Spaces Made Perfect

How to Make a Plant Watering Globe

noreply@blogger.com (JoFer Interiors_SMP) — Tue, 23 Jul 2019 16:30:00 +0000

As we all Know, the summer season is in full force and with the intense heat, our concern is always " am I hydrating enough? "
For many of us with either an indoor, outdoor potted garden or both, our concern seems to be always " have I watered these plants enough ?"
Considering that outdoor potted plants indeed need to be watered more often, this is also a concern for our indoor foliage, flowering friends.

Are you leaving on a vacation trip this summer and wonder if your potted plants will ever survive the blistering heat until you return?
Many of us can truly identify with this concern. In this post we will not only show you a clever idea that can be useful in re-hydrating your beloved potted plants, but it will also serve the purpose of recycling those once undesirable empty bottles.

You will need a few simple items for this quick and easy D.I.Y Garden Watering Globe and or Watering Sphere.

1. Corded or Cordless drill
2. 1/4 inch Wood drill bit
3. Empty wine or liquor bottle (bigger is better)
4. Cork

Step 1. Is to drill a small leveled hole into the center of the cork that will go through the other end. (The smaller the hole the slower the water will trickle).
If you are in the market shopping for a drill, opt for getting one that has an angle finder or level marker. I find this to be very helpful when trying to avoid splitting the wood when drilling or embedding screws on other projects.

Step 2. Fill the bottle with water about 1.5 inches below the rim and introduce the cork firmly until fitted.
Note: Some wine bottles come with corks that once removed, it is nearly impossible to re-cork the same wine bottle. If this is the case opt for a liquor bottle instead as they tend to have a slightly wider bottle neck and introducing the cork may be easier.

As shown above, you can see how the water trickles from the opening in the cork. Again, the smaller the opening the slower the trickle.

We learned that with a 2 litter sized bottle with the neck completely buried into the soil, would last approximately 6 to 7 days to completely empty.
This could make a huge difference in how your potted plant can survive while you are away from home on either a short vacation getaway or a short stay-cation were you simply want to stay close to home and do absolutely NOTHING for a week or so!

Note: Outdoor potted plants are obviously thirstier. Hence try to water your outdoor plants the same day you leave the home, prior to inserting the watering globe.
Below we have placed a short video on this project ~Enjoy~

Please take a further look into more of our D.I.Y projects and LIKE US when visiting our YouTube channel.

How to Use Decorative Planters in your Garden

noreply@blogger.com (JoFer Interiors_SMP) — Fri, 31 May 2019 22:55:00 +0000

Have you ever thought about using garden planters in any other way than "planting flowering plants" or greenery.
In this short post we will share with you an awesome and creative idea on how to use decorative planters in your garden .

As shown in the above photo, there will be a few simple items required for this project.
1. Galvanized steel thin sheet cylinder (can be found at local hardware store)
2. Fire Rocks
3. Gel fuel can (mainly online)
4. Glue gun & stick
5. Scrap piece of cardboard (not shown in image)
6. Decorative Planter

In the image above we have placed the scrap cardboard piece in the center of the planter using hot glue to keep in place covering the planters drainage hole.

Here we used all purpose potting soil to fill the planter, nevertheless (potting mix) can also be used.

We went with the option of soil or mix because it keeps the project light once filled in the case we wanted to move it around from time to time.

The planter was filled just enough as to conceal the thin

sheet of galvanized cylinder that will host the Gel Fuel can. For this particular planter we had to take into account 4 inches which is the size of the cylinder.

A few white rocks were then placed into the planter around the cylinder for support and aesthetics.

Note: You may chose to fill this space with as many rocks as you deem necessary. In the future we may add more rocks or fire glass to change and spice things up a bit.

Once completing the above steps, you are ready to light up your Gel Fuel can add a few embellishments such as outdoor throws, pillows, outdoor pouf seating, large potted plants and enjoy your awesome patio, porch and/or garden focal point.

Hope this simple project gives you an idea on how to make your Space Made Perfect one that will make your guest enjoy with the uttermost delight.

Below we have placed a short video on how it all came together ~ENJOY~

Please take a further look into more of our D.I.Y projects and LIKE US when visiting our YouTube channel.

How to:Clean and Maintain SheepSkin Rugs

noreply@blogger.com (JoFer Interiors_SMP) — Mon, 29 Apr 2019 17:43:00 +0000

Have you stained your natural Sheepskin and wondered how on earth I'm going to get this out !
Before you run and grab a hold of the closest chemical agent you can find, STOP, breathe, and lets garner our thoughts before proceeding.
There are a few ways of cleaning sheepskin. In this short post we will be discussing our best methods while attempting to keep it simple.

Professional Cleaning(mainly reserved for larger or more severe stains).
With this been said, don't assume all professional dry cleaners are leather/wool on skin professionals.
If you love your sheepskin, make sure your cleaner is trained in this area.

Hand and or Machine Wash

Hand washing or machine washing sheepskins should be reserved ONLY for the natural color wool such as white or ivory. Dyed skins can bleed greatly, causing the wool to quickly lose its rich dyed color.

Never place sheepskin rug in a dryer, as this will dry out and cause cracks in the leather/hide.

Never use enzyme or bleach containing agents. Even detergents promoted as "gentle" like Tide or Woolite contain enzymes that are damaging to sheepskin rugs.

Any brand wool wash that is enzyme, bleach free, containing lanolin will suffice in maintaining the health and intregity of the rug.

What is Lanolin:
Lanolin is a wax secreted by the glands of wool bearing animals like sheeps.

Note: Do not mistake the process of extracting lanolin to animal cruelty. This process is normally performed on Wool bearing animals that are already part of the meat industry. The sebaceous glands, in this case (lanolin) is the byproduct from the meat harvest.

Some Things you'll need are:

1. Wool brush.
2. Lanolin containing wool wash (enzyme,bleach free).
3. Large basin of water.
4. Drying area away from direct sunlight

Steps in the hand-wash process:

1. Add warm water to basin.
2. Depending on size of rug, use 1tsp of lanolin wool wash per 1G of water.
3. Soak rug for at least 20 minutes(longer depending on how soiled).
4. Gently use hands to massage the fibers while submersed.
5. Remove and squeeze excess water solution(don't twist).
6. lay rug to dry or line dry (We prefer Line dry) as it allows gravity to freely expel water.
7. Brush the wool once while still damp.
8. Once completely dry, brush again.
9. vigorously shake rug in order to bring back its natural fluffiness.

Note: Do not expose rug to direct sunlight or heat during the drying process.

Steps for machine washing:

1. Use warm water wash selection
2. Use 1 Tbsp wool wash (2x3ft)rugs to 2 Tbsp (2x6ft)rug.
3. Use Bulk/Gently cycle
4. Lay rug to dry or hang (We prefer line dry) letting gravity expel most of the water.
5. Brush once while damp and once after dry.
6. vigorously shake rug in order to bring back its natural fluffiness.

Spot Cleaning Rug(mostly small stains)

1. Mix a cap full of Lanolin based wool wash to 2 Cups of water and place in a spray bottle.
2. Apply to stain area generously.
3. Rinse the area treated with warm water.
4. Use dry clean rag by patting gently removing the excess moisture.
5. Hang or lay rug to dry fully OUT of direct sunlight.
6. Brush area once while damp,once after fully dried and Shake vigorously to natural fluffiness.

Maintaining your rug:

1. Straighten out wool hair by regularly brushing.
2. Vacuum rug regularly, but avoid using a rotating head brush attachment.
3. Regularly shaking rug often helps keep its fullness.

Storing:

1. Do not store rug in sunlight or heat
2. Store in cool ventilated area by avoiding non-breathable materials such as suction storage bags

Note: Remember that your Real Sheepskin Rug is a natural breathable material and just like leather condensation may cause it to dry rot.

Please take a further look into more of our D.I.Y projects and LIKE US when visiting our YouTube channel.

How to use Fire Gel Fuel Cans in D.I.Y Decor

noreply@blogger.com (JoFer Interiors_SMP) — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 16:42:00 +0000

Do you Love to entertain guest ! We have some heart warming ideas on how to bring warmth into any interior and or exterior space by using real flame.
In this short post we will demonstrate how there will be no need to build expensive vented fireplaces for your indoor space (if all you are looking for is aesthetics).
Even if you already own a real vented fireplace and you simply want the subtle feel of real flames in your home, you can always accomplish this without the messy residue of wood or the potential hazard of natural gasses.
Clean Burning Fire Gel can truly accomplish this goal. This time we will focus on making a simple Fire bowl. (You may also find D.I.Y ventless fireplace ideas in our Archives.)

For this particular task we will need just a few simple items:

Not all fire gel fuel cans are made equal. As you can see, these cans have no labeling along the sides. This makes sense when you consider heat and paper will be a bad combination. Pay attention to this as many manufactures still make cans with labels along the sides.
As seen here a clever placed warning label is placed on the lid instead, in the case you lose the included instruction pamphlet.

A bowl of choice (clear glass or porcelain) will be the foundation of this project along with a few decorative rocks, fire glass, and small chrome fire balls.

Note: Best to use an Oven Resistant Bowl as it can better withstand higher temperatures. Also using a bowl with enough depth will help visually conceal most of the can giving your project the perfect finish.
We can appreciate how the fire gel fuel can sits perfectly nestled into the bowl. Again make sure that the embellishments used can withstand high heat temperatures.

Just a few images on how this great project turned out.

Below we have also place a video on the Unboxing of this fire gel fuel and how we used this product to create this gorgeous fire bowl and patio/garden fire ball decor, suitable for any outdoor entertainment space. ~ ENJOY ~ !

Please take a further look into more of our D.I.Y projects and LIKE US when visiting our YouTube channel.

How To Ideas for Making Winter Wreath Decor

noreply@blogger.com (JoFer Interiors_SMP) — Fri, 21 Dec 2018 19:50:00 +0000

For this project we wanted to not just opt for the common wreath look one tends to find in local brick and mortar stores. Even the most exotic wreaths you can find usually tends to stick to the traditional design.

In this post we will show you how to add "Art" to your next Winter Wreath decor that is sure to dazzle your guest as soon as you greet them at the door. Not to mention how by choosing a timeless art piece like this one, can easily work as the seasons change.

Below we will talk about a simple few items and steps that you will need to complete this project.
Among these items are:
1. A Giant Pine Cone measuring a whopping 10.5 inches in length and 4 inches in diameter. (These are extremely rare, and we stumbled into these at the local Trader Joes Market during fall season.)
1b. Pine tree trimmings to your desired length
2. Medium sized Cup Hooks
3. Small accessory belt. (choice of color and texture to your liking We chose a gold and silver to go with our theme.)
4. Wreath hook & smaller door hook
5. ( No tools Required ) :o)

Step 1. Now that we have all the items on hand, we will proceed to screwing the cup hook into the pine cone. These giant cones are very woody in nature which makes this task rather simple. (Careful NOT to over tighten.)

Note: You may also choose to paint these cones in your desired. In the finished project as you will see in the latter part of this post, we opted for gloss white, metallic silver for the main colors and metallic bronze for some inconspicuous undertones.

Step 2. Once having the hooks screwed into both cones, you will proceed to string the belt or ribbon into the opening. This is how the finished cones will hang from the small door hook. As mentioned before we decided to use a small belt.

Step 3. We used a gorgeous metal wall art mirror as our main centerpiece for the wreath. The silver color of the metal reflect light and keeps the space airy by causing the eye to freely flow throughout the space.

The Cones are then hung onto the small door hook, while the wall art mirror hangs below gracefully from the large wreath hook.
Note: The cones were previously spray painted with glossy white and metallic silver to give them that icy looking sheen mimicking the look of ice filled shrubs after a snowfall or icy rain.

We added some pine tree limbs garnered form the local hardware
store Christmas tree sale lot. If you ask the staff who trims the trees prior to the sale, they will be happy to let you collect the leftovers that are usually placed into one of their store carts for free.
We most certainly couldn't forget one of our signature decor embellishments such as crystal garland links, teardrops and raindrops. We coupled a few of these crystal ornaments by intricately nestling them into over-sized oyster shells that were painted in metallic grey and silver.

The glam and sparkle of all these chic decor ornaments set the perfect tone for this Winter Wreath Decor.

Conclusion: When thinking about decor, find ways to implement pieces that can be easily transitioned into other seasons. A timeless item can help reduce clutter by not having to store it as the seasons change.
By simply adding a few small embellishments a decor item like this wall art mirror can completely freshen up your space made perfect with a complete new look.

Below we have placed a short video snippet on this step by step process. ~ENJOY~

Please take a further look into more of our D.I.Y projects and LIKE US when visiting our YouTube channel.

How To: Create Stocking Stuffer Winter Decor

noreply@blogger.com (JoFer Interiors_SMP) — Tue, 04 Dec 2018 14:59:00 +0000

This winter season consider looking at what lays in your backyard, as you seek ideas on decorating your indoor living space.

as the leaves fall from your shrubs and trees and the pine cones beguin to find their way to the ground, this could mean endless decor possibility options.

In this short post we will show you an idea based on a few simple steps that is sure to add some glam and sparkle to your interior or exterior winter decor scheme.

First let's talk about some items that will be required to complete this project.

