Creative ways to get the most out of your small space

It can be difficult to maximize the potential of a small room, but here are a few creative ways to get the most out of the space you have:

Use vertical shelving instead of horizontal shelving. You can use more wall space and take up less floor space.

Purchase furniture with extra storage options such as a desk with drawers or end tables with open shelving underneath. Furniture with storage space inside offers extra storage and is dual-purpose, giving you more function in less space.

Create multi-purpose areas. Can your dining room also function as your home office? Just make sure you have the proper storage so that you can hide your office supplies when using the dining room for meals.

Create attractive storage space. Purchase baskets to keep paperwork and knick- knacks organized. Mix decorative items with other items on shelves and in bookcases so they’re not only functional but also fit your design. Hang pretty accessories such as bags, scarves, or ties out in the open. They have a place to be stored, but stylish accessories can add to the decoration.

Instead of painting a whole room in a bold color or using busy patterned wallpaper, use one wall as an accent wall. This way you achieve the fun design you wanted without making the room look smaller and limited to one design.

Instead of using floor lamps or table lamps, hang lights from the walls and use sconce shades. This unique look provides lighting without taking up floor or tabletop space.

At Furnish 123, we understand small-space design. We have a great selection of affordable furniture, including apartment furniture and furniture for college. We know how to combine big style with small-space living. Come see us at one of our furniture stores in San Antonio, Texas. Or check us out on the web where you can “Create Your Own Space.”  You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter. We hope to see you soon!

Dining room on a dime

Furnishing or updating a room doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg. Here are a few tips for decorating on a budget in the dining room:

Don’t buy a new dining set all at once; incorporate older pieces with new ones. If you need a new table, look for one that will go with your original chairs. You can also paint your chairs or table to match the new furniture.

The quickest and most inexpensive way to make a big change to a room is to paint it. Keep in mind that a color will look darker painted on a large space than it does on a paint sample, so pick two shades lighter than the sample color you like. If you’re decorating a small dining room, painting it a lighter color will make it appear larger.

It’s easy to create inexpensive and creative centerpieces for your dining room. You can also use a traditional set-up including candles or flowers, or you can also create your own unique style. It’s easy and inexpensive to switch-out your centerpiece with the seasons by adding a bowl of pine cones in the winter or a pumpkin in the fall. It will make an immediate change without a lot of effort or money.

It’s important to make sure you take good care of the furniture in your dining room so that you can retain your pieces as long as possible and save the money that it would cost to replace everything.

At Furnish 123 in San Antonio, we make decorating a dining room on a dime easy with our selection of affordable dining room furniture. Customer satisfaction is our top priority and our staff would love to help you with more affordable design ideas. Come check us out. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter. We hope to see you soon!

Family-centered living room

If you decide you want to make your living room the main hang-out area for your family, you need to create a family-centered design. This means the design needs to be appealing and functional for the whole family.

What main activity will your family be doing in the living room? Will it be game night at the coffee table or watching your favorite show together on a Sunday evening? Arrange your furniture in the way that will be most functional for what you plan to do the majority of time in the living room. If it’s game night, make sure you have enough seating to go around the coffee table. If it’s a movie or show, make sure you have enough chairs set up facing the television.

Seating is important for your living room because you want to have ample seating for the entire family. Try to make all the seating equally comfortable. If each choice is inviting and comfortable, you won’t have kids fighting over who gets to sit on the cozy couch.

Family-centered living rooms need furniture that’s protected from kids and animals. Leather couches are highly stain-resistant but can be scratched easily. Fabric sofas with dark patterns make it easier to hide stains, but they will also show signs of wear and tear much earlier than leather furniture. Decide what’s best for your family and what will fit your design.

Make your living room inviting and cozy so your family will want to spend time there. Use soft, fluffy couch pillows and hang a throw over the back of a chair. Warm colors are more alluring and relaxing. A family-centered living room should offer a casual feel; you don’t want it to feel too frilly or stiff.

At Furnish 123, we have a great selection of affordable living room furniture. At our San Antonio furniture store we understand decorating on a budget, which is why we provide some of the most affordable furniture in the area. Come and see us today! You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter.

Finding the home accessories that match your style

Home accessories take your design as a whole and tie it together. Without accessories, your home will just be rooms filled with furniture. In order to accomplish a style, you will need more than just a couch and a coffee table. You will need to make sure your accessories match your style to get the look you want.

Have you defined your style yet? Look at your other pieces. Are they traditional, or more contemporary with straight lines and neutral colors? With a contemporary style, you can use geometric accessories such as a unique candleholder or a funky piece of art. With a traditional design, opt for more conservative art.

If you have rustic furniture, your accessories should exhibit elements of nature and natural colors including browns, greens, and oranges. Go for natural wood on your end tables and coffee tables. Country prints such as plaids and quilts make attractive accessories.

Look for accessories that complement each other and remind you of other aspects of your design. If something looks out of place, then it is out of place. It’s all about having a cohesive look and not letting your design clash.

Be sure to choose home accents and accessories you like. They must match your style. Your accessories also need to match the scale of the space you’re decorating. Large accessories with small-scale furniture would look awkward and off-balance, and the purpose of your accessories is to create balance.

