by Furnishly | Jan 1, 2023 | DIY, Uncategorized
When I think of “home,” I always start with a visual picture: the layout, the colors, and all the “stuff” that makes it so unique. But, of course, my real concept of home doesn’t have anything to do with the physical structure or the things that sit inside it. Home is a sense of peace and rest I experience by myself and with my family. And it’s the place where I nurture relationships, and build community. And if I’m doing things right, it’s the place that helps me stay sane. So this year, I’m giving my home a new commitment, and all my 2017 commitments are actually New Year’s resolutions for the home.
1. Deal with procrastination: Procrastination can really take the joy out most things in life. But in our homes, it can create an unthankful mindset for where we live. We all have projects we put off for days, weeks and sometimes even years. And the effect of that can be feeling behind, but also a lack of gratitude.
When we first moved into our home, we just hauled all our stuff from one country to the other, dumped it into the basement bedrooms that were out of sight, closed the doors and never looked back. Two years later, I still feel anxious when I see all the unpacked boxes and piles everywhere. No more procrastinating! We really want to focus on working on those specific spaces that bring us extra stress that we just don’t need in our life.
If you are in the same boat, you know what we mean. So, come up with a game plan! Working on one room at a time, we are slowly going to clean and organize the basement bedrooms. An easy way to motivate yourself to breath new life into unused spaces is giving them a little facelift! We have plans to give three different rooms their own complete makeover this year: a new home office, an organized laundry room and a spare bedroom/playroom for the kids. We know that hitting these problem areas in the home head-on will definitely make us feel a whole lot less stressed in the long run and give us a little more gratitude for where we live.
2. Narrow down to the necessities: When you live surrounded by a lot of clutter, it’s easy to overlook the details that make your house a home. It’s high time we take a long look around to see what items we have that are necessary and items that have no meaning whatsoever. I really do want to live out the whole “less is more” motto and scale back…big time.
I do love to thrift and hunt for unique treasures. Though we have collected a lot of really “cool” stuff over the years, it all can feel a little overwhelming. It’s time to really ditch the extra baggage around the home and do a little purging. One easy way to do this is figuring out if the object or thing has special meaning or memory. If it doesn’t and you just have it because it simply looks pretty or was on sale, give it away! Having less stuff will easily put your mind at ease.
3. Out with the old, in with the new: Christmas usually means a plethora of new toys and clothes for everyone. Before taking all the new stuff out of the packages and ripping the tags off of new clothes, go around the house with a few boxes to collect old toys and clothes that haven’t been touched in months. It’s like the old switch-a-roo! And to help keep a little order and sanity of course.
4. Invest in people, not things: We try our best, but we are all guilty of getting sucked into this world of consumerism. All the newest decor trends, fashion trends and endless stuff to be had….just walk around your favorite local shops and boutiques and you know the feeling exactly. It’s enough to make you go crazy. This year, I really want to invest in relationships rather than things. It’s about being intentional with our time (and money) and investing it on loved ones and experiences, not goods.
5. A cleaning routine: Am I the only one that finds this one totally daunting? In a fast paced world, there seems to be very little time or energy left to care for the home. Which is why we probably avoid having some sort of cleaning routine or schedule, because it’s just one more thing we have to do! For me, it’s really about an attitude change. I’m a stay-at-home-mom and I sometimes resent that looking after the home is essentially my “job.” But honestly, we are so blessed to have this beautiful home and I should show a little more gratitude by taking better care of it! So you see, it’s about doing a littler inner cleaning of the heart too, if you know what I mean.
How about you? What commitments are you making for your home this year? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
by Furnishly | Dec 28, 2022 | Design Inspiration
These two black home interiors show dark decor in a great light. It can be tricky to bring a shadow palette to life, but these designs are filled with inspiration on how to achieve the look with great panache. Charcoal grey and solid black walls create a rich backdrop with a dramatic quality. Black furniture emerges subtly from the shadows, elegantly highlighted by the light from large windows. Indoor plants uplift the first moody interior design with a lush green accent and explosions of texture. In our second featured home interior, rich brown accents bring added warmth to the modern matt black decor scheme. Wildly veined black and brown marble slabs introduce a stunning pattern.
