Oftentimes, we focus on how our homes look, but what about how they smell? Scent definitely contributes to our homes’ atmosphere, and there are a number of ways we can introduce different scents in our homes. 

One way to fill our homes with scents is through diffusing essential oils, and they come in as many different scents as there are herbs. Essential oils are also known to help boost mood, so here are the best essential oils for every mood you want to create in your home.

Lavender 

Lavender is one of the most popular essential oils as it smells lovely and has a calming effect, which is ideal for home, especially in the bedroom. health. This essential oil is particularly helpful to diffuse in your home if you have tension in your head or neck.

How to Set Up Your Bedroom for Ideal Sleep

Lemon

Need a refresher? Lemon provides just that with its energizing, uplifting scent- that’s why it’s used in so many products from skincare to cleaning agents. Quick trick: make it seem like you just cleaned your house by diffusing lemon! 

Wild Orange

Like lemon, a Wild Orange also has an energizing scent with the added bonus that it purifies the air, too! Whereas lemon is refreshing, Wild Orange is more stimulating, so it’s best used in work spaces like a home office or craft room. 

How to Set up Your Home Office | Furniture, Decor, and More

Rose

Studies have shown that rose essential oil decreases anxiety and stress levels with its soothing, stress-relieving aroma. This essential oil can be diffused anywhere, but you may want to try diffusing rose in your bathroom to create a spa-like atmosphere. 

Sage

Sage is another essential oil that helps alleviate stress by inducing a sense of well-being. Not only can it illicit feelings of relaxation, but sage can also help reduce blood pressure and depression. Try diffusing it in the family room to put everybody in a good mood!  

How to Make a Room Feel More Relaxing

There are five best essential oils to choose from as they all help boost mood. Which essential oil(s) do you like to diffuse in your house? Tell us in the comments!   

Things to Do Before You Go Furniture Shopping

Recliners come in a wide variety of styles and sizes, so it’s important to find one that fits you. When you’re trying out recliners, make sure that…

1. Your knees are flush with the edge of the seat. If your knees are way past the seat, that means the recliner doesn’t have a deep enough seat for you, and the recliner may just be overall too small for you.

2. You can sit in a recliner with your feet flat on the floor. This is a problem that shorter people, especially women, often run into, so smaller and even petite recliners should be explored.

3. Your arms comfortably rest on the armrests. Sometimes armrests can sit too high or too low for your comfort. Like with Goldilocks, the height of the armrests needs to be just right!

4. Your head nor your shoulders are pushed forward in a recliner. You’ll know if either is the case immediately as these things make a recliner feel uncomfortable. If your head or shoulders are pushed forward, it’s a sign that the recliner may be too small for you or that it may simply be the wrong style of recliner.

5. You have adequate back support. An easy way to tell is to see if there’s a gap between the small of your back and the back of the recliner. If there is, you don’t have lower back support. If you struggle to find a recliner with adequate back support or you have back issues, consider getting a lumbar pillow and placing it behind you while you sit in your recliner.

What’s the Best Recliner for People with Back Problems?

6. You’re able to easily open and close the recliner; reclining should also be done without difficulty. Some recliners aren’t as easy for us to operate, and that’s OK! That’s why furniture stores often have a wide selection of recliners for you to try out.

7. You’re able to easily sit in and stand up from a recliner. If you have difficulty getting in and out of a recliner, it may be too short for you, or you may want to consider getting a lift recliner that will raise the seat up just enough for you to get out with ease.

8. You feel comfortable! The whole point of choosing a recliner over any other type of chair is maximum comfort, so make sure you enjoy sitting in a recliner before you purchase it.

Tips for Setting up Your Home Office | Furniture, Decor, and More

If you’re buying a recliner for someone else, make sure that they try out the recliner for themselves before you purchase it for them because what may feel comfortable to you may not work for them.

Do you enjoy sitting in your recliner? What features are most important to you? We’d love to hear from you in the comments!

More than halfway through 2020, we’re already beginning to see possible trends in 2021. Sherwin-Williams just released their color predictions for next year, so read to find out what paint colors will be popular.

The paint company selected 40 colors and divided them into four palettes, comprising what they like to call the “Rhythm of Color.” This collection of colors reflects all aspects of everyday life to imbue every room with their true hue.

Warm Neutrals

Inspired by Scandinavian design, the warm neutrals of Sherwin-William’s Sanctuary collection brings us back to a natural state with a calm, nurturing color scheme. Beiges, grays, and browns will make you feel right at home. If you’re looking for a bit more color, opt for hues like Oakmoss SW 6180 and Canyon Clay SW 6054.

