SOFA PILLOW STYLING

What tricks do designers do to make their sofas so fab and stylish? This post is about to show you how to style your sofa so it looks like the photos in the magazines.Pillows are a great way to add color and texture to make a big impact without much investment.

Styling your sofa is all about balance. You can achieve this by using 2 sets of matching cushions with an accent pillow in the middle.

When mixing prints keep the scale of the print in mind, balance big bold prints with smaller simpler prints.

This is the most commonly used pillow arrangement, easy to construct and neutral. Odd number pillows are almost always the most pleasing.

START WITH 2 LARGE PILLOWS
Start with 2 large square pillows, ideally 24" squares. They go at the ends of the sofa resting against the arms, these are the ANCHOR PILLOWS.

MORE PILLOWS
Add 2 matching pillows, smaller than the first , with some design or texture.
They can be 20" pillows in linen or embroidered design.
These are your DECORATIVE PILLOWS.

ADD AN INTERESTING CENTER PILLOW
This could be a long envelope pillow with buttons, or an interesting patterned cushion in a different color or shape.
This is your INTEREST PILLOW.

ADD A THROW
You can add a throw to create another layer of color and texture. The throw should compliment the pillow colors.

More than anything your decorative choices should be fun and reflect your style and personality, so don't be afraid to throw in something quirky or unpredictable. 

A BREATH OF FRESH AIR
10 AIR PURIFYING HOUSE PLANTS

Why invest in expensive electrical air purifiers when you can get house plants to clean and filter the air naturally and inexpensively?
All indoor plants are able to purify the air to some degree through their normal photosynthesis process. However some were found to be more beneficial than others in removing harmful household toxins, even removing up to  90% of chemicals in the air in only 24 hours. This also means that these plants can decrease your risk of cancer, asthma, allergies and some auto immune diseases.

Much of the research on these plants has been done by NASA scientists researching  ways to create space station habitats.

HOW TO SELECT AND CARE FOR YOUR PLANT

Choose one 10 to 12 inch potted plant for 100 square feet of your home for most effective air purification.

Cross reference the botanical and common name to ensure it will do the job it is meant to.

Consider where you will place your plant, so that it receives the right amount of sunlight to thrive.

Periodically dust and wipe the leaves with a damp cloth to ensure proper absorption of air particles and toxins.

Whenever possible capture rain water for your plant, remember all house plants thrive the best with natural water source.

BENEFICIAL TYPES OF PLANTS

ALOE VERA
Not only can it be used for burns and skin inflammation, it is also known to remove formaldehyde from the air.

ARECA PALM
General air purifier especially if it grows large, prefers partial sun and well drained soil.

BABY RUBBER PLANT
This house plant cleans the air by emitting high oxygen content, and purifies the air by removing chemicals and toxins. Likes filtered light, infrequent watering and rich soil.

BAMBOO PALM OR REED PALM
According to NASA it removes formaldehyde and acts as a natural humidifier. Likes bright indirect light and moist soil.

BOSTON FERN
Said to be one of the best air purifying house plants. Likes bright light and damp soil.

CHINESE EVERGREEN
Emits high oxygen content and purifies the air. Does well in full shade and good draining. The sap of the plant is considered poisonous and an irritant.

ENGLISH IVY
Is known for removing Benzene, a known carcinogen found in cigarette smoke, pesticides and detergents. Is said to be fantastic for asthma and allergies.

SNAKE PLANT
Found by NASA to absorb toxins such as nitrogen oxides, It tolerates low light levels and irregular watering.

SPIDER PLANT
NASA places this plant among the top 3 types of house plants to remove toxins and impurities. Likes bright indirect light and lots of watering.

PEACE LILY
They help to filter Benzene a known carcinogen from the air. It is also said to remove mold spores in the air, making it great for bathrooms, kitchens and laundry rooms.They are fairly robust and easy to care for.

BULBING
SWITCH TO LED

As your incandescent bulb burns out, it's time to switch to LED bulbs. By now we all know that LEDs have an impressive life span of 15000 hours and are very cost effective.
Contrary to common belief wattage  isn't an indication of brightness, but a measurement of how much energy the bulb draws. With incandescents there is an accepted co relation between the watts drawn and brightness, but for LEDs watts aren't the predictor of how bright the bulb will be.

For example, an LED bulb with comparable brightness to a 60 W incandescent is only 8 to 10 watts.

The lumens is the real measurement of brightness provided by a light bulb, and is the number you should look for when shopping for LEDs.

LED bulbs are capable of displaying an impressive color range, from purple to red,to a spectrum of whites and yellows.

The popular colors available are warm white, cool white and soft white. Light color is measured in Kelvins.The lower the number the warmer (more yellow) the light.

