5 Spring Home Decor Updates

As February winds down that means only one thing, spring is on its way. Daylight savings is only a few weeks away, and before you know it the flowers will be sprouting, grasses greening, and warmer air flowing. But before all of the flowers bloom, it’s time to update your home’s decor. You’ll no longer need those extra blankets and logs for the fireplace, so break out the vases for fresh flowers and shades to block out that sunshine. Although we can’t help make the warmer weather arrive any sooner, we can help get your house or apartment prepared.

Add a Statement Piece -  Freshen up your living room with a new chair or loveseat. A statement piece is a great accent in any room, and is designed to give your room a new life. They’re also great conversation starters for when you have guests over!

Add Color - Whether it be with new paint for you walls of fresh flowers for your table, a pop of color can liven up any space. A great way to freshen up any room is with a splash of spring colors. You don’t have to go full spring with bright pinks and yellows, and in fact this year’s spring colors from the Pantone Color institute are more matte than gloss!

Refresh Bedding - There couldn’t be a better time to buy new sheets and blankets for your bed! Put away those thick, heavy comforters and head out for a brighter, lighter alternative. If you’re looking to take your bedroom to the next level, create a whole new headboard yourself with fabric!

New Pillows - The simplest and least expensive way to update your living room is with a new set of pillows. The best part of this is that there are so many styles and colors of pillows to choose from. And if you already have pillows, or just purchased a new set, try using covers to save money while still giving the room a new feel!

Update Rugs - It’s time to put those warm shag rugs away and find a new one for the warmer months. A new area rug for any room will give it a new feeling, and can lighten up the room instantly.

Have any other spring updates that you find useful? Leave us a comment below! And if you’re looking for items mentioned above for your spring update, visit us online or at a store nearest you.

Choosing the Right Furniture

Purchasing furniture can be difficult; we don’t do it every month, and sometimes not for many years. What’s worse is that when we most need furniture is when we are moving, causing even more stress. There are many factors that go into purchasing as well - such as price and how many stairs you’ll have to carry it up. To help you pick the right furniture for your house, we’ve defined and explained multiple factors you’ll want to consider before you make your next purchase.

Basic Options - You must first consider your budget, and if you do not have one, then you’ll need to make one. Consider purchasing a little at a time if you cannot afford it in one stop, and purchase the more essential items first (sofa, kitchen/dining room table.) After you’ve budgeted, consider your mode of transportation that you’ll need, and how you plan to get the piece into your house. This is also one of the most import things to consider as you may need to adjust your budget to afford movers.

Define Your Needs - Asses what you currently have and what you need. Too much furniture will cause your guests to feel claustrophobic. Before heading to see any furniture, know exactly what you’re looking for to avoid wasting time browsing and getting off track.  

Size and Shape - Measure the area you’ll be using, then measure again. There’s nothing worse than having a couch that won’t fit, or a dining room table that looks more like a coffee table in a large room. Play to your room’s strengths and weaknesses - avoid square furniture in a rounded room and vice versa.

Usage/Materials - Before you go buying all-white furniture, consider who will be using it. Do you you have messy friends or siblings with younger children? Avoid purchasing cloth material if so, as cleanups are much easier on leather. And if it’s going to be an everyday piece of furniture, ensure that it’s designed for that before you end up with broken or quickly worn out materials.

Have any other tips that helped you decided on the right furniture for your home or apartment? Let us know in the comments section below to help others! If you’re looking for furniture to furnish your home, visit us at a location nearest you, or find us online!

5 Valentine’s Day Decor Ideas

When it comes to Valentine’s Day there are two sides - you hate it or love it. If you’re on the love side, or just want to celebrate the holiday, then you know decorating is essential to the holiday. If you’re really trying to impress your date, or even your family, then the traditional roses and chocolate needs to be taken up a step. To help you step up your game, we’ve put together a list of ways you’ll be sure to impress your special someone.

1. XO Wreath - A traditional, decorated wreath is great, but why not get in the spirit? Even though you may think a heart wreath will grab your love’s attention, why not step it up to something more original? For this, you can use a traditional wreath, and then you’ll need to cut one in half, or simply gather sticks and make your own!  
   
2. Simple Table - Not great at decorating? Then this is a perfect decorating tip for you! Keep it simple, almost too simple. Set up your table with two candles, tableware, and just one or two of your valentine’s favorite flowers.
   
