Trends for July 30, 2001

Lisa Ferguson

Monday, July 30, 2001 | 8:27 a.m.

Home sweet home

You've probably spent a lot of time outside of your home this summer. Maybe it's time to think about the inside again.

Nothing perks up a place like moving the furniture around. But that requires a lot of pushing and pulling and, usually, bickering over the new setup.

At least, it used to be that way.

A new device, called Magnetic Furniture Planning, works similar to those old Colorforms toys you probably played with as a kid.

Start by measuring the room. Then turn to the magnetic board, printed with a grid design, that serves as the base.

The kit comes with 200 magnetic pieces walls, windows, sofas, dining room tables, pianos and the like that stick onto the grid. The pieces can be moved around until the desired furniture setup is achieved.

Then, of course, it's up to you to move the real furniture.

The kit, designed by Scale Space Planning Products, costs $59.95 and is available by visiting furnitureplanning.com or calling (877) 215-4420.

New outlook

Meanwhile the folks at Environmental Graphics, a Minnesota company that manufactures indoor wall murals, offer some tips for transforming a room for less than $100.

For starters, try dimming the lights or replacing the overhead fixtures that came with the home with lamps, as light that emits from the side, as opposed to above, casts "a cozy and homey feel."

Grab some paint and go to town on the walls, but stay away from white, "which can make rooms feel stark."

Give the bathroom a face lift by replacing mismatched accessories toothbrush holders, cups, lotion dispensers with those that share a design and/or color.

Hang up some mirrors, which make rooms seem larger and longer, or prints and pictures in frames of varying shapes and sizes to create a collage of sorts.

Gotta maintain

HouseMaster, a home inspection company in New Jersey, poses a peculiar question: "Does your home have PMS?"

Well, probably not the type with which you're most familiar. This PMS stands for "poor maintenance syndrome."

But rather than start inside, the company contends it's best to fix outside problems before they start causing headaches indoors.

It advises homeowners to have a house's roof inspected once a year for loose or missing shingles and proper drainage, as well as to ensure that joints around chimneys and vents are protected by metal flashing.

Also inspect the home's exterior for cracked or lose siding, overgrown bushes, clogged storm drains and such. Check the foundation to make sure all is well.

For more preventative maintenance tips, visit housemaster.com.