We all know the basics for a home, but we’ve created a list of items you should have to make your home designer worthy, complete & are fun to use/have! Our belief is that your home should have a story, each item with its own purpose (no matter how small the purpose might be!), and every room should be set and complete. Some items you find because you just HAD to have it, and that’s OK!! And other items have found you instead (does any one relate to this?). Get some pen and paper, because you will want to have these in your home!
1. A piece with HISTORY
It’s OK to combine your modern decor with that antique lamp your grandma left you! It has a story, a deeper meaning than design itself. Might be a particular china set, a small vase or that funky quilt she made when your parent was born… Flaunt it! Nothing says fun like a piece with narrative! You can update your pieces by adding modern colors or print to it.
2. A bar cart / bar area
You have your own home, this is not college anymore, right? So even if you are not the heavy drinker you once might have been, you need to have the basics at home! A bar cart is fun and makes a great decorative piece as well. Complete your bar area with everything it needs (see Martha Stewart’s version of a complete home bar) and DONE!
3. ART
Having art in your home will portray your sophisticated, cultured and good taste. Does NOT have to match your decor, art is art. Some people like it to match the decor, some people match the decor around their art and others just put up pieces that have meaning and a deeper connection with them, not taking into consideration anything else in your home, and that is all OK. Go to art openings, visit local artists, support them and get a fantastic piece that says you put effort in bringing this to your walls. If you do not have an idea of what you should put up, contact an Interior Designer or an Art Curator, they can help you!
4. Travel essentials
Who doesn’t LOVE to travel?! You have to have your basics for every travel occasion. Weekend with your significant other? WEEKENDER BAG. Your boss is sending you for a business trip tomorrow? NICE MATCHING SUITCASES. Nice CLEAN make-up/toiletries bag. Stock up, you are going to do a lot of traveling in your life!
5. FULL LENGTH mirror
This one you might already have, but if you don’t, how do you look at your WHOLE self when going out and presenting your professional self to the world?! Get one if you don’t have one. And if you have a guest room, make sure it has one as well! There is nothing worse than to be a guest in someone else’s home and not be able to see how you look before you walk out.
6. A nice coffee maker
This might be for all the coffee fanatics out there (like myself) or just for when you have guests over. Make sure you always have a nice quality coffee (just like that stocked up bar) and a coffee machine (maybe an espresso machine or french press). Your guests will appreciate it greatly (and maybe you too!).
7. AREA RUG
Rugs complete a look. Your floor may be really nice, your furniture might be designer worthy, but a RUG ties it all together. Invest in a rug that will complete your room. Also, almost every room should have rugs (yes, dining rooms too!), different sizes and styles for each room (see here for tips from Decoist). Now, rugs are not cheap, but trust me they are IMPORTANT.
8. Desk/Office area
You might not work from home at all, but you still need to have a place for your bills/mail & electronics (laptop, tablet etc). You can make it small, it can be in your bedroom, kitchen area or living room, just make sure everything has its place. Complete it with a nice chair (does not have to be an office chair, unless you work from home, in which case you should have a whole room as your home office!).
9. Decorative pillows that speak for themselves
You might already have them, if not, don’t freak out! Decorative pillows are and important aspect of decor, and can always be changed (depending on the season or decor style). Mix & Match prints, put BOLD colors with no fear and have fun! Keep it balanced, too many is too much, and too little looks like it’s missing something.
10. Fresh flowers!
Nothing says life is beautiful like having fresh flowers at home (maybe put in that nice antique vase your grandmother left you). You do not have to wait until someone gets them for you, and it’s so nice to enter someone else’s home who is thoughtful enough to have flowers in the entrance, kitchen or nightstand! It brings joy, good spirit, happiness, c’mon, there is no excuse not to have them! 😉
11. Books
Even if they are coffee table books (see here), they show who you are, what you are interested in and they add personality to your space! For the heavy intellectuals out there, you need bookshelves and wall shelves to organize them. If you have the space, make a library/reading area, if you do not, make sure you have them nicely organized. Your guests might want to have a read, your new lover will now a little more about you, your kids might start picking them up and LEARNING! Books are all around fantastic, so have them around, you will thank me later.
12. Dining table
It’s OK for you to eat while you watch TV in the sofa or coffee table, we don’t judge! But having a nice set up table (even if it is small and sits only 4) is a MUST HAVE. It will make life much more easier for when you entertain or when you have your family over. Add a nice centerpiece and lamp for a designer worthy look.
13. Complete bedding
Crisp, clean and hotel-like. For yourself & for your guests. Have complete CLEAN bedding ready at all times. For guests we recommend white, not only it’s the synonym of clean, but it’s relaxing and can be easily bleached if any staining occurs. Every bed needs to be complete; double beds, double pillows, get it?. Now this is what you should AT LEAST have: complete sheet set (fitted sheet, flat sheet & pillow cases), nice comfy pillows, a cover (duvet, comforter, coverlet- with matching pillow shams) and at least one or two decorative pillows. You can go further by adding more decorative pillows, throw blankets and euro shams, but at least have the basics ready for every bed in your home. (See here for complete bedding guide)
14. Fragrances
Do you know that nice feeling of cookies and freshly baked goods from your local pastry shop? It’s pleasant to enter any space that smells just right. You do not have to over do yourself, specially if you yourself don’t like the smell of potpourri, but some areas should be covered in this department. Rooms that should be covered: Guest Room, Powder Room, Entrance & Living Room. Have a little reed diffuser/candle or spray somewhere, there are thousands of fragrance combinations, go light, fresh and clean kind of smell if you are not a big fan of fragrances (i.e: sea/ocean breeze, lavender, gardenia). And feel free to combine any fragrance together, like orange in one space and eucalyptus in another space that is close by! (visit Bath & Bed Boutique for a wide variety)
15. Love
When you show the love you have put in the items in your home, it will show. Don’t forget to add your personality and charm in all the things you select. It is important that you have a guideline of the things you need for your lifestyle and space. If you have any doubt, a professional Interior Designer can help you, as long as you have your heart into it, it will show!
Happy Designing everyone! CR team loves you!
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