Home Decor Ideas

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Do you ever feel like life gets busier year after year? Us too. The digital age was supposed to make things easier for us, but it’s just made us have to do more in less time. Fortunately, there are some things we can do to regain our sanity. We polled our Freshome team to find out what life hacks they think busy people need to simplify their lives. Here are our top five life hacks.

A planner can change that way you live your daily life. Image: Pra Chid/Shutterstock

A calendar or planner

There’s nothing quite as terrible as realizing you’ve forgotten something important. That’s why our top life hack is to create a system that works for you and to stick with it. Using a calendar or planner to keep your life organized is a game changer.

If you want to start with personal life organization, here’s a pretty Watercolors Monthly Planner from Target to get you started. Or, if you want to go bigger, you can mount a large-scale master calendar somewhere everyone in your family will see it to keep everyone a little more on top of their game. Put this Yoobi Magnetic Notepad from Target right next to it and have your family add grocery needs so your next trip to the store can be that much more effective.

Even if you prefer to keep your master calendar digitally, a hard-copy calendar can still be a boon. Start using a birthday calendar, like this one from Etsy. Borrowed from the Dutch, these calendars are a perfect reminder of important dates like birthdays and anniversaries. Each page of the calendar lists the days in a numbered format but doesn’t list the days of the week, so it can be used year after year. Add to yours every time you learn a birthday, put it in a place you’ll see every day and you’ll never forget an important date again!

Foolproof your organization and your family might actually put things back where they belong. Image: Myvisuals/Shutterstock

Kitchen, closet & bathroom organizers

This isn’t the first time you’ve heard that our Freshome team loves closet organizes (like this beautiful Luxury Closet Starter Kit from The Container Store), and it won’t be the last. Why are we so hooked? Keeping your closet organized is a snap when the organization is literally built in. And, sure, you could shell out big bucks for a closet renovation. But you could also turn to baskets, bins and other organizers to give yourself the structure you need to keep things tidy.

This principle extends well past the closet, too. Add bins to your pantry, kitchen cabinets and bathroom to keep your house in order. These are especially powerful if you live with people who are, ahem, less concerned about organization than you. If your family members have a tendency to just throw things down, try them with providing a basket or bin. Label your organizers clearly and you’ll be amazed how much easier it is to get your family on board with putting things back where they go.

Creating a place to stash mail and keys prevents both from getting lost. Image: Lucia Coppola/Shutterstock

A place for collecting mail and keys

Junk builds up. It’s an ongoing problem that every person has to manage. That’s why one of our top Freshome life hacks is putting a system in place for this exact issue. Specifically, add a small basket wherever your mail seems to accumulate and wherever you drop your keys. Just implementing organization for these two things – one that can be hard to keep under control and one that always seems to go missing – can make life simpler. No more missed bills, no more missing keys, just like that!

We love the Water Hyacinth Storage Baskets from The Container Store. They come in four sizes so you can find what you need. Keep your storage matching throughout your house by using the extra small for corraling the aforementioned mail and keys. Then, use the middle sizes for toys and remotes and turn to the large for bulkier items like blankets. Boom! Your home looks that much more organized in a snap.

What would your ideal relaxation space contain? Image: Christian Cabarrocas/Twenty20

Time and space to daydream, plan and de-stress

One of the best life hacks we can offer is to practice self-care. We know, easier said than done. But carving out space in your day and space in your home where you can relax and just be is critical. Pick a place in your home, any place, and fill it with things you love. Ideally, this will be an area where you can minimize distractions (hint: right next to the kids’ playroom might not be the best location) and easily find moments of calm. Then, add whatever is going to best serve you. That could be some pretty candles, a cozy throw, a yoga mat, a bookshelf – whatever is going to spark your creativity and help you find balance.

Seriously, in order to be your most productive self, you need to allow yourself to recharge. Creating space in your home dedicated to doing exactly that makes it much more likely that you’ll actually make yourself a priority when you’re feeling run down.

A smart home can make your life easier. Who couldn’t use an assistant? Image: Johnna Lafaith/Twenty20

Some help

No, really. When we asked our Freshome team, which is full of busy people, for life hacks, most of us said one of the things we most need is a little help. Some of us find that help in the form of a meal delivery service (we love Blue Apron) or a housekeeper. Others turn to more digital supports, like the Google Home (available at Target), an automated coffee maker to make the mornings just a little bit easier or a keyless lock, like the Honeywell Electronic Lock from Target. Remember what we said earlier about keeping an eye on keys? Electronic locks can eliminate that issue for you.

