Want to add some glamour to your home without going overboard? Consider white and gold decor.

Of course, you don’t want to overdo it and have your home end up like the penthouse of Trump Tower, but white and gold might just be for you if you like sparkly, glitzy and glamorous decor. White and gold decor can take your home from blah to glam while keeping things more on the elegant side of the taste scale. Read on to get inspired by these eco-friendly suggestions to take on this color trend in your space.

Eco-friendly White and Gold Decor

1. Gold Wallpaper

While you might think that gold wallpaper is taking things a little too far–after all, you don’t live in Versailles–give it a second chance. If you pick the right gold wallpaper, you can elevate your decor without looking gaudy. This flora and fauna paper made with water-based inks on sustainably-harvested paper is the perfect example.

2. Metallic Paint

Looking to go bold? Add an accent wall painted with a gold metallic paint. While a whole gold-painted room would be just too much, an accent wall is just the way to make a statement. Try a low-VOC paint like the ones from Metaltech.

3. White Sofa

Imagine this elegantly modern white sofa in a room decorated in white and gold (this would work perfectly with the gold paint or wallpaper previously mentioned). And if you aren’t already convinced, this modern loveseat is eco-friendly, non-toxic, and made in the U.S.

4. Chandelier

Add both glamour and functionality with a chandelier. This one features both modern elegance with vintage appeal in the aged gold leaf.

5. Gold Wall Decals

Removable wall decals are great if you are looking to make a change but don’t want it to be permanent. These gold honeycomb wall decals would be ideal for renters with stark white walls looking to add some gold touches.

6. Concrete Coffee Table

Concrete can be a more sustainable choice for both building and home decor. It is a durable material that can last a lifetime. This concrete coffee table would also make a great addition to your white and gold decor to keep your space from looking gauche. It would also look amazing with some gold-colored ceramics and other knickknacks place on top.

7. Gold Curtains

Finally, don’t be afraid to go for it with these sparkly gold curtains inspired by a disco ball. The key to adding these to your decor is to keep everything else sedate.

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Effortless room decor ideas to spruce up your home for the holidays.

When you have company coming during the holidays, feelings of excitement and panic simultaneously strike – especially if it’s been a while since you’ve spruced up your humble abode. I mean, if you’ve got family and friends coming who you haven’t seen in a few years and your home looks exactly the same, it’s time to kick things up a notch. Or seven.

The good news is, you can do a lot with a little. There are plenty of room decor ideas that will make your home look completely different without draining your bank account in the process. Best of all, the changes themselves only take minutes at a time.

Here are 14 effortlessly chic room decor ideas to spruce up your home in no time:

1. Take all of your accessories out of the room you’re revamping and put them in a box. Use a critical eye and only put the ones back that will have the most impact.
2. Focus on the details: Unique picture frames, coasters, mementos, candles – anything that will make your room pop.
3. Update your lampshades with ones that are interesting shapes or bold colors.
4. Depending on the weather in your area, take a walk and pick up some seasonal accents for your home – pinecones, pebbles, shells – and incorporate them into your room decor ideas.
5. Line your windowsills with plants. Paint the pots to coordinate with your room’s color scheme.
6. Replace the drawer and cabinet pulls in your kitchen, bathroom and on your furniture with some unique vintage finds.
7. Take all of the furniture and accessories out of the room and revamp your space with a clean slate. You never know what room decor ideas will strike as you’re staring at that empty room’s potential.
8. Invest in area rugs. They don’t have to be anything fancy – in fact, the more vintage, the better. They’re an inexpensive way to make a bold statement in any room, and they have a knack for making the furniture surrounding them look new again.
9. Take all of your paintings and pictures down and move them to different walls – or rooms.
10. Paint your front door a cheerful, welcoming color. If you’re an apartment dweller, hanging a festive wreath can be just as warm and inviting.
11. Twinkle lights are an inexpensive way to add cozy ambiance to any room, not to mention they’re the perfect way to spread some Christmas cheer.
12. Replace your shower curtain and curtain hooks for an instant bathroom refresh.
13. Change up your snapshots and showcase them in lively frames to create oodles of conversation-starters once your company arrives.
14. You can never go wrong with pillows. They’re one of the easiest and most inexpensive ways to add texture and pattern to a room while making it look like an entirely new space.

Which room decor ideas help you prepare for company?

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Image: Ann Mov

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Apartment decorating ideas for that ginormous bookshelf… when you only own three books.

How many times have you attempted to decorate your bookshelf, only to find it looks worse than before? I’ve personally lost count. No matter how hard I’ve tried to do it like the pros, my bookcases still just look like shelves with stuff on them. Sigh.