Earth Tones

Earth tones are usually related by nature, but Sherwin-Williams Encounter collection is reminiscent of the past and its precious heirlooms with a variety of colors that take us back to yesteryear like Jubilee 6248 and Tarnished Trumpet SW 9026. If you’re not into a rustic or vintage look, these colors are also suitable for a modern bohemian theme.

Modern Hues

If you’re looking for colors that are more modern, Sherwin-Williams Continuum collection will delight with its range of blues plus unexpected pops of color including Limon Fresco SW 9030 and Novel Lilac SW 6836. These colors are sure to pair well with transitional and contemporary furniture styles as well as modern art.

Jewel Tones

Sherwin-William’s Tapestry collection is as colorful as you might expect with vivid, joyful colors like Cape Verde 6482 and Jaipur Pink SW 6577. This colorful collection has other pinks and greens and blues as well as light neutrals and even a black that will look gorgeous and add a level of luxury to any space.

Are you planning on changing your wall color in 2021? If so, which of these palettes would you consider for your home? Tell us in the comments!

Do you run your own business or work from home now? If you’re like most people in either position, you spend 80% of your time in your home office, so it’s important to maintain an environment that’s conducive to both your work and your mental health. Work has its share of stressors, but you can manage them by following these tips to make your office more relaxing.

Get Plants 

Studies have shown that plants boost mood, helping us to stay grounded and attuned with what we’re doing. They also produce more oxygen, which increases our energy levels and helps us to perform better. A style bonus: plants are also on-trend in 2020!

Top Ten Home Decor Trends in 2020

Adjust Your Lighting

It’s important to have adequate lighting so you don’t strain your eyes while working. Make sure you can easily see what you’re doing by getting a desk lamp or floor lamp as needed. If you can, allow natural sunlight into your home office for its health benefits or invest in a full-spectrum light for the same result. 

How to Make a Room Feel More Relaxing

Play Music

While some may find it distracting, playing music while you work can be relaxing whether you’re humming along to your favorite tunes or getting in the zen by listening to soundscapes, instrumentals, or light jazz. Playing music can help you create a meditative yet creative ambiance in your home office. 

Create Comfortable Surroundings 

Comfort is key to increased productivity in your home office, so invest in a quality office chair as well as comfortable furniture for those short breaks like a sofa or chair and ottoman. Personalize your office space with decor and photos that make you smile so that, no matter what deadlines or issues you face, you’ll always be in your happy place. 

What’s the Most Comfortable Chair Design for Working at a Computer

Keep Your Home Office Tidy 

It’s recommended to keep your home office neat and organized to avoid confusion over misplaced items and stress caused by clutter. However, some people perform well in less-than-tidy environments. Regardless, though, it’s helpful to remove tripping hazards and know where all of your supplies are located. 

Tips for Setting Up Your Home Office | Furniture, Decor, and More

You spend most of your time in your home office, so make it a comfortable space for yourself- one that you might not even want to leave!

Whether you’re moving or simply switching things around, you have to be careful when moving heavy furniture lest you hurt your back in the process. Read on for tips on how to move heavy furniture more easily and safely.

Phone a Friend 

If they’re able to assist you, ask a friend or family member to help you move heavy furniture instead of rushing to move things on your own with the possible chance of injury. 

How to Redecorate Without Leaving Your Home

Lift With Your Knees

When moving heavy furniture, many people make the mistake of lifting with their back, causing strain and even a pulled muscle. Instead, lift heavy furniture by bending your knees and rising up instead of bending backwards. 

Roll a Furniture Dolly 

The creator of the furniture dolly is unknown, but thank goodness it exists! Also known as a  hand truck, a furniture dolly is a rolling device that you put furniture on as you transport it from one place to another without carrying the heavy load.

How to Move Heavy Furniture Without Scraping the Floors

Lift with a Shoulder Dolly 

Have you heard of a shoulder dolly (a.k.a., furniture moving straps)? It requires two people to move a piece of heavy furniture but makes lifting so much easier. The shoulder strap can be adjusted from different lengths to accommodate any items that you’re moving.

Glide Furniture with Blankets 

Another smart way to move heavy furniture is using blankets. The old-school method involves putting a blanket under a piece of furniture and gliding it to where you need to transport. All you need to lift are the corners of the piece to place the blanket. 

It may be time-consuming, but moving heavy furniture doesn’t have to be a pain in the neck- or back! Hopefully, these tips will you help you accomplish this task without strain or injury.

