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Create a Cozy, Chic Look in Your Bedroom With These Simple Steps

September 20, 2016 by

To improve your sleep, create a relaxing atmosphere, and add a chic look to your bedroom, all it takes are a few smart upgrades. From incorporating plush textures to changing up the color scheme, these simple tips will show you exactly what to do.

  • Replace your current bedding with crisp, white bedding. If your current sheets and duvet feel drab and outdated, upgrading to chic white bedding will give your bed a timeless look that's just like a four-star hotel.
  • Create storage for every loose item and stray article of clothing. If you constantly find yourself tripping over clutter, head to the home goods store and invest in additional drawers, bins and other storage items.
  • Frame some art to dress up your walls. Choose soothing nature scenes, neutral abstract prints or framed family photos that will make you feel calm and relaxed.
  • Add throw pillows and blankets that will add additional depth to your bedding. Choose one statement pop of color or something in a fun faux fur for some soft, eye-catching texture.
  • Update the lighting by replacing the current bulbs with muted lights or bulbs that imitate natural sunlight.

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Working From Home? Add These Essentials to Your Home Office

April 26, 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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Corral Clutter and Create Beautiful Vignettes Around the Home Using Serving Trays

March 22, 2016 by

If you’re looking for an affordable way to add high style to your home, using serving trays is a great idea. On countertops, dressers, and even on the bed, serving trays add a designer-inspired look to any surface in the home. Here’s some inspiration for styling trays.

  1. Add a serving tray to your coffee table to corral remote controls, display magazines, and hold decorative objects. You can even add scented candles to create an enjoyable ambiance.
  2. Use serving trays in the bathroom to organize your everyday essential products. Add one to the back of the toilet if you’re lacking in cabinet space, or use one under the sink to hold lotion and soap bottles upright.
  3. Place a serving tray next to the front door to create a drop-off place for your keys, cell phone, and other items that would normally amount to clutter.
  4. Center a kitchen island by adding a decorative tray for displaying flower vases and plants. You may also want to add your favorite cookbooks to keep them within reach.
  5. While serving trays are originally used for serving food and beverages, they’re just as great for serving breakfast in bed—or even a midnight snack. If you enjoy relaxing with a good book and glass of wine at night, use a serving tray to avoid spills.

7 Ways to Decorate With Trays [Home Goods]
10 Creative Ways to Decorate with a Serving Tray [Kirklands]
See Why Trays Are the Ultimate Decorator’s Trick [One Kings Lane]

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How to Design Your Own Floral Arrangement

February 23, 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 Monarch Mills 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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Dependable Virtual Destinations for Apartment Decor and Accessories

October 27, 2015 by

It’s no secret that shopping online often yields affordable results, and the same goes if you’re looking for home décor items and accessories for your apartment. Any renter on a budget will love to browse those finishing touches that really make a house a home, and these are some of the best places to find them.

Urban Outfitters
While you may already shop at the trendy clothing retailer for all of your favorite T-shirts, Urban Outfitters also offers a great selection of stylish home goods. From eclectic art prints to colorful duvet covers and even mid-century modern inspired furnishings, you’ll find a number of great items on the convenient website.

Wayfair
If your home décor style is classic with a touch of modern, Wayfair is just the place to shop online. Here you’ll find chevron print area rugs, gold metallic picture frames, and antique-inspired clocks to hang on the wall.

CB2
For those who prefer sleek, minimal décor and bold pops of color, CB2 is a great option. Discover things like low-profile sofas, interesting throw pillows, and industrial bar stools, or browse the limited edition art selection to find affordable pieces from some of the biggest up-and-coming artists in the art world today.

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Add a Touch of Color to Your Space With These Easy-Care Blooming Houseplants

April 27, 2015 by

If you want to breathe new life into your home’s decor, there are few better ways than by adding a few blooming houseplants. These unique plants give you a pop of green and a burst of bright color from their blossoming flowers, and they’re surprisingly easy to care for.

  • Begonia. Although most people think of begonias as outdoor plants, they also look beautiful inside your home. Types with fibrous roots work best indoors, and they bloom almost continuously throughout the year.
  • Peace lily. This elegant plant features a beautiful, white flower against its lush green leaves, and it’s one of the easiest to keep alive. The peace lily even does well in low light.
  • African violet. If you’re looking for a plant that will last for years to come, this is the one to choose. Their purple, red, or white flowers bloom almost year-round.
  • Orchid. Although orchids can be quite finicky plants, they flourish when placed in bright, indirect sunlight. Plus, they’re some of the most beautiful flowering houseplants.
  • Geranium. If you’re prone to forgetting a few waterings here and there, the geranium is the plant for you. These vibrant flowers thrive in dry soil between waterings, and they really bloom when placed in a bright window.

Flowering Houseplants [About Home]
The 16 prettiest and most colorful indoor flowering plants [Today Home]
16 Drop-Dead Gorgeous Flowering Houseplants [AOL Real Estate]

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How to Choose the Right Houseplant for Your Home or Office

January 27, 2015 by

Whether you have a green thumb or you just can’t seem to keep a plant alive, there is truly an indoor houseplant for just about everyone. Here is a list of the best houseplants for the home or office, and some of them require almost no care at all.

  1. Geranium. This green flowering plant features long stems with lush leaves at the end, and it will thrive all year round if placed near a sunny window. Best of all, the sturdy geranium won’t suffer much if you miss a watering, so it’s a good fit for forgetful plant owners.
  2. Golden barrel cactus. Cacti are especially great plants for those who don’t want to water their plants daily, as they only need watered about once per month. This particular type of cactus is especially large and unique looking, though it only grows to about 1 foot tall.
  3. Jade plant. Jade plants are some of the most popular houseplants because they grow to be quite tall and impressive-looking when placed in bright sunlight. Because they are succulents, they also store a great deal of water in their leaves and require watering very infrequently.
  4. Aloe. With its numerous healing properties and its long, spiky appearance, it’s easy to see why people love aloe plants. With bright light, an aloe plant can grow to 3 feet tall.

Houseplants for the Forgetful Gardener [Better Homes and Gardens]
How To Choose the Right Houseplant [Bayer Advanced]
Houseplants for People Who Can't Grow Houseplants [This Old House]

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