Tag Archives: decorating

Where To Splurge And Where To Save When Decorating Your Home

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Where To Splurge And Where To Save When Decorating Your Home

Decorating a home from scratch can be really expensive, so it’s worth knowing the best places to save money and where it pays to spend a little more. Maybe you’ve just moved into a new place or perhaps you want to do up your existing home, either way, here are some places to save and where to splurge:

Splurge: Mattress

As humans, we spend a huge portion of our lives in bed. We might not all be lucky enough to get a full eight hours, but even if you’re only getting six that’s still a quarter of your day. A good mattress is essential for good health, it supports your back, hips, and neck. It keeps you comfortable and allows you to get the highest quality of sleep.

However, mattresses are expensive, and it might be tempting to look for a good quality second hand one – but it’s best not to do that if you can. Not only will a used mattress show signs of wear but it could also be hiding bed bugs which you’ll then bring into your home. Exterminators like Bed Bug Inspector recommend that you don’t purchase second hand items that could harbor these pests, as it’s a common way that they get into peoples homes and spread.

Save: Dining table

A solid wooden dining table will last you for a lifetime if you look after it well, and if you look around chances are you’ll find people selling old and antique tables simply because they do stand the test of time. Don’t be put off by old fashioned looks, as long as it’s in good condition you can always upcycle it. Sand down the top, add some new legs, and you could stain it or paint it and really bring it up to date.

Splurge: Dining chairs

Saving on a dining table gives you more money to spend on the chairs, and it’s often worth buying some more luxurious, comfortable dining chairs. Once you’ve upcycled the table you can go about choosing some nice new chairs that suit the overall look. It could be some modern fabric chairs, some cool perspex ghost chairs, an industrial style – whatever it is you’re going for.

Save: Accessories

Accessories make a house a home, but you don’t need to spend a fortune here. Some plants from Ikea, some vases from TJMaxx, some frames from the Dollar Store, and other little accessories from charity stores and boot fares can all come together really nicely.

Splurge: Sofa

A good quality sofa will cost you a fair bit of cash, but it will look great and last you for many years. If you don’t have the funds up front, lots of companies offer finance options allowing you to spread the cost. The best sofas will be made from good quality fabrics and materials so they won’t go saggy and uncomfortable after a couple of years.

When decorating your home, shop smart with the saving tips above so you can have more moolah towards your splurge worthy purchases!

Making The Most Of The Space In Your Home

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Making The Most Of The Space In Your Home

One thing that most people tend to think when they look at their homes is that they wish they could have more space. Unless you happen to live in some kind of palatial mansion, pretty much all of us have thought about what we’d do if we could just make a little extra space here and there in our homes. Of course, for many of us, that’s simply not possible.  However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t things that you can do to make the most of the space that you already have in your home. Check out these ideas:

Keep things tidy:

One of the most common reasons that a lot of people feel as though they don’t have enough space in their home is that they simply have too much junk cluttering up the place. By keeping things tidy and getting rid of stuff that you really don’t need, even a small room can feel far more open and comfortable. If you’re constantly tripping over stuff and every surface is covered in clutter, it won’t matter how big a room is, it’s always going to feel cramped and tiny.

Use light carefully:

Light is one of the most powerful, and most underrated, tools in your arsenal when it comes to not only making your home feel bigger but also making it feel like a brighter, more vibrant place. The best place to start is with natural light. Try to see if there are any places in your home where natural light is being blocked and work to fix that problem. It’s a small thing but it can make all of the difference in the world to how a room feels.

Find storage solutions:

If you’re not in a position to get rid of a lot of the stuff in your home, then the best thing to do is to make sure that you have the right storage solutions. Being able to store things in a more convenient way can make a huge difference and free up a whole lot of space. Closet & Cabinet Experts can help you turn these areas in your home into a space that houses all of those odds and ends in an organized fashion. This can help fully rid your home of clutter and not being able to find the things you need most will be a problem of the past.

Your storage solutions can also be a great way to furnishing your home. A custom closet allows you to not only create the perfect storage solution but also create one that really improves your home’s style. Check out this post: How Much Does a Custom Closet System Cost? That way you can get an idea of if it’s something that’s right for you.

There are always things that you can do to bring your home more closely in line with what you want it to be. You’ve just got to be willing to put the work in. Sure, this can be a little difficult and stressful at times, though there are always things you can do to make it at least a little easier. However, the benefits that come from making your home a more enjoyable place to be in far outweigh the time and effort it takes to make that happen.

