With summer winding down and the evenings beginning to cool down just a bit, it’s the perfect time to retreat to the screen porch after a long day.  Use your screen porch for a comfortable living area, a casual dining room, or a delightful sleeping porch.  Add a ceiling fan, accent lighting (ditch the bright overhead, it’ll just attract the bugs that manage to slip through the screen!), outdoor fabrics, and an indoor/outdoor rug to make the place homey.

Photo: House Beautiful

Photo: Apartment Therapy

Photo: My Home Ideas

Photo: House Beautiful

Photo: My Home Ideas

Photo: Traditional Home

Photo: Apartment Therapy

Photo: My Home Ideas

Antlers, faux or real, are not just for those showing off their proud achievements.  Whether you’re a hunter yourself, or just like the natural element, check out these interiors that incorporate the antler attack!

A coffee table is a piece of furniture that often does not get a lot of attention in the furniture selection process, and yet it will likely become one of the most used pieces in your living or family room.  You’ll want to go through a careful thought process before deciding on the right coffee table for your room.

• As is the case with any big furniture decision, measure the space.  Allow for 15″ between any seating and the table.   Coffee tables can range anywhere from 11″ to 25″ in height.  If you plan on eating in the living room and setting dishes on the table, then opt for the highest height possible.  If your room is extremely contemporary, then a low 11″ table can be a stunning look.

• Consider the amount of traffic that will be circulating throughout the room. If your living room is always filled with people and action, then you will need to pick a durable table rather than an antique.  A sturdy wooden table with built in storage can be a great option for a busy family.  A large upholstered is perfect if you have family members who like to prop their feet on their coffee table; it can also work in anywhere from the most casual room to a formal living room.

• If you have a stylish rug or beautiful flooring that you want to show off, a glass coffee table will do a wonderful job of showing that off.   A glass coffee table reflects light and makes the space seem bigger as well.

• Go with the opposite look of the other pieces of furniture.  If your sofa and chairs have exposed legs, then an upholstered ottoman can be the best look.  If the sofa and chairs are skirted, then a glass table with metal legs or a wooden table with defined legs will look best.

• Typically, rectangular tables are the most functional.  However, in a space where the other furniture is square and sharp at the corners, a round or oval table provides a nice contrast.  In a particularly large room, a square coffee table provides a huge amount of space for placing books, plates, and glasses.

With a decision based on size and function, as well as materials that best complement the look of the room, your coffee table will become a focal point rather than simply a holding place for books and drinks.

Ottomans are a stylish way to add both seating and storage space.  They are the ultimate multi-tasking item.  While you can certainly use an ottoman for its intended purpose of a footrest, you can also use yours as a coffee table, an extra seat, a pop of color, or a side table.

Photos: House Beautiful

We’ve looked at the sofa basics before, deciding what size and materials are best for your purposes, but there are also many style and shape options to take into account.  Determined by the look of the arms, back, and legs or skirt, a sofa’s style defines the room because of its large presence among the other furniture.  Let’s take a look at some of the most common sofa styles.

• English Sofa: The English sofa typically has a tight back and loose seat cushion.  The arm and back have a slight rolled appearance and are set back from the front of the sofa.  When you sit in an English sofa, you will notice that you sit back in it.  Though you can certainly have an English sofa made with a skirt, traditionally only casters are seen.

• Tuxedo Sofa:  If you are in the market for a contemporary sofa with lasting appeal, the Tuxedo could be the perfect fit.  The Tuxedo’s arm seem to blend into the back as they all come to the same height.  With extremely clean lines and a modern yet timless feel, the Tuxedo sofa is a sophisticated choice.

• Camelback Sofa: One of the most traditional sofa styles, the Camelback dates back to 18th Century London and the furniture maker Thomas Chippendale.  The serpentine curve on its tight back is the distinguishing feature of the Camelback sofa.

• Chesterfield Sofa: For your office or library, an iconic choice would be the Chesterfield upholstered in leather.  With its rolled arms and back of even height, and tufting throughout the back and sometimes seat, the Chesterfield is the quintessential masculine sofa.

