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Go For the Old! Here’s What to Look For at The Local Thrift Store

May 13, 2016 by

Whether you're looking to add a touch of character to your home or simply trying to save some money on must-have furniture items, shopping at thrift and antique stores is a great choice. Before you set out on your thrifting journey, learn about the best items to look for on your hunt.

  • Solid wood pieces. Anything built of solid wood likely means it's built to last. Inspect tables, desks and bed frames to see if they're made of real wood instead of particle board or laminate materials.
  • Mid-century modern items. The mid-century modern movement is having a big comeback, so you can feel confident that these items will stay in style for years to come. Seek out chairs and sofas with tapered wooden legs, sleek desks and tables with metal hairpin legs, and items made of sturdy teak wood, which was popular during this era.
  • Woven or imported rugs. While purchasing a new rug can cost you a pretty penny, you'll often find trendy vintage styles for much less at the thrift store. Search for woven styles, Southwestern patterns or imported designs, like Persian or Moroccan rugs.
  • Vintage picture frames. Picture frames are also pricey when purchased new, so you should always take a look around for metal or wooden frames at the thrift store. Even if it already has a photo inside, you can take it out and start fresh with your own print.
  • Kitschy electronics. While purchasing an old TV can be a bit dangerous (many thrift chains don't even sell them anymore), you should keep your eyes peeled for antique radios, clocks, and other analog items that are now collectibles.

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Where to Shop Host and Hostess Gifts Online

May 3, 2016 by

Going to a party in the near future? It’s polite to bring a gift for the host or hostess, but it may be difficult to decide what to give. Luckily, there are a number of fun and affordable websites are packed full of great ideas that anyone will love. Here are three of the best places to shop for host and hostess gifts online.

Uncommon Goods
This foodie-friendly website is filled with gift ideas perfect for any avid entertainer. From self-chilling wine glasses to sets of unique salts and pizza cutters in silly shapes, these unique items make great host or hostess gifts.

Mark & Graham
If you’re looking for a gift that’s a bit more personal, Mark & Graham offers many items that can be customized with the recipient’s initials. Add etched initials to the side of a set of goblets, a copper ice bucket, or even trendy Moscow mule mugs, or create your own complete set of stylish barware.

Terrain
For the host with more romantic tastes, Terrain’s selection of pressed flower sachets, bottleneck vases, and enamel candlesticks are truly a delight. You’ll also find decorative candies and bottled cordials that are a bit more affordable for those on a budget.

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Clever Ways to Organize Shoes and Boots

April 29, 2016 by

If it seems like you never quite have enough room for all of your shoes, regardless of how hard you try to keep them in line, maybe it's not a matter of volume. It could just be that you need to organize your shoe collection more effectively. Here are four clever and practical ways to do just that (without spending too much).

  1. Mount colorful crates. If you want to show off your shoes instead of tucking them away beneath your bed, take this opportunity to exhibit them as works of art. Ask around at local grocery stores to see if they have any wooden crates they intend to recycle, snag a few, and paint them cute colors that match with your existing decor. Then simply mount them to the wall in your bedroom and fill them with shoes, making your own kind of gallery wall.
  2. Enlist a glass cabinet. Another great way to display your shoes (and keep them in order) is to stack them on shelves inside of a glass cabinet. Arrange them by color or other defining characteristics to create a piece that not only organizes but also adds to your room's aesthetic.
  3. Invest in a shoe bag. If you're more concerned about keeping everything orderly, and not so much making your bedroom look extra cute, then buy a simple hanging shoe bag from Amazon or Target. Make sure its cloth shelves are large enough to set your shoes side by side. You can also get an over-the-door organizer to hang on your closet door.
  4. Hang your boots. Maybe it's just your space-consuming boots that always seem to get disorganized. In that case, try hanging them using the clips attached to pant hangers. They'll be much easier to sort through hanging than strewn in a pile at the bottom of your closet.

13 Creative Ways to Organize Your Shoes, Inspired by Pinterest [whowhatwear]
40 Awesomely Clever Ways To Organize Shoes [livingino]
The Best Shoe Storage Options [Apartment Therapy]

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Bring the Outdoors In: How to Decorate Using Natural Elements

April 15, 2016 by

One of the simplest and most inexpensive ways to decorate your home is with natural elements. Use natural materials from the outdoors and colors inspired by nature to decorate for any season. If your space could use s breath of fresh air, follow these tips and get this organic look in your home.

