A Day in the Life of an Interior Mall Employee - Shelly

Name: Shelly

Years Employed at IM: 11

Job Title: Business Manager/Webmaster

Describe a "Typical Day" for You at IM:
I'm always working on e-mails and programming projects. I am a part time firefighter and full time zookeeper at the office.

Favorite Moment(s) While Here at IM:
I love listening to the intelligent (or sometimes not so intelligent) conversations around me.Quite entertaining. Wait... not so intelligent??

How Does Your Office Reflect You?
I have pictures of my family, personal artwork, kids artwork and lots of lists and reminders of who and what I need to do and be.

Fill in the blank
There is just not enough outdoor light in my office.
If you walk by my office you'll hear me typing.

Custom Draperies: The Whats and the Hows

Window treatments can completely change the look and feel of any room. If you have gone from bare bones windows to adding at least a valance you know what window treatments can do. Just like a vehicle, there are so many "makes and models" it can be overwhelming figuring out what all the different types look like and what will ultimately suit your needs best. I have pulled together some of today's most popular drapery panel styles in the hopes that it will enlighten you and make your decision making easier.
Let me start by saying that I am only focusing on drapery panels right now. I will delve into valance, swag and cornice board options down the road.
First let's look at the most common types....

Tab Top drapes are stylish and clean. They remove the need for drapery rings thereby keeping the look simple, yet attractive. Tab tops are a very modern look.
Rod Pocket drapes are the most common drapery type. They are simple, traditional and for those sewers out there are relatively easy to make.
Grommet Top drapes like tab tops are stylish, modern, clean and minimalistic. Grommet tops are growing exponentially in popularity and many drapery hardware companies are beginning to manufacture designer grommets to add that special touch.
Pinch Pleat drapes give your window a luxurious, designer look and feel. These are typically used with drapery pins, curtain rings that use gator clips or traverse rods.
Inverted Pinch Pleat drapes works great if you are wanting your panels to stay stationary. Inverted pinch pleat drapes bring a fullness to your window and your room.
Goblet Pleat drapes are considered to be among the more luxurious designs for window treatments. They are better suited for curtains that are both long enough to graze the floor and are fully lined to maintain their unique shape.
Cartridge Pleat drapes  are tailored and sculptural with smooth unbroken folds, this treatment gives a sleek, streamlined look that works well in just about any setting.

No matter the style you choose you can't go wrong with drapery panels. You will absolutely love what they will do for your room.

A Day in the Life of an Interior Mall Employee - Carrie

You've heard our sweet southern voices on the phones and you've read our blog posts for years but who are we really?? Over the next few weeks we will be showcasing each one of our fabulous employees in a series called "A Day in the Life of an Interior Mall Employee". Get to know us in our home away from home. See our offices, learn about our jobs and put a face to our name.

First up... Carrie.

Name: Carrie

Work Nickname: Krazy

Years Employed at IM: 6

Job Title: Product Development/Marketing

Describe a "Typical Day" for you at Interior Mall:

I check my email and answer any that need immediate attention, then I check my lists and piles of things that need to be done. I add any new products to the web, update old products and work on upcoming print ads.

How does your office reflect you?

I have pictures of my son, my friends, and my family all over my office. I also have sarcastic things up like, "I still miss my ex-husband but my aim is improving." :)

Fill in the blank

I'm known as the "Wild Child" of the office. Although I don't think I'm THAT wild.

Interior Mall Fabrics/Products used in Carrie's office:
Mulberry Silk 9014 Fuschia
Mulberry Silk 9046 Kiwi
Mulberry Silk 9040 Black

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Homemade Cleaners Toolkit: 5 Essentials to Make Your Own

Last week, I was helping my brother clean out his apartment when he complained about the prices of eco-friendly cleaners. Always looking for converts, I recommended he start making household cleaners himself — it takes very little time and all you need are these five essentials.
You can use these five basics to clean almost everything in your home, from fixtures to floors to laundry to the bathroom. Making household cleaners is one of the easiest DIY projects around and it will make an enormous difference in your home. In addition to being eco-friendly and inexpensive, it also reduces indoor air pollution.

THE FIVE ESSENTIALS:

Vinegar: This is the natural-cleaning powerhouse. It does so many things around the house that it has merited its own post time and time again. Vinegar cleans, adds shine, disinfects, and gets rid of of bad smells, mildew, and other household funk.

