Monthly Archives

May 2015

How to mix and match your furniture with ease

Bree here, from Home Zone Furniture. Are you currently facing a mix-and-match predicament in your home? This is a common conundrum, and one we’re well equipped to tackle.

Buying a matching set of furniture is like hitting a few proverbial birds with one stone. Not only can you purchase several pieces at once (check, check, check!), but you’ve saved yourself the effort required to coordinate. Right? Wrong. While all these pieces of furniture might match each other, your room won’t be as individualized as it could be.

On the other hand, you might be dealing with a mismatched array of furniture: a couch inherited from your grandmother, a side table from your first apartment—you get the gist. While décor trends are increasingly leaning toward an eclectic look, there’s a risk of appearing sloppy. This mixed style should convey a decorator’s sense of creativity and personal style.

Whether your goal is to bring some personality to your matching sets or to harmonize an existing smattering of mismatched furniture, try these simple tips for designing a cohesive and aesthetically pleasing living space.

Weight

Once you know what room you’re working with, get an idea about the kind of furniture you want by considering weight. If you have a matching set you’re going to use, a couch, a loveseat and a chair perhaps, round up other pieces that are of a similar proportion. For instance, a sturdy couch set should be paired with an equally robust armoire and side tables for a unified appearance.

You can use this same tip if you’re dealing with a mix of furniture. Sometimes it can be overwhelming thinking what you’re going to put together if nothing technically “matches.” Alleviate this issue by pairing things based on weight, again, heavy with heavy, delicate with delicate.

Color

Not ready to commit to mixing furniture but like the look? Color is a great way to experiment with the mixed look when you’re dealing with a matching set of furniture. Try a single painted accent wall, a set of bright throw pillows, a bold pouf ottoman—start small to get comfortable with the idea. Try varying the tones of a chosen color such as pairing a navy blue wall with a royal blue lampshade and a few baby blue pillows. This will give you a cohesive yet varied look.

Once you’ve conquered the solid color idea, graduate to prints. Find one you like, but make sure the scale is on the larger side so it doesn’t look washed out from afar. The print should be distinct but not overwhelming. Choose a print with several colors in it to give yourself more options as you’re decorating the rest of the room. You can even combine two or three different prints if they have a complementary color scheme.

Using solid colors can also work to your advantage if you have mixed furniture already. Pull everything together by integrating the color scheme. Upholster mismatched couches in the same fabric and add some drapes in a complementary color to pull everything together.

Textures

After color, texture is another tried-and-true way to add some personality to your rooms. Texture not only gives a room some visual depth, but also encourages tactile interaction.

For those who aren’t ready to mix and match furniture or patterns yet, interplay solid colors—but colors with varying textures. Solid colors can help maintain the harmony in a room, while complementary textures highlight the predominant shade and act as visual relief.

If you’re stuck with either a matched or mismatched set of furniture, use a combination of color and texture to update the look. Give yourself something new (even if you’re on a budget) with upholstery in a fabric that has a modern texture and a neutral color.

Accessories

Regardless of what you start out with (mixed or matched), once your main pieces of furniture come together choose accessories that add dynamism to your room. What you select is dependent on the weight, color and texture tips provided above.

If you have a room that is “heavy” with bulky furniture, use accessories as a way to lighten up the room. It might seem unnatural at first, but adding in delicate elements like porcelain, crystal or winding plants imbue a heavy room with a sense of visual balance. The same goes for a “delicate” room, or one with lighter, more feminine pieces. In this instance, add more masculine accessories such as solid wooden candlesticks, chunky frames and dark, oversized pillows.

As for color and texture, dip your toe into the concept by experimenting with the most interchangeable home accessories—pillows and throws. These small tweaks will give your room the dimension you didn’t know you needed. Other ways to play with color and texture through accessories is via art, rugs and fun lighting.

Even in following these tips, remember that a room usually never turns out exactly as planned. That’s okay! Allow each room to take on a unique personality of its own. Happy mixing!

Bree

Seasonal, Spring

Tips for creating the perfect spring floral arrangement

Bree here, from Home Zone Furniture.

