Holiday decorating for the Newlyweds

With the holidays coming soon, I can't think of a better time to talk about how you newlyweds can invest in Christmas décor for your new home. Many young married couples don’t have the money to go out and buy everything they need to decorate their entire house for the holiday season, but  by the way most older people don’t have the option to go out and do this either. However with some smart purchases you can gradually grow your holiday décor displays over the next few years.

First decide what are the most important pieces you want in your new home. For example: Christmas tree, nativity scene, outdoor lighting, holiday village display, or a menorah. This is what you should invest in first so choose the one that is most important to you and to your future husband or wife. Let’s say you have chosen a Christmas tree. Even though real Christmas trees are pretty affordable, in the long run you actually save money by investing in an artificial tree. These trees can be used year after year if put up correctly and taken down correctly. And steer clear from pre lit trees, they might work great for two years but generally after that you will be getting wire cutters to remove the damaged lights.

Second settle on the style and colors you want to decorate with. For Hanukkah this is simple the colors are traditionally blue and silver. For traditional Christmas colors it is red and green but who says you have to stick with tradition.  Choose colors that flow with the colors already in your home. If you are choosing to invest in the Christmas tree and your living room is where it will be displayed evaluate the style of the room and which colors will look best. For instance if you have light colored couches, walls and drapes with various pops of  blue in your accent pillows maybe you should think about decorating a flocked Christmas tree with green and blue ornaments. Or if you have a very warm living room with open wood beams and dark browns and tan maybe you should consider red, gold, and green ornaments with plaid accessories.

Third you must remember to shop smart. Many of the big box stores carry plastic and even glass ornaments at a discount of the price you would pay at the pricey boutiques. If you decide to choose to first invest the Nativity scene or any of the other accessories sometimes shopping at these beautiful boutiques will provide you with more unique options than what the big box stores can provide. But it is always smart to shop around and get the best price.

Fourth and the most important one for me to remember from year to year is that these smaller boutiques in town have extraordinary deals on holiday items after the season has passed. If you have extra money left over after buying all of the food and gifts, put a little back for a shopping day in January and February, I promise you will be amazed at how cheap you can get some of your holiday decor items for next year.

Always remember it is not how expensive the item is, it is how well you make it work with what you have. If you are still having trouble getting inspired to decorate for the holidays check out some of these beautiful inspiration photos.
   

 

My Top 4 Must-Have Design Elements For Newlyweds

1. New Bed

This might seem like a luxury item to some because as we know many of you have spent a few years sleeping on a mattress that was resting on the floor. But think about it, this is a new beginning for you and your future husband and one area newlyweds spend more time in the beginning is in the bed. If you have a beautiful bed that you are both happy with then consider dressing it up with new bed linens and pillow. This will help to make the bed more inviting and help give it a fresh look.

     

2. Kitchen Table

The second most important item would be a kitchen table. If you only have the space for a two seated table that is fine, but if you have a larger space think about investing in a larger table. This is great when you are entertaining with friends and family. Remember you are finally adults now, there will be nights when sitting in front of the TV eating your dinner just won’t cut it.

   

3. Seating for more than Two

The third most important element to include in your new home is plenty of seating for more people than just two.  Having couches, loveseats, club chairs and ottomans is great for filling up a room but it is also essential when you have house quests. People will enjoy spending time in your space when they feel comfortable and allowing your company to have a seat is a start to making your guest feel comfortable.

   

4. Dishes

So many newlyweds forget to get everyday dishes to use. The fourth item to have is dishes. They do not have to be fine china or even expensive earthen ware, but matching dishes will help you feel organized and will appear that you have your home pulled together. When you have your in-laws over for their first meal you will be proud to serve dinner on real dishes and not plastic kiddy plates.
   

Ways to avoid bickering with your soon-to-be hubby when it comes to choosing furniture

The thought of going shopping for furniture might appeal to many people but add in the thought of shopping with your soon-to-be spouse and it doesn’t sound so thrilling. Many people know what they like when they see it but when you are shopping for two people's tastes it isn’t as easy as picking just what you like. Let me give you some advice on how to make these shopping trips a little less hard and a little more enjoyable.

