Although you might think of large family gatherings when you think of Thanksgiving, you can still have a fulfilling Thanksgiving dinner for just yourself or with one other person. Of course, this might seem unusual to you, so maybe you need some help making small portions. With these three recipes adjusted for two people, you can easily cook and enjoy a small Thanksgiving dinner.
1. Bread and celery stuffing
Prepare a delicious bread and celery stuffing dish for two by using approximately one pound of white bread, sliced to air dry for one to two hours, then cut into cubes. In a Dutch oven, melt two tablespoons of butter or margarine over medium heat. Cook 1/4 of an onion and 3/4 of a chopped celery stalk until soft. Next, season your onion and celery with half a teaspoon of poultry seasoning, and your preferred amounts of salt and pepper.
Stir in the bread cubes you made until evenly coated. Moisten your stuffing with three tablespoons and half a teaspoon of chicken broth. Then, thoroughly mix your stuffing and let it chill. Finally, bake the stuffing in a buttered casserole dish at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 to 40 minutes. Enjoy as a side dish to some turkey. See the full recipe here.
2. Thanksgiving Turkey for two
You don’t need to bake a whole turkey when you’re cooking for two. Place two turkey breast tenderloins in an 11-by-seven-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine a quarter cup of wine, one tablespoon of melted butter, a quarter teaspoon of salt, a quarter teaspoon of tarragon, and a quarter teaspoon of paprika. Add your combination from the small bowl on top of the turkey tenderloins. Next, arrange half a cup of mushrooms around the tenderloins.
Bake your turkey dish uncovered at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 to 35 minutes or until a meat thermometer placed inside the turkey reads 170 degrees Fahrenheit. As you bake, it’s best to baste your turkey occasionally with its pan drippings. Let your turkey cool for five minutes before slicing it. Finally, enjoy a mouth-watering Thanksgiving turkey. See the full recipe here.
3. Lentil loaf
Follow this tasty vegetarian lentil loaf recipe for your two-person Thanksgiving dinner. Add one-quarter cup (plus an additional two tablespoons) of green lentils into three-quarters of water in a small saucepan. Bring the water to a boil, reduce heat, and let the water simmer until the lentils are tender, which should take approximately about 40 minutes. Next, preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Then, grease a nine-by-five-inch loaf pan. In a large bowl, mix two cups of cooked lentils, two slices of cut-up bread, one egg, 1/3 cup of broth, two teaspoons tomato paste, and one teaspoon of olive oil. Add a little bit of basil, garlic powder, black pepper, parsley, and dry soup mix. Spread your mixture into the prepared greased pan.
Bake your lentil loaf for 40 minutes. Finally, sprinkle the top of your lentil loaf with dry bread crumbs, and put it back into the oven for another 10 minutes. Let your dish cool for approximately 10 minutes before serving and enjoy by yourself or with another person. See the full recipe here.
How would you celebrate a smaller Thanksgiving? Share your ideas in the comments!
Are you looking to relocate to a new rental apartment? When looking for somewhere new to live, no doubt you’ll have a list of things that you would ideally want in a new home and neighborhood.
The entire process of finding another home and relocating to a new place comes with a lot of important decisions. At the top of the list, of course, is what city or neighborhood you decide to call home. More people than ever are seeking a healthy lifestyle, and their choice of a neighborhood can really help with that.
When you’re browsing apartments, it’s easy to get lost in the details of the home and forget to check out the surroundings. If you want to live healthily, the following neighborhood features will help put you on the right track.
Walkability
One of the most important aspects of a neighborhood in terms of allowing for a healthy life is providing the opportunity to be active. Exercise is very important for a healthy lifestyle, so if you can leave the car keys at home when you run errands, you will improve your fitness. Walking also has the benefit of reducing pollution and makes the streets safer for kids thanks to less traffic.
Your neighborhood will need to have good sidewalks, as well as amenities and stores close enough so you can walk to them. It isn’t very useful if you only have one without the other, however. Sidewalks with nowhere to walk to means you still have to jump in the car to run all your errands, although they could encourage you to take walks with no purpose.
Some communities are really helpful for people who want that healthy lifestyle by including dedicated bike lanes for those who love to exercise, while also eliminating the need to use their vehicle everywhere they go.
Green Spaces
You will be more inclined to go out for a walk if you have some place nice to visit nearby. This could be a hiking trail, a dog park or a wooded area. These sorts of places enhance people’s lives as well as property values.
