Author Archives: michaelsmith

Find Your Decorating Style

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Photographer: Pieter Estersohn, Designer: Nate Berkus

When decorating your home, experts say use pieces that match your style. Now, this is great advice. Creating a space that reflects your style is important in making a space into your space. But the big question many of us have is, how do I know, what my style
is?

Recently, I saw a home design show featuring Nate Berkus. Nate was designing his New York City apartment. The focus of this renovation was a living room with statement bookcases. Nate was excited about this space because, to him, home is where the books are. This got me thinking, what is the one thing I can’t live without? What makes an
apartment into my apartment? And then I realized, my answer to this question would define my style.

I, like Nate, love books. I keep several by my bed. This led me to choose a nightstand with a shelf so I can store them all.

So now, you are probably thinking, just because I like something, how does that make my style? Here are a few examples.

- Do you like art? Do you like to display it in your space?

A low, long buffet or other set of
drawers can maximize storage space and
wall space.

- Are you a collector?

Would you like to have closed storage space to keep your stuff and display space to show off your collection? Try a wall unit that incorporates both! It can allow you to make your collection a focal point while concealing your other stuff

Share with us any ideas you have for deciding your style.

Dress Up Your Furniture

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At Contempo Space, we offer custom design options to make a piece that’s fit to be absolutely you. But you can actually take it a few steps further.

There’s no reason that the custom process needs to stop with us.  There are a myriad of things you could do to your furniture as well, to help create a custom look that can
change with seasons, events, or just how you’re feeling.

First and foremost, remember that we are not talking about modifying your furniture.  Leave the tools in the shed unless you’re either a.) really handy or b.) OK with voiding
the warranty.

What we’re talking about here is using simple things like flowers, curtains, sheets, pottery, and other little accents to give your furniture a little more jazz.

For example, try draping a blanket or embroidered sheet over a chair (as seen above) or on top of a TV Stand.

Or, considering the wide array of storage options on Contempo Wall Entertainment Centers, there’s plenty of room for little decorative options such as framed pictures, potted plants, artwork and other small pieces.

Decals and stickers can be tacky, but for children’s furniture they can really help brighten up the room and add a little theme.  Imagine for example how some of
these awesome decals might look on your child’s freestanding wardrobe.

Photo via Interiorzine

Find Your Style with Custom Furniture

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Find your styleStyle is more than just a word.  It’s a concept that encompasses everything having to do with a person’s outward exertion of their personality, their habits, their hobbies and pretty much everything that makes them unique.

We try to wrap the word ‘style’ in limits by categorizing it – haute, contemporary, traditional, modern, colonial – but the truth of what style actually is goes far beyond anything that our limited vocabulary might be able to explain away.

Style is also something functional.  Good style works for you.  Style shouldn’t be difficult or inconvenient, and it shouldn’t be predetermined by a label.   It should instead be simply natural, flowing with grace and ease like it was never even considered.

That’s why ultimately style has to be custom.  And that’s what we offer, custom style made just for you.  Your style might not be in a showroom – and that’s okay.  Because we’re here to make furniture with a custom style created just for you.

At Contempo Space we build freestanding and built-in modern furniture, tailored to the style and the lifestyle of every individual who places an order with us.  With our wide variety of finish and storage options, we’ll work with you to make sure your home furniture is exactly you.

You have to find your style.  Contempo Space will help show you the way.

Photo Credit: Pixomar

Decorating for Dudes: A Guy’s Guide to Interior Design

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Interior Design for GuysTypically, men aren’t particularly keen on decorating.  It’s generally a task they’re happy to let a female counterpart take over, even though there are several talented male interior designers.

Still a lot of guys just don’t get into interior design and even those with an appreciation of aesthetics may rarely try to incorporate that appreciation into their home spaces.

Here are a few tips for all you dudes out there to help make your interior design process a little easier:

Keep it clean, open and simple.  Doing these three things alone will have a huge impact on the success of your design.  Play to your strengths, use solid colors and keep your area free of clutter, and you’re already ahead of the pack.

Play to your hobbies.  Do you love baseball?  Put some baseball memorabilia on the shelves or vintage baseball posters on your wall.  Are you a cinephile?  Try putting up some framed movie posters around your room.  If you have any big hobbies or passions, use your home to show them off.

Integrate Electronics.  Electronics are a big part of any man’s home.  Your big TV and your big speakers are great, but don’t forget, they’re big!  You need to stylishly integrate them into the rest of the space.  Try an Entertainment Center or at the very least make sure they use matching casing.

Wood is a deep, considerate material.  Use wood accents or matte finishes wherever you can to add a deeper dimension to your space.

See that?  Decorating is easy.  Just follow these simple tips and throw in some of your own personal flare, and you’ll have no trouble creating a great space.

Photo Credit: Imagerymajestic

Decorating with Infants in Mind: Baby-proof Nursery Design

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Keep your child's environment safeNursery furniture is easy to find, however you do have to be sure that it’s ASAP – As Safe As Possible.  Your baby will probably spend most of his or her time in the nursery, so do everything you can to ensure that any furniture in the infant’s room is 100% child friendly.

You should always try to purchase your crib in new or very good condition (that part actually goes for any furniture your child might regularly come into contact with) and avoid purchasing cribs with cutouts small enough for little heads or feet to get stuck.

Note: Drop-side cribs were banned by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission due to the number of infant deaths they caused.

