HOW TO CREATE A WELCOMING AND INVITING SPACE

Entertaining guest is always fun and exciting. With the holiday season upon us it's time to start planning and organizing for our family and friend gatherings and Christmas dinners. The planning that goes into setting up your home before the guest have arrived might be nerve racking for some as they decide whether or not their home is "inviting" enough. Once that is out of the way and you're happy with how the house has turned out you can now relax and enjoy your company. Here are 5 worry free tips to a more comfy and inviting home:

TIP 1: CREATE A CONVERSATIONAL ENTRY WAY

-The first thing that people see when they walk into your home will help create conversation, and lead them to want to explore the rest of the home.  Make a statement in your entry way whether that is with personal family pictures, a bold statement piece like a statue or unique painting. This helps sets the tone for the rest of the evening and gives your guest a mini introduction into your life.

TIP 2:  OPT FOR AN INVITING COZY SCENT

- Everyone loves a beautiful smell. Personally a person, place or thing that smells good, is always an A+ bonus to me. No one will want to ever leave a room that smells great. They'll be so caught up in the smell that this will automatically create a warm and comfortable atmosphere.

- Scents such as : Lavender, Vanilla, Hot Chocolate, Coconuts, Baby Power, Fresh Linen are perfect go to smells that can be found in scented candles, or even air fresheners. (I'd recommend febreze tropical scents as well, they are AMAZING)

-If you're having mixed company go for a smell that appeals to both sexes.

TIP 3: PICK A CALMING SHADE

-You want your guests to feel relaxed and at home while they are over. Many people do not realize or simply may not know the importance of setting the tone in your home by using colour. Choose calming shades such as ice blue, soft golds, orange, or lilacs.

- Accessories such as carpets, lamp shades, throw pillows, art work, etc. in "calming shades' are a good alternative If you don't want to or can't paint the wall.

TIP 4: MAKE YOUR SOFA THE PLACE TO BE

-Nothing I love more than relaxing on a sofa! You don't need to spend thousands of dollars to get a comfy sofa. All you need is to give the appearance of a comfy sofa, one that makes you want to lie back and kick your feet up(secretly, because you can't do that at someones home)

-All you need to do is add accent pillows, or one large soft comfy pillow or a suede throw that drapes over the sofa. The cozy feeling and softness of the material is a winner. This tip will get your guest every time!

WHAT ARE SOME WAYS THAT YOU CREATE A

WELCOMING AND INVITING HOME? COMMENT AND LET US KNOW!

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DECORATING THE SENSIBLE WAY - ON A BUDGET!

Decorating on a budget can be fun, and it's a better choice anyways. Why pay a hefty price tag when you can put that money to better use and still get a stylish and affordable room?  Not all of us can afford a $20,000 room renovation, but you know what? You really don't need to spend that kind of money to achieve the "I spent enormous amount of money on this room" look or the "I'm stylish and up to date on current home decor trends" look. 

Style knows no price! Style At Home proves this best in their high and low article the feature monthly in their magazine. It completely blows me away when I look at rooms that are virtually the same, but one comes with a price tag of $20,000(yes for one room) and the other with the price tag of $4,408. 

Look below, can you guess which is which? Does it really matter?

source
(hint: the one of the left cost more)

  Eight Tips for Decorating On A budget:

Add Accessories

After looking at the same room day after day, night after night it does gets a little bland. Before you go out and blow all your money to satisfy your decorating itch why not work with what you already have. You can completely transform a room by simply adding different throw pillows, art work, creating an entry way in the hall way, or adding a lamp. Get creative! You'd be surprised how something as little as accessorizing can go a far way in transforming the feel and look of a room. It is also very inexpensive!

Go Window Shopping

So you're simply fed up with your current decor. Your 10 year old lumpy sofa, the sight of your coffee table, the stains on your carpet all make you want to flee to another room? then it is time to go shopping! It's best to start by window shopping to find your inspiration. Look at home decor magazines, expensive furniture show rooms and department stores that have room set ups. Get a feel for what type of theme you're going for and see how particular rooms make you feel. You can take pictures, rip out pages, or note specific items you may have seen; then walk on over to the stores that are in your budget and shop for something similar. Trust me you WILL find it(take a look at the picture above again if you're not convinced)

Set Your Budget and Stick To It

After you've decided what amount of money you can set aside to spend try your best and STICK TO IT. Don't go to a store that you know you cannot afford to shop at or look at a sofa way out of your price range hoping to score a deal. Set realistic goals for yourself; if your eying a sofa that cost a little bit more than your budget will allow see how long it will take to save for such sofa, if you can't find it cheaper then save up.  You don't want to regret your decision later when your house looks fabulous, but your bills are left behind.

Pick Neutral Colours For Big Purchases

Big purchase items such as a sofa can cost a fortune, since your sofa is not something you will be replacing in a year or so pick a sofa that matches with all colours. Grey, beige, white, black and browns are good sofa picks because even though your colour taste might change your sofa will be ready to adapt to any colour scheme. Then the next time you get that itch remember rule number one - accessorize!

Rearrange Your Room

Maybe you don't need to buy anything at all! Rearranging the furniture in a particular room can make it feel like a brand new room. Swap things around, bring items in from different rooms, move the sofa so your living room faces the opposite way, or clear away the clutter. You'd be surprised how refreshed you'll feel with your "new" living room setup. The positive side of this option is it cost you nothing at all. *happy dance*

Paint Those Walls

Another cheap decorating option is painting the walls in the room. A fresh coat of paint gives new feeling to a room and is the easiest way to dramatically change the look of your space. Read How colours affect the mood in a room" and then head to your local paint shop and pick up the colour of choice for ten to thirty dollars.

Revamp Those Windows

So you don't have time to paint? Another easy solution to get out of your decorating funk is to revamp your window treatment. Google window treatment ideas and take a look at all the different styles of curtain, drapes and trimmings you can have. Get picky about material you want, style, and texture. Add a sheer white drape under your favorite colored curtain and expose the white. This will instantly transform the room, and its as easy as putting curtains up.

Have Patience

The best advice I can give is to have patience.  Don't be in a rush to redecorate, take your time and plan what you want from this room so you won't have to do it again months later. If money is the number one issue, keep your eyes on sales and deals, compare prices online or wait for sample sales. Maybe start small and de-clutter the room, a clean home can instantly transform how you feel about that particular room. Overall, just have fun! Decorating should be fun, not stressful.

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