Decorating

From Trash To Treasure – The 6 Steps of Starting An Upcycling Business

July 19, 2017 by Painter Mommy Leave a Comment

If you’re thinking of turning your interest in upcycling into a business, there are a few things you can do to make the process easier. The following 6 steps are aimed at getting you mentally and financially prepared for your exciting new venture.

Train Your Eye

One of the most important and hard to qualify traits you may need to hone in your quest to become an upstart upcycler is to train your eye. What this means is that you will find it easier if you allow yourself the time and space to develop an eye for potential.

A great place to start this process is the library.
There are many books and resources available which can help you to solidify (and ground with theory) any ideas related to aesthetic or design practice. Having an idea of historical context, aesthetic development, and of broad-based eras and movements will help you understand the potential in any objects you encounter, and whether they’re suitable for restoration or modification.

Uptown Girl

Knowing the potential value of an object is only one part of a much larger learning curve. Another part of your growing arsenal of skills will be in the ability to envision how to best revamp and revitalise an old item. Being able to evaluate, budget and decide how much time, effort and resources you’re willing to dedicate to the process will also be of huge importance.

Having quality touches and finishes will set you apart from competitors and cheap replica designs. Upholstery suppliers are a good place to start – choosing a fabric, texture or colour palette may be all you need initially to get your creative juices going.

Know Thy Market

You may find that it’s harder to set up your business than you’d imagined – or, that your potential customers and suppliers are located somewhere geographically-distanced from where you’re planning on conducting business.

The lesson to be learned from this is to plan ahead and to know thy market.
It’s a good idea to do some research into your target market, and to figure out some ways in which you can best bridge the gap between yourself and your potential customers – before committing time, money and energy into the process.

Point Of Difference

There’s no use starting a business that’s going to have to compete with thousands of other businesses locally by doing the exact same thing as other businesses.

In order for your upcycling business to flourish, it’s important to market your ‘point of difference’. Generally speaking, a point of difference is a marketable trait which is unique to your product. Think of design quirks, use of quality touches or of eco-credentials. Find a way to promote these differences and put your stamp on your product.

Price Point

Another key element to take into account is related to pricing – how much to charge, how to charge, and how competitively to price your items.

Part of creating a price structure will come through understanding your target market. If you’re upcycling furniture into modern, trendy magazine-worthy pieces, your pricing structure will be different to someone upcycling fringe or niche fashions.

Search out items of similar quality and appearance to your own and have a look at how they’re priced. Are they being purchased? Is there a market to price things at a similar cost? If so, it may be a great place to start.

Reach Out

Once you’ve figured out your marketable point of difference, it’s time to find a way to get your product to its intended audience. Finding a way to market and project your products is an art in itself.

Think about using social media apps as well as traditional media as an adjunct to your promotions. Social media users are often willing to share and promote your products for you if you present them with incentive. It also helps to build a community around your business.

Starting an upcycling business takes time.
There are skills you will need to acquire and hone, and some lessons to be learned through trial and error – but there’s also a whole lot of fun and freedom in running your own business. If you’re ready to take the next step, get reading, get writing, and get designing.

Things to Ask When Meeting With a Palos Verdes Wedding Florist

October 7, 2015 by Painter Mommy Leave a Comment

Among the most stressful things that a couple will take on in their lives is the planning of their wedding. Taking the time to get all of your proverbial ducks in a row is vital in making sure that your ceremony goes off without a hitch. There are a number of important factors that have to be planned out in detail and neglecting to pay attention to them can lead to a disastrous outcome. The flowers that you will have at your wedding will have to be supplied by a knowledgeable Torrance florist. The following are a few of the questions that have to be asked when meeting with a wedding florist.

What Are the Latest Trends and How Can They Work For Your Wedding?

The first thing that you need to make sure of when hiring a wedding florist is that they are up to speed on all of the latest floral trends. Taking the time to find out what the latest trends are and how they can be incorporated into your wedding can be very beneficial. A great florist will have no problem answering this question in a comprehensive manner.

What Flowers Are Available?

The next thing that you will need to ask about when trying to find the right florist is what types of flowers the will have available. You need tom make sure that you have a full grasp of what is out there before proceeding. The more you are able to find out about the options that you have, the simpler it will be for you to get the right ones chosen. Having a reputable and experienced florist on your side will make the selection process much easier.

How Available Are You During the Time of the Wedding?

