The 10 Commandments of Furniture Arranging

Keep these great rules in mind as you go shopping for your new furniture! It always helps to do some measuring first so you know what you can and cannot fit in a room.

When it comes to arranging furniture, there’s definitely more than one way to do things, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make mistakes. Home decorating is a recognized art, requiring careful calculation of both the space’s needs and the host’s tastes. While experts agree the surest way to a flawless room is trial and error, there are a few rules to keep in mind as you design your setup. So read on to find out what three home design pros say are the tricks of their trade.

1. Area Rugs Belong Under Furniture

Former HGTV host and celebrity designer Angelo Surmelis says that “you want to expose some flooring, but for the most part, go big—almost as big as the seating area, or whatever area you’re working with.” An undersize rug will make a small room seem smaller and a large room look disconnected. Place the rug underneath at least the first set of legs of your bed, couch or chairs to create a cohesive look, he explains. Los Angeles–based celebrity designer Nicole Sassaman agrees: “Rugs typically look better when all the furniture is on them.”

2. Couches Should Be Surrounded by a Little Space
“Placing a couch even a few inches away from the wall will create a little breathing room and make a space seem larger,” Surmelis says. If you can’t pull it away from the wall because of space restrictions, move chairs or side tables a few inches out to open up the room. If you’re working with a big room, feel free to put the couch in the center facing a set of windows or a fireplace to break the room into two separate spaces.

3. Light the Entire Room

"Lighting is one of the most important elements in a space,” says HGTV designer Erinn Valencich, who has appeared as the style expert on E! and Access Hollywood. “And placement should maximize light in the room.” Spread light sources around a space, she explains, and make sure every corner gets equal attention. Surmelis agrees: “You want to keep it balanced,” he says. If you have a lamp next to your bed, place two more strategically in the room to create a triangle of light. Surmelis also suggests choosing a taller lamp to emphasize—or create a sense of—a high ceiling.

4. Beds Are the Main Focus
Bed placement should acknowledge the focal point of the room, says Valencich. “If your room has French doors, place your bed opposite them.” Or use an available corner nook. Having a small room presents a big challenge for bed placement, warns Surmelis, but placing the side of the bed against the wall is a good option.

5. The Higher the Curtains, the Better
“Go as high as you can possibly go,” Surmelis says. Sassaman agrees: “In most situations, it’s best to hang drapes from the ceilings to the floors—it makes the ceilings seem a lot higher and expands the room.” If you go too small—either the curtains are too short or hung too low—they seem like an afterthought, Surmelis explains. You should also hang curtains 1 to 2 feet beyond where the casement ends to make the window looks wider.

6. Dining Room Tables Go Under Overhead Lights
Though it depends on the architecture of your home, for dining tables, Surmelis always suggests the classic placement in the center of the room under a light fixture. If your dining room chandelier is slightly off-center, you can try looping the excess chain it hangs from onto a hook that is positioned so the grouping will work. But, in most cases, Surmelis explains, if the light is off-center or your room is too small for the traditional arrangement, you shouldn’t try to force it. “Do something fun, like placing it against the wall and creating bench seating.”


7. Coffee Tables Should Be Large

“Go as big as you can,” Surmelis says. “If you can’t go too big because you have a narrow living room, then go skinny but long.” Like rugs, a large coffee table can help expand and connect a room. An oversize table contributes more to a room in terms of both function and aesthetics, Valencich adds, and all experts agree that coffee tables should be placed anywhere from 12 to 24 inches away from your couch.


8. Dressers Are Not Stand-Alone Pieces
Dressers belong—and look best—up against a wall. All experts agree angling a dresser in the corner not only looks bad, but wastes space. “Placing a dresser in a corner creates a weird, dead space behind it—like a black hole,” Valencich says. She suggests centering a dresser on a wall. If placing it off-center, put another piece of furniture next to it to achieve balance, she adds.

9. Hang Paintings and Mirrors in Relation to the Rest of the Furniture

People have a tendency to hang pictures too high,” Sassaman says. Wall art should ground everything around it. So when putting it over a piece of furniture, hang it 24 to 36 inches above, though that rule varies depending on the height of the artwork itself. Before you make any holes in the wall, try this trick: Use the paper insert provided with a frame (or a newspaper cutout) to figure out the best placement. Put it on the wall and move it around to get a feel for how the piece will look in the room. Apply the same rules when placing mirrors, which are best hung opposite something you want to see more of—such as beautiful wallpaper or windows to bring in more light.

