The bedroom is perhaps the most important room in the house, yet it often gets overlooked while you focus on the common areas of the home. It's time to put your beauty sleep first. Follow these simple steps to transform it into a luxurious retreat and recharge in the lap of luxury every night. 

1. Clear The Clutter

A messy room will never feel luxurious, so start by giving everything a place. Get creative with storage solutions, add shelving to your closet, and utilize the space under your bed to keep everything neat and tucked away. Use pretty trays to keep small belongings, such as jewelry and perfume, organized. 

2. Style The Bed

Every luxurious bedroom has a well-styled bed. Make it beautiful and inviting. A velvet tufted headboard is a lovely focal point that is also perfect for resting against. Invest in quality sheets, layer throws on blankets, and have a combination of pillows in varying patterns, sizes, and textures to complete the look.

3. Lighting

A variety of lighting is essential for the proper ambiance. Hang a statement light fixture for a stunning centerpiece, add bedside lamps or a pair of sconces for a decorative yet focused light, and finish it off with a row of soft flickering candles to enhance any mood. Use light bulbs that emit a soft glow and install a dimmer switch to truly control the brightness and your needs.

4. Create A Sitting Area

A sitting area exudes elegance. Depending on your space and lifestyle this can look very different. Try a long bench over a fluffy rug at the end of your bed, a club chair nestled in the corner with a small accent table for coffee and a book, or a pair of settees with an occasional table for an elaborate and defined space.

5. Floor-To-Ceiling Curtains

The right curtains will take your room from drab to fab. They should be hung high and wide. If the room has tall ceilings this is a great way to accentuate the height, and if the room has low ceilings this will draw the eye up creating the illusion of height. Either way, the room is given a feature making it feel polished and grand.

6. Fresh-Cut Flowers

The cherry on top of your luxurious bedroom— fresh cut flowers. Nothing beats the energy that greenery brings to a space and fresh-cut flowers have an allure that emits romance. Placed thoughtfully next to the bed or in the sitting area, you will have an instant mood booster. Pick a variety with a soft scent in a complementary color so you can enjoy their beauty from near and far. 

Small but intentional changes can make a big impact on the overall feel of your bedroom. Use these simple ideas to make your bedroom feel luxurious. You deserve it!

Texture is an important element of interior design that can help shift the mood of any space. Your living room can especially benefit from the addition of a few unexpected textures. From lightweight, airy textures (linen or cotton) to earthy and rustic textures (raw wood), there's something to fit every taste. 

That might seem overwhelming, but don't fret if you're at a loss for where to begin– we've covered the bases with a few suggestions to get you started. 

Blankets Are Not Just for Fall 

It's starting to heat up across the U.S., but that's no reason to forgo a blanket! Blasting the air conditioner indoors gets chilly, so be prepared with a swiss fox faux fur chevron throw. It's an effortless and cruelty-free way to add texture and a subtle pattern to your living room without overthinking it. 

Add Some Greenery to the Scenery

It's no secret that house plants can revitalize a room, but the right plants can also add an interesting texture to the mix. 

If your green thumb isn't particularly strong, try raising a snake plant– they add visual interest with minimal effort on your part, regardless of your gardening abilities. To add more visual interest, try adding a terra cotta planter to the mix.

Variety is the Spice of Life

Once you find a texture you love, it's tempting to go overboard and fill your space with that same texture repeatedly. However, resist the urge! There's plenty of textures to choose from, and they'll all help your unique space stand out in the best way possible. 

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At the end of the day, it's important to keep an open mind when it comes to textures in your living room (or any room, for that matter). Let your creativity be your guide– we'll always be here to help if you're stuck!

Taking into account how children will use the space is the key to designing an interactive and engaging kids play space. The next step is to create a zone for each function. Most play spaces have a zone for active play, creative expression, relaxation, and storage. These design ideas are meant to make each zone functional and fun. These tips maximize the use of vertical space to fit as opportunities to engage as possible.

Active Play Zone

1. A physical play area encourages movement with a climbing wall,  an indoor swing, or a ladder that hangs from the ceiling.

2. Falls happen. Soft flooring options like carpeting or gel floor tiles cushion falls.

3. Adding a sensory board to the wall gives children another way to engage.

4. Remember to leave empty space for floor play.

Creative Expression Zone

6. Since many little ones enjoy writing on walls,  a wall covered in chalkboard wallpaper gives them a guilt-free place to do it.

7. A magnetic board can grow with the children. As the kids get older, the number and letter magnets can be swapped out for word magnets.

8. It's helpful to have a table in this area for arts and crafts. A table that has a storage compartment for art supplies is ideal. An alternative is having a dedicated basket to store art supplies.

Relaxation Zone

9. For children who read while relaxing, a bench topped with a cushion works well.

10. Installing a tent, fort, or castle is great for little ones who enjoy relaxing in their own secret hideaway.

Storage Zone

11. Toys can go in baskets that are kept in the hollow space under a bench. For safety, the hollow space should open from the front instead of the top.

12. An attractive wicker hamper can store toys that are too large to fit in a basket on a shelf.

Life is getting stressful for those juggling full-time work and parenting under the same roof. Adjusting to working from home while homeschooling requires modifying habits and routines. If this is your new normal, your home space needs updates for these new roles. Some simple tweaks will streamline your space when you don't have a dedicated home office.  

