:: Stress-Free Coastal Living Room Design ::

Tuesday Tips

Decorating a living room can be a stressful project to take on. You start the project with high hopes and a dream of new beginning in your living room. Well, once you get started you find out quick that this is never the case. So why not give yourself a head start and plan it right? We’ve got 3 stress-free tips on how to decorate your living room. This will help you on your decorating journey and make the process go a lot smoother. Let’s start decorating!

1. Work It or Toss It.

First thing you need to do is find out what’s staying and what’s going. Are you completely redoing the whole living room or are you keeping certain pieces? Take a look at what you want to keep in the space and how you’re going to use it. Does it need to be a repainted? Reupholstered? Moved? Find out what you want to keep and what will work with your new decor idea. If you it’s old, broken, no longer needed or doesn’t fit in the new decor style then get rid of it.

2. Decide On Your Colors.

Next it’s all about the colors. Deciding what color palette you want to use is a huge part of the decorating battle. Once you’ve picked your colors it’s all downhill from that point on. Actually picking your colors can be a difficult process if you have no idea what you want. Try looking at other spaces to find color palette inspiration or head down to your local hardware store and grab some swatches to play around with. Just be certain on what colors you want because no one wants to repaint a freshly painted wall right after you change your mind.

3. Add Your Style.

This is the most important part of the process. Don’t forget to add your personal style to the space. Try not to get caught up in what other designers or friends are doing. Don’t get us wrong, definitely use other’s design ideas for inspiration, but do it in your own way. The best part of adding your style is that it is constantly and always evolving and changing. There’s no time limit on your design process so it’s okay to take your time and really figure out what you want to add to the space. Maybe you want to go minimal and modern coastal or nautical with your living room. Find out what you want and then let the decorating begin!

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:: Add Coffee Table Books For The Complete Coastal Look ::

Tuesday Tips

Is your coffee table missing something? You have your coral, your flower or plant, but you still feel like it’s missing something. Try adding coffee table books!

Coffee table books are great way to display your interests and compliment your decor. They are a great accessory that can fill space without creating clutter. You can stack a few of your favorites and create a pedestal for another accessory as well, like a stunning white piece of coral or a wonderful smelling candle. Make those accessories work for you! It’s also fun to toss home decor books on the coffee table to have them accessible for inspiration.

Take a look at these coffee table books and see how you can use them on your coffee table!

:: Have You Ever Considered Designing With A Round Mirror? ::

Tuesday Tips

A mirror is a great piece to add to your entryway or a vignette. They can help bring light to the space and add a different look than the usual wall art. To take it up a design notch, try incorporating a round mirror. They offer a unique look and style that the typical mirror cannot.

People often ask, what are the rules to hanging mirrors or artwork? What are the measurements? Let us sum it up quickly and easily for you guys:

1. The mirror or artwork should be two-thirds (2/3) or three-fourths (3/4) as wide as the side console. Get out those rulers and start measuring!

2. If you are hanging a mirror or artwork above a side console or furniture you typically hang it 3-8 inches above the furniture. This is a general height that can be adjusted to your liking and will depend on how large or small the piece you are hanging is.

3. If you are hanging a mirror or piece of artwork on a wall on its own, depending on the size of the piece being hung, you typically hang it 55-65 inches above the floor. The general measurement depends on how high the wall is and what is to be hung.

These measurements are of course general guidelines that will get you started on your designing you space. At the end of the day, it’s your mirror or artwork being hung so do what you think looks best. If you want your art to bigger than your side console than be our guest. It is your home after all.

I know we got lost in the measurements, but a round mirror is a fun piece to add to you home. Check out these round mirrors to get inspired by the look and play with the idea of one hanging in your home.

:: Cool Off This Summer With A Nice Drink ::

Tuesday Tips

Cool off this summer with a chilled, refreshing drink. Whether it be an ice cold lemonade or your favorite summer cocktail, there’s always time to relax and take a load off. One way to make sure you can do just that is to have your home bar set up and ready to serve. It’s the perfect thing for those summer get togethers.

Set it up outside in the backyard and let the party begin! Check out some of these beautiful home bars and see what you should be doing this summer!

Looking to set up a little bar in your home? Then check out what we’ve got on our online store here!

:: 3 Coastal Outdoor Dining Tips ::

Tuesday Tips

The sun is out and it’s starting to heat up! Perfect weather to head to the backyard for a dinner and a sunset. The spring and summer seasons are great for outdoor dining. When the heat starts to linger into the nights it creates a cozy outdoor dining experience. We have 3 tips to help you take total advantage of the weather and get the most out of your outdoor dining experience!

1. Dinnerware

There’s no need for extra fancy dishes and utensils, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be cute! Heading outside for a little dinner can easily get messy and the last thing you want or need are broken plates or cups – leave the glass and porcelain inside. Find cute melamine plates and acrylic cups for the perfect outdoor dining experience!

