Home & Garden Blog » Living Room

Best and Worst: Theories for Interior Decorating

colleen — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 16:36:41 +0000

Every year and every season, there seems to be a different trend for interior decorating. Try prints! Try florals! Try darks! Try lights! From feng shui to serene temple motifs, there are plenty of theories about how to design your home to give you the most energy.

There are some basic theories of interior decorating that are all at opposite ends of the spectrum:

Keep it simple: you don’t want too much clutter, you want the space to be hard to navigate. On the other hand, you want your home to be “homely,” with pictures and relics of travel, ancestors, and schoolwork so that your home is filled with memories.

No matter what you decide, remember to remember the sunshine and soon to be summertime. Remind yourself of the good weather and good memories to come with some fresh flowers and bright new curtains. Whatever you decide, don’t go dark or ominous. No Gothic grandfather clocks. No stonework. Your life’s complicated enough, so your home doesn’t have to be!

Image Source: flickr.com/photos/jagwired/2798971758

Create A Cozy and Safe Winter Fireplace

colleen — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 18:18:36 +0000

Well the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful: Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let is Snow! I love sitting curled up in a fleece blanket with a cup of hot cocoa in front of the fire. Ingredients for the perfect fireside relaxation aren’t hard to come by, as long as the fireplace is fresh and clear and there is plenty of wood and newspaper for kindle.

The United States Fire Administration (USFA) tells us that more than one-third of American families use a fireplace or wood stove to heat their homes during the cold winter months. The USFA also warns us that fireplaces and wood stoves cause about 36% of residential home fires in rural areas every year. But don’t board up the fireplace and put away the cocoa just yet: the United States Fire Administration has a safety checklist to make sure you and your family stay safe this winter season.

1. Keep Fireplaces and Wood Stoves Clean: you should get your fireplace cleaned and inspected by a certified chimney specialist every year.

2. Be Cautious and Conservative with Burning Fuels: Don’t use lighter fluid to start a fire, keep a wire grate in front of the fireplace, and remove any decorative and flammable materials far away from the hearth. Never leave a fire unattended, and extinguish the fire before you go to bed or leave the home.

3. Protect the Outside of Your House: Keep your firewood at least 30 feet away from the outside of your home, and cover the top of the chimney with a mesh spark protector

4. Protect the Inside of your Home: Install smoke alarms and check them monthly. Make sure there is proper ventilation around the fireplace and throughout the home.

5. Educate your Family: Make sure everyone in the home knows where the fire extinguisher is and knows an evacuation plan in case things go wrong.

As long as you practice fire safety, there is no reason to fear this beautiful home heat source. Check out Smarter’s inventory of fireplace logs and fireplaces. Make sure that you research your product: if you’re buying an electric fireplace, you won’t need logs!

Image Source: FileTransit.com

Design Your Own Autumn Living Room

colleen — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 23:26:18 +0000

It’s getting a bit frigid here in New England, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to break out the winter clothing and down comforters just yet. There’s still time here (and I’m sure many other places) to take advantage of the season and give your living room and home space a much-needed autumn face lift. Here are some tips inspired by Better Home & Garden’s website . Enjoy!

Start with Neutrals

You want to create a nice, stable baseline for the dark browns and oranges that will certainly make it’s way into your autumn color palette. White is too stark and wood is too cottage-like, you want to create a warm beige base that plays off of the browns, but doesn’t create too stark of a contrast.

Here are some top choices in neutral-colored furniture that will make your autumn accents pop:

Capri Microsuede Sleeper Sofa: Full from Target.com: $779.99

Beige Ottoman and Table set from Amazon.com: $478.40 (marked down from $813.28!)

Loft Leather Chair in Beige/ Butterscotch from SamsClub.com: $668.00

Crate & Barrel Upholstery Sale

colleen — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:51:52 +0000

Finishing this weekend (October 12) Crate & Barrel’s Fall Upholstery Sale offers three great ways to save: 15% off select Stock, 15% off select Stock Plus, and 25% off all Custom Furniture (the custom furniture sale is only offered at stores, unfortunately. So make it a point to get to a store this week or this upcoming weekend before the sale runs it’s course!)

