(A big “thank you” to our friends at housetipster.com for sponsoring this post!)

A well-organized closet is the heart of a well-kept bedroom. It will streamline your morning routine and make you feel like you have much bigger closet. And ultimately you will fell less stressed—and more motivated to tackle the day ahead!

Keep reading for 13 great ways you can take back control of your closet space. Then be sure to check out www.housetipster.com for even more great home management hacks.

Tips to Reclaim Your Closet Space

1. Declutter

The first step to keeping your bedroom closet neat and organized is by removing items that you don’t use. A closet may seem like an obvious storage place, but most of us would be better off by finding another storage area for items we want to keep but aren’t likely to use on a regular basis.

2. Start from Scratch

At first, this may seem overwhelming, but the reward that you will get is worth the effort. First, take all items from the closet then access the actual space that your closet has. (By this time, we assume that you have already decluttered the closet by removing items that you no longer use.) Then, sort all of the items based on style, color, or use. Make sure you come up with a consistent approach to categorizing your items that will really work for your personality.

3. Store Frequently Used Items Within Reach

Make sure the items you need to use on a daily basis are the easiest to access. Those you wear less frequently can be stored near the back of the closet or on a high shelf.

4. Let There Be Light

This is a brilliant idea that many homeowners overlook. But if your closet it dark adding a light source can make a huge difference when it comes to being able to see what you’re doing and making sure you’re fully utilizing the available storage space.

5. Add Hooks

If you take a close look inside your closet you will likely find several open spaces you can take advantage of by integrating hooks. They will add extra space that you can use to store additional items such as handbags, belts, and even shoes. You can also add hooks both on door create additional storage space.

6. Color Code Your Closet

Another great method is color coding. It will make it easy for you to know where your items are located. Simply group items with similar colors together. Although this may be a tedious process, it is one of the best and quickest ways to sort your closet and make it look neat and well organized.

7. Use Wicker Baskets

Wicker baskets can be used to store extra handbags, shoes, and even clothing. Be sure to measure before buying to make sure the baskets will fit in your closet and still be big enough to fully utilize the available space.

8. Mount a Pegboard

Adding a pegboard in your closet will help to increase the space you need to store items such as accessories and jewelry.

9. Use a Shoe Organizer

Disorganized shoes can consume a lot of space. One of easiest ways to organize the shoes in your closet is by using a special shoe organizer.

10. Start Labeling

Labeling will not only make your closet look organized but will also make it easy for you to locate important items.

11. Add a Mirror

If you have space, adding a mirror in your closet will make it look bigger and more appealing.

12. Hang Items Strategically

You need to come up with a good system to hang your clothing. For instance, you could hang all shirts in one area, dresses in another area and pants in another. Also, consider categorizing by seasons, occasions and length of the clothes.

13. Keep Drawers Tidy

Drawers in your bedroom closet should also be kept neat. Use a drawer divider to store smaller items such as underwear, socks and belts.

Do you have favorite closet organization tips? We’d love to hear about them! Comment below.

Now that the holidays are behind us, and the New Year upon us, it’s time to get refocused on winter maintenance for our homes. Between protecting the exterior of the home from harsher winter weather like snow and ice, to keeping the interior warm regardless of the dropping temperatures outside, certain winter maintenance tasks are essential. This season, I’ve paired up with American Home Shield (AHS), the nation’s largest provider of home warranties, to help make your home warmer and safer this winter. If you remember last year, I showed you how to get your New Year’s Resolutions Home Maintenance Checklist ready. This year, I will show you tips for snow/ice removal, furnace maintenance, fireplace safety and keeping out the cold with your doors and windows.

Keep your Exterior Winter Home Safe with Snow/Ice Removal Tips:

I’m originally from Colorado and I can remember having to get up two hours early in college to help my dad shovel the driveway, walkway, and steps so that we wouldn’t slip and fall. I also remember shoveling the sidewalk outside of our driveway to ensure our neighbors were kept safe as well. While I didn’t love these winter chores, I can now see why it was so essential!

