Tag Archives: home decor

Jan23

Normal House, One Of A Kind Home: How To Make Your Home Truly Unique

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Normal House, One Of A Kind Home: How To Make Your Home Truly Unique

Your home should be a reflection of who you are. The problem with houses, however, is that many of them can be pretty similar despite how unique all of us are. But what if you started thinking about your home differently? Sure, unless you want to get started on some serious renovation work, the basic shape of your home is going to stay the same, but that’s where your limitations end. In many ways, the only limit to what you can do with your home is how far your imagination can stretch. How willing are you to break away from tradition and try something really different? If that sounds like your kind of thing then here are a few simple but daring ways that you can make your home as unique as possible.

Rethink What “Lighting” Means: Far too many people take lighting for granted. It’s such a central and important element to your home that it doesn’t make sense to start messing around with it, right? Wrong! There are plenty of exciting and interesting ways to bring light into your home without having to stick with the same boring old ideas. Scrap the lamps and try using some LED tape to light your home. With LED tape you can light areas of your home that you might never have even considered such as along the stairs or inside your bookcases. Not only that, but often the tape itself is completely hidden so that no one would know that it was there until you suddenly filled the room with light.

Don’t Take the Obvious Layouts: A lot of the time you walk into a room and the obvious way to lay it out is right there in front of you. But hold on a second! Before you decide to do things the same way as everyone else, ask yourself if there isn’t a more interesting option. Look at the light sources in the room, think about the way it flows into other parts of the house, and ask yourself what would be the most enjoyable layout for you personally. You might find yourself going for something pretty unusual, but if it works for you, then that’s the most important thing. It’s your house after all!

Break the Rules: There are entire books written on the rules of interior design. We all have lists in our heads of things that we should and shouldn’t ever do. You know what the best thing to do with those rules is? Throw them out of the window! This is your home so if you want big, bold patterns, then go for it! Make your home as open and spacious or snug and cozy as you want. Don’t listen to anyone who tries to tell you what you can and can’t do in your own home. Once you break free of that idea, you’ll be able to turn your home into somewhere truly one of a kind.

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Jan20

Be a Rebel: 7 Small Space Decor Rules That Are Worth Breaking

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Be a Rebel: 7 Small Space Decor Rules That Are Worth Breaking

Hiii everyone! This is a post from one of my darling friends, Chloe, who is an interior design queen. Thanks again, Chloe girl! 🙂

Be a Rebel: 7 Small Space Decor Rules That Are Worth Breaking

A famous American author Theresa Anne Fowler once wrote that “some rules are nothing but old habits that people are afraid to change”. And boy, was she right. People would rather obey conventional wisdoms than take the risk of creating something different. This is especially true when it comes to decorating small rooms, which are labelled as “difficult” to design. Still, is painting the walls white always a good way to decorate a tiny space? Of course not. There is no one universal solution that works for all small rooms. Here are some decorating rules that could benefit from a little rebellion.

Paint It White:

This must be the most boring interior design rule out there. Why must we paint a small room white? White does contribute to the illusion of spaciousness, but so does beige, sand, and other light neutrals. Or, if you prefer style over size, you can always go with bold deep shades.

Darker colors can be used to accentuate certain architectural features (e.g. built-in wall shelves) or simply to provoke visual interest. When painting a small room with darker hues, go with a glossy, instead of matte finish, because it can reflect light making the space appear bigger.

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Beige for days!

Keep the Knick-Knacks at a Minimum:

If you followed every conservative dĂ©cor rule, you would leave your favorite vase, your travel souvenirs, and all of your lovable knick-knacks in the attic, since you wouldn’t display them in your small room. But, if you ignore the naysayers, you will fill your room with charming accessories which will turn an ordinary space into a home.

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Cool kitsch

Avoid Large Scale Patterns:

“Sure, you can use patterns in a small room, but only teeny-tiny polka dots.” Forget all about that and go with bold patterns. Go back to the ‘80s and revive the popular trend of flame stitch patterns or vivid floral motifs. Introduce patterns with wallpaper, upholstery, drapes, rugs, and accessories such as throw pillows, tablecloths, etc.

