Decorating

Some people have a true knack for gift giving and manage to think of a thoughtful and personal gift for everyone on their list. Then there’s the rest of us who struggle, procrastinate and, often, end up with gifts that are generic, uninspired or wholly unsuitable for the recipient. Well, here’s an idea to simplify your holiday shopping this year: get everyone the same gift.

You might not think about coffee table heights as the sort of thing that fluctuates throughout the years, but like any design element, the ideal coffee table height not only changes from room style to room style, but also according to what’s in vogue in living rooms that are being lived in, in the current moment. Low coffee tables are just what they sound like: coffee tables with a top surface that sits a fair bit lower than your usual coffee table find.

The colorful sofa trend is going strong and, as a color addict myself, I couldn’t be happier. It’s hard not to smile when you walk into a room that has a big and bold pop of color. Color may not be for everyone and the thought of such a large piece in a bright color may be intimating, but what’s great is that a colorful sofa can actually be versatile.

There are a handful of products I use at home every single day. I don’t always think to sing their praises, and often forget they are there. But they are essentials nonetheless, without which I’d be decidedly unhappier. Here’s a list of ten non-flashy, basic things I can’t live without. My friend Michelle introduced me to Salux, a brand of Japanese wash cloths, and I am addicted.

One sure-fire way to make your home memorable? Take advantage of every opportunity to layer in a little personal style to your space. Adding (or replacing) a door knocker is a great example of exactly this type of decor-enhancing opportunity; they set the tone for a personality-packed interior, are usually VERY affordable and the install process is a quick, easy DIY project for a half hour on the weekend. Why have a same-old, same-old conservative – or even worse!

Armor Lux teamed up with Madewell to produce these really nice versions of their classic slipper. With temperatures dropping like they are, a solid pair of house slippers is a great thing to have. I’ve been gifted sheepskin slippers a few times in my life, but they don’t have any structure and quickly become uncomfortable to use every day. We rounded up four sturdy house slipper brands to keep you warm all winter long.

Hard butter when you want to spread it on hot piping toast or pancakes, or even when you want to slather it on top of a roast chicken is one of life’s little annoyances. It’s SO wonderful to work with soft butter in the kitchen and butter keepers or butter bells make it easy. This stunning one up top is Melissa Clark’s own and solid marble.

IKEA’s new kitchen cabinet system hits the stores on February 2nd. To help you plan your dream kitchen, as promised in our earlier inside scoop post, we’ve got need-to-know details ahead of time. Here’s inside info on everything from price to measurements, features to finishes, along with plenty of photos. Let the new kitchen designing and dreaming begin!

At the top of my wish list for this fall is a giant chunky knit wool blanket. I keep seeing them on Scandinavian design blogs, and every time I do I take a minute and imagine how wonderful it would feel to be snuggled up underneath a blanket that feels like a giant wool sweater for your entire body. So I’ve hunted down a few sources for these enormous lovelies, and also a few DIYs for those of you brave (and talented!) enough to make your own.

Flea markets are filled with curiosities, and I’m not just talking about the stuff for sale. Over the years I’ve witnessed a lot of strange behaviors as people navigate booths looking for bargains. There’s something about flea market culture (cash-based transactions? secondhand goods? informal setting?

Did you know that whenever you rearrange a room to eliminate clutter and make yourself feel better that you’re essentially practicing Feng Shui? Yep, it’s true; Feng Shui has a rep as one of those woo-woo things that you can either buy into or not, but it’s actually just the practice of making positive changes to your environment to produce positive changes in your life.

MANSTAD packs a lot of punch — it’s a (1) small scale sectional sofa that’s also a (2) bed and (3) storage. While there are options for sectionals with built in beds, few are this small, this inexpensive and few are designed to take advantage of the full footprint.

My husband and I decided we’d allow ourselves one splurge purchase for our baby. We had admired the Stokke Sleepi crib, but decided it was just too expensive – not just for our budget, but in principle. But when we started trying to figure out how to incorporate a crib into our home office space, the smaller Stokke started looking better and better.

Bo Concept recently let us test drive one of their more popular sofa beds to see what we thought of it. After 2 weeks of giving it our all, we have our verdict:Bo Concept is a European Furniture maker that falls somewhere between West Elm and Design Within Reach. Marketed as affordable luxury, their furniture is modern, sleek and often perfect for small spaces.