3. Tree Carving - Remember when you were a kid and the cool thing to do was carve initials into trees? Well, it’s still cool, and now you can even make a centerpiece out of it! All you’ll need is a sharp blade, a nice piece of wood, and oil if you want it to last beyond the holiday!
   
4. Candy Heart Candle - For this you’ll need a candle in a glass container, and a clear glass with a diameter twice the size of the candle. First, insert your candle into the larger glass, then simply pour your candy hearts all around the candle. (Warning: Don’t eat the candy hearts while the candle is lit.)
   
5. Chair Backers - Looking for a way to personalize just about everything for your valentine? Create a custom chair backer for their seat at the table using only felt, scissors, and glue. Click here for a free design!

Have any other Valentine’s Day decor ideas that you love? Let us know in the comments section! If you’re looking to update any of your decor, you can find us online or at a store nearest you!

Inexpensive Decorating Tips

The holiday season takes a toll on most people’s new year budgets whether we like to admit it or not. But you don’t always need to spend a lot of money to improve your living space. Small adjustments to things you currently have can go a long way to guests who occasionally visit, and give a noticeable difference to those who are constantly there. To help you change up your space, but not break the bank, we’ve come up with a few ways you can update your space in a quick, inexpensive way.

Power of 3s - When decorating, whether it’s art, candles or just about anything else you are getting more than one of, instead of getting an even number try getting sets of threes. So much of our lives are made up of even numbers and things being perfect that this unique change tends to draw the eyes to it.

High Curtains - To make any room feel instantly larger move up your curtains. Attach the rod near the ceiling and hang the curtains the full length of the wall. You may need to purchase longer curtains to do this, but will make a huge difference in the room.

Change Pillows - Throw pillows are relatively cheaper than most decor. Whether you need to purchase new ones, or just mix up the ones you currently have, it will give the room a new feel to anyone who frequents the room.

Runners - Do you have a table that’s just too small to decorate but hate constantly looking at an empty table when it’s not in use? Try adding a decorative runner down the center. Runners can also be a great addition to any chair that just seems to bland in color!

Common Colors - Mantels can be hard to decorate when there isn’t a holiday. Try using a single color and add art, vases or anything else that revolves around the single color. This will draw the attention to your guests’ eyes, and not because it seems like a barren waste of space.

Dress Up Curtains - Want to give your curtains a new look? Tie them up with matching belts or scarves. Although this may seem unconventional, it will certainly become a conversation starter when a guest notices them!

Pots and Pans - Kitchens can be tight, especially if you live in an apartment. Instead of wasting all of your valuable cupboard space, try hanging your kitchenware on the wall. You can lay it out in a specific design or just randomly. It can become an art project all in itself!

Have any other inexpensive design tips that you use around your house when the budget is low? Let us know in the comments section below! To find more decor to help update your space, visit us online or at a store nearest you!

4 Winter Home Improvement Projects

The winter months can be long, cold, and dark, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t stop improving your house! Although you may need to move all your work inside, you can still make great headway on many projects. To help give you ideas on ways to beat your winter renovating blues, we’ve come up with a small list to help out!

1. Liven Up the Walls - Whether it be with a couple fresh coats of paint, or new art from a local gallery, give your walls the makeover they deserve! Although you may need to turn the heat down to avoid running up a bill from open windows to ventilate, your paint will actually dry faster during the winter months because of the drier air.
   
2. Light It Up - With one less hour of light, you’re sure to be using a lot of lamps or overhead lights. With so many different styles of lighting and shades, changing the way any room looks can be done in a day with lighting. And if you want to go all out, replace old ceiling fans with modern styles to give any room a proper face-lift!
   
3. Door to Door - Sometimes the things we use the most often get overlooked for their quality. If you don’t want to splurge on a whole new set, simply repaint your interior doors and purchase new door knobs to give them a brand new look!
   
4. Bathroom Blues - Bathrooms in the winter can be the worst. Warm showers are ruined by cold tile floors and the brisk air. Improve your bathroom with new rugs and towels. And if you want to go all out, try replacing the faucet to give the bathroom a shiny new feeling!
   

Have any other home remodeling projects that you like to get done during the winter months? Let us know in the comment section below! And for all your decor needs to help freshen up any room in your house, visit us online or at a store near you!