Featured Image By: Pexels

Making A More Creative Living Space

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Making A More Creative Living Space

If you are someone who enjoys creating and is passionate about the arts, then you may find that being in a sterile home environment can be a bit uninspiring. If you are all about the arts, then why not let that shine through in your home decor? Here are some ways that you can make a creative impact on your living space with some little decorating tips that will make a big impact:

Create A Rainbow Bookshelf:

If you are a lover of literature, then you will probably have plenty of books in your home. One creative decor idea would be to arrange your bookshelves by color order. Image having a beautiful rainbow bookshelf! It may take some time to perfect, but the results will look amazing.

Musical Instruments Make The Most Creative Ornaments:

Of course, we would all love the centerpiece of our home to be a Steinway art case pianos, a beautiful work of art that, if played by the right person, can take your breath away. However, that may be wasted on you if you are not a pianist! How about getting some old guitars and mounting them to your wall? Pick an instrument that looks great, or is similar to one that was played by one of your musical heroes.

Hang The Art That You Want To See:

We all have our favorite types of images. Whether photography or paintings, having the types of pictures on your walls that you like will make a statement about you. Think about the placement of the items. You could go with large paintings which are not crowded on the walls, leaving a lot of space around them. Or, you could go for a cluster of images. You could either keep the pictures in a pattern, which will look neat on the walls. Or, you could fill the wall with quirky and interesting images using every piece of space possible.

Go Big Or Go Home On Your Feature Wall:

How often do you see a design makeover show where a feature wall is created, but it is somewhat lackluster? If you are going to create a wall in your home that stands out against the rest, make it a real eye catching statement that matches the room’s personality.

You can try some cute wallpapers as an accent wall in your children’s rooms and adorn the rest of the walls with their own artwork in frames. For the living room a gem hued feature wall is ideal if you are looking for something more bold. The kitchen is a space you could have some fun with by hanging your cookware and spices on floating shelves. The possibilities are endless and you can be as playful or dramatic as you’d like!

Create A Unique Wallpaper Look:

Have you ever gone into a DIY store and had a sample of wallpaper to take away and help you decide on what you want on your walls? Well, why not collect wallpaper samples and use all of them to create the most unique look possible on your walls? Start collecting as many pieces as possible. Think about getting pieces that are up to one foot in size and then fill your wall using them. Have pieces overlapping, in a haphazard fashion and mix up the colors to create a really eye-catching and creative look.

Let your love for the arts shine through in your home decor to keep you inspired and your guests impressed!

Featured Image By: Pexels

How To Plan A Stress Free Home Makeover

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How To Plan A Stress Free Home Makeover

Giving your home a makeover is an exciting task. From picking out paint colors to choosing your furnishings, the whole process of redesigning your home can be a lot of fun. The problem is, there are just so many different styles of interior design to choose from, so selecting the right one for your home can be a tough choice.

Without careful planning, a home makeover can become a stressful situation to be in. Taking on a project that is beyond your expertise can be overwhelming, as can committing to too much expense. A home redecorating project should be a positive process, rather than a stressful experience.

No one wants to spend money, time, and effort on a home redesign only to find that the results aren’t what they expected. To beat any expectation versus reality disappointment, it is a good idea to plan your project carefully:

Sort Out the Practicalities:

When you are trying to create the home of your dreams, it can be hard to focus on the practicalities. However, getting the practical side of your redecoration project sorted out leaves you free to concentrate on turning your dreams into reality. It is useful to calculate your budget right from the start, so you know exactly how much cash you have to play with. Without knowing how much you can afford to spend, you could find yourself running out of money before completing the project. This would leave you with a half-finished room, while you try to save more money to finish it.

As well as knowing how much you want to spend on your interior project, you need to work out a realistic timescale. This is particularly important if the room needs to be completed by a set deadline. For example, a baby’s nursery that you want to be completed before your little one arrives.

Identify Your Goals:

Once the practicalities are decided, it is time to think about what you want from the redesign. To identify what you want the room to do, you will need to think about what you currently like about it, and what you would like to change. This could be anything from making it look lighter and brighter or completely changing its use. Or, perhaps, you are tying in general maintenance with your makeover. A drafty front door, for example, could be replaced with custom barn doors in Los Angeles (or a similar product in your local area) for lower heating bills and an instant face lift to your home. These aims will provide you with a starting point for your design and something specific to work towards.

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So cool!