Stay Away from Large Furniture:

Your small room doesn’t have to look like a Barbie’s house. Small furniture in a small room can only hurt its functionality and comfort. Sometimes it is better to rely on your sense of design and decoration instead of sticking to some preset rules. One large bulky piece of furniture can make a room more inviting and open. If you are planning to include such a piece, opt for a sitting item, such as a sectional sofa.

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Tres chic

Heavy Drapes Are a Big No-No:

One of the most common misconceptions about interior design is that bare windows make a space look bigger. Bare windows might work in some cases, especially when the view is great, but not always. Contrary to the popular opinion, heavy drapes, especially when hung very close to the ceiling, can make the room look taller thus making it visually more spacious.

Compromise on Dining Area:

An open-space concept in a small apartment means that some things have to be left out. The most common choice is the dining table. It is more often than not reduced to a kitchen island with chairs or a foldable table in some corner. It doesn’t have to be like that. You don’t have to go with a full-blown 12-seat table, but you can downsize it to 4 seats. Then, you can still host your friends and family comfortably for dinner and drinks.

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Go with Matchy-Matchy:

Introducing matching patterns and colors is one of the basic rules of interior design, and it is especially used in small spaces to avoid overwhelming them with too much stuff. Go against this rule and don’t coordinate colors and patterns, and you’ll get a fun and interesting result. However, be careful not to overdo it, this rule is here for a reason. Try to display colors and patterns in pairs (e.g. two striped cushions + two green candles).

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Pretty in pink

Stop sacrificing the personality of your small room just to create an illusion of a few extra square inches. When you go for a rebellious design approach – the sky is your limit.

^^^ Shout out to Chloe for such a fab post! -Sarah

Featured Image By: Pexels

Jan18

Kick Back And Relax: How To Create The Most Relaxing Living Room

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Kick Back And Relax: How To Create The Most Relaxing Living Room

After a long day at work, doing chores, or chasing after the kids, is there anything better than flopping down onto the couch to catch up on your favorite Netflix drama? Having a space that caters purely to relaxation is really important to your sense of well being. After a stressful day, it’s a must to be able to switch off and wind down, but you don’t need to overhaul your entire house or completely redecorate to achieve this. Just a few little changes and you’ve got yourself the perfect living room sanctuary:

Keep it Serene: When choosing your color palate for any room, it’s important to consider the mood you want to feel while you’re in that space. Pale blues, greens, yellows, and beige have the ability to help relax our minds. Try to keep bright colors out of the walls, furniture, and fabrics of any room in which you would like to relax – bright colors are great at energizing us and helping us to feel awake, which is basically the opposite of what you’re trying to achieve in your living room.

Harvest the Power of Fire: Fire can be really relaxing, warming, and comforting when used in a space correctly. Introducing a fireplace can be a great focal point for the room, but it also allows you to warm the room to your specifications and give off a great light and a touch of elegance. Electric fire installation is relatively straightforward, and they can bring a charming atmosphere into the room. With so many to choose from, make sure you check out this Fireplace Guide to find the best electric fire for your room. It can also be lovely to add large white pillar candles, which can give the room a spa-like feel, and add softness to the lighting in the evening.

Bring the Outdoors In: Never underestimate the power of indoor plants and flowers. The greenery purifies the air, adds color to the room without being abrasive, and looks really beautiful, too. Flowers help to make the room smell clean and lovely and can be very soothing visually as well.

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These pots are cool!

Rearrange The Space: Arranging Your Living Room for Optimal Comfort not only helps you feel more relaxed but also makes your space more functional. To start, place your couch close to a source of natural light like a large picture window. It will make the perfect spot to cozy up with a good book! Accent the room with plush accessories in tranquil hues like rugs, throws blankets and pillows. Place your favorite art and pictures where you can see them all the time. And don’t forget while you’re swapping your furniture around to replace harsh fluorescent bulbs with a softer glow.

As you are rearranging, you might want to add items of comfort. This could be favorite family photos, your coziest pair of slippers ready by the couch, or an aromatherapy diffuser on your coffee table for your living room. Beloved items can soothe and relax which can turn your living room into an even more tranquil place to be. Think of what you would like to see when you retire there to chill after work and put it in a spot that will always be in sight.

