Relish

WHAT MAKES A HOME A SWEET HOME? I’VE BEEN IN HOMES that are lavishly appointed and visually perfect, but the couches are too stiff and the fabric is itchy and there isn’t anywhere to put your glass. That’s one end of the spectrum. Then there are the homes that are organized around family and comfort and maximum livability, and whether the chairs are imported from Italy or IKEA they are a joy to curl up in with a mug of cocoa and a favorite old book.

These are the types of homes I grew up in: the ones that are always loaded with aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, staged for family game nights and giant feasts and quiet time. Friends were always welcome around the table—and for those who showed up before the meal or stuck around after, the more the merrier for Oz family Olympics! (We hold epic football/basketball/any-sport-at-all challenges whenever we reach a certain threshold of people in the house. Stop by sometime! Bring Band-Aids.)

There were rooms that were set up for “company,” and they were luscious and elegant, but the rooms I spent the most time in are the ones with worn-in, comfy couches, threadbare carpets worn from years of trampling, and a stack of cards ready for battle. And of course, our family always manages to convene in the kitchen, the place where hundreds of thousands of meals have been prepared, enjoyed, and lingered over. These rooms embodied my family’s personality and contained most of our memories, and they were the ones we wanted to live in.

We all love beautiful things. But what makes something truly beautiful, truly luxurious? Like Coco says, if it isn’t comfortable, it isn’t luxury. What makes a homemaker a savvy homemaker? She understands that a luxurious home is one that is driven by comfort as well as aesthetics, where you feel relaxed and replenished, where you can get creative and get cozy. The goal is not to copy someone else’s taste but to cultivate your own, creating a space that complements your needs and your lifestyle, raises you up, and brings you back to center.

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

My very first home was a one-bedroom apartment that I shared with my parents and my little sister until I turned five. With a limited floor plan, we made use of every square inch of space, and the kitchen became our de facto hang zone. I remember “helping” my mom make dinner, standing on tiptoes or sitting on the counter so I could see every step of the process, stealing tastes and whining when I eventually got tasked with washing lettuce (the worst!) to keep my hands busy and me out of the way. That kitchen was where I first fell in love with cooking, despite all the lettuce washing.

When we moved into a new, bigger apartment, my mom started to experiment with her interior design style and let her WASP–plus-Staten Island roots show. (Think wooden antiques bought at auction, satin sofas with velvet pillows, and lots of animal prints!) With four kids running around, she often had to choose comfort and durability over her ideal style, but she still managed to put her own spin on each room, giving our home personality while taking into account all the people who lived there. She was also conscientious about including my dad’s Turkish heritage, so there was a real mix of influences at our house. There was plenty of decoration, but it was a lived-in fullness rather than embellishment for its own sake—every item had a reason for being there.

Here’s the crystal ball my parents brought back from China—glued together and good as new!

Every time my parents took a trip, they brought home special trinkets that would be displayed in cool areas around the house. Take the huge, brass soup samovar from the Turkish bazaar that my sister and I used to brew “magic” potions in (which magically ruined the samovar). Or the giant ten-pound crystal ball that my dad lugged home from China, which now stands on the living-room mantel. It broke in half during a particularly wild fight among my two sisters and me over whose turn it was to “read fortunes” from the orb’s depths, but my dad gamely superglued the two halves back together, and on it lives in our home.

As we moved into different homes, we would jettison old junk and bring with us those things that we loved, and the new places would feel just like home with a slightly different layout. Logistics might be different in the newer spaces—location, architecture, the height of the ceilings—but there was a constant quality to our home life that came from us and from our belongings. The wooden armoire my parents got from my aunt Carole for their wedding. The grand piano and treasured family pictures that adorn it. The sofa that never dies and just keeps getting reupholstered to match changing environs. Those objects created a visual consistency that bridged the gaps and created an environment that always felt like ours. But I only realized the importance of these components once I was trying to create a space of my own.

After college, I moved into an apartment with a roommate and the two of us went to IKEA and selected furniture essentials like bookshelves, a TV console, a little dining table, headboards, and bedside tables. But these things didn’t make the apartment feel like a home. Not until I went to my parents’ and retrieved my favorite bedding, borrowed a rug, and installed my great-grandmother’s shell mirror and my favorite pictures did it start to feel like a place that was specifically mine and not anyone else’s.

I’m not a control freak or a perfectionist. Working within a budget and on a quick timeline often means using what you can get. But I know from experience that it’s totally possible to dress up generic pieces and make them play a solid backdrop to the special items that make a space mine. I believe in smart, practical luxury, and I don’t need a decorator’s degree to know what I like—and neither do you! Be patient; be proactive. Even if it comes together slowly, if it looks and feels like you and not just a page out of Architectural Digest or a home-goods catalog, then you’ve succeeded in creating a space you can call your own.

Ultimately, I want to feel good when I walk in the door. I want everything I need within reach. I want my history represented, I want to feel like my personal taste is reflected, and I want others to feel welcome and taken care of.

Finding your decorating identity is like finding the right haircut: Lasses who don’t want to visit the salon every five weeks may not opt for edgy cuts that need upkeep. Likewise, if you’ve got five dogs who don’t respond to the command “Sit!,” you probably don’t want a white sofa. But if you’ve got a cleaning staff of seven, by all means, white silk it is! Know yourself. Know what works for your life. And then build your taste into that reality so you can enjoy it and make having a beautiful home a practical luxury.

MAKING A HOME

In the old days, private and public life were kept carefully apart. Hosts entertained in designated spaces like parlors; kitchens were hidden at the back of the house and areas reserved for family were tucked away and not open to guests (think: Downton Abbey!). Nowadays, life is a lot more casual (thank goodness!), and especially in apartments and smaller houses, you can expect guests to visit all parts of your home. In our first apartment, my parents’ bed was in the “living room” and became the de facto couch, coffee table, and coat check. You may have a bit more room, but when you consider your home design, keep in mind that you’ll likely be sharing your personal space now and again. All the more reason to make all the component parts a beautiful part of the whole.

For every room in a home, my decorating keywords are tasteful, practical, and comfortable. A well-appointed room is like a well-dressed woman: every piece in place, every piece on purpose, every piece a necessary and delightful part of the whole.

First things first: Taste is inherently personal, and there’s no right answer. Think of all the different interior designers and the millions of different ways they could conceive of a space, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. I’m a die-hard fan of Mary McDonald’s designs (all rich wood, plush, oversize couches, and soft fabrics), but I also love Kelly Wearstler, with her affection for harsher elements of bright colors, stone, leather and metal—less for everyday space, more for statement areas. I like to blend the two, so I took a huge wooden-framed mirror and added it to my entry hall along with a cast-iron candelabra that would have looked crazy anywhere else. Then I added a plush velvet-covered bench to soften up the look. I put stacks of books on either side—more an act of desperation, since I didn’t have room for bookshelves—and voilà, decor that has pieces of me, is functional for my things and for what I needed to do with precious space in my apartment, and creates a statement out of an area that could have been just a boring white hallway.

You can cull inspiration from all different sorts of aesthetics, and there’s no rule that says you have to stick to one specific look. It’s about finding what makes sense in a particular space and what makes you comfortable. All you have to do is play!

Living with taste is much more about having there be some story you are telling through design and the way you live your life, some continuity and clarity. Even then, the story you’re telling could be totally random and a hodgepodge of everything; I wouldn’t be comfortable living in a room packed with a rainbow of colors, prints, patterns, and textures, but hey, you haven’t asked me to live with you, so have at it!

Even if you’ve never thought about defining your taste, chances are your brain pretty well already knows what you like. To help suss it out, head over to a magazine stand and see what you gravitate to in the home-decor section. Are you more of a sleek, modern kinda gal, or do you like lots of patterns and objects to draw your eye? If you’re looking at a fashion magazine, do you like to see monotone colors or contrast?

Take clues from the kind of homes you’ve been in that you like best; the way your wardrobe (or dream outfit) looks (is it all structural angles and shiny embellishments, or is it draping chiffon in a simple silhouette?); the way you feel in different spaces (do you feel strangled in cozy places or anxious in wide-open ones?). Think about the decor in the house you grew up in—did you love it or hate it?

