With Memorial Day quickly approaching, now’s the time to reinvent your strategy for outdoor entertaining. Images of fancy table settings and elaborately themed décor can be seductive, so remember, not every event calls for such detailed planning. Rather, define an easy game plan that can be tweaked and applied as needed from brunch to barbeques to birthdays. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Keep a cache of containers on hand

As with interior design, the key to stylish entertaining is organization. So, invest in a collection of versatile containers that can be used in any setting. Include varying sizes to accommodate everything from ice to cutlery to flowers to food. For example, I have an assortment of glass vases that I use to display flowers, candles, candy… whatever the occasion calls for! Mason jars are especially multifunctional. They can be easily dressed up or down with ribbon or craft paper.

Use ready-made labels, tags, and place cards

Not only do labels and place cards convey information (i.e., menu items, specialty drinks, seating arrangements, etc.), they also provide an easy opportunity to add a decorative touch. Use printer-friendly labels for a professional finish or handwriting to keep it casual. Stationery and office supply stores offer a range of fuss-free products, but if you’re feeling crafty, try downloadable templates like this "Bon Appetit" cutlery tag.

Make the most of supermarket flowers

Expensive flowers are beautiful but not always necessary. Sometimes a quick trip to your local grocer is all you need! Most experts recommend buying one type of flower or separating mixed bouquets by type or color. When creating arrangements, turn to your collection of containers for quick party décor.

In short, entertaining should be enjoyable! Look for simple ways to add impact, not anxiety, and ensure your level of effort is appropriate for the occasion.

What are your go-to tips for stress-free entertaining?

The first thing I do as a designer when I start working with a new client is help them decide on a furniture arrangement or “space plan.” It informs the rest of the project and provides a clear plan in terms of what the flow of the room will be, how many pieces of furniture, and what size. There are two basic approaches to space planning your room; you can lean toward a more symmetrical furniture arrangement or an asymmetrical one. Here’s my quick guide for determining when and who is suited for either of these options.

When to Use Symmetrical Furniture Arrangements

Try a symmetrical arrangement if:

• You have a focal point centered in the room such as a fireplace, French doors, or built-in unit. • You are a more logical and like order and structure. • You don’t want to put a lot of thought into your furniture arrangement but still want balance. • You are seeking a more serious aesthetic.

Other things to remember about symmetrical arrangements are that they can be quicker to decide upon and achieve because you are employing the same furniture pieces as a mirror image of each other. This cuts down on shopping time and the number of decisions to make. However, I have found that symmetrical arrangements don’t fit in every space and sometimes look a little better when the furniture is floating in the room rather than up against the wall.

When to Use Asymmetrical Furniture Arrangements

Try an asymmetrical arrangement if:

• You thrive in organized chaos. • You love spending time arranging furniture to find unique ways of achieving balance. • You are seeking a more playful space. • You are creating a more casual setting.

Some great things about asymmetrical arrangements is that they leave room for one of a kind accent pieces such as funky side tables or a modern accent chair in a traditional space and vice versa. You can also employ a “design and collect as you go” approach if you’re someone who doesn’t like things too planned out.

There are always exceptions to every design rule

There will always be exceptions to this guide and of course other factors will also help determine the final personality of your space such as furniture style, fabric, and architectural details, but there will always be a connecting thread among rooms that employ either a symmetrical or asymmetrical furniture layout, so use this little guide if you’re stuck on which direction to take your next decorating project.

Which arrangement suits you the best? Comment below and let us know!

There are basic staples that you need in every space to make it feel collected and not like you bought everything in a ten-piece living room group for $1299 at your local Furniture R Us. My list includes something wood, something painted, something metallic, something fabric. But lately on my Pincapades I have noticed another something. Something industrial.

Finding cool industrial furniture goes beyond spending loads of money. One of my favorite secrets for finding industrial pieces is to watch the yard sale classifieds for “Man Sales” advertised for tools and shop stuff. They will look at you like you have six heads when you tell them you are putting their huge greasy metal shelf in your daughter’s room but just roll with it. (psst. That is exactly what I did in Dylan’s room.)

Another way to get a funky industrial vibe is to build your own furniture out of conduit pipe. There are two types of conduit. Plumbing and Electrical. Typically plumbing is more expensive per foot because it has to be treated to be safe for drinking water to run through, and unless you like spending extra money for no reason, or are planning on disassembling your table legs to use as straws when you have company over, you are probably good to just go with the electrical.