2. Comfy Seats

Being comfortable makes every experience better. This is a fact. Outdoor dinners are one-fourth eating and three-fourths spending time with the people you love. Why not make sure everyone is comfortable while they enjoy the weather? Invest in some chairs that offer comfort. Take it to the next level in decor and comfort by snagging some outdoor cushions for ultimate coziness.

3. Enjoy The View

This tip is the most important! Enjoy being outside! Enjoy the fresh air and the beautiful weather! Enjoy the company and enjoy your backyard space!

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:: Design With Limited Natural Light ::

Tuesday Tips

Every home has unique features that challenge and force us to get creative with our design. One of the biggest challenges can be natural light. It’s something that every home owner wants, but doesn’t always get. What if you don’t have the luxury of endless natural light? Are you suppose to knock down walls or start cutting holes to make windows? Okay, we know that’s dramatic, but what are you really suppose to do? Natural light is a great design element to emphasize, but for some homes it’s just not an option. For those finding themselves on the lower natural light end of the spectrum, there is hope! We have three ways to decorate darker spaces that don’t require demolition.

First, design and decorate with lighter colors. Using a lighter color palette will instantly make a room feel brighter. It’s a known fact that white reflects light and black absorbs it. If you decorate towards the whiter, lighter side of the color spectrum you will find yourself with more light in the space.

Second, add mirrors to the space to help reflect light. You’re at least going to have a window or two that will splash some light into your home and you need to take advantage of that! Use a mirror to not only open up the space, but to help add extra light.

Third, layer your lights to create a well lit and balanced space. Layering your lights consists of using ambient, task and accent lighting together in order to maximize the light. Each light source works with one another to help make a full, well lit home.

:: Accessories In A Coastal Kids Bedroom ::

Tuesday Tips

When it comes to accessories in the kid’s bedroom, depending on their age, expect everything in the room to be a toy at some point in time. This will save you lots of potential worry and possible money. Not sure if you want to display some of your vintage sailboat collection in their room? Well that’s okay, because they can pick our their own accessories! That way you both can have fun designing the space.

Accessories are always a great way to add pops of color to the space, but they can also help add personality to the space. Everyone has a unique personality and a great way to show it is through the objects we choose to display. Explore design ideas with your kids to bring out their personality in the space so that they can put their personal mark on it!

:: Designing With Color In Kids Coastal Bedrooms ::

Tuesday’s Tips

Designing for kids is always a blast! It gives you a chance to decorate with all the fun and playful color options that you normally don’t get to. Get that imagination ready to collaborate with the most fun clients around – kids. The excitement that comes from them participating in the design of their new space is what it’s all about!

The great thing about designing kid’s rooms is that you have an endless color options and palettes to work with. No color is off limits because their imaginations are endless. It’s a great way to get the kids involved and creates a fun environment for them to be themselves. You don’t want them waking up in a dark, gloomy space do you? No way! So bring out the colors!

Looking to bring a little color to the kid’s bedroom, but not wanting to go all out? Then colored accents are your new best friends! Use accent colors to bring small pops of bright colors into the space without going overboard with colors. Stay true to the home’s overall theme and still have a little fun in the kid’s room. Accenting the right pieces can be tricky, you want the accented pieces to be noticed, however, you don’t want eyes to linger on them. Start with a few accented pieces and then add or subtract from there.

Color is a great way to introduce the little ones into designing. They can quickly and easily decide what they like based simply off the color and if it will work in their room!

:: Getting Coastal With Stripes ::

Tuesday Tips

It’s time for you to try some stripes on for size! They’re calling your name and we think you’re ready to answer!

There are numerous ways to decorate with stripes. You can grab striped fabrics, accessories or even paint stripes like in the picture featured below. Stripes are fun and add a little extra eye candy to any space. They also break up the solid colors in the space which fights off repetition in the room.

The beauty of stripes is that they can be used in any space and in any home. No home is left behind when it comes to stripes! Check out how these designers decorated using stripes!

:: Get Design Ideas Straight From The Boat ::

Tuesday Tips

When it comes to nautical home decor, one of the best places take inspiration from are boats. These are equipped with amazing pieces that happen to fit perfectly into any coastal home. We’re talking everything from ropes to buoys and more.

If you’re looking to a ship for design pieces, you can almost take the whole thing and use any part of it. Think about what you could do with a little reclaimed boat wood? How about those cleats and ropes? Heck, even the life saver can be used as an art piece! We’ve definitely seen a couple of those hanging on walls. The limit to what you can use in your home as an accessories is only your imagination.

Seriously, next you see a bot just imagine what piece you can use in your home, inside or outside, and how much nautical style it can bring.