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By: Amy Howell Hirt
Three young entrepreneurs give tips on staying organized and calm while living hectic lives.
Life is crazy. Cah-ray-zee. And while you wouldn’t have it any other way from 9 to 5 (OK, more like 8 to 7), the insanity should stop at your front door.
That’s why you bought your home, right? To have a place to rest, recharge, and come up with your next trailblazing idea. A few inspirational ideas for your home may be all you need to put it on the path to tranquility.
Three super-busy entrepreneurs — a brewery owner, website founder, and organic farmer — know exactly how important a tranquil home is to achieving personal success. Here, they share how they created Zen-like havens in their homes to foster stress-relieving routines.
A Nook to Bliss Out In:
When hanging out at the local brewpub loses its appeal because, well, brewing is your business, home becomes your place for a mini getaway.
Tim Bullock, who co-owns St. Elmo Brewing Company in Austin, Texas, and his wife, photographer Heather Gallagher, created a perfect spot to chill in their own home with a little wallpaper and a daybed.
In the morning before his young son wakes up, Bullock often lounges on the daybed, reading the news, sending a few emails, or just listening to piano music before the madness of the day ensues.
The brightly colored tropical wallpaper mural covers an entire wall next to the daybed. Compared to the crisp black-and-white color scheme in the rest of the house, the vibrant space “really feels like a vacation room,” Bullock says.
Your blissful nook doesn’t have to be indoors: HypeGirls.com founder Nichole Dawkins created a tropical escape on her balcony. More than 20 strategically placed potted plants — including aloe, vegetables, herbs, small palm trees, cacti, and orchids — block out the neighbors and frame a calming water view from her Miami home.
Given the space’s appeal, Dawkins doesn’t have to remind herself to take a break throughout the day. She meditates there every morning, soaks in the sun while enjoying an afternoon cup of tea, and often reads or colors while her son naps. Sign us up!
A No-Fail System for Organization:
With a young toddler running around, Dawkins is constantly battling toys that threaten to take over her living room. So the creative director and founder of the site for “millennial mamas,” invested in DIY shelving and deep decorative bins.
Because every bin houses one category of items — like puzzles, coloring books, games, and toys — she can easily clean up throughout the day, allowing her more time to enjoy that sense of adult orderliness every evening.
Instead of a mess facing her at the end of the work day, “I spend much more time relaxing in the space than I do cleaning it up,” she says.
A Drop Zone to Separate Work From Home:
Is it difficult to leave the literal “mess” of work at the front door? Andrea Davis-Cetina, an organic farmer and owner of Quarter Acre Farm in Sonoma, Calif., can relate.
A one-woman operation, she might spend the day planting and harvesting, and then return home after dark to post social media updates, order seeds, or book guests for her radio show. She needed a place to stow her dirty farm boots and jackets, but her home doesn’t have a foyer.
So she carved out a small foyer drop zone at the front door, with a wall-mounted coat rack above a simple, three-level shoe stand.
“It stops the mess at the door,” she says, and helps draw that elusive line between work and personal life — even if there’s more work to be done after a long shower and an episode of “Scandal.”
For homeowners with devices instead of dirty gear: A charging station is a must-have for a drop zone. Plug ‘em in, and leave ‘em there.
An Easy Way to Spend Time Outside:
Bullock says both his home’s location and his home’s yard help him de-stress simply by encouraging him to get outside.
Since his home is in a walkable neighborhood, Bullock says that encourages both him and his family to interact with nature, instead of watching it through car windows — either by walking to the local pizzeria or riding their bikes through the park. Their home’s locale makes it all possible.
But his favorite just might be the small herb garden in his front yard. He and his son routinely spend a few minutes most days watering or weeding it.
“That definitely is a big stress relief, and it’s right outside the front door,” he says.
Windows will get you a dose of nature, too: Dawkins says the abundance of windows in her home is a natural mood-booster — and a significant reason she chose her home. She leaves the windows uncovered during the day to get as much of the benefits of daylighting as she possibly can.
A Focal Point to Find Peace and Motivation:
“The power of visualization is very important when you’re trying to get focused, or relax,” Dawkins says, by way of explanation for the “inspiration board” in her home.
She gives her board a very personal touch. Every year, she takes a blank canvas and paints it with a new theme (this year, it’s reggae), then adds her visions and dreams to it.
It works as artwork in her home, but it also helps her to see her goals clearly — and let go of the day’s less consequential stressors.
You don’t have to be an artist to have an inspiration board: Davis-Cetina uses a simple bulletin board to hang her motivational messages and personal and professional mementos. In the evening, when she’s handling the office end of farm work from an extra bedroom, she likes to visit her board. “I like to hold onto things and look at them. It’s a reminder of why you’re doing what you’re doing,” she says.
