Wednesday, June 4, 2025

7 Tips You Have To Know To Get That Designer Look In Your Home


"Thanks to Mor Furniture for Less for sponsorship and making this post available to you. All opinions are my own"

 "Mor Furniture for Less" invited me to their Miramar showroom in San Diego, California to pick my brain about my personal tips on getting a beautiful, designer look inside the homes of their customers. Not only did they ask for me to share my knowledge, the team at Mor Furniture also asked me to put my expertise into play by creating two spaces for them using any of my favorite Mor Furniture items that were available and I'm going to share it ALL with YOU! In this post, you're going to learn a few of my techniques that I use to design a room PLUS you'll see examples of those techniques through the spaces I created using my top picks from Mor Furniture! Also, I'm providing the names and links to all the furniture I used at the end of this post.




TIP #1 Doesn't matter how big or small your space is; have plenty of seating for you and your guests. 

If your space is on the smaller side, opt for a sofa with smaller tighter arms which will take up less space. Instead of a sofa and loves eat combo, opt for one sofa and replace the love seat with one or two armchairs. 

the "Waitsfield" Sofa Chaise is the perfect size to sprawl out and relax and does double duty as a pullout bed. The "Jersonlow" Swivel Chair allows you to either face the TV or your guests.

the "Leslie" side chair gives you a place to sit and put your shoes on, or maybe read a book.


Tip #2  Every seating area needs a nearby surface to sit a drink on. 

Coffee tables and side tables are a MUST! They give you a place to sit your phone or tablet on, a place to put a drink and of course a great surface to decorate. Occasional tables (smaller scaled accent tables) look great next to an accent chair and gives the person sitting on the accent chair a place to put a drink, book or smartphone on. 


the "Joville" accent table can be moved around to wherever you need it. The "Lowden" coffee table is actually on small wheels which makes it easy to move around if needed. 


Tip #3 Create a style plan for your home and stick with it.

Be your own designer and create a style "map" for yourself. Create an online album or Pinterest board with a collection of inspirational images, colors, styles, furniture and home accessories that you love. Hone in on the common threads of these images and create a color scheme for your home, along with the types of styles and overall mood you want to create in your home, It's easy to be overwhelmed when you go out and shop for furniture and accessories but if you have a plan, it eliminates those impulse buys that end up looking questionable once you get it in your home. 

This color scheme was 100 percent intentional and designed by me. Notice the repetition of the wood tones and the colors green and brown. I wanted the mood of this room to be "Vintage 90's meets Natural Zen.


Tip # 4 Measure! 

If your'e thinking of buying furniture, then you MUST have an idea as to what size furniture will fit in your space. I have the measurements of every room in my home saved on my phone, along with the ideal sizes for the bigger pieces of furniture like beds, sofas, and dining tables. Also, if I'm online and I see a piece of furniture that I love, I look at the measurements of the piece of furniture and then whip out my measuring tape to see if it would fit in my home. 


Tip #5 When you're at a Furniture store, don't be afraid to ask for help and move things around.

When I'm in a furniture store, I'm not afraid to ask for help. I like to move pieces of furniture around so that I can get a good idea as to how something will look in my home and I encourage you to do the same. The customer service specialists are usually very happy to help you move items around and especially at Mor Furniture!

I'm notorious for accessorizing a space in a showroom when I'm shopping for furniture.


Tip #6 Finish your spaces with beautiful lighting.

Lamps are the jewelry to a room. Invest in lighting that is beautiful both on and off. Use warm, soft lighting that casts a cozy glow in the evenings and NEVER use cool-toned lights or "daylight" toned lights. Cool-toned light bulbs cast a creepy glow and it makes your house look like the inside of a refrigerator đŸ¥¶.

Pictured here: "Wendfield" Table Lamp in Antique Copper


Tip #7 Mix your styles but keep things cohesive with a color story.

Blending two or three different design styles makes a space look interesting, Personally, I love mixing traditional with modern and contemporary. To make the space look intentional and designer, I stick with a cohesive color story.

The traditional style of this beautiful canopy bed and matching nightstands give a sense of formality to this bedroom but I wanted it to also feel young and playful so I added contemporary-style seating and lamps. Bedroom set is "Countryside" and comes in either canopy or non-canopy.


