Tuesday, December 27, 2016

What’s the Process/Timing for Taking Down Holiday Decor?

Do it on Your Schedule
Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors
If you ask us, there is no standard date that you must have all of your holiday decor taken down by. It is all about preference and doing what works for you. Some people want all of their holiday items taken down and put away before New Years Eve hits, while others want to leave it up as long as it is acceptable. You do what works for you and your schedule!
Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors
Keep Things Organized 
Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors
The more organized you are when putting away all of your holiday decor, the easier it will be to unpack it all again next year. Stores carry storage options that can meet any of your specific needs. Ornament boxes and tree boxes for example are tailored to keep your items secure and in tact all year long. Labeling your boxes according to which room they belong to is another easy way to stay organized!
Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

Toss What you Won’t Use Anymore
Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors
When you are putting your holiday decor away for the season, if you notice you left some things in the boxes and didn't use them at all, consider tossing or donating those items. This will keep you clutter free and make sure that you are only storing items you know you will use in the future. 
Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Our Holiday Gifts to You - Quick Tricks and Tips to Keep from Stressing when Hosting People for the Holidays.


Nice Scents
homelox.blogspot.nl
Hosting guests can be fun but also stressful at times. Having pleasant scents in your house can really set the tone for a fun and relaxing evening. Scented candles are always a great option to fill your home with your favorite smell! Try not to have too many different scents going at once as that may create an odd mix of smells that you weren't going for. If candles aren't your thing, simply having things cooking when people arrive will create a nice aroma and get everyones tastebuds going!
topinspired.com
Good Lighting
Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors
Another trick to de-stressing a get together is to keep the lighting plentiful but low. You don't want every overhead light in your home on when guests are there because it can feel a little cold or stiff. You want the vibe to be relaxing to you and your guests and low lighting helps create this. If your wondering how to achieve this feel, lamp lighting is always a great way to accomplish this and keep things soft and peaceful. 
Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

Allow Yourself Extra Time
ourfoodstories.com

One thing that can make hosting stressful is having a lot of last minute things to do right before guests should be arriving. Try to have all of your cleaning, getting ready, and cooking out of the way at least 30 minutes prior to guests arriving. This will allow you a bit of time to sit and relax before having to put your hosting shoes on!

farmhousetable.wordpress.com

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

How to Keep from Splurging too Much on your Holiday Decor


DIY Holiday Words 

ourlifeinaclick.blogspot.com

If you are like us, you want to go holiday decor shopping crazy every year around this time. These are 3 DIY holiday decor ideas that will save you from spending big bucks. This first idea is such a cute and simple one. All you need is to go to your local craft store and buy the letters that make up your favorite holiday word or phrase. Make sure the word has an “O” in it, like Joy or Noel. Then the “O” in the word is simply a small, inexpensive wreath! Try to pick out letters in different sizes, colors, or textures for a unique look!

ourlifeinaclick.blogspot.com

DIY Sparkle Branches

happilyeverborrowed.tumblr.com

This next DIY holiday decor project is another super inexpensive and easy one! These DIY sparkle branches can be used in so many different ways. You can pop them in your tree for some added interest, place them in tall thin vases, or incorporate them into a centerpiece just to name a few! All you need to make them are branches (real or fake), silver spray paint, and silver glitter! 

happilyeverborrowed.tumblr.com

DIY Stenciled Signs

bloominghomestead.com
Holiday themed signs like these can be pricey when you buy them ready made. You can save quite a bit of money by simply making them yourself. Palette wood + stencils + acrylic paint are the 3 things you need to tackle this simple holiday DIY! These are both great examples of holiday signs people have made themselves that you can use for inspiration!

landeeseelandeedo.com


Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Holiday Decorating Trends


Nature Inspired

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

In recent years, nature inspired elements have been huge in holiday decorating. This trend can be so beautiful and peaceful when incorporated into your holiday decor. If you are going for this look, keep your eyes out for anything that you would find in nature (animals, wood, greenery etc.) as your jumping off point. These are photos from a woodland themed tree we did for a client. We used mostly neutral colors with pops of red here and there along with woodland creatures and faux logs to create the look!

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

Navy Accents

dearlillieblog.blogspot.com

Navy has been a big trend in all facets of decorating so it is fitting for it to now be spilling over into the world of holiday decorating. Navy is a fantastic color to incorporate into your holiday decor because it is a deep, rich color that compliments almost any color that you would normally associate with the season. 

lushhome.com
Non-Traditional Pops of Color


Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

Holiday decorating has taken a fun, more daring turn in the past few years. People are incorporating unexpected and non-traditional pops of fun colors into their holiday decorating. This trend can go in any direction you wish to take it in, whether it be pink and green, turquoise and brown, or purple and silver, there is no limit on the fun color combinations that can create beautiful holiday displays!

