From the category archives:

Articles

for Bernhardt Furniture

July 13, 2008 Articles

by Bernhardt Furniture spokesperson Lauri Ward
Upholstered Furniture
Are you traditional? Thoroughly contemporary? Or, when it comes to decorating, would you like to mix and match different pieces? Putting together comfortable, beautiful rooms that reflect your personality is a talent that evolves gradually over time.
If it’s time to replace a piece of furniture, buy something that you [...]

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iVillage

July 13, 2008 Articles

Home & Garden Expert
Decorating

Lauri Ward is internationally recognized as a pioneer of the one-day decorating industry. In 1981 she founded Use Waht You Have, Inc. to provide people who didn’t think they could afford to hire an interior designer with fast, easy, low-cost decorating makeovers. She and her husband also co-founded the Interior Refiners Network™, [...]

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Dividing a Room

July 12, 2008 Articles

Shoji screens or curtains can create private spaces for two or more kids
By ClubMom Decorating Expert Lauri Ward
The high cost of housing has forced many people to stay where they are instead of moving to larger quarters after they have children.
When this happens, the space that is most often compromised is the bedroom(s) of the [...]

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Where to start?

July 12, 2008 Articles

for USAWeekend
April 6, 2003
We asked the author of Amazon.com’s No. 1 home book to give decorating advice to 20-somethings with big goals but little money.
By Lauri Ward
The biggest decorating problem for 20-somethings is that they tend to be impulse buyers. Avoid the temptation! Think about what you need and want in advance, and don’t do [...]

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Make The Most of Inherited Furniture

July 12, 2008 Articles

Reconfigure, reupholster, relocate, or (when all else fails), let it go
for Inspired House Magazine
by lauri ward
July/Aug 2004
PHOTO TOP LEFT: ERIC ROTH (DESIGNER: GAYLE MANDEL);
PHOTOS TOP RIGHT AND LEFT: JESSIE WALKER
Inheriting furniture can be a blessing and a burden. Torn between wanting a COMFORTABLE, livable space with a cohesive style and feeling obliged to keep gifts [...]

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Organizing Kid Chaos in Your Home

July 12, 2008 Articles

How to reign in all those toys without spending any money
By ClubMom Decorating Expert Lauri Ward
A couple in their late 30s called my firm two years after having their second child. Their home wasn’t large but was comfortable for the four of them. They just thought it needed freshening up since they hadn’t done [...]

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Safety-First Interior Decorating

July 12, 2008 Articles

Things to watch for when decorating your home
By ClubMom Decorating Expert Lauri Ward

As moms, we know we have to protect our children, but we can’t spend every second worrying about their safety. So here are a few suggestions for making your home both safer and more comfortable and giving you some worry-free sleep
[...]

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No Fear Decorating

July 12, 2008 Articles

Don’t worry so much about “the good china”
By ClubMom Decorating Expert  Lauri Ward

Decades ago, plastic slipcovers were all the rage, and most people used their living rooms only for entertaining company. Holiday dinners found the adults in the dining room using the “good” silver and china, and the kids isolated in the kitchen, using [...]

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Make Room for Baby

July 12, 2008 Articles

Even when there’s just not enough room
By ClubMom Decorating Expert Lauri Ward

With real estate prices still sky-high in most cities around the country, many families cannot afford to move from the homes they now live in. The issue is especially sensitive for families who are thinking about having another child or who are [...]

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Making Good Use of Space in Your Home’s Design

July 12, 2008 Articles

for Log Home Magazine
by: Leah Kerkman

Lauri Ward, designer, decorating pioneer and author of “Use What You Have Decorating” and “Downsizing Your Home With Style: Living Well In A Smaller Space,” shares her ideas on how to get maximum style in a small home:
How did your business get started? When I got out of [...]

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Give Your Home a Makeover in Minutes

July 12, 2008 Articles

3 easy transformations
By ClubMom Decorating Expert Lauri Ward

Here are a few quick tips to make your home more comfortable, easier to care for, and safer for your whole family without spending a lot of money:
In Your Hallway
If you have a standing coat rack in your front hall, consider replacing it with wall-mounted hooks. [...]

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Get an Entertainment Unit

July 12, 2008 Articles

The family room or den can benefit enormously from this single item
By ClubMom Decorating Expert Lauri Ward
No matter how large your home is and no matter how big your family is, like most people, you probably feel as though you never have enough storage space. While many catalogs and stores offer a variety of [...]

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Living More Simply Is the Best Revenge

July 12, 2008 Articles

by Lauri Ward
There are many reasons why you might be moving to a smaller home. Maybe your children have left the nest and you’re ready to fly the coop to a smaller, more manageable home, or maybe you’re about to return to the city after living in the suburbs for a couple [...]

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Everyone Likes a Nice Room

July 12, 2008 Articles

Suggestions for making your child’s room homey
By ClubMom Decorating Expert Lauri Ward

Just like their Moms (and some Dads!) children have become more saavy about interior decorating. They see Mommy reading design magazines and watching HGTV and, when they visit their friends who have “cool” rooms, they, too, want to have comfortable, good-looking spaces [...]

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Do more with less

July 12, 2008 Articles

Interview for The Denver Post By Sheba R. Wheeler

Among Ward’s do-it-yourself decorating advice: Keep it simple with organic materials, and bring the outside in with fresh greenery. This room also illustrates the U-shaped seating arrangement that Ward favors. (redecorate.com)
Moving to a smaller home or outgrowing an existing one shouldn’t put a damper on personal style.
There [...]

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Decorating When You Have Collectibles

July 12, 2008 Articles

Be selective about what you display
By ClubMom Decorating Expert Lauri Ward
Whenever I ask a client if there are any accessories she can do without, I’m surprised to find that she invariably removes all the cutesy bric-a-brac and leaves only the finest pieces. So why was she displaying those pieces she knew were not enhancing [...]

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Child-Safe Interior Decorating

July 12, 2008 Articles

A few decorating tips to fix up your home
By ClubMom Decorating Expert Lauri Ward
Bulletin! Bulletin!

If the natural cork and the pine frame of your child’s bulletin board don’t work well with the rest of the decor, simply paint the entire surface in the semi-gloss color of your choice and use color-coordinated or clear plastic [...]

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Balanced Decorating

July 12, 2008 Articles

Think about it. Have you ever worn a sandal on one foot and a boot on the other? No? Then have you tried wearing a black leather glove on one hand with a red wool mitten on the other? Okay, probably not. Since our bodies have lots of pairs we tend to feel most comfortable [...]

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Decorating for the Wonder Years

May 13, 2006 Articles

Flexible furniture makes things easier
By ClubMom Decorating Expert Lauri Ward

Here are a few ideas for ways to transform baby’s room into a more grown-up-looking space for a small child:
Replace the rocking chair with a comfortable upholstered chair for reading. Many changing tables are set atop a complete bureau. By removing the changing-table top and [...]

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