Fun & Unique Storage Ideas

Hi everyone! I'm Jessica, a writer for Arcadian Lighting, which is a wonderful online resource for beautiful and affordable lighting fixtures. I'm delighted to be guest posting for Kris today because I'm going to be sharing a few fun storage ideas. Whether you live in a small apartment or a two story home, storage is always a big necessity. I hope you find these ideas inspiring!

These colorful wooden crates mounted on the wall makes this foyer especially bright and fun. The pastel pink and blue paint colors add a Spring-like feeling.

Creating a pyramid of simple wooden barrels provides unique and eye-catching storage that's ideal for all ages. The bold pink table lamp and bare bulb wall sconces are great additions too.

Old mason jars are perfect for storing small items and mounting them on the wall, as they are in this craft room, is as creative as it is practical. Such a neat idea!

The space under the staircase doesn't have to be an eyesore when you can transform it into a little reading and storage nook. A few recessed lights or wall sconces will help keep the space illuminated beautifully.

By creating several rows of wooden pegs, the shelves in this bedroom can be rearranged for an ever-changing focal point. The effect is quite contemporary.

A few personalized containers in the foyer make it easy to organize everyone's belongings. The simple images are a fun way to identify each person's space.

This brilliant open shelf makes an attractive statement piece in this bright and airy kitchen and dining room. The green and white are an excellent color combination.

Even small closets can be surprisingly stylish. This convenient diaper changing station is beautiful and provides plenty of convenient storage space. 

Image sources: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 

Which of these storage ideas is your favorite? Let us know in the comments! And be sure to stop by Arcadian Lighting for a chandelier or pendant light to brighten your home!


Thanks so much for the guest post Jessica!  Have a great weekend everyone!

Pouf-a-palooza: Decorating with Poufs!

If you flip through any home décor magazine from the last year or two, there is sure to be at least one photo of a room with a decorative pouf:

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I'm funny about poufs - there are some that I don't like at all (such as the shiny gold and silver Moroccan ones) and others that I absolutely L-O-V-E.  Poufs are a great way to add pattern and texture to a room and can be used in so many different ways. Place two or three poufs in the middle of your family room to serve as coffee tables, 

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use one in front of your favorite chair as an ottoman,

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place a few at the end of your bed for seating in lieu of a bench,

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use them as side tables,

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or scatter a few around a table for casual seating.

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Poufs and kids go together like PB & J - not only because poufs are fun to sit and play on

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but also because they are a great way to add a touch of playfulness and whimsey to kids' rooms

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and nurseries.

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I've recently been on a pouf hunt, trying to find one for a bare corner in my family room so I've figured out some of the best places to shop if you too are looking for poufs! For colorful patterned poufs, head to Crate & Barrel to check out their Marrakesh Pouf ($399) - I love the gorgeous colors and the graphic medallion pattern:

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If you want a colorful pouf but prefer a round shape, try Pier 1 Imports' Ikat Sari Pouf ($139.95) that has a patchwork design inspired by the vibrant patterns of Indian saris:

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If you like color and pattern but maybe not something quite so bright, try West Elm's Found Battani Poufs with stripes ($219)

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or a pattern ($299). They are crafted and sewn from Moroccan Battani rugs, found through collaboration with West Elm's Aid to Artisans program - pretty cool, don't you think?!

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For a pattern that would be perfect for a kids' room or nursery, check out Serena & Lily's Elephant Pouf, which has a different embroidered elephant on each side and comes in three fun color combinations.  These poufs are normally pretty pricey at $395 but are currently on sale for $159:

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Two of my favorite poufs are ones that have more neutral colors but still have a fun pattern - they are West Elm's Andalusia Dhurrie Pouf in platinum/ivory ($249)

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and the Zigzag Floor Pouf in iron/ivory ($249).