By: Teresa Mears
Find out how much windows cost — and whether you really need to spend the dollars.
You knew your windows weren’t in the best shape when you bought your home, but now they’re really starting to get to you. They’re making your home look — and feel — well, dumpy.
Not only that, you feel drafts coming from your windows in winter, then they jam shut when summer rolls around. Talk about frustrating.
Maybe it’s finally time for new windows, but can you afford it? And what if you make a mistake that makes your house look even worse? It can, and does, happen.
“You put the wrong window in and, boy, it will stick out like a sore thumb.” That’s what window expert Larry Patterson, president of Glass Doctor of North Texas in Dallas, says.
Here’s how to choose new windows without making mistakes — and avoid spending money you don’t need to:
First Ask, “Do I Really Need New Windows?”
It may be that not replacing them is the smart thing to do, especially when you factor in the cost of new windows: $10,000 or more on the average home.
And while manufacturers may tout the energy savings new windows can provide, it could take yearsto recoup that 10 grand. The most significant energy savings you’d see is $583 annually (says the U.S. Energy Star program).
Do the math: It’ll take 17 years (!) for you to save enough to make up the cost. Perhaps a little window caulking and weatherstripping will do?
Even if your windows are broken or damaged, you might not need to buy new. Older wood windows can last more than 100 years (for real) because the old-growth wood used back then is super durable — still!
So in many cases, especially if your home has original windows, they may just need new glass or some simple repairs, which will save you a bundle.
But if your windows are a lost cause, and it really is time to replace them, here’s what to know:
How to Choose New Windows:
For better or for worse, new windows can change the look of your entire home. Let’s aim for better, yes?
It starts with picking the right material, says Dan Bawden, president and CEO of Legal Eagle Contractors in Houston and chair of the National Association of Home Builders’ Remodelers group.
Vinyl windows might look fine on a Colonial house, but they would never work with a Tudor-style home, he says. That’s because wood trim is what makes a Tudor a Tudor (try saying that three times with a straight face, ha!).
“The windows need to match the quality and price point of the house,” says Bawden.
Choose From 5 Types of Window Materials:
You’ll probably hear about wood-clad windows, too. They’re real wood on the inside of your home, but vinyl, fiberglass, or aluminum on the exterior. Choosing wood-clad will add to the cost, but their easy-to-maintain classic style might make you overlook the bottom line.
Match Your Home’s Window Style:
Of course, the material your windows are made of isn’t the decision you’ll have to make. Two more things help determine which style of window to choose:
Windows with grids that divide the glass into what looks like smaller windows (really old, single-pane windows actually are made up of individual panes of glass held together by wooden grids) are the more traditional classic windows, while those without grids are more modern in style.
So a sleek, contemporary home would look just right with grid-less windows, but a red-brick 1800s Georgian would look near naked without grids on its windows.
The most common window-opening styles are:
If you love a stiff breeze, casement windows could be your answer. “If you open that thing, it’s like an aircraft wing,” Patterson says.
Be Cautious About Add-Ons If You Want to Save Money:
Like everything from cars to toothbrushes, windows can come with features ranging from standard to “OMG-why-would-you-need-that?!” Here are the most common ones with a little sensible advice about each:
Argon gas-filled windows
Triple-pane windows
Impact-resistant glass windows
Low-E-glass
U-factor
Tips for Choosing a Window Manufacturer and Installer:
Quality naturally varies from brand to brand. Who can you trust?
Look for lifetime warranties and/or certifications from:
An expert installer may be even more important than choosing the window itself. A poor installation of a high-quality window will result in poor window performance. Read online reviews, ask for references, visit window showrooms, and ask about manufacturer certifications. And as always, consider multiple bids.
“Anyone can screw a window in,” Bawden says. “I want someone who really knows how to seal that window well.”
By: Amy Howell Hirt
Create a peaceful home with these best practices for eliminating stress.
Your home should be your refuge. It should clear away the day’s distractions and help you feel organized, focused, and calm. Ooooooommm.
So why does it feel less like a yoga studio and more like the middle of a five-lane intersection?
Maybe a different perspective on your habits and routines is all that’s needed to fix it.
That’s what a couple of psychologists — and anxiety experts, to boot — say. Here, they share some stress-nixing habits that can make your home a source of solace. Consider this your prescription for a totally chill home.
#1 Regularly Ditch What Annoys You:
A few times a year, look over everything sitting out in your home. If it doesn’t serve a present-day purpose or make you feel good, it’s got to go.
Keeping things around out of guilt — the Pilates mat you haven’t touched in months or the handmade quilt from grandma that isn’t quite your style — only crowds the eye and brings on stress, says Perri L. Zinberg, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist in Los Angeles.