Another very important thing that you will have to ask when trying to get the right florist in place is how available they will be during the time of the wedding. You need to make sure that the florist you choose will be able to be hands on during this process. The more you can find out about the florists in your area and what they are prepared to offer, the easier you will find it to get the right one chosen. The time that goes into meeting with the various florists in the area is necessary and the only way you will be able to narrow the selection.

Choosing the team at rollinghillsflowermart.com will allow you to get the right results in no time. Call them or visit their website to get more information on what they have to offer.

Choosing the Perfect Awnings

October 6, 2015 by Painter Mommy 1 Comment

No matter if you are homeowner or a business owner, there are awnings that will ensure the comfort of your family or your employees. There are all kinds of things you can do that will not only ensure the hot sun does not cause issues for family and employees such as placing glares on computers and televisions, but even heating up areas close to the windows.

The good news is that you can find many different options when it comes awnings that can be retracted so when the moves, you can easily retract the awnings and have a bit more light. The use of awnings can actually help with energy bills but using the awnings at the right times of the day to help with heating or cooling your office or your home.

What you may not know is that you can choose from a wide variety of styles that can actually compliment the design of your home or business while giving you a place to enjoy sitting outdoors without the blaring sun causing sunburns. For businesses, there are different options, so you can provide your employees with a very nice location outdoors for enjoying lunch or even a smoking area without worrying about the elements.

Today you have several options for awnings in Laval that will help not only with your energy bills and giving you more room as you can use those outdoor areas that are often ignored due to the weather and the bright sun. The great news is that with awnings you will also be able to protect the furniture in your home or office, curtains, or other items that can be harmed by the bright sun that often cause things to fade over time. By choosing awnings, you can actually save money as you will not have to replace these items or purchase expensive blinds especially for large corporations.

To learn more about choosing the best awnings for your home or business, it would be best to talk with a professional. The company will need to know what you are wanting from the awnings and your budget in order to help you find the best solution that fits your budget and also enhance the beauty of your home or give your office a modern appeal. There are many different styles and designs, so talking with an expert will give you the opportunity to find the perfect way to enjoy the outdoors as well as protect the interior of your home or office and of course keep everyone comfy and cozy inside or outside. Enjoy the sun without getting sunburned or staying hot while sitting next to your windows whether at work or at home.

6 Simple Ideas for Outdoor Christmas Decorations

December 16, 2014 by Painter Mommy Leave a Comment

Decorating your yard for Christmas can get expensive and time consuming. You can’t just not decorate for Christmas this year, though! Why not cut out the hard work and big price tags and use one of these simple outdoor Christmas decoration ideas instead?

Mason Jar Lighting

Recycling mason jars to use in your holiday decor is super simple and cuts out the price of buying fancy lights. One thing you can start out with is simply stuffing the jars with strings of Christmas lights and setting them up along your porch or walkway. ChristmasLightsEtc.com shares a super helpful infographic that details how to do this lighting trick, along with other ones. Using mason jars doesn’t stop there, though. If you’re ambitious and have the right materials, a holiday-inspired mason jar chandelier can brighten up your porch this Christmas season.

Image via Flickr by Chiot’s Run

Backlit Cutouts

If you don’t have a lot of money this year to spend on decorations, then taking on this simple DIY project could be just the thing for you. Simply use a jigsaw to cut out your shape, such as a snowman, Christmas tree, or Santa Claus, on a piece of plywood. Prop up the plywood in your yard in front of a light to create a backlit effect. Need more detailed instructions? Check out this guide to building your own Christmas backlit cutout.

Glowing Holiday Globes

One of the biggest contributions to your holiday decor will be the lighting you place in your front yard. Attaching string lights to your home can be a hassle, but glowing holiday globes make lighting your outdoors simple. Pick up these glowing frosted globes from nearly anywhere selling Christmas decor. Then place them around your porch or lawn to get an easy and festive effect.

You don’t want your décor to look completely random, though. Consider grouping these globes together in a bird bath or setting them up along your walkway. You can even hang them from your porch if you have the time. You can also find floating lighted globes that you can place in your pond or swimming pool to keep things bright and interesting this holiday season.

Dressed Up Door

If you don’t have the time to do anything else this year, at least put up decorations near your front door. Since that’s more or less the centerpiece of your home, it will be the first thing people notice. Start by adding a wreath to the front door, which you can easily make yourself out of twigs, evergreen branches, pinecones, and other things you might find around the house. You can also buy an inexpensive wreath from any store selling Christmas decorations.

