Even the most seasoned of hosts can experience heart flutters when several holidays seem to merge into one extended party.  It’s the time of year where we not only welcome family and friends; we also have the consideration of the many traditions attached to our gatherings.  Adding in for the possibility of overnight guests . . . well, those flutters might turn into full-fledged palpitations!   I’ll share some of my key ingredients for creating a delicious dining room experience for you and your guests.

Layers of texture and candlelight warm the center of my holiday dining table. One of my go-to sources for table settings is “A Passion for Flowers” by Carolyne Roehm

Whether this is your first event or you have the makings of a celebrity event planner, it’s always a great idea to have a checklist of ‘go-to’ sources [...]

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Tags: budget decorating, design ideas, design trends, dining room collections, dining room furniture, holiday decorating, interior design, kitchen dining furniture

Living a relatively short distance from some of the most beautiful shorelines in the U.S. comes with the advantage of sources for constant design inspiration.  One of my favorite nearby destinations is Kiawah Island, S.C.  The beaches are never overly crowded and the close proximity to historic Charleston offers a bonus side trip.  When my husband and I drive over the little bridge to the island I can feel the layers of the world peel away.  It would be so wonderful to capture that moment in a bottle!

Sanctuary Dune & Beach Cocktail Table

While recently viewing some of the beautiful pieces in Hooker Furniture’s Sanctuary Collection , I became whisked back to those moments in time, after spying their Dune and Beach table.  The finishing reminds me of the drifts of sand and the sea oats swaying in the [...]

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Tags: accent furniture, accents, budget decorating, decorative accessories, design ideas, design trends, furniture design, stay-cation

Often referred to as the “heart of the home,” the kitchen is the hub of everyday activity, and increasingly the place where we entertain on special occasions. Since this is the prime season for special occasions like graduation and wedding parties, is your kitchen ready to receive guests?

Let’s look at how to reinvent your space from functional to fabulous!

In some of today’s finest eateries, the kitchens have been deliberately designed to be revealed to the dining area.  It brings to the patrons a richer entertainment experience.  They can see signature dshes being prepared and perhaps even interact with the chefs.

Waverly Place Chairs by Hooker Furniture – Interior Design by Wanda S. Horton – Photography by Whitney Gray

In our own homes, the idea of entertaining in the kitchen can sometimes be overlooked.  Fortunately, with the wide choices [...]

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Tags: affordable furniture, budget decorating, design ideas, design trends, dining room collections, dining room furniture, furniture design, gaming furniture, holiday decorating, interior design, kitchen dining furniture

As a college student, it is a daunting task to think of getting a place of my own and having furniture and decorative accessories to fill it. Over the past several months, some very wise people in my life have stressed the importance of being patient with purchasing furniture for my future home. They have recommended that I spend time “shopping” instead of “buying.” I believe that accessories and furniture in your home should be meaningful and should be something you love. I think we often get caught up in the capitalist society that we live in that makes us want items instantaneously, and we forget about the personalization of our homes.

I want my home to be comfortable and feel like me. I hope each of you can create an escape within your home that makes you feel like you are [...]

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Tags: accent furniture, accents, budget decorating, design ideas, design trends, Hooker Furniture, interior design

Any long-term relationship needs nurturing to keep the love alive. The same is true for the relationship you have with your home. Because our homes say something about our individual personalities, it’s only natural to make some changes every once in a while to express ourselves! Here are a few ideas to help you fall in love with your home again:

Ava Accent Chair

• Your story in pictures. Most people have some photographs of family or friends on display, but the way you display them can give them more prominence and personality to your space. Collect several generations of family photos, and mix them together in different frame sizes and styles. Consider enlarging some of your best photos to create even more interesting dimensions in your collection. Try using only black and white or color-tinted images to create one unified “gallery” on a [...]

