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Scott & Kathy Kindberg

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Here are some things our clients have been saying about A Helping Hand.

- “I love cleaning day. That evening at home is so relaxing. It’s niceto look around and knoweverthing is clean and I can spend more time with my family.”  -Madison

“4 out of 4 Stars” – Middleton

“Great  Job!” – Ben, Middleton

“4 out of 4 Stars” – Rekha

“4+ Stars” – Virginia

“Fantastic! We love the girls.” Marcia

6 Budget Decorating Ideas Inexpensive And Simple Decorating Ideas

*Be sure to visit the links through out this article. We highlight local Madison area businesses that may help your decorating needs.

Inspiration for budget decorating ideas can be found everywhere. From low-cost reproductions of high-end designer rooms to creative themed rooms, decorating your home need not be a costly affair. However, it can be difficult to know where to begin. Presented here are a few budget-decorating ideas that can get your project started. Use these ideas as a springboard to create your own unique design.

Use Paint

As long as you do not have a landlord who forbids painting, this is at the top of most lists of budget decorating ideas. Color reflects mood and can be used as the backdrop to create a theme. Paint is relatively inexpensive and easy to work with and simply repainting a room can be enough to instill new life.

When selecting paint, it is important to keep a few factors in mind. Eggshell is a popular finish for walls, as it is easy to clean and carries just a hint of shine. Semi-gloss is an excellent choice for trim, providing a beautiful shine and an easily scrubbed surface. Gloss and flat paints are harder to work with and should only be used for accents, preferably once you gain more painting experience.

It is not necessary to purchase high-end designer paint. Most of the time, you are paying for the designer’s name rather than a higher quality. However, low-cost budget paints should be avoided; these paints tend to be thin and prone to drips and runs and will require multiple coats. Select a mid-grade paint instead.

When estimating the amount of paint you need, remember to calculate the square footage of the walls, not the overall square footage of the room.

Multiply the length of each wall by its height, and add each wall’s square footage together. You can subtract a bit for large areas of cutouts or cabinetry.

Before you start painting, make sure that your walls are properly prepared. Scrape and sand any loose or peeling paint and fill in holes. Consider using primer if you are painting over a bright or dramatic color or any faux finish. Plan on one to two coats of paint for a similar or darker color and two coats over primer or if you have selected a lighter color.

Faux finishing can add instant drama to your room. Popular budget decorating ideas involve techniques such as sponging and ragging that can be easily used by even a novice painter. Talk to the staff at the paint store or look online for directions. Ask the paint store’s staff to explain the color wheel to help you choose complementary colors and tones.

If you are not permitted to paint, consider attaching fabric to the walls instead.

Simply use a paint roller to apply starch to the wall then press the fabric into the wet starch. Use pushpins to hold the fabric until it dries. Cover the newly attached fabric with a top layer of starch. Exact directions can be easily found online. When you are ready to remove the fabric, simply grab a top corner and carefully peel the fabric from the wall. If you have any trouble, use a wet sponge to dampen the starch and make it pliable. If done correctly, this technique should not damage the underlying paint.

Simply use a paint roller to apply starch to the wall then press the fabric into the wet starch. Use pushpins to hold the fabric until it dries. Cover the newly attached fabric with a top layer of starch. Exact directions can be easily found online. When you are ready to remove the fabric, simply grab a top corner and carefully peel the fabric from the wall. If you have any trouble, use a wet sponge to dampen the starch and make it pliable. If done correctly, this technique should not damage the underlying paint.

Use Fabric

Fabric lends itself well to numerous budget-decorating ideas, as it can be purchased quite inexpensively if you follow a few simple tricks. Purchase end-of-bolt pieces or discontinued designs. Even scraps can be put together to create fabric murals, pillow covers or decorative accents. Think outside the box when selecting colors and patterns. Remember that choosing a third fabric that bears a pattern containing both colors can easily pull two disparate colors together.

Fabric can also be used to create room dividers, bed hangings, curtains and decorative accents. You can easily make a slipcover from either a length of fabric or even a bed sheet. No sewing skills are necessary to create fabric designs, although a slipcover can be a bit trickier.

Fabric can also be used to create room dividers, bed hangings, curtains and decorative accents. You can easily make a slipcover from either a length of fabric or even a bed sheet. No sewing skills are necessary to create fabric designs, although a slipcover can be a bit trickier.

Buy Discounted Pieces

Be willing to purchase furniture pieces from alternative sources such as Goodwill, Salvation Army, garage sales and odd-lot retailers. When choosing furniture, pay more attention to its structural quality than its outward appearance. A sturdy chair with a stained seat cushion can easily be reupholstered, while a mattress with broken springs is useless. Scratches and nicks in wood are easily repaired with a bit of sanding and wood putty. If you have some carpentry skills, it is possible to partially rebuild damaged wooden pieces, which can result in some truly great buys.

