From Annsliee’s archive, here are three posts with a total of 32 inspiring ideas for a New Year’s Eve Dinner Party. Whether you’re having a large or small group or just dining for two, each idea offers a marvelous blueprint for creating your own fabulous New Year’s Eve dinner. And each idea is easily adaptable for the apartment dweller.
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There are many many beautiful fall table settings designed by very creative people. Decorative elements as pumpkins and gourds are to be found in most of them. I found table settings with designs and colors that are just drop dead gorgeous and that take a very different twist in use of colors and decorative elements. Here are five of them:
Additional Readings:
My last major decorating project took nearly five years! Hold off with the wow. I’m counting the time I spent experiencing a transition in my taste from floral patterns and jewel tones to a neutral color no fuss decor design. I couldn’t just throw out the old stuff and start over. The transition was gradual as I spent a good deal of time reading decorating books, paging through heaps of subscription magazines, and that doesn’t include the ones I gleaned at the grocery stores! During this period, I came to love two furniture and home decor designers that were closer to my budget. One of them was Calico Corners.
First, I’m not affiliated with Calico Corners. I look for quality, durability and designs that can transcend the latest “hipe” in home decor Like you, I want the most “bang for my bucks.” So I worked with one particular associate who quickly learned what I was trying to accomplish.
Here’s the key to getting that discount: I began to notice that when Calico Corners had a sale only on fabric it was at 15% off. But labor was not discounted. When labor was discounted, usually at 10%, fabric was (but not always) on sale and only at 10%. So I would purchase the fabric on sale at 15%, then hold it until labor was on sale at 10%. Simple as that. How long did I have to wait between sales? Generally three months. It was worth it.
I had two old sofas that were in excellent condition. One was actually an over-sized love seat. I discovered that fitted slipcovers were not only cheaper but down right gorgeous. The upholsterer, Calico Corner’s private contractor, actually came to the house, fitted and cut the fabric. When work was completed, about two-three weeks, he came back and covered the sofas with the new slipcovers. I sat around drinking coffee and watching the lovely transformation.
As you may or may not know, I’ve been a bit of a nomad since retirement, having lived in three different states. But I’ve now settled (possibly for a very long time) in a lovely apartment. While I have very little to purchase, I continue to do so with “hunt and wait” for what I want, then “bird dog” it for a sale. Patience and tracking sales patterns are key. But then we all know that, don’t we?
Here are five inspirational vignettes where you can create a sexy glamorous translucent seat with faux fur. Allow yourself to feel really special when blogging, traipsing through the internet and just answering email in a Hollywood style setting. Or just add a bench or cube stool.
For a desk seating, it’s really quite simple: add a contemporary desk with a little jewel detailing such as the gold nob pulls; a contemporary lamp; a short bouquet of flowers (every major grocery store carries lovely flowers); clean contemporary desk organizers; and your favorite modern painting or a large portrait photo. If you have a window available to you, be sure to frame it with classy but simple draperies. No window, just add mirror over the desk. And of course, dress up the co-star: a translucent chair with faux fur. Who’s the star? Why you of course!
See what mean. No window. Not a problem. Add a lovely mirror over the desk. It will complement the co-star: your translucent chair with a comfy faux fur, your throne.
Here’s a fabulous bench with acrylic legs. The cushion is topped with a faux fur, of course.
No room for a bench? Try this acrylic cube stool softened with a beautiful faux fur. You can get it at Clayton Gray Home. See link below.
Ah, my very favorite: Louis Ghost Chairs by Kartell. I have four of them but had never thought to add faux furs. My apartment decorating plans includes a change to that scenario. My wish list includes a couple of faux furs my lovely Louis’.
Translucent or acrylic furnishings has really become quite popular. And I hope this trend extends to making them a classic piece of furniture to own. Adding faux fur to them is simply a marvelous decor and comforting touch. My personal recommendation would be purchase both pieces from a reputable dealer to insure you are getting quality.
For the faux fur, I would recommend wool as the content. Flokati faux fur in wool can be purchased from RugsUSA.com. I’ve had great service from this company. Still, there are of course other vendors.
For Translucent furnishings, I would always recommend a vendor that sells the Kartell collection. See my post on Designs That Fascinate: Translucent Furniture.
It’s really quite easy to perfectly crush ice in a blender when you know the right steps:
I used 35 ice cubes and 3.5 ounces of a margarita mix per 10 ice cubes. My glasses and the alcohol mix were pre-chilled. I lined the rim of the glasses with lime and dipped the rim into coarse salt. Following the steps above, I used a Jose Cuervo Golden Margarita ™ mix. This approach turned out to be a bit pricey. This is a wonderful margarita mix that includes Grande Marnier(r). But the frosting really required a lot of the mixture, at least for my taste. Generally, I just shake the mixture in ice in a glass jar and then strain it into a rim salted martini glass. When frosting, I think I would just make the margarita from scratch.