#2 Use a Drop Zone Every Time You Walk in the Door:
Avoid the distress of searching for your keys (OMG, again) by designating a bowl or cubby for items like sunglasses, your wallet, or your phone that you frequently need to grab on the way out the door. Oh, and use it. On the way in. Every single time.
#3 Delegate the Chores Everyone Hates:
No one has ever reached nirvana while being their household’s chore martyr. Distribute chores among family members, and rotate them weekly so no one feels stuck with the same task.
If it’s an option, schedule a housekeeper to stop by once a month. It could be way more therapeutic than you expect. “Having a house cleaner of some sort has saved a lot of marriages, because that’s one of the major things people fight over,” Zinberg says.
#4 Fill Your Home With the Sounds You Love:
Tune out the literal (and mental) noise of the day by turning on whatever music or sounds that make you happy or calm. A playlist that speaks to you can motivate you to sit back and enjoy your home’s peace or fire you up to do a deep clean, which satisfies both your body and soul.
#5 Enjoy the Silence, Too:
A TV or radio droning on in the background keeps your brain buzzing. “Make sure there are times when there’s no noise in the house,” says Amy Wood, Psy.D., a psychologist in Portland, Maine.
“It’s very soothing and healing and meditative.” Create a set time — during dinner prep or right before bed, perhaps — for pure, luxurious quiet. Ahhh …
#6 Put Out-of-Season Items Out of Sight:
Twice a year — or quarterly, if you’re a true clothes horse — put out-of-season clothing and bedding into storage. You won’t believe how luxurious it feels to effortlessly browse through your clothing options with more elbow room in the closet. If you’re short on storage space, get a few under-bed containers or inexpensive vacuum-seal bags.
#7 Make Your Bed:
Turns out your mom was right. Sorry. Research has found people who adopt this habit are happier overall. And it’s much more pleasant to slip into a neatly made bed at the end of a long day, Zinberg says.
#8 Take Tech Time-Outs Daily:
You can’t unwind if you never unplug. Find an outlet near the door and create a charging station where you can drop your phone, laptop, and tablet when you get home.
You can even set your phone to airplane mode for a set period of time every day, Zinberg suggests.
And while Google, Siri, and Alexa can be helpful tools, artificial intelligence can distract from relaxation, bonding, and learning time with family, Wood points out, so include them in the nightly blackout.
#9 Dim the Lights Every Night:
Turning down the lights sends a visual cue to your brain that it’s time to chillax. So install dimmers on your bedroom and family room outlets, and make sure your bulbs emit relaxing warm light (around 2,700K) rather than cool light, which tends to energize instead of chill.
Every night, perhaps after dinner, take a second to dim your home into evening mode. For the soothing glow of candlelight, Zinberg recommends dimmable Edison bulbs.
#10 Make Time and Space for Your Hobby:
Hobbies aren’t an indulgence: They’re a necessity for good mental health. “You must make room for the things that feed your soul,” Zinberg says.
This can be as simple as assigning a chair as your reading nook, Wood recommends, or outfitting the corner of a room for crafting. That makes it much easier to nestle into the thing that gives you respite.
#11 Pause Before You Purchase:
Get in the habit of pausing — for 24 hours — before you hit “buy” on a new home item. Consider how that new dresser or rug could affect your overall stress level.
Will you go mad trying to keep it clean? Is it so flimsy you’ll be buying a new one next year? Then it’s not worth the anxiety, no matter the low, low price. Zinberg recommends buying old, well-built furniture and having it refinished. “It costs about the same as the pressed-board stuff, which you have to put together yourself, and doesn’t last as well over time,” she says. And, it should be said, you deserve high-quality things.
By: Amy Howell Hirt
Three young entrepreneurs give tips on staying organized and calm while living hectic lives.
Life is crazy. Cah-ray-zee. And while you wouldn’t have it any other way from 9 to 5 (OK, more like 8 to 7), the insanity should stop at your front door.
That’s why you bought your home, right? To have a place to rest, recharge, and come up with your next trailblazing idea. A few inspirational ideas for your home may be all you need to put it on the path to tranquility.
Three super-busy entrepreneurs — a brewery owner, website founder, and organic farmer — know exactly how important a tranquil home is to achieving personal success. Here, they share how they created Zen-like havens in their homes to foster stress-relieving routines.
A Nook to Bliss Out In:
When hanging out at the local brewpub loses its appeal because, well, brewing is your business, home becomes your place for a mini getaway.
Tim Bullock, who co-owns St. Elmo Brewing Company in Austin, Texas, and his wife, photographer Heather Gallagher, created a perfect spot to chill in their own home with a little wallpaper and a daybed.