Honing taste is about trial and error, letting yourself be inspired by what’s around you, and paying attention to how you instinctively respond to certain looks. It’s also about working within your budget and getting creative to maximize its potential; decorating and keeping a home were never meant to be elite activities! They’re just about taking care of what’s yours and making the most of what you have. If you haven’t got your taste totally pinned down yet, don’t fret—it’s the work of a lifetime. You’ve got plenty of places (start with your desk at work and go from there!) and time to play around, change your mind, and try something new.

Practicality is creating a home that works for you, and sometimes that means taste takes a backseat to livability If you have a million messy kids, it’s probably not a genius move to cover your home in delicate brocade and porcelain. If you’re an avid outdoorswoman, maybe skip the fancy foyer in favor of a tricked-out mudroom with places for all your hiking boots and a basin to wash up in when you come through the door.

Understanding your own specific needs is crucial. A magazine can show you cool color schemes and layouts you might not have thought of, but it can’t tell you what makes you you. Some of us need lavish kitchens; others would rather cook in a Crock-Pot and have a backyard, if that was on the table. Walk-in closet versus cupboard space; guest room versus room with a view; space for a bookshelf or space for an armchair?

Once you understand your basic taste and practical needs, you can start allocating those most precious of decorating resources: funds and imagination! If you’re the kind of girl who can’t sleep without the coziest bed ever, then budget for an expensive mattress instead of a fancy couch. If you can’t afford a luxe headboard, scour online for budget options with a similar look, or get creative and make your own!

Comfort is more than just a physical feeling: It is also an emotional sensation. What makes you feel at home, taken care of, relaxed? When we decorate, we are doing more than deciding how a room will look. We are establishing an aesthetic and creating an atmosphere. Walking into a stylish, well-appointed home that truly reflects what you think is beautiful is a joy! When we can find the things we need easily and walk into a room knowing that everything’s in its place, we feel that we belong in the space, too.

Whether the style is streamlined modern or decorative antique or casual vintage or a blend of all the above (though this certainly takes more practice to master than any of the more basic looks), everything in the room needs to make sense. A well-thought-out room is not too adorned or too bare, not too stuffed with furniture or too empty; it’s not a storage locker, but you have all the things you need; it invites you in to sit, to talk, to linger.

Once you’ve reflected on what makes you comfortable and made sure to include those elements—a cozy place to read or channel surf, a brightly lit kitchen—then you tackle atmosphere, choosing new colors that make you feel vibrant and alive, displaying heirlooms and souvenirs, and finding a dining table and a new couch—or reupholstering an old one.

At the end of the day, putting your home together should be simple—figure out ways to make use of what you already have and get rid of stuff you hate. Get the essentials, and then recognize that a beautiful home comes together with time! Don’t rush to buy random junk you don’t need just to fill a space out. Let these things find you, whether they jump out at you at a vintage store, leap into your hands at a market, are gifted to you by a friend or family member, or call to you from a magazine ad.

And remember: More stuff isn’t always better, especially if it feels generic. No one wants to live in a furniture showroom. More stuff that’s all you is what you’re looking for.

PROJECT INSPIRATION

If you’re not sure of your style, the best way to help crystallize it is to buy a few decor magazines or spend some time scavenging around on the web—there are so many incredible interior design mashups and blogs these days that you can get all your inspiration for free!—and tear out or bookmark those rooms that really appeal to you. Some of my favorites include the Improvised Life, Design Sponge, Apartment Therapy, A Cup of Jo, and StyleMePretty, and Tumblrs like Wit & Delight and I Wanna Be Gwyneth, and of course, the Pinterest boards I follow give me tons of amazing interior design inspiration.

Keep a physical or online filing system for your inspirational images, sorted either by room type or aesthetic. My mom has drawers full of these things, so she was able to pull from years of brainstorming and honing her vision when it finally came time to design her own home from scratch. I’m not doing that just yet, but you better believe I kept my choice of magazine clippings close at hand whether perusing online or in stores when I was picking out furniture for John’s and my apartment, and it made narrowing the options and staying within my vision much easier because I already knew the types of spaces I wanted to create. Plus, because I knew some of the specific items I wanted ahead of time (like particular light fixtures I’d found in a magazine spread)—and how much they were going to cost—I was able to build the rest of the room around them so I could figure out where to spend and where to save to create the room I wanted without going over budget.

I also keep tearsheets for everything from makeup and hairstyles to clothing looks to vacation escapes I’d like to take—everything goes in a labeled folder in a filing box specifically reserved for inspirational images. I call it my “dream box.” Every year, usually around the holidays when I have some free time and am planning for the new year, I filter through all the various images and articles I’m holding on to, weed out the ones that I don’t love anymore (tastes change as we do!), and remind myself what I want to see more of in my life. It’s a good idea to keep the things that inspire you close at hand and fresh in your mind so you can look for ways to bring more and more of them into your everyday living.

MAXIMIZE YOUR SPACE

Whether you’re working with a studio apartment or have a guesthouse out back, there are a few things we all do at home—eat, sleep, relax, store up, create. We need to make room for all these needs, even if our floor plan does not, by maximizing every inch.

In the next few pages, we’ll first consider how to give your home bones—the essential structure that holds it all together—and ways to organize and prioritize space to get the most out of it. Then we’ll determine how to flesh out your home with all the personality, style, and history that make sure each room serves its function and its fun. Along the way, you’re going to get a little dirty playing handywoman around the house. And then we’ll look at the best ways to get and keep your space clean with products you likely already have in your pantry.

Basic does not mean boring. It means essential. What are the basic needs of a home? You need a place to eat (your kitchen or maybe a dining room); a place to sleep (your bedroom or a dedicated corner of space with a place to rest your head); a place to relax and entertain (your living room); a place to store up and keep safe (shelves and storage space); and a place to work and create (this can be anywhere you can get productive and creative, whether it’s a proper home office or a lap desk). Let’s lay the foundation for a home that takes care of you by making sure each room covers the basics and then some.

Every room has a different purpose and should be organized around its main functions, based on who will be using the room and what they’ll be doing there. Once you’ve covered the basics, you can design, decorate, and accessorize to your heart’s content. Below, I’ve included my top recommendations for basic essentials, better improvements, and the best finishing touches to help you create the perfect balance of form, function, and fun in every room in your house.

An entryway is the aperitivo to your home’s main meal—it’s there to whet the appetite! A welcoming entryway makes you comfortable the moment you walk in the door—and doesn’t require a great deal of space. Whatever your floorplan, the entryway should be designed to make life easier and ground the home. It will be the first and last thing you see, so it’s important not to miss an opportunity to make an impact.

Somewhere to hang your coat. Whether it’s a coat stand or a closet, make sure you have somewhere to leave your outerwear as soon as you walk through the door so you’re not tempted to leave it in a heap on the floor or sling it over furniture.

Somewhere to leave your keys and sundries. Nothing is more frustrating than spending twenty minutes hunting for your keys morning after morning, so take the guesswork out by designating somewhere specific to leave the essentials. I prefer to have a narrow table with a pretty bowl to toss these items into, but a hook on the wall works just as well.

A mirror and some light. You want to be able to snag a last look before you run out the door but don’t have time to run back to the bathroom, so put a mirror near the door—the bigger the better, since mirrors also help to create the illusion of more space. Make sure it’s well lit so that you can see if you have spinach in your teeth and are left with a glowing impression, not a bunch of shadows.

Drawers or extra shelves. Give yourself a little extra storage space near the front door. Extra shelves give you a place to leave incoming and outgoing mail so you can keep track; storage bins give you a way to organize different types of shoes, umbrellas, and other things that don’t have a place farther inside the home.

A bench or chair. This is a very useful thing to have as you try to pull heavy boots on or off.

Fresh scent. Give your home its own signature scent by greeting yourself or visitors with a scented candle or fresh flowers in a vase as soon as they come through the front door.

