Space Improvement

Updated on April 24, 2025April 24, 2025Making the Home

Clean Burning Candles for a Great-Smelling and Toxin-Free Home

Close-up photo of the top of a lit beeswax candle in the traditional honeycomb-indented 'rolled' pillar shape. Beeswax candles like these are some of the best clean burning candles

Candles, candles, candles. This post is for everyone who loves candles! Candles can be decorative, they can be amazingly aromatic, and sometimes they’re both. They …

The breakfast area viewed from the functional kitchen and dining room doorway. The wood table and chairs are in the left center, under a candelabra-style silver chandelier with small white lampshades. On wall to left hangs seashell artwork collage. Partially in view on floor to left is shoe rack. Barely in view to front right is toddler table. Ahead to right (just left of partially-seen closed pantry door) is another toddler table (where kindergartener likes to sit, instead of the big table) and, behind it, a floor lamp. In front of it (and spanning wall toward left) is wide opening into back living room. Beyond remaining wall space (where more seashell artwork hangs) to left corner is opening into sunroom.

Updated on April 4, 2025March 25, 2025Creating a Home in a New House

Kitchen and Dining Room: Crafting an Eating Space

The kitchen is, to me and everyone else who loves food as much as I do, the most important space in the house. People say …

The sunroom: a white loveseat is positioned between two sides of floor-to-ceiling windows, with two end tables on either side and a tall open shelving unit to the right with more plants. Left of the left-side end-table (painted in multiple bright colours) and airplane plant on top is an heirloom rocking chair with a bright coral throw pillow. Two more bright throw pillows in other colours are on the loveseat. Along the right wall is a Pikler triangle and other toys, in the center of the room on the colourful area rug is a sensory spinning seat, and on the wall opposite the windows is a child's blue desk and chair for schoolwork. Partially in the picture to the left is a small trampoline for sensory breaks, and along the left wall are more windows (and more plants out of sight). Plenty of sunlight, colours, plants, and sensory toys/furniture, as here in the sunroom, are all optimal features for creative spaces

Updated on April 4, 2025March 24, 2025Creating a Home in a New House

How to Furnish a Sunroom and Study as Creative Spaces for Projects, Work, and Play

A sunroom is a designated room with many windows for ample sunlight. It may be an afterthought addition unconnected to the rest of the house’s …

Back living room view of wall with two windows and white console table in between with TV screen on top and diamond-shaped mirror on wall above with a frame of seashells. Strung above the windows and mirror near ceiling is a garland of shiny green shamrocks for St. Patrick's Day. A blue evil eye keychain hangs from a black plastic strand of beads connected to the ceiling fan pull cord (out of view). In front of the right window is a large snake plant. To its right, a small white rug lays on the floor in the corner by the built-in bookcase with toys and a lamp on the lower shelves and seashell art decor on the top shelves (partially in view). On the wall right of the right window are two beachy framed photos, and on the wall to the left of the left window is a blue and purple print decoration. Right of the right window also hang bright blue shell chimes. A few toys are on the floor near the right corner. In the left corner is a small end table (out of sight) with lamp on top, and along the left wall next to it is the gray couch and above it the blue tapestry. Most of the floor is covered in a light-coloured high-pile rug.

Updated on April 1, 2025March 16, 2025Creating a Home in a New House

Living Rooms for Living: How to Furnish Home Leisure Spaces

Where do you spend most of your leisure time at home? That is, time spent neither working, cooking, eating, bathing, nor sleeping? When you have …

The children's bedroom (technically the kindergartener's room but where both boys now sleep at night) is furnished with a twin bed and blue tufted headboard on the right, covered in star-shaped throw pillows among other pillows and a blue blanket. On the left is a blue-painted dresser with an airplane plant, lamp, and other decor on top. On the floor in between the twin bed and dresser is a twin futon mattress tucked partially under the twin bed where the toddler sleeps, and is furnished with plush animals, several little pillows, and matching blanket. From the ceiling hangs a dreamcatcher in the center, a fishnet from the corner with nautical relics caught in it, and other nautical decor on the wall.

Updated on April 5, 2025March 14, 2025Creating a Home in a New House

How to Furnish Upstairs: Kids Bedroom, Primary Bedroom, and Office

Let’s go upstairs and check out some of the more personal spaces: bedrooms! In most American single-family homes, the upper floor is where you’ll find …

The back wall of the basement room is lined with only a vintage amplifier and a small brown end table in the corner with a brown lamp on top as well as small coastal and natural decor items. Several decorations hang from the wall including a hat with an emu feather, boomerang, and cloth koala hanging from Australia, a decorative heirloom scarf, and other decor

Updated on April 12, 2025March 5, 2025Creating a Home in a New House

From the Foyer to the Basement: Furnishing Most-and-Least-Frequently Used Spaces

Let’s discuss some of the most utilized and underutilized spaces of a house: the foyer (or entryway) and the (isolated) basement, as well as the …

A couple and two young children sit on a bare king bed mattress with moving boxes positioned around them. A little girl plays with toys scattered around while the little boy pulls items out of one of the boxes. Parents lounge on bed between the children looking happily relaxed. This is how to make a house feel like a home: allow the time and space in the process to keep spirits high and relaxed

Updated on March 27, 2025February 24, 2025Creating a Home in a New House

Moving House: A Guide to Crafting a Home out of a New Space

Humans need a house or some form of reliable shelter to physically survive. But humans also need a home, or a physical place – typically …

The main living space of a home with an ideal stuff/space ratio: two couches spaced apart in main area, several houseplants lining walls and corners with ample natural light, several throw pillows on couches, small end tables by walls with a few items, and plenty of decor throughout nearby kitchen and on walls

Updated on March 27, 2025February 21, 2025Creating a Home in a New House

Create Comfortable Spaces Using the Stuff/Space Ratio

Fostering the energy of a space is very important when creating a home or comfortable place where somebody wants to be. There are so many …

Children's wooden blocks with coloured numbers on them

Updated on April 21, 2025September 14, 2023Making the Home

Simplify Toy Storage and Cleanup with a Toy Display Shelf and Other Solutions

Kids need the learning, stimulation, and fun that toys provide. Play is important! Play is literally work for kids. And also, parents need a peaceful …

June 27, 2022May 22, 2022Inner Space

What to Do While You’re Waiting: How to Navigate Life’s Pauses

Nobody likes to feel bored while waiting. Life, however, is full of such pauses. These pauses are the requisite moments in between otherwise purposeful activities …

Create a pleasant home atmosphere that lights you up!