10. Televisions Aren’t the Main Attraction of a Room
It’s best to hang the TV on the wall to save space, but if that’s not an option, use the focal point of the room as a reference when picking a spot. “You don’t want to ignore the fireplace or something else that would architecturally be a natural main element in the room,” Sassaman says. “It benefits the layout to group main items together.”


Read more: http://www.womansday.com/home/decorating-ideas/10-commandments-of-furniture-arranging-106885

15 Crazy Ideas to Make Your Life Saner

Some of these handy tips could have come straight from Hints from Heloise...others are downright weird, but they do  make sense! What crazy ideas have you had to make your life simpler?


Keep a marker in the freezer: If you're the type of person who cooks a lot and freezes the leftovers, or someone who likes to buy in bulk, keeping a marker in the freezer might mean the difference between "what is this?" and "here's the pasta sauce I made last summer when the tomatoes were at their peak". Use it to label and date whatever you're freezing. Bonus: no more frozen mysteries, no more wondering where to find a marker to label stuff.

Collect pint size versions of your favorite toiletries and store them in your suitcase: This is one of those silly ideas that I used to scoff at until the TSA changed the rules and mini became the rule. Whether it's a flight across the country, around the world, or a quick overnighter, keeping small size versions of your toiletries in your suitcase means you're always ready to go. Since all the things I like and need don't always come in small sizes, I pick them up whenever I see them. Bonus: No last minute scramble, and they don't take up valuable real estate in your already crowded linen closet.


Pack up your beach or ski stuff: As for traveling, so for sports. In my beach bag I store sunscreen, a towel, a blanket, bathing suits; my ski boots share space with my ski clothes, handwarmers and another stick of sunscreen. Bonus: always ready to go.


Hang your keys on the back of your front door or have your lock changed so that it's one of the kind that you have to lock from the inside: When I moved into my home it was already equipped with one of these locks. Not only do I always know where my keys are, but I don't have to worry about accidentally locking myself out (something my neighbors have done). Bonus: safe, sound and, with no morning key scramble, sane.


A pen and a pad by my phone's charger: I used to keep them by my landline, now I keep them by the charger. Same purpose — taking notes — different era. Bonus: Being prepared to write down every detail, whether it's directions or a grocery list.

Arranging the medicine chest by how things are used: Yeah, this one's had me called crazy, but since I no longer rub toothpaste into my palms thinking it's handcream, the last laugh may be mine. Especially if you're as blind as I am without my glasses, this little bit of organization brings a lot of order to your morning. Bonus: a faster morning.


Having a place for everything in the refrigerator: Especially if you bake a lot or live with someone else, having a place for everything not only brings a little more sanity to your cooking times, you can see, right at a glance, if you actually have enough eggs or milk or butter — whether it's for that cake you were thinking about making or for breakfast. Bonus: no more overbuying.


Keep your daily meds in the refrigerator: Vitamins or prescriptions, I keep them in the fridge next to the milk. I know I'll be reaching for the milk for my morning coffee and when I do, it'll remind me to pop my pills. Bonus: Less chance of forgetting whether you already took them today.


Have a box for your first aid supplies and medications: If you have kids, keeping meds in the refrigerator might not be a great idea. But then, neither is keeping them in the medicine chest. Sure, you might want to make a place for your cough medicine if you're right in the midst of battling something nasty, but most of us have stuff around that we only grab on occassion. Stick it all in a pretty box (or a lock box if you have wee ones in the house). You may want to date stuff (even medicine has a shelf life); in which case, do as with the freezer and keep a marker in your box. Bonus: a medicine cabinet filled only with things you need, and knowing where everything is when you actually need it


Keep a set of cleaning supplies in the bathroom and in the kitchen: Avoid a marathon cleaning session by wiping down the sink (and, if you shed as much hair as I do, the floor) each morning with a rag and spritz of cleanser, or try those packages of pop up wipes. Supplies in each wet room means you're more likely to have them at hand, keeping these rooms clean. Bonus: Saturday mornings having brunch instead of cleaning.

Empty your pocket change into a jar by the door each night: This is one of those silly things a friend told me they did once when I asked them where they'd found the money for something (we were both equally broke at the time). It may seem super old skool (and it is) but it's also a painless way of saving and avoids the rattling hangbag or ripped pocket syndrome. Bonus: change for the laundry and less guilt about a splurge for the home.


