Monthly Archives

January 2017

Decor, Interior Design Ideas

5 Interior Design Mistakes To Avoid

Bree here, from Home Zone Furniture.

No matter what your interior design style may be, there are a handful of decorating mistakes that can get the best of even the trendiest homeowners. These flaws aren’t always immediately recognizable, but they can cause you to ask yourself, “What’s off in this room?”

If you’re currently wrestling with a room that just doesn’t seem to work, check this list of design mistakes to see if you can uncover the problem plaguing your arrangement.

Choosing the wrong sofa

In almost all cases, the sofa functions as the visual anchor of the living room. Once you choose your sofa, you can establish pathways within the room and choose smaller pieces of furniture, such as armchairs or a coffee table, to complement it. However, if the sofa is wrong, the room has a very slim chance of coming together in a sophisticated way.

A few things to keep in mind when choosing your sofa are size, function and color. The sofa should be proportionate to the room, be comfortable, and come in a color that’s in keeping with the rest of your home.

Too matchy-matchy

Design showrooms are beautiful, but they’re not livable spaces. If you’ve been inspired by a showroom, recreate the parts of the design that you like, but be sure to merge it with furniture and other decor that puts a unique spin on it. The key to an elegant, effortless space is picking and choosing design elements that work for you, all while prioritizing functionality and your personal style.

Disproportionate furniture

Nothing destroys the cohesiveness of a room more than disproportionate furniture. First, the furniture should be proportionate to the room it is in, and second, pieces of furniture within a room should be proportionate to each other.

Some examples of disproportion you may have seen include a small couch with big pillows, a coffee table that’s longer than a couch, or a small rug in the middle of a large room that doesn’t touch all of the furniture.

Lack of variation 

Everyone has a certain style they prefer. Whether you like contemporary, rustic or antique style, it’s easy to fall in love and return to that style again and again for the sake of consistency.

That being said, it’s important to mix up the styles in your home in order to create dimension and highlight your unique creative perspective. For instance, if you love the clean lines of your modern home, you’ll be amazed at how just one rustic, wooden coffee table in your living room will emphasize and enliven the modern style.

Ignoring crucial components

People often ignore two central elements of interior design: the entryway and the windows. Your entryway or foyer should be decorated to not only welcome guests into your home, but also to introduce them to your style. You don’t have to go overboard, but consider including some color on the walls, a side table with flowers, or beautiful mirrors on either side of the door. Choose something that is an authentic representation of your family and style.

Last but not least, it’s important to dress your windows properly. This isn’t just for privacy reasons — it’s also an opportunity to pull the various components of a room together. Need to integrate a glamorous style and earthy tones without adding more clutter to a room? Hunter green velvet drapes might be the solution!

Which interior design flaws do you try to avoid in your home?

Bree

Seasonal

4 healthy recipes we’re going to try in 2017

Bree here, from Home Zone Furniture.

Did you make a resolution to eat better in the new year? You’re not alone!

The recipes we look forward to trying in our home this month are not only healthy, but delicious and easy to make, too. Your whole family will rave about these tasty dishes the next time you sit down at your dining table!

Caprese Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 8 oz. diced mozzarella
  • 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, sliced thin
  • 1 diced avocado
  • 2 Tbsp pine nuts
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Cook quinoa in a large saucepan according to package directions, then set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine quinoa, mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, avocado and pine nuts. Stir in olive oil and balsamic vinegar, then season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Serve salad immediately.

Mediterranean Chicken

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • Pinch of cayenne
  • 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 large chicken breast cutlets, pounded or thinly sliced
  • Juice of half a lemon, plus 4 slices of lemon
  • 2 large sliced garlic cloves
  • 1/3 cup sliced, pitted kalamata olives
  • 1/3 cup pitted green olives
  • 3 tbs chopped fresh Italian parsley
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp butter
  • Fresh pepper

Directions:

1. Combine flour and cayenne in a shallow bowl, and heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.

2. Cover the chicken in the flour mixture and shake off any excess. Place the chicken in the hot skillet and cook 3 minutes or until golden.

3. Turn the chicken over, add the lemon juice, lemon slices, garlic, olives, 1 1/2 tbs of parsley, and salt and pepper. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, and stir the mixture gently to avoid burning the garlic.

4. Add butter to the pan, and shake to combine the sauce.

5. Place the chicken breasts on a place, then pour the olive mixture on top. Garnish the dish with the remaining fresh parsley.

Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients

  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 4 cups pumpkin puree
  • 1 tsp chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 cups chopped onion
  • 1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 clove minced garlic
  • 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 5 whole black peppercorns

Directions:

1. In a large pot, bring stock, salt, pumpkin, onion, thyme, garlic and peppercorn to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes uncovered.

2. Puree the soup one cup at a time in a food processor or blender.

3. Return the pureed soup to the pan and bring to a boil again. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for another 30 minutes uncovered. Slowly stir in heavy cream. Pour into soup bowls and garnish with fresh parsley.

Green Tea Coconut Ice Cream

Ingredients

  • 1 can full-fat coconut milk
  • 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 2-3 Tbsp matcha green tea powder
  • 1/4 cup pitted medjool dates
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 tsp xanthan gum

Directions

1. Place coconut milk, almond milk, matcha, dates and honey in a blender and blend until combined. Add xanthan gum and mix again. Add more green tea powder, dates or honey, depending on personal preferences.

2. Transfer to a mixing bowl and let chill for a few hours. Pour into a pre-chilled ice cream maker and operate according to instructions. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, pour the mixture into a freezer-safe container, cover, freeze and stir or whisk every hour to aerate.

3. Once the mixture finishes churning, you can eat it soft-serve, or transfer it to a freezer-safe container and let it harden for 4-6 hours.

4. Set the ice cream out for 20-30 minutes before serving to allow it to soften. Serve alone or topped with cacao nibs or fruit compote. This ice cream is best when consumed fresh, but will keep in the freezer for a week or so.

Happy cooking!

Bree

Decor, Interior Design Ideas

How to use texture in every room of your home

Bree here, from Home Zone Furniture.

Home style in 2017 is all about combining color and pattern for a look that’s dimensional and totally unique. No matter what your home decor style may be, try adding some natural texture throughout your home for interiors that are inviting and on-trend for the new year.

Here’s how you can incorporate interesting textures into every room of your home.

Bedroom

Nothing makes a bedroom cozier than the addition of texture. For a big change, try incorporating a new bedroom set with a rustic, wooden bed frame and complementary pieces such as bedside tables and a dresser. To create the perfect combination of mountain retreat and urban oasis, outfit your bed with crisp white linens. If your sheets are a flat cotton blend, add a quilted blanket, an embellished duvet and velvet pillow shams to create dimension.

The final touch is a cozy fur blanket. Drape across the end of your bed, for a sleek and textured look.

Kitchen and Dining

In an age when so many kitchens look similar, you should seize any opportunity you can to mix in personal touches with color and texture. For a fun yet relatively simple addition, replace your backsplash with tiles in a beautiful color or intricate design. While the tiles you choose should work well with your countertops and floor, it’s a relatively inexpensive project that can yield a transformative impact.

In the dining room, invest in a conversation-starting chandelier to add an air of elegance to any dinner party. Place a rug underfoot for a space that feels inviting and warm.

Living Room

The living room is the heart of the home, and it’s also one of the easiest places to work in textured elements. Start small by incorporating earthy textures such as wool, burlap or linen into your throw pillow assortment. Next, find blankets with luxurious, nature-inspired textures, such as faux fur or a thick knit, to drape over the back of a chair or couch. Focusing on pillows and blankets is a quick way to reinvent the look of a large room without having to reupholster furniture.

Keep in mind that a living room isn’t complete without an area rug to pull it all together. Depending on the existing style of your room, you might choose a neutral, natural fiber rug with a laid-back, casual profile, or spring for something a little more orate and colorful, like a Turkish rug.

Bathroom

Similar to the kitchen, the bathroom is often overlooked when it comes to decoration and personalization. For a long-term fix, make the bathroom your own by simply painting the cabinet doors a different color. It doesn’t have to be an outrageous shade — just something that coordinates with what’s already there for a bit of dimension.

For powder rooms in particular, don’t be afraid to make it a unique little space with art-inspired wallpaper and high-shine metallic hardware. Since you probably won’t use the powder bath everyday, it’s the perfect place to experiment with design ideas.

Finally, textiles are an easy, temporary way, to work in texture in the bathroom. Install an elegant shower curtain, lay down a soft bath mat, and place a decorative hand towel on display if space allows.

So whether your kitchen is feeling a little blasé or it’s time to vamp up your bedroom, turn to texture to add style and personality to your interiors in 2017.

Bree