You remember the lovely bedroom redesign that I did with the help of Membership Reward Points from American Express, yes? Well now I am working with them again to host a Twitter Chat with HGTV designer John Gidding. John will be giving tons of advice next Thursday on how to decorate and find creative ways to stretch your budget — just like I did using my points.
John and I will be on Twitter for one hour on Thursday, July 29 at 8:30p.m. EST/ 5:30 p.m. PST (search #AmexHome). John will be answering your home design questions about anything from creating amazing guest spaces to choosing the right colors for your home. He’ll also have plenty of inexpensive ways to get your home ready for sale and ideas for upgrading rooms on a tight budget.
Now, you may have noticed the whole HUGE giveaway thing we’ve got going on here…
How do you enter to win?
Comment on this post with your questions for John and we’ll discuss some of them during our Twitter Chat. By leaving a comment, you’ll be entered to win items like a KitchenAid mixer, a Bissell vacuum, or a set of Cuisinart cookware (all of which can be bought with Membership Rewards points). There will be ten winners in this giveaway! Here are the prizes:
- Cuisinart® 10-Piece Commercial Cookware Set
- Cuisinart GR-4N Griddler
- Krups FBC2 6-slice Convection Toaster Oven
- All-Clad 6.5 Quart Stainless Slow Cooker with Ceramic Insert
- KitchenAid Stand Mixer with Attachment Pack ( Empire Red)
- Wusthof Classic 8-Piece Block Set
- Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Upright Vacuum Cleaner
- DeLonghi Esclusivo Magnifica Super Automatic Machine
- Viking® Professional Digital Hand Mixer
- Le Creuset® 7.25 Quart Round French Oven
(All of these items are available on membershiprewards.com.)
This giveaway is open to US residents only, one entry per person. Ten winners will be randomly chosen on July 30 to win one prize each. International readers are welcome to participate in the Twitter Chat and submit questions, but are not eligible to win. Remember you can ask anything about design and home improvements — this is a fun chance to get advice from an HGTV designer!
I know many of you are following me on Twitter @makingitlovely, but you can also follow John @JohnGidding. If you want to get some ideas for home improvement immediately, go to membershiprewards.com/home. And be sure to follow along to #AmexHome with John and I on Twitter next Thursday.
* Update *
Thanks for joining us for the Twitter chat, everybody! Comments (and therefore entries) are now closed. Congratulations to the ten winners: Aimee (aimeeroo), Mim (mimsfam), LeeAnn (leeannhuber), Sara (naturemurph), Sarah (Sarahquail110), Cara, (cara.andersen), Suzy (sayitaintsuzy), Sarah (Pooglit), Devon (devon.cook), and Kc (kcerveny).
Can you share 3 design rules you live by?
Thanks for the opportunity!
Cheers,
Grace Hester Designs
http://www.gracehesterdesigns.etsy.com
I am expecting a baby girl, due next month, and am getting the nursery ready. The room is already painted green. I wanted to do pinks, yellows, and corals with the green in her room, but we have a big red lazy boy (for late night feedings) that doesn’t really match. Is there an inexpensive way to incorporate the red chair into a girly color scheme, or an easy way to do a slip cover so it matches better.
What are your top five places to shop for home furniture and decor?
The cheap tile that was used in the renovation of our kitchen before we moved in has cracked all over the place due to our soft Texas soil and the house shifting (and also probably due to poor installation techniques). I’m wondering what options I might have for choosing an affordable and durable yet environmentally-friendly kitchen flooring. We cook almost every day and have two dogs, so we want something that will stand up to a lot of use.
Do you have any tips for decorating brick walls that don’t involve drilling into the brick? Our most challenging wall is behind our headboard in the master bedroom. Thanks!
Do I need to retain the era and style of my 1919 bungalow in everything we do in our house? Is it okay to mix styles?
What a great giveaway. I would love some ideas of what to do with displaying collections.
There are a lot different trends out there that I like. How do I use them in my home without it looking cluttered.
Hi, John,
I’ve used the same palette of warm, autumnal tones throughout our 1916 wood-frame bungalow, so I can move pieces around; the feel of our furnishings is traditional (oriental rug, some antiques, rolled-arm leather sofa) with a lot of funky touches from travels in India, Mexico, etc. My question: how do I bring in some modern-feeling elements that will blend well? We’re on a tight budget, so no big purchases!
should every wall in a home be painted in the same tonal range?? i really love the contrast of having a mix of bold and lighter rooms. a friend of mine, who is the artist/paint store associate, disagrees with me.
Can you suggest some ideas creative storage options, maybe things that can do double-duty? Our house is older and does not have much built-in storage, and I’m always looking for fun, creative, stylish options. Thanks!
I have a glass-topped coffee table that I would like to make new again – textured glass is too expensive so I was thinking of tiling it. I really like the look of stainless steel tile – where can I do this under a budget?