Photographic memory. So many great pictures we take get buried in photo albums or digital archives and never get seen. Give yourself something fun, happy, beautiful, or meaningful to look at every time you come and go. I stick snapshots of my hubby, family, friends, pets, vacations, or anything else I want to look at over and over again in the corners of the mirror in my entryway or in their own frames. Guests especially love to see the goofy one of me as a kid in a pink snowsuit looking beyond put out. Seeing all these memories as I come or go always puts a smile on my face.

If you’re stuck in a New Jersey snowstorm, you might as well be decked out in head-to-toe pink—even if it does restrict your movement to waddling only.

Curios. Use your entryway as a place to display some of your greatest finds, whether it’s an architectural piece you picked up at the flea market or a ceramic bowl you threw at pottery class that’s perfect for holding loose change and gum.

I could sleep in a cubby as long as my apartment has three things: good lighting, fresh air, and a great kitchen. A studio apartment with a chef’s kitchen appeals to me much more than a one bedroom with a palatial closet and a hot plate. Maybe you feel differently, and you should pay attention to the space you care about most when you’re creating your home. In order for me to be comfortable at home, and to feel inspired to prepare the foods that will keep me and mine feeling happy and energized all week long, I must, must, must have an easy-to-work-in kitchen. I need room to make a mess! And I need my kitchen necessities (and maybe a few extravagances, too). Hey, if you love it, it’s worth it.

A quality chef’s knife and paring knife. Your chef’s knife should be sharp and rest comfortably in your hand, because you’ll use it to do everything from slicing to dicing. Make sure you test it in the store to see if you like the way the handle feels, how heavy the knife is, and how long the blade is. And your paring knife—a slightly smaller knife that gives you more precision and control—will come in handy for smaller vegetables or peeling duties.

A cutting board. Invest in a good-quality wood cutting board, and a couple of plastic or silicone ones that are easy to throw in the dishwasher to sanitize after cutting fish, meat, and poultry. Chopping on a board not only protects your knives from getting dull, but it also protects you by preventing the blade or whatever you’re cutting from slipping.

An open space to chop. It’s equally important to have an open place to do your chopping—if you’re hunched over under a cabinet and uncomfortable, there’s no way you’ll love to cook. The only thing I care about in your kitchen is that you feel comfortable and happy in it. Because as Carla Hall, my cohost on The Chew, likes to say, if you’re not happy, the only thing you should make is a reservation. A backache does not a happy cook make.

An eight-inch skillet. This is your all-purpose utility cooking instrument. If you get nonstick, it’s best to look for a coating that has been tested for off-gassing. Otherwise, stainless steel is a good basic and just needs a little bit of fat in the pan to prevent sticking.

A cast-iron pan. This is a totally worthwhile investment, and if you take care of this thing, you’ll have it for at least twenty-five years. Skip your manicure this week, or say no to that expensive drink, because you need to have a cast-iron pan. It does everything. Go for an eight- to ten-inch skillet. You want it to be large enough to hold two steaks or fish fillets, and you can also use it to make pancakes, corn bread, hash browns, a frittata … anything! It’s a really good conductor of heat, and it creates a wonderful crust on whatever you’re making. (Just remember to keep it away from soapy water—no soaking! Clean it up by letting it cool slightly, then rubbing it with coarse salt to soak up any cooking oil and remove debris. Wipe it out with a clean cloth and season it by rubbing with a little olive or canola oil.) To sanitize, you can heat a clean cast-iron pan in a 350°F oven for 20 minutes. Remove and allow to cool, then season the pan with oil.

A high-powered blender. I got a Vitamix for my birthday a few years ago, and it has completely changed my life. I use it to make smoothies every week (it makes short work of frozen fruit and ice) and to make dressings or creamy soups (hot or cold!), and it’s a must-have when margaritas are on the menu.

A food processor. I have a small one that I use for any kind of mincing work—throw a few peeled garlic cloves in, press a button, and presto! It’s also great for emulsifying salad dressings. Larger ones have different attachments and are perfect for everything from throwing together a quick dough to chopping/dicing/slicing vegetables.

A Le Creuset enameled cast-iron Dutch oven. I live in my Dutch oven. I use it to make soup, for braising, baking, roasting. Because it’s enameled, you don’t have to care for it as carefully as you would cast-iron—just wash with soap and water, and it’s done. Plus it comes with a lid and goes safely into the oven or fridge. Brilliant!

A standing mixer. I wouldn’t go so far as to say this is essential, but it does look gorgeous on a kitchen counter and makes putting together all sort of doughs a snap. Plus, the myriad attachments you can purchase—for everything from meat grinding to pasta making—mean this is an appliance that will grow with you as your culinary skills increase.

Before moving from one apartment to the next, my husband and I held off on getting a new dining table because I wasn’t sure which kind I would need. We got rid of our old one—a junky thing I’d bought online and never thought I’d hold on to as long as I did, but lots of great meals were shared at that dinkey piece of plywood!—thinking it wouldn’t be a good fit for the new place and sure we would find an alternative pronto. (Lesson 1: out with the old only after the new is in!) For two months, hubby and I ate cross-legged on the floor, and though this seemed romantic and “picnic-y” at first, it quickly got tired.

Relationships happen around the table—it’s where families commune, where partners discuss, where roommates find out about each other’s weird habits. Eating on the floor is all well and good for those moments of rustic inspiration, but find a way to give a table space in your home, even if it has to work triple duty as a coffee table, desk, and lamp stand, too. When everyone knows where they’re meant to gather at mealtime, it adds a homey rhythm to life.

Given my love of food and cooking, not having a dining-room table felt like someone took the anchor off my ship, and the whole apartment was out of whack as a result. Waiting to find our “perfect” table meant that we wound up hovering in the kitchen, snacking out of containers, or eating out rather than lingering over romantic dinners together at home. Meals were rushed, uncomfortable, insignificant—and I probably put on five pounds, to boot. When you aren’t paying attention to what you’re eating because it doesn’t feel like a meal, chances are you’re not going to be easily satisfied. Tables are what help make food feel like meals; all we were doing was snacking.

We should have been relishing our time together, not scavenging uncomfortably on the floor. Not having a proper place designated for eating won’t (and shouldn’t) ruin a relationship, but it won’t give you the benefit even a simple forty-dollar collapsible version could provide: a place to share, to make moments out of meals. To enjoy one another.

Learn from my mistake. I don’t care if you have to make it yourself: Get a table or, at the very least, designate a real space for sharing meals. It may be at the kitchen counter with stools pulled up, in a breakfast nook, at a foldout table, or in a proper dining room. Whatever space you’re working with, here are the things you’ll need to make sure you and your guests can enjoy your meal properly.

A table that fits. My preference is for a rectangular table that allows you to face people directly, converse and share food easily, and maximize the number of people that can sit along its sides. If you don’t have space for a large table, or you like to be able to bring it out only when needed (or, if you want to be prepared in case you need more seating than your current table has), keep a folding table in the closet. A lovely tablecloth fixes up even the least fancy of card tables. Whatever table you choose should fit in the allotted space so that it feels proportional and should be as large as possible, while leaving room for everyone to get in and out of their chairs comfortably.

Comfy chairs. If you or your guests are going to want to linger over sumptuous meals, you can’t have bad seating. Choose chairs with back support and a slightly padded cushion. Armrests are a nice touch for extra support and comfort, but they do take up space.

Good lighting. People want to see what they’re eating, so don’t set your table up in the darkest corner of your home—if you do, you’ll need to supplement with lots of artificial light.

Simple cutlery, plates, and glassware. It may not be the fanciest collection out there, but basic stainless cutlery, simply decorated white or cream plates, and clean, clear glassware will help you put together beautiful tablescapes without the worry that your most precious items will be damaged every time someone proposes a toast. Plus, they’re generally pretty easy and inexpensive to replace when someone does accidentally clink too hard. Having a neutral canvas also gives you more room to play and add fanciful fun with candles, flowers, napkin rings, or other trinkets, if you want to doll the presentation up.

