Author: By Marni Jameson
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Clearing out the house: Behind the scenes of the estate sale | At Home
Ten years ago, when clearing out my parents’ home of 50 years, I had no idea what I was getting into, let alone what I was doing. I had never been to an estate sale, and now I was going to have one. I took a week off from my job in Florida, flew to…
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At Home: Rethink the art in your house with these 14 designer tips
In the world of art and design are two schools of thought. On one side are those who create or sell art. Artists and gallery owners, for instance, tend to promote the idea if you love a piece, buy it. You will always find a place for it. Interior designers, on the other hand, look…
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At Home: Can sofas take abuse and still look good?
Over the years, I’ve become a big fan of furniture that is both pretty and practical. I’ve made the mistake of buying furniture that was pretty and got quickly ruined. (Good-bye cream linen chair!) I’ve also been stuck with furniture that is all function and no form, like the oversized, dark brown faux leather sofa…
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At Home: Get richer living with less — tips to lighten up
As I was winding up a downsizing talk to a group of retirees in Baltimore last week, a woman asked a question that made me want to reach for the smelling salts. The woman, who appeared to be in her 70s, was wondering what she should do with her parents’ bedroom furniture, which she was…
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At Home: To enliven dated décor, try taking a risk
The move was risky. And I don’t regret it one bit. For all my decorating life, decades, I thought animal prints were for other people. Although I coveted the exotic look of a leopard-print throw or a tiger-striped rug, I lacked the courage to put one in my home. That was then. I now have…
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At Home: To combine colors at home with confidence, cue the color wheel
Like many do-it-yourself decorators, I’m always looking for ways to bridge the gap between my limited skill set and the world of fine design. I look for what great designers know that the rest of us don’t, like how to pull off daring pairings of color. Often DIY decorators get the furniture plan right, nail…
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At Home: In ‘Authentic Interiors,’ author features rooms that tell stories
I like interesting stories and I like interesting homes. I also like to believe I tell the former and have the latter. So, when the book “Authentic Interiors: Rooms That Tell Stories” hit my radar, I thought, “Shazam! My worlds collide!” I devoured the 224-page, picture-rich hardcover, then called the author, interior designer Philip Gorrivan,…
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At Home: Cleaning closets can aid kids in Africa, animals in shelters
On a recent bike ride with friends, the subject of what we were each going to do the rest of the day arose. One friend groaned, “I’m either cleaning my linen closet or doing my taxes.” “For sure the linen closet,” I said, offering my unsolicited opinion. “Not to guilt trip you, but children in…
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At Home: Guys, is your place date bait? Gals share biggest turnoffs
“I need your help,” my good friend Susan texted from the Denver airport. She was dashing off to visit her son in Los Angeles. He needed emergency decorating intervention. Austin, a 29-year-old data analyst, was doing well for himself financially, but his apartment was a barren den of neglect. His excuse: He’d been busy and…
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At Home: Do you need stuff to store your stuff?
In my finger-wagging moments, when I am chiding folks for buying too much stuff and not getting rid of enough, when I am preaching about purging and organizing, these words fly out of my mouth: Don’t buy stuff for your stuff! Most of us have no trouble going out and buying products we think will…