Blog posts tagged with 'living room'

Home décor is important to the feel of a home. In your home, you should feel welcomed and relaxed. The best way to ensure your home reflects your personality and preferences is by decorating it to match your style. One of the main issues people run into when decorating their homes is the price of decoration and furniture. While it often feels unattainable to have your house decorated the way you want it without pushing your budget, it is possible. All you need is a guide to decorating your home on a budget.

Repurpose Your Existing Décor

Your existing décor might be old and outdated. It might just not fit your current aesthetic preferences. Whatever the reason it’s not serving your needs, it may be able to be repurposed. For example, if you have an old metal side table that is cute but doesn’t fit well in your living room anymore, consider moving it to your patio to fit the aesthetic outside. Many things can work in a home that’s undergoing a style shift when they’re moved to a different place. Moving items around for style’s sake comes with the added bonus of a feeling of a refresh. Moving furniture around, even a small décor piece livens up a room and gives it some much-needed excitement and intrigue.

Don’t Count Out Secondhand

Secondhand shops and your friends and relatives often have great items that can fit into your home’s décor roster with ease with a little bit of love. Thrift shops, antique stores, garage sales, and estate sales all provide an opportunity to get great new items for your home at affordable bargain prices. It’s easy to forget that these types of secondhand shops often have tons of unique and aesthetic décor waiting to be added to your home. Here is a list of items to look for at your local secondhand shop that are perfect for décor:

• Vases (Any color works because you can paint them to match your color scheme)
• Paintings
• Glassware
• Wall hangings
• Rugs

There are so many great pieces of décor you can find at your local secondhand or antique shop for reasonable prices. Some of the items may need a bit of refurbishing, but most will be ready to adorn your walls or shelves.

Plan Ahead of Time

The best advice for anyone looking to update their home’s decoration style is to make a plan before buying or changing anything. Spend some time just looking at your space and paying attention to where you want to put decorations. The best way to understand what each room needs is to follow these steps:

1. Remove all current decorations from the walls, shelves, and tables.
2. Spend time in the room as you normally would but tune in to which areas feel empty.
3. Keep a list of where you’d like decorations to go.

Once you have a list of what areas felt lacking, you can develop a better idea of what decorations you still need to get and what type. For example, if a certain wall feels empty, you know you need some form of wall hanging—but you get to decide the size and type. The next step of preparing ahead of time is to then go through the current decorations that you own. It’s time to decide what does and what does not fit your aesthetic or the room. If you decide you like something, instead of looking for a place for it, reference your notes of where in your home already needs to feel less empty. Put that decoration in a place you’ve listed that would benefit from a decoration of that relative size, shape, and type. Following this method takes the “finding a place” for an item out of home décor. Buying before having a place for something is what leads to clutter and mismatched aesthetics.

Refurbish Rather Than Replace

Small trinkets and wall hangings are not the only forms of home décor. Furniture is what really sets the tone of a room. If you have drab furniture that dates your style—and not in a fun vintage way—consider what you can do to improve the look of it without investing in all new furniture. Couches, chairs, tables, and all other furniture pieces are pricey when you buy new, so try to salvage what you already own before heading to your local carpenter.

Wooden Furniture

When you have wooden furniture that’s seen better days, you can usually refurbish it as a DIY project—even without any woodworking experience. As long as the wood is in decent condition, there are no bugs, and there is no water damage, you can usually strip down the wood stain and sand out any smaller imperfections. Then, apply the paint or stain of your choosing, seal it, and enjoy a piece of furniture that looks brand new and expertly crafted.

Upholstered Furniture

Many people lose hope in their DIY furniture updating abilities when it comes to upholstery—but fear not. You don’t have to learn to reupholster furniture to enjoy a couch or accent chair that looks brand new. Furniture slipcovers are perfect for when you want to make your home more friendly and welcoming through color, texture, and a refresh, but don’t want to change your furniture up. Investing in a custom slipcover helps you cover and protect the original fabric while making your furniture easier to clean, more customizable, and made of any fabric you want. Pro Tip: Even if you have a futon for a sofa in any room and want it to fit your aesthetic while remaining functional, you can invest in futon mattress covers to match the rest of the furniture or the futon frame. This makes it look more “couch-like” without sacrificing functionality. When you’re in need of a guide to decorating your home on a budget, then look no further than Easy Fit. Our custom-made slipcovers are perfect for giving your home a total makeover for a fraction of the price of new furniture. We have a wonderful selection of fabrics, colors, and patterns to choose from. Contact us today for more information.