Green spaces are known to reduce people’s stress and can even help with conditions like ADHD and PTSD. An area filled with trees can offer shade in the hot summer months, as well as make your home a little less reliant on air-con, thanks to the cooling effect.
Many environmentally conscious towns have been building dedicated walking trails for their residents. When searching for a home, you can ask around and research online for some tips on where to find this amenity.
Workout Options
A neighborhood with access to a gym is something people are increasingly looking for. An excellent gym that is affordable, has fitness classes and a good range of exercise equipment will add a lot to the neighborhood.
Sports fields and tennis courts are just a couple of other options to look for in a neighborhood that encourages a healthy lifestyle. It is also good to have some place people can go jogging or ride a bike away from busy roads. The more workout options available to people in the neighborhood, the better.
Healthy Eating
Exercise is only part of a healthy lifestyle, the food you eat is very important too. Easy access to a farmers’ market allows residents to buy fresh healthy food.
Farmers’ markets can offer freshly picked fruit and vegetables, organic options, grass-fed meats and other produce grown locally. Buying locally-grown food at reasonable prices helps support local farmers and improves your community as well.
Traffic
Areas with a lower volume of traffic are nicer places to live in. Not only does that mean less noise but less pollution as well. And it means the streets are safer for children and adults alike. There’s a reason why people find a cul-de-sac as one of the most popular neighborhood locations.
Neighborhood Meetings
If you are interested in living in a particular neighborhood, you can really find out how healthy the neighborhood is if you go to a homeowners’ association meeting. This should give you a lot of information about what it is like to live in that community and any issues that could be affecting it.
You can see how active the community is and how engaged they are in improving the neighborhood. You could find out about recycling programs and sustainability drives that the association operates.
It could forewarn you about future construction plans, or alert you to enhancements to the area. It will also let you observe how friendly your potential neighbors will be, and you could even make friends with a few people before you move in.
Final Thoughts on Picking a Healthy Neighborhood
While there are a lot of amenities which can add value to a neighborhood and encourage healthy living, you should be alert to negative things and the aspects you want to avoid, too. Do you notice signs of vandalism and unrepaired damage in community areas? Even things like litter could be a sign of a community that is heading in the wrong direction and isn’t going to create a healthy neighborhood.
Hopefully, you have found these tips on picking a healthy neighborhood to be useful, and you’ll know what you want from a neighborhood the next time you decide to relocate.
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It feels extremely odd to focus on design this week, but I’m considering it a form of self-preservation today. We all need to do what calms us as we prepare for the inevitable storm ahead. Please tell me you’re voting today or tomorrow if you haven’t already. Click here to find your polling place. Every single vote matters – even if you think your vote won’t make a difference where you live – I promise you it will. Please please please vote.
While we all await our fate, please enjoy this stunning project designed by my go-to gal Lauren Nelson. It is incredibly soothing.
I have major entry envy.
Both a guest house and private tasting room for Petrichor Vineyards in Santa Rosa, CA, Lauren put her magic touch of approachable sophistication mixed with laid-back elegance in every single space she touched. Subtle Morrocan vibes, classic well-made pieces, and a muted yet saturated color palette work beautifully. I particularly love the use of the deep, rich blue tones in the updated kitchen. All the natural light and vaulted ceilings keep the space feeling open and bright despite the darker hues.
Lauren is the queen at beautifully impactful simple moments. This vintage chair and stunning cabinet make me feel like I’m somewhere in Italy.
Even though we’re in the heart of wine country, I am loving the Moroccan vibes peppered throughout the home.
This bedroom has such a mix of textures and styles, yet everything, from the rug to the bed to the curtains to the sconces all play harmoniously.
This officially might be my favorite bathroom vanity of all time. The counter top sink, the sconces, that faucet and yummy texture on the walls…it’s all delicious.
This space is going to serve as my moment of zen – I plan on revisiting it regularly between now and the end of the election day – whenever that may be. I hope this home tour brings you both some calm and some hope. I truly believe we have the capacity to bring ourselves back from the brink. We just have to show up and make our voices heard.
Thinking about moving to San Francisco? It’s a unique city that has its good, bad and weird.
San Francisco is filled with contradictions and surprises, ranging from microclimate weather to the obvious unequal distribution of wealth. Even though San Francisco is home to tech giants (they call it Silicon Valley for a reason), the city still is still plagued by the lack of affordable housing and homelessness.
It’s easy to see how San Francisco can be misunderstood.
San Francisco overview
San Francisco is a lot smaller than you think — the city is only 46 square miles but has plenty to offer.
