Three Tips to Make a Large Room Seem Intimate

Large rooms seem to be so desirable. But what happens when you have too much space? What do you with all of it? Well rest easy, these three tips will make the task of filling all that extra room quite easy, and stress free.

With such a large space, you’ll naturally feel obligated to fill it with all kinds of furniture, but large seating arrangements can make the space feel even emptier if there is too much space between the sofa and the coffee table. Swap out your coffee table for an oversized ottoman. This will close that gap, add softness, and make the room feel cozy.

 

If your room is really large, you may have to create two seating areas. Create zones but keep the flow between the two. Place a sofa table behind your floating couch to define the area, or even but the backs of two sofas together to create more intimate seating. Big spaces were made for entertaining so take advantage of all of this room and provide as much seating as possible for you future dinner party guests.

You’re bound to have dead spaces when you have so much room to fill. But do not, I repeat, do not just throw a floor plant down and think you’ve worked some kind of magic. Fill these dead spaces with purpose. Occasional chairs and sofa tables were made for these areas. Place two chairs with a table between them to create a reading nook. Or Place a long console table against the wall and hang a piece or artwork or a mirror above it. There are so many combinations to create with these two it’s unbelievable.

Three Tips to Make a Small Room Look Larger

Small rooms are something that can be rarely avoided. You’ll find them in old homes, new homes, farmhouses, and of course, in that darling apartment you just love downtown. So instead of throwing your hands in the air and giving up on the space all together, test out some of these tips on how to make your itty bitty space feel a bit more spacious.

Think light and airy. Painting the walls a light neutral color will expand the space visually. Embrace as much natural lighting as the room allows! Don’t cover the windows with that dark, somewhat dingy, tapestry your grandmother gave you. Instead opt for shear panels to keep the space open, do not be afraid of color here. It is acceptable to choose a color other than white for your sheers, but don’t go too dark, pick a happy medium. In fact, choosing sheer panels the same color as your walls make your room seem even bigger.

    

Using smaller printed fabrics allows your eye to enjoy the delicacy and movement of the print, instead of having the print be too overbearing and making the space feel too crowded. Choosing patterns that aren’t so busy, especially in color, will visually expand your room. So check out patterns with more unified color schemes.

Use mirrors in your small space, the reflection will make the space look bigger.

This tip is an oldie, but a goodie. Hanging small mirrors in a grouping, or leaning a full-length mirror against the wall, will reflect the lighting and make your room appear bigger.

How to Decorate for a Halloween Party Without Breaking the Bank

You will be able to find all kinds of Halloween decorations for low-costs at almost every super market this season. Paper lanterns and garlands can be found at local discount and party stores in all assortments of colors. Pick up your favorites and pair them with your old decorations for a more eclectic look. Doing this over time will save you tons of money, expanding your collection bit by bit.

Keeping beverages nice and chilled for any gathering is a no brainer, but why not add a little fun to the task? Pick up a pack of assorted glow sticks for about $12.00. Crack them and throw a few in your drink cooler to add an eerie radiance to your party.

 

I’m a firm believer in “It’s the little things that count” and this is a perfect example. This small touch will add something extra special, and indeed startle your unsuspecting guests, but all in the spooky spirit of Halloween of course! You can find vast amounts of these plastic spiders for incredibly low prices. A bag of around 144 will cost you less than $5.00! If you end up with more than you need to make these fun ice cubes no worries, scatter them around in cobwebs and on tabletops for even more Halloween excitement.

There’s a skeleton in your chandelier! This will easily be the talk of the party and it’s so simple to accomplish. Almost everyone’s Halloween collection starts off with a life size plastic skeleton but, if you don’t already have one you can pick one for around $60.00. These guys are incredibly light so placing one in your chandelier is a piece of cake. Just use clear zip ties to anchor down the parts that you want attached.

 

Who wouldn’t be a little scared of rats scurrying up and down their staircase? This is so easy and inexpensive to accomplish, trace outlines different rats in various poses onto black construction paper, cut them out, and tape them to the riser of your stairwell. Another upside to this project is that it can be accomplished on stairs of all materials; wood, carpet, tile, ect.

You can use these mason jars to add mood lighting in dimly lit areas around your get together.  You can find the bags of cobwebs with plastic spiders for easily less than $2.00 and the LED tea lights are between $0.50 and $1.00 each. This craft is quick, easy, and cheap. Perfect if you need a last minute decoration!

Spooky Interiors- Five Tips on Halloween Decorations That Aren't Ghastly

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Halloween is one of the best holidays to decorate for. Witches, ghost, and goblins are not in short supply this time of year. We’ve come up with five tips for decorating you home for Halloween. These decorations are friendly for budgets but pretty spooky for your home.

1. Trash Bag Spider Webs

Materials:

Trash Bags

Scissors

Tape

Directions:

Step 1: Trim the edges and bottom of the garbage bags. This will give you rectangle shaped pieces.

Step 2: Take the rectangles and cut them into squares. The smaller the squares, the smaller the web will be.

Step 3: Fold the squares in half, then into a triangle shape. Fold the triangle in half two more times.

Step 4: Tape the fold together on the loose side. This will help the trash bag stay in place, since the material is slippery.

Step 5: Using the Diagram below sketch a stem from one corner to the end, then draw scallop shapes coming off the stem.

Step 6: Cut the gray areas away.

Step 7: Unfold.

These spider webs are easy and fun to make for all ages. They would great hanging above a fireplace or in the window. You can repeat the steps above to create more and adjust the sizing to create multiple looks.

2. Witch Leg Table

Materials:

4 Socks

2 Pair of Shoes

Directions:

Step 1: Pick out 4 long socks (preferably ones that have Halloween designs or patterns), you may buy them or already have them lying around.

Step 2: Slip the socks onto the legs of the table.

Step 3: Put shoes on the bottom of the legs. Black shoes would look the best, you can use old shoes you already own or find some at a thrift store.

This “walking table” is super fun and guests all ages will love it!

3. Cobb Web Chandeliers

Materials:

Cotton Cobb Webs

Directions:

Step 1: Buy the cotton webs, these can be used from previous years or can purchase them. Most likely found in the Halloween section.

Step 2: Choose the light fixture you want to use. Chandeliers work the best but if you have lamps those can be used too!

Step 3: You want to pull apart the webbing as you intertwine it around the fixture. The more you pull apart the thinner the web will look.

Step 4: Once you have the desired look, add plastic spiders or any Halloween decorations.

This will look great over a dining room table or in a foyer!

4. Paper Bats

Materials:

Think Black Paper

Scissors

Painters Tape

Half Bat Template

Directions:

Step 1: Print off half bat template. This can be found in Google images.

Step 2: Fold the black paper in half.

Step 3: Place the half bat template on to the fold paper and trace. Pencil works best.

Step 4: Cut out. Leave the paper folded while cutting.

Step 4: Unfold paper! You can crease the wings to give a three dimensional look.

Step 5: Hang in desired area, using painters tape on the back; this will make sure you don’t ruin your walls with the tape.

These paper bats can be hung anywhere in your house, above a fireplace or on the door!  They can also be really fun for the kids to make on a cold day.

5. Halloween Accessories

If you aren’t crafting savvy or much of a shopper, the easiest way to decorate your home for Halloween is using black accessories. Candle sticks and pillows are a great accessory that can be used any time of year. Other accessories such as picture frames, vases, or even a lamp shade can add a spooky feel to the room. The best part is you might find that you already have these accessories! These decorations are easy, fun, and won’t break the bank!