Apartment Terapy

Not that I am an expert at it. I simply make an effort, wherever I have lived, and always on a tiny budget. Which makes you get pretty inventive, and at times, reckless. I have so many paint-stained articles of clothing that I still insist on wearing, including an ugly, brown, workout top that has bright orange stains on it. Stains on the BOOBS.

Ross shakes his head in shame whenever I walk out of the house with it on.

Also, I have a mental list of design sites that I frequent. Like Design Crisis (run by two Austin girls!), Desire to Inspire, and - of course - Apartment Therapy. They are my version of internet porn.

Apartment Terapy

Not that I am an expert at it. I simply make an effort, wherever I have lived, and always on a tiny budget. Which makes you get pretty inventive, and at times, reckless. I have so many paint-stained articles of clothing that I still insist on wearing, including an ugly, brown, workout top that has bright orange stains on it. Stains on the BOOBS.

Ross shakes his head in shame whenever I walk out of the house with it on.

Also, I have a mental list of design sites that I frequent. Like Design Crisis (run by two Austin girls!), Desire to Inspire, and - of course - Apartment Therapy. They are my version of internet porn.

How to Keep your Home Always Smelling Fresh

The atmosphere of your home is one of the ‘unsaid’ aesthetics that keeps you loving your home. When you are in it day in and day out, the way your home smells and feels will actually have a stronger impact then the décor in your space! So what factors keep your home smelling fresh and which one’s contribute to their

• Determine the culprits of odor: There are different sources that can contribute to your home’s odors including: must, old age, pets, food and daily regimen, poor air circulation, smoke, old finishes – carpet/wallpaper, etc.. and a host of others.  Depending on the odor you will first have to determine where the odor is coming from.  When you have lived in your home for a while, you may be insensitive to the odor, and will need to ask a friend or neighbor for advice on the source of odor in your home.
• Solving the issue: Once you found the issues use the following tips to keep the smell away:

o   Musty odors: If musty odors are caused from an aging home consider painting walls, changing wallpaper, replacing carpet, and refinishing wood floors.  If odor is from old furniture, read our Freshome post about removing musty odors from furniture. Musty odors are some of the hardest to get rid of due to age and the smell could be embedded into the home.

o   Pets: Odors from pets can be from pet stains in carpet/pad or furnishings, or it can be from wet fur of animals.  Try getting your carpets steam cleaned on a regular basis and get pets house trained to keep carpets smelling fresh. Consider using a carpet powder or light baby powder on carpet and vacuum.

o   Food & Daily regimen: Your household regimen and food that you cook on a regular basis could be the source of odor in your home. It doesn’t mean you have to change your cooking habits, but the routine of cleaning and airing out your kitchen may need to.  Use the range hood vent when cooking to remove cooking odors from the air. Empty the trash immediately after disposing of food, and consider double bagging if necessary. Have neutralizers in your kitchen to expel odor while you create them. Turn on garbage disposal immediately after placing food in – and put fresh lemons down drain to keep clean and odor free.

o   Poor air circulation and smoke: Both of these causes can be addressed by opening up windows on a regular basis to let fresh air move throughout your home. Change your air filters on your heating/air conditioner unit per the manufacturer’s instructions. You can also buy scented inserts especially made for your vented system to disperse smell throughout your home. Consider not smoking in your home to truly expel smoke odor in your home. Smoke settles into finishes and can stay for years into the future.

• Keeping your home smelling fresh: Once you have solved the issue you will need to take on a new regimen for routinely keeping your house smelling fresh. If your home’s source is from being unclean, it will be important to clean more often and more thoroughly. Consider hiring a cleaning service for an initial clean that you can later maintain, or hire on a regular basis. Teach teenager’s to wash athletic clothes, bed linen, and bath linen on a regular basis. Believe it or not, these can harbor germs quickly and cause odors.

Your home can smell clean all the time with diligence and identifying the source of the odors. Take the time to make your home smell inviting and fresh. You will feel better in your home and notice guests will enjoy it too. You just may find a new reason to stay at home and entertain more once your home is more inviting to all! Freshome reader’s tell us what makes your home smell fantastic!

How to Keep your Home Always Smelling Fresh

The atmosphere of your home is one of the ‘unsaid’ aesthetics that keeps you loving your home. When you are in it day in and day out, the way your home smells and feels will actually have a stronger impact then the décor in your space! So what factors keep your home smelling fresh and which one’s contribute to their

• Determine the culprits of odor: There are different sources that can contribute to your home’s odors including: must, old age, pets, food and daily regimen, poor air circulation, smoke, old finishes – carpet/wallpaper, etc.. and a host of others.  Depending on the odor you will first have to determine where the odor is coming from.  When you have lived in your home for a while, you may be insensitive to the odor, and will need to ask a friend or neighbor for advice on the source of odor in your home.
• Solving the issue: Once you found the issues use the following tips to keep the smell away:

o   Musty odors: If musty odors are caused from an aging home consider painting walls, changing wallpaper, replacing carpet, and refinishing wood floors.  If odor is from old furniture, read our Freshome post about removing musty odors from furniture. Musty odors are some of the hardest to get rid of due to age and the smell could be embedded into the home.