Technology is king in the Bay Area, with nearly 50 Fortune 500 companies located in San Francisco and further south in Silicon Valley. Between job opportunities and outdoor activities for the whole family, San Francisco is a great place to settle down.
Population: 881,549
Population density (people per square mile): 17,179
Median income: $112,376
Average studio rent: $3,205
Average one-bedroom rent: $4,144
Average two-bedroom rent: $4,930
Cost of living index: 194
Popular neighborhoods in San Francisco
San Francisco has about 36 official neighborhoods to choose from, each with its unique characteristics and vibe. Here’s an overview of some of the most popular:
Nob Hill: Sitting on top of one of San Francisco’s hillier areas, Nob Hill offers incredible views of the city. Lined with old mansions and the atmosphere of an elegant, deep historic background, Nob Hill offers Michelin-starred restaurants, art galleries, historic landmarks and home to Grace Cathedral and the Fairmont Hotel. The steep neighborhood is accessible by cable car, but if you’re familiar with the city’s trolley system, it’s expensive (at $7 a ride) and usually packed with tourists.
Mission District: This neighborhood was named after the Mission Dolores and the locals know it mostly to be the spot in the city to grab a tasty burrito. With its hipster vibes and gritty atmosphere, the Mission is a great place to go for a stroll, order from an old-school taqueria or enjoy a scoop or two of gourmet ice-cream. On a beautiful day, venture out to Dolores Park and people watch — you’ll never be bored.
North Beach: It’s close to the water, but doesn’t have an actual beach. North Beach is a hot spot for Italian restaurants, bars and neon-lit strip clubs. Back in the day, North Beach was filled with saloons and brothels, but today, you can go there for a delicious slice of pizza and craft beer. One thing to note about North Beach is that public transportation may be difficult to get to. BART, which is San Francisco’s equivalent of a subway, doesn’t go to North Beach. However, North Beach is close enough to the Financial District to walk or bike.
Dogpatch: This area is located along the water and is known for its artsy design culture and industrial warehouse buildings. Dogpatch may be the place for you if you want to live in an artist’s loft or want to be close to an artist community. It’s also close to the Chase Center and adjacent to Potrero Hill. Dogpatch is also relatively flat, which makes it perfect for bikers.
Mission Bay: A sprawling neighborhood in the northern part of San Francisco, Mission Bay is popular with young professionals and young families. From Mission Bay, you can catch CalTrain, which is a double-decker commuter train that connects residents from the Peninsula (i.e., Palo Alto, Redwood City, San Mateo) to the city. Mission Bay is known for its newer buildings and condo developments.
The pros of moving to San Francisco
Moving to San Francisco means you’ll be a part of the city’s transplants. If cultural diversity is important to you, San Francisco is the spot — the city welcomes people from all backgrounds and walks of life. From the endless variety of food and restaurant options, cultural events and outdoor activities, San Francisco is a true melting pot with tons to do.
The weather
This is a pro or a con, depending on your taste. If you enjoy crisp, sunny, and chillier climates, moving to San Francisco will be a pro for you. If hot weather or the four seasons is more your thing, you may be disappointed. San Francisco is full of micro-climates, so it might be cold and foggy in one part of town while the other is sunny and warm. Locals always bring an extra layer or two, and San Francisco doesn’t get too hot in the summer. Expect 70-degree weather during the summer months.
Gorgeous scenery and outdoor activities
Although walkability is high in San Francisco, there’s plenty to do that’s just a short car ride away, including breath-taking hikes, kayaking, surfing (or stand-up paddleboarding) and camping.
Cross the Golden Gate Bridge to plenty of hikes near Stinson Beach or drive south to Pacifica for scenic views of the ocean and peninsula. For the more adventurous types, Yosemite National Park is only a four-hour drive away, and Lake Tahoe is about three and a half hours.
Public transportation
This can also be a pro or a con, depending on your patience for public transportation. While it’s not perfect, it’s still an inexpensive and relatively quick way to get around town, if you don’t have a car.
BART, which is Bay Area Rapid Transit, can get you around the city and connects to the East Bay. MUNI is the city’s above and underground tram system, plus there are also buses, e-scooters and bikes throughout the city at your disposal.
San Francisco is one of the most expensive cities in the nation. The high cost of rent, coupled with other cost-of-living expenses such as dining out, services and taxes — it can quickly add up and bust your budget.
The good thing is that Bay Area salaries are adjusted for the cost of living and there are also places within the Bay Area that are generally more affordable than San Francisco, such as the East Bay.