Remember These Points When Shoveling Snow:

Have the proper tools for your shoveling before you get started. Old shovels from years past could be more of a hindrance than good. Broken shovels, old handles, and worn tools can create a dangerous hazard for you as you shovel and can make you exert yourself twice as hard.

Did you wait too long to start shoveling, and now your driveway is iced over? Try these ice-melting agents! From table salt and sugar to fertilizer, these agents can help melt ice and help you get back to shoveling.

Ice Buildup on your Exterior Home can Cause Improper Drainage:

Keeping your home warm can often start with your roof. In the wintertime, the stability of your roof is often one of the most overlooked areas of your home’s exterior. It not only keeps out the cold air and elements but also helps your insulation do its job, to keep in your heat. Ice and snow buildup around your roof shingles and gutters could cause ice dams and lead to future damage.

Watch this video from AHS: How to Prevent Ice Damage:

I love the tips in the video about using vents to ensure good air circulation in your attic! We often think of circulation in the summer months but often forget this is essential in the wintertime as well.

Furnace Maintenance can bring in More Warmth & Lower Energy Bills:

Your furnace is probably the hardest working appliance in your home during the winter months. Ensuring that you keep your electric furnace or gas furnace operating at its optimal capacity can help your family stay warmer and can also keep your energy bills from creeping higher and higher.

If you have noticed your heat isn’t as warm as before, it could mean your furnace isn’t running at its optimal level. Turn on your thermostat to heat and see how long it takes to respond. If you have an older thermostat, consider installing a programmable thermostat. These tips from AHS will help you understand how to adjust your thermostat to the changing seasons.

Hiring a professional HVAC service/repair service is very important as they can perform an overall inspection of your system – not only making sure it’s safe to operate, but also taking care of routine maintenance that can extend the life of your unit. You can also try:

• Inspecting your furnace on your own: Debris buildup on the floor behind your unit, exposed wires and checking the overall unit for wear and tear over the years is important.

Take a look at this AHS Video: Heating Repair & Maintenance: How to Inspect A Furnace:

1. Furnace maintenance: Check your air filter monthly to make sure it is clean and is enabling air to filter through it more efficiently. A clean air filter can keep your home warmer, can cut down on energy costs and can improve your indoor air quality.
2. Checking the seal around your HVAC unit: As shown in the video above, check to see if your ducts, doors, and all seams are sealed and not letting air seep in or out of your furnace.
3. Inspect your ducts throughout your home: In your attic look to see that your ducts are all still wrapped up in their original insulation. If there are any that are pulling away from the inner duct, consider calling an HVAC professional to rewrap the ducts.

How to Warm Up your Chilly Home with a Clean Fireplace:

Winter and fall are the coldest times of the year and therefore put your fireplace front and center throughout the season. Your fireplace can be the best part of a chilly evening, or the worst in terms of fire safety. Take a look at these tips for keeping a clean fireplace to keep you and your family safe from harm.

Ensure Your Chimney Is Clean For The Cold Season:

Keeping your fireplace clean from season to season is important for your safety as well as getting the most heat! If you don’t feel comfortable cleaning your own fireplace, consider hiring a chimney sweep or professional chimney cleaning/repair service to assist you. If you prefer to do it yourself, wait three days after the last time you burned wood in it. This ensures there are no embers still burning and you won’t accidentally encounter them.

Follow These Fireplace Cleaning Steps For Fireplace Safety:

AHS Video: How To Clean your Fireplace:

Didn’t you like the tip about sprinkling coffee grounds to prevent puffing? I know the last time we cleaned out our fireplace I felt like I needed a ventilator mask from all of the ash dust! Yeah, I should’ve used this pro tip. J

Keep Your Home Warm By Sealing Up

Drafty Windows And Doors:

There’s nothing worse than sitting in your warm home and feeling a cold draft of air seeping through the windows or doors! Over time, your windows and doors can leak air for numerous reasons.