Whatever help you need to manage your life and feel less stressed, don’t be afraid to ask for it. It can make all the difference in the world.

What are your favorite life hacks? We would love your tips and tricks to help us all manage our busy schedules.

The post Life Hacks: 5 Things Busy People Need to Simplify their Lives appeared first on Freshome.com.

When we picture curtains, we see them hanging long on either side of a valance. It’s functional, it’s attractive and it works with any room style. But that style is also not your only option. You can get creative in the way you hang curtains. From giving them unique spacing so light can filter in easier to even placing them at angles, there are many interesting ways to hang your curtains. With clever placement, they can accent any room design and add a flair all their own. So read on to learn how to hang curtains in creative ways.

Create a style with interspaced curtains to let in a muted amount of light. Image: Svet_Feo/Shutterstock

Use creative spacing to let in softer light

This is perhaps one of the easiest and most common ways of hanging curtains a bit more creatively. This style is all about placing curtains so that more light can suffuse the space. As you can see in the photo above, hanging curtains in spaced intervals helps bring in light — but also keeps too much light from overpowering the space. It’s the best of both worlds.

A look like this would work well with bay windows. That would allow you to hang curtains in the corners of the windows, creating a more organized yet organic design. The curtains could add an attractive texture to the corners.

You can even place curtains at an angle for a softer, romantic look. Image: Marko Poplasen/Shutterstock

Get creative with geometry

Perhaps one of the most involved ways to hang curtains creatively is to put them on slanted walls. You can see an example of the style in the photo above, behind the TV. The curtains adorn the walls and go all the way up to the ceiling in a tiered design. It goes to show that you don’t have to just hang curtains around straight windows.

This is another style that would look great in romantic and artistic spaces, like a boho-style loft, especially if the curtains were to extend all the way up the ceiling. The curtain design would add a soft and romantic texture.

Bold-colored curtains can make a statement. Image: Artazum/Shutterstock

Hang curtains in accent colors

Another idea is to focus on curtains with bold color. Going for a wild color can be its own means to hang curtains in creative ways. The photo above shows how the deep cherry red curtains go well with the red accents in the rest of the space. They also work well as part of a colorful high-contrast style.

To get some design cohesion in this look, you’ll want to choose the curtain color as your main focal color. Then work that shade into the rest of the space in more subtle ways. You might have a subtle wallpaper, or you could go for small items of the same color on end tables or small accent throw pillows. All around, bold curtains are a great way to work with an accent color.

Creatively placed, textured curtains can add a visual kick to a room. Image: Fuse/Getty Images

Think texture in the bedroom

You might also want to pay attention to deep texture. In the photo above, you can see how the lush curtains add some romantic texture to the space. By focusing on lighter shades to get that texture, curtains like these could fit well with any color scheme in the rest of the room. An example is how well the gold shading on the curtains matches the very light yellow on the pillows.

The placement of the curtains behind the headboard is also a good idea if you want to hang curtains in creative ways. You don’t expect a full-length curtain behind a headboard, so it makes an interesting backdrop for the room.

The post 4 Creative Ways to Hang Curtains appeared first on Freshome.com.

We’re calling it now: 2019 will be the year of the plant. What started as a semi-hipster trend in interior design has become a full-on movement. Bringing the outside in has tons of benefits, of course, from mood boosting to cleaner air. But let’s face it: not everyone is famous for their green thumb. If you love the idea of a more natural way of decorating but can’t keep a plant alive to, well, save your life, don’t worry. Plants aren’t the only way to bring the outside in and we predict a move to more natural decor throughout the year.

If you’re positive you’ll kill your snake plant and you’ve assassinated your last batch of succulents, try these ideas instead.

Opt for natural materials

Wicker and rattan furniture pieces aren’t just for patios. Image: Photographee.eu/Shutterstock

Hey, leaves aren’t the only way to bring in natural decor. There are plenty of non-living natural materials that can warm up your home without the whole watering and sunlight side of things. Natural materials like wicker are perfect for airy accent furniture, while breezy linen is ideal for textiles. Even leather and faux leather can be considered a natural material and can make a great contrast to lighter colors and materials.

