Category Archives: ~Decorating

The Modern Rules Of Choosing A Style For A Rug

Posted on by
Reply

With spring bringing in a new wave of good, sunny vibes to your day-to-day, you’re ready to add those same vibes to your favorite place—your home sweet home. And a new rug can go a long way in chasing out those winter blues and making your retreat space look and feel brand new.

Not so fast, though.

Not all rugs are perfect for every home situation. You don’t want to buy a huge rug that you’ll have trouble placing in your living room. And the last thing you want is a rug that adds an unwanted aesthetic to your space. On the contrary, the right rug can instantly add definition and color to your established decor, whether it’s a captivating modern one or an elegant traditional one.

The question is, with the wide range of rug materials, colors, and styles available today, how can you go about choosing the right rug style for your home?

Here’s a rundown on the top modern rules of choosing a style for a rug this spring.

Don’t Go Too Big

Size matters when you’re selecting a rug for your room. For example, if you have a tiny apartment with several pieces of statement furniture or eclectic objects in it, you don’t want a rug that will overpower your space. So, before you shop, be sure to measure the area in which you will be placing your rug.

As a general rule of thumb, your rug should cover the width and length of your furnishings if you’re placing it in your family room. A 5’ 0” x 8’ 1” rug or a 6’ 3” x 9’ 11” rug is typically a great size for clustering furniture around in an intimate space. If you wish to expand this space, choose a bigger size that will outline your area’s perimeter.

In your dining room, the rug you select needs to be big enough to provide ample space for your chairs, even after they’ve been pulled out from your table. So, measure your dining table and then add two feet to determine the best rug size for this space.

Also, in a space where your floor is wooden, try to keep between 18 and 24 inches of wooden flooring around your room’s perimeter. 

Consider Your Lifestyle

Think about how you plan to use the space where your new rug will go. Perhaps you plan to put the rug in an area that receives high traffic, like a family room or hallway. Or, maybe you have pets or young children? If so, look for luxury rugs that are simple to clean and durable, like wool rugs. And try to stick with a rug that is dark enough to hide dirt or stains.

Perhaps you’re planning to place a new rug in your home office. Create a sophisticated and classically elegant work from home space with a bamboo silk rug.

Online School Living Room Children – Free photo on Pixabay

Create the Right Mood

In addition to considering the usability of your space, think about the type of mood you want to create in your space when purchasing a rug. A rug anchors a room, so the style and color of your rug plays a major role in establishing its mood.

For instance, stick with rich, dark hues to define an intimate space. Meanwhile, choose light colors to make a tinier space look larger. Also, spicy colors—like red, yellow, or orange—add warmth to a room, whereas cool colors help to create a calm feeling, particularly in a space that is sunny.

However, as you search for rugs of certain colors, keep in mind that your target rug should ideally complement your room’s 2-3 main hues. As an example, you could choose a rug whose pattern’s secondary color matches your couch’s solid color. Then, try to make the rug’s third color match your room’s accents, like the wall, drape, or throw pillow color. This will help to tie your room’s look together.

Of course, you don’t always have to go with patterned rugs. Solid-colored rugs also work well in rooms, especially if your rooms’ primary furnishings are upholstered in patterns or feature elaborate designs.

Don’t Put a Pause on Patterns

Let’s dive into patterns a bit more. Patterned rugs are generally an excellent choice if you want to create an eclectic look in your room. Your patterns will instantly become the room’s primary focal point. For instance, feel free to choose rugs with floral or even zigzag spiral patterns. You can also choose rugs with more subtle patterns if you’d rather not harshly define the space.

Living Room Luxury House – Free photo on Pixabay

Choose the Perfect Rug for Your Space This Spring

Rugs have always been and will always be one of the most quintessential decorative accessories due to their ability to add warmth and personality to any room. But choosing the right rug—one that won’t take up an exorbitant amount of space, for example—is critical for making your dream look and vibe for your room a reality.

Consider the above-listed modern rules for choosing a rug that fits your style and your room’s layout this spring. In no time, you can bring comfort, coziness, and a chic ambiance to your living space this spring!