There you have it! Putting these tips into action will definitely help you achieve that designer look in your home  regardless of the size of your budget and the size of the space you're working with. That brings me to my final piece of advice when shopping for furniture: Shop from a place you can trust to have a huge selection, good quality pieces at the right prices and an amazing warranty that they stand behind. I can easily recommend Mor Furniture to you because not only have I handled a lot of their furniture pieces, I also am an owner of furniture from Mor that I have been very happy with.


Thanks friends, for reading! Make sure to save these tips in a Pinterest board for future reference đŸ“Œ Also, scroll down to the end of this post to see the list and links of all the furniture I used to create these beautiful spaces in collaboration with Mor Furniture for Less!

Bedroom:


Living Room:


'Till next time,

Oscar

Monday, March 25, 2024

Trending Now: Candle Sconces




Wednesday, July 14, 2021

Reviewing my Serena & Lily Bedding- Two Years and Many Washes Later




This post made possible by Serena & Lily. Always a pleasure to introduce their products in my home. Affiliate links used here, all opinions are my own ♡


 Two things that I love to splurge on: FOOD and BEDDING. 

Both of these things when they're constructed exceptionally, are such a joy to experience. We all know how amazing it feels to eat a delicious meal, am I right? Well, I find that sinking into a beautiful bed and having soft, cool sheets caress my skin while I nestle my head into the perfect spot on my pillow to be absolute bliss.  HEAVENLY.

Being a home decor blogger has given me a lot of opportunities to review bedding from quite a few different companies so I feel that because of this I really understand the difference between "good" bedding and "great" bedding. One of my favorite home decor brands, Serena & Lily asked if I would be kind enough to review some of my favorite products that I've owned for some time from Serena & Lily and the first thing that came to mind was the Serena & Lily bedding in our master bedroom.

Saturday, May 1, 2021

Framing Wallpaper To Use As Oversized Art


*this post was made possible by Rebel Walls, my go-to source for wallpaper and murals. 
 
I'm not exactly sure what brought the sudden craving for a bit more color in my home. Now that I think about it, it could possibly be that this necessity for a more cheerful, more feminine and brighter space could stem from my somewhat stressful and chaotic work life. There's been some recent changes in my job that for the most part has been good, but has also brought on some challenges that have left me emotionally wiped out at the end of the day. I needed to make a few decorative changes that would help lift my spirits through the use of soft colors, beautiful patterns, order, and cohesiveness. Oh, and all of that had to be achieved at a really low price.

Friday, May 22, 2020

Everything I Used to Hang My IKEA Curtains

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

I Love My Stuff Too Much To Kiss Them Goodbye




While it seems like all of the world is de-cluttering their homes Marie Kondo style, I'm here celebrating the artistic approach to displaying and layering my treasures on almost every flat surface in my home. Don't get me wrong -I am most definitely not a fan of clutter and I totally understand what Marie Kondo is preaching with her famous KonMari method which in a nutshell is to only keep what we truly love. But what if you have a lot of love for a lot of things?

Thursday, May 3, 2018

Rearranging your Furniture Makes Everything Feel New Again

Monday, April 16, 2018

Reading These Simple Tips Will Help You Choose The Right Rug

Monday, February 19, 2018

11 Things You Can Do RIGHT NOW To Make a Basic Kitchen Look Better

Friday, December 1, 2017

7 Simple Tips for a Beautifully Decorated Christmas Tree


The Christmas tree is the main attraction in any home during Christmas so we want these trees to look their best! I'm sharing some very simple tips for decorating a tree that will really make a difference in the way the tree looks. I'm sharing some tips and some pictures I took that evening when I was decorating my tree so you'll notice my pictures getting darker and darker as it gets later as the evening progresses, lol. I was rushing to beat the sunset!

 Anyway, I'm gonna get straight to it, here we go!

TIP #1 -STICK WITH A COLOR SCHEME

Develop a color scheme that compliments the rest of your house and holiday decor, including your gift wrap! The gifts go right under that tree so might as well make them look cohesive. 


