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There’s a chill in the air and holiday lights are starting to appear on the department store shelves. These are sure signs that the holiday season (and all the extra entertaining) are just around the corner. For some, the thought of opening your home to family and friends might seem a little overwhelming. But there’s still plenty of time to make your home feel fresh and festive – without a major overhaul.

Here are a few quick tips to help you prep your home before the holidays arrive.

First, focus on main spaces like your kitchen, bathroom and living areas. Don’t take on a major remodeling project as you roll into the holidays. The kitchen is a gathering space, so spend some time sprucing up your cabinet space, clearing clutter and doing some heavy-duty cleaning of the windows and floors. Easy fixes like new knobs, new lighting or towels can really refresh a space without much cost or fuss.

Then move onto your bathroom to see if there are some easy swaps to brighten the space for guests.

The digital world is so complex, dynamic and fast that many people crave an environment that is aesthetically reduced to balance us. Many interior designers believe that symmetry can change the atmosphere of your home. We’ve all experienced that feeling of looking at a room and having our breath taken away by its beauty or that sense of serenity that you don’t experience anywhere else in the universe. Symmetrical design is key to making that feeling happen in every space in your home.

According to the Gestalt Psychology, though our eyes take in separate pieces of information, our brains boil all of it down into a singular, simpler, recognizable pattern. As far as interiors are concerned, this means that we see rooms as a whole – a bedroom, a living room, a bathroom – before we can focus on the individual design elements themselves.

We love balanced designs because they keep the amount of information that our brains need to process to a minimum. So, where do you start?

• Instead of overloading

According to House Beautiful magazine, mirrors are the most searched-for products on its interiors marketplace. Guess it makes sense because most homes have mirrors in almost every room. Typically wall mirrors perform four basic functions: artistic expression, enhance the size of a room, brighten a space or to reflect specific items in the room for emphasis.

A beautiful mirror can be the focal point of a room. Designer Andreas Charalambous of FORMA Design uses extra-large mirrors to “serve as a last-minute check point as the owners head out to work," he says. I have mirrors at each entry/exit point in my home for just this purpose.

Some people use mirrors as art. According to Daily Art Magazine, people have always been fascinated with their reflections. Many famous artists used mirrors to create their most beautiful works of art. Sometimes mirrors are used to hide something from view, but more often mirrors are used to emphasize something in the space.

A large wall mirror can also bring

One of my favorite television shows is House Hunters. I enjoy seeing all the different home styles and furnishings. And while the hunters don’t always agree on what they’re looking for, nine times out of ten, it seems that people want both a traditional design with modern conveniences.

That’s why I’m so excited to share the newest TV Lift System from TVLiftCabinet: the Linton. The crisp, white-finished cabinet offers superior quality with an eco-friendly and scratch-resistant coat. It’s traditional and modern at the same time.

But, there’s more. Large brushed nickel bar pulls highlight the sleekness of the cabinet, while its insightful design is finished on all four sides. That means that you can place the Linton TVLiftCabinet anywhere and everywhere you want in your home for perfect viewing every time. The built-in electronics tray allows for three pieces of electronic equipment to travel seamlessly up and down with your television set. And the best part? It moves in a near-silent fashion.

The kids are back in school and the leaves are beginning to fall. The stores are beginning to look a lot like… Christmas. What???? Yes – the holidays are starting to make their presence known. Are you hosting the family gathering this year? If so, it might be a good time to check a few things off the list so you can concentrate on more immediate things when things get closer.

One easy thing to check off the list is getting the guest room ready for prime time. If your guest room is like mine, it takes a beating over the summer. It’s the place where all the extra boxes, blankets and toys end up after busy weekends. In no time at all, it’s easy to clear the clutter. Then look at the room and consider the three Cs (Comfort, Convenience, Consideration) that will guarantee your guests have a wonderful experience in your home.

