May 01, 2019
We all want the best for our homes. After all, it's where your whole family creates memories together, and where you can find comfort and peace from life outside the four corners of your home. Every once in a while, an interior idea pops into mind to bring more life to our abodes and turn it as our dream spaces.
Not to mention those fixer-upper shows that inspire you to get moving and bring new interior changes to your home!
Decorating can be expensive, but thanks to the concept of DIY, you don't need to break the piggy bank to spruce up your home. With a little handicraft and creativity skills, you can achieve the look and vibes you want for your home. We've gathered these 8 easy DIY home projects for your home project inspiration:
Inspiration from Ugly Duckling House
These wooden couch sleeves are the perfect substitute for end tables if you don't have space left. They're also not fixed, so whenever you're not going to use them, you can easily slide them off and set aside.

Inspiration from Delia Creates
This DIY coffee table project won't need many materials, and it's easy to make. But don't let the simplicity fool you. This coffee table would surely add a homey vibe to your living room!

Inspiration from Tasty
Got plenty of kitchenware but don't want to install those bulky cabinets for storage? Try installing this kitchen tool pegboard instead!

Inspiration from Tasty
No space left in your pantry shelves for some of your pantry items? Try this genius DIY pullover pantry! No more hassle with the puzzle of what fits where.

Inspiration from Shutterfly
Lessen the space your closet takes with a DIY hanging closet. You can easily see how many items of clothing you have, even plan out what you'll wear for the day while lying on bed. It's also a plus point for interior design too.

You can also pin some thumb tacks or push pins for your jewelry and other accessories!
Don't throw that broken or out-of-tune guitar yet! The body of the guitar could be a great makeshift shelf for your or your kid/s' small bedroom items.

Inspiration from Craftsman Drive
If you have a window pane on your storage, probably after a renovation was done at your home, you can repurpose that extra window as a medicine/toiletry cabinet for your bathroom.

Inspiration from Buzzfeed Nifty
Have that quaint, quiet spot on your backyard for admiring your garden or getting some fresh air with this cheap DIY bench!

This is a Guest Post
Marie has always been one to spend hours tinkering her home. By making easy, DIY changes here and there, she aims to make the home a perfect place to relax, to spend time with her family, and to create lasting memories. She blogs at Home Awakening hoping to inspire others to do the same.
March 21, 2019
by Sarah Jessica Smith
The living room has always been the center of anybody's home. It deserves its name for sure, as it's the place where we spend most of our lives when we're not at work or outside. It's the room where the family gathers, relaxes and have fun. It is also the room where we entertain our guests, too. So, it's safe to say that it's usually the room to which we pay most attention to when it comes to decoration and renovation. Create your own stylish and unique living room by following these tips:

You need a spot in your living room where most guests will look at the moment they walk into the room. It needs to be different than other areas of the room, with eye-catching features or items. It's possible you already have a focal point in the room - it can be a fireplace or mantle. In case you don't, create it yourself. You can use an oversized mirror, a large and appealing painting or even a piano. Once you have the focal point, it will be easier to decorate the rest of the room around it, according to its vibe, colors, and style. That way, everything will contribute to the impression of a cohesive, comfortable space.

You probably already know how different colors affect our mood in different ways, so be very careful when it comes to the choice of colors. You can choose to go all monochromatic or opt for three colors max. In case you want only two colors to be dominant in the room, think of complementary colors combination. Whichever combination you choose, the goal is the same - to produce a seamless effect of colors that give out the vibe you want and create the mood you're aiming at. When you move on to choosing the furniture and decorative items, always keep in mind the color palette you opted for.

