The Chilliwack Progress Wednesday, May 4, 2016 www.theprogress.com 27

604-795-3770 48255 Chilliwack Central Road

MON. TO SAT. 9 AM TO 5:30 PM • SUNDAYS 11 AM TO 5 PM • HOLIDAYS 11 AM TO 4 PM

5/16W_S4

MOTHER’SMOTHER’SDAYDAYSpecials

$$54549999EAEA

$$89899999FOR 2FOR 2

Cedar Hanging BasketsCedar Hanging Baskets

oror

MAY 6 - 8MAY 6 - 8

3030%%OFFOFF

2525%%OFFOFF

Dahlia & Dahlia & Gladiolas Gladiolas TubersTubers

Ornamental Purple Ornamental Purple Leaf Plums w/pink Leaf Plums w/pink fl owers. Rfl owers. Reg. $74.99eg. $74.99

Secondhand furniture has long been used to furnish homes and apartments. While young people working with tight budgets and living on their own for the fi rst time might be the most likely to rely on secondhand furniture, such items are not exclusive to re-cent graduates and young pro-fessionals. Homeowners with a love of antiques or those who simply can’t resist thrift store bargains also are likely to lean on secondhand furniture.

Used furnishings range from ex-pensive high-end antiques to bargain bin chairs and couches found in thrift stores or at garage sales. Pricey an-tiques oft en come fully restored, but that still leaves legions of shoppers who need to bring their secondhand furnishings back to life. Th e follow-ing are a few ways to do just that.

A fresh coat of paint goes a long way toward stylizing secondhand furniture. Once items have been sanded, smoothed and cleaned, apply

primer to make it easier for the paint to bond, making it less likely the new coat will chip or crack in the months to come. Aft er applying primer, two to three coats of paint should give the item a fresh new look. Allow the item to dry for several hours before show-ing it off and putting it to good use.

Upgrade old upholstery. Old chairs and couches tend to have ample wear and tear. But they are still useful as long as their bones are still sturdy, even if cushions have fl attened out and fabric is suff ering from tears or stains. Reupholstering old furniture can turn inexpensive but worn down older items into seemingly brand new pieces. Reupholstering furniture can be a tedious process so you can consider employing a slip cover to hide stained or torn upholstery. Slip covers are typically inexpensive, and they can be purchased in various fab-rics, designs and colours.

Wash away years of wear and tear. Restoring secondhand fur-niture can sometimes be as easy as washing away years of wear and tear.

Old chests of drawers, dressers or ar-moires might just need a good scrub-bing to look as good as new. Before cleaning older furniture, remove the old wax with a stripper bought at a hardware store. Old coats of wax can prevent cleaners from reaching the surface of the furniture, so they must be removed for cleaning products to be eff ective. When cleaning old fur-niture, it’s a good idea to solicit advice from antique dealers, who can help you avoid damaging the piece even further. A small amount of dishwash-ing liquid mixed with warm water can be used to gently clean old wax off of furniture. When applying such a mixture, be careful to avoid soaking the item or letting the mixture pool on its surface. Work slowly, gradually cleaning small areas one by one and wiping them down with a damp cloth to ensure wax and other residue has vanished completely. Once the item has been thoroughly cleaned and been given ample time to dry, you can apply a new coat of wax.

Ideas on restoring secondhand furniture

September 2015PRODUCTS

QUALIFIED TRADES EXPERT ADVICE

May 2016

Wednesday, May 4, 2016 The Chilliwack Progress28 www.theprogress.com

3/16W_A16

604-858-260045788 KNIGHT RD.

#1 HIGHWAY

KNIGHT RD.

VEDD

ER R

D.

N

We have all your hardscape and landscape needs covered, including:

Arti cial Turf Bagged Concrete Bricks and Blocks Bulk Sand/Gravel/Soil/Mulch Cultured Stone Lawn and Catch Basins Natural Stone Paving Stones Pond Supplies Retaining Walls

Bulk Bag Special!

Fill with Soil, Mulch, Fill with Soil, Mulch, Gravel or Sand!Gravel or Sand!

$$9999OnlyOnly

1 cubic yard delivered1 cubic yard delivered

Each additional bag Each additional bag only $69 ea.only $69 ea.

Plus Many More in store Plus Many More in store specials - come see us!specials - come see us!

05/14W

_C7

Fresh fl owers, new throw pillows and lightweight draperies are some easy ways to transform a home for the spring and summer.

Come spring, many homeowners are eager to throw open windows and doors and breathe new life into their homes. Simple changes can improve inte-rior spaces and brighten the atmosphere of a home.

Go plant shopping. Research from NASA sug-gests adding at least one plant in your home per 100 square feet is effi cient enough to clean air. Fresh foli-age also makes a home feel warm and inviting. Wa-tering and misting plants introduces moisture into indoor air, which can make rooms overcome with dry air from heating systems feel comfortable. Just be sure to avoid overwatering plants, which can lead to mould growth.

Swap out throw pillows. Accent pillows on beds and sofas are quick and inexpensive ways to add new bursts of colour to rooms. You may be able to make over a room’s entire colour scheme with new pillows. Invest in pillows that you can switch with each sea-son so your decor will never look tired or dull.

Clean existing light fi xtures. Another way to brighten the mood in a home is to periodically clean light fi xtures to make sure they are working eff ec-tively. Spend time dusting them and cleaning off any accumulated debris. If need be, switch out old lamp shades for newer ones that let more light shine through. If inadequate lighting is a problem no mat-

ter how many lamps you have, consult with an elec-trician about installing more overhead and accent lighting.

