Overview

Everything needed for trouble-free makeover projects and creative home maintenance. In this practical manual, a professional decorator shares hundreds of her personal tips, techniques and trade secrets that will guide homeowners in attractive decorating and regular maintenance tasks, from repainting a ceiling to finding and fixing energy-sucking drafts. These are the how-to's, the wisdom and the time-saving shortcuts that do-it-yourself homeowners will appreciate for years to come. While the book is designed for beginners planning their first-ever home makeover, more experienced homeowners will find tips and tricks to make their work easier, too. Clear instructions and lots of illustrations demystify all key aspects of every task. There are also handy checklists, tables and diagrams. The main focus is on decorating with paint, wallpaper and tile, and includes all aspects of surface preparation, application of materials, estimating quantities, using tools, cleaning up and much more. The straightforward ideas and useful tips will achieve a professional-standard result and avoid costly mistakes. Any project can have unexpected challenges, so the author has provided fix-it solutions for common problems. The six chapters (Tools and Equipment; Walls; Ceilings; Doors; Windows; and Be Prepared and Essential Maintenance) are comprehensive, covering every project the home decorator may face: Step-by-step ""how-to"" sections Useful lists of essential tools and supplies How to build a decorating kit Using equipment safely Order of work planning Hang wallpaper, match patterns, work in awkward corners Ceiling access and safety when working aloft Finishing touches: ceiling roses and decorative elements Door maintenance and security Finding drafts and correcting air circulation Installing window treatments Using a decorating record and maintenance table What to do in an emergency. Here are two sample tips that save a lot of work: 1. Add dish detergent to the water used to hang wallpaper to help the water stick to the paper; 2. Use color indicator spackle that is pink when applied, and turns white when dry enough to paint.

Full Product Details

9781770854529

Table of Contents

Reviews

"When the first tip concerns choosing a toolbox and the 300th tip covers handling your water supply, the content in between the two -- the other 298 tips, that is -- cover the fundamentals, including planning and preparation for walls, ceilings, floors, doors, windows, and finishing touches. All of the tips are illustrated, if not with photographs and drawings, then with graphic design. What counts most are the author's knowhow sections (Jenkins comes by her expertise through her feature writing for home-improvement publications as well as by way of her first book, 100 Things You Don't Need a Man for). Floating ""fix it"" and ""try it"" sidebars point readers to easy-to-do repairs, such as filling gaps and crevices, and different tasks to sample (e.g., painting over wallpaper). Beauty shots -- that is, finished rooms -- conclude most chapters. Great advice made accessible.--Barbara Jacobs ""Booklist"" (12/15/2014 12:00:00 AM)"

When the first tip concerns choosing a toolbox and the 300th tip covers handling your water supply, the content in between the two -- the other 298 tips, that is -- cover the fundamentals, including planning and preparation for walls, ceilings, floors, doors, windows, and finishing touches. All of the tips are illustrated, if not with photographs and drawings, then with graphic design. What counts most are the author's knowhow sections (Jenkins comes by her expertise through her feature writing for home-improvement publications as well as by way of her first book, 100 Things You Don't Need a Man for). Floating fix it and try it sidebars point readers to easy-to-do repairs, such as filling gaps and crevices, and different tasks to sample (e.g., painting over wallpaper). Beauty shots -- that is, finished rooms -- conclude most chapters. Great advice made accessible.--Barbara Jacobs Booklist (12/15/2014)

When the first tip concerns choosing a toolbox and the 300th tip covers handling your water supply, the content in between the two -- the other 298 tips, that is -- cover the fundamentals, including planning and preparation for walls, ceilings, floors, doors, windows, and finishing touches. All of the tips are illustrated, if not with photographs and drawings, then with graphic design. What counts most are the author's knowhow sections (Jenkins comes by her expertise through her feature writing for home-improvement publications as well as by way of her first book, 100 Things You Don't Need a Man for). Floating fix it and try it sidebars point readers to easy-to-do repairs, such as filling gaps and crevices, and different tasks to sample (e.g., painting over wallpaper). Beauty shots -- that is, finished rooms -- conclude most chapters. Great advice made accessible.-- (12/15/2014)

Author Information

Alison Jenkins is a features writer for home improvement and lifestyle magazines, including Homes and Gardens and Country Homes and Interiors. She is the author of 100 Things You Don't Need a Man For and has been a guest expert on DIY TV shows.

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