PRINTED PAINTING
Want something bright and eye-catching for your walls? Try covering a canvas or a square piece of wood with fabric. It’s cheaper than a real painting and you can use whatever fits your personality. Browns and large prints go well with this living room’s apple-green walls.
SEATING ARRANGEMENT
A quick way to change the look of your favorite chair: put cushions and replace the fabric every once in a while. Are you in the mood to be wild? Go for loud prints. Do you want things feminine? Choose floral patterns, like this one.
COLORFUL CUTOUTS
A plain dresser needs some decoration, especially if it’s going to be placed in your child’s bedroom. What you can do: Trace figures of his favorite animals onto sheets of cartolina. Create background scenery as well. Group the animals together to tell a story before cutting them out and taping them onto the drawers. Neat.
BETTER THAN MINERAL WATER
Add some zing to your drinking water with sprigs of rosemary and slices of orange. But don’t just stop there. Feel free to put in other herbs and fruits as well. (We like mint and lemons.) It looks pretty on the dinner table and guests will surely love the tangy flavor.
DISPOSABLE KITCHENWARE
Before actually cooking a dish, chefs show us ingredients that have already been measured and placed in bowls. But for us house cooks, following their example means more stuff to wash and clean. Our solution: use plastic cups or cupcake liners as temporary containers. This gives you time to chat with your guests without worrying about dirty dishes afterwards.
(First published in Good Housekeeping, April 2006; photos by Dakila Angeles)
