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4 Affordable Online Stores With Bedding So Comfortable, You’ll Want to Hit the Snooze Button

September 15, 2016 by

Even if you're unable to splurge on the fancy Egyptian cotton sheets favored by four-star hotels, that doesn't mean that you can't create a hotel-quality bedding setup in your own bedroom. Here are a few great sources where you can shop affordable, stylish bedding online.

IKEA
Everyone's favorite affordable home goods store also offers an equally expansive selection of bedding for children and adults. From bright, colorful patterns and traditional floral prints to knitted throw blankets and even plump pillows, you'll find everything you need for any budget.

Overstock
Budget-conscious shoppers love Overstock for its ever-changing selection of furniture and home goods, but the site also sells complete bedding sets that make it much easier (and more affordable) to invest in new bedding. You'll find name brand bedding for up to 80% off of the original price.

Target
With stylish bedding from designers like Nate Berkus, Target's selection is one of the best bangs for your buck. Purchase a complete bedding set or mix and match affordable separates on your own.

Wayfair
With its popular "bed-in-a-bag" selection, Wayfair offers one of the best deals on bedding that you'll find online. This is also great for those pressed for time, as it makes it easy to cover your whole bed in one step.

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How to Choose the Right Furniture for Your Apartment

August 4, 2016 by

Purchasing furniture is a big investment, and for most people, it’s something that requires a little bit of planning. If you want to make sure that you’re getting the best bang for your buck on furniture that really suits your space at Prospect Tower, there are some simple rules to follow. Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing new furniture.

  1. Measure everything. You always want to measure your space before purchasing large furniture pieces such as a sofa or an area rug. Measure the entire room first, and then determine how much of that space you want the furniture to fill. Finally, take a measuring tape with you to the store and measure the furniture before purchasing.
  2. Consider the doorway. Be sure that you can fit the furniture through hallways and into the apartment itself before purchasing.
  3. Think of its uses. Will you use your sofa mainly for watching television, or will it be a gathering space for large groups of people? Keep the functionality in mind before making any furniture purchases.
  4. Choose high-quality materials. You might be okay with purchasing bargain furniture for your first apartment, but if you really want your furniture to last, it’s best to pay a bit more for high-quality construction. Look for pieces made with real wood, and if it’s a sofa, inspect the seams and cushions to test their quality.

How to Determine Furniture Proportion to a Room [SF Gate]
Choosing the Right Size Sofa: Four Key Questions to Ask Yourself [Apartment Therapy]
Choosing the Right Furniture [Moving.com]

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Bring Some Green Inside With These 5 Unique Ideas for Displaying Houseplants

July 21, 2016 by

Instead of displaying all of your favorite herbs, flowers and succulents in simple terra cotta pots, create more artistic plant displays with these fun DIY projects. From the kitchen to the living room, these plant hangers and pots will show off your greenery in any room in the home.

Living Monogram Wreath [BHG.com]
Create unique wall art and a fun planter in one with this monogram frame. Simply line a plywood back with 2-inch cedar boards in the shape of your initial, then fill the inside with peat moss and cover with chicken wire. Plant succulents inside, and then hang the whole thing on your wall.

Copper Hanging Rod [morganours.com/]
Looking for a way to hang plants over the kitchen sink? Simply balance a copper rod across the tops of your kitchen cabinets (or any other type of cabinet). Hang lightweight plants or herbs from the rod using your favorite hangers.

DIY Rope Pot [nostalgiecat.blogspot.sg]
With this rustic DIY project, you can add colorful rope to your cheap terra cotta pots. Simply wrap a simple cotton rope with colorful thread in your choice of colors, and then wrap the whole thing tightly around various sized pots.

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How to Keep Your Desk Organized—Whether at Home or at the Office

June 16, 2016 by

Whether you work from home or in a traditional office, it takes no time at all for your desk to go from spic and span to dusty and disorganized. Even if you take special care to put things in their proper place, you need the right organizational tools to keep up a tidy workspace. Here are four hacks that will add both style and organization to your desk.

