Q & A - Dorm Room Décor Tips
My daughter has a real sense of style. Unfortunately, her dorm room doesn’t. We want her to be comfortable but have obvious limitations on what we can change. Any tips to spruce up her space without adding to our already sky-high college costs?
Lisa V.
Memories of my college dorm room are quite fresh, despite more years having passed than I care to admit! You are right to consider the limitations. You don’t “own” the space that you are improving and colleges rightly have limitations on doing anything that can damage the space for the next student (I remember all the repair work we had to do to fix up holes from darts that missed the dart board!)
Fortunately, there is a lot you can do to spruce up the space. An excellent resource is HGTV.com’s popular “Rate My Space” community. The Dorm Room gallery allows users to both showcase their dorm room décor and to share advice on other student’s college spaces. (http://hgtv.com/dorms)
Last year, nationwide spending on dorm décor and college apartment furnishings reached an estimated $5.43 billion, with young adults 18-24 spending an average of $159 each.* Ready to help students ace decorating difficulties and maximize the money they spend, designer Angelo Surmelis - host of the HGTV program “Rate My Space”- offers some expert advice on creative dorm room decorating on a dime.
“Color is one of the easiest ways to make an impact in any room, and dorm rooms are no exception,” he said. “Since painting walls is usually out of the question in most dormitories, finding new, inexpensive and creative ways to add color is the key.” Surmelis suggests the following ways to add color without ever having to paint:
* Get inexpensive canvases and paint them all a single color or a few different complimentary colors. Cover a wall with the canvases for added interest and a great color focal point. They are also easy to repaint if you get tired of the color(s) you used. Group a few canvasestogether for major impact!
* Fabric can have a similar effect while adding texture. Stretching colored or patterned fabric over canvases, cork boards or simple plywood boards cut to custom sizes and shapes will not only give your room instant color, it will give you an extra design element that can influence bedding, pillow and accessory choices.
* Most paint and wallpaper stores have remnant wallpaper that you can purchase quite inexpensively. Frame interesting papers with ornate thrift store or flea market frames to give your room instant style that not only feels personal but chic and unique.
* “Another big dorm decorating issue is dealing with the small space,” Surmelis added. “Since dorm rooms can be quite small (and are often shared), maximizing storage is essential.” He offers these tips on utilizing space:
* Get stylish by utilizing furniture pieces that can double as storage - like ottomans that open up, beds with pullout drawers and storage in the headboards, as well as vertical storage units.
Use your walls to their fullest potential. Simple shelving or even cubes (that you can customize with paint or wall paper) can add instant interest while providing storage that keeps surfaces neat and clean. And salvage yards are a great place to find alternative brackets for your shelving - plaster scones, for instance.
Tom Kraeutler is the host of The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show and the Home Improvement Editor for AOL. For more tips, sign up for Tom’s free e-newsletter here. Tom’s latest book, My Home, My Money Pit: Your Guide to Every Home Improvement Adventure, is available in bookstores everywhere and online.
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Brick Driveway Pros and Cons
A brick driveway can look fantastic, as long as it’s well designed, installed, and maintained. But is brick the right material for you? Let’s look at a few of the pros and cons.
One of the big pros to brick pavers is that they lend a sophisticated traditional look to your home. If you’re looking for curb appeal, brick can be a great driveway choice.
You can also get artistic and have creative patterns installed with different hues of bricks. For the homeowner wishing to be eco-friendly, it’s possible to reuse old bricks, and there are more and more outfits willing to assist you in finding reclaimed materials.
A big con to brick driveways is that they’re significantly more expensive to install than asphalt or poured concrete. Brick pavers cost around $8-$20 per square foot, and pavers made from used brick can run as high as $26 per square foot. If you have a large driveway, that can add up quickly.
Also if there are any roots growing beneath the driveway, or the ground shifts or sand beneath erodes, it can create an environment where weeds will grow up between the pavers. A weedy driveway will sink your curb appeal in a minute, and tugging them out can be a tedious weekend chore.
Any driveway material comes with pros and cons, so consider what’s best for you and your budget before deciding.