Keep it Clutter Free: Clutter in any room is not conducive to a sense of serenity. Rather, it does the opposite by bringing a sense of disorder and chaos to the brain which can make it difficult to relax. Keep out trinkets and photos that you love and which bring you happiness, but put everything else into storage. A few little ornaments have a much bigger impact visually than a lot of clutter and makes it much easier to clear your mind.

Let the Light In: Natural light is great for making us feel good, so hook back those curtains, pull up the blinds, and welcome the light in. Beautiful billowy curtains over large windows add a delightful sense of calm and look stunning to boot, but can also help to make a room feel more private if it’s overlooked. In the evenings, invest in a good dimmer switch so you can set the lighting to a comfortable level, and choose a nice reading lamp for when you need brighter light.

And there you have the perfect room for relaxation. So kick back, wind down, and enjoy the serenity. Ohmmmm.

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Jan12

How Unique Can You Go? Tips For Making A Home Unlike Any You’ve Seen

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Who doesn’t want a home that’s different from anyone elses? In life, the more unique we can be, the better. There’s something satisfying in knowing that you’re the only person with that particular style. You’ll become the envy of your friends and will probably set a few trends of your own! The only question is, how do you achieve a look that’s different from anyone else? Being individual can be hard. We’re all trying to achieve the same goal, aren’t we? It makes sense that we’re all trying the same style ideas! We’ve got some ideas about how to achieve the most unique home you can imagine. Following these will ensure that you’re creating a home that no one’s ever seen before!

Build Your Own: We’re going to start this list with the most extreme suggestion. We’re aware building your home isn’t an option for many people. It is, however, the best way to get a home unlike any other. When designing your home, you have a say in every aspect of the house you’re living in. You can go as mad with your plan as you like. You could even employ the services of a company like http://www.structural-innovations.com, and get creative with the structure you put in place!  If you have money and time behind you, the world is your oyster! Or at least, your home is. If you’ve never considered building your home, research whether it could work for you.

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Wikimedia Image

Think Outside the Decor Box: If you’re not keen on embarking on such a massive project, there’s plenty of other things you can try! The easiest way to change your home is to focus on decoration. To achieve a look unlike any other, try not to let anyone’s decoration influence you. Sit down and plan the room from your mind only. Whatever choices you come up with, you can ensure they’ll be unique to you. Have fun with this. Tap into your creative well and use it to get your home looking great.

Get Creative With the Layout: While you’re getting daring with home design, why not try something different with the layout? There are certain layout norms that many of us follow for no real reason. Of course, some rooms, such as your kitchen or bathroom, can’t change around. Your other rooms are fair game, though. Why not swap your bedroom and living room? If it’s possible, it’s worth a go. People will look twice; that’s for sure!

Make Furniture: Making your home may not be practical, but making your furniture is a more achievable goal. If you’re not good at making things from scratch, repurpose things to fit into your home. Why not scrap the lights and have a lantern of old jars instead? Use watering cans as plant pots. You can even work solely with one material in making your own furniture, just like this discount Amish furniture; stuff like this is made entirely out of wood, which makes it incredibly durable. And the more restrictions you put on your making process, the more creative your ideas can get! Small touches like this will bring an individual style to any room. You could even reupholster old furniture. Learn how on sites like http://do-it-yourselfdesign.blogspot.com. You can choose any material you want to get the furniture you need!

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Jan12

Keeping Up With Next Door: How You Can Give Your Home Ultimate Curb Appeal

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Keeping Up With Next Door: How You Can Give Your Home Ultimate Curb Appeal

Forget keeping up with the Kardashians or any other celebrity, it’s all about what is going on next door and on your street. I don’t mean nosing into other people’s business, but the habit of keeping up with next door when it comes to your home is starting to creep up. It’s not a bad thing either, when done with the best intentions. You see to keeping your property looking good on the exterior, and if everyone else follows suit, it makes your street look like the perfect place to live. So if anyone happens to be selling their home it will help them out to no end if the rest of the homes matched and looked the part. It could even increase the value somewhat. So whether you want to start a trend or feel like you are letting your street down, here are some tips on how you can get the ultimate curb appeal.