A grey ceiling caps our first dark living room decor scheme, creating a cocoon of restful shade. A soft black sofa runs through the centre of the open plan layout, solidly dividing the lounge from a home office area. See more ideas for a black couch living room.
The small sectional sofa rests on a light grey rug, which lays a plush texture underfoot. A round coffee table punctuates the centre of the space with another matt black accent.
The living room layout has an L-shaped formation, in which the kitchen is tucked away around the corner from the sociable sitting area.
A chic Eames style lounge chair reclines in front of a dark wood-clad TV wall. A slab of beautifully veined white marble adds a moment of light relief that magnetically draws the eye.
An indoor planter houses an abundance of greenery next to the home office area. The natural interlude brings a fresh green accent colour and wonderful texture.
Cube shelves store office paraphernalia in the black home office. A display of decorative items creates a pleasing visual for the rest of the living space.
The black desk is softly curved around its edges to soften the aesthetic.
The home workspace faces toward the sofa, which opens up social interactions. It also looks onto the TV wall so that the user can enjoy idle background entertainment.
A thick marble countertop juts out from the kitchen nook, creating an attractive dining bar. Four modern bar stools line up around its sleek edges.
The white marble countertops are complemented by a matching backsplash around the hob. The marble slabs encase the entire focal nook with dramatic black veining.
The extractor is set into the underside of the wall cabinets to achieve a streamlined, minimalist aesthetic. Black integrated appliances blend with the dark cabinets.
In the bedroom, black upholstered panels are banked to construct a bespoke floor-to-ceiling headboard design. White marble bedside units add bright highlights to the scheme.
Smoked glass screens enclose an ensuite bathroom.
The partition wall at the foot of the bed is also the lounge TV wall. The decorative white marble panel on the TV mount wraps around into the bedroom to form a luxe feature in the sleep space too.
Tiny wall sconces fit discreetly into a framework around the upholstered headboard.
Inside the glass-walled ensuite bathroom, a unique bathtub emerges from the shadows.
A backlit bathroom mirror sets an atmospheric mood over a fabulous marble vanity unit.
An integrated sink beds into the smooth white marble countertop.
In our second black home interior, linear outlines cut crisply through the layout to create an edgy aesthetic. A sectional sofa threads a warm brown accent through the black and grey decor scheme.
Grey scatter cushions dress the couch to tie it in with the cool grey and black surroundings.
A grey area rug adds an island of cool colour onto the wood laminate floor treatment.
The living room focal wall is adorned with wildly veined black and brown marble slabs.
The stone panels introduce stunning pattern around a modern fireplace and a wall-mounted TV.
The bright marble veining complements the flickering flame in the contemporary fireplace.
Behind the lounge area, a sculptural installation of dining room pendant lights descends dramatically over a round pedestal dining table. The black suspension lights and four modern black dining chairs form eye-catching silhouettes against full-height windows.
Pale marble countertops and a coordinating backsplash lighten up the black kitchen. A pair of modern kitchen bar stools fetch in the warm brown accent colour.
Wooden bowls and chopping boards add tonal brown accents onto the pale kitchen countertops.
A marble sink elegantly merges into the stone worktop.
Copper kitchenware shines brightly from a column of open kitchen shelving. The backlit shelves and metallic accents stand out brilliantly against the black backdrop.
In the home entryway, a clothing rail is suspended from the ceiling to hold jackets, coats, and scarves.
A shoe storage bench fills the floor space underneath the coat rack.
Inside the master bedroom, the headboard wall is clad with an array of smooth and textured panels. See more inspiration for black bedroom schemes.
A small partition wall separates the bed from a home workspace.