Candles. Adding candlelight to the table is a wonderful, simple way to add grace and atmosphere to any gathering. I collect interesting candelabras. I know, it sounds fancy (and perhaps a little unnecessary—but isn’t that half the joy of collecting?), but there are cool ones out there made from everything from ceramics to nuts and bolts. Sterling silver is all well and good, but that’s a lot of polishing I don’t have time for, and I’m just as happy to have a few pretty crystal pieces or to buy interesting wooden ones and spray-paint them in the hues I need. The most important thing is that candlelight casts beautiful uplighting, which will give all your guests a generous glow that overhead lighting cannot.

Cloth napkins. Linen or cotton napkins nicely bridge the gap between über-traditional and über-modern, and they add a touch of class to any affair, even if you’re standing over the counter and eating leftovers by yourself. They dress up a table and they’re good for the environment. My go-to is white cotton napkins, which always match and are easy to bleach when I want to sanitize and remove stains. If you have more than one set of napkins, get a bright color or seasonally appropriate pattern. A little bit of embroidery or a pretty hem is also a nice touch, but make sure they’re not totally irreplaceable—people will be wiping food on them, after all. And the fancier the napkins, the more special care has to be paid whenever you want to wash them—so think of how much hand-washing you’re up for before you commit to the lace!

Mix-and-match china. In addition to my basic whites, I have plates in varying shades and patterns of blue, crimson, and gold that can be combined in any number of ways, as needed—for anything from a spring lunch to a fall dinner (that’s the beauty of having both cool and warm tones to play with). Even better: If one breaks, it’s not the end of the world, because it’s not part of a perfect set.

Specialty items. I have a reserve selection of unique glassware and decorative items that I like to scavenge for in different little markets and vintage stores. Breaking out some funky salt cellars or colored wine goblets makes the setting extra special without needing to pay particular attention or spend a ton of money getting a full matching set of something.

Your bedroom should be a place where you can really kick back and be yourself; where you can feel cozy and cosseted, warm and protected; and where, of course, you can entertain admirers. But the most important thing to do in your bedroom, aside from romantic interludes, is sleep.

Think of the biology behind sleep—generally, we’re most comfortable when we re-create the way we felt in our mother’s wombs, so the perfect sleeping quarters must include darkness, white noise, warmth. Solid shut-eye for most of us depends on re-creating these environs. And it’s important that you do, because sleep is an active and necessary state of being for humans.

Sleep allows our minds and bodies to recharge so that we can face the next day renewed and invigorated, and it’s the time when your body does all its basic household chores to make sure you’re in tip-top shape. Plenty of sleep means you’re better able to deal with stress and be creative. And because sleep gives your body time to shed toxins and replenish healthy cells, you can also think of it as essential to aging gracefully. So creating a space that is conducive to maximum rest is a must.

Supportive mattress. If you can’t even remember when you got your current bed, it’s time for a new one. Turn your mattress (so your head is where your toes were) once every six months, and flip the mattress over (so the top becomes the bottom) once a year to prevent odd lumps and divots from forming. And invest in a mattress cover! Basic ones will prolong the life of your mattress by protecting it from bedbugs, stains, and the like. Pillowtop covers will upgrade your mattress tenfold and make you feel like a princess on a cloud.

Cozy pillows and comforter. I’m a pillow fiend—and I opt for at least a 90 percent down fill and then encase my pillows in pillow protectors to keep the feathers in and any bacteria, mold, and mites out. Good pillows cost forty dollars or more, and the protectors help them last longer, so protect your investment in a great night’s sleep! (Same goes for my down comforter, a medium fill that’s good for summer and winter and everywhere in between.) Get some firm pillows that can be arranged for comfortable reading, thinking, and journal keeping with proper back and lumbar support, and a few plush ones to sink your head onto at night.

Count your threads. When it comes to sheets, spend the extra forty bucks to choose the ones that feel the softest to you with the highest thread count you can afford—try to go somewhere in the 300 to 600 thread count range. Generally, the higher the thread count, the softer and more durable sheets will be—so you won’t be finding holes in your sheets in a few months’ time. You sleep on your sheets every night, so do your own nails this month and spend those dollars on counting sheep.

I generally opt for white or light colored sheets because they’re easiest to clean, and the lighter the dye color, the softer the sheets. Make sure they’re freshly washed—at least once a week to keep them clean and smelling fresh—and store them in a cupboard with dryer sheets in between the layers to help remove static and keep them freshly scented. You should have two sets of sheets per bed: one in use and one being washed or in the closet. Using different light colors for each bed will make it easier to sort them and find what you’re looking for.

Mood lighting. You want to limit bright lights before bed of any kind, so either dim the overhead lights or nix them and opt for candlelight or a bedside lamp if you’re going to read yourself to sleep.

Hydration. Set a pretty, covered water jug and glass by the bed. Drinking water before bed helps the body excrete salt, wastes, and toxins so you don’t wake up puffy in the morning.

Bedside table and lamp. This is a good place to keep your light reading, a candle for mood lighting, and the water and cream you want to have near you before bed and when you wake up in the morning. From a feng shui energy perspective, you should try to have matching side tables on either side of the bed for balance.

Creams and balms. Keep lips, hands, and feet moisturized by stashing your favorite products at your bedside for easy application before tucking in.

Curtains. We all sleep better in darker environments. Blackout curtains are awesome, but sometimes it’s just a matter of angling your bed so light doesn’t shine toward your pillow.

If you go for sheer window coverings, you can keep prying eyes out but let morning light filter in—natural wake-up calls are good for the brain and the soul. Plus, sunlight helps set your internal clock—which is why most of us need darkness to fall into deep slumber, and why sunlight helps us feel energized and alert in the morning. If you can manage it, a double layer curtain—sheers to close for light coverage and a second layer of more opaque curtains to shut when you want to sleep in—is the best of both worlds.

Dress up your bed. Little bursts of color define a room and make a bed look more impressive and put-together. Even if you want to keep most of the room a neutral palate, you can have some fun choosing accent pieces like throw pillows, blankets, dust ruffles, or a duvet cover. I try to stick with colors I might find at the spa: relaxing, uplifting shades of deep blue, soft lavender, or creamy coffee, but burnt orange or zebra-patterned can be luscious, too.

Boot the TV. The best thing I ever did was throw the TV out of our bedroom, opting instead for a stack of relaxing reads (try short stories—for ultimate relaxation, it’s nice to be able to shut your eyes at the end of a story or chapter rather than leave your mind racing on the edge of a cliffhanger).

Perfume dreams. Essential oils like lavender and mint (again, think spa!) are a great addition to any bedtime ritual. They help all your senses relax and can be mixed into cream or a carrier oil like coconut or jojoba, or used in a diffuser. Candles with the scent of lavender or vanilla help you feel relaxed, and the warm glow sets a romantic tone. I like to go for soy-based candles because they’re clean burning and don’t release as much smoke into the air. But any one with a scent you love that isn’t cloying or overpowering is perfect.

Pad and pen. I always keep a pad and pen by my bed because I inevitably end the night with ideas floating through my head as I drift off to dreamland, and I’m afraid I won’t remember my subconscious inspiration if I don’t write them down then and there, which of course keeps me wide awake! Jot yourself a note and you’ll be counting sheep in no time. Even better, writing down the thoughts and inspirations that float through your head as you drift off to sleep will let you harness the genius of your subconscious! I’ve retrieved some of my best ideas from my bedside notepad …

The bathroom is a room that isn’t often discussed but gets a lot of traffic, from bubble baths to quick morning showers, exfoliating, mud masks, and removing those eyebrow stragglers, so it should be set up to be as pleasant as possible. Some bathrooms are blessed with gorgeous tiling and fixtures, some have skylights and steam showers, and others are dank, windowless, cramped affairs with plastic shower curtains and a prefab cabinet—but they all can be made better!

Medicine cabinet. Keep all the essentials—toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, deodorant, face wash and cream, and so on—somewhere clean and easily accessible. It’s also a good idea to keep a reserve supply of first-aid bandages, antibiotic cream, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, aspirin, and anything you might need for that time of the month always in stock.

Mirror, mirror. A clean, well-lit mirror is a must for makeup application and pore inspection, so if your mirror doesn’t pass muster, this is a good place to begin for initial improvement. Get one that has a magnification option but also a regular surface so you can get up close but also see the full picture. If you don’t have great lighting elsewhere in your rub-a-dub room, opt for a mirror with a lit rim you can turn on when you need to feel the spotlight.

