Pressed flowers ahead on show

Information on pressed flowers and painting with chalk will be the featured topics on “Creative Living” 9:30 p.m. Tuesday and noon Thursday (all times Mountain).

Kate Chu represents pressed-flowers.com, and she’s going to share some of the new and exciting things that are going on in the field of pressed flowers including new presses on the market and how to use the microwave for pressing. Chu is from Anaheim, California.

Kari Child is with Chalk Couture in Midvale, Utah, and she’s going to demonstrate how to apply permanent and colorful Chalkology Ink to a Chalk Transfer on a fabric pennant banner. This will create a hanging sign with some darling accents.

Information on optical illusions and interior design and how to create an impressive bud vase arrangement will be the featured topics on “Creative Living” noon Tuesday and 2 p.m. Saturday.

Diane Romick, President and CEO of Castle Design Studio, will explain how optical illusions can change the perception of space when designing an interior. She’ll show how different illusions apply to a room. She is from Newport Coast, California.

Casey Schwartz is a floral designer and co-owner of Flower Duet in Redondo Beach, California, and she’s going to show how to create an impressive bud vase with a spray of orchids and also a classic trio of roses with added greenery and filler.

Optical illusion, interior design

It seems that interior designers and decorators have many tricks that they employ to make a room seem different: some rooms seem larger, windows appear more grand. What is their secret? It’s all about optical illusions. One example has to do with draperies. You want to take into account that when a drapery fabric is attention-getting — either through the pattern or through high contrast colors — the eye will be kept inside more. So perhaps for a great view, keep the drapery fabric closer to the wall color and for a not-so-great view, choose a beautifully patterned drapery fabric. Make windows appear larger by placing long draperies higher and wider than the windows.

Another way to utilize this type of distortion illusion is with flooring. Whichever way the lines move across the floor that direction is perceived to be the longest. This subtle difference can make a room seem wider or deeper. One caveat is that flooring should be planned for the entire space. All the rooms that will connect should employ the same flooring, so find the best direction for everywhere.

What about tile that is laid at an angle? Placing square tiles on an angle will expand a room in both directions. This is seen most often in small spaces, like entryways, kitchens and baths.

Another illusion that designers work with is called color distortions. One color issue that is debated all the time: to make a room feel larger, do you paint a light color or a dark color? Light colors advance and dark colors recede but very few people would be up for painting a small living room dark – what about you?

This is one reason why choosing an interior designer or decorator can be so helpful. With their expertise, they can show you how to make the same colors look different and different colors look the same.

It’s all about pulling together fabrics or favorite objects that look “off” — or not a cohesive collection. Be sure to judge and test colors in the actual room and with all components, layering the colors as they would be in the room.

“Creative Living” is produced and hosted by Sheryl Borden. The show is carried by more than 118 PBS stations. Contact her at:

[email protected]