Above we have laid out some of the fixings, among these are a bag full of small and or mini pine cones, a glue gun and glue gun refills, a can of glossy white and metallic chrome spray paint and some back yard trimmings we garnered from leafless shrubs and trees.

Step 1.

Apply hot glue to the end of the pine cone and attach to the desired areas of the shrub or tree limbs. Use as many cones as you deem necessary according to your particular taste. In this project we used 3 to 4 cones per limb.

It's all coming together. Once the hot glue cures, the cones will be fully secured like concrete to these limbs.

Step 2.

Note: After you have placed all the desired cones onto the limbs, you will proceed to spray paint these as desired and once fully dried, place them in your favorite stocking.

For this desired decor scheme we went with glossy white and metallic chrome silver to add the desired sparkle undertones. We then placed the limbs into a pair of beige and gold metallic cowhide stocking stuffers.

Step 3.
We love to incorporate the look of crystals into our decor ideas, therefore opted to go with these 100% pure crystal gems. Amongst the types useds were clear teardrops and raindrops, victorian prism and some french cuts.

The rainbow glow that reflects from these pieces being placed adjacent to a ceiling to floor bay sliding glass door, is simply glorious.
The sparkle from the interior lighting of your living space as it bounces around these gorgeous crystals, is also a site that is sure to get your guest talking.

Step 4.
Step back and enjoy the view !
We chose to display the completed project by hanging it onto an oversized gloss white modern wall art mirror which sits over a contemporary floating fireplace.
You may also opt to placing this creative idea on your balcony, porch and or sunroom.
As the sun rays reflects of the crystals, it will fill your chilled winter wonderland of a space with a rainbow spectacle of colors.

Note: These crystals already come with pre-drilled holes in which you will simply have to thread an ornamental hook in order to hang it on the limb.
You may choose to add any other embellishments that suits your taste, such as holiday ornaments for example.

Below we have also placed a short video snippet that better displays the completed project ~ENJOY~

Please take a further look into more of our D.I.Y projects and LIKE US when visiting our YouTube channel.

How to make a Garden Chandelier

noreply@blogger.com (JoFer Interiors_SMP) — Fri, 13 Jul 2018 18:36:00 +0000

These days you can actually make the perfect
lighting fixture suited for any home decor or themed event, and the garden is no exception.
In this short post we will take a common galvanized aluminum with copper lining watering can and turn it into an illuminated garden chandelier that will sure add a pop of glam and sparkle to any outdoor space.

Below you will see a few of the items used to repurpose this gardening tool.

In the above image you can view the gardening watering can which was an inexpensive purchase at a local home improvement store for about $16.

What caught my attention about this item, was the ability to remove the watering head as you will see below.

The removal of the head or spout of the can allows for a greater watering flow when needed. The Head of the can is normally used when also wanting to water the plants foliage.

Also note the generously sized pre-drilled holes that can be viewed from the inside of the head. This is key to making our desired project work, as you will see below.

More on why this option works best for the overall outcome of the project at hand.

In the three photos above (left) shows the interior of the can and the nozzle opening that leads up towards the cylinder and tip. the (middle) image shows the nozzle opening at the tip of the cans cylinder and the (right) image simply shows the same nozzle tip at an angled view were the watering head or spout is normally attached.

Above is a picture of the LED string lighting used for this project. We chose a 5-foot strand, but the choice is absolutely yours. In the image to the (right) we have the included battery box and switch used to operate this string light.

Note:If are going to use this project in an area that will be subject to moisture and rain, my suggestion will be to waterproof the battery box by using some clear silicone to seal any openings including the area were the fuse is covered by the plastic tubing.

Here you can view how the LED light strand have been fed through the interior nozzle opening of the can all the way up and out the watering nozzle head and or cannula.

Note: These LED strands are very inexpensive and very malleable so you can maneuver small openings as you will see in the latter images.

This next image shows how the strands were fed up and through the nozzle tip and bunched inside the watering head opening (right image),as means of having the light reflect through the pre-perforated holes, giving a nice shimmering glow to the crystal teardrops.

Ornament hooks were used to attach the crystal garlands to the head of the watering can, by simply inserting them into the pre-perforated holes on both the garlands and the head of the can. A pair of pliers was used to twist the hooks to each other keeping them in place and then bent inward to conceal them into the head of garden can.

Important: It is important to notice that you must first insert the LED string of lights into the head prior to attaching the garland with the ornament hooks. Inverting the steps will make it difficult for the insertion of the lights.

The head of the gardening can is now screwed back onto the nozzle (Top Left) and we have now hung the teardrops in the desired lengths to get that cascading effect.

Now you are ready to hang this gorgeous piece anywhere you like. As you may have noticed in the images above, we chose to hang it in a roofed outdoor patio area were we grow most of the herbs bushels that require mostly shade.

Another image of this gorgeous outdoor chandelier displaying all of its shimmer and glory under the duskly, nightly skies.

Note: You may also omit the use of LED lights and simply use this piece as an outdoor suncatcher chandelier. The organic flare of the sun reflecting on the crystals will display a prism like glow of colors throughout your garden and or sunroom.

Please take a further look into more of our D.I.Y projects and LIKE US when visiting our YouTube channel.

Create It....Love It....Share It !

How to Repurpose a Wooden Ladder into Linen Rack

noreply@blogger.com (JoFer Interiors_SMP) — Tue, 22 May 2018 13:42:00 +0000

In this short tutorial we will take a simple and weathered old wooden ladder and repurpose it into a practical linen rack.
Considering that wooden ladders are very much a thing of the past,giving ways to the most ingenious metal ladder designs available on the market today, you may have to opt for looking at your local thrift shops for this forgotten relic.

Above are a few close up shots of the spray paint colors used to refinish this wooden ladder. We decided to go with the soft sheen of satin white and the reflective tones of the metallic chrome.

You may also notice that we decided to leave some inconspicuous areas of the ladder where the natural wood tones are shown.

In the collage of images above you can see how we grouped a series of 7 towels. this particular ladder with an average height of 6 feet could easily rack 10 towels. Not to mention the top of the ladder that could also make way for extra folded towels and or rags.

In the set of images above we added a few items that can also be displayed ready for use. Amongst these are body wash,sugar scrubs and aromatherapy products.

You can chose to display any color towels of choice to match your bedroom or bathroom decor taste.

On the top shelve of the ladder we were also able to place extra towels neatly folded and or bath rags, and glass jar for easy access to bath sponges and soap bars.

As you can already see, this old wooden ladder has been resurrected with new life giving it meaning and purpose.

We added some gorgeous throws and scarves ready for the picking. You may choose to hang many or just a simple few adding character and punches of color to the your decor theme.

In the above images you can see how it transformed from a common regular household handyman/handywoman tool to a creative, functional and integral display rack fit for any interior decor.

Conclusion: It is needless to say that there are things in our living spaces that seem to get old and unpleasant to the sight as time goes by. Nevertheless,with a little ingenuity and "elbow grease" you can turn any old item into a piece of interior or exterior decor item that will be worthy "YOUR" space made perfect.

Please take a further look into more of our D.I.Y projects and LIKE US when visiting our YouTube channel.

Create It....Love It....Share It !

Ideas for Repurposing a CD Rack into Floor Lamp

noreply@blogger.com (JoFer Interiors_SMP) — Fri, 13 Apr 2018 12:32:00 +0000

In this streaming digital media world, cd's and dvd's are soon to become things of the past, an anthology if you will.
In this post we will take a simple floor standing Cd rack and re-purpose it into a work of art that will not only provide warm and subtle illumination to your living space, but also serve as an interesting and unique conversational piece.

For this project we will only need a few simple tools that any beginner Do It Yourself and/or beginner handyman or handy-woman should have at his/her disposal.

Items Required are:
1. floor standing CD Rack

2. 60 x 1 inch Pine wood (Pine wood is inexpensive and we love it because its wood grains are very bold and pronounced when stained.)

3. Metallic Spray paint (your choice of color(s))

4. Lamp Pull Chain & Sockets kit (your choice of 1 or 2)

5. Sample size can of PolyUrethane wood stain
(This step may be skipped by simply painting the wood)
6. Staining cloth or lint free cotton cloth (if using wood stain option)

7. 8 x 8 x 1 inch square of pine wood

These are what some of these items look like. visiting your nearest local hardware store should have these readily available. We chose Minwax Poly Shades for the wood stain because it provides color as well as the protection and sheen of polyurethane (2 in 1).

Tools Required are:

1. Drill, 1/4 inch & 3/8 inch drill bits

2. Wood glue (optional for a tighter bond)

3. Wood Screw

4. Cable ties and/or strip of cable organizer/management

Below are some images of what these items look like as we put this floor lamp together.

In this mage you can appreciate the metallic paint color used for the rack. The pull chain was kept in its original gunsteel color. The pine wood was stained,but we will see this up close a little later on.

Seen above is the base of the Cd rack sitting on a 12 x 12 concrete paver. This was a personal choice since we wanted the lamp to stand taller.

You may choose to use any style finial. We opted for this round chrome style.

We opted to use two Lamp Sockets with Pull Chain,a large detachable harp and low wattage LED bulbs. Left(lights off)Right(Lights on).

Make sure your harp is large enough so that when the lampshade is harnessed it sits above the bulbs without making them visible at eye level.

In the above image we used the 8 x 8 x 1 pine wood and attached it to the 1 x 60 inch long pine wood we used as the support leg for this floor lamp. The square pine wood was attached to the 60 inch leg by lining it up to the back of the Cd rack and applying some glue and a single wood screw.
Drill to create the 1/4 opening for the pull chain and the light socket harness that comes along with the kit.

You also want to drill holes about 3/8 inch in order to make the detachable harp fit snugly into the 8x8x1 square base.

Note: Since we are creating a double light socket floor lamp, "the steps you do on one side must be repeated on the other side of the top square base".

Here is an up close look of the pine wood used as the supporting leg. We opted for a polyurethane stain instead of painting it to give it a more sophisticated, interesting look.
The entire Cd Rack was painted in metallic steel spray paint. This blended very well with the charcoal background of the wall.

Above is a side view look at the rack near completion. A cable organizer was used to neatly keep them in place and tucked from sight behind the leg of the lamp.

A gorgeous oval shaped,charcoal black, upholstered lampshade was used for the finished project.

Notice here that the 1 x 60 inch pine wood used for the leg takes the full length of the rack (top to bottom). We used cable ties to secure it to the bottom of the rack since we did not use wood at the bottom.

Another image of the finished product. We added a few SACDs and Audio Cd's from the owners vintage collection to give you an idea on how this old played out cd rack could still serve its original purpose, while bringing subtle ambiance lighting to the space.

Note: As we mentioned previously, take notice on how the lampshade sits high above the LED bulbs.This photo taken at birds eye view,shows you how you can't see the wood base and sockets used for this lamp. Mission accomplished.

Another close up on how the Cd and DVD Media sits on the top rack. This was used in a living room space and by coupling it with a black lampshade and the black steel metallic paint on the rack, it blended perfectly with the charcoal colors of the walls.

If you have a dedicated media room such as a Home Theater, this will be a perfect match for such a theme.

Below we have added a short video snippet of the completed project
~ENJOY~

This video was created and meant for information purposes and is in no way

related to the content ads viewed on this page.

Please take a further look into more of our D.I.Y projects and LIKE US when visiting our YouTube channel.
Please don't forget to leave us a comment and remember CREATE IT....LOVE IT....SHARE IT !

How To: Ideas on Refinishing Home Entertainment Wood Veneer Equipment

noreply@blogger.com (JoFer Interiors_SMP) — Mon, 19 Feb 2018 17:50:00 +0000

So you have a great set of speakers, but you just don't like the way they look when incorporated into your interior decor.

The problem also lies in the fact that with speakers such as Subwoofers which will have to be placed somewhere on the floor, do not always match or blend well with the overall scheme or color of your flooring or walls.

Considering there are many inconspicuous Subwoofer placement ideas that could give you great sound, let's face it, depending on your room layout you may not always be able to place that speaker behind a couch or nestle it into a wall out of plain sight.

What if my budget does not allow for custom tailored speakers ?

We believe to have a simple cost effective way to give those speakers a facelift while also giving it a custom look that will blend seamlessly into any decor scheme.

When it comes to these circumstances, you have to make the best choice possible by deciding whether matching the flooring or the walls would appease your personal style and decor.

In this particular post we have decided to match the floor speaker to the walls behind it in the best way possible, therefore creating fluency in the room as opposed to having your eyes suddenly stop at the site of the bold black speaker cabinet enclosure.

3 Reasons why you want to keep furniture pieces light in color.

Visual Flow / Airiness

When you walk into a space regardless of whether it is a home or an office, your eyes will tend to wander throughout noticing objects and colors. Color usually cause the main visual impact and causes the eye to follow the space. This is why many home decor and or interior decorators will use deep bold colors to create a focal point wall in a small area of the space.

Bold colors will tend to immediately draw your visual attention, hence making it a focal spot. If you want to avoid unintended focal points throughout, you will need to avoid deep/dark and or bright varying color changes in the space.

Clutter

Have you ever had the feeling that there is just "too much stuff". The reason for this at times is not necessarily that there is " too much stuff" per say. It may quite be that the pieces used in the decor, furnishings or even the colors of these objects may indeed be obstructing your visual flow.

Transparency and or Opacity

Keeping the pieces light in color will keep the eye moving through the space making it appear to be larger than it actually is. Especially in smaller living quarters.

