Crane & Canopy | Blog

Tips to maximize your bedroom storage space

craneandcanopypicture — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:56:36 -0700

Here are a few tips to maximize your storage space in your bedroom for those extra linens or out of season clothing.

Make every piece of furniture count Utilize furniture that has drawers or shelving for extra storage. You can get nightstands that have drawers to store anything you might need, like that book you’re reading (insert hyperlink to post on currently reading) Under your bed is another great storage solution. You can find a bed that has built in drawers for you to put extra sheets or blankets in. If this isn’t an option for you, you can always place any items you need to store in covered bins and tuck them away under your bed.

Get creative! Adding a bench at the end of your bed is a great way to add seating to your bedroom while also creating storage. You can place your out of season clothing in the drawers while having a seat cushion on top allows a comfortable place to sit while you put on your shoes in the morning.

Make the most of your closet. Add in a hanging rod so you can double hang your clothes. Hang the shorter items on the bottom to utilize the space better. You can add in shoe organizers and tiered racks for scarves or belts. If you have several luggage bags, stick them one inside the other so that they’re not taking up too much room in your closet.

Utilize your headboard. If you have a smaller bedroom consider a bookcase headboard. To the naked eye this will look like a headboard, but pop it open and there are shelves inside to store books, photos, or any bedroom necessities.

Add another dresser. If your closet doesn’t seem to be big enough to fit all your clothes and accessories try adding a dresser to your room. You can add any folded items such as work out clothes, pajamas, or even out of season clothing. This frees up room in your closet for anything you might need to put out of view.

Think outside the box. Have you run out of space in your jewelry box? Use hooks or nails mounted on the side of a wall or in your closet. Here you can hang bracelets or necklaces that you’re currently wearing while you store your other jewelry items in your jewelry box.

How to: Measure a duvet warmth with tog measurements

craneandcanopypicture — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:10:41 -0700

We’ve talked about different types of duvets and the materials they’re made of but another factor to take into consideration is the tog. Yes, you heard that measurement right…now what the heck is that?!

The tog is a measure of thermal resistance of a unit area most commonly used in the textile industry. It originates from the informal word ‘togs’ for clothing which was most likely derived from the word toga. A tog is 0.1 m2K/W which means that the thermal resistance in togs is equal to ten times the temperature difference between the two surfaces of a material, when the flow of heat is equal to one watt per square meter. Confused yet?

Basically duvets are measured in togs and each tog measurement refers to how warm your duvet will keep you. A duvet works by trapping heat from the body, cocooning your body for warmth and comfort throughout the night. The tog rating describes how well the duvet will retain heat.

A lightweight summer duvet is 3.0-4.5 tog. This is ideal for warmer climates and will help wick moisture away from the body and retain enough heat to keep you the perfect temperature. A spring or autumn weight is 7.0-10.5 tog. This will have enough warmth to keep you comfortable without being too warm. A winter weight duvet is 12.0-13.5 tog. This is exceptionally well at retaining body heat. An all seasons duvet is a 15.5 tog (4.5+9) and consists of two separate duvets. The two duvets, 4.5 and 9.0, combine intelligently to for a 13.5 tog which is suitable for winter temperatures and effectively provides a year round solution.

Our Favorite Five Ways to Decorate Those Small Spaces

craneandcanopypicture — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:34:28 -0700

It is redecorating season and we want to switch up the look of our homes. We love how rearranging just a few pieces of furniture, or swapping out some room decor can change the entire feel of any space. This week, we want to share with you some great ways to design, decorate, and organize your small spaces. Whether its your little home, or just a petite room, this week’s favorite five will have you sprucing up your small space in no time!

1. Utilize every aspect of your room- including vertical space!

2. We love these sneaky tips to make your tiny space look huge.

3. Organize your home with one of these creative space saving ideas.

4. With a good design, even the smallest homes can look open and spacious.

5. Use these great tips and tricks to get all you can out of any sized space.

We love the whimsical Sunset duvet cover, but did you know that...

craneandcanopypicture — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:38:00 -0700

Gus on the Sunset Duvet Cover

Gus looking quite regal on the Sunset duvet cover

We love the whimsical Sunset duvet cover, but did you know that it’s also a Gus favorite? We think he looks quite handsome on this fun and modern design! Give this a LIKE if you think so too!

The difference between a duvet and a comforter

craneandcanopypicture — Thu, 16 May 2013 10:03:48 -0700

Duvet or Comforter…that is the question. When it comes to choosing your bedding what is the right choice for you? Do you hate making your bed? Do you prefer ease of washing? These are all things to keep in mind when deciding on what your bedding will be.