Author Bio:

Carolyn Mitchell is a freelance writer and content strategist with a passion for home décor. She can often be found re-painting and updating the furnishings in her home, and she is also a dedicated cat mom to two adorable kitties.

How To Amp Up Your Small Rental Apartment

Posted on by
1
https://unsplash.com/photos/85pCvDWDMmI

Renting a new apartment is an exciting opportunity for decorating your place in a way that lets your personality shine through. Even if the rental apartment is small, there’s no reason to compromise and not go big on style. Depending on the type of apartment you have and your own personal taste, there are tons of ways to decorate your living space! We have a few ideas on how to amp up your small rental apartment.

Lighting

One of the best places to start with when it comes to amping up an apartment is the lighting. Picking the right set of lights can give your room a defining character and become the standard by which you add the next set of furniture and decor.

If you’ve been staying up to date with lighting trends, you’ll know that certain styles of lighting can trick visitors into thinking the space is much larger than it actually is. Ceiling fixtures that hang down draw the eyes upwards and open up your apartment in a way that makes it feel larger than it actually is. If you have permission to swap out your ceiling fixtures, this is a great place to start!

As for floor lighting and lampshades, you’ll want to go for softer, more incandescent lights as they make your room feel inviting and warm, as opposed to colder tones that can often appear uninviting.

Lastly, an aspect of lighting that many people don’t quite appreciate enough is reflections. Intelligently using mirrors both as decor and as an instrument to complement and improve lighting in your apartment can go a long way in creating a more open, brighter space that radiates positive energy. You’ll want to place mirrors directly in the path of light coming in from the windows to bounce the light around and give the impression of a larger room.

It’s The Small Things

Contrary to popular belief, it’s not always big statements like oversized doors and beds that give small apartments character and size, but rather tiny items that can make a big impact. Attention to detail goes a long way in spicing up any apartment and every little change you make counts.

A great place to start here is with doorknobs. It might sound random, but they’re actually one of the items we interact with the most in any home. Rustic door knobs can add a unique life to your apartment, and convey a thoughtful, nostalgic sense of style with just a glance. Certain well-crafted door knobs also combine form and function by being incredibly appealing to look at and use, as well as secure thanks to modern locking technology. If you have permission to change out your doorknobs, this small change can make a large visual impact.

For even smaller apartments that might not even have doors to open, there are still several things that you can do to enlarge and beautify the space. A common piece of decor that people use in small apartments is a glass partition. Adding a glass partition is an ingenious idea for small studio apartments that often have just one room to boast of. Partitions stretch small spaces while still allowing for light to pass through. For apartments that might not be able to accommodate glass partitions, consider a foldable wooden divider. These serve a similar purpose, and can even be a better fit aesthetically for some apartments depending on lighting and other decor.

https://unsplash.com/photos/GqbU78bdJFM

Work With The Bed

Smart home design in small apartments revolves around intelligently managing bedroom decor. Since beds take up a large amount of the limited space available to you, how you decorate and use it can have a big impact on your quality of life. For starters, using trundle or retractable beds that you can use as a sofa or slide away when not in use is a common sight in smaller apartments.

As for decor, certain visual tweaks like using bright and bold handmade pillow covers is an easy way to make a statement. You can pair these with a comfortable and slim duvet that folds up easily into your bed’s storage for clever space management.

Utilizing Space

Renting out a small apartment, even one that’s been renovated recently, comes with its own quirks. These quirks take the form of unique nooks and crannies that you can take advantage of to make your space your own. A common example of this, particularly in cramped cities like New York, are the tiny alcoves below the windows found in small apartments. Adding a small couch or table here can do a lot to create a cozy space for you to inhabit.

Living Large

Being smart about how you decorate and use your small rental apartment is all it takes to make the most of what you have. Use your apartment’s unique features and accent them with subtle decor to live larger than ever before.

Author Bio:

Carolyn Mitchell is a freelance writer and content strategist with a passion for home décor. She can often be found re-painting and updating the furnishings in her home, and she is also a dedicated cat mom to two adorable kitties.