When looking for a good dresser, try to purchase one with wall anchors or straps to make sure they won’t tip over and fall if your child tries to climb on them.  If your dream dresser doesn’t feature straps, they can usually be bought separately.  Child-locking drawers are also a great feature to look for if you’re worried about your child being injured while pulling out drawers.

Changing tables are another piece of furniture that requires a critical eye on your part.  A changing table with raised sides or a waist restraint will protect your child from falling off the sides.  Also be wary of hinges or small spaces where small fingers might get trapped.

Do you know of any other tips to make sure your nursery furniture is As Safe As Possible?

Photo Credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Loyal to Modern Design

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The Bronson Room DividerMay 1 is commonly known as May Day, but it’s also been dubbed “Loyalty Day.”

Loyalty is an important thing.  Loyalty to friends, to family, to an idea…these are the things that define us as people and allow particularly great people to bring about progressive changes in our world that affect us all on a positive level.

At Contempo Space, we’ve always been loyal to the ethos of modern design.  We don’t just say our designs are modern – we truly believe it.  No matter what, our designs remain consistent with modern lifestyles.

From our efficiency-forward home storage solutions at Contempo Closet to our innovative wall unit and entertainment center products that are consistently updated to reflect the best in modern home entertainment, each design we put the Contempo name on is loyal to creating useful products for contemporary homes.

Whether they end up in small, rented urban apartments or spacious suburban houses, our designs stay lock-in-step with the needs of modern life.

Everyone’s loyal to something.  We’ve been loyal to modern design for over five decades and that won’t change any time soon.

Pictured Above: The Bronson Room Divider

Be Honest With Yourself

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Bingham Entertainment Center Wall UnitToday, April 30, is National Honesty Day.  So for just one day, be honest with yourself.  What kind of furniture do you really want?

How high should it be?  What color?  What about the storage options?

Some furniture is built the way it is and that’s it.  The manufacturer makes their piece and you have to take it or leave it.

But not Contempo Space.  At Contempo Space, we want you to be honest with yourself and us.  What do you really want?

With a wide array of options in everything from handles and finishes to dimensions and storage options, we can create the piece of furniture that’s exactly what you want.  See something you like on our website, but it could use a few more nooks and crannies?  No problem.  Just tell our expert design consultants what you’re looking for and we’ll build whatever you need.

National Honesty Day only comes once a year.  So today be honest with yourself.   What do you really want?

Pictured Above: Contempo Wall Bingham Entertainment Center Wall Unit

Check Out This Treehouse!

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Friday April 27 is Arbor Day, a day that we use to show thanks for the great resource of wood by planting trees.  It’s an important day since trees not only provide us with oxygen, wood and comfortable shade, but have also given us a delightful pastime – the treehouse.  Check out some of these awesome treehouses from around the web.

Treehouse 1

This treehouse in the British Alnwick Garden was photographed by Christine Westerback.

 

Treehouse 2

This tree house is from Marayur, Kerala, India

Treehouse 3

Photo by Emdot

Treehouse 4

From BeWILDerwood – the Curious Treehouse Adventure Park in Norfolk, UK.  Photo by Karen Roe

Treehouse 5

A backward treehouse by Wm Jas

Treehouse 6

Well, that’s something you don’t see every day – Free Spirit Spheres on Vancouver Island

Have you seen any great treehouses on the web recently?  Post a link in the comments and share with the rest of us!

Things You Shouldn’t Keep in Your Bedroom

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Keep your bedroom clean and sereneA bedroom is a place for relaxation.  Here are a few things you shouldn’t keep in your bedroom.

Assorted Clutter

Your bedroom is not a storage space.  Keep it that way.  Don’t let random junk accumulate and definitely don’t let it block the path from your door to your bed.  The last thing anyone wants to do at 3 in the morning is navigate a dark minefield on their way to the bathroom.

Work

Your brain comes to associate places with various uses.  So if you do work on your bed or in your bedroom, there’s a good chance your brain will eventually come to associate the room with work and alertness, waking you up immediately upon entering the room, regardless of how tired you might be.

Cigarettes

Smoking in bed is very dangerous since if you fall asleep, a lit cigarette could start a fire in your bedroom.

Find Some Way to Cover Your TV

Most sleep experts will tell you to keep your TV out of the bedroom.  Now we understand that some people really enjoy watching TV in bed and who are we to judge?  It can be quite relaxing.  But one thing you should do is at least try to find a way to cover the TV while you’re sleeping.  We suggest keeping it inside an armoire with closing doors.

Photocredit: Kangshutters

Outdoor Decorating Tips

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Outdoor Decorating TipsAlthough the weather wasn’t so great for the Northeast recently, most of the country is gearing up for summer.  And if summer means anything, it’s more time spent outside, so start thinking about how you’ll decorate the outdoors!

If you’ve got the space, try to set up a table and chairs outside. And by that I mean something adequate that you could share a meal on.  There’s nothing quite as relaxing as eating dinner outside on a warm summer night.  Nor is there a better way to start the day than with breakfast on the patio.

Also, in addition to outdoor chairs, consider decorations such as lawn ornaments.  While sometimes they can be cheesy, a few well-placed lawn ornaments can really liven up a yard.  Birdfeeders, birdbaths and birdhouses are always great little accessories that will draw some lovely feathered friends to your yard.

What are some accessories you like using to brighten up the outdoors?  Leave a comment and let us know.

Photo Credit: Photostock