In Part I: 9 Elements to Create A Small Living Room That Inspires You Daily, I covered these elements: wall storage units; the sofa and sectional; the side chair(s); and floor pillows, poufs, and ottomans. In Part II, I discuss lighting, area rugs, cocktail and side tables, texture and accents–and you. These are the elements that complete or rather give the finishing touches to that will inspire you daily.
Many standard apartments come with ugly, boring dome-shaped lights that hug the ceilings. You may be asking why bother. To some extent, I agree. However, if you’re goal is like mine which is to create a home and not just a place to park belongings, then I say if at all possible, bother with replacing them. Of course, you can just try to ignore them and never turn them on. Focus your lighting scheme with table and floor lamps. Which ever you choose, here are a few things to keep in mind when selecting lighting for your apartment living room:
HGTV, Lighting Tips For Every Room by Jill Connors 
HGTV
Area rugs are especially great for defining your living space in apartments when sharing one large floor space includes the living and kitchen zones. Area rugs are particularly useful when that one large space is a studio apartment. Other advantages of adding an area rug allow you to do the following:
Apartment LifeStyle.net 
Minimalisti.com
There never seems to be enough space for these very useful furniture pieces. They’re gorgeous to have but more important, they have multiple functional uses from storage to displaying art objects and reading materials to providing additional seating in the case of some cocktail tables. Sides tables are often small and really pretty but are relegated to holding a light fixture and a few objects. But living in an apartment where storage rates premium, I say designers and manufacturers really need to create more sides tables that give storage and are also drop dead gorgeous like the mirrored storage chest below.
Estilogy Decor 
source
On the matter of cocktail tables, I honestly believe these too should be multi-functional. Even in a small apartment, the larger the cocktail, the better because it can do so much more than hold a drink or a magazine. Getting one that invites extra seating for dining, playing games or even holding your laptop makes it multi-functional.
pinterest 
BHG
Texture can be visual and textile. Both are key elements to creating a welcoming home. If all elements in your apartment decor are smooth or rough, this can be quite boring and dull. Even if you take a very modern approach of slick furnishings, you will notice that there is still some differences in texture. For example, the ultra modern apartment living room below has an abundance of smooth surfaces. Look closer and you will see a touch of rough texture in a single plant. Do you see another?
Iseecub
Clearly, this modern black and white apartment living room, though restricted in color and lines, stunningly juxtaposes smooth and rough texture. The ornate black side chair is a wonderful counterpoint to the clean simple lines in the sectional, cocktail table and wall entertainment unit.
Citatona
Your accents are how you tell your story and who you are in more details. In many ways, it says who you are and what is important to you: your family, your first born, your dog, your hobby and your collected interests. Offer these up in your decor to greet you when you walk into your living room. They conjure up sweet memories, love, and happiness.
source
I just had to add this dark moody living room. It’s part of an apartment renovation where the walls are dark, pops of pink are added, book collection wallpaper and interesting furniture collections. See the rest of the apartment on Soul Design Studio:
Moody apartment living room found on Soul Design Studio Blogspot
Are you like me, having downsized from the multitude of decisions, contractors and maintenance responsibilities of a home? Are you hoping to leave your rental and move into a home? Or are you just a very busy entrepreneur, a career or careers seeking millennium? It really doesn’t matter where you are in life, your home is where you end your day. A good chunk of your budget goes into it and you work hard to keep it. Don’t just park your belongings there, watch T.V. and eat and sleep there–make it the most magical place you can escape to and share if you wish with those you want to be with.
Sources for this post:
When I think of brownies, it often conjures of images of my grandmother taking a tray of them out of the oven. I was the little girl who sat waiting for brownies to cool. Such images, I suspect, is probably most common: little fingers of children eating brownies. Thank goodness, images of the little brownie has grown up for us grown ups!
Here’s one of my versions of dressing up the little brownie for a classy dessert–worthy of white tablecloth and and napkins. I use a light brown brownie recipe loaded with nuts, pour a ganache or dark chocolate syrup over brownies and add raspberries.
1/2 cup (113 g) salted butter
1 cup (202 g) granulated sugar
2 raw eggs
3/4 cup (116 g) white flour
3 TBS (19 g) power cocoa
6 TBS (1/3 cup) half-and-half, fat free
Pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans (or some other nuts of your choice)
Preheat oven at 350 degrees (176.67 C).