Interior Design As A Form Of Expression

Posted on by
1
https://unsplash.com/photos/85pCvDWDMmI

Your home can be a reflection of your personality and who you are, even if you don’t put any thought into the interior design consciously. Some people like to take control of this creative pursuit to develop an even more cohesive narration of their self-expression. If you think that you’d like to take your interior design to the next level with a more personalized, thoughtful perspective, it might be time to consider how exactly your home decor choices can make a difference. Check out this exploration of interior design as a form of expression and integrate some of these ideas into your space.

Colors Can Change Your Mind

Many people already know that color can affect them on a psychological level. Businesses use this tactic all the time to entice people to utilize their services. Have you ever noticed that fast food places use yellow and red because it makes you hungry, security firms use blue to enhance their authority, and hospitals use green for its soothing aura? These are just some of the ways that colors change your mind.

Wondering what different colors mean to your brain? Here’s some basic color theory to get you started:

  • Red: Energy, Action, Excitement
  • Orange: Uplifting, Friendly, Fun
  • Yellow: Happiness, Confidence, Optimism
  • Green: Hope, Balance, Revitalization
  • Blue: Trust, Authority, Serenity, Intelligence
  • Purple: Creativity, Individuality, Spirituality

Incorporating color into your home can be subtle or showstopping. Use home decor accessories in the colors you love to accent your space and add life to your home. Looking for something bolder? Consider painting one of your walls in an accent color to change the whole feel of the space.

Display Your Hobbies

Changing the colors in your home is a big deal, but it can still feel a little impersonal. So what are the things that really express your personality? Hobbies and passions, of course! Do you love reading? A bookshelf display can showcase your passion, create a cozy reading nook, and ensure your books are accessible at all times. Love crochet? Use your own designs to decorate your space with sofa covers, doilies, and more. From gardening and painting to woodcraft and music, you can use tables, walls, and cabinets to decorate with meaningful accessories and collectibles.

Personalized Rooms

If you have multiple people living in your home, they probably each have their own room. When it comes to kids, especially, you want to help them express themselves within their space by putting up their artwork, asking for their input, and exploring a variety of options for everything from doorknobs and cabinet handles to curtains and bedsheets.

Furniture Made for You

https://unsplash.com/photos/gj1dnc7yRG0

You might think that you should buy furniture based on fashion trends you find on Instagram or Pinterest, but that’s not the way to express who you truly are. Pick things that make sense in your space, make you happy, and work cohesively to create a stunning design that you can’t wait to use. Don’t forget that mounted light fixtures and chandeliers also have their part to play in your furniture design!

Showcasing Your Past

While you might have spent a lot of time organizing decor accents that show off your hobbies and passions, don’t forget to do the same for your favorite memories. If you have any blank spaces on your walls or empty surfaces on your tables, you can fill them in with framed photos of the most important people in your life. Whether it’s family photos on snaps from adventures with friends, complete your design with souvenirs of places you visited together!

Spotlight Your History

Everyone’s family is different, but if yours is one that passes down special objects through the generations, you might want to make them part of your home decor. Whether it’s a cookbook or a music box, these items deserve a unique display. You can even start your own collection of heirlooms to pass down to future descendants for them to restore or upcycle when the time comes.

Transforming Your Home

All of these home decor techniques are different ways you may choose to express yourself. Whether you do them all or just choose one or two that really speak to you, these changes aren’t made overnight. Take your time deciding which accents, colors, and focal points make sense to you, and consider how they relate and express your personality.

As you embrace every aspect of who you are, from the most quirky to the most mainstream, you’ll find that you feel much more comfortable in your space. When you use your home as your canvas, you’re acting as an artist with control over every element and decision. You might make a conscious effort to bare every part of who you are, or you may choose to limit your self-expression to one or two rooms. Just make sure that whatever direction you go takes into account your entire lifestyle, family, and everyday activities.

