Blog posts of '2020' 'February'

When the weather starts to warm up, people start to look for reasons to get out and about. One of the best activities to get people out of the house and enjoying themselves is going to a café. Your café could enjoy a very busy season if it’s set up for success. Improving the atmosphere of your café can pay off big time when the crowds start pouring in.

Improve your outdoor space

A major draw of a café is the outdoor space. People love to sip coffee and eat small pastries in an outdoor sanctuary. Improve the outdoor atmosphere, and you’ll likely see a boost in foot traffic. To do this, consider upgrading your seating options. Go from the standard, uncomfortable patio furniture to a luxurious variety of seating options. Try investing in a patio couch and some comfy chairs with cushions. Stylish patio furniture cushion covers can help keep your outdoor space looking chic and clean all season long. For a layer of privacy, consider adding a trellis with flowers or vines; this also creates a very photogenic spot for plenty of photos to be taken.

Create a cultivated playlist

The atmosphere can be set by the sounds in your café. The clinking of glasses, the sounds of a French press, and a perfect playlist are what set your spot’s tone. Playlists can be tricky because not everyone likes the same music. The key is to identify what demographic you want to attract. For example, if you want to tap into the “work-from-home” crowd, you may want to choose relaxing music at a low volume that provides nice background sound yet doesn’t distract or drown out calls or thoughts.

Switch up the lighting

Lighting is another great way to create the perfect atmosphere. Consider updating your lighting fixtures for more updated and on-theme ones. Dimmers may also be a good investment. Be wary when using dimmers, though; too much light is jarring to customers, while too little can be frustrating. The light should be bright enough to read without eye strain and dim enough to glance at without squinting.

Do more with your décor

Decorating your café in an interesting manner without being distracting is key to an ideal atmosphere. Paintings from local artists can foster a creative and inviting environment. You can even switch them out seasonally or as they sell. You know your space better than anyone. Find décor that matches your desired aesthetic and work from there.

Hosting guests can be an exciting time. You get to visit with people you may not get the chance to spend time with very often. Whether it’s for a short stay or an extended visit, having family and friends close is always a blessing. One thing that makes this blessing a bit more difficult to manage is not knowing where to keep your guests. It’s easy to agree to host somebody—or multiple somebodies—but hosting them is trickier when you don’t have a guest room. Guest rooms are becoming fewer and farther between in the modern household. Between rising housing costs and the growing amount of work-from-home careers, guest rooms are either nonexistent or being used as home offices. If your home or apartment has limited space and you have guests coming to stay, do what you can to make the experience as low-stress and as enjoyable as possible. Check out this guide on how to host guests without a guest bedroom.

Provide a comfortable place for your guests to sleep

You may not have a designated guest room, but you should aim to make it feel as if you do. Your guests are staying with you to visit with you and to see your city, but they’re actually staying at your home to get a good night’s rest. Make sure to provide as comfortable a place for guests to sleep as possible. This starts with a sleeping surface. We recommend that you have a futon that guests can turn into their own personal bed at night and that you can transform back into a functional sofa during the day. Dress up the futon with fun-colored futon covers to keep it clean and to give it a welcoming appearance. Then, outfit your futon with a cozy top sheet and a luxurious-feeling comforter or quilt. The lux feel of the linens can make even the most standard futon feel like a sanctuary. Another item that will keep the sleeping space comfortable for your guests is an option of pillows. Try to provide a firm pillow for people who prefer to sleep on their backs and require ample neck support and a softer pillow for side and stomach sleepers. Always keep these in fresh pillowcases. Now that you’ve nailed down the “bed,” it’s time to think about the sleeping environment. For example, if there are nearby windows, try to affix window treatments so that the morning light doesn’t disturb your sleeping guests.

Create as much privacy as possible

Privacy is key to you and your guests’ sanity during the course of a stay in a home without a guest room. If your guests are staying in a common area such as the living room, try to rearrange your space temporarily to provide the maximum amount of privacy. Consider investing in a room divider to place in front of the guest’s makeshift bed to allow them the feel of a private room. Be mindful of your guests’ routines and sleep schedules by avoiding their sleeping area at night. Grab any snacks, books, or entertainment you may need throughout the night before the guest turns in for the night, and camp out in your bedroom to avoid disturbing them. This allows both parties to enjoy a semi-normal and mostly private bedtime routine.