Use color

Use green paint for a fresh take. Image: ImageFlow/Shutterstock

The good news? No one has ever forgotten to water a green wall. Why not use color to bring the outside in? It can easily brighten up a room and you won’t have to have a housesitter take care of it when you go on vacation. Look specifically for colors that can be found in nature, like vibrant greens or cool, brilliant ocean blues. Choose an accent wall so you get the same pop of color you’d enjoy from a plant. Or use color in your decor accents, like throw pillows or vases.

Try faux animal touches

Animal print stands in for plants. Image: Artazum/Shutterstock

When you think “natural decor,” your mind usually goes to plants and trees. But don’t forget that animal print and textures can be just as natural as houseplants. A faux hide rug can bring in texture and a pop of color, while a fur throw or blanket makes a room look cozy and natural at the same time. Or go for an unexpected touch like a snake-etched ottoman or an antelope print accent rug and let your animal instincts rule.

Frame with windows

Utilize windows to show off your home’s natural beauty. Image: Breadmaker/Shutterstock

Don’t assume that you’re limited to the interior of your home when decorating and designing. Your landscape can become part of the design (and you don’t even have to hand-water it). While you might not be able to move windows to get the prettiest picture, you can spruce up your yard. Try planting a window box to add some color that peeks through the window. Or get rid of heavy blinds that obscure the view of your favorite tree. Utilize the outdoors as a low-maintenance, high-impact design element.

Rethink transitional spaces

Use transitional spaces for added light. Image: sirtravelalot/Shutterstock

The spaces that bridge the gap between inside and outside can become some of your greatest allies in organic design. Think of restyling your front foyer, back deck or even unused sunroom so you bring a little more of the outside in. A gazebo or roof extension makes it so you can access your grill all year long, while a glass door with a screen keeps the front of your home bright and breezy. You can even repurpose an unused sunroom as a bright playroom with access to the backyard.

Use natural patterns

Palm print wallpaper doesn’t need to be watered. Image: Photographee.eu/Shutterstock

So you’re a hopeless gardener; you can still bring plants into your daily decor. Decorating with plant prints is en vogue and gives you all the same peaceful, happy feelings as live plants. Palm-printed throw pillows, a leafy rug or even a bold, floral wallpaper in a small space (think powder room) can give your home a greenhouse vibe without all of the upkeep.

Think interior windows

Glass cabinets let light stream through. Image: Breadmaker/Shutterstock

The idea behind interior windows is to allow more light to pass through your home. Interior windows can be found anywhere from a French door leading to the living room to glass-front cabinets in your kitchen. Glass half walls and partitions can also be used to preserve light and give your home more character. And you can use your interior windows as a nod to gardening. Tuck a few faux plants or flowers behind the doors or strategically place your windows so they frame some of your home’s nature-loving elements.

Get artsy

Plant prints lend a natural vibe. Image: Photographee.eu/Shutterstock

Art prints are a cheap way to bring color and texture into a space. An entire wall of different leaf prints or a gallery of floral shots is a surefire way to bring a pop of greenery into your home. You can find floral prints via online photography sites, at thrift stores or you can make your own. Teamed up with some cool vintage frames, you’ll never have to feel second-best to your green-thumbed sister again.

For those who love filling their homes with living things, the year’s plant trend is a no-brainer. Unfortunately, it’s not as easy and breezy for everyone. If you love the idea of a more organic aesthetic but can’t stand the idea of filling your house with live plants, natural decor is the next best thing. Bringing the outside in doesn’t have to mean making your own suburban jungle. Just find a few key pieces that look right at home.

The post 8 Non-Plant Ideas for Bringing the Outside In appeared first on Freshome.com.

If you love to read – or you just love books, whether you actually read them or not – consider creating a home library. Most people who don’t have a home library think that they don’t have enough space. But, by thinking creatively, you can find enough room to house your own books.

You don’t need thousands – or even hundreds – of books, and you don’t need wall-to-wall, ceiling-to-floor space. Below are some options for finding space to create a library that meets your needs and design aesthetic.

In the dining room

These bookshelves are the dining room’s focal point. Image: Dit26978/Getty Images

Not one, but two interior designers recommend creating a library in your dining room. “Change up the way you think about your home,” says Carolina V. Gentry of Pulp Design Studios. “You don’t have to have a formal dining room if you don’t use it, so make it a library.”

Formal dining rooms tend to have a lot of wall space. Image: psdphotography/Getty Images

Interior designer Bethany Adams agrees. “Add shelving to your dining room and keep all of your books there,” she says. “Dining rooms tend to have a lot of unused wall space, and filling them with books creates a beautiful, almost wallpaper-like effect.”