A brown reading lamp richly accessorises a dark grey bedside table.
Beside the window, a brown accent chair and floating bookshelves fashion a reading nook.
Recommended Reading: Modern Dark Interior Design
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by Furnishly | Dec 21, 2022 | Design Inspiration
Most living rooms play host to a TV but it’s tricky to place such a large piece of tech when space is tight. In this collection of 40 ideas for small living rooms with a TV, we’ll look at creative solutions. These interior concepts offer inspiration for small living room layouts with prime TV viewing angles. There is also stylish inspo on how to style a TV wall, and a host of complementary media unit ideas. From floating wall cabinets, to streamlined bespoke built-ins, there is something here to suit all tastes, decor budgets, and room sizes. Of course, we’ll explore the rest of the living room too, discussing colour schemes, furniture arrangements and more.
Create a layered TV wall design with a backdrop of wooden wall panelling and an overlay of fresh white floating cabinets. In this living room layout, the media unit is balanced out with an opposite wall of floating shelves.
If the prime viewing point for your TV is on a narrow support column, then expand its mounting surface with a cantilevered extension. This example gains visual impact with a colour-blocked paint effect.
In a light decor scheme, balance out a black TV screen with dark scatter cushions on the sofa.
If you desire TVs in two adjoining rooms, opt for a double-sided TV mount. This stationary wooden panel supports both the lounge and bedroom TVs. It allows the rest of the wall to slide open as a pocket door for open plan functionality.
A lounge, kitchen, and dining combo can be challenging to conquer in a compact space. Aim to position the TV where it can be viewed well not only from the sofa, but during casual lunches at the dining table, and whilst preparing dinner.
Sometimes it’s not just the TV screen that we need to place, but computer screens too. A home workspace fits in well behind the length of a sofa. Be sure to leave enough width to stroll between the desk chairs and couch when plotting the layout.
Match the TV wall to the colour of the sofa to achieve a cohesive look.
A jet-black TV wall treatment helps to blend a bulky TV screen into the background.
Seat everyone at a prime TV viewing angle by setting a dining table or breakfast bar directly against the back of the couch. Choose plush dining chairs to make TV dinners a cosy experience.
Combine TV entertainment with the atmospheric flicker of open flame. Install a modern fireplace on top of a modern linear media cabinet.
Divert attention from the imposing presence of a large TV screen with a brightly distracting couch colour.
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- Visualizer: aTng 糖 & Dunqiang Chen
Built-in sofas save bags of room in a small living room.
This small space design distracts from the heaviness of the black TV set with uplifting aqua accents.
Build a spatial divide between a small lounge area and an adjoining kitchen with a cleverly situated dining peninsula. This black marble peninsula design complements a matching marble TV unit.
Apply eye-catching tiles to define your TV feature wall. Keep the rest of the decor scheme understated.
Push the TV down the pecking order by installing it into a built-in bookcase. A busy frame of tomes and decorative items will pull attention from the screen.
Flank the TV with floor-to-ceiling units to fashion a concealing alcove.
In this studio apartment, black kitchen units and window blinds balance out the black TV. Lush green indoor plants provide a welcome contrast.
Create an atmospheric setting for movie nights with subtle perimeter lighting.
Make the TV part of a gallery wall by applying large framed prints around it.
This studio apartment achieves a clear divide between the sleep space and the TV lounge with a split-level floor.
Raise the TV high to avoid tall obstructions like dining areas.
Make a sofa work double duty as a banquette seat for the dining table too.
By keeping furniture sizes small, this compact living space can accommodate a comfortable dining area, a modern media unit, and a comfy couch. A freestanding breakfast bar pushes up against the kitchen peninsula to add a second eating spot.
Make a cohesive colour story for a studio apartment by matching the sofa to a portiere around the bed. Position the TV where it can be enjoyed from both areas.
As an alternative to a black TV wall, use dark wood wall cladding to blend the TV with its backdrop.
