6 Ways to Refresh Any Room in the House

Whether it’s the living room or the bedroom if you’re interested in giving the space a new look you don’t have to have a big budget to do so. Consider launching small, speedy projects that will allow you to freshen up the look. Simply switching things around a bit and dabbling in a bit of DIY can satisfy that need for change without launching a full out makeover.

  1. Put down an area rug in the kitchen
    If you’ve been flirting with the idea of laying an area rug down in the kitchen, consider borrowing one from another room just to take the idea for a test run. If you don’t have one lying around somewhere or it doesn’t match the color scheme in the living room, you can always purchase a cheap one from your nearest outlet.

  2. Create An Accent Wall
    Make a statement in a bland powder room or even the hallway by adding a strip of wallpaper featuring a standout pattern or color. A bathroom or a narrow hallway is an ideal place to experiment.

  3. Paint the Door
    Add an unexpected pop of color to a door. Start off by rubbing the door down with sandpaper to create a smooth surface and apply a bold pop of color with a coat of paint. Paint and supplies don’t cost much and imagine the surprise such an unexpected color will be to your guests.

  4. Create A Headboard with Paint
    Does your bed lack a headboard? Why not create a panel behind your bed to mimic the look of a headboard? Get the perfect square panel by professional grade painter’s tape to outline the area. The tape will prevent the color from bleeding and it helps you paint a sharp edge.

  5. Rearrange Furnishing
    It’s easy to get tired of the look of a room especially if you’ve lived in the space for a while. Switch things up by rearranging the furniture in the room. You can swap furniture from different rooms and add in pieces.

  6. Display A Collection
    Consider taking your knickknacks and creating a display of it. Install hooks on the wall to show off a collection. Photographs, framed paintings and other items can take a whole new life when you elevate them.

5 Best Wood Species For Furniture

Wood furniture is a prized possession in any home. It instantly adds texture, comfort and style to your home’s decor. As an natural product you can expect wood to have differences in texture, color and grain. Such variations are what make wood furniture pieces beautiful and unique. Have you ever wondered what wood species make for the best furnishing? Check out these five popular wood species that are commonly used in furniture.

1.Beech
Beech is a type of hardwood that is heavy and strong. Beech usually has a tight grain with a smooth and even texture. It has a natural light color. This type of wood is often used to make furniture that requires a bit of flexibility or bending like chairs. Beech wood furniture provides a natural, organic look and it has a solid density. Like most wood furniture, beech wood can age gracefully if it’s properly maintained.

  1. Walnut
    It’s beautiful, dark brown hue makes walnut a very popular choice for furniture. With it’s distinctive grain, walnut is known for its hardness, durability and shock resistance. Authentic walnut furniture is generally more expensive than most types of wood furniture because walnut trees don’t grow as often. Walnut is commonly found in furnishing that features dark stained finishes. As walnut furniture ages you’ll find that it gets a lighter and can turn into a rich honey hue.

  2. Maple
    Maple is another type of hardwood that is dense yet durable. This wood species is often used in cabinetry and furniture. Maple’s straight grain contributes to it’s uniform texture. Maple wood has different variations in color including; reddish brown, white and lighter brown. Maple’s grain takes paint color well which is why it’s used in painted wood furniture.

  3. Cherry
    Natural cherry is pricey and it’s a trendy choice for furniture and cabinetry. It’s ultra durable and it has a distinct yet attractive grain. Cherry has medium brown color with pink undertones and can age into a reddish brown.

  4. Mahogany
    Mahogany is a tropical wood species with medium hardness. The great thing about this grain is that it is resistant to moisture which means that it less likely to warp or shrink. Mahogany has special grain patterns that can take on swirls and other types of shapes. It’s used to make finer furniture pieces. This species has a light pinkish hue that quickly transforms into a reddish brown color.

5 Ways to Blend Different Colors

Brown or taupe? Or maybe white and gray? One thing these hues all have in common is that they are neutral based. Do you find yourself feeling confined to neutrals out of fear of experimenting with color? While a neutral palette will always be a design favorite some of us crave a bit of bold color. How can you implement such vibrant hues in your decor without going overboard? We’re going to show you how to effortlessly blend colors.

Tone on Tone
One way you can experiment with color is to use tone on tone hues. What does that mean? It involves using the same color but variations of the hue throughout the space. A tone on tone scheme will make you feel like you’re using a lot of color although you’re sticking with the same hue. A great tone on tone color you can play with is blue. Consider combining soft baby blue, chilly blue and dark navy for a tone on tone look. You can accent with violet or red.

