Turns out a Erlenmeyer flask makes a great vase.

Romantic bedroom decor is an important part of Valentine’s Day. After all, who doesn’t want a clean, calm, lovely oasis in which to end the evening?

Well, there’s no need to check into a hotel. There are ways to make your own bedroom more romantic. The key is to start with a clean, uncluttered space and then add romance on top. Here are some tips on how to spice up the bedroom for Valentine’s Day:

First, the basics:

1. Clean the bedroom. Vacuum, hang clothes, dust blinds, polish wood, etc.

2. Remove clutter. Shove it in the closet if you have to, just get it out of sight.

3. Change the bedding. Clean sheets are a must.

4. Remove the TV. Cover it or take it out of the room. There is nothing less romantic than an ugly TV.

5. Hide Family Photos. As much as we all love our relatives, no one needs to look at their faces during romantic time.

Okay, the room is clean. Now it’s time to consider the extras:

1. New Bedding. If you are planning to get a new duvet or sheets for the bed, Valentine’s Day is a good time to inaugurate them.

2. Candles. Candles equal instant romance. You don’t need that many, either. One or two does the trick. If you like scented candles, only burn one at a time so it isn’t overwhelming.

3. White Christmas Lights. Use them as lighting by weaving them on the bed frame or along the ceiling or anywhere that would add a sense of romance. Here’s an example from furniture for small spaces:

4. Extra Pillows. By putting all the pillows in the house on the bed, you get a look of luxury and excess. Use similar pillowcases for a sense of uniformity. Alternately, splurge for some new throw pillows or make them.

5. Canopy. You can rig a canopy over the bed for increased intimacy. Here’s an example from Home Interior Decorating:

6. Flowers. To tell the truth, I’m not a fan of putting rose petals on the bed because they are annoying to clean up afterwards, but I would be remiss not to mention it. Alternately, you can just put some flowers in vases by the bed. The more the merrier in this case.

That’s all I have. The rest is up to you.

While I do like the clean, streamlined look in decorating, I seem to prefer houses that combine different styles, display quirky collections, and reflect someone’s personality. I like decoration that is interesting, where everywhere you look there is something to take in.

Samuel Barrett Genthner’s house tour on Apartment Therapy certainly fits this description. He is co-owner of Monument, vintage and antiques shop in San Francisco. Apartment Therapy gushes that “almost every San Francisco house tour seems to mention Monument as a favorite source and inspiration.” And it is indeed a very cool store–I have been in there many times–although expensive (some might say overpriced). Anyway, Genthner’s house is like the best of Monument. For example:

I love these drapes and the gun pillow cases.

Dining room with cool lamps and mustached head on the table.

Brilliant.

Owls! And a close up on the lamps.

Part of the living room. Notice the globes in the corner. Like owls and old phones, globes seems to be getting hot for people to collect. They can be a cheerful collection to have in the corner or on top of a shelf.

Genthner also has some good advice on decorating: “Trust your eye and your instincts. Go with your feelings. If it’s attractive to you, it’ll be attractive to someone else. Try not to follow trends.”

More of the house tour here.

I’m getting rid of clutter right now. Clothes, furniture, dishes, etc. are all going. I don’t know if I will ever get to the point where I have exactly the right number of possessions, but I keep trying.

The way I look at it, if something in my house is taking up space, then it should serve a purpose. It should either be useful in some way, or it should add beauty or other value to my life. Otherwise, it’s just cluttering the room. Usually, a clean, calm space is more valuable than the thing itself.

Here’s how I know when it’s time to get rid of something:

1. I got a new version of the thing, thus replacing it. No need to have two of most things.

2. I haven’t used it in at least a year. Obviously it is not necessary, then.

3. I am sick of it. It have no qualms about dumping something if it annoys me.

Still, sometimes it’s a little hard to figure out what to get rid of. You know your closet is overflowing, but you’re not sure what’s useful and what’s not. When that happens, I start by reorganizing the closet in question. As I do this, I ask myself the following questions:

1. Do I need this? Yes, keep it. No, then ask:

2. Do I like this? Yes, keep it. No or not really, then ask:

3. Can this have another use? Is there some other way this can serve a purpose or is there a new way of looking at it that makes it interesting again? Yes, keep it. No, then it’s time to get rid of it.

If I’m still not sure, I put the item aside for a week and then look at it again. Something about that space of time clarifies the issue and I will know whether to keep it or dump it. Usually, I dump it.

Now. Sometimes clutter comes from having too many of something useful–too many mugs, too many pencils, too many towels, etc. This can get tricky because, technically, these things have a purpose, so it’s hard to balance how many you really need. Here’s a couple of question I ask myself in that situation:

1. How long is the life of the item? If the thing can be used up, then you might as well keep it. For example, if you have too many bars of soap, the smart thing to do is store all of them and stop buying new soap until they are gone. But if you have too many purses, say, they will not get used up, so it may be time to consider getting rid of some of them.

