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Redecorating? Here’s How to Get Gutsy with Color and Design

September 15, 2016 by

Bold style and colors can transform your home to make it feel more fun and happy. If you’re looking to liven up your home and really make your space more exciting, follow these tips for some inspiration.

  • Use a large, oversized reflective object, such as a light fixture, to assert dominance on everything else in the room.
  • Experiment with design objects and put them out of their element. Something like placing a rug on the wall can really make a statement.
  • A patterned piece of furniture can be a great addition to your space. Something like a floral pattern on a sofa or polka dots on a chair can make an impact.
  • Turn one wall into a modern piece of art. Even using a simple splash of color on one of your walls can make a huge difference.
  • Use a patterned light switch plate instead of the plain old white ones for a fun little pop of color.
  • Instead of filling a vase with flowers, use a large leaf with a unique shape.

12 Bold Color Tricks to Try in Every Room [HGTV]
22 Ways to Be (a Little) More Daring With Your Decorating [HGTV]
Daring Decor Additions: Take Your Design Up A Notch With These 5 Striking Style Ideas [Apartment Therapy]

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Keep Your Bathroom Fresh With These All-Natural Scents

August 18, 2016 by

Here are a few quick, all-natural tips that will add a fresh, clean scent to your home's bathroom.

  • Add an essential oil diffuser. Essential oils are some of the most potent natural scents, and by adding a few drops to a wall outlet diffuser, you can easily permeate the air with fresh, clean fragrance.
  • Hang a eucalyptus bundle in the shower. Eucalyptus gives off a woodsy scent that's much fresher than a store-bought air freshener. Hang a bundle in the shower so that every time you run the hot water, the scent fills the whole room.
  • Fill a mason jar with baking soda. Baking soda is one of the best natural substances for dissolving odors, so fill a mason jar with the stuff and place it in a central location in the bathroom.
  • Make your own potpourri. Instead of purchasing pre-made potpourri at a home goods store, customize your own using only the scents that you love most. Dry some of your favorite flowers, and then add them to a jar and sprinkle them with some essential oils. For an extra touch, add things like cinnamon sticks, citrus peel, bark or pinecones.

6 Clever & Safe DIY Bathroom Deodorizers [Care 2]
Check Out These 10 Simple Ways You Can Make Your Home Smell Fresh [ViralNova]

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

July 21, 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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How to Create a Chic and Stylish Bar Cart

May 5, 2016 by

Bar carts are the types of finishing touches that add a major pop of designer flair to any room in the home. From the living room to the dining room, adding a well-curated bar cart will really give your home the type of 1950s style that is right on trend. Here are just a few tips for creating a truly chic bar cart.

  1. Start with the perfect cart. Scour flea markets and thrift stores for an authentic vintage bar cart. If you can’t find one there, try purchasing one at an affordable furniture store or even using a small three-tiered bookshelf.
  2. Choose your spirits. The types of spirits that you add to your cart really depend on your personal preferences. Investing in three or four bottles of common spirits like vodka, gin, and bourbon is a good place to start.
  3. Add your glassware. Next, invest in new or secondhand sets of wine glasses, low tumblers and martini glasses. You may even want to add decanters to fill with mixers or to trade out unattractive liquor bottles.
  4. Add the accessories. Fill a glass jar with stirrers, add a small cutting board for slicing lemons and limes and even add stacks of mixology books for the finishing touches.

How to Style a Bar Cart [The DIY Playbook]
How To: Create and Stylize the Perfect Bar Cart [Guest of a Guest]
Assembling the Perfect Bar Cart [Primer Magazine]
How to Style the Perfect Bar Cart for Any Party [HGTV]

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These Two Wedding Registry Sites Can Help You Take the Plunge

February 18, 2016 by

When it comes time to register for gifts for your wedding, it can be difficult to choose the right places to meet your style and your needs. It’s best to keep in mind that you want high quality items that will last a good while, but at prices that your guests can afford. Here are two great wedding registry websites that will make your decision a bit easier.

Pottery Barn
Pottery Barn’s wedding registry is separated into neatly organized sections that help you to create your registry from start to finish. It features a simple registrant information page that allows you to create your couple profile, and it even enables you to decide where you’d like each gift shipped and your preferences on receiving gift cards from guests. Once you fill out your registry, Pottery Barn also makes it easy for friends and family to find your profile and navigate the gifts that you’ve selected.

Williams-Sonoma
The popular kitchenware store offers an impressive wedding registry site that’s packed full of cooking and entertaining items to help you create the kitchen of your dreams. Easily create and manage your registry with just a few fill-in-the-blank questions, then select the items that you love from Williams-Sonoma’s expansive inventory.

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How to Style a Coffee Table Like the Pros

June 18, 2015 by

The coffee table may seem like a fairly standard piece of furniture found in any home, but by using a few designer-inspired home decor tips, you can transform yours into a statement piece that ties the whole room together. Try out these DIY decorating ideas made especially for your coffee table.