Comfort. Is the bedding comfortable? Do you have enough pillows, blankets and throws to warm up the room? Many stores have special sales leading up to the holidays, so

What time is it? It’s time for some football. Whether it’s college, NFL or high school, it’s one of the most anticipated seasons of the year for millions of Americans. And for those who can’t attend the big games in person, there are a million ways to enjoy the game in the comfort of your own backyard. Some people turn their garages into football havens, complete with half barrels, specialty grills and huge flatscreen televisions. Others turn their dens into their own personal tailgate entertaining space. It’s true, your home is your castle and you can tailgate any way you want.

Here are a few things that will help you prep your tailgate space in style.

• Do you have a space where the television is the focal point in the room? A place where all your guests can see the screen once the game starts? If space is limited, consider adding a TV Lift System Cabinet to your room with a 360-degree swivel, allowing you to adjust the television for the ultimate viewing experience. Choose a model that’s

It’s that time of year again. The countdown is underway for packing up your new college freshman and moving them into a dorm room or small apartment that will be home for the next year (or four).  It’s an exciting (and hectic) time for the whole family.

As you hone your college-ready checklists, here are a few favorites to consider as you help them move on to the next chapter of their lives.

• Memory-foam mattress topper. Most dorm (and some apartment) beds are less than comfortable. This is a purchase that will help those sleep-deprived students get some much-needed R&R when it’s time to hit the sack. Plus, it lasts for a long time, so your child can use it for their first post-college apartment.
• Tool-kit. Yup, a tool kit. Complete with hammer, screwdriver, wrenches and duct tape. We gave one to our daughter and she used it many, many times during her time in the dorms.
• Dual-purpose furniture. Space is a premium. Look for chairs that turn in to beds (extra space for those late-night study

Some interior designers are pointing to a resurgence of mid-century modern furnishings around the country. In fact, an article from Fast Co.Design said, "How Mid-century Modern Became the Pumpkin Spice Latte of Interior Design."

Others say that mid-century modern style has never gone out of style. And there’s a simple reason for its popularity: people like it.  For some, nostalgia for the good old days is surging. For others, it’s a sign of our changing times. The style is great for small spaces (which are becoming more popular every day). It has classic shapes and finishes. Plus, it goes with everything in your home.

If you’re like me, you probably have a mix of different styles and shapes in your home, reflecting your personal interests and tastes. A little bit of mid-century modern in the den, some traditional comfort in the living room and old-fashioned country charm in the kitchen. It’s not like we don’t want to commit to a specific style, it’s just that we want what we want in

Everywhere you turn, things are getting smarter. That goes double for smart features in your kitchen. High-end refrigerators that give you recipes for items inside, wireless meat thermometers that tell you when your meat is the perfect temperature, crock-pots you can adjust with an app and so much more.

Yes, kitchens are getting smarter all the time. But what if you don’t have the space for all those smart tools or the budget to replace appliances that work perfectly fine, but don’t have all the cool, new features? My kitchen appliances are all around 15 years old. The refrigerator keeps things cold. The stove works well and the dishwasher gets things clean. Plus, my kitchen happens to be about the average size of kitchens in condos and apartments (around 150 sq. ft.), so it doesn’t give me much space to store cool new gadgets.

Right now, I use my tablet when trying out new recipes or accessing various applications, but it’s frustrating because it’s so small. Plus, there’s just not a good

White and beige walls may be timeless, but if you’re tired of bland colors, it might be time to add some drama to your interior. Savvy interior designers have embraced this trend because it’s a sophisticated look that can add a lot of depth to a room.

Dark walls fit into any decorating scheme, depending on how they are complemented with furniture, rugs, ornaments and so on. Some designers prefer deep colors that are drawn from nature, like hunter green, chocolate grown or dark grey. Others look to deep reds and burgundies and burnt orange. One of the top paint colors for 2018 is called Black Flame (a blend of navy and black) that puts the spotlight on décor.

Furnishings for these room should be allowed to shine. Choose a few well-placed pieces in the room for the most impact. For instance, TVLiftCabinet recommends Enclave in either Grey or White. Elegantly simple and very modern, the Enclave TV lift system sets a clean-cut, urban tone that’s perfect for rooms with darker walls.

Ideally,