Unique Design Features To Make Any Room Stand Out

Posted on by
3

When it comes to decorating our homes, personal style is key. Whether it’s traditional, modern, contemporary, or eclectic — adding design elements to your home will make you and your guests more comfortable and happy.

No matter what type of look you are going for in your home, there are a few tips that will help to bring cohesiveness and warmth to any decor. Here are some of our favorite ways to make any room stand out.

Create A Focal Point

When you are decorating any room, the first element of design should include the designation of a focal point or focal points for large spaces.

For example, in most bedrooms the focal point is the bed. In most living spaces the focal point is a sitting area. In a dining room, the focal point is the dining table. Sometimes, special items become focal points, like a piano in a parlor or a projector screen in a theater room.

Once you have decided which area or areas of your room will become focal points, begin to plan your furniture placement accordingly.

Plan For Statement Pieces

Now the fun part — adding statement pieces to your design. If you already own statement pieces of furniture, by all means, utilize them. Whether it be a lounge set, piano, dining room table or bed, select furnishings that are well-designed to fit the needs of your room.

Depending on what type of design style you are looking to bring into your home, you may opt for bold, striking pieces or more subdued furnishings to achieve your desired look.

If you are planning to purchase new items, again, decide on the focal point of your room and allocate your budget to accommodate furnishings that draw the eye.

Investing in high-quality pieces that may include lounge sets, tables and beds is a wise choice to create inviting spaces for years to come. Try to select furnishings that are well made and timeless.

You can save money by finding consignment pieces that need a bit of refinishing or buying second hand. Remember, you can create custom furnishings and design your own must-have pieces if you are unable to source them in brick-and-mortar stores or online.

Look for The Best Lighting

One of the most underrated design elements of a room is lighting. If you happen to have plentiful natural light in the room you are designing, give yourself a clap!

If, on the other hand, the natural lighting in your room is not up to par, you will want to add lighting elements to your room that bring warmth and energy.  Remember that any space will need to provide 100% ambient lighting at nighttime when you are designing lighting to fit your space.

Adding pendant lighting, sconces, chandeliers, and track lighting are great ways to bring brightness to dark spaces. 

Choosing floor lamps and table lamps that enhance a space is another important consideration when working with a room that needs additional lighting during the day (and night). Remember to consider tasks that may be performed in a given space and be sure that you have enough light to accommodate.

Add Interest With Accessories 

Now comes the hardest part of decorating — accessorizing your space. Deciding on color palettes is essential in order to create a beautiful and cohesive space. Choose a small palette of complementary colors to keep your space unified and calming.

Many decorators follow the 60-30-10 rule in choosing how to design and accessorize their rooms. Three colors (and any variations in shade of these three colors) are selected for any given space. The rule states that 60% of the space represents the main color, 30% of the space will be a highlight color, and the remaining 10% of a space will be an accent color.

Choosing a rug or drapes will likely fall into the 60 or 30 colors, while choosing custom throw pillows will likely fall into the 10 color choice.

Adding minimal additional elements is a good way to slowly start to decorate a room — remember less is more when it comes to most interior design philosophies.

Once you have decided to decorate or redecorate a new room, take your time to plan your space before acting. Consider the space, its uses, and its focal points. Use a color palette and follow the 60-30-10 design rule. Add statement pieces, lighting, and accessories to create a timeless room that will keep you and your family comfortable for years to come by following these simple suggestions.

Author Bio:

Carolyn Mitchell is a freelance writer and content strategist with a passion for home décor. She can often be found re-painting and updating the furnishings in her home, and she is also a dedicated cat mom to two adorable kitties.

4 Interior Design Trends to Follow This Year

Posted on by
2

Image: https://unsplash.com/photos/4HG3Ca3EzWw

Everyone has their own unique preferences when designing their living spaces, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t common trends that come and go from year to year. Over the past few years, as many have found themselves spending more time at home than usual, creating a welcoming environment has become even more of a focus. Let’s take a look at four interior design trends you may want to consider as you update your home’s decor.

