Summer Baltzer
Summer is coming to Iowa this weekend. Summer Baltzer, that is. She’s the host of two interior design shows on cable TV and will be one of the featured speakers at a home show in Des Moines.
Baltzer says Iowans who want to spruce up a room without spending a lot of money should consider painting it, for starters. Don’t run out and buy several gallons though, Baltzer says — just pick up a small sample can of paint and a brush.
“Paint a block on your wall that’s maybe two feet by two feet and just sit with that for at least 24 hours so you can look at the color in the day and night light, because color definitely changes throughout the day,” Baltzer says. The color will also look different from wall to wall, so try it in different places as the shade may appear warmer based on window locations and other factors. Baltzer hosts “Design on a Dime” on HGTV and TLC’s “Unhinged.”
She says many people don’t even have $100 to spend on home remodeling, so instead of going to the store, go through your own home to find “forgotten” treasures.
“One of the first things I like to do is go through those closets and dig out some old accessories and essentially go shopping in my own house and see what I can find that I haven’t been looking at for a couple of years,” Baltzer says. “You bring it out and it kind of is new to you again.” She also suggests creating a different feel by putting artwork on a new wall or in a new room — or just rearranging the furniture. Also, Baltzer says you don’t have to spend hundreds on new light fixtures to change the look of a room.
“I like to swap out a lot of bulbs,” Baltzer says. “Sometimes I’ll go to a three-way bulb so you can control the intensity of the light, sometimes just changing the wattage, making it brighter or dimmer definitely changes the mood in a room.” Baltzer is appearing both today and tomorrow (Feb. 13 and 14) at the Home and Garden Show at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines. .