Clean before your guests arrive

Before your guests arrive—even if it’s a last-minute trip—make sure to clean your entire home. It’s easy to overlook mess if it’s your own, but when you visit another person’s house, the first thing you probably notice is their mess. Clean the space in which your guests will stay as well as the entryway. Deep-clean your bathroom and kitchen, as your guest will most likely spend some time in these rooms. Do all the dishes, and do your best to keep them clean throughout your guests’ entire stay. Dirty dishes can easily pile up while you’re carried away with the responsibilities and joys of entertaining your guests. With the extra mouths to feed, you’re bound to have a larger dish count than you’re used to. Letting dishes pile up can lead to bad smells, bugs, and an overall unpleasant stay for your guests. Furthermore, part of cleaning goes beyond scrubbing floors—make sure you tidy up while you clean. Put away any piles of clutter, or stow it in a closet your guest won’t be opening. Clutter makes a space feel instantly crammed, and it can add to the stress of you and your guests living in such tight quarters.

Give guests amenities

Amenities aren’t just for hotels—you can offer some to your guests, too. This doesn’t mean you have to act as your guests’ personal concierge and be on constant call, but a few small gestures go a long way when you’re hosting guests. Consider providing your guests with a small welcome basket full of essentials. Here are some of the most popular items to include for guests:

• Phone charger: After traveling, your guests will need to charge their phones. Providing a phone charger will help ease their stress after a long travel day.
• Ear plugs: You may have grown used to your street’s traffic noise, but your guests most likely don’t have the trained ear to block it out. Provide guests with disposable ear plugs to drown out bothersome noise while they sleep.
• Eye mask: Even if you’ve fallen asleep on the futon your guests will stay on, you may not have a full grasp of the bothersome lights that may be present in the space, such as a blinking TV light or an ill-placed streetlamp. Guests will appreciate the aid of a sleep mask to help them sleep.
• Water bottle: Many people prefer to sleep with a small glass of water by their beds. Help out your guests by providing a water bottle for them.
• Wi-Fi password: Leave a slip of paper with the Wi-Fi password on it. This way, guests can get online with ease and feel independent while doing so.
• Instructions for the television: Staying at someone else’s home can mean struggling to work the TV. Leave instructions for which remote is for what machine and how to use each one.
• Spare key: If your guests will be coming and going independently from you during the course of their stay, you may want to give them a spare key so that they don’t feel like prisoners to your schedule.
• Bedside table: Everybody benefits from a bedside table. Temporarily turn an end table into a bedside table to give your guests a space to set their glasses, keep a cup of water, and simply store things they may need at night and when they wake up.

Whether you just moved into a brand-new home or you’re simply revamping your current one, redecorating a bedroom is a very exciting task. The world is your oyster when you decide to redo your bedroom. Most people aim to create a space that is relaxing, welcoming, and feels like their personal sanctuary. Even if you’re not ready to invest in new furniture, décor can go a very long way. Check out these helpful tips for decorating a beautiful bedroom.

Choose a color scheme and stick to it

Choosing a color scheme may seem like a hard decision to make, but this room is only for you (and your significant other, if you share a bedroom). You know yourself better than anyone. You know what colors calm you and which you are averse to. Think about your favorite spaces to go when you’re feeling stressed; if they all have a common color theme, consider adding that color to your bedroom’s repertoire. To create the color scheme, you can paint your walls, get a rug, invest in a new bedspread, or even get some throw pillows to liven up the space with your on-theme colors. Throw pillows can easily add color to a bedroom to beautify it. For example, many city dwellers choose a daybed to save space in smaller homes and apartments. To jazz these up, add colorful daybed wedge pillow covers to the bed to create more cohesion within the room without making major changes to your bed.

Add calming elements

Does the sound of water running soothe you? Do you like a fan to run while you sleep? Incorporate any preferences you have to get your best and most relaxing night of sleep into your bedroom design. Humidifiers, standing fans, and water elements aren’t known to be the most attractive room additions, but there are still ways to make these items appealing so they lend to your bedroom’s overall beauty. There are very stylish water elements you can work into a bedroom. You can also tackle a fan by ridding your room of a standing fan and instead investing in a sleek ceiling fan.