TIP #2 -USE A GOOD_LOOKING TREE SKIRT

There are so many great options out there! And, they don't necessarily have to be an actual tree skirt. A nice throw blanket works just fine. 


TIP #3 -USE THE RIGHT ORNAMENT HOOKS

If you have a green tree, use green ornament hooks. If you have a white or frosted tree, use silver hooks.

TIP #4 FLUFF YOUR TREE!

If you are using an artificial tree, you can't just take the tree out of the box and expect it to look good. You MUST pull the branches apart and away from each other so that the tree looks full and realistic.


TIP #5 USE RIBBON

Ribbon adds so much style to a tree. After fluffing the tree, the ribbon goes on first. I find it easier to cut strips of ribbon and tuck them into the tree instead of going around and around the tree with a continuous piece. I make 2 to 3 loops in my ribbon and tuck it into the tree.


I like my ribbon pieces to all be at about the same angle. I like how clean it looks that way, especially since my tree is slim. But, have fun with it and experiment. That's the beauty of cutting strips -you can easily change the direction of the ribbon.


TIP #6 GO BIG!

Adding large "statement piece" ornaments add tons of style to your tree. Throw in some large spheres mixed with regular sized spheres to add depth to your tree.


TIP #7 HANG YOUR ORNAMENTS CLOSE TO YOUR BRANCHES

Those ornament hooks are pretty long and it makes the ornament hang really far from the tree branch which means that you'll end up seeing a lot of hooks and wires all over your tree. Instead, bend your hook in the middle and wrap it around the branch making the ornament seem as it's hanging right from the christmas tree branch.









So what do you think of my tips? Easy, right? These tips are so uncomplicated but they make such a difference in the overall look of your Christmas tree. Give my tips a try this year and I bet you'll see how much better that beautiful tree of yours will look.











If you want to see more of my Christmas decor, click HERE or just go to the HOLIDAY DECORATING page here on the blog.

'TIll next time!
-Oscar

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Stay Cool All Night with HygroCotton® Sheets

Friday, August 4, 2017

How I Got My Kids To Make Their Beds


Monday, July 31, 2017

How To Arrange A Bookshelf


Tuesday, May 30, 2017

My Favorite Home Decor Accessory for Vignettes

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

How To Paint A Stairwell


Thursday, May 18, 2017

What Is My Home Decor Style?

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

BLACK MAGIC - Ideas For Using The Color Black In Your Home Decor

Friday, April 14, 2017

My Love Hate Relationship with Houseplants

Monday, February 6, 2017

Installing a Pendant Light - The Easy Way


I have ZERO electrical skills, little patience and a home upgrade budget to match. 
So when I got the urge to do a little something new to the kitchen, it needed it to be easy and affordable. I have always envisioned a pendant lamp in my kitchen and I had finally found one that I really loved, and was affordable! 



Well.. that's not the one I ended up with.

At the time, West Elm was all sold out :(   so I searched the internet to find something similar. I wanted my pendant to be: Round or bell-shaped, have a clear glass shade and brass hardware. 

I ended up loving this one! And the price was definitely right!



Along with the pendant, I ordered a recessed light converter kit. This kit allows me to easily change any existing recessed light into a pendant light! 




I watched this detailed step-by-step video on how to install the kit. It was super helpful.



Remember how I said I had zero electrical skills? Well, this kit was a cinch to install!( I mean, I have switched light fixtures on my own, like the one in my dining room, but that's about it.) But, yeah super easy. The only issue I came across was screwing the base of the pendant onto the ceiling. The base has the screw on the sides so getting the screws into the holes was a bit annoying and took a few minutes longer than it should have to tighten 2 screws.




After about an hour, my new pendant light was up!











After using the recessed light converter kit, I would definitely recommend it. 

During my online searches for pendant lights, I came across pendant lights that you literally screw into an existing light socket! Sounds a lot easier than the method I used, but the downside is that there is an limited choice of pendant lights. Here are a few that I like:





Decorative lighting really adds personality to any space. It can come in the way of pendant lights, chandeliers, sconces and lamps. No need for them to be super-expensive either. Just do a little searching and I'm sure you can find a good deal. 

Thanks for reading! `Till next time!

-Oscar