Pick Your Style:

Selecting the look of your new room is one of the best parts of the project. Think carefully about what you want the place to look like and then search for some inspiration to help you picture the look more clearly. When choosing a style of interior design, it is useful to think about the overall vibe that you are trying to create. If you want to create a homely feel, then a rustic interior design look will enable you to incorporate some lovely textures for a timeless style. If you are after a boutique hotel type finish, then you will probably be looking for mirrored furniture and silk or plush velvet upholstery.

When you are considering your favorite style, it can be helpful to look at popular past trends and the upcoming 2026 interior design trends. This can give you an excellent starting point but the trick is to make it your own. Use the trends you love and incorporate the things you love that are missing. This could be a funky colored area rug, fabulous art prints or beloved photos, or creating lighting that suits the needs of the room. This way, your space will still feel like your own rather than a staged shot from a magazine.

Prepare the Room:

To be able to redecorate, you are probably going to need to strip the room back to basics so that you have a blank canvas to work with. This means that a lot of items will need to be removed before you even get started. It is useful to declutter the room first. Decluttering will help you to get rid of all the items that you no longer want or need. It will also help you to free up more space in the room.

Once you have decluttered, you will need to move all of the furniture out of the room so that the decoration can begin. Try to plan your space so that you are able to store all these furniture items elsewhere in your home. Anything that can’t be moved will need to be covered so that it avoids any paint splashes or other damage.

Carefully planning your home makeover will make life a lot easier. The whole process will be far less challenging if you know exactly what you want to achieve and how you are going to make it a reality!

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Five Ways To Make Your First Apartment Feel Like Home

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Five Ways To Make Your First Apartment Feel Like Home

It’s one of the most exciting milestones of adult life: moving into your first apartment. Heading out on your own is a great chance to go shopping for fun decorative items and really make a space your own. After all the stress of hunting down a place or trying to find new condos for sale, it’s a chance to get creative and enjoy your new space. Once you’ve navigated the stress of moving day and hauled in that last cardboard box, how do you go about making the place your own? Start with some of the following:

Start With A Deep Clean:

The first step to reclaiming any space is to give it a deep clean. Even if your apartment is brand new it will have been standing empty for a while, gathering dust. Wipe down all of the surfaces with disinfectant, thoroughly mop the floors or vacuum, clean the oven, and scrub the bath or shower to create that fresh start.

Repaint To Add Character:

Repainting is a quick and cost effective way to make a space your own. It immediately changes the feel of your space and adds some personality. Remember to opt for a tester pot before diving straight in, as colors can look very different in different lights and spaces. Neutral shades give a timeless, classic feel while vibrant shades make a statement. Do some research on color psychology to understand how you want your home to feel.

Sort Out Your Storage:

A harmonious home is a well organized one, and that’s easy when you have a place for everything. Invest in some clever storage solutions – freestanding shelving units are a great way to both store and display favorite items and can go with you if you ever move. Opting for sofas and beds with inbuilt storage is also a great idea – you can’t tell it’s there, but it gives a lot of capacity. A stylish storage ottoman can provide extra seating or act as an informal coffee table but it also lets you hide away items that don’t quite have a home yet.

Design A Great Lighting Scheme:

A great lighting scheme can transform the look and feel of your apartment, but most people don’t pay it enough attention. Think about the lighting requirements you have in each space – from bright LED strip lighting or spotlights in task focused areas like the kitchen or the bathroom, to lighting that creates cozy, more intimate spaces, like a beautiful floor lamp. You could also use statement pendant lights to really define a space and add a lot of drama and character.

Add Your Sentimental Items:

That collection of vintage china, the knitted throw passed down as a family heirloom, or those treasured photographs make your new space your own by giving them a great display. You may have artworks you’ve collected over time or a collection that you want to show off – these are the touches that will really make an apartment feel like yours.