  1. Pick one pen and one pencil. If you're guilty of having an unnecessary abundance of pens and pencils—yet you can never seem to find one when you need one—it's time to downsize….your pencil cup. Pick just one good (working) pen and a single pencil, and keep the rest tucked away in a drawer. Put them in a specific spot and return them to their home as soon as you use them to avoid the clutter of multiple writing utensils.
  2. Hang cute clipboards for paper clutter. Stacks of paperwork aren't exactly a style statement, but hanging clipboards can be—if you decoupage them with scraps of wallpaper first. Then hang them in rows on your cubicle wall and assign each clipboard a specific job—one for junk mail, one for outgoing paperwork, etc.
  3. Organize office supplies with a pegboard. In a similar vein, you can hang a pegboard on your wall and stock it with pouches and pegs for various office supplies. Scissors, tape, maybe even a stapler can all hang in plain view, just keep the arrangement organized.
  4. Opt for accordion folders. Instead of constantly dealing with a slew of manila folders, make the switch to accordion folders. They come in cute colors and patterns, and they can hold the equivalent of many manila folders, which makes them much more useful for organizing.

Office Organization Ideas for Disaster-Zone Desks [Martha Stewart]
10 Good Things for a Highly Efficient Home Office [Martha Stewart]
12 Tips for an Organized Desk [Productivity501]

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Three Awesome Ways to Decorate With Maps

June 2, 2016 by

These days, mobile maps can definitely be more useful for traveling than a paper map. However, paper maps are beautiful to look at! So why not use them in your home decor? Here are three creative ways you can decorate with a map.

  • Use a map to revamp your lampshade and give it a warm, vintage feel. All you need to do is find an atlas with pictures of beautiful maps inside, a lamp with a shade, and a few craft items. Make a template for your shade and test it out to make sure it fits perfectly. Then, just lay out your template on top of your map pages and make the pages match the size of the template. Finally, use some rubber cement to glue your map on and you're finished!
  • Cover the drawers of your plain-looking dresser with a map. You're pretty much going to use the same process you did for the lamp. Make sure to measure everything out perfectly and remember to cut out tiny circles for the knobs.
  • Give your living room a unique, vintage feel by covering the top of your glass coffee table with a map. If you have a large enough coffee table, you may even be able to see the whole map.

Vintage Map Lampshade [Pretty Handy Girl]
10 Ways to Decorate Your Home with Maps [Babble]
7 Ways to Decorate with Maps and Globes [Conde Nast]

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Create a Chic and Stylish Entryway With These Pro Tips

April 21, 2016 by

Your entryway has the power to wow or bore guests as soon as they step into your apartment, so it's important to make sure you spend ample time on its interior design. If you're just getting started glamming up your entryway, here are a few tips that should help get the ball rolling.

  1. Create a vignette. First things first: find an entryway table. That's where you'll put your hallway vignette. It's part functional, part aesthetically pleasing. Include a tray to collection your keys and loose change when you walk in, but also add strictly decorative touches such as candles, flowers, and other odds and ends that reflect your style.
  2. Add a mirror. When you're working with a cozy entryway, you can really expand the space (without knocking down any walls) by just hanging a mirror. Find one that fits in with the rest of your aesthetic, perhaps a round, vintage mirror for last-minute touch-ups before you walk out the door, or maybe a more contemporary square mirror if that jives better with your minimalist decor elsewhere.
  3. Glam up your walls. Creating a gallery wall is a surefire way to engage your friends as soon as they walk through the door, especially if you create that gallery wall using personal photos in artfully mismatched frames. You can also use mirrors of different shapes and sizes, however, for the ultimate space-creating effect.
  4. Throw down a runner. When you're interior-designing, don't forget about the real estate underfoot, either. Spruce up your floor with a chic, colorful runner.

How to Style an Entryway [The Everygirl]
Small Apartment Entryway [Pinterest]
21 Ways to Enhance an Entryway [Real Simple]

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How to Take Your Couch From Furniture to Focal Point

March 17, 2016 by

Your couch is one of the most important pieces of furniture in your home. It provides a space to curl up and watch a movie, to catch up with a longtime friend, and even to share a meal during those weekend take-out nights. If you want to make your sofa more of a focal point, these smart tips will show you how.

  1. Update your throw pillows. The easiest way to take your sofa from basic to stylish is by adding fun, vibrant throw pillows. Choose a few in complimentary colors, mix and match patterns or even go with a geometric, black and white scheme for a hip, retro, look.
  2. Add a blanket. Take a tip from the pros and casually drape a throw across the ottoman or folded on the back of the sofa. Choose something that pairs well with the rest of the room’s color scheme, or go with a classic knit throw for a cozy feel.
  3. Switch up your rug. Choose a vibrant area rug that extends a few inches wider than your sofa, and make sure that it’s large enough to tuck under the sofa’s front legs.
  4. Add a gallery wall. Finally, create a designer-worthy gallery wall directly behind your sofa by framing your favorite family photos, wallpaper swatches, and art prints.