However, you must always consider whether a particular item is worth the time and effort that repairs will require.

Remember that eclectic design style is very popular and it is no longer necessary for furniture to “match.” This provides you freedom to assemble a collection of dining chairs one at a time or to purchase a loveseat and sofa from different sets. Use accent pieces, fabrics and wood stain to create harmony between differently styled pieces of furniture.

Anchor Each Room

A successful interior design scheme can be based around a central piece. Choose one focal point (the bed in a bedroom, the couch in a living room, etc) and find a piece that you truly love. This item may be your biggest financial investment for the room, or it may cost very little. Either way, it should provide an anchor point for that room around which the rest of the design scheme can take shape.

Do Not Buy Art for Art’s Sake

One of the most common mistakes made by people on a budget involves artwork. Many people feel that art on the walls is a requirement, so they go out and buy the first thing that they can afford. Whether your art budget is $10 or $100,000, it is important to design the room first. Then make art selections at your leisure, looking for pieces that inspire or speak to you and fit with the overall theme of the room.

Wonderful art can be found in all price ranges, and junk can also be found in all price ranges. Allow your art selections to happen organically over time, rather than making quick purchases because you feel that you need “art.”

Use Levels

Anything that you display, from a collection of shot glasses to a series of paintings, will look more visually interesting if you vary the heights of your display. Using various levels adds a sense of depth to even the most inexpensive budget decorating ideas. Look for inexpensive boxes, trunks, even suitcases to provide height to those items you want to display.

Presented above are just a few budget decorating ideas to help get your project started. Remember that paint and fabric are inexpensive and easy to change whenever you become bored. Basing any redecorating project on paint and fabric also helps keep costs low. Most importantly, take your time and design the room that is right for you.

What Is Your Home Decorating Style?

Do your friends and family say your home looks nice because you are an excellent home decorator, or are they just being polite? Take the home decorating style quiz to find out if your home decorating style is as inspirational as people say. Whether you are a decorating diva or your home decorating style is akin to a bowl of oatmeal, this quiz can show you if you are inspirational, average, or utterly boring. Which home decorating style are you?

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“Each day comes bearing its own gifts.  Untie the ribbons.”  ~Ruth Ann Schabacker

This summer Macy’s: Hilldale is partnering with Cleaning For A Reason and A Helping Hand.

For a donation of $5 you will be given a Macy’s Shopping Pass, which can be used all day SEPTEMBER 20th. Cleaning For A Reason receives 100% of your $5 donation.

This Shopping Pass gives you access to an additional 20% off and 10% off various items throughout the store, including clearance men’s, women’s, & kid’s apparel and much more on Saturday, September 20, 2008. In addition to these savings, Macy’s is giving away a chance to win a $500 gift card.

Also, the same Shopping Pass enters you in the drawing a Free House Cleaning for 1 year sponsored by Cleaning For A Reason. A Helping Hand Residential Cleaning Professionals, LLC will be giving the service in the Madison area.

To get your Shopping Passes today and support Cleaning For A Reason Call A Helping Hand Residential Cleaning Professionals, LLC 608-273-2444 or email info@madisonhousecleaning.net. Please put Macy’s Shopping Pass in the Subject Line.

Cleaning For A Reason was recently featured on NBC The Nightly News with Brian Williams on May 27, 2008. Take a moment and see what Cleaning For A Reason is all about in just 3 min.

“There are few times in life when an organization so original, truly creative, or graceful comes along that you are drawn to. Cleaning For A Reason is this type of organization.” – Scott Kindberg, owner A Helping Hand.

Fighting cancer is difficult enough, living with it is even tougher…that’s where the Cleaning For A Reason Foundation steps in. Cleaning For A Reason is the only national non-profit in the country providing FREE,  professional house cleaning services for women undergoing cancer treatment.

A Helping Hand Residential Cleaning Professionals, LLC has partnered with Cleaning For A Reason. We are Madison, WI first and only Chapter for Cleaning For A Reason.

Debbie Sardone, Founder of Cleaning for a Reason Foundation, said, “Maid services have been doing this in small ways for years. Our Partners have had a hard time turning down a woman who needs her house cleaned when she is battling cancer and cannot afford a maid service. I decided to form a foundation so that we could extend support across the entire country.”

To date Cleaning For A Reason has…

• given away free cleanings to 829 women receiving cancer treatment
• the cleanings have totaled $140,000
• with 329 Chapters Nationwide and Canada

If you know of women going through cancer treatment. Contact Cleaning For A Reason 1-877-377-3348 or A Helping Hand 608-273-2444 today.

“There are tons of cancer treatment foundations. I need help with my house! I have three small children and have been taking chemotherapy for 19 months. This is a God send.” -Stephanie.