With all the home trends emerging as 2021 continues, one of the early standouts is the monochromatic theme. This home trend emphasizes using one color in each room of your home to simplify your design without committing to minimalism. If you love the monochromatic home trend but don’t want to shell out a fortune for all new furniture, check out our tips for a monochromatic living room with the stuff you have now.

Spray Paint What You Can

The little things in your home that you use for décor may all be different colors, but that doesn’t mean you have to toss them when you choose a monochromatic theme. Any vases, picture frames, small décor pieces, and plant pots can all be spray painted to match the new color you choose. Remember to only spray paint in well-ventilated areas and use safety precautions.

Invest in Furniture Slipcovers

While smaller décor is easy to replace or change in color, you may look at your couch or ottoman that is grey and realize it needs to be green to match your color scheme. Don’t fret! Although reupholstering furniture often costs the same (if not more) than purchasing new furniture, you can invest in a furniture slipcover for your couch—there are even custom-made ottoman slipcovers that you can choose to match your aesthetic perfectly! Slipcovers from Easy Fit are high-quality and come in a wide range of fabrics, patterns, and colors to make your living room look exactly the way you want.

Minimize Your Belongings

If you have some things in your living room that are the wrong color and spray paint just won’t fix them, consider either donating the items or storing them in a covered basket. That way, you can keep your items without having to see them on display or mess up your room’s aesthetic. We hope you use our tips for a monochromatic living room in your next living room transformation. Contact us today for information on our high-quality custom-made furniture slipcovers.

Designing a home is a unique task. The home’s layout and design should mesh with the style preferences, lifestyle, and desires of the people who live in it. Feng shui is a popular yet difficult-to-achieve design philosophy meant to connect people to their environments in a harmonious way. If you’re thinking about using feng shui, check out this beginner’s guide to feng shui in your home to discover the basics.

Get Rid of Clutter

Clutter is a destructive force in the feng shui of a home. It has chaotic elements that can bring a bad energy and interrupt your zen. It can stress people out, even in subtle ways, and make a home feel dirty or busy even when it’s clean. Make sure everything in your house has a home.

Organize, and Keep Entryways Clear

Minimizing your belongings to just what you use is a great way to start decluttering. Organization is also key to achieving feng shui in your home. You should plan and carry out your organizing in an aesthetically pleasing way to keep the mind clear of clutter. Keeping entryways to the home and to individual rooms clear of clutter is especially important. Thresholds should calm you as you enter or leave, not overwhelm you.

Keep Electronics Out of Sight and Remove Them from Bedrooms

Electronics are stimulants. They encourage your brain to wake up and move around, like a form of exercise. Anything that stimulates and excites your brain shouldn’t just lie anywhere in a home. Thoughtfully place electronics in rooms and areas meant for activity; otherwise, they could interrupt restful zones. Bedrooms in particular are regarded as restful places, and the stimulation of electronics shouldn’t disrupt them. Installing a TV in a bedroom, having a smart home assistant, or playing on a cell phone before bed are commonplace, but they have no home in a house that follows feng shui rules.

Keep the Kitchen Spotless

The kitchen is the most important room when it comes to feng shui in the home. In this philosophy, the kitchen is the heart of family and love, the pinnacle of a home. It’s where your family members bond and express thoughts and feelings to one another. It’s a space meant to welcome people. Keeping the kitchen clean is an ongoing and effortful task, but it’s a necessary one for proper energy. The kitchen needs to be sparkly and clean to give off the proper positive energy. You should only use the kitchen table for eating; designate a separate workspace homework, work, and play. The stove is an especially important part of feng shui. A stove can bring good fortune, and it attracts abundance. For this reason, it’s essential to keep yours clean and grease-free to avoid tainting the good luck.

Decorate Intentionally

Décor has a lot to do with the feng shui of a home. It gives each room a tone and feel. You should intentionally place décor in your home to avoid clutter and the accidental repelling of positive energy. For example, mirrors are popular forms of décor, but when placed opposite a front door, they can bounce any positive energy entering the home right back outside. Excess décor can add to clutter and make a room feel closed off and disordered. When placing décor in a room, ensure it adds something positive to the space before making it a permanent fixture.

Incorporate Plants, Natural Elements, and Positive Additions

Any décor in your home should add something to it. Feng Shui and minimalism are vastly different philosophies of home design, but they do share some things in common. Too much décor can bog down a room and minimize the effects of its positive energy. When you find spots that feel empty or as though they’re sucking energy, add a live plant. Plants purify air and provide a happy, green energy to the room. Things with which you decorate your home should radiate happiness and positivity.

