Tag Archives: decorations

Dec15

Everything You Need For The Ultimate Cozy Corner

Posted on by
Standard
Everything You Need For The Ultimate Cozy Corner

The winter season is definitely here now. While the cold weather feels awesome and exciting leading up to Christmas, as soon as the holiday season finishes things can be a little depressing. I think we all need a cozy little corner to hibernate in through the grim months of January and February – and I think I have found the right ingredients for the perfect set up. Read on to find out everything you need for the perfect cozy corner – and snuggle up until the spring!

The Right Location: Technically, you can have a cozy den in any corner of your home or room – but not everywhere is 100% suitable. If you are lucky, the bedroom is the perfect spot. It’s private, quiet, and away from the ruckus and noise of the main living spaces. However, maybe there is a quiet room you could use instead? Or somewhere with a beautiful wood burner or open fire to give you the perfect atmosphere? A cracking fire can give you amazing light, a relaxing, chilled environment and they smell – and sound – great.

A Giant Bean Bag: There are some awesome giant bean bags out there right now – see this from Comfy Sacks for the perfect example. These comfy cool chairs are so fun and are literally high school me’s dream come true. They are the ultimate in Sunday lounging and perfect for settling in with a good book, movie, or to curl up and listen to music.

Lots and Lots of Blankets: It’s impossible to be cozy without blankets, right? So grab as many as you can and top it all off with a soft cotton or wool throw. It will keep the chills out, the heat in, and make you feel like you never want to get up again. If it’s extra cold, throw in a heating pad for good measure!

Toasty Toes: You can have all of the blankets in the world but somehow your feet still manage to be cold! Plush throw rugs and fuzzy socks are an absolute must so you can be warm all over – no frigid feet required. However, if you want to go for an option to keep warm and boost your property value, you can’t go wrong with underfloor heating. It will be your new best friend on those chilly mornings and winter days. If this is an upgrade you’re interested in, simply enter a search for “underfloor heating ireland” (or your local area) to find a well reviewed specialist for installation. Warning: When they’re done you might not want to leave your cozy corner!

Books and Magazines: When you are hunkering down for a cozy session, you will need plenty of material to keep you going. Grab a pile of books – when the weather is harsh and cold, there is nothing better than getting lost in a different (maybe even sunny) world. Magazines are great, too – you can browse through them at your leisure, and if you are feeling sleepy, you can doze off whenever you like.

cozy1.png

DOG!!!!

A Tablet: While we’re on the subject of entertainment, we can discuss the tablet – which feels like it was totally invented for the cozy corner. You can snuggle in, throw on a pair of headphones, and be transported to any era, any place, and with any of your favorite actors whenever you like. I love to go for something a little spooky, thanks to the Kindle that my boyfriend got me for our anniversary!

Candles: Candles are essential for all things cozy, so don’t miss out on grabbing a bunch of your favorites. For extra comfort, find some scented candles and let the aroma take you away to somewhere from tropical to a cute little coffee shop depending on the scent!

Snacks and Drinks: OBVIOUSLY!! Once you are in the zone, you won’t want to leave. However, let’s be realistic – you don’t want to be hungry, either. So, before you start your cozy corner session, stock up on a few snacks – healthy or otherwise – and plenty of drinks to keep thirst at bay.

What are your cozy corner must haves? What is your favorite drink to sip on when the weather is cold? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Featured Image By: Pexels

Dec14

The 100 Years Challenge: Decorate Once, Make It Last Forever

Posted on by
Standard

Have you ever wished that you could just decorate once and be done with it? We can all agree that it would be better not to have to return to a room again in five years’ time, just because it’s become dated. Of course, this is something that those who jumped on the “must have the latest trend” bandwagon know all too well! If you don’t want to have to decorate again in a few years’ time, how should you approach the task of decorating today? Check this out:

Be A Minimalist: Minimalism has been around for a long time and it looks as if it is here to stay. Why? Because the less stuff you have in your rooms to date them, the less dated they will appear. It’s also a good policy just for keeping things simple and making it easy to give a good cleaning to. Make sure the furniture in the room is of a suitable size and laid out in a way that makes it look proportional to the space. Go for neutral colors that really compliment each other as seen in the picture below.

deco.png

 So chic!