Before & After: How to Style Your Sofa [Elle Décor]
Style a Sofa 5 Different Ways [HGTV]
How To: Style A Sofa [Glitter Guide]

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Beautify Your Bathroom With These Easy Tips

July 23, 2015 by

Did you know that by adding a few homey touches, you can make your bathroom feel much more luxurious? Here are a few ways to transform your rental bath into a spa-quality retreat.

  • Add fluffy towels. Investing in a new set of thick, plush bath towels is one of the best things that you can do for your bathroom. If you don’t have a set color scheme, classic hotel white always looks great.
  • Incorporate baskets. Add attractive wicker baskets or wooden crates to clear away clutter and add a soft, rustic effect.
  • Add fresh flowers. Don’t overlook the bathroom when it comes to greenery. Add a vase of fresh flowers or a low-light plant to help clean the air.
  • Add floating shelves. If you still need additional storage, add small floating shelves along a bare wall.
  • Light candles. Finally, light some great smelling candles along the bathtub or toilet and settle in for a relaxing bubble bath.

10 Ways to Give Your Bathroom a Quick Facelift [Oprah]
50 Cheap and Chic Ways to Perk Up Your Bathroom [Style at Home]
Freshen Your Bathroom with Low-Cost Updates [Better Homes & Gardens]

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How to Help Make Your Rental Home Your ‘Happy Place’

June 18, 2015 by

As the saying goes, "There's no place like home!" Your home is your retreat, your sanctuary, your oasis — your happy place! Here are a few tips to help you make your space even more inviting.

  1. Add potted plants. One of the easiest — and most fun — ways to bring a bit of life into your home is by adding potted plants. Many lush houseplants help to clean the air in your home, while low-maintenance succulents are great for the renter lacking a green thumb.
  2. Switch up the lighting. Add removable stick-on lighting underneath kitchen cabinets or inside of closets, incorporate shaded lamps into your furniture, and even switch the bulbs in the bathroom to something a bit less fluorescent.
  3. Add textiles. A surefire way to add a cozy, homey feeling to any room is by adding rich textiles. Hang curtains, add a plush rug, or even toss a throw blanket over a chair for an instant designer-inspired look.
  4. Incorporate a color scheme. Tie a room together in an instant by using a set color scheme throughout. Choose a sunny yellow for a dark kitchen, or rely on chic grays and whites to make your bedroom relaxing.

7 Reasons Your House Is Making You Cranky [Woman’s Day]
10 Ways to Make Your Home Happier [House Beautiful]
5 Lovely Ideas for Adding Ambiance & Cheer To Your Life [The Inspired Room]

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How to Add Texture to Your Decor

May 21, 2015 by

Even if you have all of the essential furniture, a room can still feel "off" without the warm, cozy textures that really make a house a home. Here are a few smart tips for adding designer-inspired textures to any space!

  1. Toss in some throw pillows. If your sofa (or your bed) is looking a bit bare, dress it up using a mishmash of throw pillows in varying textures. Luxurious silks, faux furs, and simple cottons are all great options, and don’t be afraid to combine colors and patterns, as well.
  2. Add a blanket. One way to make your room look magazine-worthy is by draping a blanket across a bare surface. Think the arm of a chair, the back of the sofa or the foot of your bed.
  3. Add woodgrain to the walls. Even if you live in a rental, you can add the rustic look of woodgrain to any room in your home by creating a large-scale art piece made of recycled wood.
  4. DIY a tile backsplash. If your lease permits it, adding a tile backsplash is a great way to add texture in the kitchen. There are a number of temporary options that can even be removed when you move out.
  5. Hang curtains. Any interior designer will tell you that no room is complete without some type of window treatment. Make a room feel cozier with elegant curtains hung a bit higher than the window frames.

Make an Impact with Texture [Better Homes and Gardens]
Ten Ways to Add Texture to a Room [Apartment Therapy]
Home Décor: 10 Tips to Add Texture [Right @ Home]

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