If you’ve had your Scarlett O’Hara moment and are done with your bookshelves being a total snore, welcome to the club. Let’s have t-shirts made. Here are 9 apartment decorating ideas to get you started:

1. Make it pop

If your bookcase has a back to it, paint it a couple shades deeper than your room color. This will morph your shelves into a bold focal point. Or, if you’re a pattern kind of gal, one of my fave apartment decorating ideas is adding wallpaper instead, such as a bright chevron pattern or zebra print. If your bookshelves don’t have a back to them, don’t fret: You could also paint the top, sides, and bottom of each shelf and turn each shelf into their own canvas.

2. Master the art of book placement

Okay, so you don’t exactly have the mounds of books you used to (thanks a lot, technology!). Start decorating your shelf by creating funky groupings of the books you do have. Sort them by subject, size, even color scheme. Break up the monotony by learning different ways to stack your books.

3. Make sure to leave a few empty spaces

This is one of those apartment decorating ideas you know is important, yet there’s always this nagging desire to stuff a shelf with everything you own: Leaving empty spaces on your bookshelf is key, especially if you’re decorating a smaller room. It will give the shelf a clean, minimal look, and will create the illusion of a roomier space.

4. Add attractive boxes and baskets

We all have odds and ends (random photos, owner’s manuals, takeout menus) that give off a messy vibe no matter where you put them. Find some funky or bold-colored boxes and baskets for your shelf that’ll serve a dual purpose: The blocks of color and pattern will break up the structure of your bookshelf, while serving as a clutter-free place for your homeless knick knacks.

5. Organize like items in clusters

Cluster your collections and themed items together to create the biggest bang. You can also group items based on shape, texture, color and material. Or if you dig minimalism, use an odd number of like items in a row (3, 5 or 7) to tie your shelf together.

6. Layer to create depth

Use interesting artwork as a backdrop for your books and collectibles to create a cozy, three-dimensional effect.

7. Go big or go home

Ditch itty bitty accessories and go for bigger, bolder accessories that will stand out (even from across the room). Shoot for things like tall vases, large sculptures or giant balls of knotted rope. Give smaller items a larger presence by collecting them in a bold container, such as a vintage jar. Not only will this keep your shelf clutter-free, but you won’t have to spend the next decade dusting everything.

Also, don’t forget the top of your bookcase! Give it some love by leaning large pieces of artwork on it, or use the space for otherwise awkward objects that won’t fit anywhere else.

8. Be yourself

Don’t decorate your shelf based on how you “think” it should look – go with your gut instinct, and use apartment decorating ideas like these as a guideline, not a hard and fast rule. Display the things you’re passionate about, that make you smile, and that tell others exactly who you are.

9. Take your time

The fact is, your bookshelf will never truly be “done.” It will evolve as you do – but as long as you can look at your shelves and say, “This is me,” then you’ve already won the battle.

What apartment decorating ideas have transformed your bookshelves?

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Image: Urbane Apartments

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2013 has been and will continue to be the year of the design pattern in interior decorating. Bold graphics adorn everything from throw pillows, wall prints and lamps to rugs, wallpaper and furniture. And the patterns run the gamut from traditional floral to more exotic animal patterns. If you like prints and patterns, it’s actually quite a fun time to be decorating or redecorating your home because of all the great graphic trends going on. The only limits are your budget and creativity (of course, tastefulness is always a consideration too).

So, what are the hottest graphic pattern trends in interior decorating?

1. Geometrics

Image: West Elm

Geometric design patterns and prints are nothing new, but they will continue to dominate the home decor realm for the rest of 2013. Repeat patterns featuring chevrons, triangles, circles, polyhedrons and hexagons are especially on trend. Go bold and use this trend on your walls or on the floor via a rug or even painted floor or experiment with something as simple as accent pillows or a throw blanket.

2. Stripes

Image: Potterybarn.com

Stripes are also very on trend in interior decorating, whether they are thick or thin, colorful or monochromatic, vertical or horizontal. Stripes are a great pattern to utilize for pattern mixing to add visual interest. Mix horizontal and vertical stripes, mix and match polka dots and stripes or even mix stripes and another trend like geomatics or bird or other animal patterns (see below).

3. Animal Prints

Image: Julia Rothman

Animals enough to fill a forest (or populate an African Savannah) are all over the home decor world this year. Popular creatures include leopards, tigers and zebras, birds, elephants and dogs. They’re popping up in new colors like neutrals or rich fall colors and repeating patterns of leaping, walking, hopping critters are perfectly on point.

4. Natural Elements

Image: Ferm Living

Natural pattern elements like faux bois (fake wood), feather and botanicals are making the rounds; again, don’t be afraid to use these patterns for all aspects of your home decor from walls and floors to furniture and accents—and mix and match them.

5. Florals

Image: Pier 1 Imports

Floral patterns for 2013-2014 are fresh and invigorating. Monochromatic and colorful patterns are both popular, but florals on white backgrounds aren’t. Don’t be afraid to use flower patterns from wallpaper and furniture upholstery to rugs and bedding. The key to using florals is to not overdo it and to mix them with color accents or even other patterns.

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