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Decor

Decor, Interior Design Ideas, Seasonal, Summer

Summery Ways to Adorn Your End Table or Coffee Table

Has your home décor been feeling a little monotonous lately? One of the quickest ways to update a living room is to refresh your end tables or coffee table with a thoughtful arrangement of seasonal accessories. Whether you have a round modern coffee table or small end tables with storage, you can readily create mini focal points in your space with a few key items that stand out.

Go beyond the expected matching lamps bookending the couch and challenge yourself to curate a collection of coffee-table décor and accessories that reflects the summer season and enhances your room. Ahead, some easy and effective ideas to get you started.

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Fall, Seasonal

Building the perfect Thanksgiving tablescape

44237567 - autumn rustic table setting with berries, leaves, acorns and nuts

Bree here, from Home Zone Furniture.

It’s hard to believe, but Thanksgiving is already upon us. As you prepare your guest room for family and diligently plan your grocery list, don’t forget to arrange a tablescape to complement your beautiful Thanksgiving feast.

Overwhelmed at the thought of simply pulling out placemats? Don’t worry! This is my five-step, foolproof guide to crafting a unique tablescape that’s true to you and your family.

Style

The first thing to do is determine the style of your tablescape. Will it reflect the general style of your home, or will it be something completely different? For a traditional look, incorporate family heirlooms like fine china and silver. Go rustic with a cozy, worn-in look that’s reminiscent of the countryside. If you prefer a contemporary style, choose black and white table accessories with a minimal aesthetic. Fashion a glam table with metallic details and a bold color palette.

Color

Next, consider your color palette. It’s easy to get carried away when planning your tablescape, so choosing a color palette will ensure your arrangement looks consistent and well-planned. The options for a tablescape palette are endless. Jewel tones are a classic fall choice for a Thanksgiving tablescape. Not only are the colors rich and flattering in a number of dining rooms, but these colors are the perfect complement to Thanksgiving foods like sweet potatoes and green beans. Other stylish choices include the warm colors of the autumn landscape, or rich shades of red.

Placement

After you have a style and color scheme locked down, consider the placement of your tablescape. Lay down the essentials — plates, glasses, etc. — and then get creative with the placement of your decorative accessories. If you have a circular or square table, you’ll make a symmetrical arrangement of additional decor in the middle of the table. For a rectangular or oval-shaped dining table, any decorative arrangement should be long and relatively thin in order to proportionally fit the table. As you lay out your tablescape, ask yourself if you’ll be putting food directly on the table. If so, don’t go overboard with decorations! You want the table to look full, but not cluttered!

Dimension

Make your tablescape interesting by adding in a little dimension. If you’re stacking a charger with a dinner plate and maybe an appetizer plate on top, create dimension by mixing colors, textures and patterns. Try layering pattern on pattern, but make sure that the patterns have a similar scale and some shared colors. The most essential way to create dimension in your tablescape is with height. A well-planned tablescape incorporates different heights using tall florals and candlesticks for visual versatility.

Additions

Tablescapes are a freeform art that can be as complex or as simple as you like. If you’re a tablescape expert, go the extra mile this year with unique additions to your traditional table setting. Label each setting with a personalized place card to direct everyone to their seats. Lastly, add a little fun to your Thanksgiving feast by outfitting each place setting with a party popper — it’s the perfect post-dinner treat for adults and kids alike. You just might make a new tradition out of it!

How do you make your Thanksgiving tablescape stand out?

Bree

Fall, Seasonal

The Perfect Spots To Incorporate Pumpkins Into Your Home

44907620 - pumpkins and leaves

Bree here, from Home Zone Furniture.

Treat your home to some fall flair this October with the perfect array of pumpkins! These decorative gourds are an inspired addition to any room, not just the front porch. The possibilities are endless, but these are my personal favorite ways to display pumpkins in my home this autumn.

On the porch

The traditional way to incorporate pumpkins into your home is with a beautiful porch display. Whether you go for classic orange pumpkins or prefer the trendy white or striped varieties, pumpkins are an easy way to decorate because they fit everyone’s style and budget.