What are some other colors to use in a tone on tone scheme? Warm colors work best. Some warm colors include, red, purple and orange.

Break Up Color with Neutrals
Use neutral elements to break up color on color when you feel it’s becoming a bit much. For example, a room with yellow walls and other variations of this hue throughout the space, leaving the trim on the walls white can add a sense of balance while emphasizing this neutral element. Introduce as many neutrals as you want to tame the look to your liking.

Wood
Another great way to diffuse a colorful design scheme that is getting out of hand is to incorporate some wood elements. Just imagine adding a wood coffee table, chairs or even exposing your wood floors can add loads of natural warmth while creating a balance.

Don’t Forget Texture
When working with different colors you can’t forget to enhance the design by using texture. Rough or rich textured such as lacquered furniture, a brick wall or even unfinished flooring can add interest.

Using Multiple Different Colors
When using various colors within a single space you’ll want to use something that can tie in all the different hues. For instance, a colorful piece of artwork or accessory can help harmonize all the colors being used.

Adding Vibrant Color To A Kids Room

When designing a kid’s room, you may be tempted to drench the walls in a bold and vibrant color to give the room some personality. After all, a kid’s room is supposed to be fun and energetic. Before you begin obnoxiously adding color to the walls according to the experts you can still create a vibrant look and keep the walls a neutral based color.

Accent colors are one of the many ways you can add a sense of playfulness to your child’s room. When picking out accent colors to implement in the design scheme use your kid’s favorite color as inspiration. Here are a few ways you can add bold and vibrant colors without changing the wall colors:

Removable Wallpaper
Stick and peel wallpaper are available in a variety of colors and designs. They’re even manufactured in designs such as camouflage, animal prints and other types of patterns. Removable wallpaper easily adds some whimsy to the space but it also looks mature enough to stay on the walls as your child gets older.

Furniture and Accessories
Make a big statement with the furnishing and accessories you pick out for your child’s room. For instance, a floral bed set, or a bright red headboard will add lots of style to the room. You can use colorful picture frames on the walls. Try doing some creative like painting the dresser they’re favorite color or let the child put their own personal touch on it by putting their handprint on it. Bold colored accessories will stand out against the gray or white walls.

Wall Decals
Create a custom design on the wall with wall stickers or decals that can be easily removed. Wall decals can feature your kid’s favorite cartoon character, confetti inspired designs are also trendy. You can let your child decorate the walls as they desire with the wall stickers and you don’t have to worry about fixing it later.

Accent Rug
Add a hint of color with an accent area rug. Whether it’s pink or a bold pattern an accent rug can add some vibrancy to the room and pulls in the whole design scheme together.

Color Ideas for Your Home

Are you interested in exploring the color realm, but you are not exactly sure where to start? Look no further! With our top color ideas, you can master the color wheel in your space. Let’s get started! 

 

Color Hacks for Your Home:

  1. Trending

Each year Pantone releases a color of the year, this can be a great way for you to keep up to date on current color styles and trends. If you have the budget, you can incorporate the color of the year into your home’s design. Typically, we recommend using items that can be easily swapped out the next year. This simple hack will make sure that your home is always on trend. 

  1. Go Bold or Go Home

If you are using color in your home, you may as well go bold with it. We suggest trying to add at least bold choice to each room. This could be as simple as a bright green decor piece or as daring as a black wall. 

  1. Balanced Out

With colors, it is important to always balance out everything. Adding neutrals can help create symmetry and a more balanced room. If you are new to designing, it may be easier to start off with a neutral base and build from there. 

  1. Embrace a Monochromatic Scheme

All one color? You may already be hesitant. But, monochromatic color schemes are actually quite visually-appealing. With monochromatic color schemes, your design really speaks for itself. Plus, keep in mind that you use a plethora of different shades and values to create this monochromatic masterpiece. The different values and shades help to add definition to your space. 

  1. More Than the Walls

Color is so much more than just your walls. Color can be found anywhere in a room. From the crown-molding to your dresser handles, there is an opportunity for color in each nook and cranny. While exploring colors, try and embrace the room in its entirety. Explore all the different areas of your room that can incorporate color. 

  1. Experience Neutrals

When you think of a neutral wall, your mind probably goes straight towards a tan or beige wall. A lot of homeowners do not realize that neutrals go far beyond the color tan. In fact, your apprehensions towards neutral tones may arise from the fact that they are considered boring, bland, and dull. But, neutrals can carry a lot of attitude in one color. Before you kick them to the side, acquire a few samples of unique neutrals. This could help get the ball rolling and spark ideas that you did not know you had. 

