for the kids and also as a seldom-used office space. They have a nice big table in the center of the room that the kids use for craft-making. The kids have free rein to make messes.

The main issue in the basement is how to use the space under the steps, where they’ve currently situated another small desk. They’d really like to turn that space into an office for their 6-year-old daughter who is desperate to have her own desk and workspace.

Katie had some ideas for making the space special for their daughter:

Move the big chair out of the house (the homeowner admitted she planned on putting it on the curb).
Keep the desk and add storage, maybe with a mobile pedestal that rolls, or replace the desk with one that has more storage. Since the desk has sentimental value and is in great condition, she’d suggest they keep it there.
Replace the existing light fixture with a task lamp, especially if the daughter uses the space for homework and smaller craft projects.

Living with Kids: Clutter Control

The other main goal for the whole house is to find useful and attractive ways to contain the clutter that naturally occurs from living with kids. In their sun-drenched back room, which they use as a playroom, they like the IKEA bins. The kids can pull them out and even take them to other parts of the house and then bring the entire bin back. Their son will often bring the bin with trucks out to the back yard and their daughter and her friends will bring the dress-up bin upstairs.

The room also serves as a guest room from time to time. But, this chair is not used all that often. It’s just taking up space. The kids love to spread out on the floor which is just fine with the parents. So, to maximize the floor space, they are going to move the chair elsewhere.

Against the wall, they could buy an armoire with drawers, so they can store some toys away neatly that don’t fit in the bins. Then, when guests come, they also have room for them to keep their clothes. They can also put a sconce on the wall for lighting. The standing lamp is just using precious floor space and the homeowner admitted she wasn’t in love with it.

Katie also recommended using more wall space to display the kids’ artwork and their lego constructions. She’s also researching Flor carpet tile designs – they’re so easy to clean and don’t cause a tripping hazard that can occur with area rugs.

Upstairs in the kids’ bedrooms, Katie gave some great ideas for again, harnessing the toys and art projects that naturally occur with having kids. She suggested more shelves on the walls where they can display their creations. That way, a lot of the clutter on flat surfaces can be whisked away.

In the closet, the shelves are given over to their son’s trains, but these can also go on shelves in the main part of the son’s room. She can then give him bins to use in the closet for odds and ends.

In their little girls’ room, they have this darling daybed and two IKEA shelves flanking either side. The shelf in the back is great – it used to be a window. When they had an addition put on to the house, the contractor saved the space for a built-in shelf. It’s perfect for a little girls’ collection of dolls, piggy banks, and other precious keepsakes.

Katie’s focus in this room is just to consider the idea of finding room for a desk, as an alternative to the basement location. She has a large doll house under the window on the right side that they could perhaps move to the basement or playroom to allow space for a desk. They also talked about adding a custom wall-attached desk that could fold down when not in use.

Living Room Improvements

In the living room, they have solutions in place for coats, shoes, hats, and other accessories. One problem is a definite stumper for them though. The husband likes to have his laptop open and within reach. So, he props it precariously on the edge of the couch. It has fallen off before! With active kids in the house, this is a problem in desperate need of a solution. Katie is going to research laptop friendly tables for him to use.

For the front room, she also suggested updating the window treatments, either with heavy curtains or a sheer, to create height in the space.

The homeowners seemed energized to make these changes. We’ll check back soon to see how they’re doing. Maybe we’ll crash one of their summer gatherings to see the new outdoor seating in action.

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Posted in Advice, Living with Kids, Small-Space Solutions

Eric and Beth’s Warwick Village Puzzler

Posted on November 8, 2012 by Katie | 8 Comments

In September we announced a special offer for a DIY Del Ray reader — a 50 percent discount on a 2-hour home design consult with a professional interior designer, Katie Moore of Olios Design.

One of the responses we received was from Eric and Beth who say they haven’t had a chance to do anything with the rowhouse they purchased last fall. They wanted help transforming a house decorated with rental relics into a modern, yet comfortable space for them and their 2-year-old daughter Ellie. The consult was an opportunity to talk through their issues and create a plan leading them in the right design direction.

Eric and Beth live in a classic Warwick Village charmer. The narrow front entrance leads to an open and airy shared living and dining room.

But this wide open space has caused the couple some design confusion. How do they better define the different functions in the space? How can they make it more “mature” and less like a kid’s playroom? How can they get the “put-together” look you see in magazines and on Pinterest?

As we chatted and got to hear Eric and Beth’s issues and ideas, Katie Moore shared a few immediate thoughts.

Define the Space

The dining table is a good size, but it doesn’t feel like it’s in a dining room. A rug underneath the table and a narrow console or buffet under the kitchen pass-thru would make it more obvious this is the dining part of the room and not just a table set off to the side.

The home stagers who put the room together for sale last year had the same idea.

