| My husband and I have moved so many times we | | | | the checkerboard idea really pays off. Two pieces of |
| can hardly count them. These moves prompted me to | | | | furniture that match, like the Windsor chairs, can bring a |
| come up with Checkerboard Decorating. What is it? | | | | room together. Suites of furniture aren't popular now, |
| Checkerboard Decorating is a plan that allows you to | | | | but early in our marriage we bought a bedroom suite: |
| coordinate furnishings and, at the same time, move | | | | bed, highboy, chest of drawers, and mirror. This |
| them from place to place. | | | | furniture has come through all our moves unscathed. If |
| I came up with the idea during my husband's Air Force | | | | necessary, I could use the mirror in the living room and |
| days. For a time we moved every year. I would finish | | | | my chest of drawers as a dining room hutch. |
| decorating the last room of our quarters and the | | | | 5. UNIFY WITH COLOR. Nothing unifies a room faster |
| moving van would pull up in front of our house. That | | | | than color. We have so much mismatched furniture |
| didn't stop me from hanging a picture to see how it | | | | that I usually paint the walls white. Not refrigerator |
| looked. Moving so much taught me a lot about | | | | white, but a tan white or gray white. When I decorate |
| decorating. | | | | a room I take wood colors into account. The orangey |
| 1. HAVE A THEME. We couldn't afford new furniture | | | | finish on our antique church pew, for example, blends |
| when we first married, so we bought things at thrift | | | | well with the orange pillows on our sofa. I repeated the |
| stores and antique shops. Our purchases could be | | | | orange in cushions I had made for our Windsor chairs, |
| called Early American and we have stayed with this | | | | which are now in the kitchen. |
| theme. Today, we live in a Cape Cod house, the kind | | | | 6. HAVE SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T BELONG. |
| with a steep roof and dormer windows. The Early | | | | Our guest room has an antique wrought iron bed in it |
| American theme continues inside our house. | | | | and an antique wicker chair. The wicker chair is pulled |
| 2. CHOOSE MULTI-PURPOSE ITEMS. We have | | | | up to a white, modern Parson's table, a design |
| always had a round table in our house. Sometimes the | | | | developed by the Parson's School of Design in New |
| table served as a nightstand next to the bed. It has | | | | York City. You wouldn't think an antique chair would |
| also been used as a living room table. Most often, the | | | | look good with a modern table, but it does. |
| round table was our kitchen table. This checkerboard | | | | 7. SPOTLIGHT COLLECTIONS. Our kitchen is pretty |
| idea - multifunction pieces that can "jump" from room | | | | much like everyone else's kitchen, with the exception |
| to room - simplifies decorating. | | | | of my antique iron collection. The collection, which |
| 3. BUY A FEW QUALITY PIECES. Sure, we've | | | | includes sad irons, tailor's irons, and early electrics, sits |
| bought junk furniture and I've sanded it and painted it. | | | | atop the kitchen cupboards. My husband installed up |
| But junk doesn't last. On the other hand, a few quality | | | | lights to draw attention to the collection and the irons |
| pieces will last for years. When our kids were very | | | | make our kitchen special. |
| young we invested in two Windsor chairs. They added | | | | Checkerboard Decorating allows you to make your |
| charm to our Texas tract house, our Alabama | | | | place special. Like the checkers game, this kind of |
| barracks house, our quaint Ohio house, various other | | | | decorating is for everyone. It fits all decorating styles |
| houses, and our present Minnesota house. Over the | | | | and all ages. Every time you move you use furniture in |
| years I have had different cushions made for the | | | | different ways. Tell your friends about Checkerboard |
| chairs. | | | | Decorating because it's smart and it's fun. |
| 4. GET TWO THINGS THAT MATCH. This is where | | | | |