Whether your caulking is old and needs replacing or weather stripping in the jamb and sill of your doors/windows are failing, there are common areas where air leaks can occur:

• Sill plates
• Door frames
• Window frames
• Chimney flashing
• Outlets and switches
• Recessed lighting
• Attic entrance

On a day that has a little bit of a breeze walk around the exterior and interior of your home and see how the airtightness is holding up around all of the above-mentioned areas. With a caulking gun and a tube of caulk, seal up any cracks and air spaces on the exterior of your home. Also pay close attention to air leaks where plumbing, ducts, and wiring come through the walls or floors.

Window Insulating & Sealing Off Air Leaks Can Help

Take a look at these window insulating ideas from AHS for a warmer home this winter.

If you feel air coming from beneath your doors on the interior of your home, consider installing a door sweep to keep out drafts and use weather stripping along the jamb to create a tight seal when the door closes.

If your home’s windows are over 10 years old, you may want to consider replacing them with energy efficient windows. If you’re on a tight budget and cold air is seeping in around your windows, try an insulation film kit you can get at your local home improvement store.

This winter, you can help keep out drafts and keep your home warmer by using these helpful tips. Check your home’s furnace, chimney, and windows/doors to keep your interiors comfortable from the winter cold. Outside the home, keep your walkways clear with the snow shoveling tips and make sure you monitor your roof to avoid ice dams and damage. This season your winter home is going to be the warmest ever!

Good Sleep: 6 Ways to a Good Night in your Bedroom

1. How to Get a Better Sleep: Buy a Comfy Mattress

Comparison shopping and mattresses don’t mix. A painful mattress that is either too hard or too soft for you is the worst thing for getting a good night’s sleep. Go into your local mattress outlet stores and try out the mattress you are considering. You won’t know exactly what is the best choice for you until you do your research to find out.

2. A Good Night Starts By Lowering the Temperature

If you want to be comfy and able to sleep at night, you need to lower the thermostat on the way to bed. Experts in sleep recommend that you lower your thermostat to 68 degrees to keep your bedroom cool at night. Remember, to do this about 30 minutes before you head to bed so that the room is the right temperature before you climb in between the sheets. If it is too hot, you will toss and turn for the majority of the night and get very little, if any, sleep at all.

3. Use Comforting Scents that Promote Relaxation for a Good Night

Essential oils can help you with a good sleep. Part of a comforting sleep environment includes having the right scents in the room. Scents like lavender and vanilla can put you into a state of relaxation and help you drift off into slumber relaxed and at ease.

Take a look at these essential oils that can promote relaxation.

4. Want to Sleep Better? Shut Down the Electronics

Studies have shown that the blue lights on everything from your phone to your computer and even your TV can not only make it hard for you to go to sleep but affect the quality of that sleep as well. Instead, try reading a book until you get sleepy, instead of either working or trying to go to sleep watching a movie on Netflix. So shut down those electronics before bed!

5. Have the Right Lighting for Sleeping

While it may be tempting to leave the curtains open so that you can be woken by the morning sun or have a night light in the room, it’s not a good idea. A bedroom needs to be completely dark at night if you want the night to provide you with a restful sleep.

Try these bedroom lighting tips from Houzz.

6. Get A Good Sleep in a Clean Bedroom 

One of the most important things to do to ensure your bedroom is sleep ready is to make sure it’s clean and uncluttered. If you have allergies, then changing the sheets and making sure the room is dusted is extremely important for you to be able to sleep comfortably. If you’re sneezing and having to sit up constantly to breathe because your nose is stuffy, you aren’t going to get a good night’s rest at all.

These are just a few of the top ways to ensure that your bedroom is sleep ready even when decorating it for the fall season. From having a good mattress to sleep on to having the right scents and from having a clean bedroom to turning off the electronics before bed, these tips will have you snoring logs in no time at all and waking up refreshed and ready to meet the day head on and with energy to spare!

For more wellness tips on Stagetecture, visit our archives.

Easy Bedroom Decorating Tips for Autumn

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Bedroom Decorating Tips: Add Throw Rugs with Fall Colors

There are many great throw rugs available that can also give your room a fall feel. Measure the open space you have available to determine how large of a throw rug you need for your room and then decide if you want to add a solid colored rug that has autumn motifs. Be sure to measure the length and the width of the space to know how large the rug can be. We like HGTV’s tips for choosing the right area rug for your room. Adapt these tips for your abode.

