Finding extra storage in our homes is something we all struggle with.  We do like our stuff, so much so that there are television shows about storage locker auctions and hoarding. De-cluttering is something we could all probably do. The beginning of summer is a great time to go through our homes and try to organize and de-clutter our spaces. Taking it room by room, closet by closet and shelf by shelf can make the task seem less daunting.  Even our kitchen cabinets need to be sorted through and de-cluttered at least once a year.

Once you’ve cleaned out your space, finding storage for what you have left can still be a challenge.  Cabinets and bookshelves are the go to places to store the objects of our lives.  Baskets and bins on the floor are other popular options.  Built-in cabinets and shelves are a more permanent option for additional storage in living and bedrooms. All of these storage options can provide you with standard storage in most rooms of your home.

Creating additional storage spaces can be created if you think outside the box, or shelf as it were.  Think about wall mounted inset medicine cabinets that keep products off the counter and floor. These cabinets use the gaps between the wall studs as additional storage space in the bathroom. This idea can work in other areas of the home too.  Nooks and crannies can be created out of the space under the stairs or in walls in a family or playroom.

Think creatively and you just might find a bit more extra storage in your home.

Area rugs are a great addition to your home.  They can become the focal point in your living space and become a colorful finishing touch to complete the room.  They help unite an entire room’s décor to really bring the whole room together.  You can also use area rugs to define a space whether it’s a seating area or dining space.  This is the perfect solution if you have an open concept floor plan.  Area rugs can be used as a way to greet your house guests and welcome them into your home.

Area rugs also offer you other unique capabilities because they are the only flooring product that you can install, then pick up and move.  It’s much easier to change them out from season to season or as your style changes.  Area rugs offer you softness, warmth and sound absorption on hard flooring surfaces such as stone and wood.

They add another layer of design, luxury and warmth when laid on top of wall-to-wall carpeting.

Area rugs have a wide variety of size, design detail, and cost which makes it easy to find one that’s just right for you!

For more about this specific area rug, visit our website here.

If your bedroom is feeling a little bland, you can easily spice things up if you have a good foundation.  A suite of bedroom furniture that provides a bed, nightstands and a dresser makes for good design bones for a bedroom. However, all the matching furniture and finishes need to be livened up with accessories and additional furnishings to create a lively and interesting bedroom.

This bedroom is a great example of having good bones.  The cream colored bedroom suite is a nice way to begin to decorate the bedroom.  The neutral cream color allows you to go in any direction with wall, floor and accent colors.  You could stick with the neutrals and layer in deeper neutrals like grey on the walls, pillows or duvet. An area rug could be used to add color, texture and pattern, and still show off the beautiful wood floors.

Color can be applied on the walls and windows as well.  Paint is a quick and inexpensive way to bring color into a room. Curtains can also be used to add color and pattern to the space.  Smaller pops of color could be done in accent pillows, a colorful lampshade, or a lampshade trimmed with bright ribbon. Swapping out the lamp for a colorful one is another idea.

If you prefer neutral walls, add color to the walls with artwork or a hanging.  You could frame a collection of family photos—great for a bedroom. Paintings and prints are other ways to bring color onto the walls without painting the wall.

The popular fairy tale The Princess and The Pea tells the story of a very particular princess. Any parent of a little girl knows that their own little princess can be just as particular when it comes to her clothes, toys and room.

Designing a bedroom fit for a particular princess can be a challenge. It is important that your girl knows her opinions are being heard and considered while you the parents get the final say in the design of the room. Working together is the best way to achieve a design you are both pleased with in the end.

Choosing classic designs and materials will mean your room will endure the changing tastes and styles as your princess grows up. While your teenager may not like the same designs and colors as your toddler, there are some design elements that can please both. Good quality flooring is one of them.

Selecting a neutral floor for your girl’s room means finding something durable as well as classic to suit changing tastes. Neutral carpet that can go with various wall and linen colors is a good choice. Hardwood floors and soft area rugs are another. The hardwood will last over the years while the area rugs can be changed with changing tastes.

Classic floral wallpaper that isn’t too trendy or thematic is another design element that can outlast the latest fad. Select a wallpaper that works with your flooring for a polished design perfect for a little or big princess. A great solution is painting the walls a color she picks out and then adding wall decals that are easy to put up and take down if she decides to change her mind.

Happy Holidays to you and all of your loved ones!

Need help cleaning up after all of the holiday celebrating and don’t know where to start?  Here’s some tips that might make the cleanup go smoother this year:

Make a list: Yes, even though Santa has all ready come and gone doesn’t mean you can’t make a list, too.  Decide what tasks need to be accomplished.  After to make your to-do list, you can pick out easier tasks to delegate to the kids.

Family help: Everyone participated in the holiday celebrations, so have everyone pitch in and help with the cleaning.  Assign a couple of chores to each person that way you’re not stuck doing it all.