Living room walls and ceiling get a lot of attention for a good reason - they represent the frames that form the most important room in a home. Therefore, you should spend some quality time planning their decoration. The thing with them is that they sometimes need significant renovation. However, it doesn't have to be a nuisance - as it's stated by Precision Planning company, decoration professionals aim to turn your renovation vision into reality as quickly as possible. There are many professionals out there who can help you to achieve your go in having a great home.
So, you can let your imagination go wild when it comes to wall coverings and treatments. The point is to express your personality and style of the room here. The great thing about walls is that there are so many materials and options to be used here. You can choose to go chic through wallpapers that are now popular more than ever. You can achieve elegant, ever-lasting modern look through marble or granite tiles used to form any shape you want on the wall. Just make sure you avoid usual mistakes when cleaning marble. In short, take your time and explore your options with the walls - you can follow current trends or you can opt for a classic look.

Choosing the right lighting can be quite a challenge. However, the hard work will definitely pay off. The best is to go with different sources of lighting, meaning you should include overhead lighting, task lighting, and accent lighting. That way, you will have all the aspects covered - lighting up the whole room, reading a book in the corner, having a romantic evening, highlighting beautiful items. The next step is to find the light sources that fit into the style of the room and even add to its aesthetics.

Floor covering can be a statement on is own. make sure your choice is also comfortable for your feet, as you need to be completely relaxed in your living room. You can get a wall-to-wall carpet in a vibrant color or a neutral hardwood floor that gives out warmth and comfort. You can also consider more unexpected options, like stone tiles or ceramic tiles that create an interesting effect.

Creating a perfect, stylish living room that reflects your personality and can also amaze your visitors will probably take some time. Decorating it to fit your vision completely is an adventure that you should enjoy every step of the way. Pay attention to every detail and don't rush the process. Only then will you eventually manage to get your dream living room.

Guest Blogger
Sarah Jessica Smith is a young blogger from Sydney. She is in love with life and all the things that can make her daily routine easier. She loves to write about home improvement, lifestyle, and all the small things that make life such a great adventure.
January 29, 2019

You don’t have to be a professional designer in order to make your bedroom look like one from the interior design magazines. All it takes is some knowledge, patience, time, and effort. So, to help you bring your bedroom to the next level, here are seven things you should know.
For starters, you should come up with a theme for your bedroom. It can be a time period, location, or simply a design that you like. Once you come up with the theme, you should choose the larger items according to it – your bed, lighting fixtures, rugs, etc. Other, smaller accessories can stray a bit from the main theme, or they can simply be neutral.
Moreover, to make the bedroom more elegant, you should try to find the balance between the design elements. That means that your main color should cover about 60% of your bedroom, second color 30%, and the remaining percent should include accent colors. The same goes for patterns and prints – you can mix them as much as you want, but there should be one primary print or pattern.

Marble has become quite popular this year; you can find marble bracelets, iPhone cases, purses, and even bow ties. It has become a symbol of elegance, class, and luxury, so why not add it to your bedroom as well? For example, you can hang some stunning marble artwork on the walls, or you can introduce a marble nightstand or a simple marble wireless charging pad that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

No matter which marble piece you choose, though, you can rest assured that it would instantly transform your entire bedroom.
If you want your bedroom to truly be elegant, make sure your lights are not too strong. You should have more than one lighting source, and you should know how to layer the sources correctly. It would allow you to set the brightness of the lights depending on your mood or occasion. As for the fixtures, you should think about getting a luxurious chandelier, a few sconces, and maybe a couple of lamps for some late-night reading. Moreover, the fixtures can also help you spice up your bedroom – there are many abstract, unusual, and shiny lighting fixtures that would fit any style. Also, you should let in as much natural light as possible during the day.

It’s safe to say that the bed is the most important element in the room. No matter whether it is big, small, cheap or expensive – it can serve as a great focal point. All it needs is an eye-catching headboard. So, choose a headboard with an unusual shape or some other notable feature, but make sure it fits the overall theme of your bedroom. Moreover, to make your bed truly draw attention, there shouldn’t be any clutter. The accessories you have should all be complementing your bed, like minimalistic photos or mirrors that match the color palette.
If your bedroom happens to be a bit larger, and you have some unused space near the window, think about adding a comfy chair, a small table, and perhaps you could also introduce one of those beautiful Turkish rugs that can increase the comfort level of the entire room. Besides boosting the visual appeal of your room, such a setup could be very practical as well. It could serve as your reading nook, a place for your morning coffee, or a small workstation for those late-night work projects.