New Year, New Bedroom Life

You might not realize it, but you’ll spend nearly one third of your life sleeping, so why not make the most of the time you spend in the room where it will take place. We take our bedrooms for granted, mainly because most of our friends and family will never spend more than a couple minutes in there at a time. Help yourself out with these tips on how to make the time you spend in your room more enjoyable, and more efficient!

Clean Bedside Table

If you use an alarm clock, like any normal human being, then this may be the first thing you see when you wake up. Eliminate any clutter that will create bad vibes as soon as you wake up. If you use a traditional alarm clock, then don’t make this the place you charge your devices, as it will immediately pressure you into checking your phone as soon as you get up. This will be especially helpful if you are someone who likes a drink of water bedside, as you won't be stressing about spilling it on your phone as soon as you wake up!

Choose Art Carefully

While most people think the color of the walls will affect your room the most, don’t forget that what you put on the wall will too. If your walls are filled with busy, jarring art, it will have a reflection onto your life. Choose art that shows the world who you are, but also doesn’t conflict with the paint scheme of your room.

Seating Zone

Do you spend more time in your bedroom than most? Invest in a chair or two, so that you or your guests will have some place other than the bed to relax. The seat will also be a great place to put on your shoes, or prepare your bag in the morning when you really don’t want to stand anyways!

Double Window Treatment

If you live in the city, or work a late job and don’t wake up early, then you know the pains of trying to sleep with light coming in. Double up your curtains with shades to ensure that your rest won’t be disturbed. This will also keep the heat trapped inside as your windows can lose up to ten times more heat than your walls.

Control Your Tech

If the last thing you do before you fall asleep and the first thing you do in the morning aren’t the same, then congratulations you’re not obsessed with your phone like the rest of us! Create a space where you can store your phone and other electronics before you lay down to sleep. This will ensure they are charged and ready to go for the next day’s use. We all know our phones are killing our sleeping habits, so why not start off the year on a new foot?

Have any other New Year decor tips that you’ve found useful? Let us know in the comments section below! And for all you home decor needs, visit us at a location nearest you!

Ten Decor Tips Everyone Should Follow

So you didn’t go to college to become a professional interior designer? No problem, we’ve got some tips for you! Just because you don’t have the proper training doesn’t mean your living spaces need to only consist of the essential couches, tables, chairs and beds! We’ve put together a list of 10 essential decorating tips that everyone should know and follow as they go about building rooms. Enjoy!

1. Invest Where it Matters - Quit spending money on all of the little things. When designing a room, don’t buy a bunch of little trinkets because you think it will fill your space. Take that money and use it towards larger couches, better rugs, and end tables!
   
2. Buy Rugs in Person - We understand that Amazon is your spirit animal, and why would you go to the store when you could just get it online? But for something that you’re going to walk on daily, you need to be able to feel the texture before it feels its way into your wallet.
   
3. Do Your Homework - No, there’s no formal assignment, but you should do some looking and comparing before making any decision on home decor. Purchasing furniture isn’t a yearly thing, so why are you spending more time on choosing a restaurant to go to on night three of your vacation than the couch you’ll sit on for the next three years?
   
4. Mix and Match - This isn’t kindergarten any more, everything doesn’t have to match. In fact, mixing metals is actually a great way to make any room stand out!
   
5. Maximize Light with Mirrors - If you have very few windows, or just prefer natural light, use more mirrors. Larger mirrors help reflect the lighting into the room and will even save you money on electric since you won’t need to use lamps as much!
   
6. Rule of Three - Remember the rule of three when it comes to small decorations like vases, candles and plants. Don’t let that candle burn all lonely by itself!
   
7. Don’t Chase Trends - By the time you catch up with decorating trends, a new one has already arrived. Plus, changing your whole decor every year can add up quickly! A general rule of thumb is two new (or vintage) pieces of furniture per year.
   
8. Add Greenery - You don’t have to deck out your space similar to the rain forest, but bringing in plants will help your house feel more like a home. Plants bring in color and texture to any room.
   
9. Curtains - High and Simple - To make any room feel larger, install curtains at the tops of the ceilings rather than the window. Also remember that they are to designed to block light, not distract your guests from the rest of the room!
   
10. Don’t Forget Art  - Your walls shouldn’t be a cluttered mess, but bring some culture into your rooms with pieces that fit well with your decor. Local art is also a great way to help spruce up your room and the community!
    

Have any essentials that you think we missed? Let us know in the comments below! And if you’re starting a room renovation, follow tips two and three and come visit us in stores to help you make the right, informed decision before purchasing!