It is to be expected that the colors used on your walls may well not be the exact match available for the options in spray paints available on the market. Nevertheless you may choose to have the same color made in a spray option if your project is not budget limited.

If you want to keep the budget friendly option, then you can opt to go for the closest shade possible to your wall color and always choose a shade lighter than the closest match. You can choose the Glossy option for an extra punch or stick with the flat finish to really make it blend inconspicuously.

Note: Even though it may be obvious that an object is there, this will fool the eye keeping it from focusing on the object, hence creating an improved more appealing visual flow.

What is wood veneer?

Veneer is usually a thin slice sheet of wood that is glued to a larger baseboard such as a fiber or particleboard sometimes known as Medium Density Fiberboard. This is normally done to give the furniture piece the look of hardwood with all of the grains and wood rings. By doing so, detail and interest is added to the furniture piece without the expense of real solid hardwood.

Depending on the manufacturer of the wood veneer, some maybe applied by gluing it down or by ironing it down onto the desired surface.

Before sanding make sure you cover the speakers woofers and any ported openings on the speaker box as to prevent dust particles from entering the circuitry.

Time to sand away. Wait not quite !

Take a good look at your sandpaper by choosing a fine grade sandpaper (400 - 600 grit). The key here is not to sand so deep into the wood veneer, that you sand away the details in the grains.

The reason for sanding the veneer is to eliminate as much of the original glossy finish as possible. This will help the new finish adhere with a better bond to the speaker box.

But you must remember that veneer is a very thin layer of wood adhered to another material as a base usually particulate board and or MDF, therefore "sand with care".

In the above image we used a sea blue as the base color for the speaker cabinet. This made sure that the original black color was completely covered avoiding too many coats of paints. This color was also within the range of hues used on the walls where the speaker will be placed.

In the image above you can notice how the speaker now blends in with the wall behind it.

For those whom are familiar with speakers, also know that the grills are typically of a black mesh like material. Here we painted the woofer grill to also match the enclosure box.

The colors used for this project were of a flat finish taking into account the same finish on the walls.

In the above images we have demonstrate how the speaker now blends into the scheme of the decor. The first picture was taken with bright lighting in the space and the flash feature on the camera enabled.

The former image was taken with flash disabled to provide a darker example of what it would look like in a darker environment. The walls, decor and new speaker finish makes for a lighter feel throughout.

In this image we wanted to give you an idea on how closely matching the color of your entertainment equipment to your walls can help create fluency and visual flow without making the items in the space feel too heavy.

Here we used a deep charcoal black on the walls as the backdrop for the LED TV and the Horizontal CD Rack that sits above the TV just below the ceiling.

We must also mention that the color used on the wall were for a family room and NOT a dedicated Home Theater Room. This turned out to be truly amazing, considering it blended splendidly with the rest of the home design and decor.

Note: This technique will make the equipment really disappear, especially when watching your favorite TV programing at night time, giving the space "the feel" of a dedicated Home Theater.

The wood veneer of the CD Rack above the TV was refinished in a deep black lacquer to also match the bezel of the TV. ( More on how to refinish with lacquer paint in near future).

This is a close up image of the deep charcoal black color of the wall and a corner of the black TV bezel.

Note: We do not recommend using lustre and or glossy wall paint in this area, as it will always tend to bounce too much light when watching the TV or with the ambient lights on.

The short video snippet below was taken with the lights in the space complete off. As you can see, the outcome resulted in the total disappearance of the entertainment equipment and the wall behind it "perfect for movie nights". The subtle cool blue spotlights seen on each side of the TV set are an option for a "less pitch black ambiance".

Publisher Note: Images viewed on the Tv monitor are
for demonstration purposes only and are therefore non-sponsored
and unrelated to this post.

Please take a further look into more of our D.I.Y projects and LIKE US when visiting our YouTube channel.

How To Ideas for Clay Pottery & Planters

noreply@blogger.com (JoFer Interiors_SMP) — Wed, 07 Feb 2018 19:33:00 +0000

If you have ever taken a look at the conventional clay pot/planters sold at your favorite home improvement store and or nursery, your first impression may well be,NOT impressed at all. These may tend to look cheap, bland and unimpressive.

Nevertheless,I challenge you to take a closer look!

Many of us may not even consider it, but clay pots besides being made of an organic matter, it is very versatile and easy to work with in different projects. Careful though, they are easy to crack/break.

Some interesting facts about Clay Pots are:

a) They adapt to the environment very well.

b) Pottery forms an intricate part in many cultures around the world,but originated in ancient egypt.

c) There are different types of clay and each are distinct in their organic compositions and how they are used. Within these are Kaolin or (porcelain), Fire, Stone and Earthenware Clay which is the most common type found.

d) They can be used in the yard for planting your favorite greenery or in the kitchen for slow cooking your favorite food.

Note: Clay cooking pots usually undergo a glazing process prior to being used for this purpose. Make sure your purchase is suitable for this cause.

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In this tutorial we will look at an up close idea on using clay pottery in ways other than for planting.

Here is a photo of a medium clay pot you may or may not be familiar with. These are very much inexpensive when considering the price you pay for a generously sized pot. For the project in this post we used medium small clay pots, keeping in mind they will be used as centerpiece decor items.

Above are a series of RustOleum metallic spray paint we used for this project. We can't stress enough how important it is to stick with the same brand of paint. Whichever brand that may be for you, go with that for all your color choices.

A perfect example on how reflective these paints are,is demonstrated perfectly in the first image of this post below the title, where the reflection of the glass candle holder is seen clearly on the painted surface of the clay pot.

In the above images you can see how the different tones of the metallic paints of steel(as the main background color,rose pink and pearl mist (as undertoned hues) gave the final outcome of the pot and shells a subtle and distinct gorgeous sparkling effect.

Important: Because the clay material used to make these pots or planters is of an organic matter, it can be very porous, therefore you do not want to skip the base coat layer of paint prior to applying your metallic colors.

a.We also applied some steel metallic layer of spray paint to the oyster shell ball which we nestled into the clay planter.

(More on these shell cluster balls in a future post.)

b.A couple large reflective tri colored glass beads were placed between the oyster shells giving it the "Gem pearl in a shell" look if you will.

Here we used another clay pot painted in metallic chrome. Added some hints of metallic coral blue which ties into the shell cluster we used to anchor this great centerpiece to the dining area.

Just another view of the centerpiece with the chandelier lights on. The glow and shimmer of the lights and crystals onto the centerpieces metallic colors truly stikes a conversation during meal times.

Another close up view taken at day time. The metallic chrome color really gives it a mirror like effect and helps prevent the centerpiece from feeling too heavy in the space.

In the above image we painted another clay pot and oyster shell clustered ball with a metallic chrome spray paint as our main background color, and added some metallic hints of pearl mist and Sea Mist blue hues used as undertones, gives this planter and oyster shells cluster a reflective mirrored like look which we loved for this outdoor theme.

Another look at the outcome of this project which sits on a chrome oriental cylinder side table that anchors the seating area of this outdoor space.

Conclusion: Rethink, Repurpose,Reuse. There are always ways to use simple items around your home to add a fresh new look to any space. When it comes to Decor, you don't always have to run to the nearest brick and mortar store for that next new item.

Choose a theme that goes with your interiors scheme and don't be afraid to mix it up a little. Who knows,with some ingenuity you may even come up with your "very own" next conversational piece of decor item.

Please take a further look into more of our D.I.Y projects and LIKE US when visiting our YouTube channel.

Organic Home Remedies for Seasonal Allergies

noreply@blogger.com (JoFer Interiors_SMP) — Tue, 16 Jan 2018 16:46:00 +0000

Note: As mentioned before on previous post in our " All Things Home Page" we from time to time take a well deserved break from the interior/exterior home decor world and partake in other things that make a house a home. Hence keeping Spaces Made Perfect fresh and informative.
The seasonal changes are here and we all know what that entails! When most creatures in nature are asleep and taking a break from procreating per say, the viruses and bacteria seem to thrive creating havoc on many of us.

Conversely, we all know that a strong immune system is the number one defense against these seasonal allergies attack. Nevertheless when the body lets one of these intruders in, it at times need some extra help from outside sources to eradicate the problem and keep them at bay.

In this short post we will demonstrate how to make an Organic Home Remedy concoction for Seasonal Allergies, Colds and Flu symptoms.
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The Story behind this Remedy: What encouraged us to share this recipe, was how well it worked and has continued to work for ourselves and our loved ones. It all began when my spouse woke up one morning with swollen tonsils, painful swallowing and some horrible looking white spots all over the sides of her mouth. Our first impression dwelled on the thought of the dreaded "strep throat" Aka: streptococcus. Any of our kids had been previously sick at the time and considering this affects mainly children and teens, we were even more puzzled.

The wife recalled an old recipe that was given to her by an acquaintance at her hair salon a couple days prior to feeling ill. This remedy was given to the mentioned acquaintance by her latin american grandmother of whom lived on the countryside hills. We decided to put this concoction to the test and to our blessed surprise, after just one night of ingesting a hot cup of this tea she woke up with absolutely NO white spots on her tonsils and her ability to swallow without much pain was improved by about 40%. There you have it, a good enough reason for us to want to share this with our social media world.
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Below are some of the ingredients and tools recommended to make this process quick and effortless:

Note: Just like any and or most conventional forms of medicine(s) on the market, you may need to take this home made remedy for a couple days to ensure that the symptoms caused by the virus or bacteria is completely done away with.

You want to go with Organic ingredients, because you will want use the skin of these ingredients in this recipe which will give the tea a greater punch, stockiness and added benefits.

1. (1) Organic Onion
2. (1) Organic Garlic
3. (1) Organic green apple
4. (2) Oz. of Organic Ginger root
5. (1) Organic Lemon
6. (2 tsp.) Cinnamon Powder
6. (1) tsp. of sea salt: optional (salt act as an electrolyte making you feel hydrated)
7. Local raw honey if you have a sweet tooth (optional: for added sweetness)
8. Chopping block, teapot or kettle
9. 16oz. of filtered water

(THESE INGREDIENTS SHOULD YIELD ABOUT 10oz. OF TEA.)

Remember: Because the skin of the organic ingredients will not have the pesticide residue as many conventional products we will use them (wash thoroughly, but keep skin) !

Now that we have all the ingredients on hand, why don't we watch this short video below on how it was all put together.

Note: One detail we missed in the video, is that once the steeping process is done, you may want to remove all the stock from the liquid prior to storing your tea. This will reduce the bitterness of the final product.

We also recommend that you consume the end product within 3 days as means of preserving the integrity and effectiveness.

~Our Hopes is that you feel Better~
~ENJOY~

This Video includes Subtitles/Closed Captions (CC) if you are not able to see them, please enabled them in your browser under the video settings option.

Publishers Note: For educational purposes only. We do not make any medical claims with regards to this post. Always consult your health care professional prior to using alternative forms of treatment(s) as your condition may require immediate medical attention. This information has not been evaluated by the food and drug administration.

Please take a further look into more of our D.I.Y projects and LIKE US when visiting our YouTube channel.

Hardwood Flooring and Alternatives that could Save you Money

noreply@blogger.com (JoFer Interiors_SMP) — Wed, 20 Dec 2017 18:15:00 +0000

Do you love the natural look and the visual warmth of wood flooring ? Let's view some alternatives before making that next big purchase !

Those of us familiar with hardwood, know how this natural flooring concept can truly add a whole other dimension and texture to your flooring. The truth is, when it comes to design and decor ideas, what was once considered old and antiquated is now emerging once again as the trend in " Home Design ".

With that been said, if you are looking into renovating your flooring and you currently have well kept carpeting in the home that you may have inherited from your parents and or grandparents per say ! you may first want to take a good look at what may be hiding beneath.

Many homeowners of whom have made decisions to renovate and or remodel their homes, have found pleasant hidden surprises of hardwood flooring lying beneath their dingy old carpets. Now that you have unveiled this current home trend treasure, you will have to look into refinishing and bringing it back to life. Nevertheless this is a topic for another post at another time.

In this short post we will simply show you some of the hardwood flooring alternatives that could save you money and what you may expect to find when you visit your nearest local home improvement store.

Note: When considering these alternatives and moisture and or water damage is a concern, you need to pay close attention to the overall structure and built of these options. Knowing this will be of great aid in making the best informed decision, hence saving you money in the long run.

Below we will now introduce to you some styles that are commonly found:

Above are some examples of some laminate options.Laminate is very durable and is a very affordable option to real wood. The pieces are digitally recreated to imitate the real wood grain images, therefore delivering a great alternative.

The Anatomy of the Flooring

Laminate options are more realistic and durable today as to when they first were introduced to the market.
The top layer of each slab is coated with resin and aluminum oxide, both of which when cured properly deliver are very durable,strong and scratch resistant surface.

Laminate films are usually attached to a backboard, mainly particle board of 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.

Keep in Mind

Laminates are engineered materials used to cover the particle board backing.
Particle boards may well indeed be very strong in structure when uncompromised, nevertheless extreme moisture may cause the board to swell and lose its integrity.

Above are options for your good old hardwood flooring.Hardwood flooring are more aesthetically natural and or more organically appealing to the eye. As you can see here, the 1/2 inch planks are more fibrous than that of the former laminates mentioned prior. Think of a sheet of Plywood that you'll normally find at the home improvement store.