One of my favorite things about spring is sprucing up my home. Once the spring-cleaning is complete, I like to revive the high-traffic areas in my house with unique flower arrangements that I’ve assembled myself. It’s amazing how a simple bouquet of flowers can enliven a room and instantly boost your mood.

Whether you’re preparing for a party or just wanting to channel your creative side, use these tips to create the perfect floral arrangement to freshen up your home.

Scavenge.

Flowers can be collected from a variety of sources. If you have a garden, start there. Maybe you have roses, wildflowers, honeysuckle or climbing ivy—they’re all attractive (and free!) options. Your local grocery store offers an array of flowers at a fair price—a high-impact arrangement doesn’t require the most expensive, exotic flowers from a ritzy florist. As you look for flowers, prioritize color harmony and select a variety of shapes, sizes and textures. Dig through the flower bunches to find blooms that are healthy, slightly budded and without brown stems. Don’t forget the greenery! Doesn’t matter if it’s store-bought or from your own backyard, greenery gives your arrangement much-needed structure and depth.

Select.

Be creative when it comes to picking a vase. Sure, putting a bouquet in a clear glass tapered vase is the classic choice, but mix it up with a mason jar wrapped in some craft paper or your grandmother’s ceramic water pitcher. Try using an opaque vase if you can, as it hides the crisscrossed stems and complements the color of the blooms. As for size, the rule of thumb is that the bouquet should be one and a half times larger than the vase itself.

Prepare.

Have all your tools on hand before you start arranging the flowers. Things you might need include floral tape, twine, floral scissors, rubber bands, a rose stripper, wire and wire cutters. When you get the flowers home, immediately put them in tepid water and cut a solid inch off the stems using a sharp knife. Regardless of the bouquet shape you plan on creating, it’s a good idea to make a grid on the mouth of the vase with floral tape before you start. This helps the flowers stay upright as you build the arrangement.

Arrange.

And now for the fun part! As you arrange, try to sit down so you’re working from eye level, not from above. After all, the top of the arrangement is not what people will be looking at. Remember there are no set rules when it comes to arranging flowers. The most beautiful bouquets mimic the randomness and asymmetry of nature.

Start building your bouquet with greens and foliage. This will help you create the shape the flowers will fit into. Greenery should hang over the lip of the vase and have a high point in the back. Next add filler flowers; black-eyed Susans, milkweed, and Spanish lavender are colorful choices. These smaller flowers help to create additional webbing that will hold your show-stealers up. Bold blooms such as roses, gerbera daisies or sunflowers should be placed last. Maximize the impact of these big flowers by placing them in strategic positions throughout the arrangement.

Check fullness and color variety as you go, taking a step back from your arrangement and moving it around to view different angles. As mentioned before, prioritize with color, i.e., one bouquet with pinks, reds and oranges, another with blues and purples. Don’t be afraid to play around with scale—leave small flowers on a longer stem, and cut the stem of a larger flower rather short. Every flower arrangement is unique, and the more you practice, the more comfortable you’ll be in your arranging.

Place.

Flowers can go just about anywhere in the house, as long as they’re out of direct sunlight. A few places I like to display flowers are on the bedside table, on the dining table and in the bathroom (especially when entertaining guests). The proportion of the arrangement is important to consider. In general, I like to make sure the size of the arrangement is appropriate to the room it’s adorning, e.g., a bathroom is best paired with a small bunch of fragrant flowers. If you’re hankering to build a sprawling, multi-tiered arrangement, make a place for it on an entryway surface or family room side table.

As you plan the arrangement and placement, be practical. If it’s a petite bedside table arrangement, go for a vase with a wide base and relatively short blooms so you don’t knock it over in the night. If the arrangement is on the dining table, it shouldn’t be so tall that people can’t see each other. (An easy way to check this is to put your elbow down on the table, and your fist in the air; make sure the bouquet’s height is not taller than your fist.) The last tip here would be to protect the surfaces you’re adorning by using cork coasters. Fitting a coaster to the vases you fill will help prevent unsightly water rings on your furniture.

Maintain.