Extra TP. Keep extra toilet paper on hand in an easy-to-reach location. There’s nothing as frustrating as reaching for the roll and discovering at an inconvenient time that it needs replacing—even if you’re the one who forgot! And there’s something comforting about that row of clean, white rolls arranged tidily on a shelf or in a pretty basket.

Fresh towels. Leave the brightly colored towels at the beach and stick with light colored, white, or cream towels in the bathroom. This makes it easier to keep towels in neat matching sets, since colored alternatives will fade at different rates if they’re not always laundered together. And promise yourself you’ll get rid of any towels as soon as they’re frayed or full of holes. Old towels can be used for cleaning rags; just cut them to the right size and scrub away. I like to keep at least two fresh, dry towels in the bathroom at all times so I never get stuck reaching for a cold, wet one. You can roll them in a basket or fold them neatly on a shelf, so you’re never caught out in the rain.

Wash and dry. Hand towels in pretty pastels, jewel tones, or bright whites are an inexpensive and easy upgrade. I’m a big fan of whites and creams, because they can be easily cleaned and sanitized regularly without risking color loss, but if you love color, go for it! Shy away from patterns that can look dated or be hard to match, and skip the scratchy embellishments.

Pamper your toes. There’s something horrible about stepping out of a warm shower onto cold tile, so put a cozy bath mat between your piggies and that ground. It also helps to keep dripping and slipping to a minimum. Just make sure you get one that can be easily washed and dried since you’ll want to do that at least once a week.

Don’t skimp on hand soap. Even if you haven’t gotten that promotion yet, spending a bit more for a luxurious hand soap and softening cream in a scent you love adds a touch of luxury (and hygiene) for a relatively small investment.

Space savers. For smaller bathrooms, hanging shelves and hooks adds valuable real estate to tiny quarters. In larger bathrooms, a vintage wooden chair or detailed bench or minimalist stool adds visual interest and is a great way to display and store a stack of clean and neatly folded towels. If you don’t have enough cabinet space or you hate the one that’s currently hanging, check out local markets and vintage shops for an antique that looks cool and is equally adept at housing your aspirin, Band-Aids, and nail polish. I’m a big fan of the antiqued mirror look, but find one that doesn’t look out of place in the rest of the bathroom.

Eye candy. Something to look at, like a sharp little piece of art, can create an entire space or feeling of a room—yes, even a bathroom!—with minimal effort. Hey, if you have to spend time in here, why not make it beautiful? Frame a postcard, or a sophisticated black-and-white photograph, or a little painting that just wouldn’t fit anywhere else. A bathroom wall is also a wonderful place to use some splashy paint you might not use elsewhere in your home, like hot pink or canary yellow or the prettiest cobalt blue you ever did see. If you’re into modern art, try bold stripes, different colored walls, a painted mural … Let the rainbow be your guide! (Just don’t forget to put a tarp or plastic sheet over the toilet, sink, and any other surfaces you don’t want to add color to). And if you just want to maintain a calm vibe, opt for pretty pastels. I actually decided to paint my bathroom wall in chalkboard paint and have invited everyone who visits me to give it a little TLC, so it becomes a mural created by the people in my life. Every couple months we wipe it down and start from scratch … and it makes for a great babysitting tool whenever my little cousins come to play.

Flower power. If you’ve got windows or a skylight, include a plant on a shelf. If you don’t have enough natural light to keep a plant alive, one beautiful bloom with its stem clipped can be floated in a stem vase or glass bowl of water for an elegant touch.

An ideal living space is equally well suited to give you space to lounge about in your pajamas on a lazy Sunday morning as to host an impromptu Saturday night soiree. Setting your space up to host the kinds of gatherings you’re partial to will make impromptu fests (virtually) effortless and encourage planning if you’re the type who likes to pencil it in well in advance.

When John and I were dating, I traded apartments with a friend and had only three months left on the lease. And so I thought, logically, Why should we bother spending time making this apartment nice? We’re gonna be moving out in five seconds. I didn’t really have the furniture to fill up the space properly. I had one giant chaise longue that was plopped in the middle of the room. There was a random console against one wall. I stuffed an odd leopard-patterned chair into a corner and then decided to spend money to have my television professionally mounted onto the wall. It was a completely bizarre layout, a total nightmare, and exactly how not to think about putting an apartment together. Only when John and I went to watch TV from the only sitting spots in the room—the aforementioned floating chaise longue and nonmatching leopard chair—did we realize that the TV was at the wrong height for viewing comfort, and our individual seating islands made for intensely awkward hang-out time.

What I learned from that experience was that by not paying attention to how I might want to use a room, I wound up wasting space and spending money on the wrong things rather than making them count. Rather than relishing the opportunity to host amazing gatherings and hang out comfortably on our own, the space became a lobby, somewhere to drop our things and watch the news on our way to other rooms. Our current living room has been organized in a completely different fashion: by maximizing comfort and functionality instead of simply using what we happen to have around. We learned our lesson from that ill-advised living-room setup and did the work to create an intimate space this time around—a real couch, a comfortable chair, a beautiful ottoman, and a TV at a height we can watch without booster seats. And now that we’ve created comfortable personal space, we’re happy to welcome others in, too.

Chat fest. The living room is where you’ll likely be doing the most entertaining, so consider the flow of conversation when you plan your layout. Think about organizing the seating arrangement(s) in a way that maximizes seats while minimizing wide-open space that can feel empty when it’s just you sprawling on the couch. If you have the space for it, opt for a few smaller seating areas branching off the main seating area so that people have space for deeper conversation without having to bellow over the group, even if it’s just two chairs in a corner with a small table and lamp, or a La-Z-Boy and a bunch of throw pillows for floor seating. Think in terms of conversation—you want maximum interaction, so give people ways to face each other comfortably. If you’re tight on space, opt for a sofa with no arms—presto, two more seats on either end!

Sit tall. If you do have a television in your living room and are planning to either hang it on the wall or store it in a TV console, make sure you first take a seat on the couch or chair where you’ll be watching from so you can gauge the right height for your viewing comfort.

Be versatile. Especially in tighter spaces, having multifunctional pieces is crucial. One of my favorite double-duty pieces is a medium or large ottoman—you can set a few trays on top as a coffee table for daily use and remove the trays if you need extra seating. Ceramic drums, blocks, or tufted cushions that can be both side tables and stools also come in handy.

Downsize. It’s always tempting (and often economical) to hang on to available couches and chairs, but consider balancing your budget so that you can replace the giant hand-me-down couch that takes up the whole room in favor of a love seat that’s more your scale and style.

Customizable coffee table. I have always loved really structural coffee tables—ones made from salvaged wood or architectural metal. They’re an easy way to add lots of visual interest to a room that otherwise plays it safe, but they are extravagantly pricey, which is why I still don’t own one. Instead, I’ve opted for simple glass ones that can be spiced up with candles, trinkets, pictures, and reading materials. Another great technique I’ve used is to push stacks of books into the middle of the room to create the grounding element of a table without having to invest in another piece of furniture. I leave the stacks at different heights (all decently low to the ground so they aren’t at risk of toppling over) so there are different layers to the “table”—and it’s a great way to store heavy books and show off your literary stores! If you can make all the stacks an even height or create four stable corners for the foundation, you could consider putting a sheet of glass or marble on top.

Homework. Whether or not you actually work from home, work always seems to follow you there. Even if you don’t have room for a desk complete with assorted pens, stapler, and hole-punch, create a corner of space in your home where you can be productive, write your emails, and make your plans and keep them. Especially when you set your own schedule, valuing your time as if you were truly on the clock is essential to getting work done, meaning you can’t schedule random coffee breaks or shopping dates with friends if you’re meant to be putting in some solid time. So put your phone on silent, cut the distractions, and get down to it. Creating an environment that lets you work efficiently means more time to sit back and relax later.