White Furniture

White furniture conveys the bright, breezy feeling of coastal life. If you don’t want white upholstery, though, opt for a light tan or even a blue.

Blues

If there’s another color that says “coastal,” it’s blue. You can use various shades of blue in your decor and even an accent furniture piece.

Top Ten Home Decor Trends of 2020

Texture

Texture is always an aspect of good interior design as it adds visual interest, and, in this case, it grounds an otherwise airy room of whites and blues.

How to Give a Rich Look to My Living Room

Plants

A white and blue room can come across as a bit cold, so liven things up a bit with planters and plants. This is also a great way to bring the outdoors inside.

How to Make a Room Feel More Cheery

Sea Shells and Such

Another great way to bring the outdoors inside and add to a coastal theme is by decorating with sea shells and other elements, including pictures of wildlife.

Patterns

If you look at coastal-inspired rooms, you’ll often see two or more patterns at play, so have fun mixing different patterns- it’s also on-trend in 2020!

Tips for Decorating a Large Living Room

Stripes

One pattern you’ll see in particular is stripes, which have a nautical feel to them and are easy to pair with other patterns.

Beach Signs

Nothing says “beach” more than a beach-themed sign! There are ton of stylish beach signs on the market whether you go to a department store or outlet store.

Maps

Maps have a particularly coastal feel as they evoke travel and life on the water. Find a vintage map and hang it up as a statement piece!

Nautical Decor

Ahoy! Decorate your coastal-themed condo with anchors, ropes, and other nautical accents. You can practically smell the salt water and hear the gulls!

We hope this list of coastal elements will help you decorate the condo, cottage, or house of your dreams. Which of these elements can you see your self incorporating in your home? Tell us in the comments!

Have your sinuses been acting up? The culprit could be dust in your home. While they’re small, dust particles can easily build up and take over if you’re not diligent about dusting. There are also other ways you can keep dust to a minimum in your home.

Dust and Clean All Fans in Your Home

Whether you have ceiling, window, or portable fans, they should all be cleaned regularly to avoid dust mites. A Lambswool duster is often recommended as they have extendable handles to reach the crevices of fans’ blades and housing motor. For deep-cleaning, use a small amount of soap and wet towel to wipe down the blades and fan covers. 

Thoroughly Clean All Surfaces and Floors

Don’t just dust and call it a day! Thoroughly clean all surfaces in your house starting with surfaces such as counters and tables and working your way down to the floors. For simple dusting, use a dust mop on the floor and clean higher surfaces with damp microfiber clothes to gather dust and dirt without retracting it back onto the surfaces.  

Top Ten Spring Cleaning Tips And Tricks For 2020

Change Your Bedding Frequently

Dust mites make their home everywhere, especially in bedding. This is perhaps the biggest culprit of dust-related sinuses since we’re in such close proximity to our bedding. Prevent dust mites in your bed by frequently changing (or washing) your pillowcases, sheets, and covers. 

You should also vacuum your mattress from time to time as it can accumulate dust as well. If you find these solutions to be ineffective, it may be time to replace your mattress as it could be embedded with dust mites. 

When Should You Really Replace Your Mattress?

Change Carpeting 

Nylon and wool carpeting attracts and traps dust mites, so it’s suggested to switch your carpet to hardwood, tile, or even hypoallergenic carpeting. If it’s not feasible to change your flooring, be sure to regularly vacuum your carpets and rugs. 

Invest in Air Purifiers 

Another way to combat dust is to place a few air purifiers to circulate fresh air throughout our home. This is especially beneficial for those who have respiratory issues or allergies. Keep in mind that air purifiers don’t entirely get rid of dust mites altogether but do minimize the accumulation and spreading of them.  

We hope this blog post on minimizing dust in your home has been helpful. Do you have any additional tips? We’d like to hear them!

If you live in a small home, then you know how valuable space is. Make the most of what you have with space-efficient furniture!

Sofa Sleeper

Sofa sleepers are perfect for when guests spend the night and you don’t have an extra room to spare; they only extend about four feet when you pull out the mattress.

Best Furniture to Purchase for a Small Condo

Nesting Tables

Nesting tables are a space-efficient option to end tables as they’re typically smaller, and you can stack them in one spot when they’re not all in use.

Lift-Top Coffee Table

Lift-top coffee tables can do double or triple the work of a coffee table as its lift top allows you to work and eat at the sofa as well as set down your drinks.

Storage Ottoman

Storage ottomans are another space-efficient furniture piece that does double duty since it provides a place to kick up your feet plus extra storage, which is especially important in smaller spaces.

