Tag Archives: decor

Fabulous Home Decor Finds in Lavender

Move over millennial pink and sunshine yellow. Lavender—which may be derived from Latin “livere,” which means blueish—is the most soothing color on the spectrum. It includes light purples to pale pinks, which are feminine, youthful, and fresh, and blues to grays, which are luxurious, spiritual, and “grown-up”. A balance between fiery red and calm blue, it’s associated with wisdom, dignity, independence, creativity, mystery, and magic. When it comes to this pretty pastel shade, it can recede into the background or command center stage.  It can be whimsical or traditional—and everything in between.

Looking to liven up your home with this simply oh-so spring shade? Here are our favorite finds in lavender.

Blankets and Pillows

DawnDerman-Lavender-Hummer-BlanketPerk up your plain sofa with this buttery soft Lavender Hummer Sherpa Blanket (DiaNoche Designs), featuring a hummingbird sipping nectar in a sea of lavender. Design by Dawn Derman, a self-taught artist from Larkspur, Colorado, it has a silky smooth top and extra snuggly bottom that will make it your go-to cuddle buddy year-round.

lavender decor

 

 

 

Or check out this generously-sized throw blanket from Z Gallerie in the perfect hue of amethyst.

 

 

lavender decor 1Break free from solid color palettes: punctuate your couches, chairs, or hallway benches with this throw pillow (Wayfair) designed by Meredith Wing, a mixed-media fashion illustrator from Sydney, Australia. Made with artificial flowers, its lavender-adorned lady–printed on the front and back–is femininity all grown up, bringing refinement, grace, and elegance to every space.

 

 

Lavender Bed SetTransform your bedroom into a restful retreat with this five-piece Florentina Comforter Set (Kohls) that includes two shams, a square pillow, and an oblong pillow. With elegant ruffles, pleated florets, and rhinestone accents, you’ll fall asleep in a field of refreshing and welcoming flowers—waking up on the right side of the bed every single morning.

 

Seating

Hayneedle Gaiam Adjustable Custom-Fit Balance Ball Chair, PurpleMany of us spend a good chunk of our professional lives sitting making the office chair an all-important piece of furniture.  Looking for an innovative seating solution? Gaiam turns a standard, lavender balance ball into a posture-improving, core-strengthening chair on wheels with the Gaiam Custom-Fit Adjustable Balance Ball (Hayneedle).

 

lavender chair

 

If you’re looking for a traditional chair for a bedroom or living room, a beautiful lavender option is the Nya Accent Chair in Belgium Orchid from Z Gallerie.

Accessories

Target Lavender LampTurn your bedroom, living room, or office into an oasis of tranquility with the Geo Ceramic Candle in Vanilla Lavender (Target). The perfect mix of fresh lavender, warm vanilla, and calming eucalyptus—which has a minty smell with a hint of honey—this 11.3-ounce candle will help you drift into dreamland while putting a pep in your step from sunrise to sunset. Plus, its modern and simple geometric pattern will add eye-catching vigor to your abode.

 

ABC Home & Carpet bleu d'argile tea cup & mug mauve.Splash some springtime into your table settings with the lavender Bleu D’Argile Teacup and Mug (ABC Home & Carpet). Crafted from 1920’s molds with the passion, soul, and ancestral know-how of master craftsman potters, these romantically-styled cups have delicately looped handles that will invite you to envision the warmth of the French countryside with every sip.

 

QuarryBottleStopper

 

 

geo large slice cb2For some striking lavender accents, take a look at some natural form pieces like the large slice made from grey marble from CB2, or ones that serve a purpose, like their quarry geode bottle stopper.

 

Designing the Perfect Home Office

If you have an office at home, chances are you spend a lot of time in it. As such, we all deserve something that plays to our natural work environment needs, has inspiring décor and allows us to be our most organized selves. Read on to find out how to create a beautiful and functional home office, whether you already have a home office that needs some TLC or you’re starting out brand new.

computer on desk
Image via Pixabay under license CC0

Choosing where to put your home office

If you don’t have a home office already, you’ll of course need to start with identifying where an office will work in your home. Any spare bedrooms may be an obvious choice if you have the room to spare. But when looking at the room, assess how it will work as an office by keeping in mind lighting, positioning and space.