1. You should have an idea of what you like and your soon-to-be partner should  have an idea of what they like. Do you like modern, country, contemporary, antique or formal? If you are not for sure then planning a browsing trip to the furniture store just to look at the different items is a must. Go with the intention of not buying, just looking. And discuss with your partner why you like certain pieces or why you don't like certain pieces.

2. Decide on how much you will spend on the furniture. If you have not crunched the numbers don’t go to the store. Most people say that they argue more about money than anything else. These are big purchases and understanding how much money you both are willing to save or spend is a vital part of this event.  

3. Pull out the pictures of the rooms you have saved from “the rooms that inspire you”. These are the rooms from magazines, interior design blogs, Pintrest,  Décor pad, and furniture store catalogs. Sit and look at the items in each of the rooms and ask your partner what he or she thinks about the room. These are great things to be thinking about when you browsing through the furniture store. Keep in mind though that you won’t necessarily find the exact pieces from the pictures.

4. Finally when you are shopping with your future husband or wife it is important to be open to change and be willing to really listen to what they have to say. Ask them why they prefer this couch over that, is it the arms or the fabric? Compromise is the name of the game. You are marrying this person for a reason and throwing a fit about the furniture that will be in your new home is not going to help the new marriage, it will only hurt it.

If you both cannot agree on an item in the furniture store, just agree to walk away. Many times one of you will have a change of opinion and will be willing to discuss the other option when there has been some time to think. Other times you will both see something different than what you had originally like and can agree this new item is better.

In the end your marriage will be full of compromises, this doesn’t mean you have to give up your style all together. It just means that you are blending two style together to create both of your new worlds.

Design logic for wedding registry

Planning a wedding can be a very stressful time and many brides find some relief in the thought of the gift registry.  The day where all you have to do is go to your favorite boutique and pick out everything you want. Well hold on, because without proper organization you could just be creating more stress for you and your husband when you try to place these items in your new home. The secret is in planning, taking some time to do a little research and develop you and your fiancés' combined tastes. This is what will help your home feel more complete from the beginning.

First make a list of rooms you will have in your home. Then begin a list for the items you would like to see fill these rooms. Do you need fine china, furniture, linens, throw pillows, draperies, bedding or appliances? The list can go on and on.  This is your chance to think about what you will need.

 Second take some time to go through interior design magazines and clip out pictures of rooms that you are drawn to. Look at design blogs and save the images to your computer. Keep these inspiring images for several days or weeks before you register for any gifts. Every few days look through these pictures and narrow down which images appeal to you the most.

Next you need to evaluate the pieces of furniture or accessories in these pictures, think about how you could use these items in your home and how you can mix in the pieces you and your fiancé already have.

The final step is staying on track the day you are actually registering. It can be very tempting to scan every item on the shelf because it is pretty, but resist the temptation. Yes it is true you will not receive everything on your gift registry and some people will buy things that are not on your registry but you will receive some items that you have carefully selected. And because of the planning process, you will know what you need in each room and how you want each room to look. If you are still in need of pictures to inspire you, take a look at a few of these beautiful rooms.

Your home is what you make it

Everyone deserves to have a comfortable and beautiful home it doesn’t matter if your newlyweds purchasing your first house or if you’re the more established home owner. Filling the rooms with items that reflect your personal style helps to make your home a comfortable environment. Let me explain where you can save money on the furniture and where you should spend a little more on furniture. First you must understand that everyone has basics in each home; couches, beds, dining tables and buffet hutches. These are you "worker" pieces.  When shopping for these items it is beneficial to do your research. Look for how the its made, are they good quality, and will they stand the test of time and style, you want this furniture transition from era to era. It might cost more upfront to buy any of these items but if you follow the rules they should last for a very long time. Secondly I can give you some advice on how to save a little bit of money on other furniture pieces for your home. Garage sales, flea markets, second hand stores and my personal favorite estate sales are to be shopped vigorously by anyone trying to furnish a home. So many pieces are bought for less than $100 at these places. In order to get the look you want you may have to do some sanding and painting but trust me it is well worth it. Take a look!

Now go and explore and aways be inspired!