Take Care of the Lawn: A well-kept lawn can really add to your curb appeal, but equally, an unkempt lawn can have the opposite effect. It is so important to ensure that you cut those lawned areas every time you have the opportunity to do so otherwise, before you know it, your front garden can turn into a bit of a jungle. It’s also a good idea to give your lawn a bit of TLC. You could do this by trimming the edges to your flower beds if you have them or giving the grassed area a feed to add some vitality and life to the health and color of it.

Think About Your Garage Doors, Windows, and Front Door: Now you need to focus your attention on the front of your property and how it looks. Broken garage doors, unclean windows, and an unpleasing front door just won’t do. Thankfully, a garage door repair is an easy resolve and even cleaning the windows and taking care of your door is all easily fixed. Dirty windows are an instant eyesore and you will be amazed at the difference once they have had a good cleaning. You may have someone who does Residential Window Cleaning in your area or take some time to do it yourself. It may seem like a back breaking chore but it could make a world of difference to your home.

You could even consider replacing your front door with something new or striking, perhaps opting for a colored door. When replacing your doors, you will want to look somewhere with a wide inventory so you can see all of your options in front of you. Wrought iron, sturdy oak, or a pop of color are all wildly popular for giving your home an instant facelift. You can even make your front door more accessible with the help of a door closer for hands-free convenience, as well as helping to save on your energy bills and impressing others with the functionality of your door.

Add a Deck or Patio: If your yard is lacking a spot to sit back and relax, an amazing upgrade could be adding decking or a patio. When the nice weather hits, it will provide the place to be for an outdoor party, barbecues, or simply lounging in the sun with a good book. An addition like a deck or patio is an instant increase to both curb appeal and property value. Be sure to decorate with brightly colored furniture, fairy lights, and potted plants or flowers for the ultimate outdoor escape.

It Doesn’t Take Long to Brush Away the Debris: We’re at that point in time where leaves are on the ground and there can be a bit of debris gathered around the front of your home. However, in the grand scheme of things it doesn’t take long to brush all those away and majorly boost your curb appeal.

What About the Gutters? I know clearing out the gutters could be a job saved for that yearly “to do” list, but if you find that they are looking particularly overloaded or even causing drainage issues, then now is the time to get up there and give them a clear out. If you do not want to take on the job yourself, I am sure there will be a local service happy to resolve the problem for you.

Finally, why not add a bit of color to the front of your home by planting some pretty flowers or adding a few pots around your front door. It could be a lovely addition to the frontage of your property and will brighten up a blah door instantly.

Featured Image By: Pexels

Jan12

Blitzing The Kitchen – Things To Consider When Renovating Your Favorite Room

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Blitzing The Kitchen – Things To Consider When Renovating Your Favorite Room

There will come a time when all homeowners realize that their kitchen needs an update. Like it or not, you might have to spend a healthy sum to get the desired results. So, it’s vital that you consider the crucial information on this page before you begin. The last thing you want to do is get things wrong and waste your savings. Thankfully, the specialists you visit to purchase your new units will have lots of cool ideas that you could use. You should always listen to their input because they have lots of experience but here is just a little extra advice:

Marble and Similar Surfaces are Durable: Nobody wants to undertake a kitchen renovation too often. That’s why it’s sensible for you to select durable materials for your work surfaces. Marble tends to cost a lot more than the alternatives. However, it could last more than twice as long. So, you need to see the expenditure as an investment that will save you hassle in the future. People with children in their home might like to purchase some rubber safety accessories for those sharp corners. Nobody wants to take their little ones to the hospital with a head injury because they got excited and started messing around.

Installation Isn’t Usually That Expensive: When you visit your local supplier and choose a new kitchen, they will ask if you want a professional installation package. Smart people will always pay the extra money and leave the job to the specialists. Individuals who fit kitchens for a living can complete an entire room in only a couple of days. Managing the project yourself could mean that you lose your spare time for more than a week. That is especially the case if you work long hours and only have a few moments to yourself each evening. Some suppliers might even throw in fitting for free if you spend enough cash.

