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Guess the Decade Decor Quiz: Living Rooms of the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s
Most decades have a signature style (both in fashion and interior design), but that doesn’t always mean a room follows that aesthetic to a T. At times, it can be tricky to date a space just by looking at a photo, though there are usually telltale signs here and there. What’s that you say? You could spot a 1960s living room with one eye closed? We encourage you to put those eagle eyes to the test. All the spaces here are either from the 1950s, ’60s or ’70s.
Caroline Biggs
Aug 13, 2017
8 Things You Should Never Buy Used
We’re all about finding great deals on stuff, but sometimes drawing the line between secondhand and spoiled can be tricky. Some items — like tables, art, and gym equipment — are more than worthy of a second (or third or fourth) life, while others are best left alone after use. That’s why it pays to know what kinds of goods are okay to purchase pre-owned, and which ones are best bought brand new.
Caroline Biggs
Aug 11, 2017
The Secret to Selling Your Home Faster and For More Money
A well-staged listing is a many-splendored thing. Not only does it give potential buyers a chance to visualize your home’s design potential, it turns out that staging your space (aka showcasing your home with furnishings) might very well help your home sell faster—and for more money.
Caroline Biggs
Aug 7, 2017
The Second Most Important Homebuying Decision You’ll Make: Tips for Finding the Best Agent for You
The wrong real estate agent—or just one who doesn’t jibe with your vibe—can cast a shadow on your whole home buying experience. That’s why it pays to know what things to look for (and the right kinds of questions to ask) when searching for a reliable real estate agent. So to help make your search a little easier, we called on William E Brown, President of the National Association of Realtors (NAR), for advice on how to find the best agent for your unique homebuying needs.
Caroline Biggs
Aug 6, 2017
Patch Before You Purge: Skills that Just Might Save Your Wardrobe
In a world filled with fast fashion and disposable trends, taking proper care of our clothes has become less and less of a priority. While this is partly due to the decreasing quality of mass-produced attire, the reality is that, unlike generations before us, many of us don’t know how to correctly care for our wardrobe. And even though poorly made clothes rarely deserve our long-term attention, it’s important to have the ability to tend to ones that do.
Caroline Biggs
Aug 2, 2017
No Bad Buys: Expert Advice for Vintage Shopping Like a Pro
The web is brimming with user-friendly vintage decor sellers that make scoring a one-of-a-kind piece easier than ever. However, with all those online options, knowing what to look for, and more importantly, how to separate the good stuff from the bad, isn’t always easy.
Caroline Biggs
Aug 1, 2017
The Easiest Way to a Decluttered Home: The Power of One
Decluttering a home is never easy. The thought of organizing a packed hallway closet or a stuffed storage room can be exhausting enough to make you put it off for another year. But what if we told you there was an easy, foolproof way to finally get your clutter under control that won’t take more than a few minutes of your day? All you have to do is remove one thing—just one thing—from your home that you no longer need – every day .
Caroline Biggs
Jul 26, 2017
The Best-Looking Bathroom Trash Cans Under $15
A good-looking bathroom trash bin is hard to find. That’s why most of them wind up stashed near the toilet or under the sink. Sure you can invest in a fancy one that looks great, but who wants to drop serious cash on something as small and well, trashy as a garbage can? Lucky for you, we did our research and it turns out the web is filled with some surprisingly sleek and inexpensive bathroom receptacles.
Caroline Biggs
Jul 20, 2017
Decor Superhero: A Perfect Lighting Solution for the Bedroom
Never underestimate the power of a good wall sconce. Not only will these beauties save you tons of space, they allow you to customize a unique lighting scheme to suit your specific needs. Unlike bulky table lamps, a properly placed sconce or two can offer loads of reading light without taking up any valuable nightstand space. Because we believe in showing and telling, here are nine of the chicest bedroom wall sconce scenes we could find on the web.
Caroline Biggs
Jul 19, 2017
How To Organize Your Pantry for $49 and One Trip to the Store
A five-part plan for a better pantry by tomorrow.
Caroline Biggs
Jul 17, 2017
Ask a Pro Organizer: What Organizing Products Are Worth Buying?
Staying organized from day to day is no easy feat. Throw a small, storage-deprived apartment and, you know, life into the mix—and suddenly keeping your sh*t together becomes daunting, if not darn near impossible. And while the web is brimming with promising organizational products, deciding which ones are actually worth your money is a whole different story. Thankfully, we have Sharon Lowenheim, aka the Organizing Goddess to call on for help.