o   Pets: Odors from pets can be from pet stains in carpet/pad or furnishings, or it can be from wet fur of animals.  Try getting your carpets steam cleaned on a regular basis and get pets house trained to keep carpets smelling fresh. Consider using a carpet powder or light baby powder on carpet and vacuum.

o   Food & Daily regimen: Your household regimen and food that you cook on a regular basis could be the source of odor in your home. It doesn’t mean you have to change your cooking habits, but the routine of cleaning and airing out your kitchen may need to.  Use the range hood vent when cooking to remove cooking odors from the air. Empty the trash immediately after disposing of food, and consider double bagging if necessary. Have neutralizers in your kitchen to expel odor while you create them. Turn on garbage disposal immediately after placing food in – and put fresh lemons down drain to keep clean and odor free.

o   Poor air circulation and smoke: Both of these causes can be addressed by opening up windows on a regular basis to let fresh air move throughout your home. Change your air filters on your heating/air conditioner unit per the manufacturer’s instructions. You can also buy scented inserts especially made for your vented system to disperse smell throughout your home. Consider not smoking in your home to truly expel smoke odor in your home. Smoke settles into finishes and can stay for years into the future.

• Keeping your home smelling fresh: Once you have solved the issue you will need to take on a new regimen for routinely keeping your house smelling fresh. If your home’s source is from being unclean, it will be important to clean more often and more thoroughly. Consider hiring a cleaning service for an initial clean that you can later maintain, or hire on a regular basis. Teach teenager’s to wash athletic clothes, bed linen, and bath linen on a regular basis. Believe it or not, these can harbor germs quickly and cause odors.

Your home can smell clean all the time with diligence and identifying the source of the odors. Take the time to make your home smell inviting and fresh. You will feel better in your home and notice guests will enjoy it too. You just may find a new reason to stay at home and entertain more once your home is more inviting to all! Freshome reader’s tell us what makes your home smell fantastic!

Strong and Masculine Office Furniture

Here is a unique looking office furniture set designed by Gabriel Teixidó for Spanish company AG Land 14. These desks have a very dynamic feel and thin edges. The sober color palette and the strong design give these furniture items a firm, masculine effect. Here is a statement from the designer: “Level is style. Style because it combines

Strong and Masculine Office Furniture

Here is a unique looking office furniture set designed by Gabriel Teixidó for Spanish company AG Land 14. These desks have a very dynamic feel and thin edges. The sober color palette and the strong design give these furniture items a firm, masculine effect. Here is a statement from the designer: “Level is style. Style because it combines

Small One Room Apartment Interior Design Inspiration

Last week I was in Bucharest to meet a few people that I knew from the internet. We spoke for a long time online but we never saw each other in real life, and I’ve decided that right now I could go to visit Bucharest and meet a few of my “digital friends“. Now to avoid paying between 50 - 100 euro/night to stay at a hotel a good friend of mine ( Adi ) took me to his little one room apartment, and how I have a blog about architecture, interior design, furniture, etc …I’ve decided to take some pictures, because I really liked how Adi made that small place look really good. Now let’s take a look at this small one room apartment, that is a great example of how you can make a small apartment look really good.

At night these red lights make a very romantic and calming atmosphere.

Here you can see the bed and a small part of the kitchen …yes I know is very small.

Small One Room Apartment Interior Design Inspiration

Last week I was in Bucharest to meet a few people that I knew from the internet. We spoke for a long time online but we never saw each other in real life, and I’ve decided that right now I could go to visit Bucharest and meet a few of my “digital friends“. Now to avoid paying between 50 - 100 euro/night to stay at a hotel a good friend of mine ( Adi ) took me to his little one room apartment, and how I have a blog about architecture, interior design, furniture, etc …I’ve decided to take some pictures, because I really liked how Adi made that small place look really good. Now let’s take a look at this small one room apartment, that is a great example of how you can make a small apartment look really good.

At night these red lights make a very romantic and calming atmosphere.

Here you can see the bed and a small part of the kitchen …yes I know is very small.

Small One Room Apartment Interior Design Inspiration

Last week I was in Bucharest to meet a few people that I knew from the internet. We spoke for a long time online but we never saw each other in real life, and I’ve decided that right now I could go to visit Bucharest and meet a few of my “digital friends“. Now to avoid paying between 50 - 100 euro/night to stay at a hotel a good friend of mine ( Adi ) took me to his little one room apartment, and how I have a blog about architecture, interior design, furniture, etc …I’ve decided to take some pictures, because I really liked how Adi made that small place look really good. Now let’s take a look at this small one room apartment, that is a great example of how you can make a small apartment look really good.

At night these red lights make a very romantic and calming atmosphere.

Here you can see the bed and a small part of the kitchen …yes I know is very small.