Top Sale Items:

Steele Chair from Crate & Barrel: $929.00 (marked down from $1,099.00)

Lounge Three-Piece Sectional from Crate & Barrel: $3,137.00 (marked down from $3,697.00)

Lounge Chaise from Crate & Barrel: $929.00 (marked down from $1,099.00)

Shop for more affordable sofas and sectionals at Smarter.com.

Is Victorian the New Vintage?

colleen — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 18:59:52 +0000

The New York Times Home and Garden style viewbook today talks about two sister collectors with an obsession with all things curious and Victorian. Described as the “New Vintage” life, collectors Hollister and Porter Hovey decorate their Williamsburg, Brooklyn in 19th century throwbacks, from the old stuffed dressmaker’s dummy to the apothecary cabinet and fencing equipment. The interest is a draw for “authenticity” in aesthetic: object are prized more for their stories than for their color scheme or ability to match the sofa.

Want to make your home into an eclectic mix of Victorian and personal family lore? First you want to start with gathering up any old family heirlooms, trinkets, jewelry, etc and finding the perfect glass-front cabinet to store them in. The idea is to fill the space, so that all of the stories and objects look interweaved, as opposed to carefully separated and cleaned like a museum display.

Dark Walnut Oval-Shaped Curio Cabinet with Curved Glass-Front Panels: $1,110.32 (marked down from $1,299.00, shipping included).

Maybe you have some vintage beads, seashells, sand, etc that you want to hold on to from a family vacation or prized family heirloom. Maybe you just want to collect something bizarre, like matchbooks, and keep them in an interesting, visible place. Try apothecary jars: they are large and interestingly shaped. Much better for display that the shoebox under your bed!

Glass Apothecary Jar by Save-On-Crafts.com: $26.99/each or 2 for $22/each

No sitting area or Victorian home is complete without proper seating for entertaining. Though hoopskirts have since gone out of fashion, the lounging chaise chairs have not, and provide a beautiful throw-back to a bygone era of Jane Austen and Marie Antoinette.

Tan Chaise Lounge Chair: $299.99

Find at Smarter.com: Shop for more Chase lounge chairs and Curio cabinets.
Discounts on apothecary jars.

Give the gift of Ho-Ho-Hope this year!

homegarden — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:53:46 +0000

As I sit here writing this blog, I feel silly, happy, tired and sentimental all at the same time! I gaze at my daughter across the room thinking back to the days when she was a baby. She’s moving out. Off to her own apartment at 20 years of age. As we talk, my eyes drift behind her to the hope chest that I bought her when she was just 5 years old. It was purchased for her with this exact moment in mind. Filled with trinkets and treasures of the past, it’s hers to pass on to her child someday. Inside, there’s a button taped to a photo of her first day of school. I popped it off of her coat when it didn’t fit anymore. The coat was donated to a child in need but the button and the memory are in that chest. Along with many other memories.

So back to this home and garden blog (Sorry! My mind drifted!). What is home all about to you? Should you ask me, It’s all about family and friends. What better gift can you give your loved ones than hope? A Hope Chest is a phenomenal and uniquely creative gift to give during this holiday season. Hand write (or print a note in a fancy font) on parchment paper a few ideas for the recipient to fill it with. Start with a memory of your own! Send it to a friend with a child (boys and girls need hope!). Start one for your child (it’s NEVER to late to have hope!) regardless of their age. Grandchildren, friends families, nieces, nephews the list goes on and on! Give the gift of hope this year!

Below are a few deals that I was able to find while searching the internet. Please comment with your ideas or feel free to email me! The best asset we all have is our minds (Some times, anyway! LOL!). Share some ideas with each other! After all, ‘Tis the season! Happy Ho-Ho-Holidays, everyone!

$99.99 at Toys-R-Us $160 at Crooked Acres Crafts

$509.00 at The Furniture Paradise

To shop for more discount furniture, click here.

Fall in Love With the B&W Zeppelin iPod Speaker

nick — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 18:22:30 +0000

This is what I call love at first sight.

I’ve been thinking of picking up a nice docking station for my iPod and I think my search is over. I’m sold on this B&W Zeppelin iPod Speaker. I’ll admit it, I’m a sucker for looks and it didn’t take me long to be sold on this.