In the morning before his young son wakes up, Bullock often lounges on the daybed, reading the news, sending a few emails, or just listening to piano music before the madness of the day ensues.
The brightly colored tropical wallpaper mural covers an entire wall next to the daybed. Compared to the crisp black-and-white color scheme in the rest of the house, the vibrant space “really feels like a vacation room,” Bullock says.
Your blissful nook doesn’t have to be indoors: HypeGirls.com founder Nichole Dawkins created a tropical escape on her balcony. More than 20 strategically placed potted plants — including aloe, vegetables, herbs, small palm trees, cacti, and orchids — block out the neighbors and frame a calming water view from her Miami home.
Given the space’s appeal, Dawkins doesn’t have to remind herself to take a break throughout the day. She meditates there every morning, soaks in the sun while enjoying an afternoon cup of tea, and often reads or colors while her son naps. Sign us up!
A No-Fail System for Organization:
With a young toddler running around, Dawkins is constantly battling toys that threaten to take over her living room. So the creative director and founder of the site for “millennial mamas,” invested in DIY shelving and deep decorative bins.
Because every bin houses one category of items — like puzzles, coloring books, games, and toys — she can easily clean up throughout the day, allowing her more time to enjoy that sense of adult orderliness every evening.
Instead of a mess facing her at the end of the work day, “I spend much more time relaxing in the space than I do cleaning it up,” she says.
A Drop Zone to Separate Work From Home:
Is it difficult to leave the literal “mess” of work at the front door? Andrea Davis-Cetina, an organic farmer and owner of Quarter Acre Farm in Sonoma, Calif., can relate.
A one-woman operation, she might spend the day planting and harvesting, and then return home after dark to post social media updates, order seeds, or book guests for her radio show. She needed a place to stow her dirty farm boots and jackets, but her home doesn’t have a foyer.
So she carved out a small foyer drop zone at the front door, with a wall-mounted coat rack above a simple, three-level shoe stand.
“It stops the mess at the door,” she says, and helps draw that elusive line between work and personal life — even if there’s more work to be done after a long shower and an episode of “Scandal.”
For homeowners with devices instead of dirty gear: A charging station is a must-have for a drop zone. Plug ‘em in, and leave ‘em there.
An Easy Way to Spend Time Outside:
Bullock says both his home’s location and his home’s yard help him de-stress simply by encouraging him to get outside.
Since his home is in a walkable neighborhood, Bullock says that encourages both him and his family to interact with nature, instead of watching it through car windows — either by walking to the local pizzeria or riding their bikes through the park. Their home’s locale makes it all possible.
But his favorite just might be the small herb garden in his front yard. He and his son routinely spend a few minutes most days watering or weeding it.
“That definitely is a big stress relief, and it’s right outside the front door,” he says.
Windows will get you a dose of nature, too: Dawkins says the abundance of windows in her home is a natural mood-booster — and a significant reason she chose her home. She leaves the windows uncovered during the day to get as much of the benefits of daylighting as she possibly can.
A Focal Point to Find Peace and Motivation:
“The power of visualization is very important when you’re trying to get focused, or relax,” Dawkins says, by way of explanation for the “inspiration board” in her home.
She gives her board a very personal touch. Every year, she takes a blank canvas and paints it with a new theme (this year, it’s reggae), then adds her visions and dreams to it.
It works as artwork in her home, but it also helps her to see her goals clearly — and let go of the day’s less consequential stressors.
You don’t have to be an artist to have an inspiration board: Davis-Cetina uses a simple bulletin board to hang her motivational messages and personal and professional mementos. In the evening, when she’s handling the office end of farm work from an extra bedroom, she likes to visit her board. “I like to hold onto things and look at them. It’s a reminder of why you’re doing what you’re doing,” she says.
By: Dave Toht
Easy outdoor lighting ideas to bathe your home in a warm glow.
Think about it: most people you invite over, come in the evening, right?
So maybe they don’t see that lovely japanese maple, or that subtle pattern you just painted on your porch floor to hide the ugly gray concrete underneath.
Maybe it’s time to consider an outdoor lighting plan.
And come to think of it, that single porch light is a more of a bug attractor than a burgler deterrent.
But where to begin?
Hang around lighting designers long enough and you’ll hear a lot of talk about “moonlight effect.” That’s a naturalistic look that features light no more intense than that of a full moon, but still strong enough to make beautiful shadows and intense highlights.
Here’s how designers get that natural moonlight look:
7 Ways to Mimic Moonlighting in Your Yard:
How Moonlighting Helps Security:
Soft, overall landscape lighting eliminates dark areas that might hide an intruder, exposing any movement on your property.
