How Our Lifestyle Expert Created a “Micro-Moment” with One of This Year’s Biggest Design Trends
Style isn’t always about the big reveal. Sometimes, you just want a little refresh. That’s when we like to create a micro-moment — a small area of your home that you can update in an afternoon, quite possibly with decor you already have. The trick is to think about not just how a space looks, but also how it feels, sounds, and smells. That’s what turns an aesthetic into something that you can cozy up and live inside.
Charli Penn, Apartment Therapy’s executive lifestyle director, found just the spot in her home for this approach: her coffee table! It’s the perfect canvas to play with one of the season’s most fun trends, a soft and curvaceous look we call Make Waves. With a few well-chosen accents, she was able to revive the whole feel of her living room in about an hour. To bring the vibe to life, she also added a signature scent: Glade® PlugIns® MaxControl™ in Aqua Waves, which imparts the fresh scent of island flowers, salt air, and ocean breeze. Here’s how she styled her new look.
Start with Shapes
The hallmark of Make Waves is soft lines: Rounded corners, scalloped edges, and clamshell shapes bring this trend to life. Charli started with a circular coffee table, then added a tray with undulating cutouts and a decorative bowl with gorgeously folded curves. The overall effect is easy and romantic, like a quiet afternoon spent watching the tide come in. “I love this wavy style because it’s inspired by the ocean, pulling in organic shapes, scalloped edges, and energizing blues and greens,” Charli says.
Layer in Fragrance
To set an aromatic mood, Charli chose new Glade® PlugIns® with MaxControl™ in Aqua Waves. The relaxing blend of island flowers, salt air, and ocean breeze complements her decor tweaks perfectly. Plus, with the five adjustable settings on the new Glade® PlugIns® with MaxControl™, Charli can enjoy long-lasting, consistent, and customizable fragrance. Since her living room is on the smaller side, this helps Charli keep the scent at the right strength for her space.
Time for Texture
The last puzzle piece of a style refresh is thinking in tactile terms: From luxurious fabrics to mixed metallics, considering both visual and physical texture makes your new look pop. Charli’s jute rug is a great example: The scalloped edges echo her shapely decor, the natural material adds an earthy element, and the warm neutral color suggests a sandy beach. “It’s the perfect neutral canvas for styling, plus I love the scalloped edges for some softness,” Charli says. The ribbed glass water bottle and coarse bowl are both satisfying to the touch, and the subtle plastered finish of the coffee table adds an elegant layer of interest.