Reading rainbow. I love to be surrounded by books—old favorites and new recommendations—magazines, coffee table reads, and paper goods in general. I keep most of my collection in the living room so that guests can peruse, and so that I’m reminded of the options on hand when I have a moment of downtime. If you have tons of bookshelf space, more power to you, but books are equally great stacked by theme or color against a wall (spine facing out for easy selection). But avoid being buried under books—and make room for new ones!—by lending out or donating copies you don’t feel the need to keep on hand.

Paint job. While I was away on a business trip one weekend, John asked if he could paint our living room and I came home to mint-green walls. More appropriate, perhaps, to an island escape than a New York apartment, but it was incredible to see how radically different the room looked in this color—and oh, my handyman husband! A fresh coat of paint (in the right shade) can add tremendously to a room’s look—think of how dramatic a warm brown or slate blue wall behind a collection of metallic frames would look compared with whitewash. If you’re thinking of making the jump to boldly colored walls, test out a painted section for a week or so and see how you like it, how the light in your apartment plays with it, and how it meshes with the furniture you already have.

Create. Whatever you love to do in your spare time for fun, make sure there’s either room for it at home or that your tools can be safely stored for easy access. Create the space for creativity and it will flow more freely. Removing the blockades—physical or otherwise—that make it difficult for you to find time to have these rejuvenating moments of personal growth, advancement, and fun is the first step to making it a regular experience rather than an occasional luxury.

Here’s a snapshot of my apartment living room, set up to maximize comfort and conversation.

Organization is always stylish, and it helps you maximize the space you have. I’m a firm believer that order around you helps breed order inside you, so make sure you’re creating a home environment that feels purposeful and stable.

Everything you own should have a designated place to go in your space, from shoes to spices, guest towels to that thing you use to scrub the toilet. Spare yourself the headache of never knowing where anything is and invest a little time in cataloging, stacking, alphabetizing, storing, vacuum sealing, or whatever else you might think necessary.

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Let your inner OCD roar! It might not sound fun, but it really is—especially when it’s over. Do it when you can—even if it’s just while you’re chatting on the phone or in between appointments—a little bit of work each day is just as good as an all-out weekend clean fest.

And you don’t have to do it alone: Invite friends over to help you sort through things, make executive decisions about what stays and what goes (they’ll probably help you part with your favorite and totally moth-eaten college sweater), and then you’ll have a few hands to help carry out the garbage—or turn one woman’s trash into another woman’s treasure!

BASIC

Hang a shelf or two. Adequate closet space and shelving is integral to not feeling overrun. Invest in a couple shelves you can install yourself, or a few rolling racks that can quadruple your closet space with minimal assembly or investment needed.

Keep like things together. If you can, create a special linen closet for your sheets, towels, cloth napkins, and tablecloths. Keep like-size and interchangeable items together. If there’s no room for this kind of closet allocation, store items near where you use them—bedroom stuff in your closet; kitchen stuff in the pantry; cleaning stuff under the sink; bathroom stuff on a shelf or in a cupboard nearby. Items you use all the time go at eye level and within arm’s reach; things you use rarely go on higher shelves or at the back of the closet. Don’t cram, or everything will get wrinkled.

BETTER

See-through storage. Those flat plastic bins they sell at Bed, Bath & Beyond and The Container Store are a godsend when it comes to making use of the storage space under your bed, on top of shelves, and in the backs of closets for summer clothes in winter and vice versa. Anything you don’t need to use for the next couple months, box it up and put it safely away. The best part of clear packaging is that you’ll know exactly which box to head for when you need to retrieve something.

Label it. Oh, if you only knew my pathetic love of automatic labelers. I label my computer cords, my closet shelves, and my spices. Anything that could possibly be confused for someone else’s, or any space that could potentially be cluttered with junk that doesn’t belong gets a label. It prevents confusion, and it also helps make sense of why condiments go on one shelf while spices go on another.

THINGS TO ALWAYS KEEP ON HAND IN THE …

Kitchen: dishwashing liquid or powder, extra sponges and scouring brushes, paper towels, disinfecting counter spray, glass cleaner

Laundry: detergent, fabric softener, bleach, dryer sheets

Bathroom: hand soap and cream refills, extra toothpaste and toothbrushes, toilet paper, cotton swabs, cotton pads, sanitary napkins and/or tampons, Band-Aids, Neosporin, toothpaste, Advil, Tylenol, aspirin

Sundry: flashlight, lightbulbs, air fresheners, diffusers or candles, extra batteries

BEST

Private eyes. We all have so many user names and passwords in our lives that we’re sure to forget the combinations now and then. Keep a few super-top-secret lists of categories of user names and passwords that only you know how to find, whether it’s password-protected on your phone or filed away in a safe if you prefer. Break down the lists by finances, news accounts, social media, online shopping, and so on, so they’re easy to find. Add new user names and passwords to the list as you get them so you’re never scrambling to remember whether it was your mother’s maiden name or the name of your first cat that will unlock whatever you’re trying to get at. And try to steer clear of storing your passwords for frequently used websites if you can—if it’s worth putting a password on, it’s worth keeping that password private!

Standing order. Instead of struggling to remember things one by one, or having to dash to the store every ten minutes, dedicate one shopping trip a month to filling up your supply cupboard, or set up a running order online. Keeping enough supplies around creates a feeling of abundance and preparedness, like your home is really taking care of you.

DETAILS, DETAILS, DETAILS

Now that you have what your home needs in place, it’s time to deal with what your house wants! What you’re looking for are ways to fill your home with the things you love. Some of my favorite things are chalkboards, the color hunter green, vanilla fragrance, fresh flowers, and linen. A chalkboard in the kitchen gives me space to jot notes, to-dos, and recipes I might want to try—and are a fun way for guests or regulars to leave little messages. I have a hunter-green cushioned bench in my bedroom. I mixed my own blend of essential oils into a perfume that smells like vanilla and coconuts. Gardenias are my favorite flower, and when they’re in season, I like to have one or two floating in a bowl on the kitchen table—or a lush bouquet of my second favorite, pink peonies, in my bedroom. And linen is flowy and breezy, perfect for curtains that keep prying eyes out while letting the sunshine filter in, and it reminds me of vacations on the Mediterranean where linen shirts are the status quo. Since vacations are another favorite thing (duh), it’s a two-for-one deal.

A GREAT GUEST ROOM

If you have one of these, you’re a lucky girl. Capitalize on the opportunity to host friends and family by creating a space where guests can relax and feel at home. Guest rooms should be kept spotless, just in case you get a last-minute visitor in town. When not in use, keep a sheet over the bed and furniture to avoid spending hours shooing away dust bunnies.

If you’re going the extra mile, one of the simplest yet fanciest amenities I’ve had while staying at a friend’s house for the weekend was access to monogrammed drink coasters and paper napkins: Your initials aren’t changing anytime soon, so go ahead and invest in a bunch. They’ll help protect your furniture from water rings and spills, while making your guest feel extra cared for.

Other wonderful additions to a perfect guest room:

• A bottle of water on the nightstand

• Hand lotion—consider picking a signature scent for your house or each room for a double dose of luxury at minimum cost

• Tissues—hide the ugly cardboard box under a decorative overlay

• A local guidebook—or even a self-printed booklet of your favorite local spots and adventures, especially if you live somewhere out of the way or in a big city where guests might be expected to fend for themselves and will want to feel like insiders

• A stack of current magazines

• An extra toothbrush, toothpaste, and a razor, just in case

Make a love list of pretty, fun, or whimsical objets that give you little bursts of joy in life and try to find ways to adapt them for your home. Whether it’s a color, a texture, a scent, or a flower, take note of the stuff that fills your heart with pleasure, and plot a way to bring them into your home.

INSTANT UPGRADES

You’re a grown-up, so your apartment should look like a grown-up lives there. We’ve all lived in dorm rooms and inexpensive digs that felt as temporary as they looked, but now we’re trying to settle down, not just settle. Growing up means giving up “just for now” style and adopting a more sophisticated approach. So let your apartment know that it’s time to move up in the world with a few simple upgrades:

Replace the futon with a couch. Yes, I know it turns into a bed for guests with ease, but it’s more suited to freshman year than your fresh start. So get a couch. It doesn’t have to be expensive, and it doesn’t have to be the couch you have for the next ten years, but it should be something that makes the room look a little bit sophisticated instead of a lot sophomoric.

