Fall is in the air. With a few simple tweaks and a couple of tasteful touches, you can embrace the beauty of the season in style
Creating the beach house look you’ve always wanted will come easy with these affordable decorating ideas. Check out our favorite coastal living ideas:
Here are some ways you can use outdoor furniture, accessories, and a little imagination to repurpose your outdoor space for the summer.
All eyes are on outdoor furniture, and it’s no wonder why. Exquisite style merges seamlessly with all-weather materials for furniture you’ll love relaxing in throughout the changing seasons. However, just as you would with interior spaces, give careful consideration to furniture placement. Read on for a few tips on how to arrange outdoor furniture to best suit your landscape and lifestyle.
THE EYES HAVE IT
Your eye is naturally drawn to a focal point when you enter a room, even if that room is outside. The focal point could be a fireplace, a paved veranda, or a pool. If your outdoor area doesn’t have a natural focal point, you can create one with furniture. A sectional is a great place to start as it’s substantial enough to draw attention.
TIP: Measure your space before purchasing to avoid overcrowding.
MIND THE TOES
Similar to decorating inside, keep in mind the traffic flow. Consider how guests enter and exit your outdoor living space and place furniture accordingly. Try to position furniture so the heavy traffic areas are behind or to the side of the main seating area to prevent foot traffic in front of you or guests.
TIP: Use an outdoor area rug to define your space and provide comfort underfoot.
DIVIDE AND CONQUER
If your outdoor area is large, consider multi-purpose zones. You might have a sectional seating group in one zone, a poolside bar in another, and a dining table and chairs in the next. To increase eye appeal, coordinate the zones by keeping color and/or furniture styles consistent, so it doesn’t look like a mish mash. Even if styles are different, just adding color coordinated cushions and outdoor rugs can help bring it all together.
TIP: If you’re a grill master, make sure the cooking equipment is away from the main seating area to avoid enveloping your guests in smoke.
LESS IS MORE
Even in the great outdoors, you can feel cramped and crowded if there’s too much furniture. In tight spaces, think about ditching the large dining table and opt for a smaller seating group. You might enjoy a fire table with deeply cushioned lounge chairs for comfortable, casual entertaining. Even better, choose a fire table with enough space for drinks and nibbles.
TIP: Furnishings that can pull double duty are ideal for smaller spaces. Ottomans or tables with storage space can help keep the area tidy.
Don’t forget to pin your favorites!
Nothing goes hand in hand like great weather and outdoor entertaining. Here are a few tips that will make your guests want to linger long after the sun sets.
Spread the news
Unless it’s really a swanky event, feel free to skip the paper invites and send an email to your guests. Make it easy on them and ask them to respond only if they can’t make it.
What’s for Dinner?
Decide what type of shindig you’re throwing. A favorite is pot luck. Just ask guests to let you know what they’ll bring so you can plan the menu. (You don’t want to be faced with three potato salads and no dessert.) Even if guests are bringing food, you should plan on an appetizer to get the evening started. Make an easy antipasto appetizer by filling a generously sized tray with cuts of salami, olives, roasted bell peppers, assorted cheeses and a variety of crackers or slices of a baguette. Cheese platters are always a great option. Click here to find out which cheeses will keep your guests wanting more.
Set the Table
TIP: Paper napkins and plastic utensils may be more convenient, but you’ll elevate the tone of your event if you pull out cloth napkins and use real cutlery instead.
Break the Ice
Hot summer evenings demand plenty of ice. Don’t have an ice bucket? No worries. Just line any clean, attractive container with heavy duty plastic to make it waterproof and voila, instant ice bucket.
Liquid Refreshments
Set up a bar cart with essentials like chilled alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, and of course nothing says summer like lemonade. Turn it into a classic adult beverage with a British flair by adding Pimm’s Cup No. 1 for a light, refreshing cocktail.
Pimm’s Cup (makes one drink)
- 1 1/2 ounces Pimm’s No. 1 Cup
- lemonade (or ginger ale)
- lemon slices
- cucumber slices
- (optional: orange slice, fresh borage and/or mint leaves, apple slices, strawberry)
- Half-fill a tall glass with ice and a few slices of cucumber or lemon. Add measure of Pimm’s, then top up glass with lemonade or soda. Stir gently and add more ice if necessary. Garnish with slices of lemon and cucumber.
Candles Count
Make the evening magical by placing candles everywhere. They can even do double duty if bugs are an issue when you use these candle holders.