Consider the texture of the rugs, too. You want to be sure that you do not choose rugs that are not too thick. You want to be sure that you can walk smoothly throughout your room without accidentally tripping on a rug.

Replace Your Mattress and Bed Sheets to Prepare for Fall

When it is cold outside, snuggling in the bed for hours on end is very appealing to many people. In order to be able to stay cozy when snuggled up, consider replacing your mattress. You can visit a mattress store to learn about all of the new options that are available to you.

Many stores can now determine if you need a hard, soft, or medium firm mattress based on the way you sleep at night. Once you have a new mattress, cover it with nice, flannel sheets to stay as comfortable as possible at all times.

Hang Full Length Curtains when Bedroom Decorating

When the weather starts to change, the nights will start to get longer, and having a great set of curtains on your windows will allow you to have your privacy at all times of the day. Choose full length curtains that match the other colors that you have chosen for the room so you can create a seamless look. Not sure what type of curtains to put in your home? Elle Decor gives tips to select the right window treatments in your bedroom decorating.

Decorate your Bedroom by Lighting Candles with Fall Scents

If you really want to make your room feel as if autumn has taken over consider using candles with fall scents. Apple pie, pumpkin, and even nutmeg are all great candle scents that will remind you of fall whenever you smell them. Try a variety of scents centered around the season and change them as your mood strikes!

For more bedroom decorating ideas on Stagetecture, visit the archives here.

How to Keep Your Energy Bills Low This Fall

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Carry Out Inspections

It is no secret that heating accounts for a large portion of your power bill. Therefore, fall is a great time to examine your HVAC unit. Inspect the heating and cooling units and change filters. Call a professional to examine the unit and to carry out maintenance. After he gives your unit a clean bill of health, do not stop there. Check with your local utility if there are any incentive programs going on. There may be incentives for energy audits or energy-efficient appliances. Comprehensive home evaluations by energy raters can help you know which updates to make in order to lower your energy bills. Go through this HVAC unit checklist to check your system this fall.

Keep your Energy Bills Low: Change the Temperature

One of the best ways to save money is by lowering your thermostat. Set your thermostat to 70⁰ and below in fall. During the day, lower the temperature and put on warm clothing. When you are asleep, turn it back up. Also, use warm bedding to cater for the difference in temperature. Close all the windows in your home when the heat is on to avoid energy loss. If you don’t have a programmable thermostat, get one as it allows you to easily change the temperature.

Open Window Treatments

Your drapes and blinds can help you to save energy. On days when the sun shines brightly, open window treatments so it can warm your home. Solar energy is the best energy because it is free. At night, close window treatments to prevent heat from getting out. You can also get window treatments which help you to save energy. Some window treatments – like honeycomb shades – minimize heat loss during the cold season and heat gain during the warm season.

Prevent Air Leaks and Save your Energy Bills

Air leaks can wreak havoc on your energy bills. They let in cold air during fall and winter and make your HVAC unit to work harder. The more your unit works, the more you pay for energy. Set aside time to look for air leaks around doors, windows, utility pipes, and gaps in the basement, attic, or chimney. Seal air leaks in your home with weatherstripping or caulk. You can also add excluders to the base of your doors. This helps regulate indoor and outdoor air and improves air quality. These tips from Energy.gov are great fall energy bill savers.

If your windows are drafty, you can cover them from the inside with clear plastic film or clear plastic sheet during the cold months. Make sure the plastic sheet is sealed tightly to a frame to lower penetration. If the windows still feel drafty after weatherizing, install insulating shades or drapes to enhance energy efficiency.

Take a Look at Your Fireplace

When it comes to energy loss, most fireplaces are culprits. They allow warm air to go up the chimney and escape outside. To prevent this, close your fireplace when there is no fire burning. When using the fireplace, minimize energy loss by opening the closest window slightly or by opening dampers at the bottom (if provided). Close doors that lead into the room and set the thermostat to 55⁰ or below. These fireplace maintenance tips are good to try out.

