Clutter-free Archives - Modern Classic

Form and Function and Floor Planning

Knoll-Style Lounge Chair in Charcoal Gray

Arranging furniture in any room is equally exciting as it is daunting.  While there are infinite possibilities when an empty room is your blank canvas, lack of planning can lead to endless furniture shuffling and that lingering question if there is a better way to have it arranged.

Although there is no magic formula or standard way to arrange your living room furniture, there are a few guidelines to consider:

–Pick a focal point for the room

This will serve as a reference point and everything will be arranged relative to the placement of the focal point you choose.  This can be anything with a significant presence in the room from a window to a sofa or even a piece of art.  It should be the obvious place the eye is immediately drawn to upon entering the room.

–Create a floor plan

You can either map out your floor plan on a blank sheet of paper though there are several apps that have been created for this very task as well as templates you can find online for furniture arrangement planning.  This will cut your time spent moving furniture down significantly.

-Form and Function

Using functional furniture enhances the potential for using a space in different ways.  This is especially important for smaller spaces where there is not room for much ornamentation.  Keep in mind that you should never have to sacrifice style for functional furniture… just look here for a few ideas where form and function work in harmony.

–Flow of Traffic

Just as important as where the furniture is placed is where the furniture is not placed to create a path that is easy navigate.  Direct traffic around the furniture, not through the middle of it and allow 36-48 inches for the obvious paths and about 24 inches for the smaller ones.

Let us know if you have any personal tips when it comes to arranging your home!  Either post it below, or stop by our showroom in Bellingham to also  see and experience the pieces we have to offer.

Nelson-Inspired Slat Bench: Versatility and Modern Elegance

Nelson-Style Slat Bench

Since it’s introduction in 1946, George Nelson’s Slat Bench has remained a classic item in homes and offices around the world.  It has a subtle elegance that is unimposing enough to fit with any style of room.  With the versatility of being used as a bench or table, this has become the obvious choice for settings in need of both.

Our George Nelson-Inspired Slat Bench matches the dimensions of Nelson’s original design.  Our version is constructed from premium grade Oak, in your choice of natural oak or ebonized black finish, giving it the strength and versatility that has made it a classic in the decades since its creation.

You can see our Nelson-Inspired Slat Bench and the different wood finish options at our showroom in Bellingham!

Modern Home: Quick Cleaning In Minutes Before Guests Arrive

Our Exhibition Chair and Footstool in Black Leather

When life gets busy and your keeping your modern home tidy falls to the bottom of the list of priorities, there’s no better reminder its time to clean up than those 10 minutes before guests are due to arrive.  Considering it is going to take more time to get your modern home back to it’s usual pristine condition, focus on tackling certain areas for now and you can have your modern home look put together enough just as your doorbell rings:

Clear Surfaces: Its easy to let clutter build up on any available surface without paying much attention to it, but by clearing the dishes you may have on your kitchen counter and hanging up the jacket you mindlessly tossed on your Exhibition Chair (and all other surfaces in between) your modern home will already appear vastly tidier than it was before.

Bathroom: This is an area all guests will see at some point, and where you need to focus on straightening up and wiping down all surfaces, even if there’s not enough time to do a thorough deep cleaning until later.  It is the one spot in your home where being anything less than clean is hard for guests to ignore.

Sitting Area: Since this is the other area your guests will all see, take a few minutes to wipe down and vacuum the overall area.  It will create a fresh and welcoming area for everyone.

Love Is In The Details: But this is not the time to devote to arbitrary details as if you have all the time in the world.  Still, it takes mere seconds to light your new soy wax candle or to set out those fresh flowers, thus transforming your modern home into a comfortable environment for you and your guests.

Sparkling Clean Dishes and Glassware: Is there anything as cringeworthy as noticing foreign food particles on your wine glass just as you are going in for a sip?  Be sure not to put your guests in this awkward position and have everything cleaned and inspected before they arrive.

These are just a few of my tried and true methods, what are some of your favorites?  Share below or in person by visiting us at our showroom location in Bellingham!

3 Secrets For A Clutter-Free Minimalist Home

Nelson Bench Replica in a Clutter-Free Home

After years of renting, you take the momentous leap into adulthood and are now a first-time homebuyer and settling in to your clutter-free modern home with modern furnishings to replace your old bean bag chairs and college futon (seriously, get rid of them, donations are usually tax-deductible).  Do not undo all your hard work by throwing your dirty clothes over your brand new Nelson Bench Reproduction.  You are a grown-up now, remember?!  This means from now on you are neat and tidy!  If only it were that easy to break your slobbish habits you developed in college, when you first escaped your parents nagging and saying “the floor is not not a hamper.” It can be and here are three simple habits to adopt to keep your new modern home clean and tidy in a way that says a grown-up lives here!

One-Touch Rule:  Adopt this mindset and you will never spend another second of your life searching for your other shoe (or keys, or wallet).  If put where it belongs, an item is only touched once until you next time you need it.  Think about the dirty dish you are about to put in the sink when it belongs in the dishwasher (touch #1).  Here is what happens next: other dishes pile on top of it until its overflowing, so you move everything onto the counter (touch #2) and begin loading everything into the dishwasher (touch #3).  It takes as much effort to put that same dirty dish in the dishwasher which is literally right next to the sink.  Have you ever woken up to a perfectly clean kitchen?  Trust me, you will love it.

Avoid the ‘Clutter to Maintain Clutter’ Complex:  While there is tremendous value in finding an organizing unit solution for a chaotic spot you are constantly trying to keep in order (lids for the pots and pans, perhaps?) if not put to use, its only more clutter.  Oh, the irony.  Be mindful of this and avoid it before it starts by only buying organizers you need and most importantly:  Keep it simple!  This is supposed to make your life easier, so overcomplicating it will only deter you from using it to maintain the clutter.

Got a minute? De-Stress and Create Order:  When you find yourself with a minute to spare, take the opportunity to get a small area in order, like that one drawer in your console table or the kitchen cabinet with the baking sheet avalanche every time you open it.  You will be amazed how satisfying this practice becomes and how eliminating the clutter also eliminates stress you only recognize once its gone.

Abide by these three methods and you will notice everything falling into place, seemingly on its own, but its all you and your mature habits replacing the old bad habits.  You can find inspiration and check out all we have to offer by visiting our factory showroom in Bellingham!