Smart Living

Get practical advice and inspiration on organizing, home décor, lifestyle and personal finance for everyday living.

Hobbies at home

Lockdown Hobbies That May Be Worth Exploring Even After the Pandemic Is Over

The last few weeks were pretty stressful, to say the least. The lockdown we went through was an unprecedented event, and most people were caught off guard as the rapid spread of the virus was hard to believe. All of a sudden, we found ourselves needing to look for ways to cope with this new reality and more attention was given to finding agreeable and constructive ways to spend time while being cooped up indoors.

well organized home

A Decade of Colors and How They Shaped Home Décor

Color is fun, and if you choose the right one, it may give a boost to your home’s look in an instant. What are the color trends that defined, refined and shaped home décor in the last decade? We’ve turned to the front-runner in all things color-related, The Pantone Color Institute, to see which colors were significant enough to nurture expression of all sorts so as to be used in a variety of areas, from interior design to fashion and brand awareness.

Hiking trail overlooking San Diego

Hiking in San Diego: 10 of the Best Hiking Trails and Tips on Hiking Gear Storage

As one of the most visited destinations in the U.S., San Diego’s incredible geography has something to offer to all nature enthusiasts whether they love the sea or they prefer the mountains. The unique variety of hiking trails available makes America’s Finest City a particularly attractive destination.

well organized home

10 Unique Home Organizing Products and Gadgets

A well-organized home represents the oasis of calm and tranquility you need, and it also requires less work to keep clean and tidy. The secret of a perfectly organized home lies, as always, in the details – the appearance of clutter and chaos is created by all the things around the house, big and small, that don’t have a designated spot.

How to Set Up a Practical and Stylish Open Closet

Finding the perfect apartment is an almost possible task, especially if you want to stay within a budget. Most of the time, the main thing missing is enough space, and that often means that a reasonably sized wardrobe can’t be part of the deal. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t be creative and find a way to keep your clothes neat and organized, which is exactly what an open closet is for. At first it might seem like the opposite of tidy, but open closets and wardrobes can certainly be trendy and practical interior design assets. If you’re ready for a challenge, here are some tips to help you get started:

Americans Plan Stockpiling Food and More: Trends in Online Browsing in a Time of Pandemic

The last few weeks have been chaotic, to say the least. From a distant and diffuse threat, the coronavirus epidemic turned into a pandemic and became a worldwide emergency. The rapid pace at which the situation evolved has generated concern among many people – and, occasionally, even panic.

How to Pack and Move Antiques and Other Fragile Valuables

The process of moving can be both exciting and tiresome, especially when it comes to transporting fragile valuables that can be easily damaged. While it’s easy to get caught up in the fuss of moving, your specialty items should be a priority before the packing begins. Whether you want to put them in a storage unit for a while or simply relocate them from one place to another, you certainly want to protect them from any possible damage.

Old photos with camera

How to Organize Your Photos to Enjoy Them More

Paper or digital, photos are precious mementos of your and your family’s personal history, and you should preserve them for the future – but also enjoy them now! Most people keep their old family pictures tucked away in boxes or inside photo albums, gathering dust, while the digital ones are collecting virtual dust, because we all have literally thousands of them, and most don’t even get a second look.

Cookie cutter apartment building facade

14 Tips And Tricks To Add Character To The Cookie Cutter Rental

While we may long for a charming cottage by the sea, or a cozy mountain cabin, it’s difficult to resist the pull of the big city. And with that said, we find ourselves sacrificing design for location as renting a cookie cutter apartment is probably pretty standard in terms of city living. But that shouldn’t bring you down. While structural changes, minor remodeling and even painting are not allowed in rental apartments, there’s plenty you can do to bring a little heart and soul to the cookie cutter layout. Let’s look at some of the things you can do to make your apartment feel more like home.

The Ultimate Guide to Well-Organized Homes: Practical Solutions to Maximize Storage Space in Every Corner of Your House

Proper storage is the cornerstone of every tidy, well-organized house. But storing all your belongings in a way that grants you easy access to everything and at the same time makes your house look welcoming and clutter-free is definitely not an easy task.

RV camping

The Beginner’s Guide to RVing – From Buying One to Using and Storing It

RV stands for recreational vehicle and the lifestyle around it possesses a lot of appeal. Whether you’re a young family dreaming of long and affordable summer trips, or you’re trying to make the most of your golden years, an RV will open new, thrilling possibilities for you.

How to Store Your Vinyl Records

For true music enthusiasts, nothing beats the warmth, the character and the personality of a vinyl record sound, and there’s even science to back that claim up. Digital recording takes snapshots of the sound signal at a very high rate – that means it’s not capturing the complete sound wave. A vinyl record, on the other hand, is mirroring the sound’s entire waveform, so no information is lost, and the recording is more accurate.