If you want to cut down on your energy bills this fall, following these guidelines is a no-brainer. They will help you to save energy and to get ready for winter. Sure, it’s important to stay warm during the cold season, but you can stay warm without expending lots of energy. Prepare for the low temperatures in advance.

Need more Energy Bills Savings Ideas?

Take a look at this Fall & Winter Home Maintenance Checklist!

For more green living energy ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Top 10 Back to School Essentials for College Dorms

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See a list of the Top 5 College Dorm Rooms Essentials here –> Top 5 Dorm Room Essentials

Don’t mind Monday’s when they look like this ? Happy 4th of July! Last day to shop our 20% off sale with code FIREWORKS ?

A photo posted by dormify (@dormify) on Jul 4, 2016 at 6:23am PDT

1.) Bedding

Comforters, sheets, and pillows are essential for college dorms. Ensure you find out the size of the beds from the college or university before you buy bedding. (My son’s dorm has extra long twin beds, and that was essential when shopping for a sheet set!). They are often called ‘Twin Extra Long”. We love these extra long bed skirts to hide all of your stuff under your dorm bed.

Image via: Etsy – Dorm Room Bed Skirts

2.) Bath Linen

Bath towels – Washcloths, hand towels, and bath sized towels are crucial in dormitories and they can never use enough. (Considering they probably will do laundry once a month). Ensure you buy quality towels that are absorbent and can withstand the abuse of a college student. Trust me they will be used for more than just drying off from the shower.

3.) Shower Tote for College Dorms

Whether the dorms have communal showers or individual showers connected to the rooms, having all of your shower tote essentials in a tote or caddy is essential. Opt for a mesh one or a material that can dry easily to prevent getting mildewed and gross from moisture.

4.) Over the door mirror for your College Room

Full length mirrors are often forgotten but are essential to see your ENTIRE body. (Many college students seem to think all you need to see is your face!) Whether you opt for a full-length mirror that can hang on the back of a closet door, or you buy a framed variety that can hang like a picture, a mirror is often forgotten but will be used by everyone on your dorm room floor.

uptown girl ? click link in bio to shop

A photo posted by dormify (@dormify) on Jun 27, 2016 at 2:46pm PDT

5.) College Dorms Alarm Clock

Waking up in the morning, or even at night will prove to be essential in college. Ensure you have a good alarm clock that plugs into the wall and not run solely on batteries is brought to college. Don’t depend on just your cell phone or your roommate to wake you. Alarm clocks with multiple alarms can prove to be helpful, so you don’t have to reset your alarm for each new time. See ways to personalize your dorm room here.

6.) Hanging Clothes Organizer

Make the best use of your small closet with a vertical hanging organizer for your shoes, sweaters and foldable clothes. The hanging clothes organizer will keep all your belongings orderly and will help you cram more into your closet than you first imagined. Need more ideas to get your dorm room organized for cheap?

7.) College Dorms Laundry Bag

Laundry is one of the most dreaded chores to do at college (at home too!) Make the chore easier with a good laundry bag – multiple ones is a good idea. Ensure they have sturdy handles and rolling varieties may prove to be handy if your laundromat is within your dormitory.

Image via: Etsy – Hen House Originals – Dorm Essentials Laundry Bag

8.) Coffee Maker

Coffee, Tea, and water may prove to be the best drinks to consume at college (we won’t mention the alcoholic beverages). A coffee maker that doubles as a tea maker could become a college student best friend, late at night or early in the morning. Opt for a variety that has an alarm or even a travel sidecup like the Hamilton Beach coffee maker.

9.) Portable Laptop Desk Holder

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College students spend a lot of time in the bed… not just sleeping, but studying, eating and everything else. A laptop desk for writing, resting a laptop, or just having a flat surface other than your desk can prove to be essential. Creating a productive study area can be hard. This desk will help make life easier. These can be found at most houseware stores in the back-to-school area.