What’s better than a good book and a good glass of wine? Image: Orundongel/Getty Images

In the kitchen

Keep cookbooks handy, yet out of the way. Image: Joe Schmeizer/Getty Images

If you have cookbooks, Adams recommends taking the doors off of a kitchen cabinet and painting the inside.  “If you keep your cookbooks there, they’ll be within easy reach and look great.” she says. “Just be sure never to store your books in a room that gets a lot of humidity like the basement or a bathroom – that environment is not friendly to your tomes.”

These shelves also provide pops of color in this white kitchen. Image: ShutterWorx/Getty Images

In the bedroom

Consider framing your bed with bookshelves. Image: urfinguss/Getty Images

How often do you fall asleep while reading? You might as well put your library in one of your bedrooms. If you have a second bedroom that you only need to use a few times a year, Gentry recommends investing in a fold-out loveseat or sofa so you can turn this room into a library. “Be sure to create a cozy mood, and use comfy seating,” she says. Gentry also recommends filling a focal wall with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves to create a library feel.

The bedroom is usually the most comfortable place to read. Image: ExperienceInteriors/Getty Images

Josie Abate at Ambience Express agrees and adds, “Built-in shelving can accommodate any size space so you can easily squeeze a home library in any room of the home, whether it be a bedroom or a corner of your living room.” She suggests adding a bench under a window with shelving around it for the perfect place to curl up with a good book.

This is a great idea for a blank bedroom wall. Image: Paulo De Santis/Eye/Em/Getty Images

In the home office

An office wall is an ideal place for a library. Image: Eoneren/Getty Images

If you have a home office, donate one of the walls to create a floor-to-ceiling library. If you’re worried about the space you might lose, remember that you can also put most of your office equipment on the shelves.

There’s plenty of shelf space in this home office. Image: EyeEm/Getty Images

Around the entertainment center

This area is stylish and functional. Image: Romy Tesei/Getty Images

“Often, people store their books in the closets of ordinary entertainment centers, according to Katy Brut, interior design consultant at NY Furniture Outlets. She says it’s important to decide if you want to display your books to everyone, perhaps next to photos and souvenirs, or if you would rather keep your collection private. This will determine if you should get open or closed bookshelves. If you don’t have a lot of floor space around your entertainment center, consider mounting slimline bookshelves.

Creative wall-mounted shelves

Who says libraries must have square shelves? Image: Ralwel/Getty Images

If you don’t want traditional rows of bookshelves, consider this type of shelving, which doesn’t take up a lot of visual space, and can also double as artwork.

In the attic

An attic library also provides solitude. Image: onurdongel/Getty Images.

If you have a finished attic, it’s another ideal location for a library. You can carve space out of your walls, so you won’t have to take up any floor space.

Carving space out of the wall provides a place to store and display your books. Image: Flux Factory/Getty Images

“Is there an odd nook that never made any since to you?” asks Justin Riodan, founder of Portland-based Spade and Archer Design Agency. “Maybe a staircase where a dead space has troubled you for years.”  Those areas provide plenty of library space.

Also consider the area around your fireplace.  “Many homes have a flat blank wall with a fireplace smack dab in the middle,” Riodan says. “I love the idea of surrounding that fireplace with floor to ceiling custom shelving and filling it with books. It can take a cold contrite fireplace and make it into a literal reading room.”

Libraries don’t have to be on the floor. Image: Bulgac/Getty Images

And if you have tall ceilings, you can also take advantage of wasted space higher up. In the photo above, the homeowners created a library at the top of the room.

“To create a home library you can focus one or two walls of shelving to house all your books and an area with a comfortable chair or bench seating, preferably by a window for natural light,” Abate says. “If you have more room a desk is always a nice add on to a home library, it will become a space that can double as an office.”

Don’t forgot the empty space under your stairs. Image: archideaphoto/Getty Images

She also recommends creating a library nook under the stairs. “You would need to install custom shelving to fit the exact size of your nook,” Abate says. “You can also incorporate a bench with artwork under the stairs for the complete reading nook.”

Circular spaces

Create a fun space to relax and read books. Image: Bulgac/Getty Images2

Sometimes, it’s hard to design around and decorate circular areas. However, curving a wall of bookshelves is the perfect solution. And the windows allow plenty of natural light into the library.

