Tuesday, February 25, 2020

8 Interior Decorating Tips That Will Always Work

So, you’re getting ready to update your interior décor. You’re excited about how great the new space will look. And then … you have to decide how you want it to look. What do you want your home to convey? And, of course, how in the world will I pull it off? Where do I even start? Once you get into it, the process can seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be.
Below are 8 interior decorating tips that always work.


1) Choose Your Colors Wisely

Love red or purple? Want a colorful space? Great. You can have it. You don’t have to go neutral if that’s not your thing. But, consider using color sparingly. It makes a bigger splash when used in artwork, fabric, and accessories. The color shouldn’t overpower the room, but rather enhance it and support the mood you want to create.

Choose a sofa you can customize and make your own, such as the Bedford Customizable Sofa from Lexington. You can choose a neutral gray and dress it up with throw pillows and other accessories.

2) Elements Every Room Should Have

Every room should contain these five elements: color, texture, print, shine, and something living. This creates a visual story of you and your family. It also tells your guests what you want them to know: this is a space that welcomes them into your home.

3) Surround Yourself with Things You Love

Sure, imitation is the best form of flattery, but only if it truly expresses who you are. Make sure your home is filled with the things you love. When you enter a room, you want it to feel like it is your own, and you want your guests to get that it tells the story of you. Whether it’s a display of family photos, a pattern you adore, or a style that speaks to you, build your rooms around the things you and your family love, and you’ll never go wrong.


4) Ground the Space with an Area Rug

Adding an area rug to a seating arrangement helps ground the grouping and tie the whole look together. The connection between the Shoreline Sofa and Chair in this Bali Hai Living Room Grouping is underscored by the area rug, encouraging conversation and increasing the relaxation and enjoyment of the living room.

5) Match Your Design to Your Style

If you’re not sure what your design should be, take look at what you love in fashion and in life. If your style is Versace, your home shouldn’t be Dior or Gucci. If your musical taste is Chopin or Beethoven, your home shouldn’t look like Billie Holiday. Reflecting the life and vitality of those who live in the space is the main goal of interior decorating.


6) Invest in Quality Pieces

Build and curate a collection of home décor that reflects your style and its evolution. Choose furniture that will last both in quality and style, such as the Astuzia 5-Piece Reclining Sofa by Natuzzi Editions. If you carefully curate your home and choose pieces that last, you’ll have a home filled with items that are coveted by future generations.

7) Add Some Art

Art can change the tone of the space and give it personality. Choose a statement piece, or build a gallery wall of pieces you’ve collected over the years. Chances are, if you’ve got a cache of art, it reflects your taste and goes together in style, subject matter, and color. So, show it off in your family room, or that awkward wall space you just don’t know what to do with.

8) Don’t Be Afraid to Mix and Match Styles

You may have an overarching style – traditional, transition, or mid-century modern. Or your style may be eclectic. Don’t get too hung up on sticking to your style if you find a piece you love. By mixing styles a bit, your space will be a unique reflection of you and your lifestyle. And you’ll end up with a home you love.

My last, and possibly most important bit of advice, is to be authentic to yourself when you design your space. Look at what you have and what you want to add. Know why each piece is there. Every item in your home should reflect both your personal style and your lifestyle. If you keep both of these things in mind, you will have a space that you’ll love living in.

Read Baer's Furniture reviews and see what to look for in a furniture store. Learn more about Baer's Furniture.

Monday, February 17, 2020

4 Fresh Dining Room Trends for 2020

For many, gathering around the dinner table for a formal meal no longer happens regularly. There has been a "casualization" of modern entertaining, with many of us gathering around the kitchen island nibbling on cheese plates and dips. But, even in our mobile-enabled, digitized world, the dining room table is still the place people gather to honor old traditions and create new ones.
I'm not dissing casual entertaining around the kitchen island, but if you watch even one home design show these days, you'll see the reemergence of the dining room as an entertainment space. And, fortunately, now more than ever, trends in dining room décor offer options for everyone's taste and style. Here are some fresh new takes on dining room trends for 2020 and beyond.


1) Mix Textures and Styles

Matchy-matchy is a thing of the past. Today's dining rooms are filled with pieces that go together, even if they feature a variety of textures and styles. This is a great way to add warmth and dimension to your dining room. Neutral upholstered, slightly formal chairs go with a causal Rattan Pull Up Bench from the Universal Coastal Living Home collection. The bench adds a modern feel and is a great contrast to the more classic, simple design of the Escape Homecoming Dining Table from the same collection.
Don't be shy about choosing the elements you like to create a unique look for your dining room. If you love this look but aren't sure how to create it, choosing pieces from the same collection ensures you get the same feel without falling into the dreaded matchy-matchy space.


2) Add a Bench for Casual Flair

Benches are so on-trend these days that they get two mentions on our 2020 trends list. They are great space savers. If you have a smallish dining room, a bench can easily be tucked under the table to create visual space and make room for foot traffic when not in use. And if your table has one side against a bank of windows, a bench won't block the view. The Brownstone Dining Table and bench from Coast to Coast Imports gives your dining room a casual yet traditional feel that makes guests feel welcome.


3) Choose Upholstered Chairs for Comfort and Style

If you like to linger around the table for scintillating conversation, or often use your dining room as a workspace, then the importance of choosing comfortable chairs cannot be overstressed. After about an hour on metal, wood, or acrylic chairs, our derrieres will begin to complain. Upholstered dining room chairs level up the comfort and encourage people to stay and chat. In addition, they add richness, style, and texture to your dining room. Choose a simple style such as the Calista Transition Dining Table by Bernhardt and surround it with upholstered chairs from the same collection to infuse your space with casual elegance.


4) Round Dining Room Tables Create Space

Round dining room tables have been around since the Middle Ages, and a quick glance tells you why it has stood the test of time. Although the majority of dining rooms are configured for rectangular tables, a round one gives you more intimacy and fosters conversation. And as home design trends towards more open-concept spaces, there are many opportunities for round tables such as the Reverie Transitional Round Dining Table from Hooker Furniture to be incorporated into your dining room decor.

The options for dining rooms have never been so exciting. Try adding your own twist to these ideas to create the dining room that fits your taste and lifestyle.

Read Baer's Furniture reviews. Learn more about Baer's Furniture.