You can buy conduit at your local hardware store and I know that Lowes and Home Depot can cut and thread your pipes to the exact specifications that you need.

So without further adieu, here are three of my favorite pipe projects with links to the tutorial, so you can DIY your heart out!

Image: Pipe Desk by Cafe Cartolina

DIY project: Conduit Pipe Table by Vintage Revivals

What other ways have you used conduit pipe in your home?

Sofa shopping can be a painful experience. I know this firsthand. Finding a sofa with the right combination of comfort, price, size, style, fabric selection, and durability isn’t easy. Since moving back to America a few months ago, we’ve been searching for just the right look for our new place. Our last apartment in Copenhagen, which was very small, didn’t provide us many options. We needed something that could be taken apart and transported through the nooks and crannies of our old home. This time around, with a larger home, we have had a more difficult time finding a sofa and complimentary loveseat to fill the space.

What I realize is that when selecting the perfect sofa for your home, it’s important to remember that the sofa should fit your personality and your lifestyle.

As a result, I have divided the search for a sofa into a two categories: sofas with personality and sofas for practicality.

1. Statement sofas: Patterns and Colors

Statement sofas can have two categories: patterned and colored. When selecting the right pattern for you and your space, think about the scale of the pattern, the colors, and the durability. Oftentimes, patterns are printed on a finer fabric. These fabrics are not meant to last too long. Patterned sofas are used on sofas with very little fuss. Meaning, they are not tufted and don’t have a lot of pillows to keep the design focus on the pattern. This type of sofa is meant for someone who is not afraid to stand out.

Colored sofas are a bold statement, especially if upholstered in a fun color. The colors you see here are the focal points in each room. If selecting a fun color for your sofa, you’ll want to complete the room with objects that are not as busy. A bright colorful couch says, “fun, sit on me!” and is ideal for the social lite who loves guests.

2. Practical sofas

Practical sofas come in many forms to cater to different lifestyles. These sofas are built to fit budgets, be durable, space saving, comfortable, and/or kid friendly.

The vintage Danish sofa below is the perfect style for the mid-century room, but it’s also a very durable fabric and perfect for hiding stains.

The Barcelona seating in the photo, top right, works well for a room attempting to maximize space.

The Swedish Gustavian sofa with the black and white upholstery is ideal for families with kids because it has durable wood frames. Plus, if the fabric wears out, you can simply replace the cushions or reupholster. Lastly, the white sofa is perfect for all seasons. It’s the right sofa for anyone who wants low maintenance with it’s classic design that only requires finishing off with fun throw pillows.

What are your favorite sofa choices?

The history of interior design teaches us that furniture styles were not generally mixed together as a cohesive design. Take the Victorian era. In a Victorian room, Victorian furniture was used along with Victorian curtains, Victorian accessories, you get the idea. It’s not until relatively recently, I’d say even the last 15 years, that the “eclectic style”, the formal meaning of the word as not sticking to one designated style, has come to be common. Desirable even. That said, I think it’s pretty tricky to create a room with furniture of various styles and eras effectively. Oftentimes, it can come out looking like a hodge podge of garage sale finds. When it’s done right, it can be super beautiful. There are three ways to make it work.

1. Use furniture in pairs. The top image is a wonderful example of this. It shows the wonderful Barcelona chairs coupled with some French chairs, and then held together with a sleek minimalist coffee table. Oftentimes, I find that the eclectic look is the default style because no other similar furniture was found but that one piece. This is fine (and we’ll see why) in some cases, but sometimes it just looks unbalanced and accidental. When placed in pairs, it looks like it’s done on purposed and feels balanced.
2. Have at least two of the same style in the room. Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean two of the same item, just AT LEAST two of the same style. For example, the first image we discussed is balanced with the French armchairs with the equally ornate metallic goblets sitting on the minimalist table. Another great example is the two yellow 60s chairs in the Moroccan tiled courtyard. It could seem out of place to have such modernist chairs in the space, but it is balanced with the equally modernist table peeking out from the tablecloth. Lastly, the ornate chandelier in the bottom left picture is balanced out with the ornate fireplace frame and contrasted with the more rustic farmhouse table and chairs.
Images: (Top Left) Ministry of Deco, (Top Right) Out and About Africa, (Bottom Left and Right) Coffee Rings and Other Things
3. Place the common furniture styles evenly throughout the space. Now, that we know to have at least two of the same styled furniture throughout to create a balanced space, we need to focus on the placement of the items. Pieces can have many successful configurations like a triangle pattern or each piece hitting a different wall. One of my favorite configurations starts on the wall while the next one hits the middle height, and lastly something to accent the floor like a rug. One of my favorite examples is this robin’s egg blue bedroom below. The bed frame is modern while the settee is a 18th century France, but it’s held together by color as well as the balance of the wardrobe on the left of the bed with the equally ornate lighting fixtures on either side of the bed frame.

