Category: Decorating Ideas

Dress up your Walls with Some of these Easy Wall Décor Ideas

Modern Architecture Concept

Making your walls stand out is easier than you think! Here are some ways you can dress up your walls even when you’re on a budget!

There is nothing worse than having a blank white wall in your home that adds zero character to your home’s decorating. It’s time right now to dress up your home’s blank walls to add some energy, life, and color into your home! We’ve scoured the web for some easy ways that you can spruce up your walls in no time! Keep reading!

Floating Shelves

Installing floating shelves is an easy way to add a creative touch to a blank wall. Not only on floating shelves can you pleace some of your favorite books, but you can also put some of your prized possessions on display. Souvenirs, picture frames with your family and friends, and unique finds from the marketplace are all creative ways to dress up an otherwise boring wall. You can make your own floating shelves or you can purchase IKEA’s famous Lack floating shelves that are so affordable and versatile it’s hard to pass up on!

Install Some Wall Paneling

Wall paneling is a smart way to add some texture and style to a blank wall. You can easily use reclaimed wood, molding, bricks, you name it – as a beautiful option to customize a room! Whether you are looking for a more classical decorating theme, or something more rustic, with wall paneling you can achieve this. I am a fan of a more refined decorating style, and I love using wall paneling and moldings to create wainscoting, picture frame moldings, high baseboards, etc. However if you are looking for a more rustic theme you can use stained or antiqued pieces of wood installed onto a wall to create a beautiful feature wall that will add warmth and make your space look cozy.

Create a Saloon Wall

If you don’t know what a saloon wall is it’s simply a wall with art work, prints, and photos all hung up in different sizes, shapes, and colors. There are really no rules when it comes to making a saloon wall. Creativity here is key, and this is a fun project you can do with your family and friends. When it comes to art prints consider ordering online as you can find beautiful artwork for very affordable prices.

Use an Oversized Mirror

Hang an oversized mirror on a blank wall to make your space look twice as large and dress up that plain wall! Oversized mirrors are one of my favorite tricks in the book when it comes to increasing the amount of light in a room, making a space look insanely huge, and using up a blank space stylishly! Oversized mirrors don’t have to be hung up on the wall if they are too large, you can just lean them on the wall or even lean them on a buffet table propped up against the wall. This is an easy decorating a trick that requires absolutely no work and can be done in minutes.

Why Wide Plank Flooring Is A Growing Trend!

Michelle from Modern Architecture Concept

Wide plank flooring is one of the most luxurious flooring trends happening now. Keep reading to see why you should consider it for your home!

Hickory flooring – Carlisle Wide Plank Floors

When it comes to flooring, wide plank floors are one trend we don’t see fading away any time soon. In fact, these stunning floors continue to grow in popularity. Wide plank floors not only look glamorous, they also are a smart update to traditional wood flooring, carpet and tile. They make your space look larger and more refined, while giving off a modern-day vibe that’s hard not to fall in love with! Here are some ways you can use wide plank flooring to make your home look updated and gorgeous for 2021:

Pair Wide Plank Floors With Minimalist Design

If you are a fan of minimalist decor, wide plank floors are the perfect choice to pair with this design style. We recommend choosing a color palette of white, off whites, and creamy hues for walls and furniture. You can find beautiful white comfy sofas like Restoration Hardware’s famous “cloud couch” that look great in just about any home.

Rift and Quartersawn White Oak flooring – Carlisle Wide Plank Floors

If you are worried that your white space will look too sterile, combine creamy hues in your design like a plush rug and bench. Choose warm-hued wide plank flooring to match your new palette. Then, mix in the same hues but with different textures. Fur throws and pillows are bound to make your space look welcoming, clean, and modern.

White Oak flooring with a Whitewash finish – Carlisle Wide Plank Floors

If you would like to add some fun and color into your design, there is no better way to do it than with boldly hued pillows, accessories, and modern artwork in bright, vibrant hues. The bigger the artwork the better, so make sure to find large, statement-making pieces for your walls that will command attention when people enter the room.

White Oak flooring – Carlisle Wide Plank Floors

Add Warmth to Your Home

Wide plank flooring is one of the best ways to bring a sense of warmth and coziness to a space. A room that would otherwise appear cold and sterile quickly can be transformed into a space that looks inviting and beautiful with wide plank flooring.

If you are thinking about maintaining a streamlined design aesthetic, wide plank flooring is your best bet. It comes in a multitude of wood species, shades, and finishes, which makes it super easy to find the perfect match for your home. There is something about this flooring that harmonizes everything in a space and makes it look put together and on-trend.