Night tables are a pretty important part of every bedroom. However, most of them tend to become a bit cluttered with all the little things we leave next to our bed. So, before you do anything with your nightstand, you should first declutter it. Get rid of anything you don’t need, and try to change the habit of leaving things on it – you don’t need anything except a glass of water, lamp, your favorite book, and maybe a scented candle or a vase with some flowers. Next, think about replacing the hardware on the table – crystal or brass can be a great option for a luxurious bedroom.
Last but not least, one of the best ways to upgrade the visual appeal of your bedroom is by introducing more greenery. Besides the fact that plants can purify the air inside, they can also help you emphasize the accent colors. No matter whether you choose a large fern to place in the corner or small potted flowers you can arrange on your shelves, adding a few plants can greatly boost the appearance of any room.
Your bedroom is not only the room in which you sleep but also a part of your home, and being so, it reflects your sense of style just as much as any other room. So, consider the listed tips, and your time spent in this room will be more enjoyable than ever before.
For more on interior design guides.

Guest Writer
Chloe is a graduated journalist from Adelaide and a regular contributor to Smooth Decorator. She loves everything related to decor, aesthetic and lifestyle topics. She is also passionate about photography. Her biggest dream is to travel the whole world and take some stunning photographs of beautiful places. Besides all this, she enjoys drinking coffee and reading a beautiful book from time to time.
July 19, 2018

When we first created the minimalist marble wallet, we knew there would be several concerns about the functionality, weight, and fragility.
This is why we would like to go into further details and address these common concerns.
Minimalist wallets are built to keep just the important cards and some cash so it's convenient for you to just take it and go.

Compared to bulky wallets in your back pocket, your lower back will thank you for using minimalist wallets.
The lumpy wallet that you sit on is actually a huge long-term health problem for your back! The minimalist wallets are slim, so it won't affect your back when you put it in the back pocket and sit on them. Plus, most people keep it in the front pocket anyway.

The cutouts designed by the MIKOL team is not just for aesthetic appeal, but also functionality. Either end of the cutout allows users to easily push up the credit card and pull out the one they desire. Becuase of the elastic band, you can easily flip through which card you would like to use. That band also allows you to slip in some cash that you may need to use.
This was a major issue when we first started the company. People had this notion that marble must be heavy, or that we weren't using real marble. Of course, overtime through proper education and customers experiencing our products were they able to realize what technology could bring to the world.
For those of you who are not aware of our ultra-thin marble processing technology, the marble we produce is as thin as a credit card.
The natural marble and granite pieces we produce are roughly 1mm thick. Traditional marble and granite slabs that most people are accustomed to are 20mm thick. That is why marble traditional is very heavy. Most people have seen thin metal or steel sheets, so they know it can be light. But, it's the same concept. If you increase the thickness of the metal or steel 20x, that piece will become heavy as well.
This was definitely a major concern as well. However, because the first item we introduced were marble iPhone cases, they had a PU protector. Therefore, it seemed to have eased most people's concerns. The marble notebook journals, naturally thought it wouldn't be dropped as much.
A bigger challenge came with the touch marble business cards that were really a hit for us.
What we found out, was that these were giveaway products, so again, it was a concern but people were able to overcome them more easily. And after using our products, they learned how durable it was.
Minimalist wallets made out of real marble is the biggest obstacle in education for us.
Wallets are handled all the time. They tend to be dropped, tossed around, and comes with a lot of wear and tear.
The good thing about our minimalist wallets is that it's made out of real marble. So it won't wear out over time such as traditional leather wallets. The color becomes darker and more beautiful as you use it since the marble soaks up the oils in your hands everytime it's used.
Now! The ultimate question is will this marble wallet break or shatters when it is dropped! Instead of describing it to you with our own words, we decided to make a quick clip and demonstrate it!
Please comment and let us know what you think. Or if you have any other concerns that we can help answer.
June 29, 2018