Traffic and parking
Even though San Francisco is a relatively easier place to have a car, compared to other cities such as Manhattan, you’ll still have to deal with constant stop and go traffic, pretty much everywhere you go.
Nothing is more energy-zapping than being stuck in a traffic jam of buses and commuters that need to get in or out of the city. The Bay Bridge, which connects San Francisco to the East Bay, eventually merges into one lane. The freeways around the city aren’t any better.
While San Francisco is known for its extreme wealth due to the tech boom, the income disparity is real and the lack of affordable housing still plagues the city. San Francisco has one of the highest populations of unsheltered homeless residents in the country.
While most of San Francisco is generally clean and safe, you may turn a corner and find yourself surrounded by a homeless encampment or walk through a sidewalk lined with trash and discarded needles.
How to get started on your move to San Francisco
Moving to a new place is exciting, but can also be stressful and uncertain. Sure, San Francisco is expensive, but it also has tremendous perks that make it special and potentially worth checking out.
If you’re ready to get started on your move, visit the Rent.com Moving Center to get free quotes and more information about how to plan your move.
Rent prices are based on a rolling weighted average from Apartment Guide and Rent.com’s multifamily rental property inventory of one-bedroom apartments. Data was pulled in October 2020 and goes back for one year. We use a weighted average formula that more accurately represents price availability for each individual unit type and reduces the influence of seasonality on rent prices in specific markets.
The rent information included in this article is used for illustrative purposes only. The data contained herein do not constitute financial advice or a pricing guarantee for any apartment.
In our Pros and Cons series, we weigh the advantages and disadvantages of important decisions that apartment dwellers are making every day.
When you’re looking to move into your first apartment, it’s common to see some apartment listings with gas heating and stoves. You might also see electric heating and stoves (and many gas appliances require electrical power to operate). That’s why you might wonder if one is better than the other. Find an in-depth comparison of electric vs. gas below.
Pros of electric over gas
Electric stoves are easier to clean
Coil electric burners and flat-top electric stoves are easier to clean than are stoves that run on gas. With a gas stove, it’s harder to clean food debris out of burners, whereas an electric flat-top stove has no such obstructions.
Lower maintenance for heat and hot water repairs
Electric heaters require less maintenance than gas heaters, so when you rent an apartment with electric heat, you can fairly assume you’ll have fewer maintenance concerns to address with your landlord. And you won’t make fewer calls to only your landlord or property manager – better heaters means fewer days spent waiting for the utility company representative or your repair person to show up.
Energy efficient
Electric heaters use almost all the energy they receive to heat water. A gas heater, on the other hand, must vent a portion of the gas, and with this gas goes some heating capacity. That means you’ll need less electricity – and thus less money – for your heat and hot water when you go electric.
Cons of electric over gas
Gas stoves are easier to use
Stoves that run on electricity take much longer to heat up, whereas gas stoves quickly respond when you turn the heat up or down. To warm up an electric stove faster, you can move your pan off the heating element, but that still won’t beat the heating speed of gas.
Gas provides affordable heat during the winter
Although natural gas heating is more expensive to install than are electric heaters, that’s your landlord’s problem. You only have to worry about your monthly utility bills, and gas usually costs less than electricity, so for you, gas furnaces are better.
Electric heat doesn’t work during power outages
Electric heaters don’t work during power outages, so you won’t have access to heat and hot water if your power goes out. Gas heaters continue to provide heat and hot water even during a power outage, assuming there’s no disruption in the gas line either.
The landlord probably won’t pay the bill
Often, gas and electric costs are your responsibility. However, some landlords will cover the portion of your gas used toward heat or hot water. You’re far less likely to find a landlord willing to cover your electricity costs, though some apartment prices include all utilities.
Price
While gas and electric prices vary throughout the country, gas appliances are usually more affordable than their electric counterparts. If you cook every night, your monthly cooking gas might not be more than $15 per month. The average monthly apartment gas heating cost is affordable too, at approximately $40. That’s far less than electric heating, which can cost $160 per month in some areas.
What are your thoughts on electric versus gas? Sound off in the comments!
Apartment living is a lot more fun when you have a furry friend to share the experience with. Dogs can take a decent chunk out of your paycheck, so you need to make sure you budget for everything, including vet costs, food and more, before you bring a new pup home.
I know many espouse shopping vintage as the only way to inject “authentic personality” into your home. I wouldn’t say I disagree. I enjoy the vintage scavenger hunt as much as anyone, but sometimes you need more expedient options. And if those options look as good as these fall pieces from Anthropologie do, I’m totally ok with that.