These sheets are roughly 1/16 of an inch in thickness and are glued to each other creating the desired overall width of the planks.

Two types of Hardwood seen today

Natural hardwood of distinct varieties have long been used and come from traditional solid species of trees such as oak,cherry,maple,walnut among other.

Most of the hardwood you see in today's markets are Engineered Hardwood.These type of options allow for more versatility, innovative colors and surface texture. Keeping this is mind, such process allow the consumer to worry less about moisture and severe temperature fluctuations in your space.

Keep in Mind

If you are placing your flooring in an area of possible moisture, dampness, or prone to these possibilities, you may want to steer clear and consider the alternative.

Above are some vinyl flooring options. Vinyl plank is a synthetic cousin of linoleum and is a great viable option if you are looking for a product that would resist moisture areas, not to mention cost effective.

Luxury vinyl floors are durable and scratch resistant, installs easily and requires little maintenance.

Because of its synthetic engineered materials, vinyl is versatile comes very close to having the feel and subtle texture of real hardwood flooring.

Keep in Mind

Great alternative for below-grade installations - basements, where dampness is usually common. Also a great for areas where over radiant heating systems which tend to dry out real wood, causing the boards to

Above is another great viable option in ceramic wood look hardwood tiles. This closeup look, give you an idea of how well engineered these tiles are, demonstrating the wood grains and even the rings you will normally find in the natural wood.

Not all wood-like tiles are equal

Graphical Repeat

Each wood-look tile has a picture printed on its surface. Hence, most tiles only carry a few printed variants which means after every fews tiles you will end up with a repeat of the previous pattern.

This lack of variation will tend to diminish the natural and or organic look and feel of real wood knots,grains or rings in more detail.

However, when considering this option and you truly are looking for an impacting organic effect, consider a high end option of the wood look tiles. A high end option will give you upwards of 100 variants in screens-faces and pictures,hence giving you a more effortless natural look and feel to the real thing.

Wood-Look tiles-Ceramic Vs. Porcelain

If you are choosing to go with tiles, get acquainted with the variations in quality.To make a long story short as they say, porcelain wood-look tiles are quickly becoming the norm and most popular option out there.

Tipping Points

High level porcelain tiles have much higher breakage point, this makes it very desirable.

when dropping something on porcelain, it's not the porcelain you will need to worry about!

Porcelain is denser and much more impervious, which makes it better for high traffic areas and more resistant to fluid passing through it. This is sure to save you money in the long run, in the case there was to be one of those misfortunes in life with a water heater malfunction and or any water infiltration of some sort.

Price per square foot is also quite less than that of your natural hardwood. This point alone is one of my personal favorites !

Keep in Mind

Please beware of companies that advertise tiles as porcelain when in actuality it is simply a white body ceramic. This is an unethical practice, but it happens quite often.

Note: One of the important things to know is that all porcelain is ceramic but not all ceramic is porcelain. Conversely, porcelain is ceramic with a low water absorption rate due to a much denser body.

If this statement just opened up a whole new can of worms per say !

We have placed a great article by BuildDirect [source:non-sponsored]that should give you a better insight on how are porcelain and ceramic tiles made

Below we have placed a short video of our trip to the local home improvements store for a little up close and personal look at these wood-look tiles. Hope this will give you some insight as to what to expect when making the best choice for "YOUR" Space Made Perfect...

How To: Ideas for Seasonal Garlands

noreply@blogger.com (JoFer Interiors_SMP) — Wed, 29 Nov 2017 19:32:00 +0000

The cool breeze is in the air and despite the seasonal cold and flu
symptoms that come along with the seasonal changes, nature also begins to unfold its fall and winter beauty.
Lets face it, whether you celebrate the holidays or not, if you are a fan of home decor, you can't ignore that with the changes in seasons a change in your home decor concept is also a well merited visual treat.
In this tutorial we will show you a great idea on how to create a seasonal garland out of thrifty items you may already have stored in your basement or attic.

Some of the materials we will use for this project are:

1. Small Pliers

2. Nylon thread

3. Spool of rope (thin gauge)

4. Ornament hooks

5. Pine Cones

6. Spray paint (your colors of choice) glossy and flat.

7. Crystals, glitter ( These can be omitted if you choose)

Here you see a garland that was purchased years ago at an arts and craft store. We became a bit weary of the look after the years and decided to do away with it by using it for parts in what will become a seasonal garland fit for a winter interior decor in the sun filled Sunshine State.

The foliage and the cones were pruned from the original vine by using a small needle nose plier tool.

In the above photos we used the needle nose pliers to bend the wires at the end of the pine needles foliage and cones into hooks.

a) In this image you can see how we used the nylon thread and grouped three oyster shells forming small clusters.

Note: Holes were drilled into the shells by means of a rotary tool. To see this please visit our How to re-purpose a Chandelier post.

b) Each cluster was then linked together about 3-4 inches apart by using a thin gauge spool of rope. ( We will show you how this came together as we move along.)

The oyster shells were then given some luster by painting them with some gloss white and pearl mist spray paint from Rust-Oleum.

Considering that this is a winter decor idea, the shimmer of the Gloss paint will add to the glitter and glam of the finished product.

Here is a look at the oyster shell clusters coming together as a garland. This strand is about 4 feet in length. You may still see some hints of the details that still shows that these are indeed natural shells.

Oyster shells linked by a 4feet strand of thin gauge rope is left pending from a hook allowing it to air dry outdoors.

Once dried the garland was then placed onto the mantle of a contemporary wall fireplace.

In the above images you can see how ornament hooks were used to thread the holes of the crystals that we will use to embellish our oyster shell garland.

Note: (crystals already come with the holes pre drilled). HURRAY!

a) The Pine Cones used in this project were clipped from its original vine leaving enough of its original wiring.

b) Wire was bent with the needle nose pliers creating a hook.

c) Ornament hooks were then attached to a few pine cones that needed a lengthier reach.

A close look at the pine cones, crystal tear drop ornaments and oyster shells in perfect harmony.

In the above images we left the pine cones in their natural form (natural color). The crystal charms were hung from the pine cones creating a delightful raindrop or frozen ice drop effect, if you will.

As seen in the photos below, we added some greenery using the remnant of the pine needle foliage.

Some left over-oversized oyster shells were also attached to the garland in a hanging fashion, as means of adding more impactful visual interest.

Another close up look at the embellishments used to create the jewel filled glam look of this seasonal garland.

We decided to experiment a bit with the cones and the pine needles and therefore decided to paint a few sections in flat white and Iced grey spray paint.

Added a few 3 inch crystal teardrops to sit side by side of the hanging shells.

As you can see, the outcome was truly a treat. A winter wonderland effect. Won't you say !

The tones were subtle and blended in very well with the rest of the interior decor.

Another image with the interior lighting dimmed and a pair of tealight candles flanked on each side of the fireback .

Here is the reason we added this additional Photo: You may have also noticed the blue hue coming from the cans of (alcohol gel fuel) on each side the white fireball which is centered in the fireplace.

A Short Video on the finished project !

Publisher(s) Note: This non-sponsored video is exclusively for the

enjoyment of the viewers of this page.

Ornamental Hooks, Spool of rope, Nylon thread: www.walmart.com

Pine needles and comes: www.Michaels.com

Oversized Oyster Shells: www.homegoods.com

Crystal Tear Drops: www.CrystalPrismWorld.com

FireBalls www.Moderustic.com

You may also view how this Contemporary Floating Fireplace was put together by viewing our previous post here.

~ ENJOY~ !

Please take a further look into more of our D.I.Y projects and LIKE US when visiting our YouTube channel.

How To Create a Brick Wall look in any Space

noreply@blogger.com (JoFer Interiors_SMP) — Fri, 27 Oct 2017 17:53:00 +0000

When visiting an old city or country, whether it be North, South, Central America or on the other side of the world, have you ever encountered an old brick building that was just mesmerizing !

If absolutely love this look and wondered how you can possibly achieve the Brick Wall look in your interior space, we believe this post will provide some enlightenment.

Here are some tools and supplies you will need to fulfill this task:

1. A large Vehicle (you will see why in a while).

2. Tape measure

3. Paint (white & grey)
Note: If you have black, you may omit the grey as you can mix the black and the white.

4. Gesso

5. Sponge

6. Paint brush

7. Elbow grease(Applicable for all D.I.Y projects) ;0)

Above you will see an MDF panel with brick like imprints we could ONLY find localy at Lowe's hardware store.
We tried looking for these in other home improvement stores with no such luck. As you may notice above,these are very inexpensive at $11 a sheet.

Note: Remember we mentioned needing a large vehicle as one of the tools required for this project. These are large sheets that will need to be transported therefore you will require the space to do so.

Here's another look at this panel laying flat in an angled photo. You may be able to notice the elevated (raised) look of the imprints. Later we will look at some up close views.

Once these panels arrive to their destination you will obviously need to measure the area of interest prior to cutting these bad boys to size.
Note: The home department store is usually very helpful in cutting these for the customer as long as it doesn't exceed a specified number of cuts.

Seeing this great product in a photo does very little justice to how amazing it actually is. The texture and imagery is very realistic.

Above is this Gesso product we mentioned earlier. In the photos below, the Gesso was applied to give the brick MDF panels a sort of whitewash look with some interesting added texture.

In this image we wanted you to appreciate how the panel was painted with the desired colors of white,grey and some charcoal.

The paint was applied with a paint brush, then smeared with a sponge along the desired areas as means of removing the brush strokes.

Note: The charcoal hues you see here was used to simply add a few hints of contrast in several areas of the panels. You may take note of the warmest, most calm colors used on your walls and go with that as means of adding these inconspicuous hues to your brick panels.

The pasty looking white areas, is the Gesso paste we used to provide some additional weathered texture real brick structures usually tend to have.

A close up look at the panel imprints. You may notice the dings, dents and imperfections that a real brick wall will also tend to have.

Note: You may choose to simply leave these panels as is, if you truly enjoy the look of orange-red bricks. In this tutorial we were going more for the weathered look.

The Outcome
After creating the look that we were going for, the walls chosen for this project were ready to be embellished with some seasonal decor. See images below.

Hallway

Above is a wall nestled between two doors in the small hallway area. Adding a see through picture frame ads depth without hiding too much of the wall behind, while the over-sized nickle plated stopwatch clock and beautiful clay flower wall art sets the stage for great focal point.

Seating Area

A photo of a wicker chair nestled in a corner and the faux brick wall panel completely redone behind it.

Added a vintage midsize mirror and some other nick knacks as you will see below.
An added mirror will expand the space visually by reflecting light and the interior and or outdoor areas whiten the home that may sit across from it.

Added a small, mirrored, nickle platted side table from India between the chairs. Perfect for laying your favorite drink while enjoying a book or a friendly conversation.

A old vintage photo shot. We thought this particular shot sort of reflected the different tones and hues of colors used on the brick panel in a mysterious way if you will.

Conclusion: When trying to Create a Brick Wall Look, you don't have to brake the bank or your back for that matter placing bricks in a desired interior area of your home. With a little ingenuity and here we go again, "a little Elbow Grease" anyone can turn a great product like these MDF brick panels into a project that makes "YOUR" Space Made Perfect.

Please take a further look into more of our D.I.Y projects and LIKE US when visiting our YouTube channel.

How To: Store Your Wine Collection in a Small Space at Home

noreply@blogger.com (JoFer Interiors_SMP) — Tue, 03 Oct 2017 16:10:00 +0000

Many of us that are not wine enthusiast per say, still enjoy the idea of a good glass of wine from time to time.
If you are anywhere like us and enjoy traveling, you may encounter a good bottle of wine in your traveling ventures of which you may want to collect for that special family event.

Conversely, many do not have the ability or the space for that matter to store their collected wine gems. With this idea in mind many may be tempted with the idea of displaying there collection in a glass enclosure for the world to see and admire. Nevertheless many wine experts will say, this is not a good idea.

Conventional wisdom also teaches us that wines should be stored at an ideal humidity of 70 percent. In theory dry air will tend to dry the corks of wine bottles, which may cause air to filter into the wine compromising its quality.

You may have already seen or heard of Thermo electric wine coolers or cellars. Now,unless you live in the desert area or in extreme arctic conditions, the possibility of humidity compromising the condition of the corks may be close to none.
Also keep in mind that most wines are best enjoyed within a couple years (2 to 5 yrs) of their release.

Note: With that being said, If money is not an object and you are looking to buy wines to MATURE over time, you should consider investing in some professional grade storage. (A total different animal.)

Some Basic simplicity for storing wine effectively are:
1. Cool is the way to go

What ever you do keep it cool. Heat is a public enemy number one for wine. No matter what you heir about temperatures of wine storing, always remember this is not an exact science. People are different, palates are different and no wine is particularly created equal. Nevertheless, don't fret too much about a couple degrees higher or lower in temperature.

2. Common Sense

when it comes to storing wine, some common sense goes a long way. Your refrigerators normal temperature is 45 degrees on lower in order to prevent foods from going bad. So this option is not necessary because you are not wanting to prevent your wine from going bad per say (at least not in regards to spoilage).

Your attics temperature fluctuates way too drastically from season to season, hence storing wines in attics are a complete no,no.