Other considerations

Other nooks and crannies can provide a lot of space. Image: Hero Images/Getty Images

Don’t forget about other areas in your home that can serve as a library. According to interior designer Dawn Totty,  in addition to your attic, consider an unused hallway closet or pantry. “Depending on your ceiling height, shelves or built-ins can go as high as 12′ from floor-to-ceiling,” she says. If you use higher shelving Totty recommends a custom rail-ladder system.  “Be sure to use plenty of brackets since a large number of books can be quite heavy.”

A ladder system can help you reach books near the top. Image: Asbe/Getty Images

Totty also recommends using medium to darker stained wood finishes. “This will create a stately and traditional library look,” she says. “Add a couple of comfy leather chairs, a large area rug, and floor and table lights for task lighting.” Or, you could use dark wood on the floor. Since black is the stylish color of every year, you could paint one wall black, and make the other walls and the bookshelves white.

Your library can also be chic and luxurious. Image: Peter_visual/Getty Images

However, if you prefer a lighter and brighter feel, she offers the following advice: “Position a cozy upholstered chair or two with a wall mounted electric white fireplace, add a fun chandelier and load up your walls with painted open concept shelves for books and staging collectibles.”

The post Think You Don’t Have Space for a Home Library? Think Again appeared first on Freshome.com.

One of the popular ways to get a sleek, modern bathroom is to opt for an open design shower. As the name suggests, these showers are typically fully open to the rest of the bathroom, or at least only partially covered. Many are even simply behind clear glass partitions. This design opens up the bathroom space visually. And the lack of a shower curtain allows the bathroom to look more modern and spa-like. If this is something you’d like to try, or you’re just curious about how others incorporated the style, below are some of the best open design showers.

Fully Open Design Showers

First on the list of different open design shower types are showers that remain fully open to the rest of the bathroom. These have a few different benefits. They can be good for those with limited mobility since there is often only a lip to step over into the shower. And many designs are even flush with the floor and have a drainage system that allows water to stay in the shower area.

As mentioned above, they can also visually open up the bathroom space, making these good options for small space bathrooms. And, of course, open design showers have a luxury, modern feel to them, like something you’d find in an upscale hotel.

Open showers can make a smaller bathroom look bigger. Image: Artazum/Shutterstock

An open shower fits well into the middle of a bathroom space. Image: Artazum/Shutterstock

Natural stonework can give an exotic spa feel. Image: Kalen Armstrong/Shutterstock

An open shower can show off the tile texture. Image: Kristi Blokhin/Shutterstock

A rounded door design can fit in just about anywhere. Image: KUPRYNENKO ANDRII/Shutterstock

Different floor textures can visually separate the open shower from the rest of the bathroom. Image: alexandre zveige/Shutterstock

Partially Open Design Showers

You may not be completely on board with a shower area open to the rest of the bathroom. If so, you can opt for partially open design showers. These give the best of both worlds. Most of the shower still opens to the rest of the bathroom, but part of the shower area will remain behind some type of partition. That serves the purpose of opening up the bathroom visually, but also allowing for some privacy.

The partitions themselves can also be wonderful additions to a bathroom. From partial walls to frosted glass, the partitions below add a sense of texture and style to the space.

Creative, geometric partitions can add style to a space. Image: Photographee.eu/Shutterstock

Another idea is to have a minimalistic partition right next to the shower space. Image: David Papazian/Shutterstock

Frosted glass is a good way to partition off partially open showers. Image: khunkorn/Shutterstock

A partial wall can add some organization to an open bathroom design. Image: alabn/Shutterstock

An open shower can also sit farther back in its own space. Image: Rade Kovac/Shutterstock

Showers and Tubs

If you like the idea of being able to soak in a warm bath, these styles featuring open design showers and tubs are right up your alley. They blend an open shower design with a tub of some variety right into the same space.

An open design shower actually goes quite well with a soaker tub nearby. The shower and the tub are often placed right next to each other to minimize how much water is splashing about the bathroom. And the open showers help keep the space visually unimpaired so these designs can easily fit both showers and soaker tubs without anything feeling cluttered or cramped.

This style shows how well a clear glass shower goes right next to a tub. Image: alexandre zveige/Shutterstock

The open shower design can also help keep color patterns more uniform in a space, like this blue tile and gray wood texture. Image: design.at.krooogle/Shutterstock

A square tub fits well next to an open shower. Image: BondRocketImages/Shutterstock

Geometric soaker tubs add some style and class next to glass shower doors. Image: Artazum/Shutterstock

The post 15 of the Best Open Design Showers appeared first on Freshome.com.