4 Common Mistakes To Avoid When Buying Furniture

Picking out new furniture for your home is fun and exciting, but it can also be hectic. There are so many things you have to keep in mind and so many ways things can go wrong. By familiarizing yourself with these four common furniture buying mistakes and how to avoid them, you can keep your next furniture shopping trip as stress-free as possible.

Not Measuring

You should never guesstimate when it comes to furniture. Before you buy, measure the room you plan to place the piece in, plus the dimensions of your doorways and any stairs to ensure you can fit the furniture in your home and into its intended space.

Not Considering Your Lifestyle

You should always consider your way of life when purchasing furniture. Do you have kids or pets? Make sure you look for easy to clean, stain-resistant pieces. Love to host parties? Ensure the sofa and dining table can seat all your family members and friends. Essentially, before you buy a new piece, ask yourself how you will use it and whether it will work with your circumstances.

Not Considering the Maintenance

That silk accent chair looks lovely, but have you considered how much time you'll need to spend maintaining the upholstery? Before you buy a piece, consider the materials and how much care they need. If you don't have the time to spend on that care, you should move on, as hard as it may be.

Buying Big Online

Online shopping is convenient, but it also comes with its fair share of downsides. You can never tell if the posted pictures are real, nor can you accurately gauge size or quality. For these reasons—plus more—we recommend viewing big-ticket items in person to ensure they meet your needs and standards. In-person furniture viewing may seem outdated, but it's more crucial than you think!

Fortunately, most of these common furniture buying mistakes are perfectly avoidable if you know what to look for. Don't fear furniture shopping—with your new knowledge, you can go about it confidently.

14 Design Do's and Don'ts to Make Your Airbnb Stand Out

It's easy to neglect careful planning when rushing to prepare your house for visitors. Many Airbnb hosts make the mistake of assuming their guests won't care if the place looks a little sloppy because of the photos, or maybe they're more concerned about the location and the price.

When renters see how much care you took in furnishing your property, they are more likely to treat it respectfully. Care for your guests' comfort through thoughtful design. They will respect your personal space more because of it.

Are you confused about how to get started? Here are 14 simple ways to improve the design of your Airbnb. Read on if you want some do’s and dont’s ideas for a small change or a major overhaul of your home.

The Do's

1. Do Establish a Firm Base

A strong base is the cornerstone of any successful design. Most of your financial resources should be allocated there as well. Invest in high-quality flooring and furniture in neutral tones to lay the groundwork for your design; they will stand the test of time and complement any future color additions.

2. Create a Cozy Atmosphere At Home

Start adding color and warmth once the framework is in place. Throw pillows, cozy blankets, rugs, table lamps, plants, etc. One or two of those additional elements can dramatically improve the visual appeal of a room. If you're adding little details, ensure they fit in with the overall aesthetic and color scheme.

3. Do Design With Comfort In Mind

The area must give visitors the impression it was created specifically for them. Making something with more care and attention doesn't have to break the bank. Put coat hooks in the entryway and a chalkboard in the kitchen with a few quick recipes written. 

Ensure sufficient towel pegs are in the bathroom and provide an ottoman in the lounge for weary feet after a day of sightseeing.

4. Do Create Thoughtful Design Moments

Invest in a bar cart and equip it with essentials like a cocktail shaker. You could also set up a coffee station in the kitchen by placing a coffee maker, jars of coffee beans or tea bags, and a prominent sugar bowl. Vinyl records can be showcased on a credenza next to a record player; featuring local musicians is a bonus.

5. Do Decorate Your Walls With Local Touches

Not having access to family portraits does not mean you have to have bare walls. Display local photographs of the outdoors, vintage postcards, or a travel poster from a popular attraction. Or, you could hang a gallery wall of Chicago-area artwork.

6. Do Choose Well-Constructed Pieces That Will Last A Long Time

Many hosts make the mistake assuming that their guests share their taste in entertainment and food. More people will visit your rental, so investing in high-quality pieces that can withstand heavy use will save you money in the long run.

It will improve in appearance over time and save you a significant amount of money compared to the cost of buying brand-new furniture every few years.