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat well. Add flour, cocoa, half-and-half milk, salt, and vanilla. Blend thoroughly. Stir in the chopped nuts. With parchment paper, line a 8 x 10 inch or 8 x 8 square inch glass baking dish. Spread brownies mixture in the dish. Bake for 25 minutes.
Here are some other ideas for dressing up the little brownie:
If you’re looking for a quick, decadent dessert, you don’t have to pass up the little brownie. Make it yourself. Or you can just buy them. Either way, why not dress them up!
Whether your home is a studio or small apartment, this is how you can create a tiny living room space that inspires you. It’s not how much space or ‘stuff’ you have but what you do with it that makes the difference between just a place to sit and a place that is home.
In Part I of 9 ways to create a small living room for a studio and apartment, I discuss the major elements: wall storage units; the sofa and sectional; the side chair(s); and floor pillows, poufs and ottomans. In Part II, I’ll discuss the cocktail and side tables; lighting; the area rug; and lastly, color, texture and accessories, and You.
“Storage, Storage, Storage, Oh where are thou!!” (No, I’m not crazy but I do read Shakespeare now and then.) For many of us, storage is one of the biggest issues when living in an apartment. There is never enough storage. Consequently, clutter becomes the norm. Chaos becomes the decor theme.
This is why I’m a strong proponent for a modular wall unit. These units allow you to select the pieces you need; configure and reconfigure them as you wish; add new units as your budget allows; and easily move them around. Yes, you will give up some wall space but that’s not as painful as it may seem compared to what you gain. And yes, you MAY not be able to park the sofa against a wall. But who says you have to have a sofa up against a wall??
Source
This module nicely separates the studio apartment living room from the bedroom, providing storage for books and accessories–and it is attractive. Note how easy it is to reconfigure.
Source
Cheap sofas are just that: cheap. They don’t last long neither in appearance or shape. In which case, they’re not really cheap because it won’t be long before you’ll need to replace it–or wish you could. I would rather sit on the floor with a bunch of pillows or just a rug and wait to purchase a sofa that will last and always look good. But then, that’s just me. That rant being said, here some things to consider:
Below is just one example of purchasing a sofa/sectional that offers
Restoration Hardware, the Maxwell Customizeable Sectional
Prefer something more casual?
Found on Pinterest for Ruemag
Some other companies with similar offers and in this medium price range are Calico Corners and Pottery Barn. At a higher end and with outstanding quality is Henrendon. Granted, there are many more companies but quality should be your primary concern. Why? Unless you have an unlimited budget, you can’t afford to just replace a sofa/sectional every couple of years.
Ever thought of using a chaise lounge for your apartment seating? Why not?
Apartment LifeStyle.net
If, however, you much prefer the single sofa, give it some pizzazz and make sure it’s comfortable.
Lisa Mende Design 
Skonahem.com
Side chairs are used to give additional seating and comfort. They also give an opportunity to add a splash of color and fun. They’re great for creating corner vignettes for reading or even adding two where a tête-à-tête is ideal. For serious comfort, certainly club and wing chairs are great candidates. Add an ottoman for total relaxation seating.
Custom Edward Chair from Mod Shop.com 
Velvet Lyre Chesterfield from Anthopologie 
Clarissa Arm Chair from AllModern.com 
My Domaine.com 
The Interior Sylist
Poufs, ottomans and floor pillows are ideal for studios and apartments. They add the convenience of being easily moved around to accommodate where seating is needed. Poufs and floor pillows can also be stored away if necessary. Okay, this may be a stretch when considering storage space. Just an idea. Still, any one of these pieces offer an opportunity to add color and texture to the decor. Which ever design style you choose, you can find a pouf, ottoman and floor pillow to suit the overall effect.
Here, this style keeps it casual. It can translate to a bohemian even middle eastern style. Love the wall unit!
Source
But here, the contemporary decor style is accented with the additional seating of two poufs.
The Interior Stylist
When it comes to ottomans, I’m a strong proponent for one large one that offers multiple uses: seating, a place to rest your feet and even as a cocktail table.
Source 
Source
You may not want an ottoman this big but it’s just too, too gorgeous for me to pass up sharing it with you.
I love it!! Let me repeat, I love it!!
Source
If I have inspired you in any way to create a studio apartment or apartment that is a real home, giving you comfort and inspiration to meet the challenges of your daily lives, then I’m happy for you.
About me, well as you may know I’ve downsized from a house (and it was beautiful) to an apartment–but only after having moved and lived in two different states! Finally, my thoughts have turned to making my apartment more than just a place to park my belongings. I’m looking for comfort, drama and great style. As I’ve stated elsewhere, join me in this adventurous challenge. Share your thoughts and plans. I’d love to hear them.