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I've also found some great patterned poufs on Etsy, such as this rusty orange chevron pouf ($115) from Etsy seller anitascasa:

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as well as some high style, low priced poufs at online sites such as One Kings Lane and Joss & Main, like this fabulous Jill Rosewald pouf that I recently blogged about:

If you're looking for a round, solid colored pouf, I can hook you up there too!  Check out CB2's Knitted Graphite Pouf ($89.95), which has chunky hand knit sweater-like feel.  In addition to this graphite color, it also comes in pool and blood orange:

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World Market's Charcoal Knitted Pouf looks very similar for a few less dollars ($69.99):

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My favorite solid colored pouf is one that I found on Etsy's LOVintagefinds shop - it is an adorable burlap pouf that would be perfect for a nursery:

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If you'd like to find a colorful leather pouf, there are tons of places to shop.  For a great selection, check out the Moroccan poufs ($275) on Jonathan Adler's site.  These leather poufs are available in a bunch of fun colors, including turquoise, coral, fuschia, and several others.  You can also find similar (but more expensive) poufs at Serena & Lily and Garnet Hill.

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If you love the look of Moroccan poufs but want to spend a lot less money, Land of Nod's faux Leather Seats Come Standard poufs are a great option at only $79:

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Do you love the look of poufs but just can't stomach the price tags?  Check out Better Homes and Gardens' website where they show you how to make these cute DIY Poufs step-by-step for only $50:

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So, what's your take on poufs - do you love 'em or hate 'em??

Neutral (But Not Boring!) West Elm Area Rugs

My typical decorating M.O. is to juggle several home projects at a time, which is not a very smart way to decorate - it results in several parts of my house being in "decorating disarray" at once and also results in the disarray lasting for months because each project ends up taking forever to complete.  I'm trying to be better about sticking with only one or two projects at a time and seeing them to completion before moving on to the next one.  Right now, I'm focusing my decorating attention on our family room.  I'm almost done with a big revamp of our bookcases (I hope to post some pics in the next week or so!) and I've solved one of the room's decorating dilemmas that I've been grappling with forever.  The problem was that I could never find pillows, art, and other accessories that I loved and that also worked well with our family room rug.  Last week I had a lightbulb moment - as much as I like our rug, the colors, patterns, and style of the other pieces that I'd like to throw into the room are never going to work with it.  The rug has to go. That led to another problem - a new rug isn't in the decorating budget and a 9 x 12 rug isn't cheap! My only hope was to find a rug at a bargain price and then sell my old rug on Craigslist. That's were Pottery Barn Outlet came in - as you probably know, they carry discounted items not only from Pottery Barn but also from West Elm and Williams Sonoma Home. Before deciding whether to head up to the outlet, I went online to check out what rugs these stores currently have - my goal was to find a "neutral but not boring" area rug - one that has neutral colors without a busy pattern but that isn't just a boring solid.  I found that West Elm has a TON of rugs that fit the "neutral but not boring" description - I'll show you my finds in case you're on a similar quest!


One of my favorites is West Elm's Souk Rug, which is soft high pile wool rug in ivory with a very simple black geometric design.  I love the braided tassels on both ends, which keep the rug from looking too contemporary:

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West Elm also has several neutral rugs that don't have a pattern or design but have great textures and a subtle mix of neutral colors such as their Mini Pebble Wool Jute Rug, 

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Sweater Rug, 

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Bello Shag Rug, 

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and Tangle Rug, which is a chunky knotted-wool beauty:

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I also love West Elm's Oasis Flatweave Rug, which has a neat chunky braided pattern and is bound by solid stripes at either end:

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The Jute Dot Rug is another favorite of mine - I love that this rug has a modern feeling honeycomb pattern but the natural colors keep it from being too over the top:  

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My hands-down favorite online find is West Elm's Jute Chenille Herringbone Rug in natural & ivory - what a simple but gorgeous rug!  It was seeing this rug online that got me running up to the Pottery Barn Outlet with fingers crossed that I would find it - it would be perfect for my space!

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I knew that the decorating gods were on my side when I walked into the outlet and was greeted with a sign reading that their special for the week was an additional 50% off the outlet price on all rugs. NO WAY - SO PSYCHED!  I scoured the racks of rugs for the Jute Chenille Herringbone Rug and was disappointed to find that they didn't have it.  But then I spotted this beauty: West Elm's Chevron Knot Rug:

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Somehow I had totally missed seeing this one online.  I loved it at first sight - it is a richly textured ivory rug with a woven black chevron pattern that is neutral enough that I can easily incorporate it into just about any decorating plan.  While sometimes neutral rugs = boring rugs, the chevron pattern and nubby texture of this beauty make it far from boring!  The best part was that I got the rug at a steal - it's a 9 x 12 that currently sells at West Elm for $799 - since we don't have a West Elm locally anymore, including shipping and tax it would have cost me about $960 to order online, but I walked out of the outlet with it for $180!  