Small One Room Apartment Interior Design Inspiration

Last week I was in Bucharest to meet a few people that I knew from the internet. We spoke for a long time online but we never saw each other in real life, and I’ve decided that right now I could go to visit Bucharest and meet a few of my “digital friends“. Now to avoid paying between 50 - 100 euro/night to stay at a hotel a good friend of mine ( Adi ) took me to his little one room apartment, and how I have a blog about architecture, interior design, furniture, etc …I’ve decided to take some pictures, because I really liked how Adi made that small place look really good. Now let’s take a look at this small one room apartment, that is a great example of how you can make a small apartment look really good.

At night these red lights make a very romantic and calming atmosphere.

Here you can see the bed and a small part of the kitchen …yes I know is very small.

10 Tips to Make a Small Bedroom Feel Larger

Your bedroom is the one room in the house that should feel like no other.  Relaxation and unwinding from a stressful day should be a regular occurrence in your bedroom What if you feel like your bedroom is too small to feel relaxed in?  The size of your bedroom has you puzzled as to decorating, organizing and maximizing its small nature.  Your bedroom can be all you dream of with some simple ideas and tips.  If you are a small bedroom owner let’s look at t 10 tips to bring relaxing, big space ideas back into your small sanctuary.

1.) Remove clutter: The more items you have in your bedroom the more cramped it will feel.  Look around the room; can you see the floor baseboard? If you scan your entire bedroom and never see the floor baseboard, you have too much furniture and personal belongings.  Consider using furniture in another room of your house or selling it. Remove large collections of personal belongings from dressers, night tables, and entertainment centers.  When you enter the room, you want your eye to gracefully scan the room.  This will create the illusion of space, instantly.

2.) Buy furniture that maximizes wall space: Shopping for furniture can be a challenge when you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for.  In small bedrooms measure out the amount of wall space you have, and how much room the furniture can project from the walls.  Opt for rectilinear furniture as opposed to curved. Curved furniture tends to take up more space and will swallow up your walking area to get past your furniture.  Wall hung night stands are a great option to maximize the floor footprint in your bedroom as well.

3.) Scale your décor by the size of your bed: Depending on the size of your bedroom, your bed will most likely be the focal point.  If you have a large bed in a small room, you will instantly feel cramped and uncomfortable.  Consider having a smaller bed, and size your table lamps and decorations in the same proportions.  If you are going through the effort and scaling down the bed, so should the accessories that surround the room.

4.) Add visual interest to your ceiling: In recent years, tray ceilings in bedrooms have become more popular.  They add a fifth dimension to the room that is often overlooked.  If you have the option of adding this into your bedroom, go ahead and see how much volume you will open up.  If you will remain with a standard ceiling, consider using a lighter color to fool the eye into the illusion of space.  The darker the ceiling, the more closed in the room will feel, and vice versa.

5.) A reading ‘nook’ will make your room relaxing: A misconception about having a small bedroom is that you can only sleep, change clothes and leave out the room. This is not true.  Put a small chair and lamp in your bedroom, and you instantly have a reading nook.  When you can have multifunctional areas in your small bedroom you will want to spend more time in the space. Add a sconce to either side of the bed to make reading in bed more enjoyable and relaxing.

6.) Choose dressers and armoires that are appropriate for your room size: One of the quickest ways to make your room feel small is to have furniture pieces that are too large for the space.  Choose 2 or 3 mandatory pieces of furniture and scale appropriately to the room. Think of using a armoire to hold clothes and a television to eliminate a large dresser and entertainment center. The more functions you can condense, the larger your room will feel.

7.) Find creative uses for storage: To help keep your bedroom clutter free, use decorative baskets in a bookshelf or wall unit to keep house small items that don’t need to be seen.  Do your children leave small toys around your room? Stash them in roll out under bed storage bins that are easily accessible for them and you! Use your imagination when it comes to storage.  A small bedroom could benefit from multifunction pieces.  If you have room for a furniture bench at the foot of your bed, opt for one with a flip open seat that can hold magazines, and books.

8.) To have or not to have a television? Having a TV in your bedroom is based on personal preference.  If you decide to have a TV consider a flat screen type that can be mounted on the wall, or will take up minimal space on a dresser.  For those that choose not to have a TV – a stereo can also take up considerable space.  Opt for using MP3 stereos that connect to your MP3 and eliminates large, clunky stereo units.

9.) Choose your colors wisely: Dark colors in an already small room can make your bedroom feel like a cave.  If you like dark colors, use them in accessories like throw pillows, area rugs, and accents in drapery and bed linen. Consider using lighter colors on the walls, and ceiling to open up the space visually.  Bring in natural light as much as possible to illuminate the space and your mood.

10.) Create a focal point: If you have a fantastic piece of artwork place it above the bed and draw the eye away from the rest of the room.  If you aren’t too pleased with your bed but have an antique dresser that looks great, add a colorful vase to adorn the top.  Use your imagination to accentuate the positive about your room and remove emphasis from the small nature of your bedroom.

A small bedroom can be a challenge but it can also feel cozy and unique once you decorate it.  Use these 10 tips to make your bedroom feel larger and to make the most of the space you do have.  Incorporate these ideas in other bedrooms in your home and see how your rooms will instantly feel more lived in, as opposed to feeling cold and unlivable.