  1. Time for Change

You may be comfortable with your current design, but that does not mean it is not the time for a change. If you ever curious about redesigning your room, we encourage you to take the leap! 

Create the Ultimate Homeschool Workroom

Whether you homeschool your children or they attend school outside the home, creating an organized and inspirational place for them to do homework has benefits for all! The space needs to be a place in the home that promotes creativity, critical thinking and makes it fun to learn! We have listed some easy tips below for creating the ultimate school workroom at home:

  1. If you are like most of us, your space may be limited, so organization and using the proper furniture is critical in the overall design of the room. If your home has a basement or upstairs play area then you have the perfect spot!
  2. First, we recommend painting the room white or a light gray with white trim. We are going to add pops of bold color in floor pillows, area rugs/pads, artwork and furniture. For an outside natural feeling, paint the ceiling a light sky blue. This will make you smile every time you look up by invoking nature outside!
  3. For flooring, we recommend a solid surface like hardwood, luxury vinyl tile or laminate.
    You can add color with floor pillows in red, blue, green or yellow. Also, depending on your children’s age you can use colorful graphic area rugs, or tiled puzzled mats made out of rubber/silicone. Keep in mind standing on a hard surface can be hard on your back and legs. Rubber padded mats and rugs are a great option for eliminating aches and pains – and of course carpet with the right pad can also soften the space.
  4. In most cases you will need to maximize space for storage by installing vertical shelving. Purchase inexpensive shelving in big box stores, online, yard/garage sales and second hand/nonprofit charity stores. If purchasing used shelving, you can easily paint with spray paint or rolling on with a small roller. If the surface is a laminate, we recommend taking a fine to medium sandpaper and hitting the surface to ensure the paint adheres to the surface. Priming before painting is recommended.
  5. Create a space for a reading nook and quiet time depending on the children’s age. Also, purchase an inexpensive water feature for relaxing an enhancing their creativity!

We hope you enjoy and have fun creating this special place for your children and by all means please let us know your creative ideas for the project!

Incorporating Neutrals into Your Design

Working solely with neutral colors is easier than you may think. A lot of homeowners will opt for this timeless trend because it creates a clean and well-put-together look. The only issue with having a neutral color palette is that you have the possibility for a “boring” space. To help you get the best look for your buck, we have created a simple guide on how to incorporate neutrals into your design. Let’s take a look! 

 

How to Incorporate Neutrals into Your Design

  1. Understand The Undertone

A neutral color can be characterized as a color that has equal parts of the three primary colors (red, blue, and yellow) with each primary color being at an extremely low saturation. This low saturation can make for a beautiful, soft color that will compliment all other colors in your design. Next, you will notice that there are two types of neutral undertones: warm and cool toned. 

    • Undertone Examples
      • Warm-Toned Colors: Red, Peach, Orange, Copper, Rust, Amber, Gold,  Yellow, Violet-Red, Burgundy, Tan, Beige, Cream, Brown, etc. 
      • Cool-Toned Colors: Blue, Navy, Blue-Green, Sea-foam Green, Emerald, Plum, Purple, Pink, Gray, Charcoal, Black, etc. 
  1. Backdrop

Since neutrals are versatile and compliment everything, they make for the perfect backdrop. When working specifically with neutrals, you can get creative with textures and materials. Backsplashes help to add interest and design into your space without taking away from the overall look. 

  1. Keep it in The Family

After discussing the difference between undertones, we want to encourage you to choose either a cool-toned or warm-toned design for your room. All cool-tone neutrals will work well with one another and vice versa for warm-toned neutrals. The base of these neutrals are the same and they will help to create a seamless design. 

  1. Texturize

Our best advice to you while decorating with neutrals is to add texture. This texture will help spice up your space. From an exotic wallpaper to a detailed rug, you can have a beautifully textured piece that does not distract from the rest of the room’s design. 

  1. Light to Dark

Lastly, you want to be sure that you are incorporating an array of different shades of neutrals throughout your room. Designers recommend beginning the room with 30%-50% in the lightest color then building from there. The rest of your room can be matched with medium and deep shades to compliment the different values. 

 


It’s Time to Think BIG in Home Decor

Do you want to make a statement with your home’s decor? Then you’ll love this year design trend which includes decking your house in oversized pieces. Yes, thinking “big” when it comes to design can even make a small living space seem larger than life. How can you take advantage of this trend? Here are some simple ways to use big pieces in your home without overwhelming the space.