Overly bright lights actually have a negative effect, creating undesirable pockets of deep shadow.
The Best Outdoor Lights Designers Recommend:
Once disparaged for their high cost and cold, bluish glow, LEDs are now the light source of choice for lighting designers.
“They’ve come down in price and now have that warm light people love in incandescent bulbs,” says Paul Gosselin, owner of Night Scenes Landscape Lighting Professionals in Kingsland, Texas.
Although LED fixtures remain twice as expensive as incandescents, installation is simpler because they use low-voltage wiring.
Another advantage is long life. LEDs last at least 40,000 hours, or about 18 years of nighttime service. With that kind of longevity, “why should a fixture have only a two-year warranty?” asks Gosselin.
He advises buying only fixtures with a 15-year warranty — proof that the fixture’s housing is designed to live as long as the LED bulbs inside.
The Cost of Outdoor Lighting:
Total outdoor lighting costs will vary according to the size of your home and the complexity of your lighting scheme. Expect to pay about $325 for each installed LED fixture. LEDs also require a transformer to step the power down from 120 volts to 12 volts, running about $400 installed.
A motion detector security light costs about $150 installed. Porch lights and sconces range from $100-$250 installed, depending the fixture and whether running new cable is necessary.
Contractor-installed outdoor lighting for an average, two-story, 2,200 sq. ft. house might add up as follows:
Total cost: $4,925
By: Stacey Freed
The best paint for brick? No paint at all (in most cases). Here’s why.
Brick, brick, brick. All the homes in your neighborhood are brick. You’re itching to paint over that red-orange-brown color palette so your home’s personality can shine through.
Although painting brick is doable — and sometimes even necessary (more on that later) — it’s not an easy DIY paint project, and it can be a huge risk to your biggest financial asset.
In other words: Tread carefully, homeowner. Although painted brick might be aesthetically pleasing today, it could be a big, fat regret in just a few years.
Here are five reasons you shouldn’t paint brick (plus a few exceptions when it’s OK):
#1 You’ll Probably Destroy the Brick:
Brick “breathes.” Unless it can’t. Trapped moisture is the main issue in the relationship between brick and paint. “Once you put a membrane [like paint] over the brick, it can no longer breathe,” says Mike Palmer, a masonry contractor and president of the upstate New York chapter of Mason Contractors Association of America.
Brick is the ultimate “coat” for your home, protecting it from all the elements while letting it breathe, too. Much like your beloved four-legged family member, your home’s “brick coat” adjusts as needed to protect your home from rain, sleet, snow, heat, etc. (but without all the shedding, ha!).
Putting paint on it is like encasing it in plastic. It’ll breathe no more.
#2 It Can Cause Serious Structural Damage:
If you paint the exterior brick and there’s moisture trapped in it, “once you go through a freeze-and-thaw cycle, [the brick can] degrade as moisture freezes inside it,” Palmer says.
When exterior brick erodes — and if the mortar between the brick erodes — your home’s structural integrity is at risk.
#3 It Can Look Really Bad, Really Fast:
As the bricks begin to degrade, the paint starts to peel and flake away — making your house look neglected and nasty. That’s bad news. Really bad news. That means the damage mentioned above is well under way — and it’s showing up on your home’s face.
#4 You Might Be Destroying a Bit of History:
How old is your home’s brick? If your brick is considered historic, painting it could be considered a sin against history.
If you have an older home with decorative features, such as dog-toothing, you might have brick that should be preserved in its natural state.
“Old brick was handmade in a kiln, and some … has a harder surface. It weathers better, and was used on the face of buildings because it’s more impervious,” says architect Ashley Wilson with the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Since today’s bricks are machine-made, these handmade varieties are worth preserving. Paint will only destroy their historic value, and if done incorrectly could result in structural damage to your home.
#5 You Can’t Easily Go Back to Unpainted:
The time and money it takes (plus the risk to the brick’s integrity) to remove existing paint makes it a very challenging task. Power-washing or sandblasting can damage the brick, so it all has to be painstakingly stripped away using chemicals.
Technically, this is a chore you could do yourself, but do you really want to get to know every square inch of your entirehouse’s exterior? Even if it’s a little one?
As comedian Steven Wright used to joke, “It’s a small world, but I wouldn’t want to paint it.”
4 Exceptions That Make It OK to Paint Brick:
#1 If It’s Already Been Painted
Most painted brick needs regular repainting, and compared to removing the old paint, it’s typically the lesser evil. Just be sure to use the right paint.
The right paint to use for exterior brick: Use a mineral-based paint or a silicate paint that’s designed to be breathable, and is recommended for brick, such as the brand KEIM.