If Eric and Beth decide they want to get a new table, Katie suggests a round table for some variation and better flow. I’m a huge fan of Flor carpet tiles for under the table — not only are they eco-friendly, but they are easy to clean and replacing a badly worn tile is easy and inexpensive.

In some Warwick Village homes, the owners have opted to break down the wall from the dining room to the kitchen for a truly open-concept space. Eric and Beth want to keep the wall for now, major construction is not on their to-do list.

The kitchen was well-updated by a previous owner with crisp white cabinets, granite counters, and stainless steel appliances. Eric and Beth got creative with storage by adding these functional and attractive wall shelves and butcher block top cart from IKEA.

Seating

Except for the dining room chairs, there is only a loveseat in the living room. Though it has held up well, they’d like something more modern — this was Beth’s when she was single.

But can they fit something other than a loveseat? The room arrangement is limited by the placement of the door to the outside and the radiator under the window.

Without blocking the room’s flow, it’s clear the only place for a sofa is where it currently resides. Katie does think they should be able to fit something a little larger. A sectional probably won’t work, but a sofa without arms or with narrow arms might be a good space-saving solution.

Katie suggests adding two arm chairs or an arm chair with an ottoman along the opposite wall. Adding more seating as well as a coffee table will cozy-up the living room side and create a more put together look. Eric wondered if the rug was too small, Katie assured him it’s the proper size and with more seating, it will start to make more sense.

When purchasing living room furniture, Katie recommends buying the neutral larger pieces (sofa and chairs) together first. Then fill in with accent furniture, lamps, pillows and throws – these will also give you the opportunity to show off your personality. A charcoal gray sofa will work nicely with the dark wood tones and the beige walls, which they don’t want to paint right now, but it’s a possibility down the road.

But where do you buy good quality, affordable furniture? And is it better to snag a deal online? Katie recommends testing out sofas before purchasing, so go to a store that has a showroom. Places like Room and Board, Crate and Barrel, and Creative Classics (in Old Town) typically have pieces that work well in small spaces and you can try them out in person.

Storage

When I walked in the room my eyes went straight for this small-space masterpiece — a bookcase built into the side of the stairs. (Even better, there’s a matching one on the landing upstairs.) No design tweaks needed here, just thought I’d share this really interesting feature.

But there is the issue of the toys. Katie suggests buying accent pieces that double as storage to keep the toys tucked away when not in use. In fact they have a fabulous finished basement that they use as a playroom/family room so this isn’t the only living space in the house. A basket on a shelf under a side table and ottomans that open up revealing hidden storage inside are good options.

Lighting

The only light in the room is an overhead fixture and a floor lamp off in a corner, definitely a detraction to the coziness factor. But that’s an easy fix — a few table lamps on side tables (next to the couch and the new arms chairs) will give this room the warmth it deserves.

Window Treatments

The huge picture window is a great asset for this house, but it still has the window treatments left by the previous owner. Though Eric and Beth don’t feel they need to cover the window (I mean, who would want to anyway?), Katie suggests removing the roman shades and adding some shears which would drape to the side and add a more sophisticated touch.

By better defining the room’s separate areas, coordinating cozy and comfortable seating, toning down harsh ceiling lights with warm side lights, and adding more sophisticated storage and decorative pieces, Beth and Eric will be on the right track to creating an inspired modern look the whole family can enjoy.

But we want to hear from you! What are your ideas for Eric and Beth’s rowhouse? How do you better define space in a multi-purpose open room? If you live in Warwick Village, speak up and share how you have mastered the 1950s boxy layout? Perhaps you’d like to share a photo with our homeowners?

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Posted in Advice, Interior Design

Tagged consultation, decorating, design, furniture, storage

Tips for Wrapping and Shipping Holiday Packages

Posted on November 7, 2012 by Leslie | Leave a comment

How can you mail a gift that looks festive when the recipient opens the box, doesn’t arrive mangled, and gets to its destination on time? I just mailed a wedding gift to a friend in Seattle, a handknit afghan (from this pattern), so I had a chance to figure out some tips for this type of gift, as well as for traditionally boxed gifts, and the ever-popular packages of cookies and other holiday treats.

Tip #1: Wrapping Your Gift Sensibly

Since I’m mailing a soft item, all I needed to do was decide on how to fold it to make it look the nicest. I liked the roll with a simple ribbon tied around it. I think it accentuates the scalloped edging on the blanket.

If you want to use wrapping paper, here’s an idea that would arrive in its shipping box still looking attractive. I printed black-and-white portraits of each recipient on printer paper, and used a glue stick to stick them to the gifts. For ribbon, I used raffia that could be flattened during shipping and not look any worse for the wear.

If you’re sending a gift box, as an alternative to wrapping paper, you can paint the outside of the gift box like our kids did last year.

Furoshiki is another great wrapping technique, where you use fabric like this scarf to wrap a gift, in this case a hard-bound book, using various (and easy) folding techniques.

For an ample supply of gift boxes, tins, ribbon, and tissue paper, check out Michaels, The Container Store, or Paper Source.