Carving a few pumpkins is certainly an October tradition, but leave a few untouched so they’ll last you until Thanksgiving. Instead of carving, you could also try painting the pumpkins with autumn motifs. It’s a kid-friendly craft that will also lengthen the lifespan of your pumpkins.

In the kitchen

Nothing says autumn like the scent of pumpkin spice wafting from the kitchen. If you carve your pumpkins, save the seeds, wash them off, sprinkle them with salt and stick them in the oven for a salty snack. For delicious baked goods, try pumpkin bread, or treat your family to pumpkin waffles. When cooking up your pumpkin favorites, don’t forget to add in cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. These three spices will immediately remind you of autumns past and make you long for fuzzy socks and a crackling fire!

Centerpieces

Whether you’re entertaining or not this season, an autumn centerpiece with pumpkins is a rustic addition to any central surface. Creating a pumpkin centerpiece for your table is largely a freeform art and works best with easy-to-maneuver mini pumpkins. Start the centerpiece with some thick greenery, then add in the pumpkins and other seasonal blooms until the arrangement seems complete and complements the room it’s situated in.

Serving dish

Hosting a Halloween party? Try using a pumpkin as a serving platter. To do this, cut open a pumpkin just as you would if you were carving it, and scoop out the insides. Once the pumpkin is cleared, fit a plastic serving bowl into the pumpkin — you might have to adjust top cutout of the pumpkin accordingly. This little entertainment trick will keep your food from tasting like pumpkin and create a festive serving dish!

Accent colors

Show your seasonal spirit by incorporating pumpkin accent colors throughout your home, from the living room to the bedroom. Traditional colors inspired by the pumpkin patch, like burnt orange, golden yellow and hunter green, will automatically bring a sense of warmth to your space and will last you all the way until the holiday season. In order to make these colors easy to swap out, use them sparingly. Try accent pillows on the couch in the den, a throw blanket at the foot of the bed, or a tablecloth on the dining room table.

How do you bring the beauty of the autumn landscape into your home?

Bree

Decor, Interior Design Ideas

5 Dorm Room Must-Haves For New College Students

Bree here, from Home Zone Furniture.

It’s hard to believe that summer is drawing to a close and school will soon be back in session. Regardless of how old your children are, gearing up for school is a big task, especially if said child is heading off to college.

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From books to organizational tools and that rite-of-passage shower caddy, there are many must-haves for an easy transition into dorm life. In order to make the transition a little easier, I suggest making your student’s dorm room as homey and functional as possible with these five essentials.

Area rug

A colorful area rug will instantly make a dorm room feel more like home. Most dorm rooms are tiled with unsightly linoleum, making for a sterile environment that lacks personality. An area rug will not only add a dose of color to a bland room, but it will also help maintain warmth when the temperatures drop. Don’t know which color to choose? Try something dark or bold. That way, if something spills on the rug during the school year, it won’t be a big deal!

Good lighting

elise-lamp

Dorm rooms have notoriously bad lighting. Whether your child likes to study solo or gather with friends in their room, a soft glow will create a nice atmosphere they’ll want to spend time in. Place a functional lamp on the desk for those long evening hours spent writing papers, and a fun standing lamp at the bedside. Since dorm rooms don’t allow residents to mount anything to the wall (lighting included), it’s up to you to find lighting that fits the space without taking up too much real estate.

Storage

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Good storage is a priority in all dorm rooms. Many rooms are equipped with a desk and a dresser, but an extra drawer or two can never hurt. It’s a great idea to raise your bed and then use space underneath for multi-drawer storage. Still need more space for clothes, papers and the like? You could also try a nightstand with organizational components.

Small couch

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If space permits, spring for a small couch. A couch is a great way to instantly transform a dorm room into an inviting space for entertaining. As you select your couch, keep in mind color scheme and size. You’ll want to make sure your couch complements your space and doesn’t dominate it.

Added comfort

Last but not least, a dorm room isn’t a haven without a few added layers of cushion. Dorm rooms aren’t necessarily known for their comfortable mattresses, so put yourself ahead of the game with memory foam, an egg crate or a pillow-top mattress cover. From there, add throw pillows for color, and don’t forget a seat cushion for your desk chair, too!

Which dorm room essentials did you rely on in college?

Bree