A resource for those seeking information on organizing and transforming spaces.

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Why Modern Furniture is the New Timeless Style

Timelessness and modernity, two things we don’t always think go together. But when it comes to furniture, modern is the new timeless style. Simple, elegant, chic, and functional, all things timeless furniture should be. Gone are the days of impractical, bulky, gaudy furniture and here to stay is style that will stand the test of time. Whether you’re looking for a new coffee table and lamp shades or want a complete overhaul including a couch and chairs, timeless styles and designs will be your friend in the long run. But what sparked the shift? Many things have started the trend to move toward simple, elegant home decor, and we have some insights to tell you how we got here.

Timelessness and modernity, two things we don’t always think go together. But when it comes to furniture, modern is the new timeless style. Simple, elegant, chic, and functional, all things timeless furniture should be. Gone are the days of impractical, bulky, gaudy furniture and here to stay is style that will stand the test of time. Whether you’re looking for a new coffee table and lamp shades or want a complete overhaul including a couch and chairs, timeless styles and designs will be your friend in the long run. But what sparked the shift? Many things have started the trend to move toward simple, elegant home decor, and we have some insights to tell you how we got here.

Functionality Rules

Functionality can be fashionable, especially when it comes to furniture. Trendy furniture can look great for a time, but once the trend has run its course, the piece becomes obsolete. Awkward shaped chairs, oblong couches, and any furniture that takes up more space than it needs to should not be a permanent piece in your home. Instead, opt for elegant pieces that can be used multiple ways. There are loads of options to shop for modern furniture online. An L-shaped couch with a pullout bed is great for weekend visitors or a simple wooden hutch is perfect for adding storage in your home. 

Modern furniture is also great for hosting parties and events. The simple design and high level of functionality create optimal seating without making people feel cramped. 

Symmetry & Proportion

Having a space that is symmetrical and proportional will never go out of style. Trends often create incredibly unbalanced spaces that distract the eye and have no focal point. When you incorporate symmetry and proportion into your space, your living room, kitchen, bedroom, and more become more stylish. Focusing on these two aspects can help you maximize the space you have and draw the eye to focal points you desire. If you want to highlight a beautiful bay window, flank the sides with two arm chairs. Or if you have a dazzling chandelier, arrange all the furniture equally on the left and right side of it to draw the eye. 

Statement Pieces Pop 

Timeless is the new modern because when you choose furniture that is meant to withstand the test of time and trends, you can easily incorporate standout pieces when you desire. Instead of opting for a trendy, fuzzy couch, opt for a bold throw pillow. When you have timeless furniture, you can easily add new, trendy pieces when you desire without having to redo your entire space over one oversized bed frame or chair.

Resale Value

Timeless is great for numerous reasons, especially your wallet. Modern furniture will last for years when it comes to style, so if you have a mid-century leather couch, chances are, you’ll be able to resell in 10 years for a great price if you want to upgrade. Modern furniture is simple, sleek, and elegant, so it works in a variety of spaces and styles. Metal canopy bed frames, Barcelona chairs, and glass coffee tables, are just some of the modern pieces you can buy to enhance your space that will no doubt sell-well when you're ready to move on. So, be sure to think about who else might want to buy your furniture one day. 

Quality & Sustainability

Modern furniture is all about creating less waste and more longevity with pieces. Bulky, ostentatious furniture is not sustainable in a home and won’t stand the test of time. Sleek, modern furniture can be made with a variety of materials, but typically high-quality wood, leather, and durable man-made materials comprise a majority of the best modern furniture. Plus, these days, a lot of furniture is made from old recycled pieces. So your bed frame, bar stool or kitchen table can help mitigate waste. 

Let Your Style Shine

Most important of all, modern furniture is timeless because it lets your unique style shine. Whether your taste is bright and bold or simple and sweet, modern furniture is a playground for creating your ideal space. You can use a couch, table, or chair to highlight your favorite piece of art, an accent wall, or use it to highlight the beauty and design of your home. 

If you’re looking to give your home a new, long-lasting life, modern furniture will not only look great but become an investment you’re glad you made. 

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How to Decide on the Perfect Paint Colors for Your Property 

If the new year has you thinking about refreshing your home to help make it better organized and look and feel nicer, or you plan to buy a new property, you’re sure to consider paint colors soon.

This is a sponsored post. The opinions in the post are honest although it is a sponsored post. All reviews and opinions expressed in this post are based on our personal views. We are excited because we know you will love it.

If the new year has you thinking about refreshing your home to help make it better organized and look and feel nicer, or you plan to buy a new property, you’re sure to consider paint colors soon. 