Bring In Functional Furniture: Some people can’t help but opt for the latest fashion trend when it comes to furniture. But, they soon find out that designer furniture isn’t the most functional or the most practical. That’s a problem, because unless you’re trying to get your living room to appear on the front page of Vogue, you’re going to want to change your living room into a place that is more pleasant to live in. Nothing is worse than having a glass coffee table that is always just about to get smashed or a chic angular chair that looks amazing but gives you back ache.

deco1.png

 Wikipedia Image

Always Choose Quality Over Quantity: If you’ve ever watched one of those TV programs where they transform a person’s house overnight, you’ll have noticed something: they cut corners. Not only does the end product look tacky, but you rarely see the TV designers splash out on stuff that will last. They are always choosing things like bean bags, cushions, and cheap plywood bookcases to finish a room, rather than high-quality furniture and construction materials. Companies like Direct Furniture Land sell oak furniture that will last a lifetime. Other businesses make things like granite kitchen counter tops and tiled floors that won’t wear out, either.

Make Natural Light Your Friend: Mood lighting is all the rage right now, thanks to LEDs that can change color on the fly. But, like all fun new trends, it’s not going to be suitable for the long term. The advice from designers right now for if you’re going for a timeless look is to use natural light – the oldest of all light sources – to light up your rooms. If you don’t have access to sunlight for whatever reason, there are now plenty of lighting products on the market right now that actually do a rather good job of imitating it. High-quality natural lighting options give your rooms that same amazing glow without having to live in a glass house to achieve it!

deco2.png

 Pixabay Image

Dec13

Is Your Home Boring? Then Check Out This Guide!

Posted on by
Standard

No one wants a boring and dull home. Even the most laid back and relaxing home doesn’t need to be boring. It is actually pretty easy to spruce up your place once you put your mind to it. It doesn’t even have to be a lot of work. Just read this guide below to see how you can make your home a lot more visually interesting.

Color: The number one home refresher that can break up the visual boredom is to inject some color. People get so scared of color, but they don’t have to be, as they are in control of it. You can have as little color or as much as you like. You get to pick the shade, and how intense it is, so there is nothing to get anxious about.

If you aren’t used to having a lot of bright colors about the place, then go for something more subtle to start off. The use of pastel or ice cream colors can create interest and drama without going too over the top. But, if you are looking for some serious impact, then go for something super bright. Paint a feature wall to inject some drama into an otherwise boring room. Or you can even get super creative and leave the walls white and paint the furniture brights colors instead!

Pattern: Patterns are something else that people can get a little afraid of when decorating their home. But used properly they can help create a dynamic room that isn’t boring at all. 1970’s style patterns in one or two colors are a great (and fun!) way of injecting a retro vibe that isn’t too overwhelming into a room. Or you can inject a pattern into your accessories which can work wonders against any surface that is one solid color. For example use, bright paisley patterned pillows on a block color sofa. This will break up the single color and draw your eye to specific points, which can prove to be very visually appealing.

home5.jpg

 Pixabay Pattern!

home6

So cute!

Decoration: Another way of preventing your home decor from slipping into boredom territory is to get creative with the decorations you use. There are so many fun and simple ways to spruce up the home, even if its just taking your white or cream walls and decorating them with modern art or reproductions of the old classics. This will provide a perfect point of interest. If you’re going for a really dramatic look, use multiple pieces that are of a similar style in one space.

Interactivity: Another great way of getting your house to pop is to make use of all of the technology that is out there now. There are plenty of operator controlled items that you can interact with that can make an impact on your home’s visual appearance. For example, how about getting a mood light bulb? The color of which can be changed depending on what you are using the room for at that time. So you could have blue or purple for relaxing or a warmer orange or red when you want a cozy feel.

While revamping your home, use patterns, accessories, and decor that is uniquely you. Home decorating is just another amazing way to show off your personality!