Ash flooring in a matte finish – Carlisle Wide Plank Floors

Wide Plank Flooring Brings the Outdoors In

When designing a space, I always try to find ways to bring the outdoors inside. Wide plank flooring does just that, as it imparts an element of nature and an organic feel to your decorating. If you need to find a way to soften the look of your decor, this flooring option is at the top of my list to do just that. Rather than use tiles or cold flooring options such as concrete, instead go with wide plank flooring. Trust us – you won’t look back!

Now that you have read some of our top reasons as to why you should install wide plank flooring in your home, it’s time to start preparing for your home renovations. Let us know if you already have wide plank flooring in your home or if you are thinking about installing it. We’d love to hear your thoughts and comments!

Feng Shui Your Home Office with Furniture At Work®

Michelle from Modern Architecture Concept

In the current climate, with most of the world still reeling from coronavirus and many people working from home rather than the office, it is more important than ever before to know how to create a workspace in the home that inspires productivity!


All Photos By: Unsplash

Functional advice includes investing in an ergonomic chair, setting your desk at the correct height, and ensuring the lighting quality is good. However, to create a space that is inspiring, harmonious, and promotes positive energy, feng shui can help in designing the perfect home office. Feng shui is an ancient Chinese practice designed to generate balance. The name translates literally as ‘wind water’, these being the two elements associated with good health and good fortune. The philosophy can be used to create an organised, well set out workspace that promotes efficiency, innovation and motivation, as well as being enjoyable to spend time in.

The position of furniture plays a key part in good feng shui decorating. The ‘commanding’ position, which is the one we want to cultivate while working, requires placing the desk in such a way that it is not close to the door and so you do not have your back to the door when seated. Ideally, you should also not be facing a wall, but if this is not possible, then the wall you are facing should be covered with inspiring artwork, so it ‘disappears’. Furniture At Work sells a wide range of home office desks to help its customers fit into the perfect space.

Feng shui decorating is partially about getting rid of clutter. Having a cluttered home traps negative energy and causes distractions, which in turn leads to a lack of productivity. Taking the time to organise the home office space so that everything has a place and everything is in its place can make a huge difference to the ambience. Getting rid of all unnecessary items and ensuring all essential items are stored properly can help create the right atmosphere. Location also plays a role in the harmony of a home office. Good feng shui practice is to locate the home office as far away from the bedrooms as possible. If there can be a separate entrance, so much the better, but even where this is impossible, having some distance between places of work and places of sleep helps create balance.

Function should be the primary focus of a home office and the furniture within should reflect this. Part of getting rid of clutter involves only selecting pieces of furniture that are necessary, practical and functional. A good, ergonomic office chair is vital to maintain good posture. Furniture At Work stocks one of the UK’s largest ranges of home office chairs to help its customers find the chair that best suits their posture and home office space. Besides a desk and chair, a home office really only requires storage, not lots of unnecessary items of furniture.

The quality of the light and the air in a room can have a strong influence on mood and productivity. Choosing a space that lets in the maximum amount of natural light during the hours you will most often be working can help you feel more relaxed and positive throughout the working day. Plants can also help improve air quality while helping to get rid of any remaining negative energy in the room.

How to Make Your Basement Less Scary

Michelle from Modern Architecture Concept

Decorate your basement into a cozy living area that you will love to hang out in. Here is exactly how to do that!


Photo By: Metro Building and Remodeling Group LLC

When I was a kid, nothing scared me more than having to go down in the basement of our house. Dark and dusty with few windows, a cold dirt floor, and noisy furnace clanking away in the corner, it seemed like the kind of place a person could wander into and never come out of! Nowadays, of course, I know there’s nothing to be afraid of down there. But that doesn’t make the basement any less intimidating. Often overlooked and relegated to nothing more than storage, most basements are ugly, inhospitable places. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

There are numerous benefits to renovating the basement. For one, it will probably cut down on your kids’ nightmares. But it can also add value to your home. When it comes time to sell, you’ll get a much better answer to the question “How much is my house worth?” if you put work into making your basement less scary and more swanky. Here are three ideas for how to do that.

Make it a real room

By that I mean treat it no differently than you would any other room in the house. Instead of being an afterthought, approach your basement as a place where you might actually want to spend some time.  First things first: that means upping your standards for the floor, ceiling, and walls. Still sporting a dirt or concrete floor? Lay down some tiles, laminate, or carpeting. Is the ceiling a rickety mess of exposed beams, pipes, wires, and jutting nails? Cover it up by installing ceiling panels, or at least make it a bit easier on the eyes by painting the pipes, bundling wires together and wrapping them in insulation, and trimming those nails. Are your walls rough and uneven? Hide them behind wood paneling or hire a contractor to build smooth, flat walls over them.