2. How many will I use? Think of the scenario where you will need all of an item and do a count. Someone gave me a giant box of wine glasses, way more than I can ever use. I thought of the biggest party I would have where I would break out wine glasses. I figured about 12 people. So I kept 12 glasses and got rid of the rest.

3. How much space do I have to store these? I had a bunch of teapots, but only one small part of my kitchen cupboard to store them in. Since I don’t need multiple teapots, I forced myself to get rid of some. Turns out, I didn’t even like them that much and it’s nice to not have teapots falling on me whenever I open the cupboard.

Annd three more thoughts on getting rid of clutter:

1. I don’t keep things out of guilt. It is silly for your own possessions to guilt you. I don’t like it when I make a mistake and buy something that I didn’t end up needing, but that isn’t a reason to keep the thing in question. (Instead, I look at why I made the mistake in the first place and try not to repeat it.) Likewise, while I appreciate when people give me presents, I won’t keep something just because someone gave it to me. Possessions should serve you, not the other way around.

2. I want a clean, serene space. As mentioned above, when you are de-cluttering, you are trying to gain something of value–space, cleanliness, and calm–in exchange for the things you are getting rid of. It’s about having a nicer life by keeping only the things you want and need around you. It’s a good thing to keep in mind.

3. I have never missed something after getting rid of it. Okay, once. In college I sold a green cardigan that I sort of liked and then later wished I still had. That was 10 years ago, and it is the only time I have ever missed something after getting rid of it. So I must be doing something right.

What are your de-cluttering tips?

I don’t like Swiffers. To me, they seem more of a marketing tool than a cleaning tool. Instead of using a sponge on your mop–which take forever to wear out–they convince you to buy these disposable cloths instead. As a consequence, you have to keep buying more of the cloths to continue to clean your house.

Still, I understand why some people like Swiffers. Mops get gross. It is hard to change the sponge, and when you do, they are expensive to replace. You don’t have to store a bucket for mop water. It is more convenient to use a Swiffer.

That’s why I like the idea of making your own Swiffer cover, like this one from Berlin’s Whimsy:

It is a reversible, washable Swiffer cover made from old towels. I love it. When it is gets dirty, you simply throw it in the machine. No more buying disposable Swiffer cloths, which saves money. And since it’s from recycled towels, it probably costs almost nothing to make.

Incidentally, the mop I use is very similar to this. It’s possible to buy mops that have washable fabric pads. Since it’s so easy to clean, I shouldn’t have to replace this mop for a long time, not until the fabric wears out. And maybe then I’ll just make the replacement myself. (Via Craft)

Today I am enjoying this house tour on Design Sponge of artist Sophie Blackall’s house. Much like Ann Wood’s house tour, it’s full of whimsy and interesting details that probably wouldn’t make sense in someone else’s house, but give the rest of us permission to do whatever weird thing we want to do with our space. For example, put a collection of antique dolls on your wall:

Or hand mirrors (love this idea):

Or make a quilt out of 19th century bed sheets:

See the rest of the tour here.

I like trees as decoration and I love bookshelves, so naturally I love this tree bookshelf from Korean designer Shawn Soh. So cute. (Via the style files)

Check out this cool Halloween decor from Country Living. Using their bat template, you cut the bats out of black felt and affix it to your door by duct tape. It looks creepy and original. Awesome.

Shopping for side tables is hard. The stores only have four or five kinds right now, and they are either stools, ottomans, nesting tables, or ugly things I don’t want in my house.

I could always go the thrift/antique store route, but the problem is that my living room is getting really retro looking, so my gut says I need the accents to be more contemporary to balance it out. I don’t want my house to start looking like it is in the 1960s. A new table is the easiest way to get away from that.

If I could just find a simple wooden square or box with a glass top and a little pizazz, I would buy it right away. You know, something like this from Arbora Designs in the UK:

But this is $441 US dollars, and I need two of them. It is pretty nice though.

I also like the idea of an all glass table, like this one:

It’s the Timber Table, $225 from Style Garage. I like the idea of this table, but I’m not sure how sturdy it is. I would have to see it in person.

Another cool idea for a table:

$285 from Fine Home Designs. It’s definitely different, but I’m not sure it’s practical.

And while we’re talking high price, why not go high end, like this table by Isotrope Designs:

This table is a sculpture inspired by “cellular and organic forms.” I am guessing the cellular form that inspired it is what termites do to wood? Because that is what this table makes me think of. Termites.

On the other hand, maybe I don’t want this table after all.

And let’s face it, I don’t want to pay this much for side tables. I am going to have to think of a cheaper option here.

Stay tuned.

I confess, I’m over wall decals. However, I like these chair decals from Blik for $30. Seems like an interesting way to spice up the dining room, especially if you have cheap or boring chairs. (Via Country Living)