-     If you are low on budget, select a neutral tone colour for your walls. The colours like white, beige, tan, rust, brown and gold are considered to be safe and long lasting colours. You can arrange any type of furniture and accessories with these background colours.
-     You can add a personal touch to your interiors by using accessories like a colourful rug or cushions.
-     Highlight the pieces of art or your special porcelain figurine collection by spot lighting. Use lamps to lighten your room instead of overhead lights. The lamp shades of yellow or of light tan should be used as they add a warm glow to the room.
-     Pull the sofas out instead of arranging them pressed against the walls. This will leave some circulation area around the furniture in the room. Try to create a nice and cosy conversation area by placing your furniture at the appropriate position.
-     Use your collections and curios to form a theme. These items can become the focus point of the room adding thereby a lot of character to your room.
-     Make a personal style statement by say adding a unusual shaped chair or a table place at an odd angle.
-     Always hang all art pieces and paintings at eye level so that the guests can appreciate and enjoy easily.
-     If your apartment or house is small, use single colour on your walls to give the illusion of space.
-     To get rid of the wax from the candle stands, place them in the refrigerator/deep freezer for an hour or two. The wax will chip off faster and quicker.
-     Add a tablet of aspirin in the water of flower vases; the flowers will remain fresh for a longer time.
-     To keep the flowers in bouquets/vases fresh for a longer time, cover them with wet newspaper.
-     To get rid of the brown patches caused by mildew on the bathroom curtain, fill the bathtub with warm water and add 1 cup of borax. Soak the curtain for some time and then remove it and wash and then hang it to dry. The mildew patches will disappear.
-     Add charcoal pieces to the water in the flower vase in order to keep it odourless for a long time.
-     To clean the mirrors and window glasses, use a solution of water and regular vinegar to two cups of water. Spray this and wipe it clean with a damp newspaper.
-     To clean and add sparkle to the brass objects, rub with tamarind and salt. Leave for a while and then rinse and wipe it dry.
-     To keep the shower cubicle clean and sparkling for a longer duration, wash the whole shower stall followed by waxing it with car wax. Use the clear wax and not the green turtle wax. This will help to keep the dirt and grime from sticking on the cubicle walls.
-     To add warmth and welcoming look to your room add a beautiful rug or arrange accessories with plenty of texture. Use bright coloured accessories to add that drama against the neutral coloured walls.
-     To delay the mineral build up, apply the mineral oil over doors in the shower.
Have Kids? Do you have crayon marks on your walls? I do, and it sure doesn't look pretty! Try taking a damp cloth and sprinkle some baking soda on it. Gently rub the crayon marks away.

GLASS CARE

A simple glass cleaner is baking soda and water! To prevent windows from steaming: Clean the glass ccasionally with a cloth moistened with glycerin. Wipe it so only a trace of the glycerin is left on the surface. Use on the inside of a window.

PICTURE FRAMES

Dingy or rusty gilt picture frames may be cleaned by simply washing them with a small sponge moistened with oil of turpentine or spirits of wine! Take care that the sponge does not become saturated. The sponge should be damp, not soaking. Gently wipe off the dirt and rust. DO NOT WIPE DRY...Let the frames dry themselves.

Another method to clean gilt frames: Carefully dust the frame. Make a mixture of 1 ounce of baking soda and 3 egg whites. Beat well. Wash the frames with this mix. Touch up scrapes with gold paint. A small bedroom will appear larger if you keep the bedspread the same color as the walls.

More Household Hints!

Have a squeaky door hinge?
Get a can of lubricating oil and some paper and cloth. Hold the paper or cloth near the squeaky hinge.. Put a few drops of oil at the top of the hinge and let the oil run in and down by moving the hinge back and forth. Wipe off the excess oil! No more squeaks.

Keep your cut flowers longer!
Want to keep your cut flowers for a longer period of time? Especially those beautiful roses you will be getting on Valentines Day? Take 2 tablespoons of white vinegar and 2 tablespoons of sugar and mix in a quart of water. Use this water in your flower vase. It should extend the life of your flowers for a few days longer! And, before you place the flowers in the vase, be sure to cut each stem at the bottom at an angle

Tools to have around the house:
Oil Can, Pliers, screw drivers (regular and Phillips head) and a hammer. This is about all you will need for easy fix its, along with the usual nails, tacks and picture hangers.