Once you’ve worked hard to create the perfect arrangement, be sure to care for your flowers so they last as long as possible. Strip the stem of any leaves that will touch the water in the vase. Leaves sitting in water rot and make the flowers die more quickly. Trim the stems often, change the water daily and keep the bouquet away from direct sun.

Happy arranging!

Bree

Decor, Interior Design Ideas

Tips for creating a home office that fits your family

Bree here, from Home Zone Furniture.

I don’t know about you, but there’s one room in our house tottering on the brink of disarray—the home office. Home offices mean different things to different families. Some home offices are for those who work from home, while others are simply a catchall.

But regardless of whether you’re planning a corporate presentation or paying the electric bill, you’ll be more focused and efficient if you love the space you’re working in. Read on for a few simple tips for creating a practical and pleasant home office.

Define function

First, determine the purpose for your home office. Do you work from home, spending eight hours a day at your desk? Or do you spend 10 minutes at the desk here and there? Is the office primarily for you, or will your husband and kids occasionally get some use out of it? Knowing the function of your family’s home office will help you decide the best place for the office, the type of furniture that’s best and how much storage and equipment you’ll need.

Carve out space

Choosing the perfect space for your home office depends not only on function but also on the flow of your house. A home office can fill a spare room, an empty closet or even a lonely corner. You might have an extra bedroom that would be an ideal choice for someone who works from home. However, if your home office is more for catching kids’ school paperwork, birthday party invitations and the like, it would make more sense to have a desk near a high-traffic area such as the living room or kitchen.

Pick the right furniture

Now that you know what you’ll be using your home office for and what sort of space you’ve allotted, the next thing is to select furniture. Keep in mind that you’ll want the home office to fit stylistically into the rest of your decorating scheme. A modern, contemporary taste might gravitate toward simple shapes and clean lines, while a traditional style leans toward classic wooden pieces and antique accents. An eclectic type might choose a mix-and-match aesthetic, with multiple colors and details. In addition to style, consider function as you choose the seating. The chair should keep you comfy all day if you work from home and/or be maneuverable by kids if yours will have access to the space.

Incorporate storage

If you’re situating your home office on an empty wall near the kitchen, you might not have a lot of storage room to work with. Stash your stuff in a nearby closet, tuck it underneath the desk or place it on shelves you hang on the wall or suspend overhead. Those with an entire room to call their home office have plenty of storage space—use it! Regardless of how large the home office area is, a space that’s clear of loose papers and scattered books is always a winner.

Let there be light

Good lighting is crucial to creating an enjoyable and productive work situation. Part of the beauty of working from home is that you have control over the lighting—goodbye, buzzing fluorescents! Try placing your home office, or just your desk, near a source of natural light. It will ease eyestrain and boost your mood. If you have room on your desk, add a lamp for nighttime work or place a standing lamp nearby for a maneuverable lighting solution.

Add accessories

As for accessories—penholders, staplers, organizers—look around the house first to see what you can repurpose for your office. For instance, turn that unused tea tin into a penholder, or a short glass vase into a home for your ruler, scissors, etc. To make your office a little homier, add an area rug to cut down on noise and add warmth, and scatter family pictures throughout the room for decor. If you’re in need of a rug or perhaps a cozy upholstered chair, Home Zone’s home accents have you covered.

Your dream home office will be just around the corner with these simple steps. Now all that’s left to do is get to work!

Bree

Decor, Dining Room Ideas

Tips for choosing the right dining furniture

Bree here, from Home Zone Furniture. As you all know, each and every room in our house speaks to our sense of style. But the rooms in our home are more than just a display of personal taste.

The dining room, for instance, not only adheres to our decorating schemes but also serves as a functional space for our families and a gathering place for meals and special occasions. Here are three easy tips for choosing dining furniture to fit your style and your needs.

Assess the room.

Figure out what you’re working with. What are the measurements of the room? Is it rectangular, square or circular? Knowing this information is a must before you go to pick out furniture. It would be nothing short of heartbreaking to fall in love with a dining table only to find that it doesn’t fit your space. Keep in mind there should be at least 3 feet between the table and the wall or other obstructions. This wiggle room ensures diners can get in and out of their seats with ease.