Caroline Biggs
Jul 14, 2017
The Cement Tile Trend is Holding Strong (& We Couldn’t Be Happier)
Some trends stand the test of time for a reason. Case in point: cement tiles. Although they’ve been making waves in the decor scene for a looong while now (historians date some versions back to the 12th Century), these beautiful tiles started to pop up inside the most design-savvy contemporary homes across the globe in recent years in a big way. And it’s not difficult to see why. Along with creating artfully polished displays, cement tiles are crafted from natural materials (i.e.
Caroline Biggs
Jul 12, 2017
Study Reveals The Most Common Items that Go Missing at Home
Americans collectively spend a whopping $2.7 billion dollars every year simply replacing the items they can't find.
Caroline Biggs
Jun 29, 2017
Smart Apartment Hunting: Know the Perks that Drive Rent Up the Most
No matter where you live, everyone dreams of scoring an affordable apartment with awesome amenities. Whether it’s a proper doorman or a shared laundry room, for many of us, the communal comforts offered in an apartment building is what makes or breaks the decision on whether or not we’ll live there. But how much are we really paying for these perks?
Caroline Biggs
Jun 26, 2017
Think NYC Real Estate is Scary? This City Might Be Worse
Lately, social media is abuzz with Toronto’s insane real estate offerings: undesirable homes (in serious need of renovation and lacking ordinary amenities) selling at unbelievably high prices. Properties lacking everything from parking spaces to proper bathrooms have been selling at double and triple the asking price—with no signs of the area’s inflated costs slowing down anytime soon.
Caroline Biggs
Jun 20, 2017
The Small Safety Risk Too Many People Are Taking at Home: Some Quick Facts About Home Burglaries
Many homeowners will tell you that securing their home is a top priority, however, that doesn’t mean home invasions aren’t a very real threat for Americans. According to a new survey by Eyewitness Surveillance—a commercial surveillance company based in Maryland—a burglary occurs every 13 seconds in the United States, resulting in a startling 2.5 million home intrusions reported every year.
Caroline Biggs
Jun 15, 2017
3 Things Keeping You from an Ultra-Clean Bathroom
An immaculate bathroom is hard to find. Considering how much time you spend in your bathroom everyday, keeping it clean and fresh can have a real impact on how you feel. Unfortunately, even after you spend hours cleaning, bathrooms have a tendency to get grimy fast.
Caroline Biggs
Jun 14, 2017
Your Home is Working Against You, And Here’s What to Do About It
Housekeeping is rarely fun or easy. But what if we told you that you could improve the overall efficiency of your housework, without actually spending any additional time, money, or energy? Believe it or not, with a little imagination and planning, you’ll find there are tons of tiny ways you can boost the productivity of your place—ones that truly don’t require any extra work.
Caroline Biggs
Jun 1, 2017
Don’t Be a Hot Mess: 10 Products Under $25 To Help You Get It Together
Getting your sh*t together isn’t easy. Throw in a crazy work schedule, kids, partners, and friends—and the ability to stay calm and collected (let alone keep your headphones untangled) throughout the day seems almost impossible. Thankfully, many of our favorite online retailers offer some stylish—and insanely affordable—solutions for keeping the little things organized every day.
Caroline Biggs
May 19, 2017
Don’t Waste an Inch: Magical Mechanical Solutions to Transform Small Space Storage
Sometimes—okay, most of the time—finding storage in a small space requires us to get crafty. Sure we’ve all heard of the usual small-space game changers, but what to do when there’s still not enough room for all your stuff? Before you run out to the store to buy the latest Marie Kondo-style book, consider the oft-overlooked possibilities of mechanical storage.
Caroline Biggs
May 10, 2017
9 Ways to Take Advantage of the Space Under Your Sofa
Under-sofa organization is a many splendored thing. Not only does it provide you with extra storage room for stashing your stuff, it offers easy access to everyday items—newspapers, magazines, and DVDs—that can often get lost in living room clutter. To prove it, we’ve rounded up nine unexpected ways to maximize the space under your sofa. From DIY drawers to sliding storage boxes, each idea is designed to make the most of that small, but promising, area.
Caroline Biggs
May 2, 2017
Can Custom Made-for-You Shampoo Really Give You the Best Hair Day Ever?
My hair has a life of its own. Along with being oily, limp, and color-treated, the texture is super fine—meaning it’s prone to tangling, frizzing, and generally being all over the place. I’ve rocked the bedhead look for the better part of the past decade because of this unruliness. I’ve also made the quest for the perfect shampoo and conditioner a priority for the past few years—i.e.