  • Use unique pitchers or containers to keep flowers in to give any bouquet a fresh look.
  • Add three-dimensional antlers or any kind of faux taxidermy to your wall to break up some of your framed pictures on your wall.
  • Gather some branches in your backyard to put in a vase to make a centerpiece for your table. You can also use a piece of driftwood for a centerpiece as well.
  • Use a large twisted branch to hang on the wall to add some modern dimension to a room.
  • Use clear glass lamps and fill them up with pinecones, seashells and sand, moss, or anything else you can find.
  • You can also use bowls or trays to fill up with the pinecones or shells.
  • Hang artwork with an earthy theme to hang on your neutral colored walls.
  • Place a collection of small green houseplants in different sized pots on your wooden table to add some natural character to your dining room.

15 Ways to Decorate with Natural Elements [Ebay]
Decorating with Natural Elements [Better Homes]
12 Easy Decorating Ideas Inspired by Nature [Houzz]

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How to Decorate Your Apartment Using Wallpaper

April 8, 2016 by

Have you ever considered using wallpaper to decorate your home at Marquis at Barton Trails? Wallpaper scraps and temporary wallpaper can be used for DIY projects in pretty much every room in your apartment. Follow these unique tips to add some style and color to your space!

  • Add some brightness to your lamp shade by sizing a piece of wallpaper around the lamp and using hot glue or tape to place it on the shade.
  • Spruce up your dresser, bedside table, bookcase, or any other old piece of furniture by using modern wallpaper to accent its drawers or shelves.
  • Using removable, damage-free wallpaper, cover the wall behind your bed. Voila! Instant focal point that demands attention.
  • Create a focal piece of artwork for your apartment by framing a large piece of wallpaper to hang on your wall.
  • Make coasters to place on your tables out of small scraps of leftover wallpaper.
  • Use wallpaper to line the bottom of any serving tray and polish it for a creative way to showcase your food.
  • Line the drawers in your bathroom with wallpaper to add a splash of color that is quick and easy to clean.
  • Get creative in your kitchen by dressing up your refrigerator with a retro style temporary wallpaper.

7 Wallpaper Craft Projects (That Don’t Involve Walls) [Reader’s Digest]
10 Uses for Wallpaper Scraps [This Old House]
9 Unexpected Ways to Decorate With Wallpaper [Good Housekeeping]

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Hosting Guests on a Budget at Marquis at Barton Trails? Serve Everything from Appetizers to Entrees With These Household Items

April 1, 2016 by

If you’re hosting your first dinner party or holiday gathering at Marquis at Barton Trails, you may find it difficult to round up enough serving trays and platters to serve everyone. Luckily, with a bit of creativity, you can find unique and affordable ways to serve your guests with household items that you already own. Here are a few smart ideas for serving a group.

  1. Present utensils in baskets. Even if you have to use disposable utensils to accommodate everyone, make them look festive by displaying them in decorative baskets.
  2. Display appetizers right on the cutting board. Once you’re done cutting cheeses and other appetizers, leave them right on the cutting board! Attractive cutting boards create a rustic look that’s still really chic.
  3. Make your own cake stand. Create a makeshift cake stand by simply turning a glass bowl upside down and placing a matching glass plate on top. If you want to add more stability, glue the two together.
  4. Reuse martini glasses. If your party doesn’t involve martinis, use the decorative martini glasses to serve mixed nuts, candies, and other finger foods.
  5. Use disposable cookware. If worse comes to worse and you just don’t have enough serving dishes, skip over to a dollar store and purchase some disposable aluminum cooking trays. Once the food is done, you can serve it right from the tray.

Big List of Inexpensive Ways to Serve Holiday Meals [The Frugal Girls]
Creative and Fun Ways to Serve Food [Pinterest]
Fall Party Food: Cute Serving Ideas [Better Homes and Gardens]

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Working From Home? Add These Essentials to Your Home Office

March 25, 2016 by

In an era when working from home is becomingly increasingly common, there's a great chance that at least one member of your household occasionally works remotely. That means there's probably a home office (or, at least, a desk and chair) tucked away somewhere in your apartment. If you want to make your work-from-home space a more pleasant workplace, here are four components you should add.

  1. An office chair that's both chic and comfy. Any chair that you'll be sitting in all day long should be equal parts aesthetically pleasing and comfortable. So when you search for your home office chair, don't prize form over function, or vice versa—they're both important. Test drive as many chairs as it takes to find the one that keeps you comfy and jives with your office style.
  2. A lamp emitting warm light. When you work in a standard office, you're forced to make do with whatever the lighting situation is there. But when you work from home, you have the final say over the atmosphere in which you spend your day. So instead of accepting harsh overhead lights as an unavoidable reality, find a cute lamp that cloaks the room in a warm, glowing light to make working more enjoyable.
  3. A set of floating shelves. If you're running out of room in your desk drawers to stow those stacks of post-it notes, improvise more storage space by adding floating shelves. They're not only functional pieces, but also a design statement—plus, the display will force you to keep the office supplies organized.
  4. A coffee maker. Okay, so a coffee maker isn't a design element first and foremost, but it can be if you choose the right one. Find a coffee maker with a four-cup pot in a hue that suits your space, and fire it up as soon as you start working in the morning. It might help you dive into the day a little bit easier. You can also opt for a an espresso machine or electric tea kettle, depending on your caffeinated beverage of choice.