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Tags: budget decorating, design ideas, interior design

Let’s face it – sometimes we get a little tired of looking at the same things day in and day out. But falling in love with your home again doesn’t mean you need to start from scratch! Here are a few furniture & decorating ideas to rekindle the love:

New linens. Whether it’s a new quilt draped over the end of a bed or sofa or some new hand towels for the bathroom, new linens can quickly make a room feel fresh and new again. You can find a set of new hand towels or colorful blanket for under $20, and a complete set of incredibly fine bed sheets for under $75. A well-placed throw also can serve to pull together the colors in your room.

Clean up the clutter. Perhaps the cheapest way to love your home again [...]

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Tags: budget decorating, design ideas, interior design, storage furniture

As the Chinese philosophy of yin and yang suggests, opposites not only attract—they make the world far more interesting. The same can be said of our “personal worlds” that are most intimate to us – our homes. Your room can come alive in a whole new way when you contrast design elements in your furniture pieces, decorative accessories and color combinations.

The juxtaposition of contemporary and traditional, modern and rustic, elegant and casual, industrial and luxurious and country and urban is an emerging design trend for 2011, according to our friends at Design NJ magazine in their January issue.

Contemporary is getting more traditional and traditional is getting more contemporary. “We are seeing traditional silhouettes re-created or mixed with contemporary motifs,” says Paul Watson, ASID, spokesperson for the Las Vegas Design Center. Hooker Furniture’s newest collection introduction, Trilogy, embodies the same idea but [...]

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Tags: budget decorating, design ideas, design trends, furniture design, interior design

As a magazine editor, I have trimmed many a Christmas tree. However, the ones I hold in my heart are the ones from my childhood and the ones from our home over the years.  We have gathered Christmas decorations through the seasons of life, beginning with tiny china angels from my husband’s Iowa childhood.

Of course, there are the framed photographs that really add to the heritage of the tree. Especially delightful are the childhood portraits of parents, as well as photographs of our son’s first Christmas and the stuffed Santa from that Christmas past. Such mementos, like the collection of toy soldiers that began for our son when he was a toddler, make my tree very personal. You can, of course, do the very same thing to create a heritage tree. Beyond the bows and glass balls are the [...]

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Tags: budget decorating, design ideas, design trends, holiday decorating, interior design

The sight of rich red and green colors alone can get us in the holiday spirit! Silver and gold are a great holiday color combo too… reflecting the glamour and pageantry of this special season.

But if you’re in the mood for something less expected, consider these trend-forward holiday hues:

Plum & Gold

There’s just something about this glamorous duo that makes it a natural for the holidays. From the purple family, plum is hitting its stride in fashion and expected to be popular for home accents in 2011. Besides gold, plum looks magical paired with colors such as amethyst and purple reds. Harsher color contrasts spoil its subtle beauty.

HOLIDAY DECORATING IDEAS:

place sprigs of red holly branches around the base of a plum-colored pillar candle
tie a gold ribbon around plum-colored cloth napkins
gather plum, burgundy and amethyst-colored balls in a [...]

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Tags: budget decorating, design ideas, design trends, holiday decorating, interior design

[Editor’s note: Designer Anne Smith makes accents, wreath and floral arrangements from her home studio near Cincinnati through her Everything Floral business. Here, she gives step by step instructions for creating your own wreath]

Ornaments are a hot Christmas design item this year- they’re showing up in all kinds of holiday décor. You’ll find them tucked into gorgeous centerpieces, filling up glass vases, even hanging from mantels with tiny chains. Stores are stacked with ornaments of all sizes and colors. You can pick from hand-blown, old world, modern, shiny or matte, sophisticated or juvenile, vintage, beaded or sparkly – the sky’s the limit when it comes to ornament design.

Here’s a fabulous way to display those wallflower ornaments. Design and create a unique ornament wreath for yourself with just a few materials. And what a super gift this would [...]

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Tags: budget decorating, craft furniture, design ideas, design trends, holiday decorating, interior design