Dec8

Brush Away The Winter Blues With These Spring-Ready Sprucing Tips

Posted on by
Standard
Brush Away The Winter Blues With These Spring-Ready Sprucing Tips

On the run-up to Christmas, we all love winter. The colder days and snowed in occasions can be bearable, because we’re so full of festive cheer. But, as Christmas winds down, the winter blues can start to kick in. When that happens, all we can think about is the promise of spring, milder days, and the beautiful blooms that go with it.

So, this winter, do things differently. Instead of letting the winter blues set in, beat them away. Think about some of the jobs that you’d usually do in spring and incorporate them into your winter revamp. It’s time to bring the spirit of spring into your home and spruce those winter blues away.

Begin With Basics: There are so many simple home improvements that you can do around the home that make such a difference to the overall look and feel of the place. By adding in a fresh lick of paint or giving everything a good old scrub, it could make your home feel like it’s had a complete renovation. It might seem like a big job at first, but as soon as you get started, you’ll begin to get excited about the result. When winter starts to feel a little stale, a quick clean or redecoration could make you feel so much more ready for spring!

Dress And Showcase: Next up on your home spruce, you’re going to want to show off what you can and work on the rest. Maybe changing up the accessories you have around the home is all it will take to add that little something that you’ve been looking for. Change the accent colors you have in each room or even add more accessories to create a look you’ve had in mind. If you’ve done all you can with the details, you might need to think big. If your furniture is starting to look a little shabby, why not upcycle it? Get a few ideas from Pinterest or on Youtube and sand, paint, and style away until it looks like something you’re proud to show off.

Replace Or Repair: Winter can make you think about the appearance of your home and forget about the functionality. You want it to look great, but glaze over the practical parts. But, if you prioritize them now, you’ll be grateful come spring. It’s so important to stay on top of the functional areas of the home, like your garbage disposal, oven, and even A/C systems. You might just need to give them a clean or routine service or they could need much more. If you require any repairs that need doing or need new appliances installed, now is the time. Ahead of spring, you can iron out all the kinks in your home to make it feel brand new.

Get Outside: It’s common for a lot of yard work to be saved for spring. By why not do it now and get a head start? There are so many garden jobs that you can get done in the winter. In fact, it’s the best time of year to do some things. And, you’ll even give yourself a break come spring as there will be less to do all at once. Then, you’ll have a clean and spruced up home that’s functioning fine and a gorgeous garden to go with it. And how could that not beat away those dreaded winter blues?

Featured Image By: Pexels

Dec7

Time For A Refresh! Simple Improvements To Make Your Home Feel Brand-New Again

Posted on by
Standard

After a few years in your home, it’s easy for things to start looking a bit tattered – wear and tear can easily occur in any home. But rather than jumping ship, try making some simple changes in your home instead. Small but effective touch ups will make it feel like you have just moved in. So when it’s time for a refresh, here are some simple improvements to make your home feel brand-new again.

Give Your Home a Good Clean: You will be surprised how different your home will look if you give it a good clean. In fact, you might end up falling in love with it again. Try going through each room and get rid of any items that you don’t need anymore. And for items that you want to keep, make sure they are put safely away in new places. That way, it will stop your rooms from looking totally cluttered and unorganized. You also need to hoover every room and don’t forget to wipe down the doors. And to finish off the rooms, make sure you give the windows a good clean. They are likely to pick up dust over the winter season. You will be surprised how fresh your home looks after a thorough cleaning sesh!

Give the Rooms a Lick of Paint: A lot of the time the rooms in your home can start to look old and blah due to the paint. To ensure your home looks brand-new again, you should consider repainting the rooms. You will be surprised how fantastic they can look with a lick of paint. Head to the store and find a color that will suit your room. You might want to go for something bright in the main rooms such as the bedroom and lounge. A bright color can affect your mood. If you are not so good at painting, you could always hunt down painting contractors. That way, you can rest assured a professional will do a brilliant job with painting your interior! (My family has repainted a few rooms in our home and they seriously look brand new now! Love.)

improve.png

 I would LOVE to paint my room black!

Move the Furniture Around: Okay, with Christmas around the corner, you might not have the funds to buy new furniture for your home. But if you are bored of where the current pieces are situated, you can give your home a refresh by rearranging the furniture. For example, by putting the sofa in a different place in your living room, you might create a lot more space and it can look like an entirely new room. Do this throughout the house to make it look brand new again!

