DEAR TORRIE: You’re not alone; many people find it difficult decorating their own home, especially when moving things from one house to another. “Why don’t my things fit the same way?” “I bought this specifically for the family room in my other house; I can’t use it in the living room.” “It just has to go in this room because it always has.”

So where do you start? You need to accept that this house is different. Accept that each room is laid out differently. You might have more or less windows, more open space versus individual rooms, more or less rooms, or maybe you now have a two-story versus a single-story home. I know this sounds like common sense, but it’s the reason why things don’t fit the same way.

Now grab a friend who can help you, or hire someone who will have a fresh perspective. Start by determining the function of each room, besides your kitchen, that’s obvious. Who says that the living room can’t be your family room? Maybe in this house the living room is bigger and will be a better place to watch TV. I’ve done this many times.

Nothing says that just because a room was labeled one thing on the floor plan it has to be used in that way. In my house, the once-formal dining room is where our birds are. I don’t think you’ll see a room specifically noted as a bird’s room on any floor plan. Yes, we could have put them in a spare bedroom, but then they’re not part of our daily activities. It’s important that they have visual stimulation and can see us throughout the day.

Next, don’t get hung up on what rooms you had your furniture and artwork in before. Or what pieces you had together. Sofas and tables can be switched between rooms. The only thing you need to be concerned about is the durability of the items. A silk sofa wouldn’t be the best option in a well-used family room. But maybe because of the size of the room and how you’re arranging the furniture, the living room side tables really fit better in the family room. Just because you had a console table behind your sofa, doesn’t mean it can’t go in your guest room as an accent piece.

Think of every piece in a different way. Ask yourself, how else can it be used and where? Of course, buying new furniture to fit in your new home is an option; it’s not always in the budget. So use what you have first. As Tim Gunn from “Project Runway” says, “Make it work.”

I find artwork can be a troublesome item when moving to another house. The wall space can be so different because of window placement and doorways. Homeowners really struggle with this one.

“I had that piece over my sofa in my last house, but the only place I can put my sofa now is under the windows. What am I going to do with it now?”

So I always like to start with pieces that absolutely must be hung at that moment. If there’s room for all of them that’s great, but many times there’s not. But don’t despair as you can always switch things out every six months or once a year. Start with the biggest pieces, then add in the rest. If you had a lot of smaller pieces throughout your last house, is there a place you can create a wall gallery?

What I really want to stress is to think out of the box. By doing this and getting a little help from someone else, you’ll have your home set up and enjoying it in no time.

DEAR ROGER AND ANN: Fifteen-hundred dollars gives you a little to work with, so that’s good. I’m assuming you’re looking at the main rooms in your home, versus extra bedrooms, so I’ll focus my suggestions there.

In my opinion, the three main things that can update a home are: lighting, faucets and hardware.

Do you have an outdated brass entry, kitchen or dining room chandelier? You can buy a new one for between $100 and $250 or even paint the one you have. The color depends upon your décor. Don’t be afraid to go for color if your style is contemporary. If color scares you, black always works. A red chandelier could look great in a country kitchen. Remember it’s just paint and anything is better than the brass fixture the builder put in.

If you have the old Hollywood light bars in your bathrooms, I’d spend money there and get rid of them. There are a lot of light bars for less than $200. If your light is OK, you can change it up with paint or new glass shades.

A fun trick to try, which won’t cost a penny, is to flip the light. If your shades currently go down, flip them so they go up or vice versa. I do this a lot. Just because they show it on display with the shades down doesn’t mean it can’t be installed the other way. This works with 95 percent of bath light bars.

So are you still living with acrylic-handle faucets in your bathrooms? Even if you have an older sink and counter that are in good condition, just updating your faucet will make all the difference in the world. You can purchase a simple new faucet for less than $50. You don’t have to change out the shower and tub fixtures if you’re staying within the same finish. So if your shower is chrome, it’s OK to use a brushed or stained nickel. If you have brass in the shower and go with a nickel, I would change both out at the same time.

The same goes for your kitchen faucet; spend the money and update to a newer style. If your sink has seen better days, you can find ones for less than $150.