Next, add a string of garland or lights around the perimeter of your door. For a final touch, add something simple next to the door, like a planter filled with fake candy canes or even a small Christmas tree.

Winter Evergreens

For a super simple Christmas decoration, simply put out small Christmas trees in your yard or on your porch. Just make sure to place them strategically so that they’re aesthetically pleasing. Use real or fake trees, and put them in planters to keep them upright. If you have the time, add a few strings of lights and maybe even some ornaments to the trees. If you already have an evergreen or two living in your yard, all you need to do is dress it up with some lights and you’ll be good to go.

Holiday Bench Decor

Do you have a bench sitting on your front porch? Chances are no one’s going to be using it during the chilly weather. Why not put that surface to use? All you need for your holiday bench decor is a selection of evergreen branches, pinecones, and ornaments. Arrange these objects on the bench until you’re pleased with the holiday spirit they bring to your front porch. If you want to add an extra touch to the mix, sprinkle a light dusting of snow atop the arrangement.

Which one of these ideas will you use to decorate your yard or porch this holiday season?

Creating Ambiance in a Room

April 10, 2014 by Painter Mommy Leave a Comment

This is a guest post…

A number of elements can be added to a room to create ambiance. Ambiance is the character of a space. It is most commonly referred to as being romantic or soothing.

Making a space feel comfortable and inviting takes a bit of creativity and planning. Depending on the type of ambiance you wish to achieve, there are a number of items to take into consideration.

Make each room in the home have a meaning and definition.

Color Selection

The colors of a room do speak in regards to personality. Personality meaning the preferences of those that live in the home. It also carries a different type of personality, including what the room is meant to say by its décor, colors and overall character.

Greens and grays are calming colors. These mix well with a variety of contrasting colors. For instance, a green colored room is relaxing and happy. Yellows, black, white and orange mix well. Some dark blues will also match well.

Where gray is concerned, this is a modern or industrial feel but it can also be inviting and soothing. Mix in reds, oranges and lime greens, even light or bright blues if you will, to create a space that is exciting.

Add a Fireplace

Several free-standing and modern designed fireplace additions make a space feel warm, relaxed and even romantic.

Consider using a fireplace insert that runs on biofuel. Not only is this eco-friendly, it is a clean burn that will not harm any person or animal living inside the home.

Fireplaces can also add heat to an area, thus reducing the cost of running a heating system during the cooler months of the year.

Accessorize

Ambiance created via accessories is a tough challenge. This often requires the help of an interior designer. The reason being is that attitudes and personalities are often confused in the way of themes.

If you wish to create a formal space with a serious vibe to it, use higher-end vases, books and sophisticated lamp structures.

A relaxed space will have comfortable furniture with a few accessories including photos, a vase of flowers and a comfortable throw rug.

Lighting

Lighting in a space is very important. When you wish to create a romantic space, consider the fact that you should have lights that dim. Being able to adjust lighting changes the mood in a space.

Lighting can create character and increase the aesthetics of a space quite easily. Consider track lighting or multi-level options.

Floral Accents

The design of a floral arrangement brings a lot to a space.

Types of flowers with a general character or ambiance feeling:

Roses – love
Daisies – happiness
Lilies – sophistication
Wild flowers – whimsical
Greenery – in touch with the environment
Silks – timeless

The colors of the flowers that you use are also important. Deep or rich reds have a romantic or sophisticated meaning while white is pure and yellow signifies friendship and happiness.

Choose the colors and arrangements of floral accents carefully. Consider an arrangement of all one color to make a significant statement in a room.

Aromas

The aroma that you and guests take in when enjoying a space together sets the mood. Smells of fresh, outdoor or nature-like aromas keep moods light-hearted and relaxed. This is ideal for a gathering to celebrate a birthday or job promotion.

Also consider the smell of fresh baked goods or just the smell of food cooking. This makes the space and entire home smell welcoming and comfortable.

What guests smell as they walk into your home is what will set their mood. It will also change the way that they see each room in the home, and in many cases, it may mean a different appreciation for the décor or space itself.

Creating ambiance is a little tricky but it can easily be done with the help of a designer or by having a specific plan in mind.

Consider what you want the room to say to guests as they enter. If you wish to have a room that is happy, keep it fresh and let in a lot of natural light. More sophisticated rooms can be a little darker with more discerning décor.