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Bring the Outdoors In: How to Decorate Using Natural Elements

September 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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Neat and Nifty DIY Projects for Your Kitchen

August 18, 2016 by

While you may not be able to pull off a full kitchen renovation in your rental, you can make the space function better for your needs by crafting up a few simple projects. Here are just three useful DIY projects that will improve your kitchen space and help make it your own.

Dip-Dye Wooden Spoons [housebeautiful.com]
Looking to add more color to your kitchen without going overboard? This simple tutorial will add rainbow hues to your wooden kitchen utensils, and best of all, it takes less than an hour to complete. Store them upside down in a large ceramic jar to show off their fun new makeover.

Additional Cabinet Storage [lifehacker.com]
If the items in your kitchen cabinets are always stacked precariously on top of one another, you could likely benefit from additional storage. Add a tension rod for additional storage, or add a classic Lazy Susan so that you can reach things like spices and small jars with ease.

Cutting Board Tablet Stand [countryliving.com]
If you frequently use your iPad or other tablet to look up recipes or listen to music in the kitchen, keep it protected by creating your own stand out of an old cutting board. Simply attach a wooden Scrabble tile stand to the bottom to hold up the tablet, then prop up the entire cutting board using an old door stop on the back.

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Shop for Cute Kids’ Furniture for Affordable Prices at These Quirky Websites

July 21, 2016 by

If you’re looking to make over your little ones’ rooms at The Broadwater, there are a number of online sources that you can shop without ever leaving home. These three websites offer unique children’s furniture and home decor items that your kids will love.

The Land of Nod
By mixing modern style with a touch of whimsy, The Land of Nod offers unique children’s furniture that both kids and parents will love. If you’re looking for a sleek bed that will last for years or some colorful artwork to hang on the walls, this is where you’ll find it.

IKEA
From babies to pre-teens, IKEA offers children’s furniture for all stages of childhood. The affordable Swedish furniture store offers large pieces like cribs, beds and storage units, as well as fun game board rugs, plush toys and much more.

Wayfair
With discounts of 50% to 70% off, Wayfair offers major savings on name brand furniture pieces. You’ll find colorful bedding, complete sets of bedroom furniture and silly lamps that will make your kids’ rooms even more adorable.

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Home Beauty Treatments You Can Make Yourself

June 16, 2016 by

Nothing feels better than getting a facial or a fresh blowout, but unfortunately, these types of beauty treatments can be pretty pricey. Luckily, you can mimic their results in your own home at The Broadwater, often by using common items that you already have. Here are a few rejuvenating beauty treatments that you can make yourself.

  1. Create a nourishing hair mask that restores each strand by combining common foods from the refrigerator. Simply mix together one egg yolk, one tablespoon of mayonnaise, 1/4 of an avocado, and two tablespoons of olive oil, and then let the mask sit on your hair for one hour before rinsing.
  2. Give yourself an at-home sugar scrub that sloughs off dead skin and leaves your body feeling smooth and rejuvenated. Combine equal parts coconut oil and brown sugar with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, then rub it all over the next time you’re in the shower.
  3. Do a DIY facial using a mashed banana mixed with two tablespoons of heavy cream, one tablespoon of honey, one tablespoon of flour, and one tablespoon of water. Let the mask sit on your face for 10 minutes before rinsing. The banana reduces redness and adds smoothness, while the heavy cream is very soothing and leaves a soft, supple feeling behind.

10 All-Natural Beauty Fixes [Woman’s Day]
Crazy Beauty Tricks That Really Work [Whole Living]
Our Favorite All-Natural Home Beauty Treatments [Fitness Magazine]
10 DIY Beauty Treatments [Seventeen]

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Large Houseplants That Make a Major Statement in Your Home at The Broadwater

May 19, 2016 by

Adding houseplants to your home adds a pop of green color and a feeling of freshness, but they can also make a decorative statement. Instead of the usual small ferns and succulents, try adding these large-scale houseplants to a bare room in your home at The Broadwater.

  1. Dracaenas. This inexpensive plant comes in many sizes, but its cane form is the largest and most impactful. It features long, curved leaves that extend all the way up the length of the cane, creating a lush look that’s perfect for bare corners of a room.
  2. Palms. If you prefer a tropical look, palm plants are a great choice. These come in a variety of styles, though if you’re worried about how it will hold up, purchasing a higher quality palm is recommended.
  3. Fiddle Leaf Fig. For renters with lots of sunlight, the fiddle leaf fig tree works well in many spaces. This type of tree contains large, green leaves that grow tall and wide to fill those empty spaces.
  4. Norfolk Pine. If you love the smell of pine trees during the holiday season, you can have that in your home all year round with a Norfolk pine. This needle-covered tree grows well in bright or indirect sunlight, and it can even grow to be up to 20 feet tall!

The 15 easiest indoor house plants that won't die on you [Today]
5 Tall Indoor Plants [Ambius]
Large House Plants [Guide to Houseplants]

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5 Ways to Dress Up Your Apartment Using Cool, Colorful Wallpaper Swatches

April 21, 2016 by

While you may not be able to wallpaper your entire wall in a rental apartment, there are still a number of ways to use wallpaper to add some color to your space. Check out these creative tips for using wallpaper swatches all over your home at The Broadwater.