Give rugs and fl oors a deep cleaning. Recirculated air may be full of dust and other microscopic par-ticles that end up blowing throughout your home. Also, it’s easy to track in dirt and other materials on your shoes that become imbedded in carpeting. At least once a year, rent or enlist the surfaces of car-pet and upholstery cleaners to give fl oors a thorough cleaning. You may be surprised at how clean and fresh a home looks and smells once rugs and carpets are deep-cleaned. You also can make a dry carpet cleaner using baking soda, corn starch and desired fresh herbs for fragrance. Sprinkle and then vacuum up aft er a few hours.

Colour-coordinate bookshelves. Group all books with similarly coloured covers together for an instant and eye-appealing look.

Simmer some homemade home deodorizer. In a large pot, boil water and some scented herbs, such as rosemary, citrus rinds, vanilla, or lavender. Th e aroma will waft through the home, creating a pleas-ing scent.

Invest in new window treatments. Lightweight draperies or new blinds or shades can transform the look of a room. Be sure to keep curtains and blinds open during the day to maximize the hours of sun-light.

Freshen up your home for spring and summer

The Chilliwack Progress Wednesday, May 4, 2016 www.theprogress.com 29

Need assistance with choosing colours for your home? Matching your walls, doors, trim, etc., to new or existing furniture or fl ooring can be challenging. Janet Riediger can help you avoid making a mistake with your paint colour choices. She has over 30 years decorating experience and is available for a convenient in-home consultation.

Just call Janet atChilliwack Decorating to arrange an appointmenttoday at 604-792-1544.

gngewca

gw an

HelpingPeople

LOVETheir

Homes

Visit us today

Buy one 3.79L container at regular retail price and get the 2nd 3.79L at half price. Offer valid on following REGAL® Select products : K547, K549, K550, K551, K552, K400, K401 & K402. Qualifying purchases must be made in one (1) single transaction. Discount applied at checkout. Offer available from 4/08 to 4/11 and cannot be combined with other discounts or promotions, or applied toward prior purchases. Expires 4/11/15. At participating retailers only, while supplies last. Details in store. ©2015 Benjamin Moore & Co., Limited. Benjamin Moore, REGAL and the triangle “M” symbol are registered trademarks

RetailerAddress 1Address 2Phone NumberWebsite

Chilliwack Decorating Centre

#108-8645 Young Street604-792-1544www.coastpaint.com

10/2/

4-16

W C

D20

SAVE$10

per Gallon

ON ALL EXTERIORPAINTS & STAINS

LOVE YOUR YARD AGAIN!LOVE YOUR YARD AGAIN!Visit Kelmor to help complete

your landscaping plans

Truck Rental • Grader • 4 yd loader

KEL-MORENTERPRISES LTD.

604-795-3330 • 45895 Promontory Rd.

www.kelmorenterprises.com

• Bark Mulch• Red Mulch• Bark Nuggets• Lava Rocks• Drain Rock• Crushed Dust

• Playground Grade• Landscape Rocks• Fill Dirt• Sand• Pit Run Gravel

As real estate prices continue to climb, the cost to trade up to a larger home is on the upswing across the country, especially as markets re-main hampered by tight inventory levels. As a result, more and more people are choosing to renovate their current homes instead of relocating. While the hunt for more square foot-age can be challenging, homeowners shouldn’t feel like a costly second story or complete addition are the only options.

Here are fi ve great ways to create or optimize space in your existing home.

1. Finish an unfi nished basement. A basement renovation can hold

limitless potential and increase the resale value or income potential of your home. Th ink about the possi-bilities: a home theater, offi ce, spare bedroom, basement apartment or recreation room. Th e key to doing it successfully is to focus on what’s be-hind the walls, especially since mois-ture is a common issue in basements. Choosing the right insulation is crit-ical. Look for products that are vapor permeable, dimensionally stable and mold and moisture resistant.

2. Create a more open-concept feel with light and color. If your home wasn’t blessed with towering windows, installing French doors and pot lights can encourage light to travel more freely, creating the illu-

sion of space. Likewise, choosing a paint color for walls, trim and mold-ings that is lighter and cooler in tone (think soft grays or blues) will help to refl ect light and give the room a more open feel.

3. Remove non-load-bearing walls. Homeowners have the op-portunity to rethink the layout of their home by removing non-load-bearing walls. Removing structurally unnecessary walls can make your whole home feel larger, improve fl ow, lighting and the function of your home.

4. Convert your garage into us-able living or work space. For many homeowners, the garage becomes an

overfl ow room for storage –– and is oft en a walk-in headache. Convert your garage (or a portion of it) into another living space, guest bedroom or home offi ce. Install carpet and quality thermal insulation to block outdoor noise and keep in warmth.

5. Choose furniture and acces-sories carefully. Adopt a minimal-ist’s eye. Begin looking around your home for furniture or accessories that overwhelm the space. Interior designers recommend choosing low-profi le or small-scale furniture for rooms with less square footage. Dual-purpose items, such as otto-mans with storage chests inside, are a budget-friendly way to save on space while staying organized.

Crown moulding is an inexpensive approach to adding beautiful detail to your home. You can create a dramatic new look throughout your home or highlight one area with crown moulding.

Although crown moulding is generally identifi ed as trim for the area where a wall meets the ceiling, mould-ing is used for many other home decor applications. It can create an appealing visual element when used at chair height along a wall, sometimes with thin vertical pieces attached to accent a wider area. It also can serve as an attractive window cornice or as a frame for a wall-hung fl at screen television or vertical mirror. Th e pos-sibilities are only limited by homeowners’ imaginations and fi nances.

Tips to create more space in your home

Upscale your home decor with crown moulding