A duvet is a type of bedding that is a soft flat bag filled with down, feathers, wool, or a synthetic alternative. It is protected with a removable cover, the duvet cover. The duvet originated in Europe and was made from down feathers because of its usefulness as a thermal insulator. Adding in a duvet to your bed makes the whole chore of making your bed a lot easier. It’s a single covering instead of a combination of sheets, blankets, quilts and other bed coverings. The duvet should fit snugly inside a duvet cover which can be removed and washed when needed. The duvet cover (as shown above with our Linden Border Duvet Cover) also allows you to change your style or color choice of your bedding with the simple switch of the cover. This allows for easy changes from season to season.

A comforter is a thick, quilted, fluffy blanket that is used to keep you warm. It is usually filled with synthetic fiber filler which is quilted or stitched to secure the filling and keep it evenly distributed. Unlike a duvet, the comforter only forms one piece of all of your bed linens. It is intended to sit on top of your sheets and those who want a layered look might prefer this. Comforters are usually sold in bedding sets that have coordinating separates and makes decorating easy. Caring for your comforter is easy as you can just place it in the wash with your other bedding.

We asked Katherine McEachern, a freelance design consultant,...

craneandcanopypicture — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:23:00 -0700

We asked Katherine McEachern, a freelance design consultant, jewelry designer, and Marketing Associate for Rue Magazine to put together a room roundup for us featuring our Noe Gray Duvet Set. She is passionate about design’s ability to positively impact the world and works with social enterprise startups and nonprofits to design products and services that improve their client’s lives. Her jewelry is made from vintage jewelry and repurposed materials, and her one-of-a-kind pieces can be found on BRIKA and Etsy.

Katherine chose to feature our Noe Gray duvet set, and modeled the room after how she would style her Fringe Necklace - with modern shapes and solid colors. She loves natural materials and always adds a bit of glam. For the bedroom, she would paint the walls gray to show off the Noe Gray duvet. Adding hint of pink in the rug and lots of soft white textiles brightens the room; and she used chunky wood furniture to ground the space, with a touch of gold and glam in the fixtures!

Get the look: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

To all grandmothers, mothers, and daughters; we hope you are...

craneandcanopypicture — Sun, 12 May 2013 08:01:25 -0700

To all grandmothers, mothers, and daughters; we hope you are celebrating the wonderful women in your lives today! Happy brunching, lunching, and mimosa sipping.

Our Favorite Five Fabulous Home Decor

craneandcanopypicture — Fri, 10 May 2013 15:56:32 -0700

Happy Friday! We can’t wait for this weekend to begin so we can start relaxing and enjoying the weather. Recently, we have been finding so many different styles of rooms and home décor that we are absolutely in love with. From a hallway, to your backyard, this week we’ve found incredible inspiration throughout the web. So pull up a chair and begin daydreaming about some marvelous items you would add to your home with Our Favorite Five Fabulous Home Décor.

We love this glamorous hallway- lined with mirrors and gold!
Be inspired to start getting your backyard summer ready.
Add a tropical punch to your home with ideas from this amazing kitchen.
This modern living room is beautifully decorated with grays and neutrals.
Your mom will love one of these adorable and creative handmade cards.

Today we want to thank Natalie of Veneer Designs for putting...

craneandcanopypicture — Thu, 09 May 2013 10:40:00 -0700

Today we want to thank Natalie of Veneer Designs for putting together a lovely room roundup featuring our Page Gray Duvet cover. She chose to create a serene graphic ocean inspired bedroom using complementary shades of grays and neutrals. We just love how she added a touch of glam to the décor by scattering gold accent pieces throughout the room!

Natalie is a lifelong designer who worked in the world of corporate interiors for 10 years before venturing onto her own to focus on residential interiors. She loves making beautiful spaces that people are happy to come home to everyday. She offers e-designs to clients outside of the LA area, an affordable way to get that designer eye to pull a room together!

Make this your bedroom: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

Inspired: Dotty for Polka Dots!

craneandcanopypicture — Mon, 06 May 2013 18:29:11 -0700

It’s Spring and we are seeing lots and lots of…POLKA DOTS here at Crane & Canopy headquarters. If you haven’t spotted it yet, we also have our own version of a dotted duvet. Meet the Minna jacquard duvet set! We love how this incredibly fun pattern can definitely make anything just a bit more fun.

Source: 1/2/3/4/5/6

Mother’s Day will be here in no time, and we have been loving...

craneandcanopypicture — Fri, 03 May 2013 15:18:35 -0700

Mother’s Day will be here in no time, and we have been loving all the amazing mother’s day gift guides that are circulating the web. There are so many great gifts to surprise your mom with that we are sure she will absolutely love. This week, we want you to be prepared with an awesome gift for Mother’s Day, so we have found you our Favorite Five Mother’s Day Gift Guides. From home décor gifts to fashionable gadgets, your mom is guaranteed to love any one of these.