For instance, if it’s a choice between two rooms, you may want the room with the most natural lighting to help keep you energized. Try to choose a room that’s more removed from living areas if you’re the type who needs quiet to work. A little self-analysis and forethought will go a long way in making sure you convert the most appropriate space into a home office.

home office
Image via Pixabay under license CC0

For those without a room to spare, keep in mind the natural nooks and crannies of your home. If there’s a set-in nook area by the kitchen, for instance, that can become a mini-office space through the addition of a small writing table. Other options involve using under-stair space and sectioning off part of a basement.

You can even place a small desk in a closet so that you can open the closet door and reveal your office. It’s the perfect option for urbanites who don’t have a ton of space to work with.

home desk office
Image via Pixabay under license CC0

The desk is key

Since your desk is what you’ll be spending all your time at while you’re in your home office, you’ll want to make sure you get the perfect one for your needs. Below are some of the most common desk styles and in which situations they work best.

computer armoireArmoire desk: These are a classic type of desk that fold out of a large cabinet. They’re perfect for space that requires multi-functionality in furniture due to aesthetic preference or space limitations. If you don’t have a specific room for a home office, consider an armoire that acts both as a desk and necessary storage. Here is a compact option available at Wayfair.com.

 

marco deskWriting table: Here’s a very basic option if you don’t need a lot of fuss, or are planning to stick a small table into a nook somewhere. These are just compact tables that are perfect if you do most of your work on a small laptop. For a minimalist approach, you could find something like this Marco Desk from Crate&Barrel.

 

broadstreet deskComputer desk: These desks tend to be sprawling and have multiple surfaces at different levels. They’ll usually have a keyboard tray, space for a printer and tons of space for papers and organizational files away from the computer itself. A must-have if you do a lot of work on a desktop computer. For a good amount of working space, look for something like this Broadstreet Desk from Office Depot.

 

ikea micke deskCorner desk: These are also more commonly known as L-shaped desks. They’re perfect for putting in corners if you’re working with a smaller space or if you like to face the wall to cut out distractions. Products like this Ikea MICKE desk are perfect for tight spaces.

 

 

cabinet deskCabinet-style desk: These desks come with a built-in filing system and shelf storage. They’re perfect if you like everything filed away and orderly. Here is one for maximum storage available at Sears.

 

 

 

restoration hardware deskExecutive desk: These high-end pieces make the home office look like an executive suite (hence their name). They come in highly polished wood materials and elaborate designs. These are perfect if you have a large spare room for a home office. They’re also great if you receive people for meetings and want to show a high touch of class. A chic option could be something like this St. James desk from Restoration Hardware.

 

 

Organizing your home office

You can stand around trying to visualize a space all day, but if you’re serious about getting the most out of your home office, your best bet is to find an online tool that helps you create a visual layout. These tools are even great if you desperately need to reorganize your home office.

computer on desk
Image via Pixabay under license CC0

You can find a downloadable program on Ikea’s website. There are also options like Sweet Home 3D and the purely browser-based West Elm Room Planner. With these tools, you’ll be on your way to the perfect office for your needs in no time, since you’ll be able to play with different storage, furniture and organizational options.

The Beginner’s Guide to Feng Shui

Have you ever walked into a room and everything just felt right? Like you immediately felt at peace with the world because all of your surroundings were balanced and the room had nothing but good vibes? With how hectic modern life is, don’t feel bad if you haven’t. We’re not exactly taught how to be at one with our surroundings.

living room

We can still learn to value and balance our surroundings. The ancient art of Feng Shui can teach us how to arrange our surroundings in ways that promote peace, relaxation and balance. The art can get a bit complex, but there are simple contemporary ways for anyone to get the best of this practice.

 

Keep out clutter

One of the main components of Feng Shui is getting rid of clutter. Traditionally in Feng Shui, clutter means stuck energy and being tied down into the past. Clutter is thought to prevent new opportunities, since you live with unproductive and outdated reminders of the past junking up your space in the form of old papers and expired food on the counter.

modern bathroom

In the modern home, it’s an excellent reason to get your space in order. Mercilessly clear out anything you don’t use or even like. Dump that old box of a new fiber bar brand you barely touched, get rid of those gifts where “it’s the thought that counts,” shred old direct deposit forms and purge anything else that is cluttering your life. With less reminders of the past, you may see new opportunities.