Essentials for a Home Office [The Every Girl]
17 Surprising Home Office Ideas [Real Simple]
5 Mistakes Everybody Makes Decorating Their Home Office [Apartment Therapy]

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Refinish a Well-Loved Wooden Cutting Board With These 4 Tips

March 18, 2016 by

Is your wooden cutting board looking a bit worse for the wear? With all of the slicing and dicing that goes on on your cutting boards, it’s no surprise that they need a bit of refurbishment every now and then. Use these simple tips for breathing new life into an old cutting board.

  1. First, disinfect your cutting board (especially ones that you use to cut meat) by diluting one teaspoon of bleach in two quarts of water. Dip a scrub brush in the solution and scrub the cutting board in small circles, and then wipe the surface with a damp paper towel and buff dry with a cotton cloth.
  2. Next, buff out any deep cuts using a very fine grade sandpaper. You may even want to choose two types of sandpaper so that you can buff out the cuts with one, and then smooth the surface with the other. Don’t leave behind any scratches, as these can collect bacteria.
  3. Condition your cutting board with mineral oil on a soft cloth. Don’t use vegetable or olive oils, as these can turn rancid with exposure. Buff the oil into the board using a thin rag, and make a note to retreat the board at least 3 or 4 times a year as needed.
  4. Once your cutting board is clean, keep it fresh after each use by cutting a lemon in half and rubbing it all over.

How to Clean a Cutting Board: 7 Effective Treatments [Reader’s Digest]
How to Restore and Maintain a Wood Cutting Board or Butcher Block [HGTV]
How To Clean, Deodorize and Condition Wood Cutting Boards Naturally [Apartment Therapy]

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These Online Retailers Sell Hip Kids’ Furniture That’s More Stylish Than Most

March 1, 2016 by

If the idea of a kids’ bedroom that’s cluttered with toys isn’t exactly what you have in mind, you may be wishing for kid-friendly furniture that’s a bit more functional. These stylish online stores specialize in children’s furniture and decor that’s more minimal than most, but it’s still cute enough to appeal to your favorite little ones.

The Land of Nod
With mid-century modern designs and soft, neutral colors, all of the furniture at The Land of Nod is just as appealing to caregivers as it is to the kids. Here you’ll find well-made wooden cribs and bedframes, bedding in whimsical patterns, and smart storage solutions with an eclectic edge.

IKEA
Everyone’s favorite Swedish home goods store is an equally great resource for fun, quirky children’s furniture. If you’re looking to furnish your little ones’ rooms on a budget, this is the place to go for complete furniture sets and even colorful rugs that double as board games.

Hip Kids
With a name like Hip Kids, it’s apparent that this online retailer sells children’s furnishings that are truly stylish. Shop wooden play kitchens, kid-sized teepees, and smart storage solutions that they’ll actually want to put their toys inside.

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Ready to Say Goodbye to the Gallery Wall? These New Wall Decor Ideas Will Spruce Up Your Space

February 26, 2016 by

While the mix-and-matched gallery wall was the biggest wall art trend of the past few years, you may be a bit tired of this eclectic style. If you’re looking for a new (but equally easy) way to spruce up your walls at Marquis at Barton Trails, get some inspiration from these exciting ideas.

  1. Hang a tree trunk slice. Visit your local craft store or even a lumberyard and purchase a few large tree trunk slices. Sand them down and stain them, or hang them as-is for a truly rustic look.
  2. Create cool frames using Washi tape. If you’re tired of the hefty price tags (and the holes) that come with traditional frames, try creating one-dimensional frames out of colorful Washi tape. Create designs that are sleek, ornate, traditional or even a little wacky in all of the shapes and sizes that you desire.
  3. Hang a vintage map. If you have a large wall space that you just don’t know how to cover, try using a large vintage map. These are fairly easy to come by online or at your local thrift store or on sites like Etsy.
  4. Display antique ceramics. Collect an assortment of antique plates and baskets from antique stores or family members and display them using hanging plate racks.
  5. Frame your records. If you’re a music fan, frame your favorite records using square frames designed especially for that purpose.

10 Impressive DIY Wall Art Projects from Our House Tours [Apartment Therapy]
Washi Tape Wall Art Ideas [Apartment Therapy]
50 Beautiful DIY Wall Art Ideas For Your Home [Decoist]

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