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Dog Breed Cookie Cutters — Woof!
I remember helping my mom make sugar cookies as a kid, and even though I liked chocolate chip better, I had fun with the sugars since we got to use the cookie cutters on those. We had such exotic shapes as circles, diamonds, and squares (not the most creative collection, I’ll admit).
Today you can do even better with animal shaped cookie cutters. The dog breed ones, in particular, caught my eye.
The one shown here is model after the Samoyed, and there are quite a few breeds to choose from at Kritters in the Mailbox. While I didn’t see my dog’s breed, I did spot Golden Retrievers, Irish Setters, Huskies, Rottweilers, and others. For those who want something more exotic than the family dog, you could also pick up an armadillo, raccoon, or even a llama.
Those ought to make some good looking cookies. Good luck finding the right frosting color for an armadillo though.
Prices run about $12 - $15 per cookie cutter.
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Full-sized Smoker/Grill for Serious Tailgate Cooking
I’ve actually never been to a tailgating party, but I have used a little portable camp grill, and I have to say I definitely prefer the big ones that can do it all. Grilling, smoking, rotisserie cooking, eyebrow singeing, you name it. If you, too, think bigger is better (and you have more tailgating cookouts than I do), you’ll want to peep the Hitch Pro Smoker/Grill Combo.
“This unit features medium gauge steel construction, 20 in. x 28 in.cooking surface, full length fire box pullout tray, removable grill grates, adjustable dampers, large thermometer on front, removable grill grease drip cup, chrome stacks on top, 2 side shelves, 2 position adjustable hitch arm mount to fit standard receivers. Also available with optional single spit rotisserie unit.”
Yes, we’re talking serious grilling power right from the back of your truck.
A mere $1750 from Southern Yankee Bar-B-Q
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Heated Limestone Lounge Chair for Indoors or Out
There aren’t a lot of stone chairs that you come across (though we’ve looked at a lounge chair made from concrete and metal before), I guess because it’s not the softest material out there. That didn’t keep the folks at Spa Equip from creating a perfectly lovely looking lounger made from limestone:
The Cleopatra Classic Heated Lounge Chair
And it’s the heating element that sounds delicious to me. Though the lounge chair itself has some nice body-fitting curves, I wouldn’t usually pay $14,000+ for a piece of furniture, especially not one made from stone. But this sounds nice:
“The ergonomic design ensures comfort and the radiant heat emanating from the stone warms the soul. The ultimate expression of ‘warmth therapy’, it penetrates deep into the body for a thoroughly delightful as well as therapeutic experience.”
It definitely sounds like a spa experience.
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Door Shield Protects Wood from Pet Scratches
If you’ve got excitable pups that charge up to the front door whenever they think it’s time for a walk, and they’re liberally applying their claws to said door, then here’s a simple solution:
A door shield.
The clean plastic shield attaches to the bottom half of your door, so Fido’s claws won’t damage the wood or scratch up the paint if he paws at it.
Designed to be nearly invisible, the pet shield can be cut to fit any size door. It can be attached with double-tape or screws, both of which are included.
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Decorate with Disney, Door Knockers, Yard Accents, and More
If you’ve got kids, chances are Disney products already adorn your house, fill your bookcases, and spill out of your DVD shelves. For some people, this is enough, but if the kids want more (or you’ve got a bit of Disney nostalgia lingering from your own childhood), you can decorate the yard, front porch, and even your door with Disney paraphernalia.
Just check out this Mickey Mouse Door Knocker.
Why should anyone have to apply their knuckles to your door when they can give a hearty rap with Mickey?
Or perhaps you’d prefer a weather vane? A plaque with your house numbers? A lawn marker? A doormat?
These are all available in Disney versions from Yardiac. Prices vary depending on the object, but you can pick up the Mickey Mouse door knocker for $43:
Mickey Mouse Door Knocker
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Deck or Patio? Which is Best for Me?
Summer is a popular time to build a deck or a patio so that you can spend time enjoying the great outdoors. But which surface is really the best?