As you move your furniture around, you might notice things you don’t normally see that need some additional love – like your carpets or area rugs that were once covered up. If you find that your favorite area rug is looking worse for the wear, simply enter a search for “area rug cleaning drop off” in your general vicinity to get it back to its former glory.

Buy Some New Accessories: It doesn’t always have to be the big things you change to make a big impact in the room. You can just add some new accents such as quirky candles or an eye catching area rug to make a big difference to your home. Hit up the local home goods stores and buy some accessories to put around the house to make it look fantastic. Even some plants would be ideal for enhancing your home. As we said before, they not only will give your home more oxygen, but they look appealing too!

And don’t forget to upgrade your lighting in your home to make it look bright and welcoming. Some beautiful new light shades can make a world of difference to your property.

improve1.png

 Pexels Image

Dec2

The Best Way To Have A Sane Christmas

Posted on by
Standard
The Best Way To Have A Sane Christmas

The festive season is here and everybody’s already lost their minds. Of course, that’s all part of the joy of Christmas but it can be a little bit of a headache when every home, shop, restaurant, or outdoor marketplace you enter is coated in an overwhelming assortment of lights, colors, foods, and an unimaginable quantity of gifts; most of which you never even knew you needed before then, but you’re now absolutely positive you, your friend, or some distant relative cannot possibly live without a Walking Dead mug set or a miniature drone.

So, where to begin? You may not have much money so you want to do this conservatively and quickly. Well, at least, you probably won’t have much money after it’s all gone on the food, gifts for friends and family, or any traveling you’ll most likely be doing over the holiday season. But fear not! There are ways to still find time and money to make your home look perfect and feel a little saner during this chaotic time of year.

First of all, a warm home is a happy home. There’s no wonder you’re not feeling very ‘Christmassy’ if your home’s freezing. The first step to creating that festive glow you crave is to insulate as cheaply as you can. Home glass and glazing is always a safe bet. Professional companies are experts when it comes to interior design and you could really let your home flourish if you expertly weaved a new set of doors or windows into your festive, warm, cozy little home.

You can really make everything blend into the same common aesthetic or theme if you work at it and a warm, colorful home is definitely a great way to induce those same warm, colorful, festive feelings within yourself. So much heat is lost through poorly-insulated homes, so make sure you’re safe and sensible this winter. There are always ways to converse heating and money so whether you want to just warm up certain rooms, the loft, or the entire home, make sure you do so properly.

holidays1.png

 Brrrr!

 Shop around for festive decorations! When you see vibrant, slightly-over-the-top decorations, gigantic trees, and an overzealous assortment of presents, foods and goodness knows what else, it can be difficult to know where to begin. It can also be difficult to figure out whether you can even afford such luxuries or whether there’s the time to adorn your house in such a bonkers manner.

Don’t be fooled by the colors and pretty lights. Beautiful decorations don’t have to cost you an arm and a leg. In fact, given that the quality of most streamers, baubles, and tinsel is roughly the same across most stores, shop around for the best price! If you find something that’s perfect, think about the fact that you can use it for years to come. These are all investments and good decorations aren’t just for Christmas; well, they aren’t just for one Christmas, anyway.

You should definitely consider hopping on the bandwagon when it comes to artificial Christmas trees. Rather than shedding ridiculous amounts of cash for a real tree each year and then dealing with the messy aftermath of clearing up broken branches afterwards, opt for a solution that you can use year after year. My family has legitimately been using the same artificial tree for the past seven years and it still looks great! …I think so anyways!

Remember, Christmas can be relatively inexpensive if you invest in goodies that you could reuse next year. In 2017, you can feel festive without spending a penny on making your home look nice!

Featured Image By: Free Images

Nov28

Every Little Bit Helps – Subtle Changes to Make Your Home Look Like A Million Bucks

Posted on by
Standard

If you’re serious about making your home look more awesome, you need to take action now. There are, of course, plenty of big changes that you can make. But, there are also subtle things you can do as well that will really make a big difference. So, check out these ideas and try to use them to make your home even better.

