New Uses For Old Things: Mug Rack

14" tall stainless steel mug tree; $25 Crate and Barrel. 

I love re-purposing old things in new ways! Thanks to HGTV, here are three clever ways to use a mug rack or "tree" to organize some loose ends around the house. Their "branches" are perfect to hang objects. 

Jewelry: No more tangles when you hang your everyday jewelry. 

Original source: HGTV

Scissors: All kinds of cutters can fit neatly on the pegs. 

Original source: HGTV

Ribbon: Slide on the spools and you can cut off pieces as you need them. 

Original source: HGTV

Other items you can hang; washi tape, rubber bands, keys. If you don't want to spend a lot, hit up your local Dollar Store. They usually have wooden ones there that you could paint to match any room in the house.

Design 101: Everything You Need to Decorate Your House

We are currently in the early phases of building a home and it's become all consuming. I don't know how anyone ever did this without the inspiration of Pinterest or the Internet. I came across this fun, informative decorating article in Architecture and Design that I thought was worth passing along. Some of the diagrams you could do without but some are fantastic. 

One of my favorites - How to Decorate a Mantel. But I also liked the one on how to style a bed, the rug size and placement diagram, and picking the right paint. I mean, c'mon how many times have you stood at the paint counter with glazed eyes when they ask if you want eggshell or semi-gloss? Thanks to this handy diagram, you'll look like a pro! 

Honey and Fitz

The simple “formula” to creating the perfect mantel vignette lies in creating a visual triangle. Steven and Chris show us the way with 5 easy steps.

#1:  Center a large piece (art or a mirror) on your mantel
#2:  Add something with movement to the left.  I struggle with understanding what “movement” means exactly but I think it means a pairing of items in varying height that cause your eye to bounce between them (hence movement).
#3:  Add something with visual weight on the right (to counterbalance the movement element on the left). See…a triangle is forming.
#4:  Layer in a couple of additional framed pieces in a cluster.
#5:  Balance that on the opposite side with a couple of accessories (books or decorative boxes) in a cluster of varying heights. 

How to Style a Bed

Matouk

Rug Size and Placement

Burlap and Lace

Choosing the Right Paint

Kirsten and Danielle

For the entire list, click HERE.