Caroline Biggs
Apr 21, 2017
25 Small-Space Game Changers Your Storage-Challenged Home Needs Now
Living in a small space can be tough. But finding affordable, storage-savvy furnishings for your petite place is maybe even harder. Sure, the web is brimming with attractive options, but to make the most of your tiny abode, it’s important to seek out purposeful pieces of furniture and accessories—i.e. items that are both space efficient and multi-functional. As always, we’re help to help, so we’ve rounded up 25 of the most small-space-friendly goods on the Internet.
Caroline Biggs
Apr 21, 2017
Renters on the Rise: The 21 Cities in America Where Homeowners Are Outnumbered
Nationwide, home renters are on the rise. So much in fact that according to a recent study by ABODO based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 36.4% of the American population is renting their household—the largest percentage the nation has seen since the 1960s. And as the number of renters continues to grow (there were 1.4 million new renter households in 2015 alone) so do renter-dominated cities. As of 2015, renting has the become the majority in 21 cities across the United States.
Caroline Biggs
Apr 17, 2017
No Counter Space? Solutions for a Clean and Clutter-Free Kitchen Sink Zone
Kitchen sink zones come in all shapes and sizes. Unfortunately, the smaller the space, the harder it is to find extra room for storage. Throw in the fact that you’ve barely got any countertop space, and keeping things clean and organized around your sink can really start to get tricky. Luckily, all it takes is some effort and imagination to transform a cramped kitchen area into a streamlined display.
Caroline Biggs
Mar 14, 2017
Five Moments in Decorating When Patience is a Virtue
Although it’s fun to jump right in and make rash decisions about decorating your home, it’s definitely not always the smartest approach. While home shopping on a whim can be beneficial for accumulating accent pieces and small appliances, when it comes to making major interior changes, it’s usually best to step back and pump your brakes.
Caroline Biggs
Mar 2, 2017
The Only 3 Things You Need to Clean Before Having People Over
We’ve all been there. It’s Friday night and after a long work week, you make it home just in time to remember that you’ve invited your friends over—gasp!—in an hour. Your sink is full of dirty dishes and you haven’t swept in days, so naturally, panic ensues. But before you pick up your phone to cancel or postpone, perhaps consider a new a plan of action.
Caroline Biggs
Feb 10, 2017
The 10 Commandments of a Clean Car
For many of us, our cars become a home away from home. Between work commutes, kid pickups, and daily errands, we wind up clocking some serious hours inside our vehicles. And just like any place where we spend a lot of time, keeping things tidy can be tough. Luckily, with a little effort, there are ways for even the laziest of drivers to stay nice and neat. So to help, we’ve rounded up a few of our favorite (and foolproof) approaches for maintaining an orderly automobile.
Caroline Biggs
Jan 18, 2017
The Important Cleaning Task We All Skip (But Shouldn’t)
Considering all of the different cleaning sprays and solutions available on the market, we’re surprisingly trusting of the ones we bring home. That’s why the pros have always sworn by “spot-testing”—where you sample new products by testing them out on a small area to make sure they won’t cause any damage or discoloration.
Caroline Biggs
Jan 17, 2017
Selling Your Home: The 11 Most Important Spots to Declutter Before the Open House
Make no mistake about it: when you’re selling your house, potential buyers want to see everything. That means no area of your home (not even your utility closet) is safe from the gaze of a serious house hunter. That’s why it’s crucial to maximize every square inch of your place—backyard shed included—by minimizing your overall clutter.
Caroline Biggs
Jan 9, 2017
Bigger’s Not Always Better: 10 Reasons to Love (Cleaning) Your Small Home
When it comes to cleaning house, bigger definitely isn’t always better. Ask anyone with a giant place if they’d rather be responsible for looking after a studio-sized apartment—and suddenly your humble abode won’t seem so bad after all. In fact, preserving your neat and orderly small-ish home can feel relatively painless when you compare it to cleaning ones with more square-footage—consider it the silver lining of small housekeeping.
Caroline Biggs
Dec 13, 2016
Sleep Mode: Where to Buy Matching PJs for the Whole Family (& Grownup Onesies, if that’s Your Thing)
Sleepwear is a many-splendored thing. On top of being a great last-minute gift idea, a solid set of pajamas is guaranteed to keep you (and your loved ones) comfy and warm all winter long. Luckily, the Internet likes jammies just as much as we do, and while most loungewear on the market deserves some time to shine, we thought it would be fun to focus on two of our current faves: adult onesies and matching family sets.
Caroline Biggs
Dec 5, 2016
Ways to Spend Less on (Still Great!) Gifts this Year
For as fun as holiday gift giving can be, it’s also expensive. While your heart may be set on showering all your friends and family with lots of cool presents this year, your budget might not be feeling so generous. Lucky for you, a low bank account doesn’t have to leave you empty-handed. With a little time and creativity, you’ll find there are tons of affordable gift ideas out there; ones that require more effort than funds.
