Black + White Living Room

A black and white living room may sound a bit harsh, but done the right way, it can turn out beautifully. Below are some tips on how to achieve a black and white scheme while still maintaining a sense of coziness.

• Opt for slightly off-whites
• Incorporate gold or silver metals through table legs, lamps and other accessories
• Mix patterns (throw pillows and blankets are an easy way to do this)
• Warm up the room with an area rug
• Add artwork and / or framed photos
• Play with different shapes (ex. a round mirror, square frames, asymmetrical area rug)

Check out the round-up below of black and white living rooms done right!

Photo: Bloglovin

Photo: Centsational Girl

Photo: This is Glamorous

Photo: Decor8

Photo: Pop Sugar

Photo: Decor Pad

Photo: Decozilla

Photo: Design Sponge

Stylish Home Offices

I don't know about you, but working from home would certainly be a dream come true for me. Wouldn't it be nice if your commute to work consisted of a few steps (literally)? If you're one of the lucky ones who is able to work from home, then these home office design tips will be sure to catch your eye.

First and foremost, it's important to create a space that is solely dedicated to work. Whether you are able to designate an entire room, or a portion of a room (have an extra closet?), figure out a place that will allow you to step away from everything else at home and focus on your business. Once you've determined where your "office" will be located, it's time to get creative with layout, organization, and decor. Start with a color scheme and stick to it. This will visually separate your office space from everything else. Stay organized with labeled bins, boxes, drawers, and file cabinets (check out Design Sponge's DIY wallpapered file cabinet). Most importantly, make your home office a place where you feel comfortable and enjoy spending time in.

Photo: Decor8

Photo: Design Sponge

Photo: House Beautiful

Photo: Me Oh My

Photo: Sunset

Small Backyard Getaways

Sometimes your backyard is as far as you have to go for a little getaway. No matter how small, it's always nice to have a private outdoor space to escape from the outside world. Make your backyard a comfortable place to relax by adding functional furniture, cozy lighting, and colorful accessories.

First, determine how you would like your outdoor space to be used. For example, is it a place for entertaining, reading a book, or taking a quiet nap? Once you've nailed down your space's function, select furniture that will do the job. If your backyard is a calm place for you to relax and regroup, then a hammock may be just what you need. On the other hand, if you're looking to entertain, then a mini bar and a table with chairs or benches will work best.

After furnishing your outdoor space, finish it off with fun accessories such as colorful table cloths, cushions and pillows, lively plants and flowers, and decorative string lights.

Photo: Apartment Therapy

Photo: House and Home

Photo: Decor8

Photo: HGTV

Photo: Sunset

Photo: Young House Love

A Dream Craft Room

If you haven't already noticed; I love to do crafts. That being said, my dream home will definitely have a space where I can craft away whenever my heart desires. As any craft-er can probably relate to; you need a functional, efficient space to organize and easily access all of your crafting materials. Whether it's glue, buttons, or lace, each item has to have a neat and tidy home where it can live when it's not in use. This makes the whole crafting process a whole lot easier.

My dream craft space would have to contain the following elements:

• Organization! Labeled shelves, bins, drawers, and jars make organizing little crafty nick-knacks a heck of a lot easier. Tip: use mason jars for the small stuff. You'll see what is in each jar without even having to open them up.
• Make it a "you" space. A craft room should be a fun and inspiring space that you look forward to spending time in. Get creative with it! Paint a pattern or image on the wall, give the ceilings a little color, or keep it calm and simple; figure out what suits you best, and make it happen.
• A great work space. All these crafts have to be done somewhere right? Tip: pick up a used dining table at a local flea market or garage sale and use it as your crafting work space. It'll add character to your craft room and you won't be as worried about it experiencing a little wear and tear.
• Pin-up boards for inspiration. I don't know about you, but I'm constantly tearing pages out of magazines with the thought of, "I'm going to make this someday!" in mind. Or, finding scraps of fabric that I know will inspire some sort of craft in the future. Pin-up all of your inspirational items, because you never know which one will spark your next great idea.

Take a look at the amazing craft rooms below. As soon as I came across these spaces, I knew that I had to have a craft room of my own (someday!).

Photo: Martha Stewart

Photo: Decor8

Photo: Ish and Chi

Photo: Caitlin Creer

Photo: Better Homes and Gardens