At Furnish 123, we have a great variety of affordable home accents and accessories. Customer satisfaction is our top priority and our staff is here to help you with any affordable design ideas and selection of affordable furniture for your home. Come visit us at one of our furniture stores in San Antonio. We hope to see you soon!

You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter.

First time furniture purchases

When starting from scratch, it’s important to know that some pieces of furniture are more necessary and basic than others. Buying furniture in the right order will make pulling your design together much easier. Here is a helpful list of what to buy and in what order:

Bed. Technically you need to buy a mattress before anything else, so that you will have a place to sleep even if you have nothing else furnished in your home. You will eventually need something to put that mattress on as well, so make sure you find a great bed frame early in your furniture shopping.

Dining table. After you have a place to sleep, you’ll need a place to eat. It’s important to choose a dining room table that’s the right size for function and space. When decorating a small space, a round table is a great option because it takes up less room. However, make sure you have enough table space for the number of people who need to use it.

Seating. It’s important to have a place to sit, not only at your dining table, but also in other parts of your home. Make sure that you select dining room chairs that match the style of your table. A couch is a big purchase and should be thoughtfully considered. It’s one of the main pieces in your home and should represent your personal style.

Storage. Next on your list are furniture pieces that function as storage, such as a dresser in the bedroom and a media stand in the living room. Start with the most basic things, and think about extra storage like shelving and bookshelves later.

Lighting. Your home will need more than just any existing overhead lighting. Invest in lamps because they not only add more light, but they also give off a warm glow and are more flattering than overhead lighting.

Accessories. Once you have all your basics set up, start tying all of your main pieces of furniture together with home accents such as coffee tables and end tables. Then start decorating with purely aesthetic items such as artwork and mirrors.

At Furnish 123, we can help you find affordable furniture for everything on this list. We have a great selection of everything from furniture for college to apartment furniture and more. Come check us out at our furniture store in San Antonio. We hope to see you soon!

You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter.

Getting your house season ready

It isn’t necessary to completely change your design with the change of seasons, but there are a few home decorating ideas you can follow to make your house season-ready.

Winter: Don’t let your house feel like a freezer when it gets cold outside! Make use of your fireplace, if you have one, and add warm and cozy elements around your home. Hang some warm throws over the back of the couch or chair. Hang heavier drapes to help keep the heat inside and the cold outside. Instead of filling vases with bright summer or spring flowers, fill them with natural elements that represent winter, such as pine cones. Fill your home with the scents of the season like cinnamon or pine.

Spring: The weather is warming up and the greenery and flowers are popping up everywhere. It’s time to take down your holiday decorations and put the heavy fabrics away. Add breezy, lightweight elements such as sheer curtains. Bring the outdoors in and fill your home with the sights and smells of spring blossoms. Brighten your home with natural lighting.

Summer: Make your space feel cooler by putting away your dark accessories and replacing them with light-colored baskets and white candles. You could even put a light-colored slipcover over your couch or add linen elements to your design. If you have an area rug, put it away for the summer. The bare floor will feel lighter and make the room feel cooler.

Fall: The leaves are changing colors, and so should your accessories. Add elements that have the same warm colors as the outdoors. The fall accentuates nature and so should your home.  Start adding heavier fabrics and dark colors. Add some Indian corn to your dining room centerpiece, and place pumpkins at your doorstep to represent the season and its holidays.

Let your design represent how you want to feel, whether that’s laid-back and cool in the summer, or cozy and warm in the winter. Your home should feel inviting and comfortable during every season.

At Furnish 123, we have a great selection of affordable furniture and home accents for every season. Come see us at one of our furniture stores in San Antonio or find us on Facebook and Twitter.

How to decide what you need for your dorm room

Moving into a dorm is a big step, so knowing in advance what you need relieves some of the stress of moving away from home.

Look on your dorm hall’s website. It should provide a list of the furniture and items provided in your room. If not, then look at the pictures to see what pieces seem to be consistent in all the rooms. Most dorms usually provide a desk, bed frame, mattress, and dresser. Once you figure out what’s provided, you can move on to what else you need.

Even though you probably have a mattress, it may not be a good one. Look into getting a cozy mattress top so you have a comfortable place to sleep. You will also need to bring your own bedding, so decide what size sheets you need and what style you prefer.

If you’re going to share your room, be sure to talk to your roommate before move-in day. You can decide who brings what when it comes to shared items. Items that are usually divided between roommates include a fridge, microwave, area rug, curtains, coffee machine, TV, and DVD player. Make sure that you communicate so that you don’t leave something out or take up space with unnecessary duplicates.

Some dorms will provide a desk chair, but if yours doesn’t, you’ll definitely need a place to sit for those long hours pounding away at your laptop. But this is your dorm room, not a CEO’s office, so keep it youthful and find a chair that’s damage resistant, comfortable, and fun!

Don’t forget smaller items, such as a trash can and a laundry hamper. You’ll also need plenty of storage because your closet and dresser are likely to be small.

If you decide to loft your bed, bring a futon to place under it. A futon gives you more seating for reading or watching TV as well as a place for overnight guests to crash.

At Furnish 123, we have a great selection of dorm furniture. We understand college students are decorating on a budget, which is why we offer some of the most affordable furniture for college. Come and see us at our San Antonio furniture store. You can also check us out on Facebook and Twitter.