Sweet Dreams Are Made Of...

Clean and Classy Night Stands
By: Priya Patel

Most of our nighttime routines consist of reading a few pages of a New York Times Bestseller - or debating on watching the next 10 episodes of "Breaking Bad" on Netflix. Regardless of what you choose as the last bit of pre-slumber stimuli, one philosophy will always remain consistent...a well organized room will help you sleep better. In this post we'll discuss a classic and clean nightstand - one that provides the right amount of "put-away" storage, with just enough table-top space for your daily go-to items.

An underutilized, plain and simple night stand is just as bad as a cluttered one - it lends zero aura to the room, and presents an "I'm just taking up space" attitude. With just a few simple accessories and must-have items, we can transform this simple piece of furniture into a well organized inspiration platform for the rest of your bedroom.

 
A good nightstand storage policy to adhere to is dividing your items into three categories: infrequent - magazines, "back-up lotions", various chargers, and that shirt button you just can't seem to ever throw away...in my case, I've appropriately named this storage area "stuff". Daily - lotions, jewelry, medications...any item that you'd want easy-quick access too, but don't want to necessarily display to the public. And lastly, the "OMG Where is my..." category - these are items that you'll want easy, uninhibited access to, such as your phone, keys, or glasses.

The most important element of your nightstand arrangement will be your lamp - with the top of your nightstand considered premium real-estate, you'll want to select a lamp with a small footprint. I found that the Emilio Table Lamp from Kenroy Home fits this criteria perfectly. Emilio's base is only 9.5 inches long and has a width a little over 5 inches. An additional benefit is the off-center shade position...while the footprint is small, the shade protrudes out almost 9 inches, this gives you a better viewing angle for nighttime reading or tablet surfing without sacrificing table space. 

      

A few decorative accents such as a chrome etched vase, and white candle positioned on top of a vintage box creates a classy and modernly inspired nightstand that will make your day-to-day routine a snap! 

Emilio can be found at your local lighting showroom - or online at these great retailers;

  

    

Warm and Cozy

Designing a "warm" room - with "worn" furniture
By: Priya Patel

Before our big move to Florida, my fiancé and I were gifted these lovely coffee colored leather sofas from his parents. Due to our tight budget and knowing anything similar would retail far above what we could afford, we graciously accepted. They were upholstered with luxuriously supple blended leather and could easily be turned into a little reading nook, but first we needed to transform these sofas into more of a contemporary setting.

I could add a few blankets and make it cozier, but that’s not necessarily making it fun and fresh. I ran into these patterned pillows at my local home décor store and thought it would be a perfect balance with the dominating rich brown sofas. The shades of teal, silver, and periwinkle blue gave the room more of a balance.

Next came accessories. Accessorizing is the perfect way to add touches of your style and personality. Set the tone with personalized pictures or small plants. I found some inexpensive succulents at my local grocery store and decided to plant it in a plain rounded, crisp white pot. The white accents the periwinkle blue pillows, making everything consistent. I wanted to add more touches of white, but didn't want it to become a central color. So I opted for a textured candle in a warm yet inviting scent of vanilla. To tie everything back I wanted to add a rustic/natural touch…these pine cones did the trick! They are potpourri pine cones, which adds an extra scent to the living room.

Finally, I needed a bold accent piece and most importantly, additional lighting! The Lavo Table lamp was the perfect colored accent piece and it was quite functional for reading. While no two lamps are the same, I had a true unique piece. The ceramic lamp was sturdy enough to withstand play time with my shih-tzu and pretty enough to have lit for an extra beam of light throughout the night.

Have you ever received a hand-me-down piece of furniture? How did you design around it...?

If you are bold enough to design around the Lavo table lamp it can be found at your local lighting retailer, or online at these wonderful retailers.

  

“Don’t Touch Those White Walls! – No Painting Allowed”

Kenroy Color – "Profile" Lamp of the Month

By: Priya Patel

I just settled into my new place, a nice modern apartment located in a bustling area of the city – great restaurants and shopping are within walking distance, and my neighbor brought over cookies the day I moved in (yum!). Everything seemed perfects until I received my “welcome” letter from the apartment management office. Overall the message was nice; thanks and gratitude for selecting their community, rules and regulations about the pool, etc… - then, located in a bright red font were the words “painting of apartment walls is prohibited”. Bummer…every square inch of wall space was white – like “institutional white”.

With the walls off limits I needed to focus on my home décor accessories – after all nothing in the guidelines prohibited colorful lamps or candles. Starting in my master bedroom I began with a simple inspiration piece – a small orange candle. With my contrasting color in mind, I thumbed through a Kenroy Home catalog (one of the many benefits of working for a home décor company) until I found the perfect set of lamps. The Profile Lamp collection is presented in a tangerine glaze with a poppy floral shade – the perfect compliment to my orange inspiration piece.

Now that my lighting was in place – I added a few floral touches to my night stand to really accentuate the orange pop of color. The white headboard and bedding makes the color stand out in an even more dramatic fashion. The Profile floor model creates a nice contrasting barrier between my wall, and the start of the headboard.

 Just a simple pop-of-color can dramatically change the atmosphere of those “Don’t Touch!” apartment walls. Adding touches of orange are easy to incorporate into your home décor, so be bold and add a pair of tangerine lamps in your living or bedroom. 

The Profile Lamp collection can be found online (follow the links below) or at your local lighting retailer:

Amazon
Bellacor
Home Depot