3. Flip off the switch

Potential problems can arise due to light,especially sunlight (direct or indirect). The sun's UV rays can degrade and prematurely age wine. The light emitted from indoor lighting may not necessarily damage the integrity of the wine. Nevertheless fluorescent bulbs which do emit minimal amounts of ultraviolet light should be avoided and or kept to a bare minimum.

4. Are you seeing things sideways?

Traditionally, wine bottles have been stored on their side as means of keeping their corks from drying up (in theory that is). Conversely, if your bottles have alternative closures such as(caps, plastic corks or screw caps), this is by no means necessary.

5. Again, Where should my wine be kept?

If your living conditions are not necessarily blessed by having a cool,basement that can be used as a cellar, you can indeed improvise by using racks. Please avoid areas like the kitchen, laundry room, sun room, etc. Have you got the drift !
These areas will filter in too much constant light and or sunlight, hence compromising your prized sweet tasting pleasures over time.

If you like your wine cool'not chilled'. Then you may consider investing in a wine cooler following the same guidelines. Maybe there is a small closet space you could partition for storing wine? As long as the space is deprived from constant light or any sunlight, not too damp or dry and not too warm, it should work just fine.

If this is not the case, then a standalone cooling unit may be your best bet if you are indeed the wine aficionado.


Note: In this short post for whom I would like to say, the common non-wine experts out there like ourselves,we will focus more on the budget friendly and chic way of storing your wine collection in a small space of your home. Especially, if you have just a couple precious bottles you have collected on your most venturous travels.

Publishers note: (Steps on how this gorgeous furniture you'll see below was upholstered and put together will be posted in the near future...)

Above you can admire how this gorgeous (if I may say so myself) piece of re-purposed chesser drawer furniture was transformed into a Chic Wine Storage, perfect for a small space.

We used the top drawer to store most of the wine glasses. If you place heavy wine bottles in a top drawer, it may cause the furniture to topple over if it's the only shelf that's fully opened.

If you decide to place wine bottles on the top drawer, best practice is to keep it to a minimum (as we will show below),to avoid the topple over issue.

In the second and third drawers we began to carefully lay the bottles according to our own desire (Year, Countries visited, etc.).

How the bottles are laid into the drawers are also a matter of choice. If your drawers are deep enough, you may choose a more vertical layout as opposed to the slanted view you see here.

No need to break the bank. We went for this inexpensive 12 X 12 nonporous white marble tile, and used it as a cutting board that perfectly blends in with the white upholstered color of the unit.

Resting on this Re-purposed drawer we simply placed some useful embellishments(white marble 12 X 12 cutting board,wine bottle opener,fine cutlery and an ornamental gold sphere)which sets the tone for the evening.
These choices shall make this small, thrifty and chic wine storage unit a perfect " serve yourself " nook for the next gathering event.

Food for thought !

When you think of wine and where to store it, Think fruit!
In other words, since wine obviously comes from the sweet grape vine, and if you have had the privilege of tasting grapes in their different environments, you will notice that the taste varies depending on where it is grown, at what temperature it has been kept and how long it has been sitting on your counter or fridge.

If you haven't, give this little tasting experiment a test.

The Vine
The fruit while its on the vine it's shaded by its wide deep green foliage. This protects it from the harsh sunlight UV rays. This is where the juicy taste of "new wine" per say, is the sweetest.

The Storefront
When the fruit arrives at the store shelves, depending on its origin, it has already lost some of its moisture, therefore affecting its original flavor somewhat. Nevertheless it still tends to remain fairly tasty.

The Counter top or Fridge
when you bring these bunches of delicious sweetness home you may choose to leave them on the counter or store in fridge. Leaving them on the counter in a hot humid environment will compromise its texture and taste more rapidly than refrigerating them.

If you are eating them rather quickly, leaving them out of the fridge will be the tastier choice.

Ups,I think these are going bad !
If left too long the grapes will become wrinkled and almost juice less. If you tried an old grape you may have left on the bunch for too long, you will notice an almost fermented raisin like flavor to it. The taste is no longer that of a grape. Hence if dried properly it may now become sweeter than its original fruit form.

In this same manner, all wines are created differently by means of selection, process, and STORING.

Conclusion: When you think wine storage, always keep in mind how the environment affects the fruit itself,this in turn will help you decide what's be best ambiance for your precious savory liquid goodness.

Please take a further look into more of our D.I.Y projects and LIKE US when visiting our YouTube channel.

How To: Refinish Wicker Outdoor Furniture

noreply@blogger.com (JoFer Interiors_SMP) — Tue, 05 Sep 2017 18:28:00 +0000

Wicker furniture have been around for centuries and the styles of furniture built with this material has evolved into very sophisticated shapes.
Wicker comes in various types of fibers that can be either natural like (Rattan/Rotan Palm, Bamboo) or Synthetic Resin (which is mainly a man made material like plastic).
The natural form (Rattan Palm) is mainly found in the forest areas of South Asia, Malaysia and the Philippines, but not complete unknown in North America.

Rattan

These woody stalk will normally climb to a height of 600 plus feet in height and anywhere from 2 to 4 inches in diameter with a solid inner core called a reed. Somewhat resembling that of hard wood.

The 2 inch inner reed of these poles are normally used for constructing the framework of the rattan furniture while the outer skin where the flat reed comes from is used for weaving together the intricate parts of furniture, baskets, and planters if you will.

There are other materials currently used when building these gorgeous and timeless outdoor furniture pieces. For instance, Cane stalk is normally used today as a weaving material to wrap the joints of wicker resin or bamboo furniture and also for weaving the backing and seating parts of these furniture.

Some benefits of the Rattan (Rotan) are:
a) Light and sturdy material which makes it suitable to be moved around effortlessly.

b) Rattan furniture that also incorporate the use of the palm reed (inner part of the Rotan stalk) which is woody in nature, is very pours and malleable therefore accepts various finishes of paint, varnish or lacquer extremely well.

c) This type of material does well outdoors (with certain limitations) and even better indoors.

Some disadvantages of the Rattan material:
Rattan due to its woody nature will have the tendency to fade and loose its stability when exposed to constant strenuous changes in outdoor climate.

Cane

The skin of the cane stalk is mainly used when making outdoor furniture backing and or seating. The core of the cane stalk is mainly moisture filled and therefore enjoyed for its organic tasty sugars and as a tasty sugar filled drink.

If you look closely at the Rattan and Cane stalk, they have similar yellowish tones. The Rattan stalk however will display a series of spikes along its ridges while the Cane will display a more ridged darker toned (with no spikes).

Note: Because of the canes natural glossy skin, it does not accept stains, lacquer or paint very well. Therefore make sure that you are completely pleased with the purchase of this type of furniture which incorporates cane backing or seating weave into their finished product.

Here is a tip ! In laymen terms, when you heir the word wicker, this is a clue that the furniture may be built using materials that are distinct in nature (synthetic and or natural). Rattan furniture is typically EXCLUSIVE in nature and will only be built using this robust,versatile and beautiful Rotan woody stalk . Rattan is not Wicker and hence Wicker is not Rattan.

Bamboo

Bamboo is a natural material and tends to resemble rattan therefore when shopping for outdoor furniture many uninformed shoppers will easily mistake the two. Bamboo may also have a glossy outer skin but one major distinction is its hollow inner core.

The ridges of the bamboo stalk is also much more pronounced than that of the rattan. Because bamboo is much less dense, it's not used as framework for furniture, as it is used mainly for weaving and or strengthening the joint area of wicker furniture.

Furniture built with bamboo material also tends to do well in the outdoors as long as it is kept away from the constant direct sunlight and rain.

Resin (Synthetic or Natural)

About 99% of the manufactured Wicker furniture on the market these days are made of the synthetic version of this material.

Resin or (Synthetic Wicker Fiber) to be specific is one of the most resistant materials used to build outdoor furniture.

Some Advantages of resin furniture are its ability to take on the wrath of nature by being fade resistant and highly durable.
resin wicker furniture is also very easy to clean and is constructed mainly of aluminum frame making it extremely light weight.

If a quality purchase is made, this can last for decades as it is resistant to fade and cracking.

Resin furniture can also be refinished by painting it in your favorite shade of color by using a high quality spray paint. This is one advantage I am actually grateful for, as I would show you our Refinished Wicker Outdoor Furniture we decided to use for the indoors.

Above is an example of a wicker furniture built with different materials such as Bamboo (curved back frame) Resin (laced backing and under seating) with some aluminum framing (bottom of the seating) and hardwood legs. Because of the fabric cushion and hardwood legs, this type of combined material wicker furniture will be mainly for indoor use or in an enclosed patio or sun room.

Note: When purchasing resin wicker furniture be sure to purchase one of quality High Density Polyethylene or (HDPE). Many wicker furniture sold to the public, if not by a reputable retailer may be of very poor quality PVC plastic.

Above are the two different shades of black by Rust-Oleum ( flat black primer and Metallic Flat Soft Iron) we used to refinish these chairs.
The flat black primer was used as the main base coat as means of making sure the wicker resin was covered completely. The Metallic Soft Iron was used to give the chair a smoother more glamorous look.
Even though the Soft Iron is also flat, the Metallic aspect of it will still give a slight overall sheen without the mirror effect.

A little close up view of the refinished project.

Above you can see the outcome and new look of this completed
project.

Note: Some areas of the chair was left with the flat primer as means of giving it a two tone look reflecting both shades. We felt this was the best color shade(s) to use based on the room these would be utilized, where the walls are charcoal grey.

Please take a further look into more of our D.I.Y projects and LIKE US when visiting our YouTube channel.

How To: Solutions for Cleaning & Deodorizing your AC Vents and Ducts

noreply@blogger.com (JoFer Interiors_SMP) — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 18:11:00 +0000

By: JoFer Interiors_SMP

DON'T HIRE ANOTHER AIR DUCT SERVICE MEN UNTIL YOU GET THE FACTS & POSSIBLY TRY THIS!

Ok, so the seasons are changing and you are planning to clean your vents & ducts. But just where do you start?

You do your due diligence by searching the web and find numerous companies claiming they will sanitize and disinfect your ductwork for a so called " fraction of the cost".

Now, pay close attention to the words 'sanitize' and or 'disinfect'. By definition these words require extreme high kill rates and there's no way one can guarantee 100 percent saturation rate.

Conversely, if the cleaning company is willing to perform a 'before' and 'after' relative test of the amount of pollutants and or saturation rate in the vent air duct systems, then by all means we could give them the benefit of the doubt. Wouldn't you say so !

In this tutorial we will simply stick to Solutions for Cleaning & Odorizing/Deodorizing your AC Vents and Ducts. NOT to be confused with ~~sanitizing~~ or ~~disinfecting~~.

With that been said, we must assure you that one of the best ways to ensure, or at least maximize the quality of the air in your home is to clean your air vents and air duct system.

The air vents and ducts in your home collects millions of dust, hair, dirt, pollen particles and other allergens.

Note: Another tangible benefit of performing a vent and or air duct cleaning, is one you will see on a month to month basis. We are talking about the savings $$ it will bring on heating and air conditioning bills.

Keeping cool, and debris free air flowing into your home is our task at hand for this apartment dweller.

Note: ( We have also placed a short shared video by: "This Old House" to the right of this post.) Video may not be visible from certain hand-held devices.

Below are some of the simple items you will need to perform the task:

a) Web Vent Filter pack $2.99

b) Air vent register $8.00(Only if replacing old one).

c) Air freshener of choice ( 'NO' Plug-ins or spray bottles please)

d) Air duct odor neutralizer ( optional )

e) Dust mask & goggles (price depends on quality).

f) Commercial grade Vacuum ( could be rented from hardware store).

Here is a 12 pack of 4" X 12" Vent Filters purchased at a local hardware store. These are inexpensive an rather efficient. As you can probably already see on the packaging, these can filter out Dust, Dirt, Smoke and Pollen particles by means of Electrostatic Filtration.

This is the back side of the filter packaging with brief installation instructions on placement.

This is what these filters look like out of the bag. Same texture on both sides.

A 12" X 6" ceiling and or wall vent register with directional air control knob that will allow you to point the flow of air or close completely. Even though this is not considered or sold as air tight vents, it will restrict about 99% of flow.

Note: These registers come in numerous sizes and shapes. Simply take a look around your home ( walls, floors, ceilings ).

A view of the vent register from the back.

Here is an example of an oil used to create the concoction that we will then use to saturate the web filters. These essential oils obviously come in various scents. for this particular tutorial, we went with peppermint for the bathroom vents.

Some of the items you will need are:

a) small spritzer bottle

b) a carrier oil. In this case we used plain odorless baby oil.

c) essential (scented) oil.

Note: Since this is a project for the AC vents, you may not want to use coconut oil. Coconut oil tends to solidify at low temperatures.

Proceed by filling the spritzer bottle with the desired amount of carrier oil and a few drops of the scented oil and shake.

Take a sniff at the concoction and determine if scent is pleasing enough to your liking.

Then spray the web vent filters generously and let them sit in a sealed zip lock bag for at least 3 days prior to placing them into the vent register.

You may also chose to only use the web filters and omit the scented oil completely. The choice is yours.

A view of the web filter being installed from behind the vent register. For this step you will have to use two 4" X 12" filters for the standard vent register size. You will be left with a 2 inch gap on one side of the register.

To resolve this issue, simply cut a third filter to size in order to fill this gap space.

Another close up view of filters fed almost all the way through the register.