10.) College Dorms Floor and Table Lamps

One of the most underrated essentials for a dorm room is table and floor lamps. Whether you are trying to study, or need an extra light near your bed or sitting area, the overhead fluorescent fixture in the room will not be sufficient, and it will wake up your roommate! Opt for a few lamps that are versatile and don’t require strangely sized bulbs!

For more college dorm ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

How to Make Your Small Bedroom Feel Larger

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Small Bedrooms Don’t Equal Small Furniture:

One of the biggest mistakes that most people make when decorating small rooms is to clutter it with lots of small pieces. By filling a small room with lots of tiny side tables, skinny little lamps, and small dressers – you are creating a room that feels crowded and even smaller than before.  A small room of any kind needs one or two large pieces of furniture that act as a focal point and make the room actually feel larger! A large armoire is one of the best furniture items to add to your small bedroom space; they give you tons of storage and their height and size draws the eye in and up, making the space feel large.

A small bedroom needs plenty of colors:

Color is your friend no matter how small or large the room is.  The key essential to keep in mind when choosing a color for a small room is to keep your color choices down to one or two main colors for the room – you can’t have a rainbow of colors in a small room without overwhelming the eye. The good news is that you can choose whatever color your heart desires! Choose that vibrant blue or red paint; coat every wall and piece of trim in the color (or two hues of the same color) to make a serene room that your eyes float over. Bright red walls with white trim can be pretty but is better left to larger rooms as it causes a disjointing and makes a room visually smaller.

Try these 4 Easy Decorating Ideas for your Small Apartment too!

Small Bedroom seating is still important:

No matter how small, every bedroom should have a nook carved out for reading or relaxing. Add a slipper chair, a reading lamp, and bookcase to create a cozy retreat within your room.

Hopefully, this opens up new possibilities for decorating your small bedroom.  Here’s one more tip: a large, fabric tufted headboard covered in similar hues as the paint color, adds a nice finishing touch to the retreat of your dreams. Happy dreaming!

For more bedroom & living ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

How to Create a Shared Guest Room and Playroom

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Buy Versatile Furniture in your Guest Room

Versatile furniture pieces like daybeds cater to both adults and kids. Kids can read on them and adults can sleep in them. However, if you want to create a living room atmosphere in the space, a sleeper sofa is more suitable. It offers convenience as users can sit on it and sleep in it comfortably. Get a daybed or a sleeper sofa with a kid-friendly fabric and add some throw pillows to make the room inviting. Incorporate ottomans or benches with storage and side tables with cabinets and drawers.

Maximize Storage in your Shared Guest Room

Storage is important in a room that will be filled with sheets, blankets, books, toys, and more. You can build closed cabinets and high bookcases with adjustable shelves. You can position the bookcases on top of the cabinets to create ample space for accessories. Be sure to fill the bookcases with books for both kids and adults.

Choose a Versatile Color Scheme

Choose a color scheme that makes the room feel cheerful but is also gentle enough to relax guests. For instance, an apple green hue with red splashes or a pastel blue hue with yellow accents can make the room lively without making it feel too childish. You can also paint one wall a bold color and paint the other walls a neutral color.

A guest room and a playroom are necessities for a family and you might have difficulty choosing between them if you are not willing to give up one for the other. Creating a room that can be used by both children and adults is not as difficult as you think. Use the above space-saving tips to create a guest room you’ll be proud to show off to your family and friends. You will not only make your kids happy, you will inspire your guests to think outside the box when decorating their spaces.

When combining functions in a room what tips do you have for space saving?

Easy Decorating Tips to Attract Tenants for your Rental Properties

One of the biggest differences in making this personal transition is the way in which you decorate your house. What might appeal to you for a house that you’d want to live in might not be the best choice for a rental property? Rental houses need to appeal to broad ranges of potential tenants. With that in mind, here are some of the best ways to decorate for rental properties.