Now onto hardware. The first impression makes all the difference so look into new front door hardware, which you can find for less than $75. While at the front door, give it a fresh coat of paint or, if it’s wood and our lovely heat has gotten to it, refinish it. I’d also take a look at your porch light. Stand at your door and look at your porch as if it’s the first time you’ve seen it.

Changing out your interior door handles will be expensive and eat up most of your budget. So if they look good, just give them a good polish.

I’ve mentioned many times how hardware can really update older cabinets, but it can get pricey in a kitchen depending upon the number of cabinets you have. So spend some time online searching out good deals; they are out there.

Now for a couple of decorative ideas. New table lamps can make a big difference in updating the look of a room. Gone are the oversized lamps with the bell shades that are wider than the tables they sit on. You can get nice new table lamps for less than $50 at any of the home stores. If your bases are nice, look for a new shade, which you also can find easily for less than $50.

Next, what items do you have that you can paint? Outdated drapery rods can be transformed with simple spray paint. Have a nice rod but simple finials? Change them out. There are a lot of great finials for less than $100 a pair.

Another easy item to paint is wall shelves. Give your wood shelves a punch of color. What color? Look at the colors that you have in your fabrics and artwork.

What about painting your kitchen chairs? Or even just the backs. How about the legs on the table? I personally love two-tone furniture.

And finally don’t be afraid to add some color on the walls. Paint a room or two or at least add some accent walls.

DEAR ROSE MARIE: A quick, easy and no cost way to give your room a new look is simply using what you already own. It’s what we in the industry call interior redesign. In just one day and with a little bit of work you can have a completely new room.

Where you start is by completely emptying the room. I know this is a lot of work but it is essential in getting a new look. It’s hard to see how a room can look different with everything where it currently is. Just like an artist, you need to start with a blank canvas.

So first remove your accessories, lamps, plants and then your artwork. Place them where they will be out of the way. Put breakables on the kitchen counter or dining table and lamps on the floor, along a wall so you don’t trip on them. Keep like items grouped together, just how it’s done in the stores. Place artwork by size and try not to lay them in front of each other. The best place to put them is either down the hall or in another room.

Now it’s time to move your furniture. Try to get everything completely out of the room. If not, move it as far out as you can. Be very careful not to hurt yourself; this is not a one-person project. I use carpet installers’ moving glides, but even the little moving discs are helpful for those heavy items. With the room completely emptied, it’s OK to take a short break, but remember everything needs to go back in. You can figure spending about four to six hours for an average-sized family room.

Your next step is to stand in the middle of the room and take notice of the lines in the room. This is easiest to do by looking down at the floor and baseboards. Do you have any angled walls, floor tiles set on a diagonal, or does your carpet and tile meet on a diagonal? Always work with the angles in the room versus against them. Don’t be afraid to place your furniture on an angle. It’s what will give your room a new look and one that is more interesting than before.

Do you have any architectural focal points like a fireplace, great view, built-in bookcase or entertainment unit? Of course, in the family room the television is the primary focal point. Watching television is the main function of the room. It’s important to identify your primary focal point as the next step is to place your furniture.

Start with your sofa and place it addressing the television. What I mean by addressing is that when you are sitting on the sofa, the television is in your line of sight. The sofa does not have to be directly across from the television; it could be on an angle to it, but it shouldn’t be at a right angle. You don’t want to have to turn your head completely to the side to watch television; it’s just not comfortable.

Once your sofa is placed, is there another important focal point in the room you want to see while sitting on the sofa. If you can’t see it, try placing your sofa in different positions until you can see both. Or are you OK if you can see it from another piece of furniture? So, next place your love seat or chair at a right angle to the sofa. If you have a third chair, place it on a diagonal across from this grouping to balance your furniture arrangement in the room. If you don’t have another chair, take one from another room that you’re not using.

Now it’s time to bring back your lighting. A trick to lighting your room is to place your lamps in a diagonal, or preferable, triangular pattern. This ensures that you won’t have any dark corners. Place your trees and floor plants next. If there is a plug nearby, accent them with a floor uplight.