Set Boundaries

To be productive with kids around, parents need to set boundaries in space, behavior, and time. If your home has an open floor plan, create zones for different tasks. Set ground rules on the kinds of activities and levels of noise that are appropriate at certain times.

A large dining table will likely be your new work/school hub. Assign each person their own section and give yourself a nice view out a window if possible.

Examine Your Lighting

Hopefully, your home is already centered around a good lightscape. Keeping lights softer and more yellow will help create a relaxed ambiance. Be sure to layer enough lighting that you don't find yourself dozing though. 

Declutter

Taking a few minutes to organize the main living spaces will boost your productivity and clear mental space as well. Give everything a place that is easy for everyone to keep up with. Rolling carts make for great family command centers. Each person can have their own tier to organize work and school supplies.

Embrace Mood Music

Use smart home devices like Amazon Echo or Google Home to play music throughout the day. Music is an amazing way to set or adjust the mood in a room. Try something soothing when nerves are on edge or an energetic playlist when you need a pick-me-up.

Think Fresh & Green

Fresh plants and flowers have a magical calming quality. Send your kids outside for a garden scavenger hunt. Some colorful clippings in a simple case will brighten everyone's day.

Scent Power

It's called aromatherapy for a reason. Different scents can do wonders for creating a cozy and efficient space. Lean into the hygge movement with glowing candles or wax warmers.

Diffusing essential oils go beyond a pleasant smell with actual health benefits. Lavender is calming while peppermint invigorates. Sweet orange is great for both mood improvement and an energy boost and all three are safe around kids over 5.

Get Better Sleep

To function at optimum capacity from home, get good sleep. Maintain your sleep schedule and bedtime routines even if you don't have to be up at a certain time. Consider that the time you used to spend getting ready or commuting can be a decent quiet time to get started with work.

Let your bedrooms remain work-free zones. Use a humidifier to balance the moisture in the air for better breathing while you sleep. Now is also a great time to invest in quality cotton sheets that will complete the oasis feel of your bed.  

While millions of families are adjusting to spending long days together at home, make the best of your situation and space.  

Tuscan Kale Salad

With quinoa & butternut squash

Lately, I have been obsessed with Kale salad, I started maxing different variations and versions of it using different vegetables, nuts, grains and dressing(s). To my surprise there is a number of different types of Kale the most popular served at restaurants are Lacinto & Curly kale. This particular kale salad I used lacinto, you could also use the curly kale either one will work. The key and the secret of an amazing kale salad is the “massage technique” if you do not massage your kale it will be rough to eat. Believe it or not Kale used to be the leafy decor item used in salad bars and or buffets these leafy green vegetables served as the decoration outside the salad bowls, now they have made their way into our salad bowls.

Types of Kale

Russian Kale . Lacinto Kale. Curly Kale.

The Technique in “Kale massage”

Massaging the Kale

Let’s start with removing the stems. I mean throw them away. The stems in kale are fibrous and tough. We don’t want that in our salad.

Now, apply the massage technique.

Add a of pinch of salt and squeeze some lemon juice a splash of olive oil to the leaves and then start crunching them between your hands. The key is not to over-massage. Mushy kale is much worse than tough kale. Over-massaged kale loses it’s crispy texture we love so much. Rub the kale leaves together between your fingers, until they just start to wilt. The way to tell if you’ve hit the right point, as it is with most things, is to taste. Massage the leaves to the point where they feel more crispy than rubbery.

• Ingredients

  • BUTTERNUT SQUASH:

  • 3 cups cubed butternut squash

  • olive oil

  • salt and pepper

  • QUINOA:

  • 1 cup quinoa

  • 2 cups vegetable broth

  • SALAD:

  • 1 large bunch of curly or lacinto kale leaves (chopped & massaged)

  • 1 cup pomegranate arils

  • ½ cup pepitas

  • DRESSING

  • ¼ cup orange juice

  • 2 tsp dijon mustard

  • 2 cloves of chopped/smushed garlic

  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons agave syrup

  • 3 tablespoons oil

  • salt and pepper

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Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and place the cubed butternut squash on a baking sheet. Drizzle the squash with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast the butternut squash for about 30 minutes until fork tender, flipping the cubes over half way through. Remove from the oven when cooked and set aside.

2. While the butternut squash roasts cook the the quinoa by placing 1 cup of quinoa and 2 cups of vegetable broth in a medium sized sauce pan. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to a low and simmer until quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat, still covered, and let the quinoa sit for 5 minutes. Then fluff the quinoa with a fork and let cool.

3. While the butternut squash roasts in the oven and the quinoa simmers, prepare the salad and dressing. Place the chopped kale into a large bowl, drizzle on 1 tablespoon olive oil, and massage the kale* with your hands until it softens.

4. Pour all of the dressing ingredients into a small jar and mix.

5. To assemble the salad, pour ½ of the dressing onto the quinoa and stir well. Add in the chopped and massaged kale leaves , pepitas, butternut sqaush stir gently to combine.

6. Serve with another drizzle of dressing.

Notes

*For added sweetness add some yellow raisins

*For added saltiness and a punch of flavor enhancement add some Parmesan cheese shavings.

Enjoy!