Don’t Forget About Bathrooms

Bathrooms don’t carry an energy that should be spread throughout the home. They’re meant for isolation and functionality. Leaving toilet seats ups, cabinets open, drawers half closed, and doors ajar are all ways to help the bathroom energy seep into the rest of the home. Close toilet seats when they’re not in use; fully shut the cabinets; and ensure drawers are fully closed when you’re done using them to preserve order in the bathroom. In the feng shui philosophy, leaving a bathroom door open is a gateway to letting the negative bathroom energy spread throughout the rest of the home, overshadowing some of the positive vibes. Another thing is leaky faucets. Fix these immediately to avoid the extremely bad luck that comes from faucet leaks. These leaks are thought to symbolize abundance and happiness leaking away.

Don’t Forget To Clean Incidentals

Getting into a cleaning routine means a healthier, happier home without the overwhelming feeling of needing to clean everything all at once. Cleaning routines need disruption sometimes to allow you to attend to the really dirty stuff that often falls through the cracks. Forgetting to clean bathroom rugs, light switches, and walls, for instance, can negatively affect the feng shui in your home. Add the items in your home that you might overlook during routine cleanings to a list, and clean them on a schedule to avoid dirt and dust pileups. This is especially true of walls. The walls in your home may get dirty, or the color may fade; when this happens in feng shui homes, it’s a sign it’s time to repaint to give the house a fresh, positive feel. This is also true of upholstered furniture. When upholstered furniture fades or stops feeling fresh, reupholstering it can be a lot of work—but putting a simple slipcover over your old sofa or futon covers over your convertible furniture freshens your home and cleans up stale energy. There’s a lot of rules when it comes to feng shui. Feng shui is a truly holistic method to happiness and positivity in the home and heart. This is simply a beginner’s guide to feng shui in your home, but there’s much literature on creating a positive environment for yourself.

Changing a small or even large aspect of a room gives it new life. Sometimes even the small act of rearranging existing furniture, purchasing one new piece, or even hanging a new picture or piece of artwork can make a drastic change in how you feel about your room. Many different factors can cause a bedroom to feel less inviting. Discover these easy ways to change the look of your room for a more relaxing and personalized bedroom.

Clear Out the Clutter

Clearing out the clutter in your bedroom is a great way to start making a serious change about the way it looks. Even the cleanest and tidiest looking bedrooms hold unnecessary items. Clear out your closet and get rid of anything you haven’t worn in over a year. Then, try repurposing or rehoming old towels, linens, and pillows you no longer use. Extra items such as a pair of queen size sheets, even though you upgraded to a king size bed two years ago, are just taking up space. Papers, old clothes, linens, and other random items you no longer need should be given away, donated, repurposed, or thrown out.

Clean Your Room

Clearing out clutter is different from cleaning your room. Make your room sparkle with a nice deep clean at least once a month, or two times a month if you can manage it. This is a basic guide to cleaning your room:

• Clean the floors (vacuum for carpet, mop or scrub for hardwood and tile)
• Clean little things (remote controls, light switches, door handles, dirt on walls)
• Dust (dressers, bedframe, bedside tables, lamps, accent furniture, etc.)
• Disinfect (floors, dressers, door handles, bedside tables, lamps, remotes, etc.)

There are also things you should do daily to change the way your room looks, such as making your bed. Making a bed can have even the messiest room looking a little cleaner. Take any glasses, dishes, and extra blankets to their rightful place each morning to keep your surfaces clean and clear.

Move Your Bed

Changing the location of your bed or the direction it faces can make your room look more dimensional and can drastically change the look of your entire room. If you have a smaller bedroom, consider putting your bed in a corner to open up more space. If you have an oddly-shaped bedroom, figure out which wall fits your bed the best without obstructing the floor space. There is a lot to consider when it comes to bed placement. Also, examine window arrangement. You may want to think about when and where the sun shines on your bed.

Change the Color Scheme

Changing the color scheme can be rather straightforward and affordable. Changing the color of your duvet cover or comforter can make a huge difference. Even if this is a larger change than you’re looking for, you can simply switch out the accent color in your room. For example, if your room is grey with a red accent, consider switching out your red items for yellow. You can cover an accent pillow with a new case, or cover an accent chair or couch with a slipcover in a different color.

Play With the Lighting Options

Another easy way to change the look of your room is by changing up the lighting options. If you have an overhead light, consider replacing it with a dimming light or a three-way light to offer more depth and options. You can also add in some softly lit lamps for a more evenly dispersed illumination. There are so many options for lighting in bedrooms. Pro Tip: Aim for soft and gentle lighting throughout the room. It’s best to avoid harsh lighting styles in rooms where relaxation and sleep are the focal points.