  1. Line your bookshelves. Give your bookshelves a colorful makeover by adding colorful, patterned wallpaper to the backs of the shelves.
  2. Create framed art. Fill some small frames with mix-and-match wallpaper scraps to create an eclectic (and budget-friendly) gallery wall.
  3. Line your drawers. Keep drawers clean while also making them more festive by lining them with wallpaper (just make sure that you can remove it once you move out).
  4. Revamp an old lampshade. Cover an old lampshade with a larger piece of decorative wallpaper. Simply cut it to size and attach it using tape or hot glue.
  5. Top a table. If you find a sturdy but scratched table at your local thrift store, give it an easy makeover by placing a piece of wallpaper on its top. Simply cover it with a piece of cut glass to keep the corners from peeling.

Creative Uses of Wallpaper in Any Room [Better Homes and Gardens]
10 Uses for Wallpaper Scraps [This Old House]
Unexpected Uses for Leftover Wallpaper [Real Simple]

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These Two Wedding Registry Sites Can Help You Take the Plunge

March 17, 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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5 Interesting Facts About Frank Sinatra

February 18, 2016 by

Frank Sinatra’s voice made him quite possibly the most popular singer of the 20th century, delivering personal lyrics and irresistible melodies with command and flair. He was a tough guy with a softer side, and American audiences simply couldn’t get enough of Ol' Blue Eyes. Here are some of the most interesting facts about Frank Sinatra.

  1. Frank Sinatra was so inspired by Bing Crosby that he dropped out of high school to pursue singing as a career. He performed at local nightclubs in the Hoboken, New Jersey, area and even got some air time on the city’s radio stations.
  2. After noticing his local success, bandleader Tommy Dorsey invited Sinatra to join his band. Sinatra and Dorsey enjoyed two years of hit songs together, but eventually Sinatra quit to pursue a solo career.
  3. In just three short years between 1943 and 1946, Sinatra released 17 Top 10 singles.
  4. In addition to his incredible voice, Sinatra was also a talented actor. He made his film debut in 1943 with the movie Higher and Higher, and in 1953 he won an Oscar for From Here to Eternity.
  5. Though Sinatra was signed to Capitol Records for the beginning of his recording career, he left the label to start his own label, Reprise, in the late 1950s. Warner Bros. bought Reprise, and Sinatra then started his own film production company, Artanis.

Are you a Sinatra fan? Tell us which song by Ol' Blue Eyes is your favorite!

Frank Sinatra [Biography]
Frank Sinatra Biography [Rolling Stone]
About Frank Sinatra [MTV]

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Follow These Tutorials to a Cool and Kitschy Macrame Plant Hanger

January 21, 2016 by

Macramé may have originally gained popularity back in the 1970s, but the kitschy weaving craft is coming back in a big way. If you love plants and you’re always looking for fun new ways to display them, you may even want to try making a macramé plant hanger of your own. Here are a few tutorials to help you get started!

Colorful Polyester Rope Hanger [hgtv.com]
With this tutorial, you’ll learn how to make a macramé hanger using only a few colors of polyester rope, a carabiner, and a screw hook. The actual plant hanger itself is fairly simple, but wrapping the multicolored string around the top adds a fun pop of color.

Sturdy Macramé Plant Hanger [lowes.com]
If you’re looking for something that’s a bit sturdier to hang a particularly heavy plant, this is a great tutorial. It uses clothesline instead of the usual yarn or polyester rope, as well as 18-gauge steel wire and a chain ring for added reinforcement.

Mini String Planters [blog.freepeople.com]
For something quicker and easier, this cute tutorial from the Free People blog uses standard yarn that you might already have stashed away at home. This is a fun tutorial to do while you relax in front of the TV, and the finished product is a great way to hang small air plants or succulents in miniature pots.

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New to Feng Shui? Here’s How to Get Started

January 7, 2016 by

Feng shui may be an ancient Chinese practice, but its ideas for creating a clean, comfortable and inspiring home are still very useful today. If you’re new to feng shui, these simple tips will show you how to get started creating positive energy and great flow throughout your home.

  • Clear out the clutter. The first thing you’ll want to do is get rid of all of the clutter in your home. Feng shui focuses on minimalism and flow, and clutter will only get in the way of your end goal.
  • Rearrange your furniture. Next, rearrange your furniture so that you can easily move from room to room. Don’t block doorways or windows, and be sure to place important items like your desk and your bed across from the door. This promotes the flow of energy.
  • Promote clean air. Refresh the air in your space by adding lots of air-cleaning houseplants throughout. You’ll also want to frequently change any air filters and open windows to allow in fresh air whenever possible.
  • Choose different colors in different rooms. Colors represent emotions in feng shui. Consider using soft, soothing blues and greys in the bedroom, powerful reds in the office, and sunny yellows in the kitchen or den.
  • Create a map. For more help, create what’s called a “Bagua” map of your home with each zone corresponding to a different aspect of feng shui.

Feng Shui 101 for Your Living Space [Wonder How To]
Feng Shui Decorating Tips [Real Simple]
Feng Shui 101: Getting Started With the Basics [Inhabitat]
Balance & Prosperity: Feng Shui 101 [Ask Men]

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