Stay tuned for Part II 9 Ways to Create A Small Living Room. I’ll add a link here once it’s published.
I’ll stop here and admit that on one hand I marveled over the challenges and fabulous solutions by people living in studio apartments. (See the further reading list below for other posts on decors for studio apartments.) On the other hand, I found many studio apartment kitchen and dining area on the internet depressingly boring. Unlike the stunning examples above and those to follow, I couldn’t help but feel there simply must be a better way to enjoy the real comforts of a home however small it may be.
And so I began to analyze how these examples here so successfully achieved lovingly small spaces to retreat to. Some I analyze how it works, others I suggest alternatives and challenge you to discover alternatives, and some I simply sat back and admire. Here are the 13 stylish kitchen and dining spaces for studio apartments.
I Included the image below because, as well as a good design, it has strong interior decorating elements: contrasting colors, different shades or the sames color and a good selection of varying patterns mixed with solid colors. It has lots of good lighting that ward off dark, shadowy corners. Yes, the bed is really at the ceiling; still, it’s a fun and efficient layout.
The studio below is very nicely laid out. Colors beautifully contrast in neutral black and white and is then warmed up by the strawberry red wall in the sleeping area. I love the floor length draperies attractively finished with a box valance at the top. It gives vertical height and distracts from the smallness of the room. However, there are opportunities for improvement in the dining area. It’s looks lonely. So what can be done?
Here, notice how the wood tone is brought throughout the studio apartment. Is there room to bring the table away from the window wall? What do you think?
The studio apartment below is wonderfully designed with lots of light from a window wall. And the layout is nice. But how would you place the furniture? Do you see the dilemma in moving the TV so that it could be comfortably viewed from the sofa? Can you see how moving the sofa so that you’re not just looking at a kitchen? Would it be nicer to move the dining area to the window and frame it in a garden setting–a large tree, a few plants?
Of course, not seeing the whole floor plan is a disadvantage. Still, this is a great exercise in seeing how to define a dining area without having spent a dime.
In this next image, the white kitchen cabinets and stainless steel appliances stand out against black walls and and dark blue furnishings and linen. Mirrors on the sliding glass doors in the sleeping area reflects light and makes the room feel larger. Note the recessed lighting throughout the space, and particularly in the under counter kitchen lights–keeping the whole space from becoming dark and shadowy. (Pssst: you can easily install under counter lighting.)
Okay, let’s stop here and talk about what makes these studio apartment work. Writing for this post, I found lots of very unattractive, in fact down right bleak studio apartments. I won’t include any of them here but what I noticed that distinguished the examples above from those I didn’t choose were these:
I absolutely love the next studio apartment design for its creative island and how it picks up the color and texture of the divider screen opposite it. Behind the divider screen is the sleeping area.
As you will see in the next three images below, the floor plan, colors, selected furnishings and wall unit storage have all the elements of a real place to rush home to. This place is just gorgeous. Yes, small can be and is beautiful when done right.
And finally, I just had to show one more stunning wall. It not only dramatizes the studio apartment but its functionality makes it really worth the investment. Ikea units are wonderful sources because you can add to them as you budget allows. Note also in this next image, although you can only see a tiny bit of it, but in the upper right corner there is a loft bed. Below it is a sectional unit with an ottoman that can be use for an additional serving area, seating area, and a place to stretch out and rest legs and feet.
One more very important decorating design point is this: regardless of what the budget will allow, invest in at least one statement piece. Then design around it. Even the tiniest or largest studio apartment kitchen and dining area can be designed to give a feeling of a comforting home, a fun place to cook with a glass of wine–and even pack in a few friends.
annsliees 
Tablescapes/Holidays, Decorating Tips
fireside dining, tablescape ideas, romantic table settings, romantic dining at home, new year eve dining
shirley byrd
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Tablescapes/Holidays, Decorating Tips
fireside dining, tablescape ideas, romantic table settings, romantic dining at home, new year eve dining
shirley byrd
Comment
Tablescapes/Holidays, Decorating Tips
fireside dining, tablescape ideas, romantic table settings, romantic dining at home, new year eve dining
shirley byrd
Comment
Tablescapes/Holidays, Decorating Tips
fireside dining, tablescape ideas, romantic table settings, romantic dining at home, new year eve dining
shirley byrd
Comment
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Tablescapes/Holidays, Decorating Tips
fireside dining, tablescape ideas, romantic table settings, romantic dining at home, new year eve dining
shirley byrd
Comment
Tablescapes/Holidays, Decorating Tips
fireside dining, tablescape ideas, romantic table settings, romantic dining at home, new year eve dining
shirley byrd
Comment