home post: cushions and candles

Over the past three years we have lived in 2 different apartments and living away from "home" means I have had to give myself a little checklist to ensure my home away from home is, well, a home. 

Mirrors are one thing on my checklist because they make any little apartment feel huge and spacious. But equally essential items in my book are candles and cushions. 

Cushions are practical; I mean who doesn't love curling up on the sofa on a pile of cushions or getting into bed with pillows and cushions surrounding you. They are comfortable and make any sitting or sleeping experience, just that more special. But cushions also add a decorative punch to any plain bed, sofa or armchair. 

source

source

source

And then there are candles. There is something about candles that make me feel instantly cosy. I love scented candles because they don't just bring warmth to the apartment, they bring a fresh smell. Which, when you live in a small, open-plan apartment, is important because there is a tendency for everything to smell like food when your cooking. 

source

source - pinterest

source - pinterest

Living in a rented apartment, there is a limit to what you can do with decor. A few €5 cushions and colourful scented candles, can make a plain, uniform apartment feel like home. In our case, hiding a horrible sofa and making it blend into the living room, rather than stand out was the challenge while trying to make the open plan space still feel cosy. 

The only solution, aside from throwing out the sofa and buying a new one, was some neutral coloured throws and cushions. Since we have been here I have bought countless cushions and the joy of a €5 cushion is that you wont feel guilty when you want a fresh look. And as soon as I light candles, the smell filters throughout the space and the light instantly applies this cosy mood to the apartment.