Happy Holidays

design 36 is no longer affiliated with pm heating and cooling !!! New owner... new management... new exciting year ahead for design 36 !!! Thank you for your patience during our transitional phase. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for friending and following us. Happy Holidays !!! Enjoy a happy... healthy and safe New Year.  See you in 2011 !!! We will be back up and blogging on 1/1/11 !!!

Kids And Beautiful Design

You can balance beautiful design and kid friendlism in your decor with these helpful tips and tricks....

Living Room Lowdown

• Choose durable upholstery that looks better at it ages. Leather is easy to care for and never goes out of fashion.
• Create different seating areas.Coffee-table seating is perfect for games and coloring; wide sofas are better for reading.
• Use wipe-clean paint. Grubby hands needn’t be a bother, even on pale walls, if you use a finish, such as eggshell, then most stains can be removed from.
• Go forwashable slipcovers -- a must for a family room and perfect when the fun spills over.

Living Room: Kids' Rules

• We want lots of room to play, so make sure you keep all your stuff out of the way. Built-in storage units and shelves keep the floor free for us to play on.
• The floor is for rolling on, eating on, and trying out our train track on. So get a patterned rug as it’s better for hiding crumbs and stains, and can be cleaned more easily than carpet.

Tip: Coffee tables are a great height for kids to play on, so buy one tough enough to withstand everyday knocks.

Cozy Bedroom

• Pick machine-washable bedding.You need to be able to chuck it in the washer if breakfast gets spilt.
• Get a bed with storage baskets as they are perfect for keeping bed linens in -- and toys, so the kids can amuse themselves while you relax.
• Buy a separate headboard so when you want a fresh look, you can replace or repaint it without having to buy a new bed.
• Add soft-cornered storage, such as this upholstered ottoman. The padded lid and rounded edges aren’t going to cause injury if kids bump into them.
• Edge a plain blind with patterned fabric so when little hands grab the bottom of it, no grubby prints will show.
• Find a clever storage unit that will hide away a home office. The computer monitor is great for watching DVDs in bed, too.

Bedroom: Kids’ Rules

• We love to bounce on the beds, so stay clear of white bedding! Pick an easy-care finish and add a splash of color or pattern on pillowcases.
• Best get a slightly patterned carpet. If we spill your breakfast orange juice on the floor, a plain one would show stains.

Tip: Clutter-free surfaces and round-edged furniture mean it’s safe for fun and games.

Durable Dining Room

• Go for practical dining chairs that’ll stay pristine. Leather just needs a quick wipe down to stay looking smart.
• Choose inexpensive curtains.With kids likely to pull or wrap themselves up in them, they’ll need replacing before long.
• Use sleek furniture without protruding handles that children might catch themselves on.
• Select smart flooring, such as laminate, that will withstand tricycles as well as dropped food and drink.

Dining Room: Kids’ Rules

• If you don’t want us to play with your pretty things, keep them out of our reach on a high shelf.
• Keep your china and glass safe in a sideboard.
• We love to play at the table, so choose an aged-wood design, so that marks won’t stand out.

Tip: Oilcloth adds a fun touch during the daytime and protects the table from spills.

Warm Up A Room Quick and Easy

Take a cue from your wardrobe.

 Add winter textures like wool, cashmere and velvet. Try draping a wool blanket across a sofa or tucking it into the cushions for an instant slipcover. Stuff sweaters with pillows, sew up the openings (top, bottom and arms) and tie the sleeves in front. Or cover end tables with thin scarves and shawls.

Be inspired by your spice rack.

 Color can have a warming effect, so look for earthy shades like cinnamon, curry, saffron and nutmeg. Then add a fragrance to match.  If you don’t have a working fireplace, group several flickering candles in the hearth to create a warm glow.

Create rooms within rooms.

 Pull furniture away from the walls; then arrange in groupings to make intimate conversation areas within larger rooms. Use small rugs to distinguish separate rooms within a room—perfect for tea for two or curling up with good book.

click here for great holiday gifts from the design 36 store

design 36 store

It is finally here... the design 36 store !!! We are stocked and ready for all you holiday shoppers !!! Tell us what you think !!!  More products coming soon !!!

Stocked with candles... window panels... wall art... pillows... baskets...picture frames... plants... storage cubes ... and much... much more !!!