Use the TV as a giant digital clock for your living room.
Include a stool storage nook in the end of your TV unit. The stools can be tucked away when not in use to make a small living room appear more spacious.
Establish zoning between the TV lounge and a living room workspace with high-contrast wall colours.
In this living room, two workspaces are tucked away into the window area. Wood wall cladding solidifies the room divide.
Construct a multi-purpose media unit. This piece morphs into a double workspace before creatively dissolving into the kitchen.
In extra small living spaces, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Create a calming colour palette with muted shades, and choose a conservatively sized TV.
Have your TV unit serve as a desk, dressing table, and eating area. Expand usable space inside a double-height living room with a mezzanine.
A glass partition wall makes a small living room appear bigger and brighter. This curved glass wall morphs into a panelled TV wall to make a stunning focal point.
Curate a muted green and brown living room decor scheme to create a natural feel. Complement the palette with a wood effect TV stand.
Introduce arched decor features and classical sculptures to craft an elegant neoclassic TV room.
Install a swivel mount to use one TV between two adjoining rooms.
This swivel TV mount serves both sides of an open plan living room layout.
A ceiling-mounted TV wall creates a lightweight aesthetic by revealing the adjoining room via a gap in its base.
Another swivel TV stand solution.
Although not technically a TV room, this design certainly deserves a place here. This living room home theatre features a drop-down projection screen, which is an awesome solution when wall space just isn’t available.
Recommended Reading: 50 Ideas To Decorate The Wall You Hang Your TV On
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by Furnishly | Dec 4, 2022 | DIY
Yep, the season is here and I’m ready to deck. those. halls. Each year, I lean more and more towards minimal Christmas decorations and I love simple black and white with splashes of metallics. I’m a huge fan of a banner or pendent. They are easy to hang and roll up small and compact to pack away for the rest of the year. Banners add a relaxed, informal vibe to a space. This no-sew, narrow NOEL banner is perfect for a tight space. I’m hanging mine on a tiny space on my wall between the door and window.
Felt is one of my favorite materials to work with. It’s inexpensive and requires no sewing. 
Materials
- fabric scissors ($20 on Amazon)
- felt glue
- black and white felt
- N–O–E–L letter templates
- 12″ piece of narrow dowel
- yarn, string or twine
Step
Begin by printing out the N-O-E-L letters. Trim them, but don’t cut all the way to the edge of the letters. When you cut out the letter, it helps to stabalize the fabric if you are cutting through both the paper and fabric together.
Step
Pin the letters to the white felt in a few places. Cut out the letters with good sharp fabric scissors.
Step
Using scissors to cut out a 10″ by 36″ rectangle of the black felt. Or, if you have one, a rotary cutter and cutting mat works even better to get nice straight even sides.
Fold down the top on the black felt about 2″ to make a sleeve for the dowel. Use felt glue to adhere the felt together.
Step
Lay out the letters so that the are centered and evenly space. Glue down the letters with more felt glue.
Step
When the glue has dried, you can fold the bottom edge of the banner in half and cut a diagonal line from the center out to the sides to create the V shape.
Tie some twine or string to the dowel for hanging the banner.
And that’s it!
This would be an easy project to customize the colors and message. How cute would a JOY banner in red and white be?
by Furnishly | Nov 30, 2022 | Design Inspiration
Beige, greige, wood, and travertine decor elements culminate in a warm and welcoming interior design with a stylish aesthetic. Visualised by ZEWorkroom Studio, this modern home is a smooth and seductive space, where neutral decor is striking in its simplicity. In the spacious living room, elegant focal walls form a textured room divider and an eye-catching TV wall. The kitchen diner is a tranquil space with a travertine island, smooth beige stucco walls, and atmospheric lighting. Upstairs, the master bedroom includes a secluded home workspace that’s artfully tucked behind a partition headboard. The kid’s room offers playful inspiration with a fun slide and a hideaway play loft.