DIY Facelift: When it comes to subtle changes that will make your home stand out you need to think about what you can do yourself. Often you’ll find that a DIY facelift can have a great impact on sprucing up your home. And this is something you can do yourself without much hassle and for limited cost. Try to make some changes yourself where possible, such as painting the property and making repairs. These small changes can make a huge difference and they don’t have to set you back a lot of time or money.

diyPixabay Image

Make the Front Garden More Presentable: The front garden, in many ways, is the most important part of the property. This is what catches people’s eye and makes them want to see your home in the first place. When you’re looking to sell, the presentation is everything. And, even if you aren’t looking to sell, you still have to make sure you are proud of the way your property looks. There are subtle changes you can make to the front of the home to make it look better. For instance, you could check out mailboxworks.com residential mailboxes to add a post box and smarten things up. You might consider planting some colorful flowers and replacing the front door with something that looks nicer. Making random changes here and there can really help you make the most of the front of your home.

Have a Clear Out: You need to make sure you tackle the inside of the home and get rid of some of the clutter you have, too. We are all natural hoarders and we all have stuff that we don’t need. So, it’s time to declutter and get serious. Tackling major in home projects and decluttering will give you the opportunity to focus on small odd jobs that you need to do to spruce up your space. You might be surprised by how much space you can create by getting rid of the mess in the home. It will make your home look much better and more spacious as a result.

Artificial Lawn: How would you like to have a lawn that looks amazing all year round? Something that you never have to trim, water, or maintain, and it still looks amazing? Well, in that case, you need to consider getting an artificial lawn. There are so many reasons why you might consider getting a false lawn but the convenience and low upkeep are two of the most obvious. These days you can get artificial lawns that look so good you’ll barely know the difference. And, the best part about them is that they will look amazing throughout the year, no matter what the weather is like.

diy1Wikimedia Image

An amazing looking home is all about making the right choices with projects large and small to create a pleasing aesthetic. And, despite what you might think, this doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. There are plenty of subtle changes you can make that will help to make the home look a lot better on the inside and out.

May31

Cool Decorating Ideas

Posted on by
Standard
Cool Decorating Ideas

Heyyy everyone and happy Sunday! So every once in a while my parents and I like to hit up Tuesday Morning, which is a lot like TJMaxx minus the clothing. The store has a lot of cool home decor pieces including everything from furniture, mirrors, artwork, and any knick knack you can imagine in one convenient location. Every time I go to Tuesday Morning I tell myself that when the time comes for me to decorate my own apartment I will most definitely be shopping there. I took some pictures of some pieces that I thought were fun and unique to share with you guys and maybe give you some ideas of your own for decorating! Take a look:

IMG_3553[1]IMG_3555[1]IMG_3556[1]IMG_3557[1]IMG_3558[1]IMG_3559[1]IMG_3560[1]IMG_3561[1]IMG_3563[1]

^^^^ Rad, right??

I’m a really big fan of the antique-y vibe that I get from all of these cool little odds and ends. My absolute favorite thing pictured above is the step ladder shelf. I admire that baby every time I go to Tuesday Morning and I would love to have it in my room to house my beloved shoes on. I also really like all of the floral painted wall hooks – I can picture a plethora of those hanging up on the walls in my room to display all of my hats and scarves. I get happy just thinking about it! One item in particular that I’m not sure that I would put in my apartment would be the bust statue – but I guess it would be a pretty good conversation piece! What I was instantly drawn to today when I entered the store was the mini pedestals with the glass container covers. Those are absolutely gorgeous, and my first thought when I saw them was that I would love to display all of my jewelry in them. I imagined a row of the containers going across my desk with each of them holding a necklace or bracelet. So cute! It’s always so fun going into Tuesday Morning to see what’s new and exciting, and I can’t wait for the day that I can go there and fill up a shopping cart with all of the decorations that my little heart desires! Until the fateful day that I move out, I’ll just be admiring all of these items from afar!

I hope these pictures inspired all of the decorators out there to get to work on a new project! Where is your favorite place to buy home decor at? What is your favorite decorative piece in your living quarters? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Have a great day! -Sarah