The next step is artwork. You want your artwork to relate to the items around it. Don’t just have it floating on the wall. It’s always best to anchor it to the floor with a piece of furniture or floor plant. A very large piece without something underneath it will give you an uneasy feeling. The bottoms of the artwork should be level with the floor or the piece you’re hanging it over. Only stagger artwork up a staircase.

Try not to place the same pieces of artwork in the same places. This is one thing that will give your room a new look. Just because it was over the sofa before doesn’t mean that’s where it has to go again.

The final and finishing touches are your accessories. Start with the focal areas in your room, normally the coffee table and mantel. The rule of odd numbers and asymmetrical arrangements always work; they are more interesting and pleasing to the eye. Just like with your art, switch things around. It’s been proven that after 27 days we no longer take notice to the things around us. If you are uncomfortable with accessorizing, look in model homes and magazines for placement ideas to follow.

As with all decorating, it’s about balance, proportion and simply how the room feels. If something just doesn’t feel right, it’s probably not properly placed. So move it around until it does. That’s the beauty of interior redesign. Follow your instincts and with these simple steps you’ll be surprised and amazed how different your room will look without spending a dime.

Illustration by Tricia of Trillustrations

The new year is upon us, and I’m sure we’re all thinking about what resolutions we’re going to make, and then probably not keep. There’s something about the word resolution that I have come to dislike. Instead I like steps. “This year, these are the steps I’m going to take to…”

To me, resolutions are a set up for failure, because it’s an all or nothing thing. We all have good intentions, but days turn into weeks, weeks into months, and months into the next year. Whereas, by taking projects a step at a time, step-by-step they will get done. So here are my seven steps to help you work through your decorating projects in 2011.

Step 1: Realize that nothing big gets completed in one day, but in many steps, sometimes hundreds.

Step 2: Remain flexible and expect that your plans can and most likely will change. Life happens. Take a deep breathe, take care of what must be done and then go back to what you were working on.

Step 3: Make a list of all the projects you’d like to work on this year. Make a file folder for each project – paint, kitchen, garage and so on. Place the folders in the order you want to get the projects done. Put the number one folder on your desk and file the rest of them away.

Step 4: Write down all of the things you need to do to get this project done. Don’t worry about the order at this time. Be detailed in your list. If you want to paint the kitchen, don’t just write paint kitchen. You need to pick the color, buy supplies and do the prep work: Wipe down the walls, tape, remove switch plates, remove artwork, move furnishings, etc. Or, if you’re not doing the work yourself, get quotes from painters, call references, check on their licensing, etc. Now put them in order.

Step 5: Next to each step, write down how much it will cost to complete that step. If you have the funds to complete step 1, then, as Larry the Cable Guy says, “Git-R-Done.”

But whether you have the funds or not, I suggest setting up a decorating fund account. For those of us who are old enough, remember the passbook Christmas Club we had as kids. We put in a couple of dollars a month and then we had our own money to buy gifts.

Now if you don’t have the money to start or complete the steps, here are a couple of ways to save the extra money without taking it from your house account. Instead of taking rewards miles on your credit cards, take the cash back. I get at least $100 a month and automatically transfer it to a separate account.

If you haven’t used grocery coupons, start. I bet you’ll save at least $25 a month. Sign up for all of the free rewards programs offered. If you use your Smith’s rewards card at Shell, you save 10 cents a gallon. Put what you’ve saved into your decorating fund.

If you’ve found something for less online, bank the savings. And of course bring your lunch and coffee to work. If not every day, how about two days a week. It’s amazing how quickly the money will add up.

Step 6: You have your list. You know what each step is going to cost. So simply take it step-by-step until the project is completed. Do not jump into any of your other project folders otherwise you may find yourself back at this time next year and have nothing completed. I know it’s hard, but there’s nothing better than the feeling of accomplishment.

Step 7: Go into your file and pull out project folder No. 2 and start over at step 1.

Visit Tricia’s web site for some fun illustrations.  She’ll custom color any of her images for no charge.

