How to Turn Your Home into a Real-Life Barbie Dreamhouse
The 1990’s introduced some iconic toys before electronics stole the attention of young boys and girls in the 21st century. One of the more famous toys was the Barbie Dreamhouse. Tons of 90’s babies dreamed of one day living in a house of their own as fabulous and fun as Barbie’s. Now that the children of the 90’s are grown, living in a Barbie Dreamhouse doesn’t have to be just a dream! Having a slide from the third story down to a pool may be a little unrealistic (even though it would be really cool), but it is possible to incorporate many elements of a Barbie Dreamhouse into homes today. Satisfy your inner-child with these realistic ways to make your home feel like a real-life Barbie Dreamhouse! ACCESSORIZE with PINK, splashes of GOLD, + GLITTER Just like every Barbie doll has its accessories, your home needs them too! In true Barbie fashion, accessorize with pink appliances. Display a pink coffee maker, pink mixer, pink blender, a jar of pink serving utensils, pink hand towels + oven mitts, and pink mugs + dishes on your kitchen countertops and on open shelving. If you really want to go all out in the kitchen, choose a pink backsplash and purchase a pink microwave, stove, and fridge. Vintage fridges that are more oval shaped fit Barbie’s vibe the best. The rest of your kitchen should be white (cabinets, wall paint) with a sparkly countertop, of course. Go for gold when selecting hardware like handles, knobs, sink, light fixtures, etc. Continue the pink accessories throughout your home with pink throw pillows + blankets, table decor, wall art, wallpaper, and of course, wherever you can, add glitter! LOTS OF PAINTBarbie’s dreamhouse is anything but dull. Although she loved pink, her home boasted an abundance of bright colors. Consider painting the walls (including the floors + ceilings!) bright colors such as teal, turquoise, yellow, bright orange, lime green, and purple. If you have any exposed beams or pipes, paint them too! Barbie’s dreamhouse is much more colorful and warm than industrial and neutral. Remember to Barbie-fy the exterior of your home, too! Paint those window shutters and front door, Barbie pink of course. PATTERNED WALLPAPERLiven up the walls with patterns! Since you’re already painting the ceilings and floors, it’s great to break up all that color with a patterned wallpaper. Geometric shapes and large flowers are great, but choose a design that has both color and white so it’s not too much on the eyes. Use these for accent walls, in the bathrooms, hallways, etc. SWING CHAIRSBarbie is too fabulous to have boring furniture. Purchase an indoor swing for a loft or living room space. Make sure you hang it safely and that it can hold a lot of weight. Spruce it up with comfy pillows! DECK-OUT YOUR CLOSETBarbie was a fashion icon, so you can bet her closet showed it. If your space allows, give yourself a dream closet with built-ins, center ottoman, make-up desk + station, floor to ceiling mirror, and a large attention grabbing chandelier right in the middle. If you don’t have a walk-in closet, you could turn a spare room into your closet. Make sure you have a few fave items, like a pair of pink heels or a pink purse displayed as if you were in a store! ICONIC ELEMENTS - Quick + easy elements to include that Barbie would have had in her home: A Pink Bike, strategically displayed leaning up against the front of her home. A Large Boombox (make it pink or another loud color)! A Vintage Pink Cord Phone, a classic (even if you never use it). Pink Gym Equipment, like this mini pink + white treadmill you can purchase on amazon! FABULOUS PET ACCESSORIESBarbie was a pet mom, and Taffy, her dog, had a dream dog house of his own. Give your fur baby the Barbie experience with a doghouse fit for a King or Queen, perched on a patch of fake or real grass with a cute little plastic fire hydrant to go along with it for display. Don’t forget the pink dog toys! BUBBLE/ROUND FURNITUREShy away from boxy, boring furniture and go with soft, bubble, and round couches and chairs. These pieces are more Barbie’s style, and give your home a groovy 70’s look! Opt for unconventional fun colors for the fabric. MIX + MATCH TEXTURESBarbie’s dreamhouse, while technically plastic, would definitely offer a variety of textures in real life. Incorporate fuzzy and feathered pillows + blankets, some pleated leather sofas, and fluffy rugs into your interior. Don’t forget to add some gold metal items to break up all the cozy + soft warmth! PHOTO SOURCE
10 Must-Have Tools for Homeowners