A look into the creepy crawly vents.

Note: (WARNING) Please make sure that prior to removing the old registers form your vents, remember to turn he AC dial to the OFF position.

Wet & Dry Vac that can be purchased or rented from many local hardware and home improvement stores.

The wet and dry vacuums will be equipped with a generous variety of extension nozzles hoses and brushes.

Note: VERY IMPORTANT ! When vacuuming the ducts, do not use harsh strokes on the walls, ceilings, or floors. Some ducts of older homes may be lined with fiberglass insulation liner. If this fiberglass if compromised, it may cause this debris to be blown into your living area. If not sure on how this looks like, view here for some images on fiberglass duct lining.

(These may be foil wrapped with a yellow or bluish/grey glass fibers.)

If you notice signs of deterioration in your duct,('ONLY' applicable to fiberglass linings) or have concerns about possible issues with your air duct liner (NOW is the time to contact your landlord and or an air duct professional).

There are other great alternatives to ensure the continuous scent of pleasant smelling air into your home. You can achieve this by using products such as the one above (Glade solid gels). We placed this glades deodorizer inside the duct.

This is a perfect alternative considering that you can regulate how much scent you want these to release by simply exposing a small portion of it. (If you have never used these before, simply twist the cap clockwise and lift until the chosen amount of gel is exposed)

What if I just want an odorless system ?

If you are not a fan of odors and potpourris, then you may also have the option of using Air Duct products that neutralize harsh scents that may be stubbornly stuck to your duct system. Products like the DIVERSITECH Duct-Fresh Gel claim to be nontoxic with no dyes and meets residential and commercial ductwork specifications.

Cleaning Air Ducts and Vents followed by using Quality AC HVAC Filters. A Must !

Filter (a) Standard / MERV- FPR 4

Filter (b) MERV- FPR 7

Filter (c) Best / MERV-FPR 10

These are a few of the filters you may see sold in your local home improvement stores. Note the texture and the different shapes of the web on these filters. Many times the feel alone will be a tale, tale sign on the quality of these filters.

The ratings of these filters are usually stated as MERV or FPR and will range from Fair/Standard, Good and Best.

Lets take a closer look at these:

when considering air conditioning filters for your home, keep in mind they are classified by categories through the MERV rating and or some type of numerical standard like . This will all depend on the brand furnished by your vendor.

Filters belonging to the MERV/ FPR 4-5 rating trap larger particles (Dust / Pollen) and have a standard efficiency.

A MERV / FPR 7-8 filter is useful for pet owners and will also filter some bacteria and mold spores. MERV/ FPR 9-10 and above ratings are reserved for those filters with households whom member(s) may suffer from chronic respiratory illnesses.

Filter (a) Fair: This type of filter is one you would mostly find if you are a renter. Your leasing office may have these changed in your unit on a set day each month.

This filter does very poorly with regards to smaller airborne particles such as pollen, smoke, fungal spores, etc.

Filter (b) Good to Best: This type of filter is the norm in many cases. It's fairly rigid and does a good job with small (Pollen) to large (Dust) air borne particle. But Not as good for Fungal Spores and other smaller particles.

Filter (c) Better to Recomended: Prior to taking much more interest in the air we breathed in our home. I did not pay much attention to types of filters.

My overall understanding was, well, a filter is just a filter Right.. WRONG !

These bad boys are the cream of the crop. These ( MERV 9-10 or FPR 9-10) filters would go as far as trapping very small particles such as Smoke, Mold, Bacterium, Viruses and even Pet odor.

Just ponder for a while on how small an odor particle must be !

The overall cleanliness of the AC unit closet area is also crucial to the performance and resulting quality of the air indoors.

It is an astonishing surprising fact that many home owners or even renters completely miss this area of their dwelling place when performing their home maintenance duties.

Conclusion: As you shop around for services consider the task at hand and whether what you are being offered is indeed what you will get. Be educated and informed in your decision.

Cleaning your duct-work 'alone' is not going to create the maximal impact.

A professional knows that an annual maintenance on your 'entire' system including the air handler is also crucial to your systems overall well-being. Conversely if you have the time and enough " elbow grease " as they say, then this is also a practical money saving D.I.Y task.

In other Words: An Efficient AC Unit + Quality Filters and a little air duct/vent "elbow grease" = Cleaner Air Ducts&Vents / Better smelling quality air & a cleaner Home.

Please share you thoughts on this post. And if you have other useful hints on keeping "YOUR" breathable space made perfect, please share.

How to: Solutions for keeping Patio Table Cloth from flying away

noreply@blogger.com (JoFer Interiors_SMP) — Wed, 09 Aug 2017 17:18:00 +0000

What to do about this God forsaking table cloth that just won't stay in place.

As we all know it's summer time and for those of us who love to spend time in the outdoors, this is the perfect season for some festive outdoor gatherings.

As we prepare to fire up the grills and set the patio tables, we arrive at one of our most tooth grinding, frustrating issues.

Here at spaces made perfect we have come up with a thrifty, but yet great solution for keeping your patio table cloth from flying away.

We started with this inexpensive round,flower pattern,laced table linen.

Measure the size of your table and purchase a table cloth that hangs at the least 12 inches or more from the edges of the table.

Note: This will allow for enough surface area in order to complete the steps shown below.

We decided to spray the material with some of this silicon based water repellent spray.

This will actually help to wicker away those unexpected spills and hence minimize the possibility of stains.

Note: These water repellent products come in different brands. To my knowledge, they all do the job.

Here are six 1/4 inch galvanized nuts used to weigh our table cloth down. Obviously, the larger the table linen, the bigger the circumference of the nuts needed.

An up-close image of the nuts held in place by tying a not at each end and in the desired areas of the table cloth.

Please bare in mind, this is a round table cloth, therefore there are no exact even corners per say.

Note: You may always add as many nuts as you deem necessary for your size linen.

You may also choose to add a decorative ornament at the end of each corner that matches the theme of your gathering event or your personal seasonal taste.

For this particular space,we went with a classical summer theme using over-sized sea/oyster shells.

A generous piece of thin aluminum wire was used to cluster the shells together by feeding it through the pre-drilled holes on the shells.

We then painted the shells with some of our favorite metallic spray paints (Satin White & Pearl Mist)shown below.

Note: The weight of the Oyster / Seashells will also help weigh the table cloth in place.

An Up Close view of the table cloth fed into the aluminum wire opening and then tied into a knot to keep in place.

Here you can see a shot of the two items used as weights for this laced, white table cloth we re-purposed for the outdoors.

Just a look at some of the embellishments used to complement the space. Metallic colored large seashell nestled in a decorative glass dish, along with a glass candle stick holder.

An up close and personal look at the shells used that flank and weigh down this table cloth in place.

This space reflects a calm, casual, but yet somewhat of a subtle GLAM look. Sometimes all you need is the subtle clear sparkle of glass and some colorful sheen of metallic paint(s).

Here you can also appreciate this medium sized patio table dressed in this gorgeous white laced linen.

The shells on each side and the large nuts will sure keep it form taking flight.

Note: This was a Sunshine state (FL) idea for this space folks. If it can withstand these gusty North,South and Est winds, then we'll have to say; Job accomplished.

Please take a further look into more of our D.I.Y projects and LIKE US when visiting our YouTube channel.

How To: Use Edison Bulbs as Pendant Lighting

noreply@blogger.com (JoFer Interiors_SMP) — Thu, 03 Aug 2017 15:14:00 +0000

And how these can be easily implemented into any Interior Space.

The pendant lighting starts with this solid metal elephant wall art sculpture that once had a chrome finish. We wanted for it NOT to stand out as much, therefore painted it with colors that had a similar palate to the wall.

Tones of Iced Grey and Satin Metal Grey were used to give this piece its distinct and one of kind look.

Our intentions is to use this piece of wall art to suspend our Edison bulb pendant lighting over this nook area.

This is a larger image of other items that sit below this beautiful wall art. We also added an 8 x 8, 3/8 thick floating glass shelf that will be great for placing other interesting ornaments that can be used to complement the seasons.

Another close up view which includes a lush curled arm iron vintage chair covered in exquisite bluish-grey velvet upholstery.

While the warm feel of a stone colored 2 X 3 faux fur draws your attention to sit and relax for just a while.

This is a pendant lighting fixture that comes with a fabric covered cord. You can get these at most local home improvement store.

The benefits of using these decorative fabric covered pendant lighting fixtures are:

Well; they are decorative. The bulb fixture comes in several different finishes that is sure to complement any decor.

The metal ( silver, nickle,chrome, gold ) finishes of the bulb sockets alone will make your project look expensive and much more classy.

The flexibility of the fabric cords makes it a breeze to twist, wrap around and bend around corners if needs be. All this without destroying the integrity of the cord.

They come with a ON/OFF switch on the fixture itself, therefore preventing the constant need to plug and unplug the lighting.

As if this wasn't enough. Did we mention these are only about $10 (ten dollars) for a 15 foot length cable (Edison bulbs are sold separately for about $3 to $7 dollars depending on size. )

An up close view of the Edison bulb already installed and ready to display its "glow of amber glory".

Note: These bulbs come in many sizes and shapes.

Here you can appreciate how the pendant lighting fabric cord was wrapped around one of the elephants tusk.

Note: Using non-fabric cords is possible, but will make the task of wrapping it around and staying in place very difficult.

By: JoFer Interiors_SMP

Another frontal view. What do you think so far !

Note: If you look above the elephant head you will notice how the rest of the cord was fed into a cable organizer just below the white crown molding. This will help keep the look much more discrete.

Here you see this idea come to fruition ready to give light to the space.

Here is a Bottoms-Up view of our pendant lighting. As you can see the bulb is not lit at the moment.

View of this nook area completely embellished with all the necessary pieces to make for a tranquil morning, evening or night if you will.
The choice of when to take advantage of the created space is completely yours.

Bottoms-Up view of our pendant lighting ON and all other lights in the room OFF.

A birds eye view of this creative idea on how to use an Edison bulb in a pendant lighting fixture.

Conclusion: Despite all the ideas and designing cliches that may be floating around, one thing is for sure. Lighting is key to showcasing any well decorated space. Nevertheless you don't always have to purchase these. With a little imagination you can always turn that old item in your storage into an ingenious work of art.

Please take a further look into more of our D.I.Y projects and LIKE US when visiting our YouTube channel.

How to: Makeover and Decorate Small Patios and Balconies

noreply@blogger.com (JoFer Interiors_SMP) — Thu, 27 Jul 2017 17:21:00 +0000

Effectively decorating your outdoor space will intricately enhance the overall flow of your indoor living area, hence expanding your indoor living real estate to the outdoors.

Adding certain pieces of outdoor items, including furniture that cohesively follow the flow of your indoor decor will seamlessly take the indoors out, while drawing the outdoors in.

Was this a little of a tongue twister, or was it fairly clear !

This is what the Porch/Balcony looked like prior to the complete removal and remodel process.

Note: (We have added a short non-sponsored video to the right of this post for your added benefit. Shared by Home & Gardens.)Video may not be visible from certain hand-held devices.

BEFORE !

Another view taken from the inside of the apartment condo. As you can see, these were of solid concrete and were once very appealing.
Nevertheless this has now grown old, and it's time for a much needed contemporary update.

Ok. Now we are talking. This Porch/Balcony is beginning to take on a much more contemporary and or modern flair.

These Balcony Tempered Hurricane proof Glass and railings are just what this space needed. The blue tinted film you see is simply the protective film that will be removed once all the remodel is done.
The large plywood was simply used for safety and to prevent the children from going towards the balcony until it was all fully completed and secured.

Another Image of the completed balcony rails. This condo unit has a double balcony which makes it longer lengthwise.
A fabulous space for entertaining.

Here is a close up shot of this over sized patio storage bin. This is about an 6 year old bin which has withstood the test of time and continues to do so. The owners wanted to keep it.
Way to Go Guys. (Don't throw it away, restore it !)

The only thing we decided to do here, was to give it a nice overall by painting it.

In this image we wanted to show you how this bin looked prior to the completed project. Old scuffs and stains on the original finish (on the left) and fresh first light coat of paint (on the right).

Up close pic of the rust-Oleum Latex gloss almond paint. This was the closest match we could find to the original color considering we did not want to change the overall finish.

Even if some areas were to be missed, it would also blend in nicely with the factory finish.

Here you can admire a sneak peak on how this space is coming together on one end of the balcony. Some up close photos of the embellishments used to to add character and functionality will follow next.

By: JoFer Interiors_SMP

Up close and personal view of these square outdoor polypropylene filled and acrylic lined cushions. The advantages of these cushions are:

a. extremely light and easy to put away if you prefer not to have them get wet during the wet seasons. Also have handy carrying handles.

b. extremely weather resistant and able to wicker water out of its fibers, hence increasing the dry time.

c. The cushions are able to bounce right back into shape after a few minutes of not sitting on them.

d. last but not least. These could also serve as footstools if needs be.

Here is our finish storage patio deck box with its fresh coat of latex outdoor paint. A few things we liked about this bin were:

Its durability as we mentioned before is superb. Before deciding to place an outdoor bin cover to preserve its life span even more, this baby has been taking a beating from mother nature day in and day out.

Its ability to really keep water out. There has been no issues with moisture or leaks whatsoever.