1. Bold Colors and Patterns

These days, many homeowners are replacing neutral tones and minimalist designs with more visually stimulating colors and patterns. Primary colors—red, blue, and yellow— are certainly having a moment, as well as green, often in the form of plaids, checks, stripes, florals, and other playful patterns. Retro-inspired designs provide a sense of comfort and familiarity, and these bigger colors and patterns offer a mood-enhancing aesthetic.

Especially worthy of note, Pantone’s color of the year, Very Peri, is quite a versatile shade, combining the boldness of blue with the softness of periwinkle, and can be used equally well as an accent or focal point. From subtle decor like throw pillows and lighting fixtures to main pieces like furniture and bedspreads, this lovely shade can both excite the eye and calm the mind—two key elements in maintaining a healthy home.

Another simple yet effective way to add a splash of color to any room (with windows) is to apply diffraction rainbow decal stickers to windows. When the light shines through, it creates a gorgeous pop of rainbow colors akin to a prism, only with more exciting patterns. The combination of natural light with morphing rays of color is truly a magnificent feast for the eyes!

2. Vintage and Antique Pieces

This year, designers and homeowners are enjoying the comforting allure of vintage and antique decor. Besides looking beautiful, many well-aged pieces are also functional. For example, a vintage record player complete with your favorite albums and vinyl accessories can provide entertainment while looking quite dashing to boot.

Additionally, the prospect of hunting down and acquiring these types of goods is a fun and rewarding hobby in and of itself. Scouring the internet and local shops for the perfect piece is a modern treasure hunt, and you’ll enjoy the fruits of your labor for many years to come. You can even turn the hobby into a business if you play your cards right!

3. Personalized Spaces

Image: https://unsplash.com/photos/7qTYBEEEvZc

As people spend more time at home, they gain a new appreciation for surroundings that tell their stories. For example, while everyone has their own preferences when selecting types of art prints, many designers and homeowners are choosing to support their favorite artists by purchasing or commission artwork that speaks to them, rather than picking up mass-produced art from big-box stores. Showcasing a collection—be it art, knick-knacks, musical instruments, or anything else that ignites joy— is a fantastic way to surround oneself with meaningful beauty.

Besides displaying collections, there are plenty of other ways to truly turn a house into a home that represents its inhabitants. Framed family photos, or even painted portraits, are a great choice, and they serve as a reminder of what’s truly important in life. Similarly, decor with inspirational quotes and images can serve as reminders of one’s beliefs and goals.

4. Elevated Home Offices

As working from home becomes increasingly common, many homeowners are choosing to upgrade their home offices. In the past, many home offices were used rarely—often only on sick days— so a simple desk, chair, and computer did the trick. As people find themselves spending more time in these spaces, they’re naturally gravitating towards better decor and equipment.

Even those who don’t have rooms solely dedicated to their home offices may find that upgrading their bedroom, basement, living room, or other auxiliary room with hybrid furnishings is a great way to differentiate between time spent on and off the clock. For example, a laptop table with wheels can be rolled out when it’s time to clock in, or a lift-top coffee table can be converted to a desk.

Beyond functionality, decorating a home office makes working that much more appealing. While some homeowners prefer a cohesive aesthetic throughout the home, some remote workers enjoy treating their home offices like an entirely different place, helping to replicate the feeling of waking up and going to the office—even if that office is just a few feet away!

Beauty Is In the Eye of the Beholder

Whether you’re just incorporating a few interior design trends or completely renovating your home, this year looks to be all about comfort and personality. Consider thinking outside the box as you shop for new decor. You might be surprised by how a subtle or drastic change can really add excitement to your living space, and in turn, your life.

At the same time, if you prefer minimalist, clinical, and utilitarian design, there’s certainly nothing wrong with that! It all comes down to your preferences, so go ahead and embrace your inner designer, regardless of what the latest trends may look like. It’s your home, and only you know which interior design choices will bring the most joy.

Author Bio:

Carolyn Mitchell is a freelance writer and content strategist with a passion for home décor. She can often be found re-painting and updating the furnishings in her home, and she is also a dedicated cat mom to two adorable kitties.