Consider Adding a Scent

Many people don’t often consider the power of scent. A bedroom should smell calming and inviting to prepare you for relaxing and sleeping. Consider adding a signature scent to your bedroom to help signify to your body each night that it’s time to wind down and sleep. Calming scents such as lavender and vanilla are perfect for this. It’s best to stay away from anything overpowering. A scent should be subtle yet distinct.

Change up the Flooring

While changing your flooring may sound like an expensive and cumbersome task, it’s easier than you may think. To change the appearance of your bedroom’s flooring, you don’t need to rip out your carpet or re-stain your wood. You can simply invest in an area rug. Area rugs are great additions to rooms because they don’t only change the look of a room, but the feel as well. An area rug is often softer and more comfortable than other materials.

Paint the Walls

Another easy way to change the look of your bedroom is by painting the walls. This can seem like a big project, especially if you have a large or strangely-shaped room—but it’s easy to do it yourself or even hire someone if you have the budget for it. Choosing a different color or even simply painting one wall, such as an accent wall, can greatly shift the way the room feels. Going to a paint store and looking at swatches can give you new ideas for colors you’d like to add to your room. This also helps you take more ownership and pride in your room, since you personally decided on the design. There are so many easy ways to change the look of your room without breaking the bank. With these budget-friendly methods of switching up a room, you can start making your bedroom your own. Decorating and changing the look of a bedroom helps to create a feeling of ownership and relaxation that can even help you sleep better at night. Get started on your bedroom re-decorating journey by browsing our selection of custom slipcovers. We have everything from fitted daybed covers to sofa slipcovers. We can meet your needs for all the furniture in your bedroom.

When you set out to furnish your home, it can feel overwhelming, especially if you have to furnish an entire home or you recently upgraded to a larger space. Check out these main factors to consider when buying home furniture.

Find your style

Finding what furniture styles you prefer is crucial to the selection process. It can help you find the right piece much faster and with less stress when you get to the furniture store. Do a little bit of research on different furniture styles and notate which ones you respond to. Some people love the trendy mid-century modern style, while others tend to lean more toward the contemporary, traditional style. Note what you like about certain the pieces, and don’t forget to figure out what shapes you prefer and what sizes will fit in your home.

Factor in your color scheme

Color is important in your furniture. While brightly colored sofas are all the rage right now in the home decor scene, this is most likely not a lasting lust. Many choose to go with neutral focal pieces and simply decorate them with bright colors. Another way to add a pop of color is to invest in slipcovers for your furniture. For example, you might invest in a 3-piece sectional couch cover for your big sectional in a bright color. This way, you can enjoy the fun color right now but can also go back to the regular neutral tone if you ever tire of the bold hues. This will also keep the original material clean and in amazing condition!

Consider functionality and comfort

Functionality and comfort are also extremely important factors to consider when buying home furniture. Make sure the pieces will fit in your home before you buy them. We highly recommend that you measure your space and keep a log of these dimensions with you when you go furniture shopping. This way, you won’t accidentally buy something that can’t fit through your door. Comfort is another important factor. Be sure to try out the furniture before you buy, or at least read the review, both the good and the bad. You’ll want to know if others started to feel springs in the couch two weeks after purchase, or if the material of the chair snags easily. Invest in something that you know you’ll use and love for many years to come.

Wool is one of the coziest materials you can choose for your furniture. It is warm, soft, and natural. It goes with nearly every decor style. If you choose to have wool furniture in your home, you may need to look into wool furniture care and maintenance, as it may be a bit different than other furniture material care.

Vacuum or brush your furniture regularly

Wool is a natural material that is prone to a bit of shedding. It can have a few extra fibers come loose every once in a while. This should calm down a bit once you have the furniture piece for a while, but in the meantime, you should prioritize vacuuming or using a fabric brush on your materials. This can help the materials come up and be removed more quickly. This will leave your furniture looking new and soft for longer. It’s recommended to do this whenever you notice extra fibers loosening, or every two weeks.

Keep it clean and protected from spills

Wool furniture is difficult to remove stains from. It is naturally able to soak up liquids quickly, which makes it more prone to stains. If you plan to eat or drink regularly on your wool furniture, consider having custom slipcovers made. These will fit your furniture perfectly while protecting it from spills. They can be easily removed and washed and are just as easy to put back on. Investing in a slipcover allows you to enjoy the cozy warmth of wool furniture without the hassle of constant wool cleaning.

