Part Two
Last week, in Part One of this blog, we discussed some of the many challenges of decorating an old house. We talked about solutions for narrow staircases, ill-placed electrical outlets and non-functioning fireplaces. Today I like to share some more tips in two principal areas: floors and walls. Read on for ideas to help you love these old gals even more…
Hardwood Floors Are A Challenge When Decorating An Old House
Hardwood floors. You’ve got to love them. It’s part of the charm of an old house and you should consider yourself blessed if you have them. However, they do come with their own challenges. I find that four things help: felt furniture pads, furniture leg cups, furniture shims and rug tape.
Bruce and I have the felt furniture pads on pretty much everything. They keep the hardwoods from getting scratched up and they make moving the furniture around when cleaning so much easier. The furniture leg cups are also to protect the wood and work best on the legs of chairs and stools that you are moving in and out all the time.
Furniture shims help you combat the old house problem of uneven floors. These little, plastic babies can be cut to size and will eliminate the wobble of most pieces of furniture. Because hardwoods can be slippery you may want to get some rug tape and a good rug pad. This will keep your area rugs in place on your old floors. I don’t want any Aladin imitators among my readers.
Insider Tip: Thrift and consignment shops, like Consignments Ltd., are great places to score furniture and other items to decorate your old house.
Your Walls Can Be Tricky When Decorating An Old House
The walls of an old house present their own challenges too. Uneven finishes, like horse-hair plaster are hard to work with when hanging art and hard to style with paint. Two solutions come to mind for these problems: wallpaper and nail-free hangers.
Nail-free hangers, like Command Hanging Strips, make hanging art without nails a breeze. These removable strips can hold up to 15lbs. For heavier art, definitely pre-drill your holes, as old houses can be notorious for over-framing (so studs can be way more frequent or spaced in odd configurations). And definitely invest in a stud finder.
Wallpaper is also a friend to an old house. All but solid color papers will disguise imperfections in the walls. A great choice is to use wallpaper in a bathroom, but it also looks great in a dining room or as a statement wall in a bedroom. I’m planning to use peel-and-stick wallpaper on the back walls of my built-in bookcases in the living room and behind the bed in the primary.
Keep The Old House Authenticity and Frame The TV
When decorating an old house, you’ll often want to keep that old house look alive. One smart way to do this is to use a framed TV. These new, super-slim styles mount directly to the wall and blend seamlessly with your galleries. You can change the art any time you like and even set most of them to look like a mirror, as well. They come in all styles of frames to match just about any home’s decor, old or new.
I’ll keep sharing tips as we learn things from our new, old gal. But if you’re hungry for more right now, check out my previous blogs, like: Best Peel-And-Stick Wallpapering Tips and Bold Wallpaper Makes A Comeback.
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