Ambiance for holiday decorating

Photo credit: Outblush.com

The editor of SpaceDesignJournal.com cannot deny the beauty and resplendence of the holidays, regardless of the state of the economy, health, or any other matter of disappointment and fear. She has a tradition for holiday decorating that’s applicable to families, single people, and anything in between. It’s sure to hit all the senses.
The first step entails a brief tip to the grocery. Stock up on a big bag of marshmallows, chocolate (a Hershey’s bar or the powdered kind), milk and/or eggnog. When the night arrives to trim the tree, begin the festivities by making some hot chocolate from scratch. That takes care of the taste sensation.
For the audible sensation you simply must have some Elvis, Harry Connick Jr, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Carpenters (and your other favorite holiday classics). Try some new or classic tunes by setting up your own free holiday station at Pandora.com.
Photo credit Gigwise.com
Get out all your holiday decorations. Unwrap all of them so you know what you’re working with. (Some people take pictures of how they decorate each room so as to copy it from year to year, which may work for you. For her, however, change is the key.) That takes care of the tactile sense. This is an obvious part, too, of the visual sensation that is the holidays. (Tip: replace some of the year-round decor with the seasonal decorations for a full but not overwhelming effect.)
As for scent, who ever heard of a properly decorated house not having juniper or holiday berry candles? Choose carefully. Overscenting a space can lead to headaches. Simple tealight burners will do the trick if you choose to enliven different rooms with fragrances. Plus the subtle lighting schemes create delightful visual sensations.
The end result? Your own winter wonderland!
Check out the HomeGoods blog for more holiday ideas.

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Filed under: interior design

Green Furniture Gets Easier

Photo from HickerPhoto.com.

Sometimes we hear so much about green living that we think we know it all by now. But simple brushups, just like your dentist does, are good for you.
PlanetGreen.Discovery has provided some more tips on eco-friendly furnishings. Sometimes, see, it’s about buying a green label, but it’s also about being creative and using what you’ve already got. Everyone who reads this knows we her at SpaceDesignJournal are fans of architectural salvage.

Read Jacob Gordon’s tips for laypeople on offgassing, buying used, bamboo and more. For instance, eco-kind products lend themselves to easy repair and cleanup. That’s also part of universal design.
Look for furniture that’s disassemblable.
Look for reclaimed wood and other reclaimed products.
Buy vintage.
Buy local (this idea is a controversial one here at SpaceDesignJournal, though in the realm of going green, it’s a ubiquitously made statement).

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Filed under: furniture, green, interior design

Funky Furniture

Designed by Kristina Anderson.

How have you gone this long without a Han Solo cocktail table? Why don’t you have the binary pillow or sliding maze door lock yet? Surely you could easily convince your spouse to install a riding vacuum in the house? Just as soon as you decorate yoru XBox-loving daughter’s room with illuminating wallpaper.
Asks Tom Spina, the designer behind the Han Solo table, why have furniture when you can have functional art?
Introducing Home Decor for Absolute Geeks, a post placed on CreativeCloseup.com. Visit the site to see more wacky (and embarrassingly desirable) decor.

Photo from Tom Spina Designs

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Filed under: furniture, interior design

Latex mattresses: for your health and your money

Photo from MattressFoundations.com

For your back and for the environment, for your money and for your health, latex mattresses are a terrific investment. Sears used to sell them in the 1950s and some reports have shown that these very ones are still in use. Imagine never having to buy another mattress!
Now imagine picking up a mattress you found while dumpster diving. Yes, sleeping in a traditional mattress is about as unhealthy. Why? Not only do they off-gas, they harbor all those little insects you’ve only heard about on Discovery programs. Latex styles, however, are insect and mold/mildew resistant.
Discover more about the healthy, environmentally and financially sustainable benefits to buying a latex sleep throne at HealthyFoundations.com.

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Filed under: ASID, furniture, green, interior design

Grete Jalk: Modernism Can Be Warm

Like Modernist furniture but want some warmth to it? Check out Grete Jalk, a Danish designer whose work has been in New York’s MoMA. Her mid-century Modernist wood furniture is sleek in design and tastefully aesthetic.
Find more like this at Dwell magazine’s daily blog.

Credit: Photo from RagoArts.com

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Filed under: furniture, interior design, set design