Frame those posters. Movie posters, concert posters, that amazing French advertisement from the fifties that you scored at a flea market in Paris—put them behind glass instead of reaching for the thumbtacks, and presto! Artifacts become art, instantly.

Be a matchmaker. The stacks of towels you “borrowed” from your mother’s linen closet ten years ago have become, frankly, gross. I’m not suggesting that you need to invest in monogrammed linens, unless you have a penchant for that kind of thing, but a new set of matching towels in the bathroom and in the kitchen are a simple and inexpensive way to make the details count.

Vive le vase. Recycling is a wonderful thing, but find something else to do with those wine bottles. If a date or a dinner guest goes to the trouble of bringing you a luscious bouquet, shouldn’t you have somewhere equally luscious to place it? A pretty vase makes a nice objet d’art even when the flowers (or the relationship) have lost their bloom. Keep a couple low square or rectangular clear glass vases, plus a few taller, more decorative ones so you have all your mod, clean, classic, and fancy vase bases covered. When you don’t have flowers, you can arrange empty vases in a collection and make them a centerpiece of their own.

Get the hang of it. It’s easy to dump your coat on a chair or hang it on a hook, but nothing says “mature” like using proper hangers and keeping coats in the closet. I still haven’t fully mastered this, but I’m working on it! Being conscious of the problem is the first step to remedying it. Not only does it look messy to have outerwear all over your apartment, but hooks can ruin the shape of finer garments (which I am now meticulous about hanging up after an unfortunate incident with a spiteful family cat and my favorite vintage blouse), while wooden hangers help them maintain their drape, which means that you’ll look neater when you leave the house, too.

MAKE IT YOURS

Sometimes our homes are furnished quickly, with everything picked up from IKEA or Pottery Barn in one fell swoop. The issue? A bland look that says hotel more than personal retreat. The quick fix? Adding individual touches that turn those factory settings into something fabulous.

Personality plus. Don’t just move a bunch of furniture in and call it home. Add a pillow embroidered with your favorite phrase, a blanket from your mother, a slipcover you sewed by hand. Paint one wall a funky color and then live with it for a month! It may not be all you thought vermilion would be—or it may! Give a room personality with pops of color, a fresh scent, and beautifully textured textiles. Even if you can’t afford to get your whole couch reupholstered in your favorite Liberty of London fabric, try buying a swatch and making it into throw pillows, curtains, or a little satchel to keep potpourri in.

Show off. Curate a collection; highlight a hobby. World travelers can gather curios from travels abroad on shelves or in hanging boxes for a 3-D scrapbook. Thoughtful displays personalize your space, remind you of what you love, and give visitors a glimpse of your passions. Interesting hobbies make you more interesting.

Picture imperfect. And what about that hysterical photo of you with braces and frizzy hair from the eighth grade, or the romantic snapshot that your cousin took of you and your sweetie over Labor Day weekend? Adding personal photographs and snapshots allows you to create your own gallery of memories. Think about all the photos we never get to enjoy because they’re buried in boxes or even albums that don’t get thumbed through nearly often enough. Dig through the mess of albums and scour your hard drive and iPhoto and get some photos framed. Keeping them in view is the best way to make sure that you get to enjoy them.

Go green. Another way to improve the view, instantly, is to get yourself some potted plants (remember to water them). There are so many good reasons to create an indoor garden that it would take an entire book to list them all. For instance, cut flowers need to be replaced often, whereas plants last for years if you treat them right. And they’re useful! Your windowsill herb garden lets you add basil to salads at will while making your kitchen look homey and loved. Even nonedible plants such as money plants aren’t just pretty to look at: They’re hard workers, filtering the air you breathe. Feng shui, the ancient art of directing energy through home design, encourages the use of plants to represent creativity and spring—think renewal and new energy in your home. Busy girls need plenty of energy …

Fire it up. If you don’t have a fireplace, opt for something more portable. Invest in three hurricane lamps or cylindrical vases that can hold pillar candles and arrange them in a row under a makeshift mantel or against a wall to create a pretend hearth. Even if you do have a fireplace, the hurricanes can be placed within for a mess-free, ash-free glow. And everyone looks better in candlelight!

LITTLE MISS FIX IT

Part of keeping house is knowing how to fix little things when they break. No, I’m not going to teach you how to plumb a pipe—call in the professionals!—but you should know how to do everything from hanging a picture to filling in holes in the wall with a bit of spackle. And for the inevitable mini-crises that crop up—a broken fridge handle, loose shelf, or the child’s toy that needs its battery replaced—always be prepared by keeping these tools within reach.

HANDYWOMAN’S RECIPE FOR A STARTER TOOLBOX

1 hammer and a handful of nails in different sizes

1 flat-head screwdriver and a handful of screws

1 Phillips screwdriver and a handful of screws

Pliers

Wire cutters

Measuring tape

Extra credit: A girl with her own drill sets a mighty fine example and can hang pictures, hooks, and shelves with ease. Consider going down to your local hardware store and investing in a drill with a keyless chuck, which means that you’ll be able to change the drill bit without needing an extra piece. (But don’t worry. Just ask for it at the shop. They’ll appreciate your savvy.)

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How to Hang a Picture

Play hangman! Gone are the days of hanging your pictures on the wall with thumbtacks or Scotch tape or, even better, that tacky goo that you rolled into a ball and that took off half the wall with it when you had to take it down; gone, too, are the days of using a plain old nail and hoping it hangs on to the drywall. Now graduate to the easy-to-use picture hook.

INGREDIENTS

Picture

Picture hook

Nail

Hammer

1. Decide where you want your picture to hang. A wall of photos should grow organically over time or be laid out on the ground in a measurable grid before you attempt to hang in a pattern on the wall.

Individual pieces of art should be centered on empty walls, used to anchor a space in a loft apartment, or hung evenly over the nearest large piece of furniture, be it the sofa, the dining room table, or a desk. Many people hang art too high. The focal point of the artwork should be at eye level, ideally. When in doubt, put the center of the painting at eye level, making sure that the top and bottom of the piece are well out of the way of furniture and anything else that could bump or scratch your art.

Test to make sure the place you want to hammer is made from sheetrock or another material that is easy to hammer into (not brick or cement!).

2. When it comes to showing off a collection of artwork, I find that both minimalism and overcrowding can look very chic, if done correctly. I tend to like symmetry, especially in places like bedrooms where you want a very calming atmosphere. But I also love the look of a wall hung with tons of different styles of paintings, sketches, photographs, notes, and memorabilia, all of different sizes and styles, framed in wood or metal of the same color family so there is some uniformity and a clear indication that you didn’t just throw a bunch of stuff up haphazardly. Plus it lets you put all your goods up on display so nothing is languishing in the back closet!

If you have a particular piece you want to highlight—maybe it’s a favorite picture of you with friends or family, or a painting your kid made you—let it stand alone with plenty of space and good lighting. An inexpensive picture light can be bought for about twenty-five dollars online and takes your homemade art to gallery glory.

3. Once you’re set on the location and the space, get precise. Make a tiny pencil mark on the wall, exactly where you’d like the center of the top of the piece to rest. Measure the distance between the hook or wire on the back of the frame and the top of the frame: We’ll call this the “hanging distance.” Measure the “hanging distance” from the pencil mark and make another tiny pencil mark. That’s where your picture hook and nail will go.

4. Hold the picture hook up to the pencil mark with your left hand, holes at the top. Now slip the nail in the holes with your right hand, hold it delicately against the wall with your left hand, and hammer the nail into the drywall with the hammer in your right hand. Try a few light taps to get you started and position the nail in the wall, and then it’s best to go for a few strong blows to make sure the nail stays straight—just watch those fingers! (Heavier items need special attention—think mirrors and things more than twenty-five pounds. Often you’ll need to purchase anchors or studs for added support. Best to check with your local hardware store first.)