Rearrange for optimal space utilization

Even if your bedroom is tiny, there is always a method to maximize the space you have. Taking down heavy window treatments and opting for a more airy option that lets light in will make your room look luminous and spacious—even if it’s not. You can also rearrange where your headboard sits or where you keep your dresser. Experimenting with moving furniture pieces around may just lead you to the perfect set up, consequently making your room as beautiful as possible.

Polyester furniture has a lot of draws. Polyester is a very durable, stain-resistant man-made fabric, and its color lasts a long time without fading. Despite its durability, one must still carefully care for polyester in order for it to last as long as possible. Check out this guide on how to care for polyester furniture.

Regular maintenance

Polyester furniture is notoriously easy to maintain, and it doesn’t require too much regular upkeep. One way to keep it clean and long-lasting is to vacuum it regularly. Every week or two, gently vacuum the entire piece of furniture to collect any leftover crumbs or dirt to avoid stains or dirt buildup, which could eventually cause discoloration. A good tip for any type of furniture is to keep it out of prolonged direct sunlight, which can cause fading even in fade-resistant fabrics such as polyester.

Spill management

When spills inevitably happen on your polyester furniture, follow these steps to prevent stains and to maintain the integrity of your fabric:

1. Using a soft cloth, gently blot any wet spots caused by the spill without pressing too firmly, which can damage polyester fabric.
2. Sprinkle baking soda over the spill area and let it sit for about 20 minutes. This will absorb the excess moisture caused by the spill.
3. After 20 minutes pass, use a vacuum to remove the baking soda.
4. Create a solution of warm water and a small amount of mild detergent. Dip a soft cloth or gentle sponge into the solution, wring it out thoroughly, and gently scrub the spill area in a circular motion.
5. Once you’ve scrubbed to your satisfaction, wet a clean, soft cloth with warm water. Then, wipe off the solution from the spill location.
6. Let your fabric dry.

Pet hair management

The best way to manage pet hair on polyester furniture is by regularly running a lint roller over the entire piece. Another option is to invest in a slipcover that you can easily remove and wash. Easy Fit offers a wide variety of slipcovers for almost any piece of furniture, from dining chair covers to entire three-piece sectional couch covers.

Modern furniture is on the rise in the home and interior design world. Challenging the standard straight lines in furniture design, modern furniture highlights curved lines, soft edges, and interesting silhouettes. Modern furniture design encourages elegance with tones of minimalism and intrigue. Check out the top modern furniture trends in home décor.

Natural materials

Natural materials are key to obtaining the trendiest looks in modern furniture styles. Woods are huge right now in home décor. Wooden couch legs, tables, and reclaimed wood countertops took over this year. Finding subtle—or not so subtle—ways to work natural materials into your furniture items is sure to upgrade your home in the trendiest way. Adding a small element such as a solid wood coffee table or roll-away island with a reclaimed wood countertop, as well as having stained cabinets instead of painted ones can bring a room from dated to trendy.

Bright colors

Often, people believe manufacturers create modern furniture with a dull color pallet in mind; think gray tones and neutrals. But actually, modern furniture is actually quite bright. A modern furniture trend that is taking over right now is full color with pops of neutral. Before now, the standard home décor technique to avoid a bland color scheme was to choose neutral colored furniture and supplement with subtle pops of color. Now, the trend outlines keeping your furniture bright and colorful, which transforms a room from dull and picturesque to bold and full of life. Pro Tip: A fun way to liven up your furniture without investing in a whole new piece is by adding brightly colored zippered cushion covers to your existing couch and chairs.

Art deco elements

In the modern age, art deco is making a surprise reappearance in the trends of modern furniture. Furniture long relied upon minimalistic looks, so it’s natural that there is pushback to the old days of art deco. Bright and bold elements are returning to the modern furniture scene. Things such as marble material, geometric patterns, and bold glass finishes in furniture can make your home a modern marvel. A budget-friendly way to transform your furniture with art deco elements is by replacing doorknobs and cabinet hardware with bold and luxurious handles.