Clean while you're on the phone: Whether it's doing the dishes, swishing the toilet, Swiffering the floor or feather dusting the counter tops, here's a simple way to multitask. Bonus: no mindless phone eating (my personal downfall).


The next time you line your trash can with a new bag, stick an old dryer sheet in the bottom and line the bin with all the trash bags at once: Then all you have to do is pull out the old bag; the new one's already in place. Bonus: come party time or a big mess, at least you won't be scrambling for trash bags.


Keep your laundry supplies at the bottom of your hamper: Are you sensing a theme here? Guilty. Also guilty of not having a lot of storage space. Also in my laundry bag: a roll of quarters, stain stick (it's right where I need it so I can treat a stain before it goes in the hamper). Bonus: the detergent and the laundry sheets also act as deodorizers for my dirty clothes until I get around to washing them.


Store your bedlinens under your mattress: I don't know about you, but I don't have loads of extra space to use for storing sheets and pillowcases. Instead, I fold up everything and stick it underneath the mattress (or between the mattress and the boxspring), next to my life savings (just kidding, though I'm sure you're thinking this idea's just as insane). (In the same vein, I also store my towels by hanging them on the back of my bathroom door). Bonus: Everything's close at hand, and I get that ironed look without ironing.


Read more: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/crazy-ideas-that-will-make-your-life-saner-173474

"How to Decorate a Foyer"

Instructions

 1

Paint your foyer with a color that blends well with the rest of your home. If your foyer is closed off from the rest of the house, you can be more creative with it. Use bold or dark colors to paint the walls and ceiling, to give the space more depth. You may also opt to just paint an accent wall that would be a backdrop for your artwork.

LARCHMONT 76" BENCH

2

Pick out the main furniture as the starting point. This can be a console table, a round hall table or a bench. The furniture should be big enough to make an impact, yet it should not be too overbearing. Put an antique dresser with intricate carvings right in front of your entry door to give a good first impression. You may also choose to add a rug or a welcoming mat. Just make sure that the rug or mat has a rubber backing, to avoid skidding that can cause accidents.

3

After selecting the main pieces of furniture, find the best angle and location for them. If you have a narrow hallway right at your entrance, lean your console table against the wall so as not to block the way. On the other hand, if you have a foyer that is wide enough, you can place a round table at the center to break the flow and make the space more interesting. You can see this often used in bigger estate homes.

  4

Choose your lighting well. You need to make sure that your foyer is well lit, so that your guests do not stumble in the dark when they visit at night. A chandelier for a grand foyer works well in front of the main entrance. You can also use wall sconces or track lights on long narrow hallways. Track lights can also be used to highlight your wall with framed photos and artwork.

5

Matrix Gold Mirror

CAMBRIDGE AMBER ACCENT CHAIR

Add accessories. You can start by placing artwork or a mirror on the wall. A mirror is not only beautiful but it is also utilitarian. Your guests can do one final glance or check up on their outfit before they proceed to walk inside your home. You can strategically put a big mirror on top of the console or place a tall mirror leaning on the wall on a very narrow hallway. Add sculptures, knickknacks and other collectible items that can be great conversation pieces. Avoid using too many items that will give the space a cluttered look.

6

For your foyer to look more welcoming, add flowers and plants. Fresh flowers can appeal to your guests' sense of smell. Add throw pillows if you have a bench, for your guests to sit comfortably.

Tips & Warnings

• Add a coat rack and an umbrella vase that can hold winter coats and umbrellas.
• If you live in an apartment that you have a very narrow or small entrance, you can still decorate the space with a small table, or just framed photos and artwork on the wall.

Avoid placing too many items in your foyer -- people should not find it difficult to navigate the space. Keep your foyer clutter free at all times. It is your chance to make that good first impression by keeping the space clean.


For more information please see ehow.com

Make Your Bed! For Productivity, Profit and Peace

Are you a regular bed-maker? If not, you may want to become one. Turns out that making your bed daily can have some seriously cool benefits (besides, of course, coming home to a fresh, tidy room!)

At the risk of sounding childish or lazy (maybe both?) I'll just be honest: I hate making my bed. Rather, I used to hate making my bed. Why should I bother? I often reasoned. I'm just going to get right back into it later, and no one except my immediate family will see it (and as it turns out, they are stuck with me and my covers-tossed-in-disarray).