Should you DIY it?The long and short of it is this: There is so much critical, tedious prep work required, like cleaning and repairing damage, you’re better off having it done by a professional. According to Homewyse, the average cost for a professional to paint your brick home is $1.70 to $3.27 per square foot. That adds up fast.
#2 If the Brick is Severely Damaged
Let’s say you’ve got an older home and the “the grout between the brick is old, and may have turned to sand,” says Chris Landis, partner/owner of Landis Architects/Builders, who sits on the board of Washington, D.C.’s, Historic Preservation Review Board. Painting could be the solution.
Sure, you could have the brick repointed (replacing/adding new mortar), but that can be costly — as much as $25 a square foot — depending on where you live and the degree of damage. (Cha-ching!)
If you try fixing it yourself, “You’ll likely get cement all over the brick, which is really messy. The best thing to do in that case is to actually paint it,” Landis says. Dried cement all over your brick isn’t a good look.
#3 If the Brick Was Meant to Be Painted
There’s a slim chance your home might have an old type of brick that actually needs to be painted to protect it. A few rules of thumb to help determine if that’s the case with your home’s brick:
The paint, however, for these bricks isn’t your typical latex paint. The paint must be all-natural, such as milk paint or lime-based whitewash. Modern paints will only damage the brick, potentially causing structural damage.
Because these bricks are more delicate, homes using them are less likely to have ornate brick architectural features such as dog-toothing. If you see features like those, then you have the more durable handmade bricks, which should never be painted.
#4 If the Brick is Inside
Indoor brick isn’t subject to harsh outdoor elements. If you were to paint your fireplace surround, for example, Palmer says you won’t have the issues of moisture and humidity. So have fun with it!
By: Sarah Fogle
5 ways to get that sleek, Scandinavian look even though real life is messy.
This article was contributed by Sarah Fogle, a DIYer, self-professed power tool addict, and home renovation blogger, who writes “The Ugly Duckling House.”
It’s amazing how fast items can start to take up room in my house. Like most people, it’s not as though I intend to build up clutter; I just find it hard to get rid of things as fast as I accumulate them, both for sentimental reasons and because it’s so easy to procrastinate on getting organized.
But lately, I’ve been making more of an effort to eliminate excess items in my home, and the idea of living more simply has stolen my attention (as if someone just told me there’s cake nearby).
I love the look and wish I could incorporate the Scandinavian / uncluttered trend more often, but it can be tough to limit items when you’re always remodeling the way I do (since home renovation requires a lot of power tools and supplies).
That’s partly the reason why I like to look through so many minimalist interiors as inspiration. When done the right way, incorporating this design style has some serious appeal and personality. Just a few appropriate cozy and visually interesting elements are all it takes to get the clean but comfy look I crave.
Here are the five things that make me swoon over minimalist rooms.
1. Natural Wood:
Look at a spread of minimalist home design photos and you’ll quickly notice how natural wood tones are key to ensuring that the space feels less stark. For me, it’s warm wood shades like maple, honey, and walnut that add the most drama without overwhelming.
Take for example the wooden doors in my friend Ann Marie’s old kitchen — it has just the right amount of visual contrast while still looking spotlessly clean:
This DIY coffee table from “I Spy DIY” also keeps it simple, but it’s the natural tone of the wood and the textured sides of the slab that make it far from boring (and also warm up the grays in the rest of the room).
2. Exposed Brick:
If you look at pictures of minimalist rooms, architectural details take center stage, such as an accent wall of exposed brick. Even if you whitewash or paint the brick to match the other walls (or even go with veneer for the same effect, like Mandi Gubler did in the photo below), the variation in texture adds charm.
3. Warm Metallics:
Minimalism is traditionally associated with stark white and black, which often can feel harsh, but you can include accents of color that warm up the room without disturbing their minimalist appeal.
Warm metallic tones are perfect for this. Shades of copper and gold continue that sleek, simple look while amping up the luxe factor. Ashley’s (“Hither and Thither”) home is full of these kinds of details (as well as a few more elements on this list):
4. Textured Fabrics:
In the same vein as a brick wall, warmth and coziness can be added through fabric and other items that add texture instead of color. I suppose sometimes the mix of textiles in design is more aligned with the concept of Hygge (pronounced “hue-guh”) the Danish word for coziness and a concept for living simply. But a chunky knit throw blanket or a nice textured rug can add depth as well as invite friends to settle in.
In my own living room, I like to keep the color scheme fairly neutral, but it’s the textures on the pillows and planters that provide the little details that keep the room from looking too blah.
Provided that you cleanly edit the color choices, minimalism is all about keeping balance around the room. Amy of “Homey Oh My” (below) shows this idea off well in her living room with a textured rug and a simple basket for storing items to keep clutter off the coffee table.