7. Do Think About How Well It Works and How Long It Lasts

Furniture for a rental property needs to be durable enough to withstand frequent use. Choose pieces of furniture that are appropriate for the number of people staying at the property. There shouldn't be a shortage of couches and dining chairs. 

Consider using a commercial rating when making your fabric selection. To increase your earnings, replace your regular sofa with a sofa bed.

The Dont's

1. Don't Make Your Guests Do Work

Having a strategy for watering your plants is a must if you intend to cover your property in greenery. However, it is unrealistic to expect visitors to maintain the garden. Go with succulents, which can go longer without being watered, and incorporate plant maintenance into the responsibilities of your cleaning crew.

2. Don’t Photograph At Night

No one will know that your Airbnb is a work of art if all your photos were taken at night and the rooms look like caves. Unless, of course, your home is literally a cave.

3. Don't Exaggerate The Number Of Available Services To Customers

However, if you advertise a record player but then lock up all of your vinyl when guests arrive, they will be disappointed. Do not show any more than you are willing to share with your audience.

4. Don't Share Photos That Include Other People

You want guests to be able to visualize themselves in your home. Don't ruin it by revealing that you and your loved ones are actually living the good life. Because of this, pictures of people should be avoided when advertising goods online. 

Similarly, avoid making the house a museum of your life by displaying countless photos of your loved ones. Whether staying for a week or just a few nights, visitors to a home should sense that it is theirs for their stay.

5. Don't Make The Space Too Focused On One Thing

There's a fine line between hip and kitschy or bonkers. Consider the locations of your events where guests would appreciate a theme. Your lake house's hallway will look stunning with its collection of vintage fishing lures. Smallmouth bass toilet paper holders are cute, but they might get old.

6. Don’t  Leave Any Of Your Belongings

Don't take this as a green light to start piling clutter in your living quarters. Guests may feel uneasy if too many family photos or personal items are displayed. It's a security risk.

7. Don't Buy Furniture Sets

Choose a variety of statement furniture pieces and one-of-a-kind secondhand pieces to create an intriguing listing. If you want to make an experience and a layout that tells a fascinating story, a furniture set is not the best purchase you can make.

This is the perfect excuse to spend an afternoon browsing through your town's thrift shops, searching for unique and intriguing finds.

Conclusion

You shouldn't let things like unanswered messages from guests or a lack of cleanliness detract from the time, money, and effort you put into decorating your Airbnb. Guests can have a more enjoyable stay if they take the time to do interior design work. We hope you enjoyed the above tricks and found them useful. 

How to Give Your Home Exterior a Charming Antique Look

Is your home looking a little too plain for your liking? Maybe it is all those contemporary styling cues that are holding it back from giving you a better aesthetic appeal. If you want to spice things up, why not kick it old-school and give your home's exterior a charming antique look? Don’t worry, it doesn’t have to look dated in the process. Adding just a few vintage-inspired style upgrades can take your home from bland to stand-out. Here are a few ways that you can add some antique flair to the outside of your home.

Install Copper Gutters

Copper gutters aren't a thing of the past anymore! Instead of suffering through a prolonged exterior remodel, just replace your current aluminum gutters with some copper ones. Copper has antimicrobial properties, which can reduce the amount of yucky sludge that builds up in your gutters over time. So, not only are copper gutters cool to look at, they're incredibly practical and sanitary.

Add a Vintage Front Door

A couple of minutes is all you need to convert your home into a chic antique gem. Putting up a new (but old-looking) door is a great first step, or you can simply switch out your current doorknobs for ceramic or crystal doorknobs. This is an inexpensive way to make even a contemporary door look older than it really is. You might even want to consider painting your door white, green, or perhaps a bright red.

Install a Metal Seam Roof

A metal seam roof can be a pricey upgrade, but it actually has a lot of benefits aside from just being visually appealing (which it certainly is). A metal seam roof will last longer than a standard shingled roof, plus it also yields a great return on investment when it comes time to sell your home. Talk to a professional residential roofer for questions pertaining to your specific situation. They can evaluate your home and see if it’s a good fit for you.