My question is, if you are renting a house (don’t own), and don’t have the option to paint the walls, is there anything else other then simply hanging artwork and stuff to jazz up wall space? I need a temporary fix that won’t ruin the walls when we move.
I’d love to hear tips and advice for using really bold, bright colors (I’m thinking orange) on the walls in rooms.
If you only had $100 to spend, what would be the best project to take on to change things up in your home? Besides painting! :)
Can you have too much painted furniture? I’m loving the look of crisp, glossy white paint right now! Also, I’d love to hear tips for being frugal AND stylish!
Is there any way to decorate with a chandelier in a room with low ceilings?
Our next renovation project is our master bathroom. We have some ideas, but we are on a tight budget. What are some tips for creating a high-end looking bathroom on a tight budget?
Can you mix metals in your accessories? Like brass and polished silver? Or even a brushed nickel and an oil rubbed bronze? I seem to have a few things with different metals and I’d like to incorporate them into my living room. Do I set up small collections of like finishes? Or mix them all over? Thanks!!
What’s the one project that adds the most value to a home?
Do you have any design tricks for pre-furnished spaces like dorm rooms? Working around the crappy wood desks, the non-matching paint colors, the ceiling tiles—I want a beautiful place without feeling like, well, a dorm room. And in general, the thought that it’s easy to take something beautiful and make it even more beautiful, but taking a dorm room and getting to a place you really want to spend time? That’s hard.
I just moved into a smaller home and I am trying to find ways to add storage without adding bulk (if that makes any sense). I really like to have a clean and open feel to my house, but even though I am purging a lot, I still would love any pointers on how to add stylish pieces that still work really hard for a family in need of storage.
What do you recommend for people who live in apartments that can’t paint or remodel?
John, do you ever get disappointed or upset when I client doesn’t see your vision? When you have the perfect plan, but they want to change the one thing that makes it perfect?
What are your go-to ideas for decorating a non-paintable apartment? How do you make it yours without losing your security deposit?
Where are your favorite places to shop when working with a tight budget?
How do you convince yourself that you’re satisfied with your current decor? Every time I see a new idea I want to redecorate completely!
How can I maintain organization and increase storage on and around a relatively small desk?
I am a single woman who recently bought her first home. I have a variety projects that I could use help with – everything from hanging a chandelier, to re-doing a bathroom to fixing my gutters. What is the best way to research contractors and find people to help with home repairs? I’m new to the area and at a loss!
Ali took my question! I think that renters often struggle with decorating because there are so many restrictions on what they can do. I’m an office manager for an apartment complex, so I’d love to have more ideas to offer my residents. I hope he answers this one!
AND — wow! What a fabulous giveaway! :) Thanks for promoting this conversation and for hosting such a great giveaway!
What is your favorite store to shop at for home decor?
Are accent walls over? If so what are other ways to bring a bold color in to a room without going over the top?
Great giveaway! Can you tell me the best way (or your favorite way) to display family photos? Thanks!
What can apartment-dwellers do to create decor with an impact when paint or wallpaper isn’t an option?
How do you mix different colors of wood stained pieces? How do you mix older, more vintage pieces with newer, more modern pieces?
How do you feel about layering throw rugs on top of wall-to-wall carpet, and are there any rules you follow?
How would you decorate a shared kid’s room using affordable (Ikea-range) furnishings?
I will be moving into a new apartment in about a week. I love the place, but the kitchen counters are an ugly, green laminate. I can’t change the counters since I am renting. Is there something else I can do to beautify my counters?
I would love to know more about how to integrate color into a living space with a neutral starting point (floors, couches, walls). I feel like it always looks so forced and obvious. I hope that makes sense :)
Always looking for quick fixes in a rental. You know those ugly cabinets and formica faux wood countertops? Do you embrace the quirky and go with a funny rug and linens, or do you switch out the knobs and try to mask some of the ugly?
What is your recommendation for an inexpensive piece of artwork to fill a large blank on a wall above say a sofa? We’ve got 2 rooms with nothing above the sofas…help!
I have original pine paneling in 2 rooms in my house, and i’m starting to get sick of it. paint it? tear it out? what do you think?
I have an old home (early 1930′s). How do I keep the historic appeal while modernizing the look?
Is there a rule on what wall colors home buyers might be turned off by? I’m not afraid of color, but I fear future homebuyers may be. :/
Do you have any tips for a temporary but functional(and appealing to the eye) backsplash behind your stove in a rental?
Hi guys,
Do you have recommendations for kitchen countertops if we can’t afford granite?
Thanks!
I need to refinish my light oak floors in my 1925 bungalow. Would you recommend keeping them light even though we have darker wood around all of the windows and trim, or should we go a little darker? It’s a small space, so I would like to do something that makes it look a little bigger.
Do you think room colors should compliment each other, or coordinate or can each room be a different color without looking like a circus?
I know its important to invest when purchasing big furniture pieces, but are there accessories that it makes sense to splurge on?
Our redecoration budget is approximately zero right now – what are your top 5 repurposing tips to give a room a fresh look?