Use wireless speakers to liven up the evening with music. And if the evening gets chilly, warm things up with a fire pit. More than just a heat source, fire pits add instant ambiance. Outdoor Ashley HomeStore is appearing in-store soon and now online!
We understand that with a busy schedule, it can be hard to find time to relax and unwind. Just when we feel like the busyness of the holidays has passed, Valentine’s Day sneaks up on us. Whether you’re searching for the perfect gift for friends, teachers, a loved one, or even yourself, a heart shaped bath bomb is something anyone would be thankful to receive. Below are the foolproof instructions on how to make them.
What You’ll Need:
Heart Shaped Ice Cube or Baking Tray
1 Cup Baking Soda
½ Cup Citric Acid
2 Teaspoons Epsom Salt
¼ Teaspoon of Essential Oils (we chose rose and eucalyptus)
Dried Flower Petals (we used rose)
Rose Petal Witch Hazel
Step 1: Mix Dry Ingredients
Mix baking soda, citric acid, and Epsom salt in a large bowl.
Step 2: Add Oils
Once thoroughly combined, slowly mix in essential oils, distributing the scents evenly.
Step 3: Add Witch Hazel
Slowly pour in small amounts of witch hazel until the mixture is wet, but still holds its shape well.
Step 4: Place Dried Flowers in Tray
Add a few buds and petals to each mold in the tray.
Step 5: Pat Mixture into Molds
Tightly pack the mixture into the tray molds and let dry overnight.
Chocolates and flowers are great but the gift of relaxation and pampering is hard to beat. Watching love fizzle can actually be fun and beneficial with these DIY heart shaped bath bombs. Let us know how it works for you in the comments below.
Bedroom Ideas, Dining Room Ideas, Home Decor & Furniture
New Year’s Resolution #2: How Do You Want Your Home to Feel?
Carry the energy of new beginnings with you by creating a home that reflects your personality and how you want yourself and your guests to feel when they walk through your front door.
Colors
Wall colors are a great and fairly simple way to create a mood. Tranquil pastels cultivate the feeling of a calming sanctuary, while brights like red, yellow, orange or lime will give off a more exciting, energizing vibration. If you’re a fan of multiple colors or just have a style all your own, go ahead and experiment with color combinations or even wallpaper styles that reflect your unique personality. Every room in the house can have its own unique vibe – there are no limits to the possibilities!
Textures
Textures are another aspect to take into account when decorating, and are not just limited to textiles. While there are many styles of pillows and throws that will add a finishing touch to a room, subtler textures like the fabric of your upholstery and even your solid pieces like living room tables and entertainment centers inevitably add to the feeling your home gives off. For a relaxed entertaining space, incorporate elements like natural wood-finished furnishings. For a more sophisticated entertaining space, choose pieces with clean lines and polished finishes.
Layout
You might be surprised at how much the placement of furniture affects the feeling of a room. If a room feels small, try rearranging the furniture to open up walking paths.
Now that you have an idea of how you want your home to feel as you walk through the door, you are on the right track for starting the year off with new year resolutions for your home. What other goals do you have this year?
Bedroom Ideas, Home Decor & Furniture, Home Office Ideas
New Year’s Resolutions for Your Home: #1 Declutter
The advent of the New Year is always a good time to reflect on goals and make thoughtful resolutions about how we want to improve our lives. Here are some suggestions to bring the resolutions for 2022 closer to home.
Get Rid of Old Stuff
Many people tend to acquire new things faster than they get rid of the old. This can lead to overstuffed closets and overcrowded living spaces. If you’ve noticed more things lying around your home than you have uses (or space) for, now is the perfect time to give those items a new home. If a piece is in good condition but no longer useful to you, donate it to a local charity and pass on the joy the item gave you to someone else.
If your space is being taken over by things that are no longer useful to you or anyone else, then decluttering is as simple as getting a few trash bags and dedicating time to clearing out your space. If the task seems daunting, setting a timer for 5 minutes to an hour a day for dedicated cleaning time can really ease any anxiety you are feeling.
Acquire Attractive Storage Pieces
If you’re not interested in elimination so much as organization, beautiful and functional furniture might be the perfect solution. The following are examples of pieces that look great in their own right while also helping to keep clutter at a minimum:
Bookshelves
Storage Benches
Beds with Built-in Storage
2017 is almost here! But before we make any resolutions, we’ve got a New Year’s Eve party to plan. Are you throwing a bash of your own? Watch this video for a little inspiration. Quick tip: make it shimmer and shine!
Learn how to make your entryway or mudroom welcoming for guests with décor, storage, and organization tips from Ashley!