I posted about Anthro’s latest collaboration last month and their hits just keep on coming. I’m the first to admit I’ve often thought of Anthro pieces as overly whimsical, feminine and a touch too cottage chic, but this new editorial shows that it all depends on your context. A beautiful home designed by famed architect Richard Neutra certainly helps. This one is for sale FYI!
But what this home tour really illustrates is that a piece can take on a totally different personality in a different environment – so really you shouldn’t rule an option out at first glance. Really think about how something will look and feel in your space regardless if it’s modern or bohemian-inspired.
I could not be more obsessed with this wood cabinet. It has a really unique a mesh overlay, a travertine top an gorgeous rounded corners.
Also I have to mention that this mix of wood tones is giving me all kinds of inspiration for our new cottage. And since I only have about 10 weeks to renovate and furnish the entire house, I’m fully ok with unearthing some gems – big box store or not.
This entire home is a beautiful study in mixing soothing neutrals, a variety of texture and a feeling of pieces being collected over time. But you didn’t have to wait years to stumble across the perfect treasure. And there’s no shame in that!
As we shift into the new season and really think about making our homes our sanctuary from both the colder temperatures and from Covid, you can think out of the box while still shopping within one.
Drinking in fresh air while you workout may be a good motivator, but when the weather doesn’t cooperate, it’s not a practical option. You could spend a chunk of your hard-earned paycheck on a membership at a gym, but it’s going to be easy to find an excuse to skip your workout when you have a commute to the treadmill. Since your building boasts its own in-house fitness center, there’s no need to spend any extra money or travel further than a few hundred feet for a workout. Here are a few ways that you can make the most out of a fitness routine in your apartment’s own fitness center.
Begin with just your bodyweight. Apartment fitness centers tend to vary in terms of the equipment they offer, but all of them tend to have one thing in common: limited space. So you might not see the wide variety of cardio and strength-training equipment you’d find at your typical gym. This just gives you the opportunity to simplify your workout. When you first embark on a fitness routine at the apartment gym, try skipping the equipment altogether and just using your own bodyweight. Moves like squats, lunges, and burpees torch calories and strengthen muscles, even in a small space.
Strengthen your core. One muscle group that’s easy to shred with zero equipment and a small amount of space? Your abs. As long as your apartment fitness center has a mat, you can power through crunches, bicycle kicks, and grueling planks to really take your six-pack to the next level. If one is available, throw a medicine ball into the mix to add an extra challenge to your ab routine.
Get creative with minimal equipment. If you do want to incorporate some of the available equipment into your workout, try creating a circuit that hits every part of the body from head to toe. Start with a round of bicep curls and tricep rows using the hand weights. Sink into a dolphin plank for intervals of 30 or 60 seconds. Then start squatting with a medicine ball or kettlebell in hand to strengthen those glutes and legs. Hop on the treadmill or elliptical for a minute in between each strength-training move to keep the heart rate high and the body burning calories.
Try some supersets. Have you ever heard of a superset? If not, now’s the time to learn. When you’re working out in a small space, the superset is your best friend. It’s a pairing of two moves performed back-to-back, typically working two antagonistic muscle groups. For instance, you could do a set of deadlifts and then transition swiftly into a round of pushups. So, what’s the benefit of a superset? When you do this, the movement keeps your heart rate elevated, which means your body will continue to burn calories all throughout the workout.
Security deposits are among the more significant finances involved with renting your first apartment. These deposits cover any damage you cause to your apartment, and even the most careful tenants can easily cause minor damage to their first apartments. After you move out, your landlord will subtract the monetary equivalent of any damage you cause from your deposit.
That said, if you’re clean and careful with your apartment, If you know the below five common security deposit deductions your landlord can take, you’ll be in especially good shape.
1. General cleaning
Leaving your apartment dirty will result in your landlord deducting from your security deposit to cover cleaning costs. Even basic apartment-wide cleaning tasks can run a deduction into the double-digits. So to avoid being charged for excessive cleaning costs, keep up with your cleaning routine, and leave your apartment “broom clean.”
It’s essential to leave your apartment in the same condition as when you moved in so you can receive your full deposit when you move out. After removing your belongings, use a broom, vacuum, mop, and other cleaning supplies of choice to achieve that squeaky-clean initial condition (or at least get your apartment as clean as it was when you first moved in).
