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How to Make Any Space Feel Like Home

September 15, 2016 by

Making your space feel like a home can be a little overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be difficult. All you need to do is add your own personality to your space and make it feel more cozy. Follow these tips to make your space feel more comfortable and homey.

  • Decorate your space with people and places that you love and with items that have meaning to you. Use artwork that features places or maps of places that have a special meaning to you and your family.
  • A simple positive message can have a way of making you feel good and really bring up your mood. Use art that features a quote or phrase and hang it somewhere where you will be sure to see it every day.
  • Place a lot of throw pillows on your couch or bed. These will always make you feel nice and cozy. A throw blanket can give you the same effect as well.
  • Add a rug or two to your dining or living room area. A rug will make your space feel more complete and less empty or bare.
  • Add a lamp on your bedside table or on your desk to add a little bit of light to your home. If your space is too dark, you will never achieve that cozy feeling.

8 Ways to Decorate With Love and Meaning [Houzz]
8 Ways to Make Your House More Homey [Home Garden Vibes]
Decorating Tricks to Make Your New House Welcoming and Cozy [Freshome]

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Super-Simple Ways to Add a Splash of Color to Your Home

July 21, 2016 by

Curious about color? Even adding the smallest amount of color to your decor can make a huge difference. Here are some tips to help you add a splash of color to your home—without having to pick up a paint brush!

  • Start out with a generous amount of neutrals. These colors will act as your canvas or blank slate that you can add to.
  • Don’t use too much of one color, or it can become a big blur. You want to stick to a formula of using 60 percent of the dominant color and 30 and 10 percent of two other different colors to balance everything out.
  • Blending masculine colors with feminine colors can really bring a room together.
  • Consider using black when decorating. It will add some visual depth to a space. You could also use white to make a room feel more modern and fresh.
  • Use something with a pattern, like a throw pillow or piece of artwork, to pull colors from.
  • Work with a color palette to help transition the colors from room to room. This helps bring everything together and makes the rooms feel cohesive.

These 6 Lessons in Color Will Change the Way You Decorate [One Kings Lane]
Ideas for Decorating with Color & Pattern [About]
The 12 Rules of Decorating with Color [Pure Wow]

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Clear the Air With These Air-Purifying Houseplants

June 16, 2016 by

You might think that, in order to breathe truly clean air inside, you'll have to invest in an expensive air purification system, but that's not so. There are many houseplants that eradicate airborne toxins, and you can pick them up at any major home improvement store. Here are just four of them.

  1. English ivy. According to the scientists at NASA, there's no plant better at purifying the air than English ivy. It helps soak up any formaldehyde that could be floating around in your air, and you definitely don't want to be inhaling the stuff. Plus, it's almost impossible to kill them.
  2. Peace lily. The peace lily may be beautiful, but beauty can be deceiving. Don't fall for its game; this is actually a powerful plant. Harmful chemicals like xylene, ammonia, formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene will all decrease in your air when a peace lily blooms nearby.
  3. Red-Edged Dracaena. Named for the strips of bright red that run along the edges of its thin, long leaves, the Red-edged Dracaena is more than just a pretty plant. It also gets rid of xylene, trichloroethylene, and formaldehyde when you feed it enough sunlight.
  4. Golden pothos. If you really want to make a statement with your new houseplant, consider buying a hanging pot for the golden pothos. When positioned properly, its leaves will snake their way down to the floor in beautiful vines.

7 Plants That Purify Indoor Air [Rodale's Organic Life]
This Graphic Shows the Best Air-Cleaning Plants, According to NASA [Lifehacker]
10 Best Houseplants To De-Stress Your Home And Purify The Air [HuffPost Home]

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How to Style and Organize a Bookcase

May 19, 2016 by

Sure, bookcases are meant to hold your book collection, but that doesn’t mean that yours should look like a jumbled mess. Turn your overstuffed bookcase into a focal point in your home with these simple, designer-worthy decorating tips.

  1. Organize all of your books in an attractive way. Whether you organize them by color to create a rainbow effect or by height for a unique pattern, you should consider book placement before anything else—it is a bookshelf, after all!
  2. Add knickknacks. While knickknacks may make you think of a cluttered grandmother’s house, modern versions will add an artistic flair to your shelves. Hunt for vintage brass or ceramic objects at local thrift stores, pick up small sculptures on your travels, or simply place green plants throughout.
  3. Fill it with frames. For a personal touch, frame photos of your friends or family and place them upright on the shelves. Or, if you want to create a more unique effect, attach the frame with a small nail to the front of the bookshelf where a corner meets.
  4. Step back and admire your work. To ensure that your bookshelf looks as good from afar as it does up close, frequently back up and reconsider the placement of each item.