When you own your home, things are going to break. Unless you want to spend your money on visits from a neighborhood handyman, you’re going to need to fix them yourself. Luckily, you don’t need an arsenal of tools to handle most home maintenance fixes. These ten tools will cover most of your basic projects. Cordless drill. A cordless drill is a must-have for installing cabinets, drawer pulls, hinges, picture frames, shelves and hooks, and more. Whether it’s for do-it-yourself projects or repairs, you’ll use your cordless drill just about every month. Drain cleaners. Shower and bathroom sink drains are susceptible to clogs because of the daily buildup of hair and whisker clippings. You can use chemical clog removers like Drano, but they’re expensive and the lingering chemical scent is unpleasant. Instead, buy some plastic drain cleaners that can reach into the drain to pull out the clog of hair and gunk. You can purchase them on Amazon or at a local hardware store for a low price. Shop-vac. No matter how careful you are, spills and accidents will happen and there are some tasks that just can’t be handled with paper towels or a standard vacuum, like pet messes or broken glass. Loppers. Even the minimum amount of care for your landscaping will require some loppers to remove damaged branches, vines, thick weeds, and any other unruly plants in your yard. Flashlight. You’re going to want something a little more powerful than your iPhone flashlight when you’re in the crawlspace! Plunger. This is one tool you may not think to have on hand until you need it and at that point you don’t want to have to run next door and ask a neighbor to barrow. Measure tape. We’ve all heard the phrase “measure twice, cut once...” This applies to laying out furniture as well, so it’s helpful to measure first and buy later. If you’re looking to rearrange or bring in new furniture, keep this tool handy. Level. When it comes to finding a level surface, guessing is not an exact science. Whether you’re hanging a picture frame or a 60-inch plasma screen TV, you want to get it right the first time. Utility knife. You can use it to open boxes, trim the edges of the carpet or remove the paint around the windows. It’s something you appreciate even more when you have it. Hammer. Use it to attach a painting on the wall, to remove or pound nails or to even take down a wall. A hammer will last you a lifetime and more.
Swimming in Style- The Perfect Pool for You
The end of summer is a great time to start looking into getting a pool put in your backyard. For the next 9 months, you’ll have ample time to plan and build a water oasis for family and friends to enjoy next summer. But where do you start? The first step is choosing the type of pool that best suits all of your wants and that works in your space. For decades, there were two options: above-ground and in-ground pools, but so much has changed. Check out these enticing new swimming pool options. S T O C K T A N KIf you prefer something cozy, low budget, and easy to install-a stock tank may be the pool for you. These pools cost roughly a few hundred dollars, leaving the main expense to be the cleaning pump and supplies. This can be costly, however, because the metal may rust if not properly taken care of. Keep in mind that since they are metal pools, they absorb the sun rays naturally heating the water inside, sometimes more than you may want! Stock tank pools add a country feel to your space and can be in-ground or above-ground. You can build decks around them, or surround them in foliage for a more natural spring look. These pools are smaller and shallow in size, so if you’re into watersports and diving, a stock tank isn’t the one. If you’re a lounger, however, they’re just what the doctor ordered. M O D U L A RModular pools, also known as shipping container pools- are an innovative way to repurpose. They can be customized to fit your exact space, which can come in handy if your yard is rather small. They tend to be longer than they are wide and on the small size. Swimming and jumping is still safe and do-able in these pools, though! Installation is a breeze and can take less than a day and can be both in-ground or above-ground. Plus, these pools are often partially see-through, adding a unique aesthetic focal point to your outside space! Additionally, you can bring them with you if ever you decide to move to a new home. S A L T W A T E R Bring a day at the beach right to your backyard by implementing a saltwater pool. Saltwater can be added to any pool-type in place of chlorine. Saltwater is a more natural way of keeping your pool clean and many people believe they actually feel cleaner than traditional chemical pools. Plus, the strong scent and taste of saltwater isn’t present, so you just get the perks! Watch out for corrosion, however. Saltwater can actually damage pools made of certain materials with time. They require more upkeep than regular pools, and you’ll need a place to store all of the salt bags. I N F I N I T Y Infinity pools are the most popular type of pool in terms of aesthetics. They are ultra-sleek and make any backyard look luxurious. The water pours over the far side into a lower moat, giving the illusion of a seemingless edgeless pool that goes on forever, hence the name. The water flow recycles from the lower pit back into the main pool. Years ago, you only really saw them in mansions and at resorts, but they’re becoming more and more prevalent in backyards. They’re particularly perfect for homes with elevated yards and views. Infinity pools boast a hefty and long installation time, costing an average of $80,000, varying depending on size. Regardless, they are a guaranteed showstopper once complete!
Categories
Recent Posts