Before laying out my new rug, I snapped a quick "before" pic of the old rug in our family room: 

And here's how my space looks now with the addition of the new rug (and my little buddy in the bottom corner :-):

The new rug makes the room lighter and brighter and I can now add some fun patterned pillows to the sectional without worry about competing with the pattern of the rug.  It's much more plush and comfortable than our old rug too and got the seal of approval from Hope, who has officially changed her favorite lounging spot from the top of the couch cushions to the new rug!

My next step in decorating the room?  Adding some decorative poufs to a bare corner - more on that later this week...  Have a good one!

Arhaus' Midnight Mania Sale and Some Joss & Main Finds!

Arhaus' Midnight Mania sale started Thursday and goes through Monday, April 23rd with 30% off almost everything in the store.  The fun part is that Arhaus is open until midnight on Friday and Saturday nights so you can enjoy a dinner out and then stop into Arhaus after the rest of the mall is closed and the traffic is gone (getting a few glasses of wine into your husband before taking him shopping with you is also not a bad thing...). It's been several months since I've been in Arhaus so I went online to check out their current furniture and accessories.  They've got some great stuff!  My favorite inspiration room was this dining room:

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I love pretty much everything in it including the Fotini Chandelier - she's a little gal (only 11" wide) that looks amazing when paired with a few of her friends over a long dining table.  These little chandeliers would also be gorgeous to use as pendants over bedroom nightstands in lieu of table lamps.

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The Alice Gray Dining Chair from the dining room inspiration pic is also a favorite of mine - Arhaus describes it perfectly when they say it has a little bit of whimsey and a lot of wow.

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Another of my favorite dining chairs is the Greyson Tan Linen Chair - I love the tufting and the modern wingback shape!

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Arhaus also has some gorgeous beds, my favorite of which is the Amelia Bed - it has the most amazing silhouette:

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One of Arhaus' new beds is the Marlow Bed, which is full of old Hollywood glamour.  While it wouldn't work for my home, it's a gorgeous statement piece that would be a great starting point to build a room around:

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Another new item at Arhaus is the Tangier Settee, which is officially my new favorite sofa - I love the size of it (65" wide), the tufted back, and the turned legs on casters.

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It also has some great trim detail along the bottom - total perfection in my book!

Another amazing upholstered piece is the Audrey Chaise - it has modern lines but the tufting creates a more transitional feel. 

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One of my favorite nonupholstered furniture pieces is the Louise Tea Table.  I love it in the dark gray but it also comes in ivory, black, and light gray.  It's not only beautiful, it's functional - the top of the tea table is a removable tray!

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This Blue Bombay Chest crafted from reclaimed wood and painted a gorgeous teal blue is another favorite.  It is also available in neutral colors of cream, black, and gray.

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Another painted beauty is this Copenhagen Secretary that has a drop-down writing desk.  The distressed nature and deep gray color are incredible!  This piece would look absolutely gorgeous in a bedroom, a home office, or a foyer.

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If you're not in the market for any large furniture pieces, they do have some accessories worth checking out such as these gorgeous candlestands,

this decorative wood Azzurra Mirror,

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and a series of six Crackled Moth pieces of art:

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For lighting, I'm loving the tripod Pearce Floor Lamp

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and the Dumas Table Lamp:

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If you're not up for venturing out to the Arhaus sale, get online and check out Jill Rosenwald's sales on Joss & Main (if you don't already belong to this great site, click here for a free invite!).  Her sales ends Sunday morning but the items are available in limited quantity and several have already sold out.  There are a ton of great rugs:

and several different colors of these awesome chain link poufs (which I know are a steal at $119.95 because our HomeGoods had these exact poufs earlier in the week for $149.99!).  

Gotta run - need to get working on making these adorable cake pops that my daughter wants to share with her gymnastics team to celebrate her upcoming birthday.  

Check out Shannon Berrey's Cake Pops post for the recipe and instructions! Have a great weekend!