 

Bagua basics

Feng Shui Bagua

Another huge cornerstone of traditional Feng Shui is the Bagua Map, pictured above.  It’s a map you mentally place over your home. The map shows which parts of a home correspond to certain lifestyle attributes.

For instance, the center of the space, as the map shows, is devoted to health. The north part of the house is devoted to career, and all the way around the compass different parts of the home relate to different attributes.

front door
Image via Pixabay under license CC0

Now unless you are building a brand new home from scratch, you may not be able to align the attributes perfectly with the cardinal directions. To get a mental image of this map over your home, align the bottom of the map with the main entryway you use, so you’re entering through career, helpful people or wisdom. What this does is tell you which parts of your space correlate with different aspects of your life.

organized bedroom with patio

For a more simple approach, you can also do the same with a single room, putting the doorway at the bottom of the map. You can even apply it to your desktop, placing the bottom of the map where you sit.

What this means in terms of a modern and practical approach is that you can use those spaces to align your home and psyche with certain goals. For instance, getting the upper righthand corner of your home or room organized and appropriately decorated will remind you to value relationships or leave you more open to them. But what does it mean to get those areas “appropriately decorated”? That’s where Feng Shui colors and décor pieces come into play.

Feng Shui colors

Colors can carry some strong psychological associations, and the ancient art of Feng Shui is no stranger to the notion. Certain colors carry certain attributes for bringing your environment in line with your desires. Below is a basic guide on what colors mean in the framework of Feng Shui:

Green: Development, healing, harmony and vigor.

Yellow/gold: Happiness/peace.

Turquoise: Achievement and tranquility.

Dark blue/black: Truth, attention and contemplation.

Orange: Happiness, openness and completion.

Red: Motivation, action, accomplishment and passion.

Pink: Love, relationships and emotional fulfillment.

White: Clarity, focus and purposeful activity.

Purple: Thankfulness, plenty and leadership.

Living room with furnishings in a new house with nice wood floors!

Today, that translates into being mindful of what colors you paint your rooms and what colors you bring into the home in terms of fabric and décor. For instance, you may paint your dining room a shade of purple to represent thankfulness. Or your home office may be red to help you get in touch with your motivated, action-oriented side. Your sofa may have a pink throw over it to foster positive relationships. As such, all of these colors help orient your surroundings with the sort of life you’d like to lead.

Colors can also be used in relation to the Bagua Map. Going back to relationships, if you’d like to get that area in your life more aligned, you might paint a room at the upper righthand corner of your home pink or hang a pink painting in the upper righthand corner of a room.

 

Feng Shui décor pieces

One of the easiest ways to achieve great Feng Shui is to bring items that have what practitioners call good “energy” or “chi” into the home. In a modern sense, that translates into items of great personal value and beauty, like art or houseplants.

house plant
Image via Stocksnap under license CC0

There are a lot of complicated and ancient rules about how to arrange a home to attract love and money, balance a home and align a space with certain goals. From a modern, beginner’s standpoint, it’ll help to go off of intuition and personal preference.

plants
Image via Stocksnap under license CC0

In a corresponding Bagua area, place what personally represents the approriate goals you wish to achieve. For instance, in that relationship corner you could have gifts from a significant other or art depicting relationships.

The overall key to Feng Shui is to create a flowing living space that helps you live life to your fullest potential. At the end of the day, you should make your space meaningful for you.

How To Make a Small Space Feel Bigger

Unless you’re a tiny house enthusiast, most of us dream of having more space in which to live, work or play. However, budgetary and logistical constraints can sometimes prevent us from actually moving, adding to or reconstructing existing space.  The good news is that through use of color, optics and clever configurations, you can make your small space bigger.

The Use of Paint Color and Accents

While some deep hues, like rusts, reds and blues are very popular right now, if your aim is to increase your sense of space, you’ll want to steer clear of dark colors. This has much to do with how colors attract and disperse light. Simply, darker colors attract and hold light, while lighter (or brighter) colors will catch and redistribute the light, amplifying the sensation of air and space.

