
Especially in a rental, storage is very hard to come by. My favorite bed solution for storage comes from Pottery Barn. This is a beautiful wooden bed that comes in 3 different colors, and has either baskets or drawers to hold storage… it’s out of the way, but easy to access. I would love to [...]
Posted by ohbrooke on 01.23.2008 at 9:16 pm// Tagged: design solutions, making your rental a home

Design Talk says that the two best investments before selling a home are paint and flooring. These two home aspects help to make the home feel more welcoming. Many sellers offer the new buyer a carpet allowance so they can buy carpet after the home is purchased. This is a great offer, however, if you [...]
Posted by ohbrooke on 01.21.2008 at 3:39 pm// Tagged: design solutions, landlord tips, seller hints

This is a great website that my pregnant coworker showed me. This is an ikea crib that has been ‘pimped’ to make it more personalized and fun. Paint, a custom baby changing station, and even rope lights underneath the crib make this inexpensive baby crib extremely fun and different. And who wants to be like [...]
Posted by ohbrooke on 01.18.2008 at 10:43 pm// Tagged: design solutions, making your rental a home

Shannon Kaye, host of DIY’s Fresh Coat, always has great design tips and tricks. Her specialty is interior decorative painting. Click here for episode guide and project ideas. Also see her personal portfolio on her website: www.shannonkaye.com. Below is one of her custom finishes.
Posted by ohbrooke on 01.16.2008 at 9:40 pm// Tagged: design solutions, landlord tips, seller hints

Working on the set of DIY’s Fresh Coat with my sister and host, Shannon Kaye was a great experience. One of my favorite tips that Shannon gave homeowners was to mix it up in the kitchen. One of her signature design solutions is to paint the bottom cabinets in a kitchen a different, and often [...]
Posted by ohbrooke on 01.16.2008 at 8:52 pm// Tagged: design solutions, seller hints

I found this great vinyl design on etsy.com. It’s a vinyl sticker that can be placed on the wall, and removed when you are done. Since I didn’t know if the paint on the interior of my condo was done properly, I didn’t want to risk the paint peeling off when I removed the decal. [...]
Posted by ohbrooke on 01.09.2008 at 9:33 pm// Tagged: design solutions, making your rental a home

I often get told that my “home” wherever that may be, feels “homey”. This is probably one of the greatest compliments that I could receive because your home should be comfortable and inviting to guests. While there are many factors to making your place “a home,” one of the biggest challenges is adding a personal [...]
Posted by ohbrooke on 01.08.2008 at 10:03 pm// Tagged: design solutions, making your rental a home
The idea attic encompasses many aspects of The Home. The Home is something we all aspire to: renting your own place, fixing it up, buying your own place, fixing it up, selling your place, finding a bigger place… the list goes on. The Home is where our life is; our family, friends, new babies, new [...]
Posted by ohbrooke on 01.08.2008 at 9:48 pm// Tagged: design solutions
Because we are in our homes everyday, sometimes we don’t see when clutter sneaks up on us. A good rule of thumb is if something hasn’t been used for a year, then it’s probably not worth keeping around (except of course, items that hold personal and financial value). If you have a house on the [...]
Posted by ohbrooke on 01.04.2008 at 10:44 pm// Tagged: seller hints

Creative uses for run-of-the-mill things help add personality to a home. An old Martha Stewart trick is to put your dishwashing liquid soap into an olive oil bottle. The bottle stays clean, and it doesn’t need to be hidden beneath the sink. See her tip here.
Posted by ohbrooke on 01.04.2008 at 4:11 am// Tagged: design solutions