With the tips above, your new apartment will feel like you’ve been there for forever and will turn it into home sweet home!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Dollar Tree Halloween Haul

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Dollar Tree Halloween Haul

Hi! One store that I grow increasingly fond of with every passing trip is the Dollar Tree. I always seem to find the best deals on food, apartment supplies, and little add ons for gift giving occasions. And I do literally mean the best deals considering that everything there is one dollar! This past trip to the Dollar Tree left me with a big haul of Halloween (And every day of the year supplies!), beauty goodies, and sunglasses. You will see all of the other purchases later but, for now, check out my new Halloween glasses perfect for sipping on your favorite potion:

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I have had my eye on these plastic Halloween themed glasses for a while now and I finally caved and took a few home with me during my last shopping trip. And, because I live every day like it’s Halloween, they will all definitely be a year round staple at my apartment. I love the orange and grey skull cups but the purple and orange skeleton hand stemmed wine glasses are my absolute favorite! The funky colors and the spider web detailing on the bottom of the glasses are pure spooky fun and I can’t wait to break them out. 😀

What is your favorite holiday to decorate for? How do you prepare your house for Halloween? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Beautiful Yet Simple Additions To Your Home

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Beautiful Yet Simple Additions To Your Home

A home is not a finished piece. It is always something that is dynamic, that can change, that can be improved depending on your tastes and practical needs. This seems quite obvious to most of us, but it can often be hard to figure out which is the best way forward, and what action might help us towards the best result. Thankfully, these measures are more than possible to consider when we’re reminded of the potential we have available to us.

This is the eternal issue with home renovation – there are simply too many options! Without design cohesion as a careful application, it’s incredibly easy to forget everything and make each room look as though it’s part of an entirely different house. In a home, less is often more. That being said, let us consider how you might better your rooms with a simple addition, speaking of the three most important rooms in the house:

Letting The Outside In:

Often, the best home changes are those that are fundamental to how you view things there. For example, lighting and nature. Painting the walls a lighter shade, bringing in a nice warm light to cover an area of the room, and perhaps placing a potted plant or two can help the room feel much more airy, light, and natural.

Letting the outside in, then, is a natural extension from this. You may decide that the use of sliding doors will help you keep your living room open in the summer, allowing you seamless access to your garden or patio. This can be a perfect means to help you entertain more comfortably or to simply sit within your living area while reading books on cool summer evenings, watching the sunset as it slowly starts to descend. It’s hard to think of anything more peaceful than this.

A Front Door Arch:

There are some who have large pillars outside the front of their house, a grand water feature, or perhaps a huge driveway with trees lining either side to give the home a grand sense of appeal. However, all of this, while impressive, is not necessary for you to upgrade how your home exterior looks. In fact, something as simple as a new front door arch can be a great idea.

Using brickwork to trace the arch pattern, you may fill the heightened gap with stained glass or something else adhering to your tastes. Not only can this arch look incredibly beautiful, but said extra lighting can bring some true vibrancy to your entrance corridor. It’s a simple measure that can often look quite incredible, as well as replacing the front door to a heavy, potentially even custom wooden design to keep you safe and secure always.

Faux Ceiling Beams:

If you have high ceilings in your property, it can look as if there’s plenty of blank space high up there with no decoration to show. But, fear not, because there are measures of giving this large blank space a bit of personality and a whole load of texture. Faux ceiling beams can be a part of this. Installation, professionally done, can help a room gain so much more character and look as if the exposed wooden construction of your home is more handcrafted and a little less formulaic than it might be compared to homes on your street.

The Fireplace:

A fireplace can turn a cold and unwelcoming room into a space that invites you in to lounge on the rug with your pets. When you choose the right fireplace stone to fit your desired design, the end result can be remarkable. It will make quite the stark difference, particularly in the winter and in the larger rooms. Of course, a fireplace is dictated by where the ventilation such as a chimney is located in your home. However, these days it’s not uncommon for fireplaces to be blocked up and snuffed in order to prevent water build up or issues with the weather.

Fireplaces create an atmospheric focal point for a room and can be a selling point when you choose to move house. They are, however, not a one size fits all addition and you will want to select an option that matches your style and will still fit into future changes in the space. You can start looking at a website like Nostalgia UK (or a similar business in your local area) to gain inspiration on the right fireplace for your home. You will also want a professional team for installation and to ensure its safety. A fireplace can help you enjoy a lovely sense of comfort – and it can really tie a room together. If this is a renovation that you would like to have done in your home, check out these Expert Fireplace Renovation Tips to help create a warm, cozy space that encourages conversation and relaxation.

Decluttering:

Sometimes, the best addition is a subtraction. Decluttering your home is a great means of helping it gain some renewed life. For example, do you have plates on your wall, hung as decorations? If this is just to fill space, then why keep it? Do you have a floor rug that you almost trip on every time? How about a spinning wheel in the corner of the room that is always being knocked over by your kids? Of course, we’re not here to dictate your tastes at all, nor to make you feel that you have to somehow prove yourself in order to decorate how you want. And yet, simply feeling okay with throwing something out, storing it, or selling it on can help you avoid cluttering your home for no reason.