We love these fun geometric gift ideas – perfect for the modern mom!
These gifts are perfect for all budgets- and all moms.
Help your mom decorate her home, and her style with one of these great finds!
This list has some fun gifts for your mom that also may inspire fun activities to do with your mom!
Pamper your mom by gifting her one of these amazing trinkets and she will surely feel like a queen.

Bloggers We Adore: Christina from Proper Hunt!

craneandcanopypicture — Thu, 02 May 2013 09:37:53 -0700

Modern, playful and vintage? That’s how Christina from Proper Hunt describes her home style. Proper Hunt is a daily fix on everything and anything in home décor and is filled with Christina’s adventures as she fills up her beautiful home in Annapolis with unique and beautiful finds (we would like to note…child-friendly, too! Her recent makeover of the nursery is adorable).

Q: We love your blog! Why did you start blogging?

Thank you! When my husband and I moved to Annapolis, MD from Washington, DC, we were leaving a small one bedroom apartment and moving into a 3-story townhouse. I didn’t realize how difficult it was going to be to furnish the whole place, until we actually moved in. It was kind of ridiculous how much furniture we needed, let alone decorative pieces. Because it was going to cost us a lot of money to furnish every single room, we decided to DIY thrift store finds as well as Craigslist purchases. And then that’s where the idea came to start Proper Hunt. To document my DIY projects and other home decor projects for our house, as well as talk about what’s going on in my life. The reason for the latter being because we had just left the city where most of our friends lived and I wanted to keep them updated with our lives.

Q: What’s your home style?

Modern, playful and vintage

Q: What’s one fun fact that we would never know?

I have the biggest sweet tooth I know. Seriously, I’m not kidding. Just ask anyone I know. I have to have something sweet everyday. And especially after a meal. Dessert is a must in my book.

Q: You also offer e-design services! What’s your favorite bedding of ours?

I love your Mariposa Beige duvet cover and the Beige Striped Throw. Below is how I would decorate a room around them!

Source: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9

Today’s the first of May and we want to wish you the...

craneandcanopypicture — Wed, 01 May 2013 12:21:00 -0700

Today’s the first of May and we want to wish you the happiest May Day! We hope you all take the time today to enjoy the sunshine and stop to smell the roses.

xo,

Crane & Canopy

Find Your Decorating Style with these Bedding + Painting Pairings

craneandcanopypicture — Wed, 01 May 2013 10:07:00 -0700

The week of April 29th marks our giveaway with the online gallery site, UGallery.com. UGallery sells original paintings, photography and sculptures from the United State’s top artists direct to collectors all around the world. We are collaborating with them to give one lucky winner $500 to give his or her bedroom a makeover with new bedding and art! The winner will receive a $250 gift card to UGallery and a $250 gift card to Crane & Canopy.

Creating a well-designed bedroom is crucial to everyone’s well-being. It is the most personal room of everyone’s home and where we spend a third of our lives, sound asleep. It is important to let the color scheme and design convey what you want to feel, bet it happy, energized, calm or relaxed. Here are a few pairings that we are currently adoring. We hope they inspire you to redecorate.

We’ve paired our classic bordered bedding set, the Linden Coral, with this colorful acrylic painting with loose paint strokes and warm, energetic tones. This pairing is proof that a classic room can be far from boring.

The soft, dusk blue of our Noe quatrefiol design paired with artist Karin Bruckner’s piece creates a calming and contemporary environment. Let this bedding set’s unique print take center stage by accenting it with similarly colored artwork.

Nothing is more modern than than this gray palette. The color gray has taken the interior design world by storm for its simplicity and “goes with everything” nature. Add a touch of interest and texture to your room with the dark gray pintuck bedding set and Daniel Calder’s Ocean’s Loofa piece.

You could win $500 to make your bedroom redecorating fantasy a reality. All you need to do is enter before May 6, 2013. Good luck!

Mother’s Day is just around the corner and we have been...

craneandcanopypicture — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:16:00 -0700

Mother’s Day is just around the corner and we have been brainstorming the perfect gift for our moms. This year, help your mom add a little zing to her home with the perfect gift for any room. Our gifts are sure to please long after Mother’s Day has passed so head over to Crane & Canopy and find the gift your mom will absolutely love!

Get these gifts! (from top to bottom): 1. 2. 3.

Our Favorite Five: The Indoors Inspired by Your Garden

craneandcanopypicture — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:08:15 -0700

Happy Friday Everyone! The nice weather has us spending a lot of time outdoors enjoying the sunshine and admiring all the trees and flowers that are in full bloom. Spring is the perfect time to bring the outdoors inside, and this week we have some amazing ways to do just that. From making your own hanging plant, to creating an indoor herb garden, we are sure your home will be fresh with the outdoors in no time! So take a look at this week’s Favorite Five: The Indoors Inspired by Your Garden!