Are you a stickler for style or do you like?

When it comes to injecting personal style into your home, I tend to favor choosing items that reflect who you are and how you look at life. For projecting a sense of relaxed confidence, there’s nothing better than adding mid-century modern pieces into your existing mix. Here are a few ideas on how to do just that.

Go Big

One way to employ mid-century style is to dive right into the deep end and bring in a few iconic furnishings, like the Eames-designed sofa and lounge chair / ottoman set shown here. Sweep everything else away, adds a couple of strategically selected accessories, and you’re done. There’s a real statement being made when a room is based solely on a look like this.

Just One

If throwing your whole budget at new items for your space is a bit too much to take on, but you want to really commit nonetheless, choose just one key addition. Something like the classic mid-century “PH Artichoke Lamp” can be the key starting place for a style overhaul. It’s the kind of thing that when added to any space says, while you’re clearly worldly, you’re also a little wild.

Start Slow

And if you just want to wade in ankle-deep to see if the mid-century modern style is really for you, just find an accessory that speaks to you and start there. There are plenty to select from, like this Nelson Asterisk Clock or the Eames Hang It All, and typically require less of a commitment to making a style statement. The Hang It All was originally designed for kids, so you know it’s going to work in almost any space, being friendly while still looking great.

How have you brought Mid-century Modern style into your home?

I don’t know what is in the blogland water the last few weeks but it seems like everywhere I turn people are speculating about The New Chevron. What pattern is going to be next to take over every room in our house, every tape dispenser in the country, and every maxi skirt walking down the street?

Up First is the Polygon/Hexagon Movement

If I were the betting kind this is where I would put my money. I think that anything geometric is hot and people are excited about it. This wall is a project that I did in my daughter’s room.

Polka Dots

Triangles

I LOVE a good tribal triangle pattern (like this one that I did in my living room with a Sharpie!) but I don’t know if it has the ability to meld into a zillion different decorating styles the way chevron has.

Painterly

Now THIS is a fun trend that I am itching to try. I love thing that have that “No matter how hard you try to screw this up, you cant vibe.

The thing is I don’t know if anything will have the muscle to do it. I think that chevron will likely die a slow slow death and while other patterns will rise but never to the height of the master. The reason the chevron was so hugely embraced is because it is an easy pattern to recreate. It’s like catching lightning in a jar. The perfect storm. (You get where I am going with this right?)

Now I really want to know what pattern YOU are obsessed with right now? Leave your answer below!

When man set his sights on the final frontier during the mid-twentieth century, home décor soon followed suit. The launch of Sputnik in 1957 further fueled our fascination with all things celestial, which manifested itself in design from textiles to furniture and accessories. Two lighting styles from that era, the sputnik and starburst, are among my favorites. They work in many settings, adding a whimsical, and at times glamorous, touch.

Sputnik vs. Starburst. Which is which?

I’ve seen the terms used interchangeably or even jointly, as in a “sputnik starburst chandelier.” My personal design dictionary measures the number of arms as well as their material and design. A classic sputnik may be sparsely arranged and simply styled versus the tightly packed starburst with its ornate elements. Perhaps, I make the distinction unnecessarily but it can be helpful in describing variations.

What works where?

I often tell people to choose whatever speaks to them. If you love it, it works! But there are some general rules to consider when hanging chandeliers. First and foremost: scale. As with all lighting, the size (both width and height) should be appropriate for the space. Secondly, sputnik chandeliers tend to read more contemporary while starbursts work well in traditional or transitional settings. Of course, you can find many examples to the contrary. It’s all about personal style!

Examples please.

I have a proclivity towards glamour, so naturally, my favorite uses of the sputnik would showcase that aesthetic. Here are three examples of my favorite applications.

1. Shaun Jackson used an oversized starburst to complement her living room’s tall windows and ceilings.

2. Lauren Santo Domingo used a classic sputnik in the dining room of her Paris duplex.

3. This Melbourne apartment by David Hicks features a crystal sputnik.

This is merely the tip of the iceberg when comes to mid-century celestial lighting. Which variation do you prefer?

