Meet Nick Olsen, the decor doctor.
5 DIY decorating projects —
Meet Nick Olsen, the decor doctor.
Christopher Sturman/Real Simple
Easy DIY upgrade: Prepare walls for kids' art. You long to be that cool mom who's laid-back enough to let the kids freely decorate their rooms, but you imagine a wall Swiss-cheesed with nail holes and hanging hooks. Now you can give them free rein over their decor by covering a wall with magnetic primer, which contains nontoxic iron particles. You'll need at least two base coats under the paint of your choice. The resulting surface will hold magnets, which in turn can hold artwork, Derek Jeter posters, and that Got Milk? ad collection.
5 DIY decorating projects —
Easy DIY upgrade: Prepare walls for kids' art. You long to be that cool mom who's laid-back enough to let the kids freely decorate their rooms, but you imagine a wall Swiss-cheesed with nail holes and hanging hooks. Now you can give them free rein over their decor by covering a wall with magnetic primer, which contains nontoxic iron particles. You'll need at least two base coats under the paint of your choice. The resulting surface will hold magnets, which in turn can hold artwork, Derek Jeter posters, and that Got Milk? ad collection.
real simple
Easy DIY upgrade: Instant hallway makeover. Transform a high-traffic area, like an entranceway, by painting a runner. It's a creative, low-cost alternative to carpeting or refinishing your beat-up wood (or painted wood) floor.
5 DIY decorating projects —
Easy DIY upgrade: Instant hallway makeover. Transform a high-traffic area, like an entranceway, by painting a runner. It's a creative, low-cost alternative to carpeting or refinishing your beat-up wood (or painted wood) floor.
real simple
Easy DIY upgrade: Hand towels in a window box. You worked for hours helping mom plant pachysandra way back when, but that doesn't help you now, as you try to nurture a briefly blooming geranium display in an outdoor window box. It's time to throw in the towel―literally. A standard window box installed inside just below the sill proves fertile ground for storing a colorful array of hand towels and washcloths. Stick to one shade or mix it up and you'll have your own version of a window garden. Even mom may reap the benefits.
5 DIY decorating projects —
Easy DIY upgrade: Hand towels in a window box. You worked for hours helping mom plant pachysandra way back when, but that doesn't help you now, as you try to nurture a briefly blooming geranium display in an outdoor window box. It's time to throw in the towel―literally. A standard window box installed inside just below the sill proves fertile ground for storing a colorful array of hand towels and washcloths. Stick to one shade or mix it up and you'll have your own version of a window garden. Even mom may reap the benefits.
real simple
Easy DIY upgrade: Give your sofa a new look. Your favorite sofa is having a midlife crisis: It's not worth reupholstering, but it's not ready for the junkyard, either. A pre-made slipcover is just the thing to see it through. For a tight fit, use a wooden spoon or a spatula to work the fabric deep into the couch's crevices. If the arms of a chair or sofa are too narrow, beef them up with foam quilting or comforter batting (available at most fabric stores). To keep a slipcover from sliding out of place on a leather couch, lay nonslip carpet padding on the seat cushions.
5 DIY decorating projects —
Easy DIY upgrade: Give your sofa a new look. Your favorite sofa is having a midlife crisis: It's not worth reupholstering, but it's not ready for the junkyard, either. A pre-made slipcover is just the thing to see it through. For a tight fit, use a wooden spoon or a spatula to work the fabric deep into the couch's crevices. If the arms of a chair or sofa are too narrow, beef them up with foam quilting or comforter batting (available at most fabric stores). To keep a slipcover from sliding out of place on a leather couch, lay nonslip carpet padding on the seat cushions.
real simple
Easy DIY upgrade: Frame fabric for quick, inexpensive art. You'll need a staple gun, a stretched canvas (sold in art-supply stores), and some fabric, preferably heavy linen or cotton in a pattern without straight lines. Cut out a piece of the fabric that is four to six inches longer and wider than the frame. Place the material pattern-side down on your work surface, and center the canvas facedown on top of it. Then staple the cloth to the back of the frame
5 DIY decorating projects —
Easy DIY upgrade: Frame fabric for quick, inexpensive art. You'll need a staple gun, a stretched canvas (sold in art-supply stores), and some fabric, preferably heavy linen or cotton in a pattern without straight lines. Cut out a piece of the fabric that is four to six inches longer and wider than the frame. Place the material pattern-side down on your work surface, and center the canvas facedown on top of it. Then staple the cloth to the back of the frame
real simple