Deciding whether a deck or patio makes the most sense is part structural and part personal choice. If your back door is close to the ground (within a foot or two), a patio is probably the best choice. Decks require more vertical space for the posts, beams and joists to be built and it makes no sense whatsoever to build those below grade.
If a patio is your pick, you can build a super nice one with concrete pavers. These are modular bricks and fit together like puzzle pieces. The most important part of the installation is the preparation of the base. You’ll need to clear and flatten the land, then lay down 8-10 inches of crushed gravel and tamp it until it is almost as solid as concrete. If the base isn’t prepared correctly, you’ll end up with a patio that looks more like rolling hills punctuated by weeds.
If you have more vertical height off the backdoor or if your yard slopes off so much that a patio wouldn’t be practical, building a deck is the best option. When designing your deck, first decide whether you want one level or more. Keep in mind that while multiple levels can be very attractive, each one reduces the amount of useable space since furniture can’t be placed near step-downs. If a deck is for you, there are many material options. Natural wood choices include pressure treated lumber, cedar, redwood or Ipe, a beautiful and resilient hardwood. Composites, made of plastic and lumber combinations, are also becoming extremely popular. My co-host recently installed a composite deck product called Fiberon and it was gorgeous!
Tom Kraeutler is the host of The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show and the Home Improvement Editor for AOL. For more tips, sign up for Tom’s free e-newsletter here. Tom’s latest book, My Home, My Money Pit: Your Guide to Every Home Improvement Adventure, is available in bookstores everywhere and online.
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Q + A: Will Asbestos Siding Impact House Value?
Hoping you can shed some light on this concern of mine. I recently went into a bidding war on a century-old home and won─however, it wasn’t disclosed until after the deal was signed that the home has asbestos siding. After much internet research, I’ve seen many different responses, all of which seem to suggest that this product is highly questionable and unstable, and that it can’t be altered at all (by cutting, scrubbing or painting) as the asbestos can become airborne and compromise everything. Can you please clarify for me what you know to be true? Should I be purchasing a home in this day and age that has asbestos siding?
Hayleigh N.
First off, don’t panic…Asbestos contained in siding, known as “cement asbestos”, is far less of a risk than when used in other applications, as the asbestos fibers are bound within the siding’s cement composition and can’t be easily released into the air. After 20 years as a home inspector, this is not something I have ever seen impact a home’s value. Cement asbestos siding is non-organic and so it does not decay and actually holds paint quite well (which, by the way is NOT dangerous contrary to what you have been told!).
As for handling it, you do need to take a few precautions. Cutting asbestos siding is the only danger, which is minimized with use of specialized tools that “shear” rather than cut the shingles. Also, I recommend against installing new siding over top of the existing asbestos material, as the process will damage the latter and cause asbestos fibers to be released. Remember also that while removal of asbestos siding is not regulated, disposal of the material may be so also be sure to check with your local trash collection service to ensure that the material can be disposed of properly.
Finally, I don’t believe having cement asbestos siding would negatively impact your home’s value. It is not dangerous and while it may not be the most trendy siding product out there, it is super durable and does it’s job of protecting your home’s structure quite well.
Tom Kraeutler is the host of The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show and the Home Improvement Editor for AOL. For more tips, sign up for Tom’s free e-newsletter here. Tom’s latest book, My Home, My Money Pit: Your Guide to Every Home Improvement Adventure, is available in bookstores everywhere and online.
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Decals & Stickers for Your Bathtub
What’s adorning the front of your bathtub? Nothing but a damp bathmat? You might try perking things up with some tub decals. (And even if they’re not classy enough for the master en suite, the kids may enjoy them on their side of the house.)
These little divers are designed to stick on tubs, toilets, or walls, and they come in whatever color you wish. “This decal may be applied to flat, smooth, clean and dry surfaces. They are removable but not reusable! Please use caution when removing decals. Depending on the age or condition of the painted surface underneath, some touch ups may be necessary.”
Made from heavy-duty 6-year outdoor-rated, cut vinyl, the tub decals should last as long as you want.
$10 from BadassCustomDecals on Etsy.
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