5 Tips on How to Start Organizing Your Home
Create goals.
Having a goal or two for each room will keep you from feeling overwhelmed. It can be to organize the pantry in the kitchen or donate shoes and clothes from your closet or shred old paperwork in your office. Goals will help you focus on what really needs to get done first.
Purchase storage containers AFTER decluttering.
Buy storage containers to help you organize, like bins, boxes, and baskets but only AFTER you declutter the space. By doing this, you will see what type of containers you need, how many you need, and where to place them. Don’t forget to measure the space before you purchase your storage!
Complete each task, before tackling a new one.
If you’re donating clothes or furniture, throw it in the car right away and make arrangements for dropping them off. If you keep it as a pile in the corner somewhere, it will collect dust and you will have to start this process all over again.
2021 Design Trends
Well-Designed Home Office
Before the pandemic, most of us didn’t even have a designated home office space. For those who did, it was the room that was last in line in receiving a design makeover. Now, the home office is becoming one of the most attractive spaces in a home.
Pantone’s Color of the Year 2021
Pantone’s color of the year 2021, is not just one color, but two, Ultimate Gray and Illuminating. As the New York Times best describes it, “The light at the end of the tunnel.” The cement-like gray evokes strength and wisdom. Illuminating yellow promises hope and happiness. Here are the creative ways we will see these two colors come to life in interior design:
image source: studiosigno.it
5 Interior Design Resolutions for the New Year
Celebrating a new year inspires people to make improvements and changes in their lives. If you don’t know where to start, how about promising yourself to make unique and exciting upgrades to your home? We’re not talking about spending money on laboring projects, we mean focusing on refreshing subtle design improvements. Here are 5 interior design resolutions that can kick start the new you in the new year.
image source: jessicabrigham.com
Declutter, edit, and organize.
Switch up your decorative accents.
Sometimes, all you have to do is change the small things to make a big impact. A couple of new accent pillows with geometric patterns, or changing up your picture frames to a more modern and clean look, or even replacing your light fixtures, can make huge improvements in any room.
Invest in quality instead of quantity.
Invest in quality pieces that will enhance the way your space looks and feels. You don’t need to do this all at once – take your time – promise yourself to invest in one or two pieces every year. In five years, you’ll own a collection of timeless pieces of furniture.
5 Ways to Surprise Your Kids During the Holidays
Creating happy memories with your kids is one of the best things about celebrating the holidays. It might seem hard to get into the Christmas spirit during this particular holiday season, but don’t lose hope! We gathered 5 fun and magical ways to surprise your kids on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
image source: nestingwithgrace.com
Let it Snow
Buy fake snow and while the kids are sleeping, sprinkle it in their room or throughout the house. If you don’t feel like cleaning up the fake snow later, you can also hang snowflakes from the ceiling. If you want to go even further, crank up the air conditioner. When they wake up, they will feel like they’re in a winter wonderland.
Christmas Pajamas
Get the whole family a new set of Christmas pajamas. It’s a beautiful tradition and everyone can wear their new set of pajamas on Christmas Eve. The pajamas don’t have to match, but waking up on Christmas Day, wearing a new set of clean and comfy PJs will make anyone’s day.
5 Alternative Christmas Tree Ideas
A photo tree is personal and easy to make. Display your favorite family and friends photos into the shape of a Christmas tree. You can stack acrylic picture frames to create a stronger and steadier structure or you can pin them on the wall in the shape of a Christmas tree.
A chalkboard tree is great for classrooms or the kids’ room. You can buy a mini chalkboard or you can paint your wall with chalkboard paint. Draw your tree with colorful chalk and use nails or Command decorating clips to hang ornaments and twinkling lights from the wall.
5 Tips on Hosting a Virtual Holiday Party
Virtual Holiday Cocktail Party
Online Holiday Dinner Party
Virtual Holiday Scavenger Hunt : Selfie Edition
Online Gingerbread House Party
Virtual Secret Santa
Holiday Decorating Mistakes
Mistake #1 Decorating only the living room.
Mistake #2 Decorating with things that are only red and green.
Mistake #3 Throwing out the Christmas cards that you receive.
Mistake #4 Leaving the outdoor holiday lights on all night long.
Mistake #5 Overdoing the holiday lawn decor.
5 Design Tips: Decorating Your Mantel for the Holidays
Keep Holiday Accessories to a Minimum
When decorating your fireplace mantel, keep it simple and focus on 1 to 3 types of holiday accessories, like pumpkins and wheat bundles for Thanksgiving, versus a variety of all sorts. It’s a sophisticated design style and it’s easier to admire the limited accessories you do have on display.
Design Mistakes that will Disrupt the Natural Flow of Your Home
Designing your home is not just about making it look pretty, but it’s also about complimenting the natural architectural flow of your space. You want your space to feel good as much as it looks good. Here are the 5 most common design mistakes that disrupt the natural flow of your home.
image source: hurdandhoney.com
Mistake #1 Clutter
Clutter can physically and visually ruin natural flow of a room. Clutter not only looks uninviting, but being surrounded by clutter can even add more stress to your life. Eliminate the clutter by donating or throwing out the things you don’t need and storing the rest in decorative baskets or cabinets.
Mistake #2 Physical and Visual Obstacles
When you enter a room, do you have to walk around a piece of furniture, in order to get to the other side of the room? If so, then move it or get rid of it. One exception would be a coffee table in front of the sofa.
If you’re sitting at your desk and your back is against the entrance, try turning the desk so it faces the door. The goal is to allow the natural flow of your space to take control by eliminating the obstacles in your way.
Mistake #3 Placing ALL Furniture Along the Wall
A common mistake is to place all your furniture against the walls. Step back and find the most admiring focal point of the room. If it’s a window overlooking the city or your backyard, try placing the sofa or accent chair in front of it. Your space will look more unique and the flow will feel less constricting.
Mistake #4 Ignoring the Scale
Big, bulky furniture in a small room can make the space feel dark and claustrophobic. On the other hand, many small pieces of furniture in a large space can look cluttered and uninviting. Furniture and accessories (like art, sculptures, knickknacks, etc) should be appropriately scaled to the space it is in.
Mistake #5 Not Enough or Too Much Lighting
If you have natural lighting in a space, make the most out of it, and don’t add heavy blinds to block out the light. Natural lighting is the best ambient lighting for any room, the kitchen, living room, bathroom, bedroom, office, etc.
If you don’t have enough or any natural lighting in a room, bring in artificial light that creates a soft and inviting space. Table lamps, with a translucent linen shade, will spread light with a calming glow. Avoid bright florescent lighting or bright spotlight lighting.