One of the things that I enjoy about doing interior redesign is that you have to think and decorate on the fly. If you really want a creative and unique design when decorating, you need to think out-of-the-box. How many times have you brainstormed and from the silliest things came the greatest ideas?

When I teach my students, they are so nervous about trying something new in the beginning. What I ask them is, “What is the worst thing that can happen?” The answer is that the homeowner doesn’t like it and we move it back. That is the wonderful thing about interior redesign: nothing ventured, nothing gained and nothing lost.

So, let’s look at some of the more common items that we all have in our homes and see how we can think out-of-the-box and be creative on the fly with our furniture.

Just because you bought a piece of furniture for the entry in your last house doesn’t mean that’s where it must live out its life in every home. A nightstand is a nightstand only because it’s the label the manufacturer placed on it.

Is you family room overflowing at the seams with too many pieces of furniture, i.e., big-screen TV, kids’ game table and desk? Do you not have any place for a home office but have an empty living room, dining room or extra bedroom? What are you waiting for to make your home function?

Many times I hear, “We really don’t plan on using these rooms very much, so we want to wait to furnish them.” What? Sorry, that just doesn’t make sense to me. Just because the builder labeled the rooms as the formal living and dining room doesn’t mean that’s how they have to be furnished and used. It’s important to use all of the space and items in your home so that they work for you now, no matter what labels have been placed on them.

So let’s look at other ideas on using furniture pieces.

• Do you have a three-shelf-high bookcase? Place it on top of a buffet and it becomes a china hutch, as shown in the accompanying picture.
• Do you need a dresser but have a buffet? It has doors and drawers just like a dresser.
• Don’t have a nightstand? Well they don’t have to match. Instead you can use any number of pieces, including:
• End table. You really don’t need a table next to every arm of your upholstery; just make sure each seat has someplace that you can reach to place a drink.
• Stacking tables or nesters. These are one of my favorite pieces of furniture; they are multifunctional and perfect for every room. Since there are two or three pieces to a set, you can use one in your family room and one in your bedroom.
• Decorative shelf. No one said that a nightstand has to have legs. Plus it will get your alarm clock off the floor.
• Bookcase. That three-shelf-high bookcase that you thought about using as a china hutch can be brought into the bedroom as a nightstand.

Do you have a long and narrow bedroom with lots of space at the end of the bed? Let’s be creative with the space and put it to use.

You can create an additional seating area. Bring in the two arm chairs that you don’t use in the dining room and place a small table in between them.

Create an additional work area. Now I don’t like to suggest bringing work into the bedroom, as that really should be your place to retreat and relax at night, but if you really need a private place to work and don’t have space anywhere else in the house, you can add it here. One rule though is that the area must be kept neat and clean so that you don’t see the piles of things you need to do each day staring you in the face every night.

Create an additional eating place. Why not bring the bistro set that you have in the yard into the bedroom? Now you have an extra place to have your coffee in the morning on your days off.

Create an additional hobby space. Do you like to do puzzles but don’t have the room anywhere else? Bring in a card table and folding chairs to start. Then look around for a sale on a nicer set when you’re ready.

Flying with your tables in the upright and locked position

Have you found an old table to use in your entry at a yard sale but it needs to be refinished and you don’t have the time? Well, go no further than your linen cabinet and you’ll probably find at least one of these things to disguise the table’s condition, along with adding some color and texture besides using a table cloth.

• Drape a sheet over the table and puddle the excess underneath.
• Crisscross two table runners across the table
• Drape a chenille throw and let the fringe hang off the sides.
• Any extra fabric in the sewing basket? Pull it out and tuck the raw edges under. Pin tassels on each corner to dress it up.
• Have any duvet covers or quilts in the closet? Instant table cloth.
• How about the drapery panels or sheers that you’ve just never hung up?

Using what you have to is the most economical way to decorate your home until you can buy what you want. Don’t let the fact that you can’t afford it now stop you from enjoying your home.