Simple Accessories Can Help to Extend the Lifespan of Your Kitchen: There are lots of ways in which you can make sure that you don’t have to repeat the job too often. You just need to look for accessories that could reduce the amount of wear and tear. Soft close drawer runners are an excellent idea because they stop your units from becoming damaged. No matter how hard someone might slam the drawer, it will close at a steady pace. That means there’s no need to worry about damaging the surrounding wood and the drawer itself will continue to work correctly. Best of all? It takes around five minutes to swap your current runners for soft-closing alternatives.

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Flickr Image

This information should help you to make better decisions when blitzing your kitchen during the next few months. Just make sure that you choose a design that isn’t going to go out of fashion anytime soon. Taking steps to extend the useful life of your kitchen is all well and good. However, it’s pointless if you select something that you’ll have to change in only a couple of years!

Featured Image By: Flickr

Jan9

5 Easy Ways To Balance Your Decor

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5 Easy Ways To Balance Your Decor

Decorating your home can be hard. Not only does it tend to be costly (even if you’re thrifty), it can be hard to coordinate. Whether you’re redesigning each room from scratch, or adding to what you have, bit by bit, ensuring that your decor is balanced and just works can feel like an impossible task. Impossible, but doable.

Whether you choose to hire an interior designer, follow the principles of feng shui design or research, try and buy, you might need to work on balancing out a few areas of your decor. If you’re tackling the task alone, these points should act as a starting guide for you to work from.

Color: Color can often be a safe starting point when it comes to your decor. You should be able to see straight away whether colors will work well together, or whether the entire look and feel of the room will be thrown off. But, some colors can be tricky. When that’s the case, hunt down interesting color palettes on Pinterest and see which ones most appeal to you. You’ll also be learning as you look, and will start to see how to match colors that balance well together.

Space: Another way to work on the balance of your decor is to use the space. If you’re working with a small room, you’re going to need to be smart. You’re not going to want to cram a lot of big furniture into the room, as it will look overcrowded. Instead, you’re going to want to opt for space saving storage ideas and lots of bright, fresh, airy colors. When you’ve got a larger room, you might need to be a bit more generous with the furniture and accessorizing. Otherwise, it will be out of balance and look quite bare.

Fabric: Your soft furnishings can also say a lot about a space. You might not think that the rugs, throws, cushions, and curtains that you add into the room make a lot of difference right now. But, if you get the combination wrong and the room is off balance, you’ll soon see it. When you pick fabrics, you need to choose ones that coordinate well. It’s pretty similar to the color situation – if you choose something that doesn’t work well together, then you’re often left with a lot of loud clashing and a bit of a headache.

Pattern: Many people can be afraid of playing around with patterns. And while that is a safe bet to take, you can actually create an incredibly well-designed and daring home with different patterns. But, you still have to make sure that they balance. When patterns clash, it can be chaotic. So, you need to make sure that you use them tastefully and sparingly, to create the desired effect. Try finding patterns with similar colors in them so that they blend rather than compete against each other.

Design: Then, there’s the overarching design itself. You can often be swayed by different interior design trends. But, if you opt for something new and different, rather than sticking to a style that you know you’ll always love, the space may not feel right. It’s important that you choose a style that you feel comfortable with, as you’ll then be able to make it balance with the accents and accessories that you add in.

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Jan9

Beyond Spring Cleaning: Those Changes You Should Make To Your Home

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Beyond Spring Cleaning: Those Changes You Should Make To Your Home

It can sometimes seem as though there is no end to the amount of changes that you can make at home. It makes little difference how long you have been living somewhere, there are always improvements which can be made. Some of these are relatively modest, and are merely the work of an afternoon. But if you want to notice a more profound change in the home, then you might want to consider making some bigger changes.

These kinds of changes might take a bit longer – but will definitely be worth the extra time. However, it can be difficult to decide on what kind of changes to actually make. In this post, we are going to look at a few examples of some of the things you could be doing around this time of year to improve your home.

A Fresh Coat Of Paint: This is one of those things that is so basic that we often forget about it entirely. But giving your home a fresh lick of paint can make a surprising difference to the overall ambience of the space. If you notice that you have not repainted any of your rooms in a while, spring is a great time to do it. Especially if you go for lighter colors, which can help to really liven things up in time for the fresh start of the new year. If you are unsure of what colors to go for, it might help to bear in mind that it doesn’t matter all too much. The main thing is that you are happy with the overall effect; whether or not you have unity in color between rooms should be wholly irrelevant.