Create an everyday floral arrangement to add a beautiful display to any room.
Bring a touch of your garden inside with one of these DIY mini herb gardens!
Use a fun plant marker in your herb garden so you know which herbs you planted this year.
Decorate a pot to accessorize your garden, or place it on your windowsill as a cute decoration.
Add a plant anywhere in your home with this adorable hanging plant holder.

Tips to get your bedroom ready for Spring: The Allergen Edition (Part 3)

craneandcanopypicture — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:44:45 -0700

This is the final post on tips to get your bedroom ready for Spring! If any of you have allergies out there you’ll want to stick with silk flowers. You can still make beautiful arrangements without the added allergens. If you do suffer from allergies you’ll want to make sure you take the necessary steps to keep your room free of dust and allergens.

De-clutter your bedroom. When there are things piled up here and there dust builds up. You can leverage spaces like underneath your bed or your ottoman as extra storage space to reduce clutter.

Make sure to do a thorough dusting then vacuum your bedroom. If possible make sure that your vacuum has a HEPA filter so it catches any tiny particle.

Get an air purifier. It may also be smart to have an air purifier in your room as well. They help collect the dust and allergens in your bedroom and will be able to keep any allergens off your bedding as well.

As you’re decluttering your room to prevent dust build up you may want to think about your spring-cleaning. Create a realistic schedule for yourself; keep in mind a single weekend may not suffice, as you may need more time to devote to shampooing carpets or organizing closets. Creating a list can help you prioritize your tasks and help you stay on track.

Related Reads:

Part 1: how to refresh your bedding

Part 2: how to change out your winter color schemes for a more bright and cheerful look for the springtime.

Picture Source: Spring Silk Flowers

Tips to get your bedroom ready for Spring (Part 2 of our Spring Redecorating Series)

craneandcanopypicture — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 19:06:00 -0700

This is Part 2 of our “Tips to Get Your Bedroom Ready” Series. Spring is definitely here in some part of the nation. Here in the Bay Area, we are experiencing some very lovely weather! Today, we will focus on the changing out your winter color schemes for a more bright and cheerful look for the springtime. This Spring, you’ll want to bring in pastel colors and fun prints to the bedroom.

New paint, new room: Paint immediately adds a fresh look to any bedroom. Our favorites this Spring are a light coral, light blue and of course a light gray.

Use a duvet cover to make it easy change the look of your bedroom: We love duvet covers because they are an easy way to transition your bedding from season to season. Here are a few of our favorites, which mix great florals and hints of pastels.

The Ashbury Duvet Cover has a great floral print that brings a hint of color to the room.

The Noe duvet cover and the Vista Purple Duvet Cover also add hints of pastel colors.

A fresh bouquet of flowers always brighten any room: Play around with your color schemes and flower arrangements; it doesn’t have to be intimidating. Cut the flower stems so they sit about two inches above the top of the container, remove all leaves that will be submerged in water once it’s in the vase, and bunch the flowers together in a tight, mounded arrangement. Typically arrangements last about a week or two, but to keep them fresh make sure you trim the ends and change the water every few days.

A few of our favorite spring flowers include the hyacinth and crocus

You can also go monochromatic with yellow fritillaria, tulips, freesias and daffodils placed in glass jars or terra cotta pots.

Enjoy decorating!

Video

craneandcanopypicture — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 17:55:00 -0700

A SAFE NIGHT’S SLEEP CELEBRATION A big thank you to...

craneandcanopypicture — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 10:04:51 -0700

A Safe Night's Sleep Event

A Safe Night's Sleep Event

Crane & Canopy team and Safe Horizon team

A Safe Night's Sleep Event

(left to right) Fran, Director of Lily House. Karin, Crane & Canopy Co-Founder. Laura, Safe Horizon Partnerships Director.

(left to right) Mandy, Rue Magazine, Ashley, Crane & Canopy. Karin, Crane & Canopy. Crystal, Rue Magazine.

A Safe Night's Sleep Event

Laura and Aby from Untapped Cities.

Karin, Co-Founder of Crane & Canopy and Crystal, Editor-in-Chief of Rue Magazine.

A Safe Night's Sleep Event

A SAFE NIGHT’S SLEEP CELEBRATION

A big thank you to everyone that came out to our event at Galli Restaurant in NYC’s Soho celebrating the launch of A Safe Night’s Sleep. We also want to thank our media partners, Rue Magazine and Untapped Cities for attending the event and supporting Safe Horizon in their mission to move victims from crisis to confidence.

From now until the end of May, Crane & Canopy will donate a bedding set to a woman affected by domestic violence for every bedding set purchased. Join us by shopping for an important cause!

Visit our website to learn more about “A Safe Night’s Sleep”.

Photography by Christine Han.