There is so much versatility you can acquire from a throw. As you can see, we used this vintage style throw as a backdrop to the bin. Giving it a headboard look if you will.

We placed two metallic color painted clay flower pots on each side to hold the throw in place in the case of strong winds. If you look closely you will also see shells and rocks which were also painted. We used this to simply add more weight to the pots and some "SUMMER THEME SPUNK" !

Note: We painted the pots because we truly believe that if you are going to use an object to serve a purpose, why not make it an interesting piece of art.

Here is a ground level view of this beautiful floral 5 X 7 outdoor polypropylene area rug.

Using rugs outdoors will definitely draw that indoor warmth to the outdoors while providing some comfortable walking ground for those tired feet. .

The owners also had an old extra large fiberglass plant container that was dingy, old and on its way to the trash.

we were able to salvage this container by means of using the same latex almond paint used on the storage box, as base coat and some metallic spray paint ( Rose pink, Steel, and Icy Grey ) to give it some sparkle.

Note: If you paint the inside of the container as we did here, it's best you place a plastic party clear container as seen below inside to hold the ice and drinks. ( You wouldn't want anyone to take ice that's been sitting in a bucket of paint. )

NOW WE ARE GETTING READY TO CHILL !

SALUTE, SALUD, BOTTOMS-UP. Drink Anyone !
The results as you can see above was splendid, if you pardon our modesty.

Wouldn't you say so yourself !

Above you can now see and take in the fresh air on this side of the balcony.

This completed side of the balcony has enough seating for those who enjoy the fresh outdoor air with: Two Giant polypropylene / polyester filled cushions and two 30 x 30 outdoor pillow cushions used as backrest.
A fiberglass hanging waterfall, A six feet wooden frame Sunbrella, and some throws in case it's a little nippy outside.

Oh. Lets not forget the fresh coat of outdoor Semigloss, high traffic paint.

Semigloss or Gloss: Allows for better cleaning if needs be, hence making the finish look fresh for longer periods of time.
High Traffic Paint : Works the same way, as it allows for an extended lifetime of the throttled grounds.

This is a Gorgeous Lava Heat outdoor / patio heater we placed on the other side of the balcony that's under roof. It also serves as a Handsome focal point for this space.

This bad boy originally sells for $900 dollars or more. We got this from a local Home Goods store on a clearance sale for $99.80.

Someone say Bu ya. Is this a steal of a deal or what !

It is sure to create a beautiful glow in the cooler months of the year. Adding some fire glass fillings [Source:Non-Sponsored] at the bottom will reflect some mesmerizing sparkle and shimmer.

We also added some fire balls purchased at Moderustic online store [Source:Non-Sponsored]. These fireballs can take great loads of heat and also reflect some glow due to their high gloss heat resistant paint.

Note: In the warmer months of the year you may opt to place some candles in the fireplace if you still desire to enjoy the shimmer, while avoiding the heat from the BTU's

As promised, here is an up close look of this fireplace in all of its splendor.

Note: This fireplace did not come with all the sparkle you see. ( A future post will follow explaining how fire rocks, fire glass, and fire balls can be added to any gas burning fireplace. )

By: JoFer Interiors_SMP

(Sorry We'll shut it of now because it's summer and it's blazing HOT out here ! )

By: JoFer Interiors_SMP

Here is a bistro patio table along with a pair of armed aluminum patio chairs that have been coated with a couple coats of semigloss clear coat for a subtle sheen.

Note: If you look closer you can also notice its rustic characteristics.

The clear coat will also extend the lifetime of the chairs as it will protect it from the elements.

By: JoFer Interiors_SMP

Some metallic color painted clustered oyster/clam shells beautifully nestled in a clay flower pot, makes for a Gorgeous centerpiece.

And how could we forget the bottle of Russian Merlot which will complement the evening once this makeover is completed.

By: JoFer Interiors_SMP

Just another Birds eye view of where the evening dinner will be served.

AFTER !

Full end to end view of balcony from the far end.

By: JoFer Interiors

Another nighttime view of the entire other end of the balcony fully decorated and ready for your guest, or for your own enjoyment. Why not !
Bellow we have shared a short video taken by night of this Beautiful, functional space.
Note: A Day time view can also be accessed by clicking the link on top right hand corner of this video.

To all Cheers. And Enjoy !

Publisher(s) Note: This non-sponsored video is exclusively for the

enjoyment of the viewers of this page.

Conclusion: There you have it. Another completed project, and another happy home dweller. This was a very unique space given the uncommon large size of the balcony. Nevertheless, when Decorating Small Patios and Balconies, always think functional. Keep in mind furniture that can either be folded, light, or serve a double purpose. This will allow for better storage and easy re-positioning if needs be.

As always, we will love to hear what you think about this balcony Space Made Perfect idea.

Please take a further look into more of our D.I.Y projects and LIKE US when visiting our YouTube channel.

How to Effectively Organize Small Closet Spaces

noreply@blogger.com (JoFer Interiors_SMP) — Mon, 10 Jul 2017 16:41:00 +0000

By Spending Less and adding Thrifty clever pieces of Decor items, making it over into the ultimate personal Home Boutique Closet Space.

This is indeed the ultimate task at hand for our beloved home owners. Have you tried to organize your closet lately; If so, How have you been able to live among sooO much stuff !

The key to organizing a small space is to keep the items of use to a minimum. This is the one area were we will say that the common use of the home decor cliche " Less is More " really plays an important role.

BEFORE !

Here you can see the mess that has taken place in this closet area. With a little ingenuity we hope to turn this Mayhem into a more relaxing Haven of a space.

There is really no way around this folks.
a. You first have to decide between what is absolutely important and what is simply an item of meaningless hoarding.

b. Pardon me for been so blunt, but if you haven't used it in years, then you don't need it.

Note: There are free websites such as ( Craigslist, Swappa etc. ) you may use to post and sell items that are new or slightly used. This way you can make back some of that money you spent.

If posting and selling things is not your cup of tea, then you may chose to donate these to a local church, salvation army, or local thrift shop.

SOMEONE PLEASE HELP !

So lets get to creating a more sane environment in this small 8 X 6 closet space and therefore prevent the mental instability you see here as a result !

In the Above images you can appreciate the glow of these Vintage Edison bulb string lights we used to line the top shelve racks of the closet space [Source Non-Sponsored].
First image was taken with the closet lights OFF and the latter image was taken with the closet light ON.

a. The owner may chose to turn these Edison lights on from time to time as they deem necessary to change the mood of the space.

b. The other advantage of these light bulbs, is that they don't generate much heat, making them a great choice for a small enclosed area.

Note: No matter were lights are incorporated, they are often used in different ways to significantly alter the mood of any decor environment.

We have also added a short video to the right of this post on filament LED bulbs for your personal benefit and enjoyment.Video may not be visible from certain hand-held devices.

c. As you may have noticed, we added some textured and upholstered square storage baskets on the shelves to put away all the seasonal items that are not part of daily use such as; scarfs, gloves, a few purses among other items [Source: Non-Sponsored].

We then decided to dispose of all the generic plastic clothing hangers and replaced them with these decorative clothing hangers [Sources: Non-Sponsored] we purchased (very inexpensively ) from The Home Goods store. A box of about 25 hangers was about $10.

Is this Thrifty or what !

You can also find these at Target stores, Bed Bath & Beyond and other online retailers for a little more.

Note: When you dispose of your generic hangers, DON'T simply trust them into the landfill. We suggest donating them to your local Salvation Army stores.

In this Up-Close and personal photo you can appreciate the beauty and texture of these Velvety delights. These are available in a numerous amount of colors that will undoubtedly suit your taste.

Now as mentioned before, the home owners had a great idea concept when they decided to place their shoes(s) into inexpensive plastic bins.

Nevertheless as more shoes were added to the collection, the cost $$$ of bins began to add up very quickly and the closet shelves began to look more like a shoe store warehouse !

As you may see above, we displayed what we believed was the best solution to the clutter of shoe bins in this space.

a. We placed as many shoes as possible into these decorative upholstered bins as neatly and organized as possible keeping all pairs together for an easy find.

b. We only placed the shoes that were not being used very often as means of preventing the tedious task of searching for them each time. ( Latter in the post we will show you were we placed the shoe(s) that were to be used on a daily basis, so stay tuned )

Note: Decorative shoe baskets don't only diminish the clutter but gives the space a more boutique feel.

Added a Beautiful chic vintage stained glass mirror [Source: Non-Sponsored] on one side of the wall.

a. This will help bounce light around as mirrors tend to do, and will give a visual sense of a larger space.

Other embellishments include a Small Vintage round side table, a candle holder that will ONLY host a battery operated flame-less wax candle. " No Real Flames in this area Please ."

a. The flicker of the candle will add a subtle texture of light to the space whenever the lights are of.

b. We ran the Edison light string of lights all the way down to the inside of the candle holder, as this will add a nice glow to the bottom of the holder.

c. Seen below we also added a plush 2 X 3 Fiord Blue Faux Fir area rug from a Walmart store for $19. Another amazing bargain.

d. We could also not forget the mirrored jewel box.

Note: If a woman is sharing this space with you guys, and "YOU" are the one surprising her with this makeover, the jewel box " is an absolute must."

In this image we added some other embellishments such as; a hanging crystal candle holder ( that will serve as quick access to your favorite accessories ), a Vintage mirror on the rack for a quick make up makeover.

(Especially if you have to share the master bath with your inconsiderate spouse ;0) !

We also played with some other knick knacks by adding this Yeso sculpture which serves the purpose of holding necklaces, rings, earrings etc.

Bottoms Up View of center shelving area that serves perfectly for resting grooming items, a mirror for a quick look at your Fabulous make up and hair along with a Jewel Box.

Added a steel armchair with a touch of faux sheep skin for warmth. This space call also be used to read your early morning devotional as you get ready for your day, or a late night devotional to help you rest your head in peace.

A Water/Fire safe was also added to keep all the important paperwork clutter safely away.

Another look at the closet floor space fully uncluttered

AFTER !

NOW here we have the after images that reflect a more organized and functional space. No more clumsy mismatch plastic hangers or misplaced items.

Note: Keep in mind that we did not try to misguide you the reader on how this space actually looks.
Many photos of organized spaces you see posted on the web are simply staged for purposes of making it look better in their pictures.

Here we wanted to display all items of clothing ( coats, shirts, dresses, shoes, accessories, hats etc ) and all articles the owners actually decided to keep,therefore giving you an honest unmasked look at an effectively organized small closet space.

Another image with the ceiling lights off and the floor standing reading lamp and Edison string light(s) on.

Conclusion: No matter how small the space in your home, always remember " Less is More" especially when Effectively Organizing small closet Spaces. Always chose pieces of decor that will be functional and NOT just for beauty as these will also add to the clutter.

We hope this tutorial will help you in making "YOUR" own small closet space made perfect.

Please take a further look into more of our D.I.Y projects and LIKE US when visiting our YouTube channel.

How to Makeover a Vintage Chandelier

noreply@blogger.com (JoFer Interiors_SMP) — Wed, 21 Jun 2017 16:37:00 +0000

Once again we will like to share with you an interesting project on how to makeover a vintage chandelier into a timeless piece,and what makes it appropriate for any seasonal change.

On one of our home decor shopping adventures, we came across this very unique and interesting item.

You guessed right !

It is a wired handmade chandelier from India. A Vintage find at that. This was a great piece considering it's over sized and practically one of a kind.

The one thing we were not fond of, was the gold finish of the chandelier. Nevertheless, this was no deal breaker considering the potential this magnificent item would have once we added our personal touches and finishes.

In the close up image above you can see how we clustered a couple clam/Oyster shells with clear nylon fishing line by stringing the line through the pre-drilled holes on the shells.

Note: To the right of this post we have added a short video clip from Dremel on how to use this fabulous tool to also drill holes in shells.Video may not be visible for certain hand-held devices.

We then used a thin strand of aluminum wire to attach all the other bunched clusters, as you will see below.

Below we will begin to take a look at the tools,supplies and steps used to create this wonderful illuminated art.

As you can see above, each cluster was then attached to the aluminum wire by threading the wire through the clear nylon thread.

Note: attach clusters to the wire line by giving each cluster some distance (3-4 inches) from each other.

This will help the shells hang downward having a tear drop effect if you will. Come Again please! Just bare with us and you will see this come together as we move along.

We then proceeded to paint our vintage find with some of our favorite spray paints from Rust-Oleum.

Note: Do not go cheap on the paint. These cans were a little over $5 per can, but makes a big difference in the overall outcome.

We used Metallic shades for all colors. (Champagne Pink, Iced Gray, Black Iron,and Pearl Mist)were used to give this project its WOW effect !

In this shot we threaded the wire to the top of the chandelier and simply hooked it between one of the openings on the chandelier were the socket arm meets the top center portion.(It doesn't matter which side of the arm you choose to do this.)

If you don't see the aluminum wire, then we have accomplished one of our main goals (Keep the design as inconspicuous as possible).

No worries though, you will see more of the wire towards the bottom once you look close enough.

Ok. Do you now see the wire (from the bottom-up) in this close up shot, between shell cluster 1 & 2.

We also added this beautiful crystal bead link and facet ball of 40mm in diameter we purchased at crystal prism world.

You may of course choose to use as many links of crystals and any size crystal facet ball that suits your taste.