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Holiday Shopping is here: Our Favorite Decor Related Presents


Candles with a Designer Touch

anthropologie.com

Candles are always a great go-to decor gift for any occasion. One fun way to add a little something extra to this gift is by choosing a candle that has a designer touch. This could come in the form of anything from a marble outside to a rose gold finish. Giving a candle with a pretty design allows the gift receiver to incorporate the candle into their decor in a fun and stylish way!

notonthehighstreet.com

Unique Frames with a Special Photo or Note

coxandcox.co.uk

Photo frames are another fantastic decor gift to give this holiday season. When choosing a frame, try to go with something a little more unique than your average black or silver frame for example. There are fun, unique frames in almost any store that carries frames. Some of our favorite spots to shop for frames are Homegoods, Pier 1, and Hobby Lobby. All of these stores have beautiful and reasonably priced frames to choose from. 

potterybarn.com

Personalized Artwork

etsy.com

Another decor gift to give this season is personalized artwork. This could be art that includes the city or state that person is from, or include the family’s names or monograms. These are two examples of personalized artwork that would make fantastic gifts. Etsy.com is one of the best sources to find pieces of art like this.

etsy.com

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Quick Tips to Ready your Home for Thanksgiving Guests


Create a Centerpiece 

(Bottom) Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

If you are not wanting to go all out with Fall/Thanksgiving related decor, you can simply create a centerpiece for your dining table. This is a great way to concentrate your decor on one space which will create a nice impact without having to break the bank by having pieces throughout the house. These are all good examples of centerpieces that would work perfectly for your Thanksgiving table. The all white centerpiece was created by Liz from the inspiration photo beside it. This shows you how you can get an idea from places like Pinterest, and make it your own!

elledecor.com

Do a Quick Decor Refresh

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

Another easy way to ready your home for your Thanksgiving guests is to do a simple decor refresh. This can be accomplished by taking down all of your accessories off of builtins, bookshelves & console tables, for example, then re-working where you have them placed. This will give your home an updated, fresh feel to you and your guests who may have been to your home recently. This is a great way to give your house a little pick-me-up without spending a dollar!

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

Consider the Best Placement of Your Furniture

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

Depending on the amount of guests you have coming over, you may need to re-think the way your furniture is placed to accommodate more people, or at least make it feel a bit more spacious. The more open you can make your home feel the better. When you have a large amount of people coming to visit, comfort is key. This may even mean tucking some things away that will make the space feel more crowded, like large blanket baskets for example. 

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

How to put Together a Bathroom Renovation Timeline

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors
Last week we talked about putting together a kitchen renovation timeline. This week, we continue this series as we move onto bathroom renovations. A lot of what we discussed last week holds true for bathroom renovations as well. Once again, every project is different depending on the size and individual needs. This makes it difficult to name a standard timeline for a bathroom renovation, but here are some elements of the process to understand before diving in. 

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

Try and have all of your selections made ahead of time so you can order everything and have it waiting once each sub-contractor is ready to complete the job. The last thing you want is for time to be lost because you are waiting on products to arrive. You can assume it will take around 3 weeks to get most of your materials in (ie. tile, harware, fixtures), but you want to add in buffers to that so you don't run into any backorder surprises.

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors
One of the most important things to remember when doing any type of home renovation is that it is very hard to predict how long something will take and what you may run into. You never want to put yourself on a timeline that is squeezed in right before a major event you are hosting such as a holiday party or hosting guests of any kind because you can be sure something will come up and throw off that timeline. Try to pick a time of year where you have plenty of time after said renovation to be completed before you truly need it to be finished. When all is said and done, you can be looking at anywhere between 6-12 weeks for a bathroom renovation depending on the size and specifics.

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

How to put Together a Kitchen Renovation Timeline

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

There is no “standard” kitchen renovation timeline simply because every kitchen is a different size and renovation needs vary.  You have to factor in the availability of the sub-contractors (electricians, plumbers, etc). Ideally you can line them up back to back, but it rarely works out perfectly, so expect a couple days of downtime where no work is being done on your project

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

If you have all your selections made and materials ordered before demo begins, a project could be completed in as little as 6 weeks. If there are a lot of custom elements, walls torn down, plumbing moved, or hiccups in the project it could take as long as 3 months. 

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

Typically, cabinets take 4 weeks to manufacture.  When having custom cabinets made, the timeline can increase to 12 weeks or more, depending on the workload of the carpenter.
Most materials, such as tile, take 3 weeks from order to delivery, assuming the stock is good.
Granite takes 2-3 weeks from template to installation. The template cannot take place until your cabinets have been installed.

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors

When talking with your contractor about the timeline of the project, add 2 weeks to the total timeframe.  This is simply to offer a buffer in case of any surprises found along the way.  Surprises could be anything from materials being backordered, to discovering the wall you want to tear out has an HVAC vent running through it, to ripping up the floor and finding rotten floor joists. Building codes also offer challenges in the renovation process. What may have been up to code when your house was built, may now be out of date and require some changes while you are renovating (think plumbing and electrical).

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

How to Transition form Halloween to Thanksgiving Displays

Keep your Solid Pumpkins but Ditch the Jack-O-Lanterns
kirklands.com
Although it can be tempting to keep those Jack-O-Lanterns and painted faced pumpkins up on your porch, when transitioning into Fall / Thanksgiving decor its best to say goodbye. Solid color pumpkins or even pumpkins with painted designs on them can easily transition into your new displays. 
sortra.com
Add in Leaves, Take out Anything Spooky
titicrafty.com
Leaves (both real or fake) are your friend when transitioning away from Halloween decor. When you take away things like witch hats or skeletons from your displays you may feel they look sparse. This is where adding in some great fall foliage can help your case! 
adventuresindecorating1.blogspot.com
Use Earth Tones and Neutrals
amzn.to
Halloween decor tends to lean toward black and oranges, so once you are ready to move on, switch to more neutrals and earth tones. These photos show two great examples of how using whites and tone on tone items makes for a gorgeous and clean look! It is a fun departure from your classic reds and oranges. 
instagram.com