Dishes:  We know there’s always a lot of cooking and eating during this time of the year.  If you’re doing all of the cooking this year, have others roll up their sleeves and do the dishes.

Paper cleanup: Do you have wrapping paper all over the house now? Make a game out of it and have everyone gather as much paper pieces as possible during a certain time limit.  Whoever has the most pieces of wrapping paper, gets an extra holiday treat.

We are extremely thankful for all of you! What is your favorite part of this holiday?

Winter weather can be tough all around both outside our homes and inside.  Beyond protecting ourselves from the inclement weather through insulation and weatherproofing, now is the time to think about protecting our floors from wet and soggy weather we bring into the house with us.

Rain, snow, ice and sleet can all be tough on our floors.  Along with the dirt we normally track in on the family’s shoes, these wintery precipitations can also carry chemicals such as salts and de-icers that can be terrible for our floors (and family pets).

Easiest thing to do to prevent winter weather and chemicals from being tracked through the home is to take your shoes off in the entry or mudroom.  Have a boot tray for wet shoes and boots to prevent puddles.  Keep cozy slippers nearby to slip into when you get home.  Have guest also remove their shoes when they stop by to visit.  Wipe your pets paws after walking outside with a wet wipe to remove  moisture, dirt and chemicals.

If removing your shoes is not your thing, provide a thick natural doormat like a choir or jute rug just outside the door to wipe shoes and boots.  Inside the door place a water wicking rug to further prevent messy floors. If you or your guests do track in winter weather and salt, wipe up the moisture as soon as possible. Dab carpets to remove dirt and water.

Taking precautions like these means less cleaning later and a longer life for your floors.

Removing your shoes when you enter the house is a good way to cut down on dirt and allergens that are tracked into the house.  Having a pile of shoes by the door is not the best way to greet guests or family into your home. Corralling clutter in an entry, foyer or mudroom will make the small space feel bigger and create a warm, inviting entry into your home.

Getting shoes and bags off the mudroom or entry floor is a good idea both for traffic and the shoes and bags.  A shoe cabinet or well organized coat closet can clear off the floor.  A built-in bench or coat rack will add storage that keeps the floor clutter free. Even a simple row of pegs can be hung up to manage coats and bags. Being able to see the floor means you can put down a pretty runner or small area rug to give the space a polished look.

Other storage options include a cabinet converted to shoe storage that can also be a place to organize keys and mail.  A console with storage underneath and a place for a small lamp will give the space a well designed look.  You could hang a mirror above the cabinet or bench. The mirror will expand the feeling of the space, and give you a place to touch up your hair and lipstick.

Corralling clutter is a good idea in every room of the home. It is especially important in small rooms and rooms that get a lot of traffic.

If you are lucky to have a designated room as your home office, there are some key design elements you’ll want to include in the room: a work surface; comfortable chair; task lighting; and storage. These four elements form the very basic elements of a home office. Once you have these in place you can begin to personalize the space with color, pattern and decorative accessories like art.

A home office work surface can be a classic desk with fire drawers in the base. Or it can be a vintage table that you’ve refinished. Determine what kind of work you’ll be doing and how much desk space you’ll need.

The desk chair you choose doesn’t have to be a standard office style chair but it should offer good support for your back.  Test out several styles of chairs to see what will work for your back and your design style. Take into consideration what type of flooring you have in the home office. If you want a chair that rolls you may need a hard mat to protect carpeting and rugs.

Task lighting is important for a workspace. Beyond the overhead lighting in the room, you’ll want something to illuminate the work surface. Table lamps and adjustable desk lamps are good choices.

Finally storage is key for an organized home office. You don’t need to buy standard filing cabinets but you will want a place for files. Look for filing cabinets that look more like furniture. Baskets and decorative boxes on shelves can store important files.

Having an extra half bath for guests is a great thing, even if it is a very, very small powder room.  A powder room really only needs two things to function: a toilet and a sink. This doesn’t mean that you should leave the room with only the functional necessities. Even the smallest powder rooms can benefit  from good design. In fact, because of its small footprint, the powder room can be turned into a jewel box with a few design tricks.

This powder room has good bones that make the foundation for great design.  A smaller size toilet is a must for a tiny powder room. The pedestal sink also takes up less visual space with its narrow base.  The one downside is the pedestal sink does not provide any storage. Luckily, in a powder room you don’t need a lot of storage. A small decorative box or basket on the floor could hold extra toilet paper and soaps.

The dark tile floor helps make this powder room feel larger.  The white fixtures pop against the dark floor.  But why stop with white walls?  Because powder rooms are not rooms you spend a great deal of time in, they are perfect places to be a little bold with the wall décor.  Wallpaper is a great way to make a powder room feel special. Go bold with pattern or paint color in a powder room.

A big mirror or mirrors on opposing walls can make a powder room feel larger. An interesting pendant light or chandelier is also the perfect jewel box touch for these tiny rooms.