Spark

RIP, Raggedy Ann and Andy. Poor dolls.

In honor of Halloween, today we are sharing some haunting home decor images. Most of these images are pulled from actual (shiver) real estate photos via Hooked on Houses. This is what happens when your worst nightmares come true and well intended “creative” decorating takes an evil turn. If you are living in the horror of  clashing textile patterns, peeling wallpaper or an infestation of furry animals (not living) or dolls. . . please march straight to the phone and call us.

Otherwise, comfort yourself with the knowledge that you don’t live in one of these rooms and if you are planning on renovating to make an investment, also with turnkey rental property investment definition you can learn the best moves for you and your investment opportunities.

Lions and Bears and Tiger, Oh My!

These dolls are more scary than sweet. . .

Basement Bathroom with Red Carpet

{Unfortunately, I experienced this bathroom firsthand and we had to call a professional but thankfully it was just for, Common Plumbing Services needs so they got there fast and fix it easy. It is in the basement of a friend’s family home. And yes, there is red carpet on the floor. Carpet in the bathroom is enough to send me screaming, but along with the village scene wallpaper it’s just too much. }

Being green is easier than ever, with more and more stores catering to an eco-conscious clientele. The new kid on the block is Treehouse ,  a hardware store plus more. This amazing store is located in the Westgate Shopping Center next to Central Market South. They specialize in carrying products that are easy on our earth, [...]

Shopping around at antique shops and markets, I started noticing vintage train cases. I think I’m drawn to them for their travel weary appearance and nostalgic nod to cross country train rides (as seen in old movies with very well dressed, sauve passengers). The ones I had found were being kept in climate controlled storage [...]

For those who have small dining and kitchen areas, I often suggest built-in banquette seating to maximize the space. A banquette allows you to carve out little dining nooks in oddly shaped rooms or to double the width of free space in rectangular rooms. The long bench seat is perfect for piling up the kids [...]

Bored with your not-so-new or hand-me-down chairs? Give them a fresh makeover with a can of paint and some fun new fabric! I inherited a pair of  iron bar stools from a relative years ago. When they fell into my hand hands, the stools were white and gold with almond colored “pleather” seats (yikes!) Click [...]

Most people have heard of Round Top, either for the famed pie or the endless antique fairs. If you have never experienced a trip to the Round Top area antique markets, then I highly recommend it for all treasure seekers. It’s really almost impossible to explain the mass of roadside tents and giant barns brimming [...]

Remember that unmistakable smell of new crayons? And the tiny thrill of sharpening a brand new pencil and watching that yellow curl of wood slowly unravel? Even if you can’t go back to first grade, you can capture the nostalgia of your early school days through a few “learned” pieces of furniture, lighting and decorative [...]

While visiting my sister in Chicago this week, I spied an issue of Chicago Home and Garden magazine that caught my interest. Flipping through the pages, I instantly fell in love with the accent wall in Amy Love’s studio in Bucktown. Love, a bookbinder, had books cut in half and attached to plywood boards that [...]