BENEFITS OF LED

1. ENERGY EFFICIENT- Capable of outputting 135 lumens/watt. Consume 90% less power than incandescent bulbs.

2. LONGER LIFE- 50000 hours or more if properly engineered compared to 1500 hours of an incandescent bulb. An LED bulb can last 7 years with constant use.

3. NO WARM UP PERIOD- LEDs light up instantly

4. ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY- They contain no mercury or hazardous substances.  They are made from non toxic materials.

5. CONTROLLABLE-  Can be controlled for brightness and color.

6. SAFETY- They generate virtually no heat hence are cool to touch.

When switching to LED don't expect to save pots of cash, instead think of it as an investment. Eventually, the LEDs will pay off, in the meantime you will enjoy less heat production, longer bulb life and even the option of controlling them on your automation system.

The accompanying environment benefit is easy; less waste, because you are using less bulbs, and greater energy efficiency. 

NATURAL ROOM SCENTS
SIMPLE RECIPES FOR AIR FRESHENERS YOU CAN MAKE AT HOME

Add fragrance to your home using simmering waters infused with spices, herbs and fruits.
These are easy and inexpensive ways to fill your room with pleasant scents.All you need are some snippets of fresh herbs, a couple of citrus slices, a pinch of spice and boiling hot water.

INGREDIENTS
The ingredients can be things you have in your kitchen, like ginger, slices of lemon, orange peels, expired juices to add color, left over herbs and spices. There are endless combinations for these scented waters

ORANGE , CINNAMON AND CLOVE
This is a favorite for its wonderful aroma and staying power. This scent carries into multiple rooms and can be re heated for re use.

LEMON, ROSEMARY AND VANILLA
This scent has a lovely freshness.

ORANGE, GINGER AND ALMOND EXTRACT
This is a sweet delicious scent.

LIME, THYME, MINT AND VANILLA EXTRACT
This combination has a fresh, pleasant scent. The mint leaves help kick up the aroma.

HEAT THE POTION
Simply heat all the ingredients in a pan on the stove, bring it to a boil and then simmer. They will immediately begin to scent your kitchen and then spread to other rooms. Keep a close watch on water levels, if the pan dries out you will smell burnt citrus instead of sweet fragrant citrus. As the water evaporates keep adding water to keep the fruit and herbs covered all the time.

FONDUE POT METHOD
If you have a fondue pot then you have a portable scent station. Get the scent mixture boiling hot before adding it in the fondue pot. Best placed in the entry way so that your guests smell the wonderful fragrance as they walk in.

PORTABLE SCENTS

Boil water in a kettle, load your ingredients in a glass jar, once the water is boiling add it to the jar. Watch in delight as different ingredients float to the top whilst others sink to the bottom. Now they are ready to place in different rooms around the house. To keep the jars emitting a strong scent keep topping them up with hot water.

RE USE MIXTURE 2-3 TIMES
After you have heated and simmered the mixture the water may become cloudy and some of the ingredients may lose their vibrant color. You can re use and re heat the mixture 2 to 3 times, it may not look as pretty but will smell good. You can even refrigerate it in a closed container to re use later.

IDEAL GIFTS

FRESHEN UP YOUR DESK
HOME OFFICE STYLING

I know not everyone has a dedicated room for a home office, but you definitely need some dedicated space to store your stationery, office supplies and important documents.

When your are organizing your desk, first completely empty it before you start.
Go through every item you have removed and sort it into piles, this is also a good way to de clutter and get rid of things you don't require.
Now its time to focus on the items you are going to keep in your desk. Be creative in your storage and look around your house for items that could be re purposed to meet your needs such as spice racks, trays, jars etc.

SPICE RACK

ICE TRAYS

DISH DRYING RACKS FOR FOLDERS

Keep things simple. Use labels so its easy for you and your family to find things.

DESK ORGANIZERS - First things first you need a catch all home for all your odds and ends.

COLOR CODE YOUR CORDS- No one really likes how the plethora of cords look on your work space, so cover em up with colored tape or ribbon!

Clip binder clips to the side of your desk to hold USB and other cables.

CLIP ON ORGANIZERS- These help you stay organized without eating into your precious work space.

DRY ERASE BOARDS- Mount a piece of Plexiglas on a leather board to make the most elegant white board.

TRAYS- Stay ultra organized by keeping a tray on your desk.It's the perfect home for note pads, calculators, tape dispensers etc

CART STORAGE- If you are running short on desk space use a cart by your desk to get organized.

USE WALL SPACE
 Hang clipboards, planners, to do lists on the wall.

MAKE DRAWER COMPARTMENTS

USE JARS OR TINS
Glue your old glass jars to get cubbies for your pens, pencils, staples and other small items.