Image via Pixabay under license CC0
Image via Pixabay under license CC0

While any number of lighter colors will succeed in creating the impression of a larger space, your best bet is to stick with white. White not only reflects light the most, but it is the most versatile of colors; it can be a focal point and a supportive design element all at the same time, because of its ability to lend contrast to other accent pieces, promoting the overall sense of space.

Minimalist Design

Have you heard the saying less is more? This holds particularly true when it comes to design. In minimalist design, you are stripping your space down to its décor essence. It’s about making very deliberate choices for each and every element in the room.

Image via Pixabay under license CC0
Image via Pixabay under license CC0

If you are intent on doing an accent wall, veer away from bold patterns and instead opt for a solid color or thin vertical stripes to draw the eye up and out — still in a monochromatic color pattern. Vertical stripes can be used as well to increase the perception of a room’s width.

Image via Pixabay under license CC0
Image via Pixabay under license CC0

Each piece of furniture has to be essential. For a bedroom, for example, avoid the temptation to have overstuffed dressers, half-filled bookcases and a desk that you may or may not use. Get back to basics with a utilitarian and stylish room with a bed, something for storage (like a blanket box, hope chest or stacked bookshelves) and a side or end table with a lamp.

Image via Pixabay under license CC0
Image via Pixabay under license CC0

Don’t load up walls with artwork. Choose one or two pieces that really pop and anchor the eye in the midst of the space. Hang them a little higher than you might otherwise. Not only are you directing the eye in and up, you are creating the sensation of taller ceilings.

Mirrors

Mirrors are one of the best tools around to heighten perception of space. Hang mirrors strategically so that they can harness and reflect the most light across a room (i.e. in cramped areas, across from windows where they will get the most natural light).

mirror bedroom

Place a large mirror behind your couch or as a headboard behind your bed to really amplify the space. In lieu of artwork, hang a large mirror horizontally in living or dining areas. Hang smaller mirrors in a geometric pattern for a funky, light-filled look. Have a windowless room? Hang window-shaped mirrors to trick the eye.

Lighting Choices

The trend at the moment is to favor blingy pendant lighting. Be careful with this in a small space, because light fixtures that are too big or that hang too low can interrupt the sightline, cutting through the available space, making a room feel smaller.

recessed lighting living room

Recessed lighting (especially in task-heavy areas like a kitchen) is a great way to flood a space with light while keeping the sightline intact. If you are using wall sconces or torch lamps, make sure that the light flows upward. This has the effect of drawing the eye upward and making ceilings appear higher. If you have your heart set on chandelier or pendant lighting, opt for several smaller fixtures rather than one bigger one, so as to divert the eye outward. It’s also a good idea to select transparent or translucent shades, so as not to obstruct the light.

wall sconce modern

Furniture

Firstly, make sure that your furniture is appropriately sized for the space in question. Yes, your overstuffed couch might be the best spot ever to curl up with a good book, but it will positively swallow the space in a small room. Tall pieces of furniture will make ceilings feel low, whereas shorter pieces will expand the height. Consider open leg or glass-topped furniture. Furniture placement is important too.

Image via Pixabay under license CC0
Image via Pixabay under license CC0

Angle furniture away from the wall, which will draw the eye diagonally, creating visual flow rather than interrupting it.

The Kitchen

In terms of materials, things like marble and stainless steel will have the most reflective quality, and therefore disperse the light the best, increasing your sense of space.

Image via Pixabay under license CC0
Image via Pixabay under license CC0

Keep your countertops as bare as possible. Replace cabinet doors with glass, or remove them entirely. If possible, use built-ins wherever you can, whether it is building your microwave into the cabinetry or for shelving. A really cool built-in space saver is a slide out pantry, where you can stash your dry goods underneath your limited counter space.

Image via Pixabay under license CC0
Image via Pixabay under license CC0

Do you have space between your cabinets and your ceiling? There is another opportunity here to create the illusion of more space. Install interesting molding on top of the cabinets, in order to draw the eye upward, making the ceilings appear taller.