Keeping things simple is the name of the game. Administer these changes and be amazed at the fresh new take it will have on your home!

Featured Image By: Pexels – CC0 License

Scary Good Vases

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Scary Good Vases

Helloooo everyone! I have tons of knick knacks in my apartment that I love to have on display. From my crystal collection and gifts from friends to items I treasure from my beloved grandparents and, of course, Wilson the volleyball from Cast Away – it makes me happy to see it all every day in my apartment. I have a little bit of everything but, shockingly, no vases which I needed to add to the arsenal to hold the gorgeous rose that my boyfriend got for me.

Luckily, Walmart had their Halloween collection already in store the last time I was there with a client and I was able to snag these beauties. Check it out:

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As a lover of all things creepy, these new vases were right up my alley and for five bucks a pop, I couldn’t pass them up. The shocking black butterfly, skull, and spider against the creamy white bottles are the ultimate spooky chic decor. And, pair it with a blood red rose? Perfection.

These vases were a great find and, although I won’t say I needed them, I did need something to put my flowers in. So, technically yes, I did need them. Having these vases that encase such a sweet gesture makes me smile whenever I look at them. It’s the little things that make me the happiest in a relationship and this definitely scored some extra brownie points for my MAN. And, double brownie points for him unknowingly giving his shopaholic girlfriend a reason to buy more stuff, lolol. 😀

How do you celebrate Halloween? What are your favorite knick knacks in your home? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Lil Red’s Art Gallery: This Is Halloween Edition

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Lil Red’s Art Gallery: This Is Halloween Edition

Howdy! So, while shopping at Walmart with a client, I went a bit too hard in the Halloween department and picked out some new wall art and knick knacks for the apartment. What can I say, I just couldn’t help myself! It may be mid September but, in my humble opinion, spooky season is officially among us and I couldn’t be more excited if I tried! And, although I still have none of the paintings that I got compliments of Goodwill in my apartment, I couldn’t say no to these beauties. Check it out:

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It shouldn’t come as a surprise that as soon as I saw the skeleton pop out picture, it went right into my cart. And, it was a wonderful surprise to me to find the ghoulishly gorgeous butterflies behind the skeleton one. So, into the cart it went. These pictures combine creepy with pretty (My own personal aesthetic!) and I am deeply looking forward to eventually getting them hung up in my apartment.

Normally, I am not one to fill my living space with all Halloween everything and I liked that these pictures were a little dark and disturbing without a giant Frankenstein being plastered on it. However, I guess if it was done in the style of the pictures above, it could be kind of cool! 😉

What is your favorite holiday to decorate for? Which stores have the best Halloween decor? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

TJMaxx Fall Hall: Royal Stafford Plates

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TJMaxx Fall Hall: Royal Stafford Plates

Salutations! Saying that I just “like” the dark and disturbing is a severe understatement because the creepy, spooky, scary, and weird is what I am most drawn to. I am a horror fan through and through from movies and literature to art and decor. My preferred activities for a night in would include a scary movie marathon or tucking in with a good Stephen King book. And, with Halloween on my mind, I couldn’t pass up these gorgeous skull embellished plates by Royal Stafford when I saw them at TJMaxx. Check it out:

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After giving a nod to British punk fashion in my latest OOTD, it should come as no surprise that I was eager to add my new plates into the cart after seeing the “Made In England” sticker. And also: skulls, lol! These plates are so beautiful to me and I love the sketch style skull on the more simple plates but the real piece de resistance is the ornate crowned skull. Sadly, there was only one of those bad boys, which was a disappointment because trust and believe I would have bought a few of them!

Do I plan on eating off of these plates? Absolutely not. They’re too pretty to me and I got them for more of a home decor purpose. Now, it’s only a matter of finding just where to put them, because my curio cabinets are already fully stocked with my trinkets and treasures. For the time being, my Royal Stafford dishes are resting safely on my air hockey table until I get a stroke of inspiration for where to put them.

Until then, I am just happy to have found such unique pieces that I find so much beauty in. These are the last items from my TJMaxx Fall Haul and I really think that I was saving the best until the end of this series. And, who knows, maybe I’ll find some more unique dishes by Royal Stafford during my seasonal shopping haul come winter. Fingers crossed!

How do you shop for fall and the changing of the seasons? What is a TJMaxx or secondhand store find that you are particularly proud of? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah