We design a lot of these houses for clients and feel pretty comfortable laying down the requisites. So, without further ado, here are our tips for bringing the light airiness associated with beachy getaways into your own probably darker, smaller, less well-located (probably) apartment.

Gold accents on a fuzzy rug are the glam part and gray mainstay furniture keeps the space grounded. Rattan blinds give the light a nice hue and kind of make you feel like you’re home.

If your aesthetic is on the warmer side, we suggest shopping in cream instead of whites. Add soft textures like carpets and get a comfy sofa that sinks to really drive home the “I’m on vacation” idea.

As you know, blue and white are very beachy colors so adding them to your home in the form of bottles, boxes, book covers and especially buoys is a good idea.

Weatherworn antiques are a great way to add character to a space. This ladder doesn’t go anywhere but doesn’t it look so good?

Tuck beach plants (i.e. grasses) into white planters and use Turkish towels as throws to remind yourself and visitors of sand swept landscapes.

Agate coasters are a simple, inexpensive way to introduce natural elements.

Beach themed accessories will make you think of the beach. Get them in brass so they’re more classy than tacky.

1. A GOOD RENO HAS OPPORTUNITIES FOR DIY PROJECTS

If you’re striving to be economical when it comes to your bathroom redesign, think about what you can handle yourself as a careful DIY. But be honest. What are your strengths and weaknesses? Do you have a mean hand when it comes to painting a wall? Do you like to break things? Maybe some light demolition work is up your alley. However, when it comes to planning out the space, we recommend you go with a designer. A Casaprestige designer can source all of your materials for the space, map out the floor plan, and work with you to find the right contractors in your area to execute the job. Plus, when it comes to the bathroom, you have to be especially careful. You don’t want to break a pipe and have a Sorcerer’s Apprentice moment on your hands. All plumbing and electrical needs should be left to the pros.

2. FIND THAT IDEAL LAYOUT

If you own your apartment or your home, you shouldn’t have to settle for a bad bathroom layout. Let’s face it. You’re in the bathroom every single day, and it has a relatively small square footage compared to the rest of your home. Maximizing space with the proper layout is of the utmost importance. Before you even start any sort of demolition work, ask yourself a few important questions… What do you currently find challenging about the space? What would your dream bathroom look like? What are your top bathroom priorities? Then, work with a designer to discuss this wish list. Placing the essential bathroom fixtures (from sink and vanity to toilet and shower) in the right spots can change that water closet into a proper throne room. Plus, a good layout makes a space more efficient. You may actually get to work on time for once!

3. YOU CAN MAKE A SPA-LIKE SPACE AT HOME

When you renovate your bathroom, the goal should be to create a spa-like space in your home. Your bathroom doesn’t have to be this utilitarian, run-of-the-mill place that you dash in and out of at random points throughout the day! Make it an oasis in your home. And besides, once you’ve finally survived the tough part of the renovation, you should indulge in the fun stuff like bath towels, soaps, and other small accessories to make the room pop. Then, when all is said and done, you can settle in and pretend you’re at some swanky hotel spa. Except you know what? This is better. Because you’re at home, and you can do WHATEVER you want.

Lighting can be as important as the right desk or chair. After all, what’s the point of great design if you can’t see it? Worse yet are those who set up an amazing deskspace, but then fail to use it because the setting is so dark and dismal. We’ve gathered our favorite lighting options with tips for how to employ them in a variety of work areas.

Of course one’s eyes are drawn to light sources, so focus on making the well-lit areas beautiful. A task lamp will highlight your desk accessories and hopefully encourage you to keep your space clutter-free. It’s not a bad idea to invest in some pretty desktop organizing tools, too!

Neon and novelty lamps make a bold design statement in any space. Showcase your personality while brightening dark spaces.

Eye-catching chandeliers and pendant lights will make ceilings feel higher by drawing the attention to a room’s upper regions. Wall sconces throw light upwards and/or against the wall, creating the illusion of higher ceilings and wider rooms. Whether you choose something elaborate or understated, having it feel cohesive with the rest of the decor will make your home office feel like a cozy, considered pod, of sorts.

In all of our dream worlds, every little detail would be hyper-considered and made of the best, most sustainable, most beautiful materials. Unfortunately, few of us have the time or budget to make this a reality. That being said, focusing your best design self on certain pieces will do much to improve a space. The desk, chair and light source are the three most important design aspects of your work space (and, okay, also your rug) and these are what’s really worth focusing on.

If hiring an electrician to hang an amazing chandelier is out of your budget and you don’t really have room for a desk or floor lamp, consider the mirror. It bounces light around the room, doubling as an attractive and functional decor element.

Cabinet hardware is easy to change and the leather adds a lovely texture that will warm up the allover look of your kitchen. You can buy the pulls in many different colors and shapes, but you can also jump into a perfect little DIY project and do them yourself

GET SOME SPARKLE OVER YOUR DINING TABLE

Great lighting creates a cozy and welcoming feeling and is also something that really dresses up a room. There are beautiful lamps for every budget.

USE PAINT AND WALLPAPER LIBERALLY

Be bold with color and do a feature wall or paint or wallpaper an entire room. Paint is the easiest—and also the easiest to bring back to neutral, instead of removing wallpaper. The color you decide on can be reinforced with new cushions, throws and artwork.

MAKE A READING CORNER

A reading corner is a great place to relax, have your morning tea or coffee, or work on your laptop. You can treat it almost as its own little room. Add a floor lamp and dress the chair with extra throws and cushions. If your room has a small corner, you can make a built-in seat or, if your window is wide enough, a window seat.

USE CUSHIONS TO ADD COLOR AND TEXTURE

Go for different colors and patterns to dress your room up or down. When you decorate a room, it is important to use varying surfaces and textures to make the space come alive and play to all of your senses, which will make the room feel warm and inviting.

First thing’s first, do a proper clear out. Removing clutter and rearranging your furniture will immediately create a new energy and look to your room. Don’t be afraid to try multiple ideas in order to find the perfect layout.

2. GROUP YOUR SMALLER ITEMS

When you dress your room, don’t just spread everything out, but create ‘stilleben’ moments around your home. That way, you can still have decorative items without them turning to clutter.

3. USE FRESH FLOWERS

Fresh flowers brighten up your living room, dining room, really any room! Choose colors you love that go with the color scheme in your home. Try a big bouquet, a small grouping or even just a single flower in a beautiful vase.

4. UPGRADE YOUR LINENS

New bedding is a quick and easy way to give your bedroom that luxurious hotel feeling. When dressing your bed, add two extra pillows. It will look great and feel great when sitting in bed reading a book before going to sleep.

5. MAKE AN ART INSTALLATION

Create a personal and eye-catching feature in your living, dining or bedroom. Paint a single wall a striking color, then add frames of different shapes and sizes. You could also use all the same frames for a look that’s less ‘busy.’ Add gorgeous art and you have your masterpiece.

Location, location, location

You can’t just toss a desk in any corner of your home and call it an office. Whether you have an extra room or an extra corner, the location and layout of your new workspace is very important. It’s proven that sunlight aides productivity so consider sitting close to a window. Plus, having a view is nice when you need to take your eyes away from your computer screen. If, like us, you live in a small apartment in a big city, there are great options for convertible desks or fold-out tables that can be tucked away when you’re done working.

Consider the sensory experience

The sensory experience of a home office can make or break a work day! Dim lighting, uncomfortable temperatures, bad seating (more on this later) or relentless noise can make concentrating very difficult. If your work area has less-than-stellar lighting, get a desk. Working from your sofa sounds like a good idea but you’ll end up with a sore back after too many hours. Noisy traffic or appliances, like a fridge, can distract you from doing your best work. If you have the room to sit somewhere quiet, do, otherwise we suggest noise-cancelling.

Keep it organized

Great organization is the foundation of efficiency. Whether you’re strictly a Cloud user or you have real life physical files, it’s important to know where they are and how to access them. Filing cabinets, storage boxes and paper folios all come in a variety of sizes, styles, colors and space-saving shapes. No floor space? Tack it to your wall!

BUILD A BEAUTIFUL, PERSONAL ROOM

Not everything in your kids’ room needs to be from a children’s furniture source. Allow yourself to incorporate vintage finds from all over the world or other parts of the house. Choose bright and happy colors that foster a sense of warmth. Above all, the space should be functional and organized so that your kid can use and enjoy it on a daily basis.

GET CREATIVE WITH STORAGE

Make sure everything in your child’s room has a place. This makes clean-up easier and also comes in handy when trying to find things. Use storage boxes that are on wheels and clearly labeled with their contents. You can even print out a picture of what’s inside for little ones who aren’t reading yet.

PLAY HOUSE

Find some DIY inspiration online to make your kids their very own playhouse. It doesn’t have to be fancy—just a place for them to escape with a book or play make-believe. Collect and paint a cardboard wardrobe box and assemble your own castle!

CREATE COZY CORNERS

Set up a special space for your children to escape—it’s lovely for reading or even napping. Be sure to outfit your tent or teepee with soft blankets and overstuffed pillows for maximum comfort!

MAKE AN ART AND WRITING CENTER

Give your kids a space to draw and create. Find low tables and chairs where they’re encouraged to sit and focus on their little masterpieces. Keep crayons, markers, paper and other supplies at eye level and within reach of their art table so they can draw freely without having to get up. Incorporate a chalkboard (you can do so easily with chalkboard paint!) into your playroom so your kids can update their artwork day after day.

CHOOSE FURNITURE THAT FITS THE SCALE OF YOUR ROOM

Measure the length and width of your room. Account for the dimensions of any alcoves or other recessed spaces. Create a floor plan based on your measurements. You can use formal grid paper, but you don’t have to. Determine how much room you can spare for furniture and sketch out a few different scenarios. After assessing your options, mark spaces on the floor to get a better visual of the sizes and shapes you’d like to find to fill your space.

DETERMINE YOUR THEME

There are a number of interior design themes, including modern, contemporary and traditional. Modern and contemporary furniture has clean lines and a neutral palette that includes lots of whites and beiges. Glass, metal and shiny black lacquer are used more often than traditional woods. Traditional furniture is elegant but with a ‘heavy look’. It tends to feel a little more formal, have more layers of colors and textiles, and may include details like rolled arms and skirted bottoms. The palette includes everything from ivory to rich hues of red and other colors.

ASSESS HOW THE ROOM WILL BE USED

If your living room will be the family hangout, you will need good, solid furniture, especially if your kids are still young. On the other hand, if your living room will only entertain the occasional guest, you can go for more fragile pieces and delicate fabrics.

MAXIMIZE THE ROOM’S NATURAL ARCHITECTURE

Some rooms contain built-in design elements and architectural details that may help you determine the style and look of the room.

CHECK YOUR DOORWAYS

Measure how wide your doorways are to prevent potential delivery mishaps. You do not want to purchase a piece of furniture only to discover that you cannot get it into your house.

START WITH THE BASICS

Most living rooms contain a sofa, armchair and a coffee table. Look for these basic elements before adding extra pieces such as side tables, ottomans and lamps.

BUY INVESTMENT PIECES

High-quality pieces may cost a little more, but they tend to hold up better and last longer. Invest in high-quality, stain-resistant fabrics. Luxurious, well-made materials will keep you feeling more comfortable and generally last longer than cheaper fabrics. Stain-resistant fabrics are especially useful if you have young children.

COORDINATE YOUR PIECES

Each piece of furniture in your living room should complement the others. Otherwise, your room will look chaotic and busy. If you have an interior design theme, such as modern or traditional, stick with pieces that fit with your theme.

One of the best ways to get on the clutter free track is to visually create this illusion of more room, height and light with a monochromatic color scheme. And what better color to use than the timeless and opulent white. In fact, we wouldn’t recommend any other color than white to go monochromatic with unless you were decorating on the set of Willy Wonka (III.) Then, you can bring in your personal style or theme and introduce tons of texture with accessories. If you are looking for inspiration to design your room interiors in white, this post is for YOU. These gorgeous pictures of white rooms that we designed at Casa restige have character and speak volumes of space with a relaxed inspired mood. Now, you can check them out on the below images!

Here are 10 easy ways to add color into your bathroom design, while still leaving the space feeling clean and put together.  

Paint first

Practically speaking, paint is the simplest and most affordable way to add a large punch of color to a space. We recommend selecting the shade you want first and then building the rest of the room’s color scheme around it.

Play With Colorful Tile

Where tile is concerned, the phrase “less is more” rings true. Gone are the days of covering the entire room in saturated tile. Rather modern bathrooms use colorful tiles to draw attention to a focal point. Use it in a spa-like rainforest shower or as an eye-catching backsplash behind your vanity.  

Try The Tub

A modern option sure to make an impact is adding a shaded tub. You can choose from a variety of materials such as copper or painted porcelain, but whichever you choose be sure to select hue that you’ll be happy with for a long time to come.

Use Colorful Towels

Why are towels such a great choice when it comes to adding color: they’re available in every shade imaginable, are relatively inexpensive and super easy to swap out if you change your mind.

Focus on Floor Coverings

A bath mat or area rug can infuse color into the space and also has a functional purpose in bathrooms that include a tub or shower. Choose a color that ties into with the rest of your accent shades for a truly cohesive look.

Don’t Forget the Decor

One common misconception is that since bathrooms are often smaller than the other spaces in your home, you don’t need to worry about decor items. The opposite is true. A few well-placed decor items are the secret to making this space feel truly pulled together. Consider using candles, baskets or decorative display shelves to really drive your design home.

Bring In Some Greenery

If all else fails to pique your interest, incorporate a little color from nature. Whether they’re real or synthetic, colorful or simply green, a few plants can go a long way to add that pop of color into your bathroom.
Which idea would you like to try in your bathroom?