Floating shelves are small stages. That’s what makes them fun to decorate and also why they get crowded so fast. A bookcase can hide a mess behind books; a single floating shelf can’t. These are the rules I use. The rule of three, per shelf Every shelf gets three things, in three heights: one tall, one medium, one low. Then stop. On a 17-inch shelf, three objects is already full. ...
When a living room is small, Christmas decor fails in a specific way: a little bit ends up on every surface, and the room just looks busy. I find it easier to split the room into four zones and give each one a single job. Zone 1: the tree corner Pick the corner farthest from the walkway. If a full tree would block a path or a window, go small and lift it. A 2-foot tabletop tree (on Amazon) with a burlap base on a side table or a stool reads as a real tree from across the room. It runs on 3 AA batteries (not included) and has a timer, 6 hours on and 18 off, so there’s no cord to hide. ...
The useful gift for someone who rents is something they can unplug and carry to the next place. A sofa that needs a drill is a gift for the landlord. Match the person, not a theme. Cold on the couch, no open flames allowed, cooks in a tiny kitchen, or just got the keys: those are four different presents. The person who is always cold A heated throw (on Amazon) lives on the couch, which is where a lot of apartment living actually happens. The Bedsure one linked here is 50 by 60 inches, faux fur on one side and sherpa on the other, with a timer and an auto shut-off. The color on that listing is a grey tie-dye. Cream, taupe and solid grey are on the same page if you want it quieter. It folds into a suitcase when they move. The listing says not to sleep on top of it, so it stays a lap blanket, not a bed layer. ...
A full artificial tree wants a base around four feet across. A slim one wants about 28 to 30 inches. Measure the gap you actually have, from the wall to the path you walk, and buy the tree that fits inside it. Under about 20 inches, skip the floor. A 2-foot tabletop tree (on Amazon) sits on a sideboard or the top of a bookcase. With 28 to 30 inches and an ordinary ceiling, shop a 6 or 6.5 foot pencil. Go to 7.5 feet only when a topper will not touch the ceiling. November is when the narrow sizes go first, so measure before you browse. ...
A small kitchen can feed a holiday table. It cannot do it if the oven and both burners are asked to finish at the same minute. Buy the things that cook while the oven is busy, then store without a second cabinet. The one that earns its counter space in January, not only on the 25th, is a 5 quart air fryer (on Amazon). The Ninja AF141 is a single basket with air fry, roast, reheat and dehydrate. The basket holds a tray of appetizers or a pan of vegetables while a roast has the oven. The machine is about 15 inches deep, 11 inches wide and 10 inches tall. If that spot on the counter is already a landing strip, it is the wrong appliance, however good the potatoes are. ...
“Christmas fireplace decor” is one of the top home searches on Pinterest this month, which is a bit unkind to the many of us who live in apartments without one. A fireplace gives a room a focus: somewhere for stockings, garland and a glow. You can build most of that feeling without a real fireplace. Here are the options, from the biggest to the smallest. An electric fireplace with a mantel The full version. An electric fireplace with a mantel surround (on Amazon) is a piece of furniture with a heater and a fake flame in the middle. It plugs into a normal outlet. You get a real mantel to decorate, a flickering glow, and some heat on cold evenings. ...
Hanukkah starts in early December this year, and searches for Hanukkah decor are rising as it gets closer. Hanukkah decorating is usually simpler than Christmas: it’s built around light, the menorah, and a table where people gather for eight nights. These ideas work in a small apartment and suit anyone, whether Hanukkah is the only holiday in the house or one of two. The menorah comes first Everything else is built around the menorah. A classic metal menorah (on Amazon) with nine branches: eight for the nights and the shamash, the helper candle, set apart higher or lower. ...
Farmhouse Christmas is the style for people who like decor that feels homemade and comfortable rather than shiny. It doesn’t need a barn door or shiplap. In an apartment, it’s mostly about materials: wood, wicker, linen, metal, greenery and one plaid. One plaid Buffalo check, the big red and black or red and white squares, is the farmhouse pattern. Use it once or twice, not everywhere: a plaid runner (on Amazon) on the table, or one throw, or the stockings. More than that starts to look like a store display. ...
In December the light is gone by five o’clock, and a room lit only by its ceiling light feels bleak. String lights fix that faster than anything. And they don’t need a tree: some of the best uses of Christmas lights are nowhere near one. A few rules first, then the ideas. Three rules Warm white only. Cool white LEDs look blue and harsh indoors. Look for “warm white,” around 2700K. Colored lights are lovely on a tree, but around the rest of the room they quickly become a lot. ...
Most apartments don’t have a fireplace, and stockings still need to go somewhere. The good news is that once you stop thinking “mantel,” there are lots of places that work just as well, and most don’t need a single nail. A stocking stand The easiest answer: a floor-standing stocking holder (on Amazon). It’s a freestanding post with hooks, and it can go anywhere: next to the tree, beside the TV, by the front door. Once Christmas is over it comes apart and goes in a closet. ...