Feeling good about table size but unsure about table shape? Round tables are great for conversation, rectangular tables can hold several guests (especially with a leaf inserted), square tables offer a unique look and oval tables are ideal for giving an angular room some soft curves.

Consider function.

Ask yourself what you use the dining table for. This step will inform the table finish you choose, as well as the type of chairs you need. Is the dining room primarily for Thanksgiving feasts, Easter brunches and the like? Do your kids use the table for homework and crafts? If your table is for formal dining and accommodating guests, a rectangular or oval table is a wise choice. Select a table with a leaf that you can insert when extra guests show up. For more intimate dining, circular or square tables will do the trick.

Regardless of the size of the table, each guest should have about 30 inches of table space. This allows dishes to be passed and for everyone to have ample elbowroom. For those buying chairs separately from the table, measure accordingly to be sure guests will be able to cross and uncross their legs.

As for finishes, tables that are used for more formal occasions can be made of solid wood or feature glossy sheens, dark stains, glass tops or ornate carvings. Casual, kid-friendly tables are better off in distressed wood or painted white, as they hide nicks easier. Painting a wood table with a gloss or semi-gloss makes for an easy-to-clean surface. If you want to see the wood grain but still add a color, try a cherry or maple stain.

Identify your style.

Last but not least, consider your style. Popular decorating styles here at Home Zone include traditional, country, eclectic and modern. Traditional style leans toward wood finishes, carved legs and upholstered chairs for a comfortable, yet formal dining experience. Country or cottage style is reflected through distressed wood, painted finishes, bench seating or open-backed chairs. Eclectic style is all about mix-and matching—chairs, colors and details. Modern style is expressed through clean lines, classic shapes, metallic finishes and no added detailing.

Finding the perfect dining furniture for your house and lifestyle is simple. Just consider your space, function and style for a hassle-free furniture shopping experience. Before you know it, your dining room will be your family’s go-to spot for every occasion!

Happy dining!

Bree

Bedroom Ideas, Decor

How to get the bedroom of your dreams

Bree here, from Home Zone Furniture.

You don’t need to know a lot about feng shui to know when a room just feels a little bit “off.” You walk in and something’s not right. Maybe the first thing you notice is the back of a couch, or the pictures are hung too high.

Let’s make sure your bedroom, which should be one of the most relaxing rooms in your home, has the qualities that make it feel “just right.” Here are my simple rules for arranging furniture in your bedroom to achieve the sanctuary you’ve always wanted.

Start big.

The bed is the largest piece of furniture in the bedroom, so you’ll want to start there when rearranging. Stand at the door to the room and look for the walls where your bed could go. Consider the view from the door and the view from your bed. Think about the windows and the path from the door to the bed and from the bed to the bathroom. You probably have a couple of choices here. See what works best; play around!

Add softness.

A rug in a favorite hue is a great way to add texture, softness and a pop of color to your bedroom retreat, without committing to repainting or buying all new linens.

Focus up.

What’s your favorite thing in the room? It can be a beautiful item, the view or just your favorite spot. Whether it’s a piece of art, the bed itself or a wall of windows, make that the focal point. When you walk into the room, that’s where the focus should be. So highlight it with color, location or décor.

Size matters.

We’re talking about the size of the bedroom itself here. If your bedroom is large, make sure you have enough furniture of the right scale to fill it nicely or it will seem to swallow everything in it. If the bedroom is small, don’t fill it up with too much clutter. Keep colors airy and furniture light to help the space feel larger than it is.

Look up.

Window and ceiling heights can create optical illusions if you know the tricks. Mount your curtain rods above the top of your windows to create the illusion of height. Use lighter colors (or even blue to mimic sky) on the ceiling to make them appear taller, or darker colors to bring super-high ceilings down a bit for a cozier feel.

Unplug that tube.

Lastly, a controversial tip: Leave the TV outside. Bedrooms are for two things: sleeping and, well, I’ll let you figure out the other thing. Did I say watching TV? Nope. They say couples do the other two things better when there’s no TV to tempt them. So try giving your TV the boot and see if you sleep better. I think it’s worth a try, don’t you?

Now off you go; rearrange your bedroom today and wake up to a better tomorrow.

Sweet dreams!

Bree