Baking Soda: Mixed with vinegar, it makes sinks and toilet sparkle. Mixed with a bit of water, it works great on bathtubs and gets rid of the stuck-on food on your stove top. A good, basic scouring tool.

Lemon or Tea Tree Essential Oil: A few drops will make any cleaner antibacterial.

Liquid Castile Soap: A little castile soap, like Dr. Bronner's, goes a long, long (long) way. Mix it with water to clean your counter tops (vinegar can ruin marble and granite). Also good for dishes, floors, and anywhere else that needs basic, gentle cleaning.

Rags: Make 2012 the year you reduce your paper towel usage! I color code mine for different uses: blue for my kitchen counters, green for the bathroom, and pink for dusting.

FIVE CLEANING RECIPES TO GET YOU STARTED:

Glass Cleaner: Mix equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Add a few drops of lemon or tea tree oil.

Toilet: Pour in one cup of baking soda, followed by one cup of vinegar. Clean with toilet brush as usual and flush.

All Purpose Cleaner/Kitchen Cleaner: Pour 1/4 cup Dr. Bronners into a one quart bottle and fill to the top with water. Add 2-3 drops of essential oil. Spray and wipe off with a damp cloth.

Linoleum Flooring: Mop with half a tablespoon of Dr. Bronners mixed into a half gallon of hot water. You can also add a few drops of essential oil.

Dishwashing Soap: Fill squirt bottle with one cup of castile soap, 3-4 tablespoons of water, and 5 drops of lemon (or other citrus) essential oil.

Painting Fabric on Furniture?

With the new year upon me I have felt the overwhelming urge to make sure I'm up on the trends for this year. I consider myself pretty current on fashion and home decor but I've been seeing a repeating trend in home decor that I just can't seem to wrap my brain around... Painting Fabric on Furniture. I'm assuming if I'm this confused most of our readers probably are to so I've set myself on a mission to not only understand how to do it but to feel confident enough that I would. Here's what I've found:

Things You'll Need
• Drop cloth
• Transparent paint
• Opaque paint
• 2-inch wide nylon paint brush
• 3-inch wide nylon paint brush
• Scrub brush
• Soap
• Water
• Hand-held shampooer
• Bleach
• Sponge
• Heat gun

Directions
•1 Choose your color. If you have a light-colored fabric, stick with a transparent paint as your main color. If you have a darker piece of furniture, use an opaque paint that's a couple of shades darker than the original color, but in the same color family. The same goes for furniture with patterns. Rather than trying to hide the patterns, which will result in thicker coats of paint that will be uncomfortable and could possibly result in cracking later, stick to muting the pattern as opposed to hiding it.

•2 Prepare your furniture. You can't paint over dirty furniture. Clean your furniture thoroughly with either a scrub brush, soap and water, or a shampooer with hand-held attachments. Don't use spray-on upholstery cleaner since it leaves behind residue. Make sure you rinse the fabric well. Gently blot stubborn stains with bleach, using a light touch. Allow the furniture to dry as much as possible before you begin painting.

•3 Mix and apply the first coat of your main color. Mix your paint as follows: 1/2 paint and 1/2 water. Start with short, even strokes on the front of your furniture with a 3-inch wide soft-bristled brush. After you have finished painting the entire piece of furniture with the first coat, if you're not satisfied with the coverage, mix your paint again. This time with only 1/4 water to 3/4 paint and apply a second coat.

•4 Add your accent color. Mix your accent color with only 1/4 water to 3/4 paint. Using a sponge, dab the accent color over your furniture fabric. Don't press too hard or it will overtake your main color.

•5 Prepare your furniture--again. Air dry for 2 days. Then, using a heat gun, dry thoroughly to set the paint. After you've completed this process, repeat it to really set the color. Allow the furniture to sit for another 2 days. Shampoo, rinse and dry your furniture with the heat gun. This is absolutely necessary to prevent paint from adhering to clothing, etc. Once you have completed this process, it will be ready for use.

Although I still don't feel like an expert on the subject, I would feel confident enough to at least try this method on a CraigsList pick up or garage sale bargain. I've seen the results and with most fabrics you can't even tell it's been painted. Think of the money that you could be saving by painting on new fabric rather than having to re-upholster. Now don't get me wrong, some fabrics NEED TO LEAVE but if it's just a matter of not liking the color on a chair or sofa, why not just paint it?

Instructions provided by EHow.com

Picture provided by Apartment Therapy