2. General repairs
Surface-level repairs and maintenance, such as repainting or sealing holes in the wall, can cause a significant reduction in how much you receive from your security deposit. It’s best practice to fill any large holes you’ve created before you leave as well as smaller holes from nails, screws, and the like. Many people use spackling paste for this purpose.
More in-depth repairs, such as plumbing and electric, can be costly to fix, causing your landlord to deduct a large fee from your deposit. Inform your landlord of any electric and plumbing issues as they arise during your residency to prevent yourself from being charged after you move out. Given the high costs of repair, it’s better to have these issues repaired before you leave instead of being blamed and charged for the damage after moving out.
3. Interior fixtures
Make sure to replace batteries for carbon monoxide and smoke detectors before you move out. Additionally, defective appliances should be fixed before moving out, whether you can do it yourself or you need to have your landlord bring in an expert. If damage occurs to a fixture or appliance in your apartment, ask your landlord to take care of it when the problem first appears instead of waiting – you’ll save more money this way.
4. Doors and windows
It’s important to replace faulty doorknobs, doors, and window panes. Perhaps you can’t do some of these replacements by yourself, but some door and window repairs may be easier than you think. Either you do it yourself or get your landlord to hire someone to repair the damage — again, don’t wait until you’ve moved out.
5. Items left behind
Packing and moving everything you own may be a daunting task, but you shouldn’t leave anything behind. Leaving things in your apartment after you move out can be costly for your landlord because of the labor it takes to remove it.
Some tenants leave mattresses and box springs behind, but doing so is ill-advised even if these objects are tough to move – your landlord can charge you high sums for these left-behind items in particular. If you need to get rid of large items, look into donating them to charity, hiring a junk hauling company, or selling them online.
The key takeaway: Fix faults as they happen
In general, if you want to receive your full deposit amount after you move out, you should always strive to repair damages right after they occur. Many people recommend taking a picture before you move in to keep track of any damages the apartment has when you first move in. Your landlord can fix issues while you’re living there instead of withholding money from your security deposit after you move out.
Do you have any advice to ensure that people receive their full security deposit after moving out of apartments? Sound off in the comments!
Oh hi friend, just popping up for air between homeschooling and well, I guess I’m not getting air because the entire west coast is on fire and the air quality is some of the worst in the world. Did you hear that the presidential election is now less than 50 days away. Have you registered to vote? Ensured you’ll receive your mail-in ballot? Have a voting plan? CLICK HERE if not.
But I digress. As you might have seen last week, I have new project that is distracting me from impending doom – the Hood Canal Coastal Cottage and I have been diving deeeeep in design this past week as our timeline to get this baby done is mega short. Like six weeks short. But I’ll dig into all those details once we actually close and I can walk you through everything.
For now, let’s have a convo about bedrooms, shall we? We spend a lot of time in them right? I tend to work from mine late into the wee hours. One of the biggest trouble spots I’m running into with the Coastal Cottage are the bedrooms. I think bedrooms are my achilles heel (as was evidenced by our guest room in This Old Victorian. And the main bedroom. But who’s counting.) It just feels impossible to come up with something that seems interesting (without resorting to majorly expensive finishes or design elements and we are on a budget here people! More on that discussion to come as well).
Living spaces are my jam. I can walk into any type of living space and visualize what it needs almost instantly. Maybe it’s because bedrooms are usually just a box, and often a pretty small one that limits my thinking. I just have the hardest time coming up with innovative solutions for bedroom design. But one idea has been catching my eye in all my late-night scrolling – so much so that I just had to whip up this post for you.
My latest Idea to Steal (and the one I’m trying to convince the husband to let me do in the Coastal Cottage) is wall-to-wall headboards.
You might also call this look a bed ledge. The utility of wall-to-wall headboards are endless. It’s an easy way to inject another color, wood tone or texture to your bedroom. You can also use the wall-to-wall headboard to house bedside tables and lighting, saving floor space and keeping things minimal.
But I also love that the bed ledge offers the perfect spot to display pieces you love. From artwork to plants, vases or ceramics – you have a spot to add life and personality to your space without adding additional furniture to your room.
The challenge is with the wall-to-wall headboard is actually creating one. This isn’t an off the shelf solution. You’ll likely need to employ a carpenter or be very industrious with your DIYs to create something that works. I’ve seen very simple pine and even particle board versions that don’t seem too intimidating. But slatted wall-to-wall headboards or versions with more design detail could require a pro. I would argue the investment is worth it.
How about you? Maybe if this post gets enough comments, my husband will be convinced!