Here’s the link to Part 2 - Creative ideas on the fly to dress up your walls and bring in your finishing touches: accessories.

http://www.gmjinteriors.com/2010/04/12/creativity-on-the-fly-part-2-finishing-touches-can-be-creative-works-of-art/

Didn’t I just say, “Can it really be Halloween?” and now it’s almost New Year’s. New Year’s Day is my favorite holiday; I love the excitement of a new beginning. I look at every day as a new day to start over, but there’s just something about a new year. It gives me permission to wipe the slate clean and stop beating myself up about the things I didn’t get done.

But instead of making a resolution, which we always beat ourselves up about when we break, let’s make some decisions instead to work on decorating your home throughout the year.

Decision 1: Make a decorating plan. This year think about the decorating projects you would like to accomplish and put them down on paper. Remember to be realistic and consider your budget and time. Write out each step you need to do, how long it will take, how much it will cost, when you plan on starting and when you want to finish. Then do not shop without your plan. Just like when we grocery shop without a list, we overbuy, overspend and sometimes forget the items we need.

With money tight for everyone, look at other options to get the work done without hiring someone to do it. Can you barter with someone? I know someone who has a drapery workroom and I’d like to have new panels for my hall bath. She wants to learn more about wholesale buying. So we’re going to barter our time.

Can a friend help you? I have a friend who loves to paint; she finds it relaxing, not me. So we’re going to make a fun day of it and paint my hall bath.

Do you have anything that you can sell or consign that’s just been taking up space in your closets? I have brand-new, never-used skis, boots and poles that have been in my hall closet for more than 10 years. It’s time for someone else to enjoy them and I’m going to use the money to replace the faucet in my hall bath.

Can you guess that one thing on my decorating plan is to redo my hall bath?

Decision 2: Don’t just fill a space because it is empty. Just because a room is empty doesn’t mean you have to run out and buy furniture to fill it. Wait until you find that perfect piece you love, that’s in your plan and within your budget. Don’t buy any piece of art unless it’s something you’ll enjoy looking at every time you walk by. You’ll be lying to yourself if you say that it is only temporary until you find something better. I’ve found that those temporary time frames turn into years. Believe me, I’ve done it myself.

Instead, when you find that perfect piece, but it’s not in your budget yet, take a picture of it and paste it into your decorating plan. Then move it to the top of your list and make it your next purchase when you can.

Decision 3: Don’t worry about the latest trends. Just as in clothing, what’s in today will be out tomorrow; there are new trends and colors every year. Why? Because what would be your incentive to buy another navy blue pillow when you already have five. But what if the new blue was cobalt? Well, you might change out the pillows, because color makes the world go “buy.”

It’s fun to stay up on the trends and new colors, but it’s not necessary that we redecorate every time something new comes out. Who can afford to do that? Don’t agonize about what’s in and what’s new, because you’ll never get your decorating done. Instead, stay focused and incorporate a few new colors and trendy items with your accessories.

Decision 4: Decorate your home with what you love. Don’t let friends, family or the decorating industry force you into anything that is just not you. You’ll be living in your home not the sales person, your sister or your girlfriend. Just because they happen to love country with ruffles, bunnies and bows doesn’t mean you have to live with it to.

As a designer, I love to decorate with every theme and color scheme, but it doesn’t mean that’s how I would decorate my home. One of my girlfriends loves yellow and it’s her main wall color. I also love yellow but it’s not in my home. I’m a purple gal so you’ll find it in every room.

I also want you to make a decision that if there is something in your home that you really hate, something that every time you walk past it you focus on it, try to do something about it. Maybe you can’t replace the tile in your entry, but you can buy an inexpensive area rug to cover it up. You can’t stand the fabric on a chair, so sell it and buy a new one with the money you make. Life’s too short to live with something you hate.

Decision 5: Redesign with what you already own. I’ve talked a lot about redesign over the years, so you know I really believe it in. It’s amazing how you can transform your home with what you already own. It will give you a sense of accomplishment and new appreciation for what you have. Using what you have to the best advantage will allow you to enjoy your home now. It will help you stick to your plan to have the home you want in the long run.

To all, I wish you a happy, healthy, safe and prosperous new year.

DEAR KATIE: I, like you, have lots of wine corks as we enjoy a bottle or two with dinner. I have no idea why we don’t throw them away either, but we don’t. You can quickly get overtaken by them. Plus now we’re saving the foil tops, good grief.