Add a Transom Window

A transom window is a window that is shaped as a half circle or rectangle and is above a bigger window or door. This type of window makes for an automatic aesthetic update. Sure, this is a more substantial upgrade than other things that you can do, but adding a transom window is a worthwhile upgrade. It allows more light into your home and makes it look a lot more vintage than your run-of-the-mill modern home.

It doesn't take all that much to upgrade your home into a vintage masterpiece. Your home will attract a lot more attention and possibly even give you a better return when it comes time to sell. Consider upgrading with these options for a great antique look. 

Stripes Nouveau – 7 Ways to Decorate Your Home with Stripes

Most people play it safe when designing their interiors. After all, they will spend a lot of time in that space, and due to the cost and the time that it requires, redecorating is not done quite often. The downside of playing it safe is that we often end up with an underwhelming décor reminiscent of a motel or some other boring establishment. 

But fortunately, there are ways to spruce up your home without going overboard. 

One of them is decorating with stripes, which can be both effective and subtle. If you are not sure how to include stripes in your place, here are a few ideas.

Create an Optical Illusion

One of the most common ways to make a room seem more spacious is by painting it white. However, you can create an illusion of an even bigger space by painting narrow stripes on one accent wall. You will accomplish the best effect by using a monochrome scheme of simple colors. Floor-to-ceiling stripes will make the room appear taller, while the different densities will make it look broader. Combine this look in the living room or the bedroom with simple pale wood furniture. Complete it with interesting artwork or light fixtures.

Mix and Match with Other Patterns

If it’s a really bold look that you’re after, try mixing stripes with other patterns. The key is to do it with a limited color palette. It’s best to stick to a maximum of three colors – one main and two accents. Of course, you can always add some white to everything. When the colors are toned down, almost all patterns can go with stripes, but some of the best ideas are floral, dots, checks, damask, paisley, and natural textures. Use rugs, upholstering, tablecloths, tile, and other surfaces to include patterns.

One Focal Point to Rule Them All

One accent piece with bold-colored stripes can do wonders for an otherwise underwhelming room. Here are a few ideas for you, depending on the room you want to treat with this pattern:

• Bedroom: Well, the most obvious way to spruce up the bedroom with some stripes is by using your bed linen, throw pillows, and blankets. Before you do that, make sure you choose the best mattress for your sleeping habits, and then cover that beauty up with some green/white, purple/black, or a similar combo. You can also use a monochrome bed sheet and add a pattern with throw pillows. 

• Living room: The focal point in the living room can be just about anything – ranging from an area rug to an armchair or sofa. 

• Kitchen: Here, your options are somewhat limited, but you can try with some accent tiles or striped plates and tea mugs on an open shelf.

• Bathroom: Similar to the kitchen, the bathroom can feature stripes with an interesting choice of tile. Also, you can use a shower curtain to make things more interesting.

• Entryway: Two words: area rug.

Heads up!

Any room can benefit from striking stripes on the ceiling. The ceiling is not where we typically direct our interest, so your stripes won’t be too conspicuous. It will, however, be original – especially if you use warm and bold colors, such as yellow or orange. This will add a sense of warmth and fun to any room, including the bathroom and the kitchen.

Make It Subtle

Stripes don’t have to be dominant elements in the room. If you prefer subtle aesthetics, use a neutral monochrome palette to paint the walls. Two or three shades of grey can fit into a minimalist design without taking over the entire look.

Black & White

Black and white might be the simplest color combinations, but they are also the most dramatic ones. When used in small doses, black and white stripes can be the perfect accent, especially if the surrounding color scheme is limited. This combination can be used in upholstery, throw pillows, accent walls, drapery, and area rugs.  

Horizontal Stripes

Vertical stripes are the classical choice, but horizontal is somewhat edgier and more modern. The trick with them is that they make rooms appear wider than they are. They are considered more playful and can be used in a variety of widths and colors.

The Bottom Line

Stripes can be incorporated into any style or color and combined with various other patterns. Just make sure to avoid colors that clash, use strong colors in small areas, and steer away from busy design elements. In any case, start small if you are feeling unsure about introducing patterns into your interiors.