INSIDE & OUT : BRIGHT IDEAS
If you want to decorate the house for the holidays but find it difficult to come up with affordable ideas, author and interior designer Leslie Linsley can help.
“Leslie Linsley’s Weekend Decorating: 1,001 Quick Home Decorating Ideas, Tips and How-Tos” (about $10, Warner Books) is chock-full of ways to add cheer and fa-la-la to your home.
Linsley uses household items for her creations.
To gussy up your plants, she suggests spray-painting ordinary plastic pots with faux finishes, such as Formby’s Granite Finish, then tying a wide red ribbon around the pot. Group the pots together around the fireplace hearth, going up stairs, in a hall or lining a windowsill for a festive touch.
Linsley also suggests polishing red and green apples, then cutting a hole in the top of each large enough to hold a taper. And voila-- instant candleholder!
Hot Seat
Gathering around the fire takes on a new dimension with hearth seating arrangements by the Fireplace Man.
“The benches enable families and their friends to experience intimacy in an atypical manner,” said Marty Weiss, president of the Cerritos-based company. “We have several stock sizes and also do custom work for any style room.
“We do everything for the fireplace from consultation to installation.”
The concept of hearth benches originated in England, where grand, ornate mantels and fireplaces are commonplace.
The most popular style is a brass base with deep burgundy leather seats, which works well in traditional settings.
In addition to those that wrap around the mantel, there are benches that go directly in front of the fireplace.
For information on the benches ($800 and up), visit the Fireplace Man’s showroom, 11239 183rd St., Cerritos, or call (310) 865-6666.
Tight Fit
Sometimes it’s the little things that make a difference.
That’s the premise behind the Problem Solvers, a collection of small sinks by Bates and Bates of Lakewood, made especially for hard-to-fit areas.
“In the last couple of years, the need for small-type sinks has grown,” said Steven Bates, company president, who lives in Newport Beach. “Small sinks are especially needed when converting antiques to vanities or if you want to put a vanity in a small corner.”
Several styles in ceramic and metal (the sinks start at $145) are available, including the popular Jane model.
“With Jane, you get a sink with lots of width and narrow depth, so it works well when the depth is limited,” said Bates, whose family started the company in 1972 making medicine chests in the garage. “And with a straighter back, you have more room to mount faucets and center the spout. With other sinks you have to cram them in.”
The Jane sink is 21 inches wide and 15 inches from front to back.
The line comes in several colors, and they match those offered by manufacturers of standard-size products.
The Problem Solvers can be purchased at Familian Pipe and Supply in Anaheim and Costa Mesa, B&C; Custom Hardware in Laguna Hills, Bath & Kitchen West in Huntington Beach, Bath Co. in Mission Viejo, Eurobath and Tile in Costa Mesa, Faucets N’ Fixtures in Orange, Golden West Pipe in San Juan Capistrano and Stanton, Pacific Sales in Irvine and West End West in Laguna Beach.
For information, call Bates and Bates at (310) 595-8824.