While it can be intimidating trying to make choices about your palettes with so many different hues on offer these days, getting this decision right can go a long way to making your home as cozy and calming as you hope for. Read on for some tips you can keep in mind about how to best pick the perfect paint colors for your place. 

Pick Furnishings and Fixtures and Fittings First

Start by picking the furnishings, fixtures, and fittings for the rooms you want to paint before deciding on paint colors. It’s always easier to match the wall hue to your belongings than to paint first and then realize your furnishings or other items in the room don’t suit what you chose. 

Consider the least flexible items in rooms first, and go from there. For example, you might want to buy a small ceiling fan or pretty light fixture first, as well as choose flooring, cabinetry, tiles, sofas, tables, chairs, rugs, shelving, and the like before you pick out your paint colors since these things are harder and more expensive to change. 

It pays to select one or more colors for the paint that are complementary to or match the prime shade in one or more of these pieces. Plus, don’t forget to utilize the handy paint testers you can get from hardware stores, paint specialists, and the like to see what hues are likely to look like on walls once you’ve painted whole areas. 

Check Out Other Places for Inspiration

Next, since deciding on paint colors is rather tricky, you might like to turn to other places for inspiration to help you see what you do and don’t like. For example, apart from getting ideas from the fabrics and textures of the fittings, fixtures, and furnishings in a room, as mentioned above, you can source ideas from other properties. Go to open homes and auctions to see color schemes in action or check out for-sale listings online. 

If you have an architectural home, such as a Craftsman or Mid-Century Modern dwelling, look at other similar period properties for inspiration, and see how they’ve matched wall colors to the era of the architecture. There’s also content galore available these days that can provide food for thought. Read blogs, look at social media sites like Instagram and Pinterest, flick through some interior design magazines, and read books about home decorating to see what shades appeal to you and how and where they’re used. 

Pay Attention to Color Theory

Another tip is to pay attention to color theory. This theory has much to it and has been around long term, so you can learn all sorts of things from studying it. With just a short education on the basics, you can discover how to use the color wheel to see which hues will work beautifully together and which ones clash. 

As you look at a color wheel, remember that the shades next to each other on the circle coexist effectively. Turn the wheel, too, if you have a physical color theory chart, to see how various shades relate to each other. 

Keep Other Designer Rules in Mind

Other interior design and art or architectural-based rules are worth learning about and following, too, when you pick out your paint colors. For instance, the popular 60-30-10 rule revolves around the concept of dividing spaces into three components as you design them. 

The theory posits that you should have around 60 percent of the room’s color come from a major component, in this case being the wall hue, and 30 percent stemming from a secondary shade, such as the color in key fixtures and fittings, materials, furnishings, etc. The final ten percent of your room’s color will come in via accents, such as accessories like art, vases, pillows, throw rugs, and the like. 

To help you decide on the best paint colors for your home, it also pays to think about the finishes you want to use in the space and how lighting will affect how things look in the room. Plus, consider which hues you genuinely love and aren’t likely to get sick of over time.

If you still can’t quite choose or you pick something and find it doesn’t look how you’d imagined, it’s worthwhile hiring an interior designer or another specialist to provide advice and recommendations. 

Selecting shades in which to decorate rooms can make a big difference to how the spaces come across and how much you want to be in them, so it’s something you need to get right. 

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Start Fresh or Freshen Up? What Kitchen Upgrades Beat Replacements

When it comes to your kitchen, what's better: an upgrade or a replacement? Some items in your kitchen are worth upgrading, while others are better to just replace. Here's a look at what kitchen upgrades beat replacements!

When it comes to your kitchen, what's better: an upgrade or a replacement? Some items in your kitchen are worth upgrading, while others are better to just replace. Here's a look at what kitchen upgrades beat replacements!

Don't waste your money on a fridge repair when you can get a better one for the same price. 

Are you dreading the costs and inconveniences that come with fridge repair? Having to schedule service visits, pay high parts and labor costs, and deal with a presumably old appliance can seem like an uphill battle. Instead of pouring money into repairs on something that may not last, consider investing in a new fridge altogether. You might be surprised to find many surprisingly affordable options out there with features you never thought possible for the price. Skip the repair shop, save your time and money, and get a brand-new fridge for the same cost.

A dishwasher is a worthy investment, especially if you have a family. 

If you have a growing family, it may be time to invest in an efficient dishwasher. It's possible that when your house was first built, the model of the dishwasher was only intended for smaller loads and fewer dishes. Outfitting your kitchen with an automatic dishwasher can be a significant upgrade that saves time and energy — not to mention reducing the number of dishes, pans, and utensils that need to be scrubbed by hand in the sink. Having a reliable and modern dishwasher reduces water consumption and ensures items are cleaned thoroughly each time. If your old dishwasher breaks or even just isn't cutting it anymore, it might be better to upgrade it instead of struggling with it.