A large area rug stretches across the spacious living room, setting down a plush beige base. Two modern linear sofas make a broken L-shaped arrangement around its edge. While two modern lounge chairs are set in front of a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows.
A modern coffee table set nests at the centre of the beige rug. Their two-tone colourway of rich wood tone and greige provides understated interest.
Behind one sofa, a bespoke room divider provides the subtle neutral decor palette with a wall of texture. Built-in display shelves are daintily adorned with a glass vase and a botanical arrangement.
A unique wall light glows brightly above the second sofa.
On the other side of the beige living room, a stylish TV wall is fashioned with smooth wood wall panels and a swathe of crowning travertine. Atmospherically backlit shelves hold a small library of books.
Beige wall stucco builds visual warmth around the room perimeter and across the vast ceiling space. Recessed spotlights are tucked away to achieve a streamlined effect. A lush green garden view and natural sunlight soak into the living space via the enormous windows.
Deep throw pillows add extra comfort to the contemporary linear sofa design. A unique floor lamp blends into the wood backdrop.
The TV wall and a modern staircase design separate the living room from a large kitchen diner.
A luxurious travertine kitchen island works double-duty as a breakfast bar. Wooden bar stools warmly complement the stone countertop.
A formal dining area is situated in front of the large windows, where it benefits from the light and the view. Strings of dining room pendant lights dangle in clusters above a modern wooden dining table.
The travertine-topped kitchen island design includes a volume of wooden cabinets, which creates tonal and textural contrast.
Large format floor tiles further increase the sense of space in the large room.
The modern kitchen faucet brings a dash of black and a glimmer of chrome to the travertine kitchen decor. A carafe and glass tumbler set adorn the smooth travertine worktop.
A travertine feature wall complements the kitchen design and adds interest to the side of the staircase.
The base treads appear to extrude weightlessly from the staircase column. A stepped stucco balustrade builds sculptural interest up one side.
Upstairs in the bedroom, a wooden platform bed is situated centrally in the space. A plain bedroom rug makes a soft island underneath.
A modern bedside table lamp shines brightly on one side of the bed. It stands upon a low-level wooden headboard unit. A taller, upholstered headboard design builds a partition between the sleep space and a home workspace behind.
Plush beige drapes thickly frame the edge-to-edge bedroom window.
The home workspace is fashioned with a sleek travertine desk design and a stylish modern desk chair.
At the opposite ends of the room, a travertine media console unit floats beneath the TV.
A second double bedroom is furnished with a chic travertine and wood headboard combination. Unique bedroom pendant lights are fixed on either side.
Round bedside tables complement the curved headboard aesthetic.
The upholstered bed perfectly matches the curtain material. The curtain tracks are neatly hidden away in the ceiling line to achieve a clean look.
Books and a stone paperweight adorn the bedside table. Outside on the terrace, modern sun loungers and a swing seat make an inviting relaxation area.
The spacious bedroom includes a small lounge area with a modern sofa. A wall of storage houses the TV, a tower of decorative shelving, and the wardrobe.
In the bathroom, travertine wall cladding creates a luxurious, spa-like vibe. A double sink bathroom vanity area is teamed with a full-height vanity mirror and a strip of soft mood lighting.
Glass doors tuck away the WC and shower area. The glass reflects the natural light from the bathroom window, as well as the serene green treetop view.
A beige bathtub melds beautifully with the travertine perimeter. A chrome bath tap adds a cool metallic shimmer.
The modern kid’s room is a playful space. A play loft is tucked away up top, with a slide that descends around the kid’s bed. The loft is accessed via a set of ladders that climb past a cute reading nook. Beanbag seats are set in front of small archways that accept light from the bedroom windows.
The built-in slide provides the first pop of contrasting colour in the home. Its blue surface glides in a smooth curve, set within wooden siding. A rope hammock offers another spot for relaxation and reading, as well as sensory stimuli.
Recommended Reading: Harmonised Grey And Beige Decor
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