Design Tips for Living in a Small Space

Drop-Leaf Dining Table

Comfortably seating two, drop-leaf dining tables take up little space but can seat up to four people if necessary with their extendable leaves.

Benches

If you have a regular dining table, consider replacing your chairs with benches as they slide underneath a table and maintain clear sight lines.

Tips for Buying Dining Room Furniture

Backless Bar Stools

Similar to benches, backless bar stools neatly fit underneath a counter and take up less space visually since they “disappear.”

Storage Bed

Although they tend to be slightly bulkier than regular beds, storage beds make the most of your sleep space by providing extra storage in your bedroom.

What to Look for When Buying Bedroom Furniture

Bunk Bed

If you have kids, bunk beds are the most space-efficient way to set up their bedroom as the beds stack vertically instead of spreading out horizontally, eating up room that could otherwise be used for playing or studying.

Corner Desk

A small corner desk doesn’t take up much space, lending to the possibility of a multi-purpose room.

Tips for Setting Up Your Home Office | Furniture, Decor, and More

Which space-efficient furniture piece(s) make the biggest difference in your home? Tell us in the comments!

Some sofas are humongous and eat up a lot of space in a living room. If you’re in the market for a small sofa, pay attention to these details.

Go Apartment-Size

The average sofa is 84″ wide, so your best bet is to buy an apartment-size sofa. These range anywhere from 68-80″ wide, making them a much better fit for smaller living rooms or spaces with a unique layout.

9 Alternatives When There’s No Room for a Sofa

Choose a Lighter Color

While dark colors may be slimming on people, they aren’t on furniture, so go for a lighter sofa color like white, beige, or grey. If dirt and stains are a concern, select a mid-tone brown or grey that provides enough color but doesn’t make the sofa look bulky.

Opt for Slim Arms

Avoid large or pillow-like arms on a sofa and instead go for slimmer arms such as track-style arms. This will not only gives a streamlined appearance but will also save you several inches, which can make or break a sofa choice.

… As Well as a Short Back

Choosing a sofa with a short back also takes up less space visually. This won’t be difficult if you’re looking at stationary sofas as most of their backs are a bit shorter than motion furniture.

Get a Detachable Back

If you want motion furniture, your quest for a small sofa is going to challenging because most reclining sofas are average width and wider. However, if you find a reclining sofa that works for your space, make sure it has a detachable back so you can easily move the sofa through doors and hallways.

We hope these tips will be helpful as you’re looking to purchase a small sofa. While you may have to look around a bit more, the search will be worth it once you find the right piece for you and your home.

Whether you work on a computer or are taking online classes, you need a comfortable chair for all of those hours you spend on the computer. 

Being comfortable while you’re working isn’t just a matter of preference; it’s a necessity for both your work and your health, so consider these chair design options for your workspace.

Tips for Setting Up Your Home Office | Furniture, Decor, and More

Latest Chair Designs in 2020

According to Beyond the Office Door, the Steelcase Leap ($811), the Humanscale Diffrient Smart ($899), and the NXT Level Alpha Chair ($299) models are among the most comfortable office chairs of 2020. 

These latest commercial chair designs are comfortable because of their padding, lumbar support, and adjustability, making them great options for those who spend any length of time on the computer. 

What’s the Best Recliner for People with Back Problems?

A downside to these chairs, however, is their expense (especially the first two models). If you’re unable to invest in a pricy office chair but still want to be comfortable, keep an eye out for the following features as you shop for a chair. 

Features to Look for in Chair Design

At minimum, an office chair should have adjustable seat height, arms, and casters; sitting at the right height is especially important for computer work so your arms, shoulders, and neck aren’t strained reaching too high or too low for the keyboard. 

Lumbar support, adjustable backrests, and breathable, comfy padding are other important features in chair design to look for, especially if you experience back pain. 

You’ll also want to make sure that the seat depth and width suits you and that the adjustment controls are easy to operate from a sitting position to avoid strain. 

Support Cushions

If back pain is your primary concern and the office chairs you try aren’t comfortable enough, get proper support cushions to address pain points.

When Should You Really Replace Your Mattress?

There are a number of support cushions on the market, but for sitting in a desk chair, we recommend a seat cushion or a lumbar support cushion; the former takes pressure off the coccyx, and the latter provides additional lumbar support. 

We hope our suggestions for office chair design help add more comfort and productivity to your work day. What’s the most important feature of an office chair for you? Tell us in the comments!