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Wallpaper patters can be playful or fun to match a room’s intended use.
Walls of passion
Wallpaper can transform a room into spirited living space
ARTICLE RESOURCE ASSOCLATIOK
It starts out innocently
enough. Something captures
the imagination and takes hold.
One lesson in golf leads to a life
long obsession. A wine tasting is
the beginning for a wine collec
tion. These are the things that
come to define who we are and
how we live. It is in this spirit
that the Echo Collector’s Home
Collection fi:om Gramercy was
created.
“The patterns speak to the
things people love,” says Shih-
ma Sun, design director for
Gramercy “They’re playful and
fim — and they draw you in to
take a closer look”
Movie buffs will del^t in the
pattern that mimics the movie
posters of classics in film noir,
musicals and westerns fium the
Golden Age of cinema; each is
artfully layered in a collage of
color. Other patterns take their
inspirations fix)m eye-catchir^
labels that will appeal to choco
late lovers, cigar aficionados,
wine and fancy beer connois
seurs and gourmet coffee
drinkers.
Memorabilia plays a big part
in this collection of whimsical
Please see CREATIVE/5D
Honesty
best policy
for loan
application
It is against the law to com
mit loan fraud. So don’t con
sider it, under any circum
stances.
Do not let
Roland
Hawkins
in trouble in a court of law.
Overstating your personal
income on a loan application
is also considered a federal
offense. You shouldn’t even
misrepresent the length of
your employment or places
employed.
Lyir^ about the source of
your loan down payment
and/or failing to disclose the
nature and the amoimt of
money put down on a con
tract.
When you apply for credit,
every piece of information
that you submit must be
accurate.
Don’t let anyone convince
you to boiTow more money
than you need or can afford to
comfortably repay Overex
tending your credit limit may
tax your ability to pay yom*
bills on time. If you fall
behind on your payments,
you risk the loss of your home
and good credit rating.
Please see HONESTY/5D
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Put patterns in your decor
with today’s easy wallpaper
ARTICLE RESOURCE ASSOCIATION
Suddenly patterns are every
where you look. Big, bold flowers
on this season’s skirts, eye-pop-
pir^ patterns in catalogs, maga
zines and store displays all can
put you in the mood to add some
pattern to your fife. Wallpaper is
one fim way to get the look, and
get it now.
If “fun” is not a word you associ
ate with wallpaper, think again.
Wallpapei’ is no longer those
1940s itty-bitty prints that made
a sticky mess when you put them
up or took them down. Thanks to
big changes in the way it’s made,
wallpaper is now much easier to
hang and even easi^ to remove,
so you can experiment with pat
tern on your walls and yes, have
fim with wallpaper. Here are
Please s
3 PUI/5D
THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 2006
4D REAL ESTATE
some tips to get you rolling:
Get Inspired
This is the fun part, but aU the
choices can be overwhehning.
Before you go to the wallpaper
store, practice your powers of
observation. Become aware of the
patterns that catch your eye as
you go about yom' day Take note
of,what you like best. And think
TRADNG UP
Details
create
spring
havens
ARTICLE RESOURCE ASSOCIATION
It’s that time of year again when you might
feel the urge to purge - otherwise known as
spring cleaning. But think twice before trad
ing in some of your home dv^or items -
instead, trade them up. By addir^ small
details to what you already have, you can
achieve a chic and rejuvenated look for spring.
Think outside the boxes
Before relinquishing boxes of trinkets, “clut
ter-creators” and damaged accessories, consid
er repurposing items such as plain lamps and
window treatments, tattered pUlows and
throws, or unused vases and china. Small
details help create a spring haven with a fresh
perspective and affordable materials such as
decorative trim, mirrors and faux-flowers.
While taking inventory of the items you have
to work with, begin visualizing your ideal
dvlShor- Need inspiration? Peruse the pages of
your favorite magazines. Whether replicating
a designer pillow for the family room or fash
ioning an outdated lamp in the guest room into
something trendier, upgrading casting pieces
will breathe new fife into the room for the sea
son.
Glam shams
Is the couch in perfect condition, but the pil
lows have seen better days? Redress your
favorite furniture by usir^ the tattered pfilows
as an insert for no-sew pillow shams. In just a
few hours and with a little bit of creativity, you
can achieve ^ ^tzy designer look.
First, find a fabric with spring-infused hues
and patterns that compliment the room. Mea
sure the pillow and cut the fabric to the appro
priate size. Take one piece of fabric witii the
pattern facing up, and run a small bead of Per
fect Glue 1 adhesive along three sides. Next,
place tire other piece of fabric on top with ri^t
sides together and press firmly Steam iron the
three adhered sides to speed the curing
process. Allow one hour for drying and then
turn the sham right-side out. Insert the pillow
into the sham, and glue the final hem. Use
clothes pins to hold in place until dry
Spring reflections
Continue your spring haven mission by cre
ating an airy environment with accent mirrors
in order to open up and visually extend spaces.
Use mismatched pieces of china from your
‘junk” pile as frames for wall mirrors For larg
er mirrors, chargers work great! Simply choose
a circular mirror that fits into the center of the
plate and adhere using strong craft glue, such
as Perfect Glue 1. Apply a heavy object on top
of the mirror and allow two hours for drying
time.
In a new light
Lighten up your space figuratively, as well as
aesthetically That dated, albeit trusty lamp
maybe the perfect candidate for a makeover to
better reflect your rejuvenated dvtsbor. Con
sider covering the offendir^ lamp base with
unique embellishments such as rope or artifi
cial greenery A versatile adhesive (such as
Perfect Glue 1) wfil adhere to a variety of sur
faces such as ceramic, metal, stone, and brass.
Don’t forget the lamp shade! Extend your cre
ativity to design an eye-catching and compli
mentary shade to complete the lamp transfor
mation.
Now that your imagination is blossoming,
don’t stop. Move on to the next space and con
tinue to refresh your household items. And,
remember - it’s aU in the details.
For more detailed informcaion on how to creole the
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