Improve The Security: Security worries us all from time to time. One of the most essential things for anyone is to be able to feel at home in their own home. You need to feel safe there if nowhere else, as this is the whole idea of it being your home. That’s why it pays to keep a close eye on the security of your place. The last thing you want is to leave your home vulnerable to attacks or natural disasters. The good news is that improving the security of your home does not have to be a complex or expensive issue. If you install security window screens, you should find that any potential break-ins are thwarted at first attempt. And you might also want to consider taking out an insurance policy on the home and its contents, just for even more peace of mind.

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I See Youuu!

Prepare The Garden: As is likely to have happened, your garden is probably rather desolate at the moment. This, of course, is perfectly natural for it being winter, and there is little that can be done about that. However, now is a great time to start thinking about preparing the garden for the brighter and warmer months. This might be a simple case of reseeding the lawn, if necessary, or you might even want to turn the land so that the soil has a better chance of enabling plants to grow. Most importantly, think spring with bright and bold flowers and a lovely little bird house for your backyard animal visitors.

Featured Image By: Pexels

Jan4

Interior Trends That You’ll Simply Love in 2017

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Interior Trends That You’ll Simply Love in 2017

Hii everyone and happy hump day! My friend, Chloe, was kind enough to write a guest post for lifewithlilred about some super cool home decor tips for the new year. She did an amazing job and I am so happy to be able to host her on my page! Check it out:

Interior Trends That You’ll Simply Love in 2017:

Another year’s drawing to an end, and while most homeowners are busy putting up Christmas decorations and making plans for the holiday ahead, interior designers already have their eyes locked on the trends that will mark the season to come. In 2016, we’ve seen a rise of the open-plan living, gentle blends of rose and gold touches, mix-and-match decors, eclectic traveler and boho chic aesthetics, 3D gallery walls, and other suave home features, some of which will stay in vogue in 2017. Nevertheless, in addition to the trending features, the year to come will bring along a few new design tendencies to help house-proud homeowners dial up the visual game in their nests. Here are five of the biggest trends we’ll be seeing more of in the year to come:

1. Upholstered Headboards for Snug Dreams:

Upholstered headboards entered the home decor scene through the back door in the past few years, infusing chic bedrooms with an extra dose of interest and comfort. The popularity of cute tufted headboards will persist in 2017, pushing minimalist timber bed frames out of style.

This is such a simple way to add a dose of glamour and elegance to the bedroom. Upholstered bed frames will rock neutral hues, dramatic buttons, and sumptuous fabrics such as velvet or plush for vintage aesthetics and first-rate comfort.

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2. Spare Hours Lulled in Mother Nature’s Lap:

Natural materials were a huge hit among interior designers over the past couple of years and it looks like the trend will stick around for at least one year longer. Natural stone and wood will remain on trend in stylish homes in 2017, but this year around, they’ll be topped by cork panels and unexpected combinations starring metal and sensitive materials. Cork will climb up stylish home office walls, providing a blank (and noise-proof) canvas for creative wall art experiments and note-pinning sprees.

At the same time, rattan, bamboo, leather, and fur will conquer suave living areas, instilling the modern home with a dose of style au naturale.

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3. A Nod to Bygone Eras and Dreamy Designs:

In 2017, vintage, shabby chic, and boho interiors will remain on trend, but they’ll be joined by a few more time-honored designs, such as mid-century modern, Victorian, and classic dĂ©cor. For a touch of old-school charisma, you can update the living room following in retro footsteps, and if you want to tweak the bedroom to get the biggest stylistic bang for your buck, you may want to check this out and use expert cues to dial up the boudoir visuals and overall home aesthetics.

In case you want to pay tribute to the more rugged among time-tested home styles, you can infuse your nest with rough-looking extras such as animal hides, furs, and reclaimed wood.

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4. Revamped and Re-Imagined Color Palette:

As for the trending hues in the season ahead, Pantone has already rolled out their tonal picks for spring and summer, branding green as the color of the year 2017. Versatile, vigorous, and trans-seasonal, textiles and accessories in bright green will fit in natural-inspired decors and liven up a minimalist home with a dose of playful contrast and unexpected tonal accents.