You can’t really tell the size of this thing, but it spans about 25 inches long and weighs in at about 15 pounds. A little heavy, but who cares, you’re not lugging it around. And if you’re worried that your iPod won’t work with this, then stop right now. This baby works with every iPod, the iPod Touch and even the iPhone. It also comes with an internal subwoofer, three amps, and a docking arm that allows you to grasp your iPod.

Now, all I have to do is come up with the $600 to pay for this thing.

Check out more pictures and what Yanko Design thinks of the B&W Zeppelin iPod Speaker.

A New “Twist” on Living Room Furniture

evette — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 13:00:48 +0000

This is one of those rare occasions, when a picture (or series of pictures) speaks a thousand words! The images are striking and dynamic, describes the furniture far better than I could with pen and paper. But I shall give it a go, nonetheless.

Made from a single piece of red oak, the Loopita is covered in high density foam for comfortable seating. I am a big fan of grabbing a cushion or throw pillow from a couch and plunking down on the floor! So I find this design intimate and homey, which is not what people would automatically think of when they see the design, but I see the layers of “warmth” and “welcoming” possibilities.

The two opposing end points makes for a great floor level chaise. Add several Loopitas together to form interesting modular seating arrangements. I think the possibilities are endless and it’s truly an avant garde and dynamic living room furniture option. I confess here and now, that if I visited a home with the Loopita showcased, you would have to scrape my gaping chin off the floor! I love it.

To purchase or for further details please contact the designer Victor Aleman, click here.

To shop for more conventional living room furnishings, click here.

Deal of the Day: 70% Off Storage Sale

evette — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 22:56:14 +0000

Home Decorators Collection Online Outlet is having an awesome storage sale with all sale items at 70% off! Check out some of my favorite deals:

Was: $229.00 Now: $67.99

Cadence 30-Bottle Wine Cabinet: This wine cabinet would go great on the side of your kitchen island or on display in your living room. It comes in dark walnut (pictured), light walnut, and antique cherry.

Was: $129.00 Now: $31.99

Amanda Laptop Desk: This laptop desk is great if you lack space in your apartment or if you would like your desk to be just as portable as your laptop. You can carry it from your bedroom to your living room so you can watch TV on your big screen while you work.

Was: $119.00 Now: $35.99

Rattan Set of Two Lift-Top Hampers: These are super cute for that island theme you have in your bathroom or bedroom. They come in honey (pictured) or white. I probably wouldn’t buy these for $119, but for $36….SURE!

Check out the other sale items here. This sale ends 9/30/07 so better hurry!

Leather Sofas – Restoration Hardware & More

evette — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 21:26:44 +0000

I have received a few emails and comments suggesting that I only like show pieces and do not highlight “functional/comfortable” furniture. The following post is my response to such allegations. I offer you the most comfortable sofa this side of the Universe.

LANCASTER LEATHER SOFA

So my bestfriend Michelle found this sofa from Restoration Hardware about two Christmases ago. She would not stop raving about it, she was hoping to buy the following floor model at a discount but alas it was betrothed to another (sheds single tear).

That’s her lounging on her beloved. So turns out this sofa is part of the Lancaster Leather Collection and it is currently on SALE at Restoration Hardware until September 16!

Was: $4365 – $4910

Now: $3965 – $4169

Now here is why the above price should not alarm you. First of all, great furniture is worth the investment. This particular piece is timeless, has that great broken in quality that stands the test of time. The leather is as soft as a babies tooshie and is the type of leather that looks better with age. It’s also pet and child friendly and smells great to boot!

Here are the official stats:

Made in the USA
Kiln-dried hardwood
Eight-way, hand-tied spring suspension
Double-doweled frame
Corner-blocked joinery
Sports a depth of almost 4′ and a length of nearly 8′
Down cushions feature foam cores wrapped in premium, hypo-allergenic white goose down blend and sewn into a down proof ticking
Dimensions: 94″W x 47″D x 39″H

My friend got hers in Madera Gold, but I personally prefer the Bourbon shade. Oozes Old Hollywood glamor and swankiness if you ask me. I can imagine myself smoking a smuggled Cuban cigar with Frank and the rest of the Rat Pack, whilst sipping on my Brandy.

It’s nice to dream…

More great deals on leather sofas here.