Emma’s cowhide rug and two-by-four coffee table (and oh look … natural wood again!) follow right along with this style, too.
5. Plants, Plants, Plants:
It’s never a bad idea to bring more of the outside in (well, except maybe pests). But have you noticed the last element that keeps sleek rooms looking lively? Plants! Whether it’s bouquets of flowers or potted houseplants, varied height plays a big role in keeping things looking uncluttered. I think the greenery adds a lot of life and cheer (especially in routinely disappointing spaces, like my laundry room).
Maybe it’s about getting older and realizing that I am happier when I have less around me to feel anxious about (or clean). Or maybe it’s the desire to need less. Or maybe it’s just with so much else keeping me busy on a daily basis, adding more negative space (subtracting to add, I suppose?) is the calm I need at the end of the day.
But regardless of the reason, I’m getting better at figuring out how much nicer a home is without a bunch of clutter in my way.
When it’s time to amp up your curb appeal, it’s easy to reach for your landscaper’s business card while overlooking the most affordable design remedy on the planet: the humble bucket of paint.
A simple splash of color can transform your home’s exterior and reboot your front yard, so rev up your imagination and try out one (or 10!) of these creative ideas.
Here’s a front door painted by L.A. artist Allison Cosmos, giving the focal point of this entryway a delightful touch of whimsy. While not everyone has the careful hand (and creative mind) of an artist, you can buy stencils from various online outlets, including the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust, for a similar effect.
And Frank isn’t the only design genius to appreciate the stencil look. “I could see Martha Stewart doing something like this,” says Julie O’Brien, director of trade services for Urban Country Designs in Bethesda, Md. “The door will definitely stand out from the street.”
So you’re looking for a way to make your front facade pop. Could the key could be your humble porch swing? It’s an unexpected spot to find a bold color, and can freshen up the look of your whole house with minimal effort.
“This yellow swing is a charmer,” says Annie Elliott, the boss of Bossy Color in Washington, D.C. The key, she says, is preparation. Take the time to sand the piece well and apply the appropriate primer. Elliott recommends Farrow & Ball’s outdoor paints and primer saying, “They last forever when applied correctly.”
Is that a carpet running up a flight of exterior steps? Why no, it’s just painted to look that way using the clever application of concrete paint. “I think this is adorable,” says O’Brien. “It makes the whole first impression more interesting by drawing your eye upwards towards the house.”
Again, preparation is key to pulling off this look. Power-wash the steps and sand off any flaking paint before applying the concrete paint to ensure your work is long lasting. When using painter’s tape to create stripes, it’s best to remove it while the paint is still wet for the cleanest lines. And don’t let the tape sit too long in the sun or you’ll have gummy stripes left behind. Ick.
The before image shows a porch light in distress. The after depicts a work of crafty art rendered in copper. Or copper paint, at least. Using metallic paint to restore luster to an old porch light is a terrific idea for enhancing curb appeal. “I love how this homeowner used a coppery color, which looks terrific against the teal clapboard,” says Elliott.
The vibrant, metallic fixture brightens up the entire entry, even when the light is off. For a project like this, Elliott recommends Modern Masters, a high-end brand that specializes in quality metallic paint.
Don’t limit your house numbers to merely displaying your home’s address; let them tell passersby a bit about who lives there. This creative homeowner used fun accent colors and creatively arranged wood to show some personality through an otherwise perfunctory part of a home’s exterior.
The ways to inject color into your house numbers may be as numerable as the addresses in your city, but key to making the project work is proper placement. “With such a deep porch, this homeowner came up with a creative way to bring the house number front and center,” says Elliott. Be sure to pick a spot for your colorful house numbers that serves their greater purpose: getting the pizza guy to your front door with minimal confusion.
If you have your house numbers on your mailbox — or even if you don’t — consider painting the place where you get your “Bed, Bath & Beyond” coupons. Painting utilitarian objects that are seen and touched every day can change the way you feel about your home. Besides the mailbox, think about your doorknobs, handles, and hand railings.
#6 Stencil Your Concrete Porch Floor:
Wow, check out that chic new tile painted on the porch floor. Your neighbors will never believe it’s just paint until they step on it themselves. The homeowner who created this floor blogs as “Becky.” Becky first painted the porch floor gray and then used stencils to paint the white pattern. She used painter’s tape and a tape measure to keep the stencils straight and properly aligned.
“This clean, geometric pattern looks like tile, and limiting the palette to two colors ensures that the floor doesn’t appear too busy,” says Elliott.
Shutters can be functional or decorative. And if they’re going to be decorative, why not make them seriously charming? These shutters feature Norwegian rosemaling, a decorative folk art. Fancy!
