Make Your Own Pillows

Sometimes when you buy a couch set, you just can’t find those perfect pillows that express exactly what you wanted. Or you may have been staring at the same pillows for years and feel that your living room needs a redesign. The best way to accomplish both is by making your own pillows. This gives you flexibility for style, material, size and plushness. Here’s a few simple steps to make your own couch pillows. Have fun.

1. Picking a Fabric

First, examine your room. What color is your sofa and furniture? What are they made out of? What color is your floor? What color are your accessories? All of these surrounding items play a role in the way your eyes perceive your room. You want your pillows to compliment all of these items. Since the pillows will actually be sitting on the couch, make sure they have enough contrast in color and material to stand out, but are not too overwhelming. Also, what do you want your pillows to feel like: silky, fuzzy, smooth, ridged, etc? It might help to take a photo of your room with you when you go shopping for fabric.

2. Picking a Size

Once you’ve picked out the fabric, you need to pick the size of your pillows. Pick a size that allows people to sit comfortably on the couch, but large enough to add style to your couch.

3. Cutting

Measure out the size you want on the backside of the fabric, adding a 3/4 inch all around. Cut and repeat. You should have two pieces, front and back. You can use sewing chalk to mark your lines.

4. Pinning and Sewing

Pin three sides of the pillow so they stay together as you sew. Using a sewing machine, sew along the three pinned sides. Turn the cover right side out and stuff your pillow. This is when plushness/firmness comes into play. You’re in control of how soft or firm you want your pillows to be. Then pinch the fourth side together and sew by hand using small, even stitches. Now place them on your couch and enjoy the new look of your living room!

To make a simple holiday wreath, wrap green florists’ wire around the ends of boxwood clippings to form five or six small bunches. Wrap the bunches around a wreath base with more wire so that they overlap. Use the wreaths to decorate shelves and punctuate with jewel-toned ornaments or other trinkets.

In understanding how colors work together, it’s also helpful to know the three dimensions of the colors on the wheel.

Hue is commonly used interchangeably with the word color but technically refers to the pure spectrum colors in the color wheel.

The value of a hue is determined by adding white to create a tint, black to create a shade or gray to create a tone.

Saturation is the purity of the hue. The colors on the wheel are considered to be in their purest form. As the colors move towards the center, as shown in the graphic at right, they are considered desaturated where no hue dominates.
Natural Reactions to Color
Do you shiver when you’re in a light blue space? Fan yourself in a room full of red? Don’t worry — there’s a scientific reason why. Colors are indelibly tied to natural elements like fire, water, sky, evoking certain responses just as if you were seeing and experiencing it firsthand.

Summer is a time when interior and exterior living merge together. The brilliant colors of seasonal flowers brighten up indoor spaces while house plants can be placed outside for added greenery to patios, decks and porches. Just as Julea suggested above POPS of summer color accents add the extra punch to show off a homes personality.

Outdoor lighting can also create a variety of atmospheres on long summer evenings. Whether you use candles, tiki torches, strands of clear party lights strung above a deck, or a combination each brings a unique feel to the space.

One of my favorites for summer is a water feature. The sounds of a running water is so soothing and peaceful. It invites both homeowners and visitors alike to sit and relax-isn’t that what summer is about?

This occupied home staging was required due to circumstances that arose quickly and that the owner had no control over, a work transfer to the east coast. What they did have control over was hiring a top notch Realtor who understands the value of using a professionally trained stager on everyone of her listing. Besides being a marketing wizard, she understands that with a competitively priced product that looks better then every other house in the neighborhood hers always sells (on average) within 10 days and most often for more then the asking price with multiple offers. Making for very happy selling clients that are sure to refer their family and friends back to this very smart Realtor. Let me show you how you can increase your income by shortening the days on market of your new listings.

My IRIS charity project for “Sue”, survivor of ovarian cancer.

I had contacted the local ovarian cancer assistance league and asked to be linked to a survivor who was in need of a “Healing Heaven”. What I got was a whole lot more then I bargained for.

Sue had a flood in her home the day she went into the hospital for her surgery. The insurance refused to pay for the damages. Two years later she is still living with all of her furnishing thrown into the living room since the flood.

I could not leave her in this condition so I asked my chapter of IRIS members to help me to put her living room, kitchen, dining room and family room back together again, they did so with a smile on their faces. We felt like we were blessed that day, being able to give back to someone so deserving as Sue.

BEFORE:                                                                                AFTER:

• To welcome spring decorate with flowers inside and out.
• Paint a piece of furniture to make it stand out and look fresh.
• Rearrange your furnishings to take advantage of the light that is pouring in.

Kathy Houghton, principle of Perfect Placement is passionate about the placement of furnishings and accessories. She has been in the real estate industry for more then 20 years. The study of Feng Shui has enhanced the staging and redesign work to give an advantage to the client. Inventive and innovative with being beautifully attuned to the clients personal style and needs is what sets Perfect Placement apart from other ReDesigner and Stagers.

Contact PPR&S for your Free Initial Consultation:

Kathy Houghton

(714) 272-7883

1643 N. Dressage St.

Orange, CA 92869

ReDesign | Redecorate | Room Makeover (all the same thing)

In Redesign we use your furnishing to showcase your style. Did you know that everything that is needed to create an entirely new look, or purpose for your space exists in your home right now?

Let Perfect Placement use your taste and style to create a fabulous space that is totally reflective of YOU.

We will customize the perfect combination of services from room makeovers, real estate staging, color consultations, to special occasion (holiday) decorating, party planning, senior downsizing, professional organizing, to make and move with set up home service.

Real Estate Staging for a Quick Sale:

The mind set of staging a home for sale is to create an emotion that the majority of home buyers can relate to. It must make them feel at home instantly. It creates a feeling in them that they can see and feel themselves living in the space. You must have that before you will ever get an offer. Perfect Placement achieves this feeling by using the principles of Feng Shui to enhance the flow of positive energy into the space. Staging will never overcome an over priced listing. Staging will help when paired with an aggressive marketing campaign.

Each space needs to be balanced with all 5 elements. Which are listed below and some of the examples of items you can use to bring them into each room.

• Fire;  red, candles, apples, red, yellow, orange colored flowers.
• Earth;  rocks, pottery, crystals, tile, granite.
• Metal;  furniture, sculpture, lamps.
• Water;  fish bowl, vase with flowers, fountain.
• Wood;  green plants, furniture, floors and cabinets.