How to Decorate a Bookshelf [Decoist]
How-to Beautify Your Bookcase [Coastal Living]
22 Ways to Arrange Your Shelves [Real Simple]
Flip for Decorating: The Bookcase [House Beautiful]

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How to Design Your Own Floral Arrangement

April 21, 2016 by

Think that you have to visit a professional florist to find a magazine-worthy arrangement? Think again! With these simple tips for designing your own floral arrangements at home, you can fill your space at Avana South Shore with gorgeous flowers or even give them as affordable gifts to friends.

  1. Choose the perfect vase. Choose a vase that will fit the flowers that you have on hand, or if you don’t have a designated vase, use something like a mason jar, pitcher, or other household vessel.
  2. Using florist’s tape, create a grid across the top opening of the vase. Leave approximately one-inch squares in between the tape to keep the flowers separated and evenly spaced.
  3. Mix up textures by using a wide variety of different types of flowers. Contrast delicate baby’s breath with big, leafy blooms and eucalyptus branches.
  4. If you’re feeling a bit intimidated by the idea of mixing and matching, make a statement by using a large quantity of just one type of flower. Whether it’s classic red roses or purple hydrangeas, all flowers look beautiful when trimmed into layered lengths that eventually create a rounded arrangement in a short vase.

Flower Arranging 101 [Martha Stewart]
Elegant, Exquisite, Easy Flower Arrangements [Real Simple]
How to create perfect floral arrangements [Sunset]

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Chemical-Free Ways to Clean Your Oven at Avana South Shore

January 7, 2016 by

You’re always on the hunt for chemical-free ways to clean your home, but when it comes to really heavy duty cleaning in areas like the oven, it may seem almost impossible. Luckily, it is possible to clean your oven without using chemicals—it just takes a bit of ingenuity and a few smart tips from the pros.

  1. Take out the oven racks and let them soak in a tub of hot water.
  2. Make a paste of ¼ cup of baking soda, 2 tablespoons of coarse salt and just enough warm water to create a thick consistency.
  3. Using a durable sponge, scrub the paste into the stained parts in your oven. Concentrate on areas that see a lot of spills and drips, such as the bottoms and around the racks.
  4. Let the past sit on the stains for an hour or two, depending on their severity.
  5. Using the same sponge rinsed out with clean water, wipe away the paste and give it a second good scrub. You may also want to use a finer grade steel wool for difficult stains.
  6. For extra cleaning power, spray the entire oven with a spray bottle filled with white vinegar, then wipe it away with a clean cloth.
  7. Before replacing the oven racks, scrub them using simple steel wool and an all-natural dishwasher detergent to break down grease.

How To Clean an Oven Without Harsh Chemicals [Apartment Therapy]
Natural Oven Cleaning Recipe [Wellness Mama]
How To Clean an Oven With Baking Soda & Vinegar [The Kitchn]

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Don’t Have a Green Thumb? Read These Tips for Growing Cacti and Succulents!

July 23, 2015 by

Don't have a green thumb? Try growing cacti and succulents! These low-maintenance plants are used to living in dry desert environments, which means they require little watering. Use these simple tips for keeping your succulents happy and healthy.

  1. Keep them in a sunny spot. Because both cacti and succulents like a lot of sunlight, try to position them in the sunniest spot in your home.
  2. Use well-draining soil. These plants are very sensitive when it comes to watering, so use well-draining soil and a pot with a drainage system in the bottom to help prevent root rot.
  3. Rotate frequently. To ensure that each side of your succulent gets an equal amount of sunlight, rotate the plant once a week or so.
  4. Water according to the soil. Instead of watering them on a set schedule, water your succulents only when their soil is bone dry. Soak them completely by letting the pot sit underneath the showerhead for a good ten minutes.
  5. Promote dormancy in the winter. While your cactus should be watered frequently in warmer months, allow the soil to go almost completely dry in the cold winter months to help the plant go dormant.

Cacti And Succulents Inside Your Home [Gardening Know-How]
Cultivating Cacti and Succulent Plants [HGTV]
Growing Guide – Cactus [Cactus Land]

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