Have you ever looked around your home and just got the itch to change things up? Maybe it’s a new season (hello fall, I see you coming around the corner!) or maybe things just don’t look right. My house is constantly changing, at all times there is at at least 5 projects going on, and furniture is always being moved from one spot to the next, decor rearranged, items repurposed..you get it. I have a creative brain, which is a blessing & a curse. My friends and family never stop blowing up my phone for design advice too. Personally, this is a huge compliment, and it got me to thinking – if they all have these questions, I bet my readers do too! I’ve compiled a list of the top home styling tips I give out on a regular basis! [ In no particular order; they are as random as the time of days I get texts asking about curtains. haha! ] 1. hang your curtains high. And when you think they are high enough, go a little higher. The worst thing you can do to a window is dwarf it – aka box it in with window treatments. If your curtains are sheer as day, and you’re hanging them one inch above the top of the window – stop now! Luckily for you – this is the easiest and most dramatic change you can make to a space. Remember: higher + wider 2. create vignettes. If you ever look at magazines […]
Best things to buy at IKEA
How do I know what are the best things to buy at IKEA? Well if you’ve been keeping up with me on Instagram, you know I’ve got a lot of love for IKEA. Many people think of IKEA as a starter store – people shop for dorm furniture, first apartment stuff, “cheap” goods for the house. Let me tell you a little secret, half of my designer friends who have plenty of money to go elsewhere still swear by IKEA. Why is that? Well the potential is endless! Not only does walking through the store ignite your imagination for how to use their items in your own home, but their items rarely have just one use. They are affordable, and their furniture is very customizable! From painting, to completely over hauling stuff, there are about a million posts out there on how to customize IKEA furniture – they are dubbed “IKEA HACKS”. But that’s for another day! I’m here today to tell you WHAT to buy from IKEA – where you will get the most bang for your buck, because let’s be honest, when you’re walking through the ginormous home goods store with your big yellow IKEA bag, and things are labeled $1.99 or $5.99, you end up wanting it all. So I’m going to give you a list of my favorite tried and true items that are truly worth getting on your next IKEA trip. Low on storage space? You MUST buy a Wardrobe! This is something I […]
DIY rattan pendant light
When I told my mom I was making a DIY rattan pendant light, she laughed. Not because she thought it was stupid..but because she grew up in the 70’s and thinks it’s hysterical that I spend my time looking for rattan chairs, macrame and crafting while I blast Fleetwood Mac. What can I say, I was born in the wrong decade, I’ve thrifted and DIY’ed most of my house, other than things I can’t, like bedding and rugs. See..my loom is broken. Just kidding, I just really can’t make things out of fabric, I do not have the patience for that. Bless those who can! So I just assumed lighting was up there with things I could not make. I mean, sure I can spray paint a light fixture and wrap some sisal rope around an existing lamp, but when it comes to pendant lighting, I decided I would just get my check book out (my credit card because it’s 2018 and I never even owned a check book) and just buy a light for my basement. So there I go..Googling my life away like everyone else and these are the results I get when I search for a rattan pendant light. The prices are not horrible, but I also could not find the type I really wanted. Discouraged, I just pushed it out of my head. Later that day, Brian (the boyfriend/handyman/super human) and I went shopping, and I found this at Five Below. All it is is […]
My DIY gallery wall hack: Modern Boho
When I started to makeover my basement living room, I knew I wanted to keep my modern boho style going down there, which meant keeping things light and airy. I love gallery walls as much as the next home decor enthusiast, but I was also wanted to see something new above my sofa; a simplified version of a gallery wall. The walls in my basement living room were dark wood paneling when we moved in. They were dark, had a tiny of orange, and were oddly shiny (Why did anyone think this was okay to ever put in a house?!) Needless to say, the first thing I did after getting keys was slather the walls with as much primer as I could manage to put up until the paneling was out of sight! After I put my furniture in the space, it still felt like it was missing something. I still need to change out the light fixture, and have future plans to add hardwood flooring, but until those items are done, I continue to decorate with smaller and budget friendly tricks that make the space feel cozy. This brings me to my modern boho gallery wall. I wanted to keep it simple and use muted colors. I’ve been drooling over cactus art, and photography of Joshua tree that is currently sweeping the modern boho decor scene (that IS a thing). But there are two issues there; I’ve never been to Joshua Tree National Park, and the photography I do […]
How I save money by drinking coffee!
Since starting this blog, my life has come full circle. I love interior design, I love eco-friendly living, and I love writing. 160 characters on Instagram has never been enough for me, so naturally a blog is my outlet. If you do read to the end of my posts though – you are the true VIP here. I share a lot of DIY tips on home decor and it’s no secret I try to live a green & healthy lifestyle. Which also means I like to keep more green in my wallet. So today I’m sharing with you my favorite and thrifty-life hack on how I save money by making coffee at home! Example A: Me in the city with my pup side kick + iced coffee in hand. First off, I’m that typical girl. I love my Starbucks, I love my $6 coconut milk lattes from the trendy coffee bars in Raleigh. I could rack up my entire credit card on coffee. When I have my large iced coffee in hand I literally feel like I can conquer the world – that’s probably a separate issue haha! When I moved into my older home, I wanted to not only save money [ more for renovation & DIY projects!] but I also wanted to live more consciously. I used to have a normal coffee pot – it would brew 6 cups, and 5 of them would go to waste everyday. Then I used a Keurig with a reusable brew cup […]