Decorate in a Way Your Rental Properties Can Be Maintained:

You may be determined to be acting landlord of your property. However, many people set out with this goal in mind, only to learn that they aren’t cut out for the job. That’s why rental management companies like Cedar Management Group are in business. They get renters, clean and maintain your rental property, and collect rent every month. Choosing decorations that are easy to clean and maintain, even for a management company that doesn’t have a hand in their choosing, is a great way to organize your thoughts when picking furnishings and decorations for a rental home.

Choose Durable yet Versatile Rental Furniture

You’ll probably choose renters who will take good care of your property, but you still should decorate only with pieces that can take a beating. Resilient carpets will protect your hardwood floors from scratches and versatile materials like tweed and microfiber will protect against stains and wear and tear. Sturdy shutters will outlive flimsy blinds. Also, consider washable paint throughout your interiors so that stains can be removed with a damp cloth. Consider the same materials for your rental home that you would have with kids and pets to protect your interiors.

Consider Minimal Decorating Ideas

In the end, you shouldn’t decorate that much. You should think more about the color of the walls and the floors than about the items that will cover them. Leave this to the tenant. Choose instead to invest in a makeover of your home that will make it appealing to a broad range of people. This has more to do with countertops and toilet seats than area rugs and drapes. Leave some of the decoration ideas for your rental properties to the tenant. It’s cheaper for you and actually, makes your home more rentable.

Decorating your rental properties can be difficult at first. It’s easy to create elements that you personally enjoy, which don’t appeal to a lot of other people. It’s usually good to create a neutral but friendly space, one which prospective tenants can imagine imprinting upon with their own decorative sensibilities. Good luck with your new rental property!

For more ideas for your rental property look at our home staging archives.

Decorating a fireplace mantel can often be a challenge, especially when you have an older mantle that commands attention, but you’re not quite sure how to make it come alive! This has been the challenge with my 1986 fireplace mantel in that I love the wood and brick but finding fireplace mantel decorating ideas always has me wondering how to actually pull off a styled mantle. I’m happy to pair with Croscill who has beautiful table, mantle, bedding and home accessories to make decorating easy.

My Favorite Fireplace Mantel Decorating Ideas with Croscill

4 Easy Fireplace Ideas to Style your Mantel

Here’s my fireplace before I started:

1. Fireplace Mantel Decorating Ideas: Find a large backdrop

I started off with a bare canvas with my fireplace. We’ve always had a large mirror in the background and that serves as the anchor for the entire mantel. I suggest you start off with a large picture, mirror, clock or decorative background to provide a backdrop for your accessories.

2. Add Varying Heights when Decorating your Fireplace

Asymmetry or mixing and matching different height objects with your fireplace mantel decorating ideas will help give the eye balance. We often think symmetry gives balance, but in nature, most items are asymmetrical to each other and we actually feel less constraint when items are matched up identically. Use a Large Candleholder and Small Candleholder with your favorite candles or place tall grasses, branches in a Wood Vase on either side of the backdrop. Feel free to use tall and slender items that give height and lift the line of sight.

3. Rustic Mantels Use Natural Elements in your Fireplace Decor

I’ve always been drawn to rustic elements in varying colors and textures of the Earth. Wood, pinecones, brick, rocks, seashells, jute, and weathered surfaces are my favorite. I loved Croscill’s Wood Bowl as it gives beautiful angles and roughness to the fireplace mantle. I also love adding small pieces of natural elements in a bowl such as wood scraps, leather flowers, bits of straw, etc.. to bring a touchable quality to the mantle.

4. My Favorite Fireplace Mantel Decorating Ideas: Add Your Own Whimsy

After you’ve balanced height, textures, and a backdrop, have some fun! I like bringing in smaller decorative items that are personal to me. Books to add height, or even small figurines, literary symbols, and even add your favorite trinkets from vacations like seashells! I also added greenery like boxwood greenery balls and boxwood topiaries to bring color, greenery, and life to my fireplace.

Thanks Croscill for helping me bring life to my boring fireplace mantel! I never realized how bare our room was until I tried these fireplace mantel decorating ideas.

I invite you to visit Croscill’s website and see how you can bring beauty to your bedroom, living room or dining room table.