For some great tips and guidelines on mailing food gifts, see this eHow site. The USDA also gives tips on mailing food gifts to military bases overseas. Did you know that you can’t ship a wine bottle? I didn’t. You need to ship it from an alcohol vendor like Planet Wine.

Tip #2: Creating a Handmade Label

When you ship a gift, store-bought or handmade, a nice added touch is to create a handmade label. For my afghan, I cut a white piece of cardstock into a rectangle, and then used a heart-shaped hole punch from Paper Source as a decoration.

I drew a simple sheep and wrote the washing instructions for the blanket on the label. Then, I looped the card around the ribbon with a piece of yarn.

Another easy to make a label is to cut one from last year’s holiday cards. You can use scissors with a decorative edge to make it even fancier. Or, like Katie, you can paid the top of a tin with chalkboard paint and write a fun message on top with chalk.

Tip #3: Using a Sturdy Box and Eco-Friendly Packing Fillers

I found a perfectly sized box in the recycling bin, or else I was going to buy one at the post office. You should never use a shoe box or or gift box because it will likely get crushed along the way.

I used the brown paper liner that was in the box I nabbed from someone’s recycling bin and some tissue paper to surround the blanket.

Rather than buying styrofoam popcorn fillers or bubble wrap, you can use shredded or crumpled newspaper or your own shredded paper (bills and such) to use as recyclable filler.

I taped the sides with shipping tape and covered the used label with a priority mail sticker and then used a permanent marker to fill in the address.

When preparing the box, keep in mind:

You should write the address large enough so that it can be read at arm’s length.
You shouldn’t put ribbon, twine, or decorated paper on the outside of the box because it can get caught in the conveyor belts.

Tip # 4: Meeting the Holiday Shipping Deadlines

I’m told by our local Del Ray postmistress that the lines start to form at the post offices by the middle of November. You’ll soon see customers out the door, balancing boxes on each arm.

If you want to ship gifts from the USPS rather than ordering them online, you’d be wise to get them ready soon if you want them to arrive before Christmas day.

By November 15 or so for overseas deliveries to military bases and homes.
By December 1 for domestic deliveries.
If you end up using Fedex, you have until December 16 to use FedEx Ground and have packages arrive before Christmas. You have until December 21 to ship international packages.

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Posted in Advice, Holidays

Tagged fedex, gifts, holiday, packages, post office, shipping

Better Safe Than Sorry: Home Security Assessments

Posted on November 6, 2012 by Katie | Leave a comment

After two of my neighborhood friends were the victims of burglary, I started wondering about the security of my own home. In a Twitter convo with the Alexandria Police Department, I learned that I could have a free home security assessment by their crime prevention specialist.

The assessment took about 45 minutes (not too long since our home is small). The officer inspected our doors, windows, shrubs and outdoor lights. He patiently listened to our concerns and then provided a detailed checklist of areas where we should focus.

While I don’t want to divulge the specific details, here are some of the tips I found the most helpful.

Doors and Locks

Even if you have a deadbolt, a determined and strong criminal can still break down your door. To make it more difficult, make sure the strike plate on your lock (the part that goes into the door frame) is reinforced with 3 or 4-inch long screws. With the proper tools this is something you can DIY.
If you have glass panels on your doors, consider having a professional install security glazing. This is a transparent film that makes glass panels harder to break. You can also have this installed on your windows to protect against rogue baseballs.
The best doors have a solid wood core. Doors with windows should have a built-in mutton (the part that divides the panes of glass). You can buy these at stores like Home Depot or Lowe’s.

Windows

If you have sliding windows, a simple tension rod attached between the panels can keep someone from opening the window.
Make sure you don’t leave anything outside that could be used to break into a window — paving stones, rocks, pots.

Lighting

Outdoor lighting is key.
Stay away from flourescent lighting on motion sensors — they take longer to light up. Instead, use halogen or LED bulbs.

Awareness and Prevention

Shred your mail to protect against identity theft.
Crime increases during the holiday season. Always be aware of your surroundings, use ATMs inside buildings, and don’t carry large bags of items in your house — makes it easier for thieves to snatch purses.
Put pea gravel on the ground under windows — the crunching sound can alert you that someone is outside. Also consider chimes on gates.

The officer left a stash of pamphlets I still need to review.

One that especially stands out is Operation Identification. Using a simple inventory form, you can share serial numbers for your personal property with the APD. This info will go into a database that is scanned daily for pawn shop purchases. So if someone steals your computer and then tries to sell it at a pawn store, you have a better chance of getting it back.

No one probably wants to turn their home into a bunker, with bars on the windows and doors, but there are some simple changes you can make to increase your security. Do you have any concerns? Contact the APD to schedule a security assessment. They will also do a presentation for your neighborhood or homeowner’s association.

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Posted in Advice, Del Ray Life

Tagged crime prevention, home security