One thing we started to do to make them more interesting is to write on each cork the date and reason or event why we opened the bottle of wine. When vacationing, we write on the cork the name of the wine, varietal, date and one or two words to describe it. When having a party, have your guests sign, date and add a special message on a cork. Then replace the old ones in your bowls with these. They’re a lot more fun to have out and share your good times with others. Then when you have enough, which I’m sure won’t be long, place your favorites in a see-through-glass picture frame; the type that doesn’t have a cardboard back. Attach them with glue dots; this way you can see both the front and back.

Make a cork board with corks from your favorite wineries. Place it in your wine room, kitchen, dining room or wherever you enjoy your wine. Look for interesting push pins of grapes, wine glasses, wine bottles or cork screws. Put another in your bedroom to use as your jewelry holder. Use long upholstery tacks to hang your bracelets and necklaces from and just push your earrings and pins into the corks.

Cover the top of a side, coffee or console table with them and place a piece of glass over the corks to get an even flat surface. This is an excellent way to transform a yard sale or thrift store find. If you have a display table — a table with a glass top and drawer — display wine labels, cork stoppers, postcards and photographs from your wine tastings and vacations.

To use some of them in a more functional way, cut your duplicates in fourths or halves and place them on the bottom of any pots, jars or accessories that have rough bottoms. It will keep them from scratching your counters and furniture.

If you’re adventurous, you can cover one accent wall or install the corks as the backsplash in your kitchen or bar, but do not put them behind your stove because they are flammable and get very messy. Place a straight row around the outside and then place two horizontal and two vertical to creative a basket weave pattern. Not up to covering a wall? Cover a canvas that will cover the wall. Paint the canvas black and hot glue to your heart’s content. This makes for a great conversation piece.

Depending how far you want to go with your corks and wine theme, here are a couple of more out-of-the-box ideas.
Cover a headboard, the back of your kitchen pot shelves, a folding screen, the ceiling in your wine area, frame your bathroom mirror or cover the front of your breakfast bar, island or bar.

Replace your existing wood baseboard with corks. Place square-top molding at the floor — for the corks to sit on — then place vertical rows of corks that you have cut in half (this way they will lay flat against the wall) and top off it with a piece of rounded molding. You might not want to do your whole house, but it would be fun in your bar, kitchen, family room, dining room or guest bath.

Another unique way I saw corks used was to create an actual artwork image. You can try this by using a poster as a guide and glue the corks directly onto the poster, changing the direction with each color change in the poster. What would really be interesting is to have posters of the different wine varietals and use the corks that match that varietal. Frame the poster and you have a custom piece of cork art. I think that’s one idea I’m going try.

Then there are always trivets, wreaths, frames, picture matting, covering a wooden box, flower pot, coasters and Christmas ornaments.

Or, better yet, send them to artist Steven Leslie (www.oneofacork.com) and have him make you an amazing cork vase. They are true pieces of art.

Now if you have about 160,000 corks stored away, there’s a man who built a boat from the corks he had been saving for 30 years. He sailed around Portugal in his cork boat.

DEAR JAMIE: We all need to be thinking green and sustainable whenever we can. With the world’s population growing and our resources shrinking we have to work together to keep what we have.

For those who do not know what green design is, it is, in simple terms, about producing products that are designed to protect our health and well-being. So, it’s about products that improve our indoor air quality or make our environments safer. Sustainable design is about producing products that meet our needs now but will not compromise the future generations’ ability to meet their own needs. So, it’s about products that conserve energy and protect our natural resources.

Remodeling isn’t in most budgets today and you don’t need to remodel to have a green and sustainable home. But if you are doing a little redecorating there are a couple of things you can do.

One is to use a low- or no-VOC paint. VOC stands for volatile organic compound, which is a highly evaporative, carbon-based chemical substance that produces noxious fumes. By using a low- or no-VOC paint it will help to improve your indoor air quality. You’ll find that just about every paint manufacturer is now producing eco-friendly paints.

A simple thing you can do is when your light bulbs burn out replace them with compact fluorescent bulbs. These give off less heat and are more energy efficient.