5. Hang your picture. Pat yourself on the back.

A Guide to the Simple Spackle

If the measuring didn’t go exactly as planned, or you’ve got ghostly holes haunting your living room from paintings past, fear not. A bit of spackle and a swipe of paint and your landlord will be none the wiser—I actually used toothpaste in the days when they would charge you an arm and a leg for leaving a dorm room pockmarked where the Audrey Hepburn photograph once hung. Obviously, this is no longer my preferred method, and with this easy spackle tutorial, you’ll never need to resort to such devious tactics again!

Hole

Lightweight spackling compound

Putty knife

Sandpaper

If this list is already confusing, don’t sweat it. The nice people at the hardware store are well acquainted with the need to fix scrapes, holes, and bumps in drywall, so don’t be afraid to march on in and explain what the situation is and ask what they’ve got to help you remedy it.

Knights in shining armor are still around; they’re just waiting for you at the local paint and keys emporium. Ask them for help and they will eagerly comply—or at least educate you and sell you the tools you need to get on with it yourself.

1. Gather your supplies.

2. Use the knife to schmear (that’s the technical term) some of the spackling stuff over the hole, filling it in.

3. You may have to repeat step 2 to get the hole really filled in so that it is flush with the wall.

4. When it’s filled, leave it be. Don’t touch it, sand it, or poke it, no matter how tempting that might be. Let it dry fully (a few hours at least; overnight if you’re practicing your patience).

5. Sand the area if necessary to smooth it out, then paint to match the wall. Depending on how long the wall color has been up, you may need to paint the whole wall, as color fades with time, especially if it’s constantly exposed to light. But that’s for the perfectionists among us …

CINDERELLA, CINDERELLA

In the sixteenth century, a rich Roman banker named Agostino Chigi lived in a villa that overlooked the Tiber River. He was well known as an incredible host, a man whose al fresco dinner parties were the hot invitation in town. After each course had been consumed and praised, he would encourage his guests to toss their soiled plates and forks into the river. Impressive! But Chigi was no fool. As soon as all of his guests were gone, his servants would go down to the river and pull in the nets they had installed beneath the water’s surface, thereby saving the tableware for the next party.

The moral of the story? Dishes always have to be done.

Even though we have dishwashers and laundry machines and vacuum cleaners to make life easier, and just because we have careers and social lives and interests that make life busier, we still need to embrace our inner Cinderellas and scrub those floors if we want our homes to be neat and clean. But don’t fret. The key to keeping house is to keep it simple. Getting too complicated undermines what you’re trying to do, because a goal you’ll never stick to is useless. So don’t swear to alphabetize the spices if you’ve got a hundred; do promise to put your socks in the hamper when you pull them off.

And remember: The health and psychological impact of getting organized is as powerful as the time-saving, fiscally responsible benefits. A study at the University College London found that even just twenty minutes of housekeeping a week lessened feelings of psychological distress. That’s twenty minutes well spent!

My technique is to do ten minutes a few mornings a week (every morning, ideally, but sometimes “snooze” gets the best of me). A quick scrub of the bathroom with disinfecting wipes, sweeping the kitchen, clearing out a cabinet of old toiletries, emptying the trash, or folding the laundry gets my blood pumping and wakes me up, so that by the time I hop in the shower, I’m ready to start the day alert and energized. And by keeping up with the cleaning regularly, I don’t (usually) end up spending my Sunday nights doing chores, which is far less enjoyable than game night with hubby and friends or curling up with a glass of wine and Game of Thrones.

CLEAN GREEN

When I can, I skip the conventional cleaners and turn to my kitchen cupboards for cleaning supplies. I prefer to clean more often with more natural stuff so I can rest easy knowing I don’t have toxic chemical residue all over my home.

Vinegar and baking soda, always useful in the kitchen, can be used to freshen counters, toilets, and your breath (seriously). Those common ingredients are happy to do double duty and have the added value of being good for you and the environment as well as already being close by, readily available, and affordable.

White Vinegar

Counters and windows. Vinegar can be used as a counter spray by mixing with water in a 1:1 ratio and storing in a spray bottle. The same mixture can be used to clean your windows. Steeping hardy herbs like rosemary or lavender in with your vinegar solution may help to limit the strong acid smell, but be careful to test this solution on any porous surfaces like marble.

Bathroom. Toilets benefit from a cup of straight white vinegar poured into the bowl and left to stand for twenty or thirty minutes before you scrub.

Baking soda

Kitchen odors. Place an open container in the fridge and freezer to soak up smells.

Stinky clothes. Sprinkle directly on gym clothes that are waiting to be washed (especially boy socks!).

Carpets. Baking soda also makes an effective carpet odor neutralizer when sprinkled on a rug and left for fifteen minutes before you vacuum.

Kitchen counters. If your kitchen counters need more than a quick wipe with a cloth and a spritz of your homemade vinegar/water cleaner, turn to baking soda’s natural grittiness. Sprinkle the baking soda on a damp cloth and you’ll have an instant wholesome counter scrub.

Teeth. Since it’s nontoxic, you can use the same counter measures for a gleaming smile: A little bit of baking soda on your toothbrush can kill bad breath, stop bacteria growth, and whiten teeth! Great in a pinch for when you run out of toothpaste, too.

REMEMBER: If you’re using conventional cleaners, never mix ammonia-based products (like Windex) and bleach-cleaning products (like Clorox spray) together because a toxic gas results. And all we’re trying to get rid of is the dirt, not you.

STAY COOL

The point of keeping house is not to stress you out … It’s to create an environment where you can feel relaxed precisely because you are organized, clean, and prepared, so your impeccable style won’t be hidden under layers of spiderwebs and dust. Housekeeping is really just about picking and choosing your battles. I’m not going to detail the stove with a toothbrush every time something falls between the grates. And I’m not about to stainless-steel polish everything. But I will give it a once-over with a disinfecting cloth after cooking a messy meal, and I’ll take a Swiffer to the floor two or three times a week because I don’t like having dust fly up into my face when I open the door, and I’d rather my feet didn’t stick to the floor after a spill.

So, roll your sleeves up and play Cinderella. But don’t forget to take a break when it’s time to go to the ball!

Now, mistakes happen. Messes happen. People forget to take out the garbage. Managing your house is as much about managing expectations as it is managing people and chaos—especially if you’re living with roommates or squatters. So keep your wits about you, and even when someone loses the screwdriver, try not to lose your cool.

Wipe spills when they happen. Little fixes prevent big cleanups. So put things away after you use them. Sweeping up? Put the broom away the moment you’re done. Coming in from the cold? After you take off your boots, put them in the closet. Finished with yoga? Roll the mat up and put it back where it belongs. Little efforts rather than massive marathons go a long way in making house management feel manageable.

Spring clean in spring, winter, summer, and autumn. Simply wiping down counters is not going to keep your whole house looking spiffy and neat. So don’t save the spring cleaning for spring! Every change of season is another excuse to roll up your sleeves, get the chairs off the floor, and get down to business. A good scrubbing now and again is key if you want your home to look tidy, smell fresh, and have floors that are almost clean enough to eat off of. Better yet, give your closets, cabinets, and cupboards a good cleaning each season, too—out with old food, old makeup, old clothes, old anything you don’t want anymore. In with organized, clean, beautiful, simplified living! Put on the Billie Holiday or the pop stars or the techno, and have at it.

Run a democracy, not a dictatorship. Everybody who lives in your home needs to pitch in to keep things running smoothly. And since it’s not your job to boss everyone else around, take a cue from our Founding Fathers and go with a democratic system. Instead of telling each member of your household what their responsibilities are, call a meeting and let them figure it out themselves.

And remember: Dishes left in the sink is not a conspiracy. Socks left on the floor is not a major crime. The key to staying cool while keeping clean is to be on top of things without making too much of them. So when there are other looming priorities, dusting can take a backseat, no problem.

WHISTLE WHILE YOU WORK

It’s really not all bad—I kind of love cleaning: In some weird way, it calms me. Or maybe I’m just choosing to enjoy it. Either way, it’s got to be done. There’s company coming!

Photograph courtesy of Daphne Oz

EIGHT

THE HIP HOMEMAKER

creating a home that’s your own