If your cabinets are old and outdated, it's time for an upgrade. 

If your kitchen cabinets are looking dull and outdated, it could be time to invest in an upgrade. While a few repairs here and there might seem like a fun project, oftentimes you may end up spending more money than you would be updating the whole thing. By replacing old cupboards and countertops with new, modern alternatives, you can quickly enliven the look of your entire kitchen while adding to the overall value of your house. Whether it's part of larger-scale kitchen remodeling or just a change for this part of your home, investing in an upgrade means having beautiful functionality in the long run - something that's sure to make any cook happy!

Your stovetop sees a lot of action - if it's damaged, consider replacing it instead of trying to fix it

The kitchen is such an integral part of the home - after all, where else can you prepare sustenance for yourself and your family? As such, it's important to make sure that all items in the kitchen are in excellent working order. Your stovetop in particular gets a lot of use, so if it's been damaged in any way, it's better to replace it rather than attempt to fix it. Installation may be a bit of an endeavor, but you'll be grateful for a strong and functioning stove once it's all said and done.

The oven is one appliance you don't want to skimp on - if it breaks thoroughly, you'll want to replace it

Ovens are one of the most essential kitchen items and having a reliable, functioning model is key to executing delicious meals. When it comes to repairs, a broken oven can be a much larger expense than simply replacing the appliance in the long run. Investing in a new oven may be a daunting purchase, but with so much available on the market now there’s likely something that fits your budget. Plus, having the latest technologies such as convection baking or upgraded heating elements makes creating meals easier—so it’s definitely worth looking into!

So there you have it. If these aspects of your kitchen are giving you trouble, and the quick fixes you've tried just aren't working, it may be better to simply upgrade them.  While it's very satisfying to repair things in your home, and while a home fix can work for a year or two, usually it's better to bite the bullet and get the upgrade you know you really want. 

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Design Ben Soreff Design Ben Soreff

Why You Should Let Go of Home Decor Perfectionism

If you think you’ve failed because your home doesn’t look like a design magazine photo, get over it. Here’s why you should let go of home decor perfectionism.

Why You Should Let Go of Home Decor Perfectionism

A project that must be perfect is a project that will never be complete. If you’re addicted to home design magazines, constantly browsing the web for “the look” you want to achieve in your home, and perpetually rearranging your furniture, you’re on a road to nowhere. Consider why you should let go of home decor perfectionism.

You LIVE There

Life gets messy. That includes the part lived in your home. When every minute of your day is another chore, you’re not spending any time at home relaxing. You’ve already got a job—don’t turn decorating and cleaning your home into a second one.

News flash—those gorgeous images in the design magazines are staged. Do you remember going over to that friend’s house when you were a kid where you weren’t allowed in the living room? And the couch was covered in plastic? What good is a couch if you can’t sit on it?

This doesn’t mean you have free rein to be a slob. There are ways you can keep your home clean, comfortable, and livable without devoting every waking minute to the task. In fact, we’ve reviewed a few books on the subject. Your home is not a stage set. You’re going for peace, not perfection. Learn to regard “lived-in” as a compliment.

You Have a Personality

Homes decorated entirely in those oh-so-popular neutrals, devoid of any personal items in plain view, with cookie-cutter “decor” pieces that don’t express who you are: these kinds of interiors look pre-fab, made to appeal to anyone and everyone.

Unless you rent out your home and live somewhere else, allowing it to be an authentic representation of your style and interests makes it more interesting and welcoming.

You Have Kids, Pets, and a Partner

Real homes involve more than just you. A home populated by loving partners, kids, dogs and cats, and everything that comes with them is a home where several lives converge. Making their lives all about your need for perfection is guaranteed to spur sulking, crankiness, and dissent.

Sure, the kids should pick up after themselves, and the dishes should go into the dishwasher and not in a pile on the kitchen counter. But forcing your family to stand inspection daily will leave you exhausted and them sullen. Suddenly the kids are spending lots of time at their friend’s house, and your partner and the dog are enjoying several extra walks a day.

You don’t have to hang up a “bless this mess” sign and give up. Letting go of home decor perfectionism frees you up to choose pieces just because you like them—and not because they conform to some pre-conceived idea of what’s “on trend.”

A few well-chosen pieces that express your taste and personality can liven up your home, inside and out. They can boost your home’s curve appeal. Adopting a “clean it when you notice it” philosophy and investing 20 minutes at a time rather than a full day of obsessive scrubbing will make for a more enjoyable home.

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