  1. Add a stack of books. Coffee table books got their name because they were designed for, well, the coffee table, so it only makes sense to use them as such! Place a stack of beautiful books right in the center of your table to provide visual interest and spur conversation.
  2. Place an accent piece on top. Once you stack your books, add something pretty on top, like a great smelling candle or a small figurine. This is also a great place for a lush, green plant.
  3. Add a tray. Next to the stack of books, place an attractive tray to corral small items. Something in clear plastic, natural wood, or chic metallic are all great options.
  4. Place knick-knacks inside. Fill the tray with smaller accent pieces, such as attractive ceramics, a flower vase, or even more candles. This tray can also serve a functional purpose if you use it to store remote controls or hold your keys once you enter the door.
  5. Choose a color scheme. Choose a color scheme such as natural wood and white, or forgo the color scheme for an intentionally mismatched effect.

How to Style a Coffee Table [The Everygirl]
How to Style Your Coffee Table [Style Me Pretty: Living]
8 Stylish Tricks to Dress Up Your Coffee Table [Good Housekeeping]

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Plant 101: What’s the Difference Between a Cactus and a Succulent?

August 21, 2014 by

Fun to collect and easy to care for, succulents and cacti are popping up everywhere, from home decor blogs to the pages of interior design magazines. In fact, you might even have a few of these trendy plants on your windowsill right now! But what exactly is a succulent, and what differentiates a succulent from a cactus?

In short, a succulent is a plant that stores water in its tissues. This unique system of water storage enables succulents to survive dry, drought-like conditions. Examples of succulents include aloe, agave, and some bromeliads. That said, all cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti. Cacti are set apart by the possession of an areole, an organ that resembles white, fluffy lumps on the body of a cactus. It's from these areoles that a cactus's flowers, spines, and branches sprout.

Cactus and Succulent Care [Lowes]
What are Succulent Plants? [Young's Garden Center]
How to Grow Healthy Succulent Plants [About]
What is a Succulent, Anyway? [Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society]
What is the difference between a Cactus and a Succulent? [Fickle Prickles]

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How to Style a Coffee Table Like a Design Pro

July 24, 2014 by

When styled correctly, a coffee table can have a positive impact on the overall aesthetic of a space. However, there's a fine line between a chic display and a cluttered mess. Here are three tips to help ensure your table is making the right statement.

1) Only display items worthy of displaying.
That is to say, if you're not proud of the item, then said item doesn't deserve a spot on your coffee table–even if it is your favorite weekly tabloid! Stash keys, spare change, stray papers, remote controls, and mail elsewhere. Or if you prefer, a decorative box can provide storage for these items.

2) Display items of varying heights.
Use an eye-catching tray and stacks of hardcover books to create the bottom-most layer of your display. Shorter candles and bowls can complement taller pieces, like oversized hurricane vases and flower arrangements. Just be sure to edit your display so that the table doesn't become cluttered.

3) Make it yours.
Your table should reflect your personality. If you have a favorite quirky collectible or a treasured family heirloom, this is the place to show it off!

How to Style Your Coffee Table Like a Pro [House Beautiful]
How to Style a Coffee Table [The Everygirl]
Styling a Coffee Table With Kimberly Hughes [West Elm]
How to Style Your Coffee Table [Style Me Pretty]

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3 Creative Uses for Plastic Baggies

April 17, 2014 by

Reclosable plastic baggies are great for storing just about any type of food, but did you know that baggies can be used for much more than just that? From homemade packing cushions to DIY pastry bags, here are three great ways to use baggies.

Baking
Want to make a beautifully frosted cake but don't have a pastry bag? Just use a baggie to pipe on that frosting. Fill the bag with frosting, zip it shut, then snip off one of the corners. You now have a cheap, disposable pastry bag. Baggies can also be used to break cookies for pie crusts or crackers for breading without making a mess. Place what needs to broken up in the bag, close the zipper, and smash the bag with a rolling pin.

Packing
Can't find bubble wrap? Just head to your pantry for some plastic bags. Insert a straw into the bag and close the zipper. Blow air through the straw to inflate the bag. Quickly remove the straw and close the zipper the rest of the way. Now you have homemade packing material!

Traveling
Going on vacation? Place soap, shampoo, and conditioner into a zipped baggie. This way if one of the bottles starts to leak, your clothes won't be ruined. You can also keep items like cell phones and cameras from getting sandy at the beach by packing them in a plastic bag before placing them in your beach bag.

101 New Uses for Everyday Things [Real Simple]
12 Clever Uses for Ziploc Bags [SavingStar]

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How to Organize Your Bedroom in 4 Simple Steps

March 20, 2014 by

The bedroom is supposed to be for sleeping, but for many of us, it’s also where we eat, where we work, and where we lounge around with the whole family. You bedroom takes a lot of wear and tear, but these four simple steps will help you to organize it with ease.

  1. Make your closet work for you. If your closet is overflowing with clothes and shoes, reassess what you need it to do. Add extra shelving if you have an abundance of sweaters, or invest in higher quality hangers if things are always falling on the floor. Having an organized closet takes a major weight off your shoulders.
  2. Keep furniture free of clutter. If your nightstands are covered in decorative knick knacks or personal items, minimize them. Keep only a few functional items on these surfaces, such as a bedside lamp or a jewelry box for storing rings and bracelets.
  3. Update your bed. Invest in a matching sheet and comforter set, or use a simple quilt for warmer weather. Having a full set that functions properly eliminates the need for lots of blankets and pillows that don’t match.
  4. Maximize storage potential. If you still need extra storage space, look in unexpected areas. Purchase a headboard with built-in shelves, or add rolling storage bins underneath your bed.

    Organizing 101 [Style at Home]
    Bedroom Organization Tips [House Beautiful]

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