2 days only .... enjoy free shipping and special pricing during our grand opening event !!!

design 36 online store

Sell Your Home By Way Of A Cookie

Real estate experts statistics state ... if you want to sell your home...your home should smell like baked goods. If you host an open house or any time a tour is scheduled... throw some cookies in the oven.  Have a tray of warm cookies out for potential home buyers to grab as they pass thru... what you hope to be titled their new home. Also have some cookies baking to fill the house with a sweet delicious aroma.  Nothing says buy me like the smell of a sugar high... which hopefully leads to the smell of cash in your hand.

Here are cookie recipes to get them asking... where do I sign???

No boring chocolate chip cookies here....


Cherry Vanilla Oatmeal Cookies

Nothing humdrum here. Swap out the usual cinnamon and raisins for vanilla and cherries, and become a born-again oatmeal-cookie fanatic. Buttery, crispy, chewy -- they've got everything you could want in a cookie. Does that sound like a dare to add chocolate chips? We wouldn't stop you.

Total time: 1 hour
Yield: 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) salted butter, softened 3/4 cup brown sugar 3/4 cup white sugar 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla 3/4 cup flour 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (or half as much table salt) 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 3 cups rolled oats 3/4 cup dried cherries 3/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350 F.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until creamy. Whisk together the flour with the salt and baking soda, and add this to the butter mixture. Beat until blended, then mix in the oats, cherries, and pecans.
3. Drop tablespoonfuls of the dough onto greased (or parchment-lined) cookie sheets, and bake 10-12 minutes, until cookies are deep golden and brown at the edges. Let baked cookies sit on sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cook.

Magic Peanut Butter Cookies

Are these golden, fragrant, chewy cookies magic because they have no flour or butter in them? Or magic because of the way they disappear? You decide.

Total time: 30 minutes
Yield: 3 dozen

Ingredients

1 cup peanut butter (creamy or chunky -- not natural-style) 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or half as much table salt -- more salt if your peanut butter is unsalted) 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 large egg 1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350, and grease 2 baking sheets or cover them in parchment paper.
2. With an electric mixer, beat together the peanut butter, sugars, and salt until combined well.
3. In a small bowl lightly beat the egg and vanilla, then beat it into the peanut butter mixture with the baking soda until combined well.
4. Roll teaspoons of dough into balls and arrange them about 1 inch apart on baking sheets; the mixture may seem oily and strange, and this is okay. Flatten the balls with the tines of a fork, making a crosshatch pattern.
5. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time in the middle of the oven until they're puffed and golden, about 7 minutes.
6. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to racks to cool completely.

Tis The Season

Trying to find that perfect holiday gift check out our home decor items full line to launch 11/15... or do you live in NY or NJ ??? How about the gift of home or office cleaning... do you know somebody that wants a room painted ??? Gift it this holiday season with design 36 gift certificates !!! Call us for more info or send an email ... Happy Holidays !!!

www.design36.biz

How To Make A Bed Like A Pro

Step 1

Changing the look of your bedroom can be as simple as changing your bedding. Mix and match at least three colors, and don't be afraid to mix patterns! Start with a quilted mattress cover which protects and enhances the comfort of your mattress.

Step 2

Sheets are a great thing to pick up on sale whenever you see something you like. When making the bed, pull the top sheet up high and fold it back over the blanket, coverlet, or quilt.

Step 3

Use a coverlet, quilt, or textured blanket in white, a great pattern, or color that compliments your linens. Lay it over the linens and tuck it in around the edges.

Step 4

Get out your fluffy down comforter (or down alternative if you are allergic). If you have a queen size mattress, use a king size comforter and a queen size duvet cover to create more fluff. If you have a king size mattress, buy an oversized king comforter and a king cover.

Step 5

Buy an Egyptian cotton comforter cover in a solid if your coverlet is patterned, or patterned if your coverlet is solid. Tri-fold the comforter at the base of the bed, creating a fluffy band which extends to hang over the sides.

Step 6

For a more fitted look, try a patterned coverlet.

Step 7

instead of a patterned duvet, try a solid one. White can look so clean, inviting and spa-like!

Step 8

Try placing three various sized solid and patterned decorative pillows on each side of the bed. Start large at the top, perhaps using a Euro sham, and decrease in size as you get toward the foot. A full width bolster always gives the bed a great finished look.

Step 9

For a more streamlined look, use fewer pillow and focus on one bold color.

Step 10

Your sleep pillows can be hidden behind the largest pillow at the head.

Step 11

For a more modern look, stack 2 same size queen or king pillows on each side; add a long bolster to sit in front or one decorative square in front of each stack