Regularly wipe off pet hair, dirt, and crumbs

Caring for and maintaining your wool furniture so it’s clean and healthy means keeping it free of dirt, dust, and crumbs. This process should be done daily, but don’t worry – it’s not as complicated as it sounds! Pick a time of day, such as when waking up in the morning or when getting ready for bed at night, to quickly run over your furniture with a fabric brush or even with a lint roller to dust off the dirt from the day. This may need to be completed multiple times a day in households with pets prone to extreme shedding.

Investing in Restoration Hardware linen furniture has a lot of value. It can make a home look new while keeping its original charm. Some upkeep is required to keep this furniture looking fresh and updated—check out this guide on how to clean Restoration Hardware linen furniture.

Vacuum

Vacuuming keeps the dust particles out of your fabric, making it appear brighter and keeping it fresh longer. This is especially important in households with pets, which can leave fur on your furniture. Even if they don’t sit directly on the furniture, their fur can billow through the air, and dander particles can land on it. This can dim the piece’s color and even create bad odors throughout your home. Vacuuming can prevent these particles from dirtying your furniture and also extend time between washings.

Soak and spot-clean small stains

When small spills occur on your furniture, you can spot-clean the areas to prevent them from becoming permanent stains. To clean small spills, use distilled water to dampen a soft white cloth. Gently dab the area with the cloth until the stain lifts. Be sure not to rub the area or use a rough cloth, as this can cause pilling or damage to the furniture. If the stain doesn’t lift using this method, try soaking the area with a solution of one-third mild fabric detergent and two-thirds warm water. Once you’ve soaked the area, dab it with the cloth again.

Machine-wash the cover

If the prior methods for cleaning your Restoration Hardware linen furniture don’t pan out, you can try to machine-wash the cover. Slipcovers are great because they’re washable and because they can beautify your furniture. Remove the slipcover from your furniture and place it in the washing machine. Use a mild detergent, and wash on a gentle cycle. You may also opt to hand-wash the item if your washing machine isn’t as gentle as you’d prefer. This method should remove the stain and get your furniture looking great again. For all your slipcover needs, check out Easy Fit’s vast collection of stylish slipcovers, from couch covers to outdoor twin mattress covers. We can even make you a completely custom slipcover to perfectly fit over your furniture.

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.

When you’re designing your living room, it’s important to think about every element of the space. Consider style, tone, color scheme, and most importantly, practicality. Be realistic about your living room use and lifestyle. For instance, if you love to watch TV, make sure you have one that’s in a focal and comfortable to watch space. Check out these tips for designing a living room.

Purchase a couch

The first piece of furniture you should get when designing your living room is a couch. The couch you get will set the tone for the room. Make sure the design is in-line with your home’s overall tone. For example, if you have mostly modern pieces throughout your home, going for a ranch-house-style couch might seem ill-fitting. Comfort should also be a focal point when sofa shopping. You’ll spend a lot of time on this piece of furniture so, it better be comfy.

Choose a rug

Once you have a couch, you can start the search for the perfect rug. Make sure you avoid the pitfall of buying the wrong sized rug. Too small and it will be what is referred to as a “flying carpet,” held down by nothing other than your coffee table. Too big and it will make your room seem tiny. A good rule-of-thumb for sizing your rug is making sure at least two legs of every piece of furniture sit comfortably on it when set up.

Look for tables

After situating the rug, you can look for tables. A coffee table should be as useful as it is stylish. Don’t hesitate to mix and match shades and shapes. Eclectic is a style of its own. For side tables, think about convenience first. When you’re holding a glass, where would you naturally go to place it down while in your living room? That’s where an end table should go. Another quick trick is to place an end table on either side of the couch, and one within reach of each chair or additional seating option. This could mean one in between two chairs or one on the left side of each chair. Go with whatever flows best with your room’s setup thus far.

Accessorize

Here comes the fun part: accessorizing. This is what can turn your living room from a plain, “show-room” living room to a space that’s neat but naturally lived in. Showcase some personality and style with your extra pieces.

Don’t forget throws

Here is where color, pattern, and accents can thrive. Once your entire base of furniture is picked out, you get to experiment with throw pillows. You should get comfy throw pillows and invest in custom pillow covers so you can make sure they are the exact right color and design for your brand new room. You can also get a fun throw blanket to keep on the back of the couch for added comfort and style.

Accentuate table-top décor

Many people forget about the style a set of coasters adds to a room. If you get coasters that stand out, they can become a conversation piece—plus, it will help encourage guests to always use one. You should also start thinking about what coffee table book you want to display. Some people go for a seasonal approach, while others go with a tried-and-true historical or educational one.