Go Big with Prints and Patterns
Using bold and unique prints and patterns are always encouraged when decorating your home. Such visuals take on a whole new life when they are super-sized. Whether it’s big pillows lining your sofa, or a large mural painted on the accent wall in your living room, you’re guaranteed to make a statement. When patterns contain significant proportions, the results are eye-catching.

 

Supersized Artwork
Gallery display artwork pieces are classic, but such an arrangement can be bland. Instead, invest in a single piece of oversized art. Supersized artwork allows the eye to focus on one focal point in the work instead of multiple images in a montage. When selecting oversized artwork to dress your walls be sure to choose something that you love.

 

Large Scaled Mirrors
You may know that mirrors are great for visually expanding spaces. But an added benefit is that triple sizing your mirrors will make a loud statement. A huge mirror with a thick, solid frame will to further expand sightlines. Opt for a round mirror as opposed to a rectangular shaped mirror for a modern or contemporary style room.

 

Oversized Light Fixtures
You don’t necessarily need glitzy crystals to create drama with a lighting scheme. Oversized pendant style fixtures are becoming increasingly popular. Whether it’s over the dining room table, the kitchen island or suspended over the end tables, large-scale pendants will capture the eye.

 

Big Style Furniture
In small homes or condos compact, multi-functional furniture is always encouraged by design experts. But this isn’t a rule. By choosing a few but an oversized chair or a single large sofa that provides adequate seating you can make your space feel big while getting the most out of selected pieces.

Ideas for Your Spare Room

You are blessed with an extra room in your house. What do you want to do with it? Maybe you will make it a guest bedroom or even a home gym? If you are unsure, we are here to help! Here are our ideas for that spare room of yours.

Ideas for Your Spare Room:

  • Guest Bedroom 
  • Office/Study/Library/Meeting Room
  • Media Room/Movie Room
  • Game Suite
  • Home Gym
  • Kid’s Hangout/Play Area
  • Crafting Center
  • Art Studio
  • Multipurpose Room

Tips for Making The Best of The Space:

Combine Ideas.
If you have the room to combine ideas, go for it! You may be pleasantly surprised by how accommodating a dual-purpose spare could be. Just take a look at the two room types that interest you most and go from there!

Dual-Purpose Furniture.
While combining ideas is a great idea, you may also want to use furniture pieces that can do double duty. Dual-purpose furniture can save space in your room that would be taken up by two pieces of furniture. For example, a sofa-bed is an excellent solution for a guest bedroom/media room.

Consider The Lighting.
In some rooms, you may want a lot of light (office), and in others, you may prefer very little light (media room). If you are combining two rooms that fluctuate in lighting, be sure to install a dimmer inside of your room. This will let you set the mood at a moment’s notice.

Personalize It.
With extra space, it is a chance to add your creativity and design to a new height Try and brainstorm unique ideas for your area that will let your creative juices get flowing.

No matter what spare room idea you choose, let your imagination help!

4 Ways to Get Your Porch Ready for Spring

Goodbye winter and hello spring! With spring right around the corner, we can soon expect to see the flowers blooming, butterflies and warmer weather. Of course, with the shift in seasons, you’ll likely want to spend more time outside enjoying the sun. That’s why it’s essential to make your porch comfortable and inviting. Here are a few easy ways you can get your porch spring ready.

Invest in Outdoor Summer
If you haven’t already, it’s time to invest in comfortable outdoor furniture, so you will be able to take advantage of the beautiful weather. Best of all you can do so within a small budget. When purchasing furniture for your porch, you can bring in repurposed or vintage furniture.

If your porch isn’t large enough to accommodate large pieces of furniture, try a collection of rocking chairs instead. Can you imagine sitting down and enjoying the scenery while sipping a cold beverage? You don’t have to worry about finding rocking chairs that match; you can invest in ones that feature different styles and scale.

Creating a Lighting Scheme
Sufficient lighting is critical but often overlooked. Light is an essential element, especially while you enjoy sitting on your porch during the evening, reading and for safety reasons. From a few well-placed simple LED light posts or scones installed in the wall to a dramatic chandelier hanging from the porch ceilings there are many different lighting options.

Find the Perfect Outdoor Rug
You can make a room feel more structured by adding a patterned rug to bring your design scheme together. Choose a rug that is made for outdoor use.

Create Layers of Decor
If you want to make your porch feel like a comfortable sitting area, create layers of decor. You can use various accessories such as pillows, lamps, plants and side tables. Make sure to incorporate enough table space for your cold drinks!

We hope you will find a greater joy in using your outdoor space this season!