When using fabric, look for ones that are eco-friendly. These can be recycled, organic and newer types that break down air toxins, such as cigarette smoke, exhaust, pet odors, adhesives, ammonia and kitchen odors and break them up into water vapor and CO₂.

You’ll see a lot of recycled polyester, glass and plastic being made into fabric and they don’t have a rough feel. Organic fabrics are made from natural fibers that have been grown without the use of pesticides in soil for at least three years.

Redesign is being considered the newest green design because you are only using what you already own. This is one of the simplest and no-cost ways to bring green into your design. We all want something new, especially with so many sales in the paper each week, but ask yourself if you really need it. Instead, use what you have and give yourself a whole new look. Simply start by thinking out of the box and moving things around right under your roof.

It’s been said that after about 21 days we no longer really see the things around us. We pass them by without even taking notice, so move them around. Start with your artwork. Take it all down and line it up along the walls. Pick out your favorite pieces and hang them in a new location.

I went to a seminar given by Alexandra Stoddard, a world renowned interior designer, and she does this every six months. She can more than afford new artwork, but she loves what she has, so she moves it around. When I got home I did this myself and what a difference it made. I had been wanted something new, but didn’t need it. I love what I have but just no longer saw it.

Want to bring your family and friends to the green side? Have an accessory exchange party. I’m sure we all have an accessory or two that we’ve had for years, sitting in the same place on the coffee table or one you bought on a whim and it’s still on the shelf in the closet.

For even a more dramatic change, rearrange your furnishings. It’s amazing how many homes I go in that the furniture has been in the same place where the movers put it years ago. Just moving it around will give your room a fresh new look at no cost.

Instead of buying new, recycle what you have at a consignment store. Consign what you have and use the money to buy something that is new to you. Many of the stores actually have brand-new pieces from model homes, World Market Center Las Vegas and store closures.

One last thing, if you’re repainting the exterior of your home, look for a paint that has a high LRV, or light reflectance value. The higher the LRV number, the more light the color will reflect. Chocolate brown with a LRV of 10 is only going to reflect 10 percent of the light and absorb 90 percent, where beige with a LRV of 85, will reflect 85 percent of the light and only absorb 15 percent. So in the summer, a color with a higher LRV will reflect more sunlight, helping keep your home a bit cooler and the power bill a little lower; every bit helps.

Green is all around us. It’s the color of life, growth and Mother Nature. And although green design is not about the color, but about sustaining the life, growth and Mother Nature in our world, we can all bring a little green into our homes.

DEAR ROBIN: Reupholstering is one solution to refresh your sofa and chair, but you need to take a couple things into consideration first before you start. Reupholstering most times is less expensive than buying new. I say most times because there are a couple price factors involved in reupholstering that will affect the total cost to reupholster a piece. First, are the pieces you’re considering the style you want to keep for the next 10 years? If you’re going to invest in reupholstering pieces, you’ll want to keep them for quite a few years in order to recoup the costs.

Were they good quality pieces when you bought them? Are the frame, springs, and cushions still in good condition? In my opinion, unless the pieces were good quality pieces to start with, I would not suggest reupholstering them. An exception to that thought is if the piece holds special memories or meaning to you. Maybe it was your grandmother’s favorite chair or is a special piece that you bought when you were in Germany. Now a days you can purchase fairly inexpensive upholstery, so if you paid less than around $1,000 for the two pieces to begin with, they are probably not worth reupholstering because you can buy new.

In estimating how much it will cost to reupholster, let’s look at your sofa. Since you didn’t mention the size, let’s assume it is an average size sofa of 86 inches long by 36 inches deep, exposed feet, loose back cushions in good condition. The two costs that you’ll have are fabric and labor. If you select a plain solid fabric that is 54 inches wide, you’ll need approximately 15 to 17 yards of fabric depending upon the style of the sofa. If you’re looking to select a print fabric that has a pattern repeat, you’ll need to add another 10% to 35% more fabric depending upon how large the pattern repeat is. Now fabric has a very wide price range, from just dollars per yard to over a hundred. Let’s take an average price of $35.00 per yard which will give you a good selection to choose from. Along with the fabric, you have your labor costs. Reupholsters range in price also from about $30.00 to $40.00 per yard, plus may or may not have pick-up and delivery charges.