Other colors that will sneak into stylish living areas in the year ahead will include terracotta, brown, grey, and dark blue, along with a nod to jewel tones which will be used as accents to rev up visual interest and add vibrancy to the room.

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5. Stainless Steel for a Dose of Stylistic Chill:

Although the focus of designers’ attention in the year to come will rest on mix-and-match decor formulas and creative reinterpretations of classic designs, modern materials will still have their rightful place in a 2017 home. Stainless steel and original combinations of metallic surfaces such as bronze, brass, copper, wrought iron, and brushed aluminum will help define a well-grounded framework for textural and tonal experiments. A subtle way to add a note of contemporary chill to top-notch homes, stainless steel and metal finishes will help maintain aesthetic balance and keep the visual scale snugly secured halfway between vintage fluff and 21st-century industrial.

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Other up-and-coming trends we can expect to see in the year ahead include a growing affection for natural fiber and coarse textiles, the return of farmhouse and country style, the rise of luxury furnishings and retro-inspired pieces such as mantelpieces, fire pits, all-wood deck furniture, and a slow comeback of the traditional closed room layout.

Judging by the looks of it, the year ahead will be marked by quite a few awe-inspiring interior designs, so if you’re looking to doll up your home any time soon, make sure you keep an eye out for new trends and add a few fresh decor pieces to take the look of your home from dull to fab. Good luck!

^^^ Thank you so much to Chloe for treating lifewithlilred to this post!! -Sarah

Jan4

Let’s Get Cooking! Check Out These Easy Kitchen Renovations

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Let’s Get Cooking! Check Out These Easy Kitchen Renovations

Christmas is finally over, and hopefully you and your family had an incredible time. If you hosted Christmas this year, you probably had a more stressful time than most people who were guests at other people’s houses. When you invite guests into your home and you have to cook a big dinner for them, you might realize that your kitchen isn’t quite up to scratch. If the holidays shocked you into wanting to make some changes to one of the most important rooms in your home, read on for some tips


Storage: If you’re finding it hard to find everything in your kitchen, it’s time to improve your storage. A lot of the time, drawers that pull out will make it easier to find items like pots and pans than it is to rummage through cupboards. Make sure that everything is clearly labelled so you know exactly where it is. If you simply don’t have enough cupboard space, go for shelves instead – decant your flour, sugar and other ingredients into labelled airtight jars so they’re a feature of the room as well as easy to use. Break out the label maker or post its until everyone in the home gets the hang of where things go!

Sinks: If your sink isn’t quite big enough, it’s time to get a new one installed. It’s important to have enough space to comfortably be able to do your washing up in the evenings. If there are other issues with your sink like water pressure or the general look of it, you could have the faucets replaced – check out a site like Faucet Assistant to find the faucets to best suit you and your family.

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Get yo clean onnnn

Cabinets: A lot of the time, your cabinets can make or break the look of your kitchen. Replacing them is a huge and expensive job that can take up a lot of your time and money, but it’s definitely possible to revamp them without doing anything too major. If they’re made of wood, you can sand them and strip them down, before revarnishing or repainting them to make them look how you want them to. You could also replace the handles or knobs with new ones that you’ve bought online. Find some quirky cool ones and it will be an instant conversation starter when you’re hosting guests.

Floors: It’s very important that you stay safe in the kitchen, where you might be walking around carrying knives, boiling water, and heavy serving plates. It’s important to make sure that the floor is even and not too slippery. If you have any rugs and mats on the floor, make sure they’re fully flat and fastened to the floor so you don’t trip over them. What a disaster that would be!

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Pixabay Image

Seating: Before you invest in new seating, it’s absolutely crucial that you consider your individual family’s needs and how you use the kitchen. If you don’t eat in there, or if you prefer your dining room, then there’s no point in taking up a lot of space with a huge dining table! In that case, a breakfast bar and a couple of stools might be a better option. If you want to turn your kitchen into the hub of the house and tempt your recalcitrant teenage children to have dinner with you, make sure that your chairs are soft and cushioned for those sullen, hunched shoulders!

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Breakfast nook!! <333

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