Note: As the seasons change you may choose to hang any interesting piece of item that better suits your space.

Another shot of this amazing Makeover of a Vintage Chandelier. This time we flipped the light switch and my goodness !

What looked like a simple black and grey repainted chandelier, now shows of its splendor boasting distinctive tones and metallic shimmers of color.

If you look closely at all the pictures you may notice how the different colors blend in at different areas of the chandelier.

Another close up from the Bottoms-Up.

Another Shot from Top to Bottom.

A teardrop on a rose close up shot. Here you can see the chandelier up close and personal and how the masterful hands put it together.

Lastly we wanted to show you how this amazing piece displayed its charm throughout the dinning space by reflecting an amazing silhouette across the ceiling.

Picture taken with other lights in the surrounding are on,making shadows less pronounced.

This was truly unexpected and gracefully welcomed.

Another close up shot with other ambient lights throughout the living area switched off.

In this image you can appreciate how we added two more pendant strands of shells and also nestled a 20 mm crystal facet ball between the bottom sets of oyster shells.

Just one more shot with the chandelier lights off because we loved it ;0).
How about You !

Conclusion: a perfect find while shopping for decor items does not always mean you will find the perfect color, shape, or design. Nevertheless if the piece of item seems intricately unique and will add interest to your decor idea scheme you can always turn it into something that will truly make "YOUR" Spaces Made Perfect.

BELOW IS A LITTLE SNIPPET OF A VIDEO ON HOW THIS GORGEOUS PIECE TURNED OUT. ~ENJOY~

Publisher(s) Note: This non-sponsored video is exclusively for the

enjoyment of the viewers of this page.

Please take a further look into more of our D.I.Y projects and LIKE US when visiting our YouTube channel.

Small Kitchens Redone

noreply@blogger.com (JoFer Interiors_SMP) — Wed, 07 Jun 2017 16:55:00 +0000

Hello Folks. You got it. It's time for another D.I.Y idea, and this time we are taking a tiny kitchen space and transforming it into a delightful space that even the most enthusiast cook would not mind spending time in.

Grab your spatulas, utensils, etc. and lets get down to cooking. Pardon,I meant tools and lets start Remodeling !
In this small remodeling project the owners, well in this case the renters wanted to feel like they were living in a home rather than coming into a dingy apartment home day after day. The renters were working toward having a home of their own, but wanted that warm feeling while they made their stride to making that dream come true.

If you live in a small apartment and wonder if this could be possible, stick around and we will show you with just a few tweaks in this Small Kitchen Redone, how you can accomplish that warm. fuzzy feeling in an apartment home.

Many times there is no space for great appliances in an apartment. Using some creativity to take

appliances off the counter can allow for some much needed counter space. Here we used some 1/2 inch Hardwood Plywood [Source: Non-Sponsored] and had the home improvement department store cut it into three desired sizes making the bottom cut larger as to fit to size the desired appliance.

We used wood screws to attach the pieces as to create the letter (C).

Please don't forget to pre-drill your holes prior to screwing into wood. This will prevent splitting of the wood.

We then had two smaller 1 X 3 inch Plywood cut to size so we could attach it to the sides ( top, back, bottom) of the previous cuts. These two cuts were also screwed to the former cuts as to add weight support at the joints. More on the L shaped metal corner brackets below.

Note: Prior to having the bottom piece cut to size please do yourself a favor by measuring the Depth, Width, and Length of the appliance which is going to be cradled into shelf. The top piece of the shelf was about half the size in depth. We did this so the appliance will have room to breathe and circulate air once it's in use.

In this image you can appreciate the L corner brackets attached to the corners of each joint and at the mid point at the bottom.

The brackets will add some extra strength to the overall piece and therefore able to withstand a very heavy appliance. Now if you take a look at the cut of wood that sits at the top, you will notice four (4) Phillip head bolts with nuts.

We attached these screws to the cabinets that were already part of the setting. You will just need to drill holes through the cabinets were the screws will fit into. Please use an extra pair of hands so you could pencil in exactly were the holes will be drilled.

You only want to do this step ONCE !

Use the appropriate drill bit size that matches your Screws. If in doubt always drill smaller holes first. You can always switch your drill bit and go larger.
Now use the extra pair of hands once again to lift the shelf and place the screws through the shelf and into the holes of the cabinet. Now begin to tighten the nuts with the supplied bolts that are usually paired together when you bought them.

Note: Measure the thickness of the wood and the thickness of the kitchen cabinet. In this case 1/2 inch + 1/2 inch (cabinet) thickness gave us our 1 inch overall thickness. Therefore our bolts must be at least 1.5 inch in length so that we can tighten the shelf to the bottom of the cabinet.

In this image above we took a 40 in (L) x 8 in( width) x 1 in thick pinewood and attached it to the wall above the sink with the same L metal brackets.

A pair of cabinet lights we purchased from the local IKEA store were used to cast a beautiful subtle hue onto the sink area.
You may have also noticed the frame that surrounds the window. These are 1 in x 4 inch pinewood and decorative square corner moldings we used to cover the joints were the wood meet and painted it all in a satin white color.

We also added a brand spanking new Faucet with an extendable nose and a soap dispenser ( to the right of the faucet). These stainless steel sinks in apartment homes usually come with the soap dispenser holes already incorporated onto the sink, but they are usually plugged with a cover.

We simply unplugged the cover and in goes the soap dispenser nozzle (bottle with soap is nestled below the sink). Changing faucet is a simple project folks. Absolutely nothing an intermediate D.I.Y enthusiast can't do.

Oh almost forgot. The tiles behind the faucet were an absolute amazing find at the Home Depot hardware store. They were on clearance for cents on the $ dollar guys. Unfortunately no where to be found anymore. Luckily for the the owners they had a one of a kind backslash. ;@)

Note: We know that if you are renting you may think this idea is out the door. Think Again !

We used a thin sheet of compressed wood cut to size screwed the sheet of wood to the area of interest at each corner with flat head screws.
We then attached these tiles to the board by using liquid nail. They held tight together so there was no need for grouting and Bingo! You now have a back splash that can be easily removed when the time comes.

Another Shot of the LED Spotlights with the ambient lights off at night.

What is this Range Hood doing in an apartment !

Don't be alarmed folks there is a logical explanation for this. Since we wanted the space to feel like a warm, gratifying, living area to come home to, we added this statement piece that we guarantee you won't find in any regular old apartment!

Once the idea of the hood was introduced into the design, the renters could simply not resist.
They had to have it !

This Range Hood was also a great find in the IKEA home store at a great price tag. The space was once occupied by a greasy dingy old hood vent.
1. In order to make sure the Range was secured to the wall we used a 1 inch plywood and attached it to the wall with masonry screws.

2. Then the plywood was painted with moisture resistant paint and the range was attached to the plywood once dried with 1 inch wood screws. The hood is simply hung on the screws as you would a picture frame.
Quite simple indeed !

3. A few 2 x 12 inch decorative stone edgings was added around the backboard, and along the glass tile back splash to create interest.

Note: The renters were aware that this was the only area of the make over project that they would not get their renters deposit back for.
They where planning to rent the space for a couple years so they where perfectly fine with loosing a few bucks once they leave in order to have the landlord replace the vent hood and paint the kitchen area back to its original color.

But they will still get to take their amazing Range Hood with them to their dream nest !

4. The back splash of which you will see more of later, was done the same way as the method used behind the faucet ( a. compressed wood sheet cut to size, b. screwed compressed wood sheet to wall, c. Attached tiles with Liquid nail to compress wood sheet ).

Only this time we did use some grout to fill in the gaps between the 12 x 12 inch tile, Just as one will when grouting tile on a wall or floors.

Ok. Now its time to stock up the appliances and the embellishments. In the shelf we built, we placed a mid sized Krups convention counter-top oven which now floats in mid air freeing up some valuable counter top real estate. Now you can use the space saved to add some much needed utensils.

Looking nice wouldn't you say !

A condiment rack stacked right below the hood gives you easy access to your favorite spices. Spoons and utensil now hang from nickel platted bars.
As we mentioned previously, because this is a rental apartment, the glass tiles behind the utensil were attached to the compressed wood sheet and then grouted to prevent moisture from seeping into the wood.

A close up shot of the back splash behind the sink.
Just to make sure no moisture seeps into the wall or back board, we added some clear silicon along the bottom and side seems of the tiles and also into any cracks that we felt needed to be addressed.

Now here you see the nickle plated racks and bars that are used to nook all your favorite oils, utensils and dry goods.

Another shot from the bottoms-up. The two canister you see under the hood are fire extinguisher cans.

Another corner of the kitchen counter. We added some glass jars with their mainly used dry goods and an Italian decorative glass plate for some color and sparkle.

The cabinets were in good shape and were not an eye sore, so we kept as is.

Just another close up shot.
Lentils, Quinoa or some Rice anyone !

We added a low profile LED TV to the opposite wall flush mounted. A 3 inch cutting board, culinary knives, and some wine should complement this culinary evening.

Bottoms/Up. Just not with the Knife in your hands please ;0 ) !

The stove obviously was also kept in the rental space. We simply added some glaze white range covers when not in use. Some recipe books for ease access and some new stainless steel copper core pots completed the smoking hot cooking area.

Conclusion: Not just because you rent it means you should live a bland, colorless, uninviting, unwelcoming life style. With a little here, a little there, and some creativity a rental can truly become "YOUR" Space Made Perfect.

Thank you for visiting this Small Kitchen Redone post. We hope you liked this space guys. But please give us your thoughts while sharing your opinions.

Please take a further look into more of our D.I.Y projects and LIKE US when visiting our YouTube channel.

How to Re purpose a Lampshade

noreply@blogger.com (JoFer Interiors_SMP) — Tue, 23 May 2017 17:10:00 +0000

To match your seasonal decor

Hello again my fellow D.I.Y Enthusiast.
we meet again and this time we want to show you a nifty idea on How to Re purpose a lampshade.

If you were thinking on throwing out and or donating that old lampshade of yours, well think again.
In this step by step process we will demonstrate how a pale, bland, boring lampshade can be resurrected into an adorning work of art.

Sure you may not be in the mood or even have the slightest thought on were to begin and buying a new one seems, well easy!

But were is the fun in that my friends.

I have always loved the effect a D.I.Y. project has on friends and relatives when they ask themselves the question, "You did this"?
The wide open s and facial gestures are priceless. It always beats the thought of throwing stuff out and going new all the time.

Note: Please also view the Non-sponsored video clip to the right of this page shared by Lamps Plus.This clip show you tips on how to measure your lampshades.
Ok. Enough of the small talk and lets get down to re-purposing. Or should I say Revamping this shade !

Above you will take notice of this drum shaped lampshade. Its simple, white, and lacks some character.

We used this small gauge rope string we purchased at Joan's fabrics and craft store[Source:Non-sponsored]. The rope comes in a spool and you will have to separate it into a single long strand. We will use this to string it through the clear nylon fishing thread line as you will see latter.

In this image you can appreciate the small hole that was drilled into the shell. We proceeded to string the nylon fishing line you can find at wal-mart,through the whole of each shell and made a knot to keep in place. Make sure you don't tie the knot too close to the shell, as you will need some space between the shell and nylon string in order to thread the rope.

You may choose to attach as many shells you deem convenient to your taste. We chose to go with three at a time. Once you have strung all shells together with nylon thread, you will then use a piece of the the rope we spoke about previously to keep the shells together with a firmer grip. The rope will prevent the shells from dancing around by keeping them in place.

The next step is to use some good old hot glue gun. We purchased this one at the Target store along with some inexpensive hot glue sticks.

Here you can see how the rope holds the shells in place. We then proceeded to attach each grouped shell to the lampshades metal post. You will add some hot glue to the area first and then place the rope while holding it in place for about 30 seconds at the least. You need to give the glue time to cool and harden prior to moving on. Repeat this step for every metal post on the lampshade.

Here is a close up birds-eye shot of the grouped shells attached to the lampshade post.

Another view of all shells attached.

Note: Because the shells were attached to each other initially by the nylon thread, they can be flipped around as you please. This gives you some flexibility as to interchangeably demonstrating the shells inner and outer linings.

We then proceeded to attach the shells to the lampshade itself by adding a generous amount of hot glue to the shell first, and attaching it to the desired area on the lampshade.

Very important ! Hold the shells against the lampshade for about 45 seconds to a full minute. Remember that you are working against gravity and if you rush this part of the process, the shade and the shells "will not" bond well.

By: JoFer Interiors

A view of the lampshade with all of its "Clammed" glory. OK Bad Joke. Lets move on !

By: JoFer Interiors

Another view from another angle as the "clammed" lampshade sits nestled in the nook.

By: JoFer Interiors

Close up view with the lights on. (Depending on your browser, you may need to scroll right/left and up/down.)

By: JoFer Interiors_SMP

Just another view because we know you just "Love It." ;@)

Another view from another angle as the "clammed" lampshade sits nestled between the plants.

Conclusion: Well there you have it my friends, a How to Re purpose a Lampshade made easy. We hope you enjoyed this one as much as we did. This was a fun D.I.Y project for us. Always Remember that Design and Decor usually tend to change with time and the ideas "you" create for your space will always bring a sense of fulfillment. As we always say, let the spaces you create be perfectly "YOURS".

Please take a further look into more of our D.I.Y projects and LIKE US when visiting our YouTube channel.