Tools #4: The Basics

If you tend to reach for a butter knife instead of a screwdriver because the screwdriver is in the garage, you might be Half Assed.  If you've ever used a shoe heel instead of a hammer, you're probably Half Assed.  If your first instinct is to climb on the counters or furniture before getting a ladder, you're almost certainly Half Assed.  But even the Half Assed Decorator has a tool box.  Aside from the character traits I've listed as tools in previous posts, these are the things you'll need in your tool box (or, if you're truly Half Assed, an old bucket, cardboard box in the linen closet, or under the kitchen sink) to complete almost every Half Assed decorating project.

1.  Spray Paint.  This is my all-time favorite tool.  Why spend hours with brushes and cans?  I'm never patient enough to make it look good anyway.  Spraying is so much easier, and it dries quickly, which feeds my need for instant satisfaction.  You don't have to keep it in stock, but it's always great to have a few $.99 cans of basic white and black, plus a can or two of spray poly.  If you know what colors you'd like for accessories, pick up a can or two of them, too.  If you're changing your color scheme, take a close look at what you think won't work any more.  Can it be transformed with spray paint?

2. Moving Men. These thingys.

They make rearranging furniture a breeze, especially when you're too impatient to wait for someone to come over to help you.

3.  Command Products.  http://www.command.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/NACommand/Command/Products/Product-Catalog/
Way better than making 10,000 holes in your wall when you're too Half Assed to measure things out.  The Velcro strips are great for straightening a picture that was hung half assedly (I just made up a word!) long ago.  Start with just a small stock of different sized poster strips and Velcro strips.  Monkey Hooks are great, too.

4.  Yeah, you'll probably need a hammer if you don't want to ruin all of your shoes.

5.  And a stud finder is a really good idea, though it doesn't really fit in with the Half Assed mentality.  But we're taking shortcuts here, not risks with our lives.  This one is around $16, and it's worth the investment, since the Half Assed Decorator doesn't do drywall, and a drywall contractor is quite expensive. 

6.  A Staple Gun.  I know you think it's a job best left to a professional, but you really can recover those chairs if you have a decent staple gun.  I used to borrow my dad's, but when I started using it almost monthly, I decided it was time to invest in my own.  Look around for an inexpensive electric one.  You should spend around $25-30.

7.  Laser Level.  Again, not Half-Assed, but worth the $15.  Even if you like to eyeball it most of the time (which I do), it's absolutely essential when you have one of those annoying wall hangings that has two hooks on the back.  Look for one that has retractable pins to make it stick to the wall.

I like to borrow what I can, and if I can't borrow, make something else work.  When I don't have a chisel and mallet, a flat head screwdriver and hammer will do.  You may have a job or two that requires more, but these are the basics.   Next up:  What you don't need.