But something I read last week in Charles Duhigg's "The Power of Habit" changed my mind. According to Duhigg, making your bed every morning is correlated with better productivity and stronger skills at sticking with a budget. It has also been suggested that making your bed boosts happiness. My interest was piqued. Happiness? Yes, I'll take it. Productivity? Yep, I'll take that too. Sticking to a budget? Sounds good to me.


Gretchen Rubin, author of the bestselling book "The Happiness Project", explains that making the bed was "the number one most impactful change that people brought up over and over" as she researched her book on inspiring happiness. Can an act that takes three minutes (yes, I timed it) really make that much of a difference in your life?


Apparently, making your bed (and other feel-good tasks like exercising and cooking your own food) is something called a keystone habit. Keystone habits are those routines that, if you can identify them, spill over to other habits. According to Duhigg, changing or cultivating keystone habits "helps other habits to flourish by creating new structures, and they establish cultures where change becomes contagious." A keystone habit is essentially a catalyst for other good habits.

I figured that I was the perfect test case for the Make Your Bed to Achieve Happiness Theory (reminder: I never make my bed) and that it was worth a try. So far I've made by bed for 10 days in a row. And here's what I've noticed: Making my bed inspires me to get my kids to make their beds. Which inspires me to get them to clean their rooms. Which inspires me to do the laundry, the dishes, and to pick up abandoned stuffed animals, dropped underwear (theirs! not mine), and newspapers-turned-light-sabers as I corral my two toddlers out the door to school. I look at my watch to see that it is 8am and the house is an unusual shade of clean before coffee. I'm smiling.


Karen Miller, wife, mother, Zen priest, and author of "Hand Wash Cold" and "Momma Zen", explains: "the state of your bed is the state of your head." I think she is on to something. When I leave my bed in a heap, I leave the bedroom feeling defeated by my bed, my alarm clock, and my general sleepy mood. I'm groggy and reluctant to get the day started. My internal voice sounds a bit like the strewn covers, "Noooooo morning! Gooooo awaaaaaay!"


But when I look at my freshly made bed, I have to admit it: I smile a little. I feel just a bit more motivated. Productive, even. I leave the room saying, "Goodbye beautiful little den of tranquility that I have created with my bare hands!" And I'm ready to tackle the day — crush it, even.


But sticking to a budget? That part is still up for debate. I just bought some adorable grey and white chevron pillows with hot pink trim for my freshly made bed. I can't leave that beautiful bed half-dressed, can I?

Read more at ApartmentTherapy.com.

5 Myths About Sleep from The Bed Boss

There's a lot of misinformation floating around out there, including some well-entrenched myths about sleep, how much you should get, and what the best way is to do it. These myth-busters from The Bed Boss, our memory foam mattress vendor, should help clear things up.

MYTH #1: Sleep is optional. We live in an always-on, communications-driven world where Jay Leno and the Internet are just a few of life’s many distractions that cut into our sleep The average American is only getting six to seven hours of sleep each night, and many are convinced they can function with even fewer. Although some people appear unaffected by pulling an all-nighter, most of us struggle to perform after a night of tossing and turning, with our attention spans and reaction time being the first skills to suffer. However, it is important to be realistic. Because of outside factors like work schedules, social lives and children, eight hours of sleep each night is hard to come by. Focusing on the quality of sleep you do get is the key. Although sleep isn’t optional, your sleep environment is, and making sure you’re resting under optimum circumstances puts you in control of your sleep cycle and energy level. You might not be able to sleep longer, but you can certainly sleep better. 


MYTH #2: Medication is the only answer to sound sleep. There’s a time and place for sleeping medications, but poor sleepers commonly overlook simple things they can do to help themselves, including taking control of their sleep environment. Constant tossing and turning is one of the leading inhibitors of a sound sleep, and often stems from the uncomfortable pressure points created by a mattress. Many manufacturers are designing mattresses with technology to alleviate pressure points, like the Bed Boss Heir ET line. Additionally, eliminating sound and light, removing pets from the bed and optimizing the bedroom temperature are necessary first steps to getting a better night’s sleep.

MYTH #3: Coffee in the morning won’t keep me awake at night. Drinking coffee is as common as waking up in the morning for many Americans. And caffeine is the most frequently used social drug in the United States. Yes, it’s a drug; the effects of caffeine are much more powerful than we give them credit for. Caffeine can last up to 12 hours or more in certain individuals and can seriously prohibit your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. Anyone who regularly tosses and turns at night should consider removing some or all caffeine from their diet.