While uber-original shutters may not impress the Joneses in every middle-American subdivision, they can be the envy of the right neighborhood. If you live in a whimsical, colorful community, they could really turn the heads.
If your taste in shutter art runs more conservative, consider this bit of wisdom from Elliott: “A fresh coat of paint on faded shutters can be just the thing to brighten up the entire exterior of a house. I love deep blues and greens for shutters; they’re timeless and go with almost any material including wood, brick, and stone.”
If you have a “full light” exterior door, your door is mostly glass (now you know!). The fun thing about these doors is that the thin frame around the glass creates an opportunity to add a bold accent color without overpowering the whole front of the house. Cool, right?
“It adds a little punch to the space,” O’Brien says. Do the same thing with your window frames by adding thin lines of color in strategic locations of space, and you’ll have a porch that says, “Didn’t see that coming, did you?”
For many homeowners, it’s not the actual front door that welcomes them home every day — it’s the roaring, often drab-looking garage door. Why not put as much thought into where you park your ride as you do into where you welcome guests?
If your pad is mostly monochromatic like this one, include your garage doors among the elements that work together to make a bright accent color really pop — even if you’re not going all the way to the fire engine-red end of the color spectrum. “I suggest painting garage doors the trim color of the house or even staining them,” says Elliott. With a little colorful coordination, you can create a look that warmly welcomes you, regardless of whether you’re stepping or driving through the threshold.
A DIY painting job doesn’t have to equal crooked lines, besmirched floors, and ceramic sinks speckled with robin’s egg blue.
Use these simple painting tips and tricks from the pros to make the process faster and less messy — and ensure a fresh, modern look for your home.
Every DIY painter has been privy to the horrors of a day-old brush with stiff bristles that makes round two nearly impossible.
To keep paint brushes soft:
“That way, the bristles won’t develop a bend and will retain their usefulness for your next painting adventure,” says Artem Filikov, vice president of marketing and product development for home improvement website HomeYou.
Also, there’s no need to rinse before using. The softener actually helps distribute paint more smoothly.Sweet!
When painting around a large, awkward item you want to keep clean, like a toilet or a standalone sink, surround it with plastic wrap to keep drips from destroying its finish.
For an extra tight wrap, choose a wrap with an adhesive backing — your hardware store will even carry special painter’s plastic wrap, if you really want to go all out — which will help it stick to the surface and prevent the odd drop from inching its way in. Once you’ve finished the job, just unwrap for a paint-free finish.
Paint’s intense odor can get really old really fast. Overpower it with a little bit of vanilla.
Although there are vanilla-scented products specifically designed to use with paint, you can get the same effect with what’s in your kitchen cabinet.
For darker paints, add a couple drops of vanilla extract (artificial is fine) per gallon to reduce the nasty smell and keep your room smelling sweet for weeks to come.
Because you don’t want the tint of vanilla to ruin the color of your paint, swap it with lemon extract for light-colored paints.
Painting’s a messy job, but using roll after roll of paper towels is neither efficient nor environmentally-friendly.
And while you could pick up a mega-pack of plain cotton towels to keep paint from splattering, why not use something you can find stuffed at the back of a drawer?
Geoff Sharp, the owner of Sharper Impressions Painting Co., recommends cutting up old T-shirts to use as rags, saving money and resources (not to mention a trip to Goodwill).
“If paint runs down your roller or brush, it gets really messy, really quick,” he says. “Always have a rag in your pocket so you and your brush or roller stay clean.”
Oh no! A drop of Naples Sunset just splashed on your white window frame. You’ve only got a few minutes to clean up the mess before your mistake is sealed for eternity.
That’s where Q-tips come in handy. Just stash some in your pocket for these types of emergencies.
Here’s another use for that pile of cotton swabs tucked in your jeans pocket: Use them to touch up imperfections on newly-painted walls without dirtying an entire paintbrush.
A little bit of Vaseline can go a long way toward keeping your paint job clean.
Using a Q-tip (another reason to keep them handy), go over all the bits and pieces you don’t want painted, like screws or hinges. With the petroleum jelly applied, even an accidental slip won’t leave you heartbroken.
Here’s another tip for a hassle-free paint job: “Run petroleum jelly along the seals of your doors and windows to prevent them from sticking,” Sharp says.
Painter’s tape is supposed to make your paint job easier and stress-free.
But when strips of perfect paint peel off along with the adhesive — or you just can’t get the darn tape to come off at all — you might feel like you wasted your effort.
To help stubborn painter’s tape get a move on, turn a hair dryer (low heat only) toward your handiwork.
Holding it about three inches from the wall will help soften the adhesive and ensure an even line, making removal a stress-free affair — and ensuring you keep that dreamy, crisp paint line.
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