So let’s do some calculations using the average yardage, fabric and labor costs so you can compare reupholstering to buying new. If your sofa needs 16 yards of solid fabric, the fabric costs $35.00 per yard, the reupholster charges $35.00 per yard and has only a one pick-up and delivery charge of $ 25.00; it will cost $ 1,145.00 to reupholster your sofa. If you only paid $1,000 for the piece and it does not hold any special memories, I would suggest buying new. You would be able to update the style, have a tight new frame and new cushions. But if you originally purchased a good quality piece for a couple thousand dollars or more, that still has a good tight frame and the springs and cushions are still in excellent condition, you might consider reupholstering it. I have many clients that have reupholstered a piece two or three times because it was a good piece or has special memories.

Now if buying new or the cost to reupholstering is not in your budget, you can also consider slipcovers to completing change the look of your pieces. A fitted slipcover will cost about the same as reupholstering as you need the same amount of fabric, although the labor cost will be a bit less. But you can have a loose cover made or purchase a ready-made for just a couple hundred dollars. Reupholstering is a wonderful way to transform a piece of furniture and extend its life, but just make sure it is the right choice for you and your particular piece.

DEAR NANCY: Storage space is a challenge because 95 percent of the homes do not have a basement and we have to be careful on storing things in the garage or up in the attic. We don’t want them to melt, discolor from our heat or get covered in dust and grit.

Let’s first look at those things you can store in the garage and what to use.

My husband teases me because when I get on a clearing and organizing mode it is amazing how much I can pack away. Luggage is perfect for off-season clothes. Since you came from back East, you’ll probably find out this winter that you’re not going to need most of them. But for now, instead of nesting the luggage into one another, bag your clothes and store it in your luggage. Assign a piece for each person in your family and write his or her name on the luggage tag. This will make it easier to unpack and find the clothes you need.

Storing holiday and party decorations in the garage makes sense. I only use clear plastic bins that stack on top of each other. Keep each holiday and party theme in a separate bin so that you can pull out just the one you need. I tape a plastic sheet protector on the side of the bin and write exactly what is in it. Then, to help keep the dust out, I tape the top and hinges or place a plastic bag in the bin first.

For things that you might be going in and out of through the year, use a plastic bag. For example, we have a lot of computer cables, power supplies and software. So, we’ve separated them into types and by labeling the bins it really helps. Otherwise, we’d just be buying new as the search for them could take hours.

Whether I’m storing things in the garage, backyard shed or a closet, I do the same thing.

For inside your home, try to make your furniture multifunctional. I have a storage ottoman and place extra blankets in it. It also can be used for clothing, games, sheets or gifts you’ve collected. I would just keep similar items together.

Is there anywhere you can place a chest or trunk? They are perfect decorative and functional pieces. Pieces with drawers can be used for greeting and note cards, office supplies (as we all have lots of those), candles or anything that is small and you’ll be using regularly.

For books, first check to see if there are any that you can donate. Do you really go back and reread them? I had shelves of them and except for ones that I use for reference, I donated them to the library and took my novels to a book exchange store.

With the books you have left, look to see where you can add bookcases. It is amazing that when you really look, how many nooks and crannies you’ll discover.

Now, if they will be in your everyday view, you might want to consider having them built in. If you have a lot of paperback novels, the shelves do not need to be 12 inches apart. With standard bookcases, I find that the novels end up getting packed in, two books deep, becoming unattractive storage. Things that are in plain sight need to be neat and attractive, otherwise you just create eye clutter.

For large collections, consider packing half of the items away, maybe in a closet or under your beds and rotate them instead of having them all out. I know storing under a bed is bad feng shui, but when we’re lacking storage I consider everywhere.

So that you don’t get overwhelmed, just take one group of items at a time. I would start with your largest items and those you want to get to on a regular basis and think out-of-the-box for where you can place them in a box to store.