MYTH #4: It’s OK to ignore insomnia, if it’s mild. Some types of psychiatric disorders, including depression, have a strong association with consistent, long-term problems falling and staying asleep. Although it has yet to be proven that correcting sleep disorders reduces and normalizes the risk of these problems, it’s smart to pursue professional help if do-it-yourself sleep methods aren’t working. 


MYTH #5: It’s normal to sleep poorly as we age. While it’s true that people sleep lighter and wake up more often as they get older, it is not normal or acceptable to feel fatigued or sleepy during the day on a regular basis. Grogginess during the day is not normal and should not be blamed solely on your sleep habits at night. If you’re constantly tired during the day, consult with your doctor to get to the root of the problem. 

Of course, the Bed Boss Mattresses provide the 9 Zone Comfort and cradle you in a supportive posture. You can rest easier and sleep more peaceful. Even 5 hours in a peaceful sleep is better that 8-10 hours tossing and turning.  

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Apartment Therapy says red seating is "IN"

We think red is always a popular color. But Apartment Therapy says that red is even more "in" right now, especially when it comes to seating.

The color red is meant for inciting, don't you think? It's almost like it was put on this planet to grab attention, raise the heart rate and make a piece of furniture pop like no other color. It's available in such a large gamut of hues there's bound to be a red that fits your personality, and we know just what sort of furniture piece to use as a vehicle for this bold color.


Seating: It's something many rooms require and many more benefit from, and if you have been wondering what type of furniture piece you should choose to bring a pop of red in a space, we humbly submit seating as an option. From benches, to chairs, to sofas and more, a red seat in a room is a bright and bold beacon beckoning guests (and yourself) to take a load off.


In the center of a room in a seating arrangement, a red chair will tie a space together, and along the wall in a vignette the color red will keep a piece from becoming a wallflower. If you don't believe us, just check out the evidence found in recent Apartment Therapy house tours:

See more fabulous red decor at Apartment Therapy.

And here are a few of our top-selling, always popular red pieces (not just seating!)

How do you use red to decorate?

eHow's Rules for Table Lamps

Many people feel overwhelmed when it comes time to pick out table lamps. But there's no reason to. Picking lamps can be a lot of fun, especially if you've done your homework first! This guide from eHow tells you just what you need.

Imagine your home without table lamps. A gathering of friends would feel stark and impersonal rather than warm and convivial . There would be no place to curl up and read the latest best seller. Table lamps are part of what gives the home personality. Yet the average person knows very little about selecting and decorating with table lamps. These six key points should help.


Function
Table lamps are the most versatile types of household illumination. They can be easily moved from one location to another and are commonly used as accent, general and task lighting in the home.   

(Accent lighting is secondary light that provides points of visual interest in a room. General lighting supplies a comfortable level of illumination throughout a room. Task lighting is light focused on a particular activity.)


Style
Table lamps are functional, but also serve as decorative accessories in a room. Choice of lamp styles is strictly a matter of personal taste. It is not necessary match the style of table lamp to your room's particular decor, but do make an effort to coordinate the look. An early American lamp is obviously a poor choice for an ultra-modern room.


Proportion and Height
Scale is one of the main elements to consider when choosing the right table lamp. Your overall lamp size should be in proportion to the room's furnishings. The proper height for a table lamp is based on the height of your seating and table. The lower rim of the lampshade should be between shoulder and eye level of the person seated next to the table lamp.


Lamp Shade Tips
Lampshades for table lamps should never exceed the diameter of the table surface. It is wise to bring your lamp to the store to select the proper size in relation to the lamp base. If you are unsure of which shape shade to buy, simply mirror the shape of the shade to that of the lamp base. (At Home Decor, you don't need to worry about this one. All of our lamps come with proportional, matching shades!)


Number of Lamps
There is no set rule regarding the acceptable number of table lamps per room. It is recommended to  
use multiple table lamps in larger rooms to maintain even ambient light distribution. You should also 

place a table lamp on each table next to chairs, sofas and beds unless you are relying on another direct light source such as a floor lamp, wall lamp, track or recessed lights.


Hiding Lamp Cords
For those of us who enjoy table lamps, one big dilemma is how to conceal the lamp cords. For homes with open floor plans, this can be a particularly tricky issue. Martha Stewart recommends hiring an electrician to install floor outlets. Cords can also be run along baseboards in molded plastic channels and hidden under rugs in non-traffic areas. Another suggestion is to use decorative fabric covers to "dress up" unsightly bare cords.

Read more at ehow.com.