Moths are a bigger problem in the North than here in Florida.  But, I think that we can all be in agreement that moth balls are nasty, in fact, they might be carcinogenic.  An easier way to discourage the pests is to buy cedar chips and place them a net bag and distribute where needed or use lavendar sachets.  Both of these options are a more pleasant alternative to moth balls.

#dreamlandinteriors  #moth  #mothballs  #sachet

Check out the  Palette Cam app to help you with those difficult color selections.

Palette Cam is an easy to use resource that will help you focus on the core colors to decorate around.  Just upload any picture and use the color picker to create as simple or as complex a decor palette as you would like.

#dreamlandinteriors  #colors  #paints #decor  #accentcolor  #colorpalette

Stepping away from the interior design world for a moment, consider downloading the app "Glose" if you are a reader.

Glose is a site where you can engage with great books and readers. They want to offer you the greatest reading experience. One where reading is made more delightful, efficient, and exciting.  
Here is how it works:

• Glose is your bookstore where you can discover great books, create your bookshelf and purchase what you like among a catalog of 500,000 books. They also have great free books you can read now.
• Glose offers a great reading experience. You can read on your laptop, tablet or smartphone. Anytime, anywhere. Online or offline.
• Glose is also a community where reading becomes social. You can follow and engage with other readers, and you can share your opinions, ideas, knowledge, and stories through annotations in the books you read.

Download their award-winning app to read anytime, anywhere.

​                                             #dreamlandinteriors  #Glose  #books  #avidreader
 

We often get the urge to spring clean each year.  If you have custom drapery that needs dry cleaned, expect to pay $1-$5 per foot or per pleat.  To have your furniture upholstery cleaned, the average cost for a loveseat is $50, $200 for a large couch, $224-$448 for a sectional.  Carpet cleaning runs from $.28-$.35 cents per square foot.  Prices vary per location.  Companies may have minimum charges.  Luckily now we can read a company's review before hiring them.  If you are ready for a complete make-over, we can help you at Dreamland Interiors with your new window treatments, floor covering, or new furniture selections or even reupholstering.

                                            #dreamlandinteriors  #carpeting  #drapery  #furnitureupholstery

I found another useful gadget.  This one makes the use of those large laundry detergent bottles easier to handle.  This gadget is sold on Amazon for $9.95.  The ad reads:

• Catch the detergent and fabric softener drips before they make a mess.
• Simple attachment and assembles in seconds.
• Easy to clean: Dishwasher safe.
• Fits Economy size detergents and fabric softener spouts.
• Proudly made in the USA.

https://www.amazon.com/Laundry-Detergent-Fabric-Softener-Gadget/dp/B00C8S0CQ4​

#dreamlandinteriors  #detergent  #laundry  #Amazon

Do some measuring before you leave the house to go shopping for end tables and a coffee table.  End tables should be 1 to 2 inches lower than the chair or sofa arm.  The proper height for a coffee table is the same height as the sofa cushions or no more than 1-2 inches lower than the cushion.  The coffee table should be 2/3 the length of the sofa measuring from arm edge to arm edge.  There should 12-18 inches from the table to the seating around the coffee table.

When purchasing a piece of furniture, measure the opening the piece will be brought through and make sure the piece will fit through the door, elevator, etc.  If your piece is too wide for the opening, you may be able to get the piece through at an angle.  Measure the diagonal depth of the piece which needs to be smaller than the opening.

When remodeling a room that involves plumbing, try to keep the plumbing in the same spot because it is expensive to move vent stacks or pipes in the wall.

When making your own throw pillows, make your pillow forms from a down and feather mixture.

Can lighting is popular but don't solely rely on it if you are trying to create a pleasing atmosphere.  Can lighting is known to throw unattractive shadows across your guests' faces.  Also use some large lamps of at least 30" in height for the perfect effect.

For a cozy seating area, move furniture away from the wall.

If a room isn't feeling balanced and comfortable, remove pieces.  Add accent pieces one at a time until you see things coming together properly.  It is better to have less in a room than too much.

If trying to match up a rug or sofa and do not have a fabric swatch, find a paint sample closest to the fabric color to use when shopping.

Hope you find these tips helpful.

                                           #dreamlandinteriors  #furniture  #plumbing  #pillows  #canlights

If you have had squirrels or raccoons around your home,  there is a chance that they could find a way into your home.  You would be wise to take precautions.  Trim tree limbs growing close to the house, secure loose shingles, seal holes in soffits with heavy wire mesh.  Have a contractor install a mesh chimney cap and cap soil stacks.  Seal all holes.   Keep pet food indoors.  If squirrels nest in your attic, turn up the volume on an obnoxious radio or tv show.  They hate loud noises.  Scrub down surfaces with ammonia and scatter mothballs where you see evidence of rodent habitation.  To deter raccoons, place ammonia-soaked newspapers at the bottom of garbage cans and cayenne on top of the garbage.  Some people even tie down the lid of the can with a rope or bungy cord.  Consult your state Department of Natural Resources for rules to trap and release wildlife.  A good source to use when dealing with these types of critters is the Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management at  www.icwdm.org.

                                    #dreamlandinteriors  #wildlife  #rodents  #trappingwildlife  

When rearranging furniture in a room, place the most comfortable and best seat in the best location and place the rest of furniture from that point.

If you paint a room white, be sure to decorate the walls with art.

The perfect view height for a piece of art is 63" above the floor.

A mirror should be hung 7" above a mantel.

Do not use colored sheers in your home.

When choosing a paint color for the ceiling, mix the trim color with 50% white for the perfect shade.

When placing a bench at the foot of the bed, it should be no less than 2" shorter than the width of the mattress.

Instead of installing a towel bar, mount 5 hooks for towels and robes 68" distance from the floor.

Do not hang a mirror between two windows.  It distracts from the view.

Rooms need art more than mirrors.

Do not hang a scone light above a bathroom mirror.  Scones flanking either side of a mirror project more flattering and realistic light.

Light switches should be 36" above the floor and 2" from the door casing so as not to infer with wall art.

         #dreamlandinteriors  #decoratingtips  #mirrors  #art  #hangingart  #paint  #furniturearrangement

We have heard from our mothers that we should fill a pot with cold tap water for cooking.  There's a reason your mother told you to fill the pasta pot with cold water.  Hot water can leach lead out of pipes and "there's a possibility that lead is somewhere along the plumbing circuit in any home," says Michael Shannon, M.D., pediatric doctor at Harvard Medical School.  According to the EPA, houses built before 1986 are the most likely to have lead pipes, fixtures, fittings, and solder.  But even plumbing legally considered lead-free may contain up to 8 percent lead.  While copper pipes replaced lead ones decades ago, fusing pipes with lead was legal until 1991.  So it is smart and cautious to use cold water in cooking.  We would be wise to have our water tested periodically by a certified laboratory.  Visit www.realsimple.com/watertesting for information about home test kits.

Source:  Real Simple Magazine, April 2007.

                                     #dreamlandinteriors  #watertesting  #leadplumbing  #EPA