Though dogs probably do not care where they rest, their owners most likely do and it’s most likely in their own space. So why not make it attractive, right? Admittedly, I’ve never owned a dog. So, while I can’t speak from personal experience, I can speak (write) from my experience visiting friends with dogs. I can’t help but notice how the design of a doggy space often seems like an after thought. I find that the most attractive spaces for both humans and dogs merges their two aesthetics into one. Here are a few tips for designing for dog spaces.

1. Design for you, not the dog. Is this heartless? Perhaps. But I find that dogs don’t really care where they sleep. They’d probably be content curled under the sofa! Design a space that fits with your already existing aesthetic like the middle picture above, left. Here they used fabrics that already fit with their space.
2. That said, dogs naturally gravitate to something puffy and cozy. The top picture on the left shows the two white dogs cozying it up on a white sheepskin. Plain and simple. That’s all they need! And the best part is that you can move it around without it being too cumbersome.
3. There are two options for doggy spaces: away from human traffic and combined with human traffic. If the first, find a corner where you can place the bed or a separate room like the dog bed below, right. If the latter, place the dog bed in conjunction with a place where the owner will be sitting often to create an easier reach for petting, like the dog bed above, right.
4. If you have a bit more space and a bigger dog and don’t need to worry about stashing the bed away, find some beautiful products. Thankfully, well-designed dog products are becoming more and more common. Some of my favorites are below. Whether your taste is modern, traditional, whimsical, or simple, there is an option. It’s a matter of figuring out your priorities for the dog (front and center in the room, or far and out of sight) and selecting accordingly.

Do you like your dog front and center or out of the way in his own space?

Even though it’s been done many times before, today we’re creating a new spin on the whole “outfit as a room” concept. I have always thought that fashion and interiors were very closely related. I’m never surprised when I hear of an interior designer making their way into the fashion world or vice versa and I believe that’s because there are principles that apply when putting a successful fashion ensemble together just as there are to putting a successful room together. So today I want to generalize the “outfit to room” concept and take it down to the basics.

The Blazer of the Room

Paint color, wallpaper, or wall paneling is often the first thing you notice in a room because of its placement and size. Likewise, outerwear is inevitably the first thing you see in an outfit, so it better be good. If you want what’s underneath to stand out, you keep the jacket neutral or solid but complimentary to your outfit, just as with a paint color when you want the furnishings to make the big statement. On the contrary, when you want the jacket/walls to be the star of the show, you play it up with patterns and texture while letting the rest of the outfit or room take a back seat.

The Pants of the Room

The pants of a fashion ensemble are key. They’re the sturdy part of the outfit that needs to hold up to wear and tear with all of the sitting, standing, dancing, walking, and stretching that occurs on a daily basis. Our pants must be accommodating, but they also must be stylish. Pants are the upholstery of a room. It gets the most use and needs to be functional, durable, and comfortable. Upholstery pieces can be given a whole new look with new pillows and lighting, just as a pair of trousers can go from day to night and casual to dressy with a quick change of shoes and a little more make up.

The Blouse of the Room

The blouse of your outfit makes the biggest statement of all. It informs all of the other components as to what type of outfit this is going to be: fancy, bohemian, retro, sophisticated, playful, boring, functional, classic, and the same goes for drapery and window treatments. We can go casual and relaxed with sheer white cotton drapery panels with no pleating, or we can go much more serious and sophisticated with silk embroidered French pleat panels.

The Shoes of the Room

Shoes are the coffee table of the room. They anchor the space and the outfit. Just as a pair of shoes can make or break your ensemble, the same rings true for a coffee table. A table that is too small or too serious in an otherwise casual, comfy family room can ruin the whole space just as a pair of shoes can when you wore black flats when you should have gone with red heels.

The Accessories of the Room

Accessories in an outfit are equal to accessories in a room. This comparison might be a bit more obvious than the others, but fun to analyze. If you have more of an eclectic style and like to mix things up with a variety of necklaces, bracelets and cocktail rings, chances are you’re the same way with interiors. Accessories are the finishing touches in both fields of design. They add an extra layer and a little bit of personality that wouldn’t exist otherwise. Using a lot or a little entirely depends on you, but my guess is that those who like to stack up bangles on their wrist also love stacks of home décor on their side tables. Likewise, clean cut, modern dressers will probably find one or two simple accessories on a furniture surface sufficient.

Next time you’re stumped when putting together an outfit or a room, try comparing it to the other and see if that gets your creative juices flowing!

Can you think of any other outfit to room comparisons?! Comment below and let us know!