Photo By: FBC Remodel

Get rid of that chill

It’s not just that basements look uncomfortable that makes them so scary, it’s that they feel it too. Being below ground results in basements that are often cold and damp. Even worse, that’s exactly the kind of atmosphere that attracts bugs, mice, and other household pests. Give those tiny li’l squatters an eviction notice with an electric space heater and/or dehumidifier that will help get rid of the goosebumps that pop up on your skin whenever you come downstairs.

Improve the lighting

It’s not easy brightening up a place that’s underground, but anything’s better than a single dangling lightbulb with a pull-string. You’ll be amazed at how much more inviting your basement becomes, and how much extra space it actually offers, with better illumination. If you only have one or two small windows, see if it’s possible to either add more or enlarge the ones you have. Using mirrors as décor can help by reflecting even a small amount of natural light all around the room. Your best bet for improving your basement’s lighting situation, though, is by adding more electrical options. Even a one or two overhead lights, a few well-placed lamps, or a couple light strings can have a major positive impact.

7 Budget-Friendly Ideas to Refresh Your Home

Michelle from Modern Architecture Concept

While the idea of a renovation always sounds good in theory, when you begin thinking of the price tag, it can quickly become discouraging. Here are some budget friendly ways to make it happen!

Photos By: Architectural Digest

If you feel that your home is not nearly as comfortable as it used to be, you may want to consider trying out several less expensive and less permanent options to liven things up before jumping to the idea of completely renovating a room or even your entire house. Doing this has the potential to save you a fair amount of money and time, especially if you end up finding a change that breathes some fresh life into your home without the need for a complete overhaul.

Change the Lighting up

Rather than contacting builders, plumbers, electricians, and architects, you might want to consider getting in touch with just the electricians to help you out with the lighting. Changing out the lighting in your home can do a lot to make the place feel brand new again. From replacing the bulbs in your light fixtures to purchasing different fixtures for your home, you will have a lot of options to choose from and only one professional to rely on rather than five. This will not only be a lot easier to handle at once, but it will also be much more budget-friendly.

Add an Outdoor Room

It won’t be the same as renovating the whole house, but getting a team of house builders to build an outdoor room can bring about the same energy of having something brand new added to the home. Outdoor rooms are wonderful if you have the space for them, as they can allow you to take in the fresh air outside while still retaining the same homely feeling of being at your own house. But, best of all, all the builders will need to do is install a simple pergola to keep the rain out and then it will all be done. From there, you can spend time picking out furniture, décor, rugs, lighting, and anything else you want in your new room to make it feel perfect for your home. It may not be a full renovation, but it can feel like one.

Consider Painting the Walls (or Installing Wallpaper)

This is a task that you won’t need any help from home builders for. A fresh coat of paint or some new wallpaper can easily make the rooms of your home feel new again, especially if you choose a vastly different colour than the previous one. Additionally, these tasks can become fun family projects to be completed over a slow weekend. Combined with changing up the lighting of your home, you can make your home feel as if it is a completely different building without blowing thousands of dollars on renovations.

Add New Door Handles

This minor detail might not seem like much at first, but in a room full of door handles, drawer pulls, and cabinet knobs, changing all of these can be just enough to create that excitement of having a big change in your home. More often than not, the best room to do this to is going to be your kitchen. This job is quick, inexpensive, and easy to complete. Pairing it up with a lighting change and a paint change can also help to create a bigger impact without spending money on a full renovation of your home.

Rearrange Furniture

While this tip takes much longer to complete than others, the results will be well worth it in the end. When you take the time to rearrange all of the furniture in your home, creating places with a lot of open space in the centre, then you can feel as if you are entering a room that is completely brand new. After all, you will be getting used to a layout that wasn’t there before. This can also be a great way to get some mild exercise in for the day as well, making it a beneficial project to take on over a weekend.

Work on the Windows

Windows are a big part of a house’s appearance. Because of this, it can be a noticeably large change to make some changes to your windows. Whether you choose to update the window treatments themselves or you want to add a new set of blinds and curtains, or you want to do a bit of both, you can rest assured that creating a new look for a room you are regularly in can give you a similar rush as renovating the house does for a complete fraction of the price.

Thoroughly Clean the House

Last, but not least, you can consider giving the house a thorough cleaning. This can be combined with rearranging furniture for a much better effect. Cleaning out the house, moving things around, and so on can create the sense that changes are being made to the home. Not only will your home look cleaner in the end, but you might even find things that you had thought had been lost.

There are plenty of different ways that you can breathe fresh life into your home without dropping thousands of dollars and weeks of your time on a massive home renovation. Instead, you can live comfortably in your home without putting your budget in pain using these budget-friendly suggestions.