I'll admit it: I don't really like carving pumpkins. I always have grand plans, but by the time you head to the patch, select just the right one, gorge on popcorn balls, look for the carving tools, spread the newspaper, and begin the epic cleanout process...I'm kinda over it.
If you're searching for some modern and minimal ways to style your dining room table this spring, then look no further! Whether you're in search for a day-to-day look, hosting an afternoon tea or fun dinner party, we have three simple ways you can style your dining table with pieces you might already have kicking around the home!
Living in a rental is not my ideal situation, but I’ve learned to make the best of the space that I have and still make the customizations that I want. One of the best ways to customize a space is with a fun accent wall, and for renters who cannot paint or apply wallpaper, removable wallpaper is king! I wanted to create a completely customized accent wall without painting it, so instead, I created customized removable wallpaper using a form of solid-colored contact paper.
I can't get enough of Scandinavian design, and I'm on the hunt for ways to bring this style into my home. The decor in my house hasn't had a theme until very recently (unless you consider furniture inherited from past roommates a theme). Now that I'm almost 30 (panicked bells ringing as I type that), the items in my home are brought in with more intention. I love all things monochromatic, so the Scandinavian look fits my mostly-gray furniture perfectly. This dining table needed a new tablecloth, and the Scandinavian-inspried Swiss cross pattern seemed the perfect fit.
The widespread appeal of nautical and coastal decor makes a lot of sense when you consider the primal and ancient connection humans have to the sea. Being attracted to the water is hardwired into our very cells. Scientific studies have proven what we already know anecdotally: spending time near, on, or in lakes and oceans make us happier and healthier. It's no wonder that so many of us respond to the colors, clean lines, and natural elements of coastal, beach, and nautical decor. It makes us feel good to be reminded of the sea.
If your initial reaction to the term "coastal decor" is negative, it's probably from witnessing too many cutesy and heavy-handed thematic rooms. We are not advocating buying and displaying any and all items that have a sailboat or seahorse on them. Good decorating never grows out of an overly simplistic theme, and, "Put an anchor on it" is not a valid design philosophy!
Even though holiday decorations are fun to shop for, the prices can add up quickly! Rather than purchase a sign or banner this year, I decided to make a simple accordion banner out of paper to display on my shelf for the Christmas season. Not only is it simple, but it’s very inexpensive to make and folds up for easy storage if you want to reuse it next year.
BOO! Did I scare you? If not, this might give you a fright: it's almost October, which means it's almost time for Halloween! Now that's truly terrifying. Halloween is one of the most fun holidays to decorate for, and there are so many ways you can celebrate. Whether you prefer creepy crawlies, or more glitz and glam, there's no end to the DIY Halloween decorations you can make to adorn you home - inside and out! Here are a few of our favorites. Prepare to be spooked!
It's officially fall. Can you believe it? Saying good-bye to the hot sunny days and cocktails on the patio is enough to make anyone a bit bummed. So, why not treat yourself to a bunch of flowers to create some lovely bouquets to brighten the mood, all the while using the same materials! The best part is, you don't have to be a professional florist or even have a lot of experience in flower arranging. It's about exploring and discovering new avenues of creativity step by step, while having fun of course!
I love a good before-and-after, don't you? There's so much satisfaction in taking a sad roadside find or cheap garage sale rescue and totally transforming it into something new and different. We've rounded up some of our favorite furniture makeovers to inspire you to either start that upholstery project, get out the spray paint, or hit up this weekend's local yard sale scene. From dressers to dining tables, here are some of our favorite furniture makeovers.
I have a hard time spending a lot of money on wall art. I feel horrible saying that. I got my Bachelor's degree in art, so I - of all people - totally understand the effort and talent that's required to create good art. Honestly, I'm just cheap. While I might occasionally splurge for a print or photo I really love, my home is hardly a museum. I can't afford to fill my walls top to bottom with one-of-a-kind art pieces. So yeah, I might be cheap, but I'm pretty dang thrifty, too! Whether it's sprucing up some existing wall art, or creating my own with found items, I can fill a wall for under $40. The best place to find forgotten and dirt-cheap wall decor is your local second-hand store (think Goodwill, Savers, Salvation Army, etc.). I set out to create a cheap gallery wall using only things I found at the thrift store, and here's how it worked out.
Is there a "right" option for curtain lengths? That depends on who you ask, and often just asking the question can leave you more confused than you were before. The long and short of it is (no pun intended): it's up to you. But we're here to help as you answer the question, "How long should curtains be?" We'll be taking a critical look at curtain lengths, tall and small. What side are you on?
When you live in a small house or apartment, one big challenge you face is finding furniture to fit the scale of your space. I live in a compact two-bedroom with my fiancée, and furnishing it has been a slow process. Rather than being frustrated by how cramped it can feel, we try to cooperate with the space we have. That means rejecting the idea of a full-sized couch and opting for a larger loveseat. It means storing vertically and hanging what we can. It also means accepting the fact that our eating and living areas needs to share space. We weren't having any luck finding a small dining table, so I decided to build one instead.
I love a quick art project! As I was preparing to (finally) hang some art on my walls, I was thinking of ways to keep my costs low and make my own wall art and the answer was as simple as making this paint scrape art with a few colors that matched the scheme of my home. Within 5 minutes, I had a colorful piece of art that I love.
Occasionally you won't notice how dirty something in your house is until it's that dirt is called out. You drop something under your couch and discover a gang of dust bunnies living underneath. You throw open your curtains and find yourself in a front-row seat to a dust dance-off floating right in front of your face. Since it's spring cleaning season, now is as good a time as any to tackle those forgotten areas of your home. And don't feel...