Caroline Biggs
Nov 11, 2016
The Secret to Happiness at Home is Hygge — Here are 9 Ways to Practice it this Winter
Finding the words to convey sentimental feelings can be hard sometimes. Yet, the opposite is true when it comes to the Danish term “hygge.” Although there is literally no single translation for the concept (pronounced hoo-gah or hue-gah) the Danes use hygge to describe the warm feelings of happiness, comfort, and coziness—not unlike our idea of holiday spirit—they strive to achieve during the cold weather season.
Caroline Biggs
Nov 3, 2016
10 Tiny Details that Really Up Your Organization Game
When it comes to housekeeping, a little effort can truly go a long way. That’s why it pays to mind the details when you’re organizing all of your home’s unsightly stuff. Small things that might seem insignificant—think: box labels, basket lids, and table skirts—can actually make a world of difference when you’re putting together your place.
Caroline Biggs
Oct 26, 2016
One-Day Warriors: Tips for Cleaning Your Whole Home in a Day
Even if you happen to be a Monica Gellar type—someone who spends their free time dusting and sweeping—spending an entire afternoon indoors cleaning is still way less fun than, well, just about anything. It’s really no wonder that so many people make a habit of putting off cleaning until it’s absolutely necessary, i.e. until you’re suffering from either out-of-town visitors or out-of-control allergies.
Caroline Biggs
Oct 22, 2016
Secrets of People Who Leave Work on Time, Every Day
Fact: Unless you truly live for work, few things feel more rewarding than leaving your office on time everyday. However, as liberating as breaking away from your desk can be, the art of actually getting out of your workplace can truthfully be tricky to master. It may seem effortless to head straight for the door at 5pm, but it requires a lot of practice, patience, and perseverance to get to a place where you can pack up and go with confidence.
Caroline Biggs
Oct 19, 2016
9 Signs Your Home is Cleaner than You Think it Is
Keeping your home clean and put-together is hard work. Throw a full-time job, kids, and/or pets into the mix and it’s dang near impossible. Yet somehow you manage to pull it off. Whether it’s because of daily wipe downs, weekly chores, or even monthly cleanouts, you’re making it happen—even if it doesn’t always feel that way. Chances are your place is a lot less cluttered than your headspace, and most importantly, it works for you.
Caroline Biggs
Oct 16, 2016
6 Dirty Little Secrets of People Who Live in Small, Perfectly Organized Apartments
Let’s be honest: we all have a friend or family member who against all odds is irritatingly clean. Despite their studio-sized apartment space and insanely jam-packed schedule, they somehow manage to keep their place perennially—if not inexplicably—prim.
Caroline Biggs
Oct 11, 2016
10 Storage Sacrifices You Have to Make When You Live Solo in a Small Apartment
Although scoring your first solo apartment can be a wonderful thing, you still have to prepare yourself for the daunting task of packing—and fitting into—a presumably much smaller place than you once shared with your roomies. The fine line between “holding onto” and “hoarding” means it’s finally time to decide which of your housewares are truly worth keeping—a process that can be almost as exhausting as moving itself.
Caroline Biggs
Aug 24, 2016
Smart Tips for Avoiding “Dishues” with your New Roomies
If you’ve ever had a roommate, you know exactly what we mean by “dishues.” They’re those petty but persistent issues—think unwashed dishes, stolen Kind bars and late-night commotions—that can only come of an inconsiderate cohabiter. Though trivial, they can prove problematic nonetheless.
Caroline Biggs
Aug 23, 2016
5 Plans for Efficiently Organizing Your Home’s Most Cluttered Spot
When it comes to a design-savvy home, a proper entryway is key—pun intended!—to staying organized and prepared to leave the house every day. If you’re lucky enough to have a formal foyer at home, by all means, go buy yourself an entry table or storage bench and bask in all of your front door glory. But if you’re like the rest of us—working with a tight corner or narrow hallway in place of an actual entrance—staying coordinated can be a bit more trying.
Caroline Biggs
Aug 15, 2016
Sleep in Leo’s Bed & Crash with the Obamas: 7 Celebrity Homes You Can Actually Rent
What better way to truly break away from your everyday routine than spending your next vacation at the home of a celebrity? On top of A-list amenities like cocktail bars, tennis courts and private beaches, you also get the added bonus of saying you slept in Leonardo DiCaprio’s bed (without looking completely crazy).
Caroline Biggs
Aug 12, 2016