You Said It: ‘Every Room Should Have the Right Wrong Thing’ and More

Houzz celebrated staunch individuality this week. We toured some fabulously personalized homes and read about some outside-of-the-chocolate-box ideas for celebrating Valentine’s Day. We learned how to make our homes unique via the thrill of the hunt for one-of-a-kind secondhand pieces, and shared the different ways we keep our schedules on track during hectic mornings. I hope some of these highlights will help you open your minds and let your home decor make you happy. And I hope everyone has a lovely Valentine’s Day, no matter how you celebrate it (or if you manage to ignore it!).

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, and I’m a little bummed that my valentine Kevin Spacey is not giving me a fresh season of House of Cards for a few more weeks — last year season two’s February 14 release gave me sweeter binge material than a Whitman’s sampler. Whether you too are bummed or you love this holiday, there is an article here for you.

A Houzz classic worth rereading: Get out the tissues for Alison Hodgson’s The Real Importance of Valentine’s Day.

For those who struggle with Valentine’s Day pressure, take a deep breath and relax. Amanda O’Sullivan’s Easy Valentine’s Day Touches for Even the Least Romantic will help.

Mix up a hot toddy with help from Ellie Arciaga’s Bar Cart 101: Chocolate Pairs With Bourbon for a Warm Winter Cocktail.

Create homemade corsages and boutonnieres with your kids with help from Nanette Wong and Sammy Go.

Channel your inner Leslie Knope. Nanette Wong and Jamie Wong will help you with their Entertaining Ideas for a Perfect ‘Galentine’s’ Day, inspired by the TV show Parks and Recreation.


“We also get a lot of people asking about the ‘plumbing.’” — homeowner Buffy Cribbs as told (with a laugh) to Kimberley Bryan

This plumbing painting on the cabinet under the kitchen sink is just one of many clever touches around the home of Buffy Cribbs and Bruce Morrow in Washington state. Be sure to check out this unique home that is completely tailored to the owners’ tastes and lifestyle.

Full story: My Houzz: An Artistic Craftsman Home Fulfills a Couple’s Dream


“You reached inside my head and pulled out my perfect house!” — Houzz user leslielevin, in the Comments

Based on the response to this Houzz Tour (including my own), leslielevin is not alone. The renovation of this house in Santa Monica, California, has resulted in a bright, comfortable and welcoming home that’s a dream for many of us.

Full story: Houzz Tour: A 1905 Cottage Gets a Major Family Update


“When I was in design school, I had a teacher who always said, ‘Every room should have the right wrong thing.’” — interior designer and homeowner RJ Thornburg, as told to Mary Jo Bowling

Did you start looking around your house looking for the right wrong thing in every room when you read this? I did. Some of my rooms have it, some are in need of the right wrong thing, and others have the wrong wrong thing. I think I’ve always embraced this philosophy without articulating it. Please share your right wrong things in the Comments section.

Full story: Houzz Tour: Farmhouse Retreat With a Sophisticated Edge


“If you come across something you fall in love with, go for it! I have far too many tragic memories of returning to buy items that have been sold — the disappointment can be unbearable!” — Adelle Robinson, as told to Catherine Macaulay

A wonderful way to show off your individual style is by curating secondhand pieces that speak to you. Get the skinny on how to scout, shop, check for quality, manage your expectations, keep an open mind and even how to do a “sniff test.”

Full story: 10 Secrets of Successful Secondhand Furniture Shopping


“With a few simple lifestyle changes, you can transform into a punctual, stress-free person.” — Emily Hutchinson

I’m definitely not a morning person, and I found Hutchinson’s tips so helpful, from getting that coffee ready to brew the night before to having a gym “go bag”; from prepping for the week during the weekends to letting the natural light help us wake up. For any of you who struggle to get out the door on time in the morning, I cannot recommend this article enough, including the Comments section, where Houzzers have added their own best tips.

Full story: Late Again? Eliminate the Things Holding You Up in the Morning


“You may not be able to hasten the arrival of warm weather, but you can at least get going on a summer flower or vegetable garden by starting the seeds for one.” — Marianne Lipanovich

If you’re buried in snow and dreaming of spring, read this article from the Houzz archives and then pull out the seed catalogs. Lipanovich’s article is a lesson in how to go from ordering seed packets to planting a flourishing garden. It includes how to germinate seeds, prep containers and soil, plant, care for seedlings, know when it’s safe to transfer the plants into larger pots and harden things off, and also how to use cloches, cold frames and greenhouses.

Full story: Planning Time: Get Your Garden Started With Seeds


“There’s always something we feel we can do to make our spaces better, more efficient, more comfortable or just more visually appealing.” — Mitchell Parker

Planning home projects is another good way to fight cabin fever. The roundup of the most bookmarked projects from Houzz’s Great Home Projects already has 1,000-plus bookmarks, and it’s easy to see why. There is budget information and links to more information about a range of projects, from adding a reclaimed-wood wall to installing a tankless water heater. Whether you’re thinking about refinishing your floors or want to add a built-in home bar, this one is well worth a scroll through, or at least a bookmark so that when you have some spare time this weekend, you can prioritize projects you’d like to complete around your home.

Full story: 25 Great Home Projects and What They Cost

What’s the next home project on your to-do list? What’s your dream project? Please share with us in the Comments section.

URL: You Said It: ‘Every Room Should Have the Right Wrong Thing’ and More http://www.decor-ideas.org/cases-view-id-25604.html