• Lawson Sofa: The Lawson has a low squared off back, with lower square or rolled arms.  Usually seen in loose seat and loose back, the Lawson sofa is a comfortable choice for a family room.

• Bridgewater Sofa: Bridgewater sofas have low arms and a high back with loose back and cushions.  They are almost always skirted.   It is a comfortable, casual look, perfect for busy families who want to relax in their home at the end of the day.

• Mid-Century Modern Sofa: the Mid-Century Modern sofa looks like it would be at home in a space with retro appeal.  The clean, square lines seem to float on thin legs giving it a sophisticated and streamlined, yet fun, look.

Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter this last week, but that’s not so bad.  That means six more weeks of enjoying lovely evenings spent by the hearth.  If you haven’t already made your living room into a cozy haven this winter, here are some pictures for inspiration.

Photo: Traditional Home

Photo: Barbara Barry

Photo: Lucyina Moodie

Photo: Martha Stewart Living

Photo: Traditional Home

Lighting the dining room can be a tricky task.  Often people put up a chandelier and assume their lighting work is done.  While a chandelier is a beautiful feature of most dining rooms, more is necessary to create the ambiance that one would want at the dinner table.   Follow these tips to create the perfect lighting combination for your dining room.

1.Hang the chandelier so that the bottom hits approximately 30 inches above your table.  Too low and it will interrupt conversation among your guests.  Too high and no one will appreciate it.  Install a dimmer if possible.  The light from a chandelier can mimic candlelight when dimmed.

2. Install sconces.  The light is subtle yet will keep the entire room well lit.  You want to avoid a table that is lit when the rest of the room is dark.  Sconces will stop this look from happening.

Photo: House Beautiful

3. Candlestick lamps on a sideboard also help light flow throughout the room while keeping the space from appearing too bright.  Hurricanes with tall candlesticks also can create this look.

4. Hang mirrors strategically in the room to keep the low light bouncing around the space.

5. Lastly, Never underestimate the effect of candles on the table.

Photo: House Beautiful

Continuing on our kitchen theme from last week, today we’re going to look at helpful ways to increase organization in the kitchen.  With all the spices, pots, pans, and other cooking supplies that take up space in our kitchens, it’s no wonder that we often have trouble finding adequate storage and organization in our kitchens.  Below are some great ideas for sneaking a little bit of sanity into our homes.

If you find yourself entertaining guests often, open shelves can be a great idea.  It allows guests to find meal preparation and serving pieces without constantly asking you.  This makes life easier for both!

Small filing drawers are the perfect place to keep recipe cards in order and within reach.

Don’t underestimate the power of store bought drawer organizers.  This drawer uses organizers to store spices at an angle, making sure they stay in place with easily read labels.

Built-in cubbies are a practical and attractive way to store wine.  The perfect bottle will be right there when you need it.

With a little ingenuity, there are endless ways to incorporate storage that is both extremely functional as well as design savvy.

Photos: Traditional Home

Choosing a lamp for your living room can be tough.  It’s easy to go too big or too small, too much light or not enough.  These tips will help you make the right decision and end up with a lamp that is both attractive and functional.

Photo: House Beautiful

1. There should be a lamp every 10 feet to provide adequate light for the room.   Wherever someone will be reading or making conversation, place a lamp of 60 watts.  In areas where people will gather, opt for glass or crystal bases.  They will make the area seem open and inviting.

2. Choose lamps with heavy bases.  Living rooms are high traffic areas and there are many opportunities for lamps to be knocked off tables by mingling guests, rowdy children, pets, etc.  Lamps of substantial weight are less likely to be knocked over.

3. Living Room lamps should be 24 – 36 inches high, however make sure that you can not see up into the lamp when seated next to it.  Looking at hardware is not appealing!  Also, make sure the proportion of the lamp does not overwhelm or become dwarfed by the surface on which it sits.

4. A fabric shade will cast the warmest light and will be the most flattering to those in the room.

5. The living room is somewhere you can use unique, statement lamps.  Feel free to be bold and pick an interesting vase, an unexpected color, a one of a kind shape.

Following these tips will help you choose a lamp that will add both light and aesthetics to your living room.