June 04, 2018

The art of minimalism dates back centuries. With our cluttered, sensory-overloaded modern world, it’s no wonder minimalism is finding a resurgence. There are several reasons it’s a fantastic way of life to embrace. Less in your closet or on your desk brings a natural state of peace to your environment. It’s easier to think in a place that has less clutter, the same way it’s easier to concentrate in a quiet setting than a loud rock concert.
Think of the stuff around you as noise. The less you surround yourself with unnecessary knick-knacks, the less “noise” exists in your space. Minimalism also makes finding things more manageable and cleaning your desk or home a breeze. There are several ways to incorporate minimalism into your style.
Clear House Clear Thoughts
A clean home and desk allow for clearer thinking. Have you noticed how much better you feel after thoroughly cleaning a room? The practice of minimalism in your house or workspace not only clears out metaphorical baggage to allow in new ideas, but it also lets the pieces of décor you genuinely love shine. When your home is cluttered, even the most beautiful artwork can get lost in a mess. Remove the unnecessary and watch how your favorite artwork radiates more beautifully on your walls.

Charging wires also seem to be everywhere with the mass of technology around us. So, why not invest in charging devices that both declutter and look amazing on their own? Finding small ways to beautify what is typically considered an eyesore is a crucial component of minimalism.
Timeless Style with Minimalist Fashion

The same goes for your sense of fashion. When you overdo your style with too much makeup, jewelry, or an excess of accessories, it’s hard to focus on one piece or one part of your look. However, if you select a few statement items such as well-tailored clothes and a classic bracelet, it lends your appearance a more elegant vibe. You’re also more likely to get compliments on those hand-selected accessories when your outfit has less clutter. The people with the classiest looks historically styled their appearance around clean lines, high-quality threads, and a couple of superb pieces of jewelry and accessories.
How to Start Adding Minimalism to Your Style

Don’t know where to start? As minimalist lifestyle expert Marie Kondo outlines, there are some fundamental ways to start tidying up your life. First, take your time. It might take months to declutter your life thoroughly. Set aside a chunk of time each week, put on soothing music and get in a donating frame of mind. As you move through each room or closet, pay attention to how much joy every item you touch brings you.
Whether it’s clothing, jewelry, or an item on a shelf think about three factors:
· Have you used it in the last five or six months, or will you use it in the very near future?
· Is it a nostalgic item that has sentimental value?
· Does it bring you great joy when you look at it, wear it, or pick it up?
If you can say no to all three, get rid of it. Getting rid of stuff can be a great way to make a little side money if you decide to sell your unwanted items. Alternatively, give them to charity. You’ll feel good about donating everyday clothes, a suit that doesn’t quite fit anymore, or a lamp you don’t love, but someone else can’t afford. With each week, go through another area of your home, closets, or office. Within a month or so, you’ll feel the freeing sensation of minimalism. When you decide to invest in something new, you’ll likely realize you will have a more conscious sense of your ideal style.
Guest Post: Jane Sandwood
February 11, 2018
Wireless charging pads aren't really a new technology. If you remember many years ago, Starbucks had them already in their stores where you have to plug in an adaptor to charge on their pads. And it was incredibly slow!
Samsung actually had it long ago as well.
But it wasn't until the tech trendsetting company Apple finally jumped on the bandwagon with the iPhone X and iPhone 8 wireless charging capabilities that this category finally took off!
While your phone will work just fine with the wired charger it comes with, I'm sure you have experienced the craziness with too many wires. Also from a decorative standpoint, it just doesn't look that great even though we have gotten used to it over the years.
That's why we are so excited to be introducing our new line of real marble wireless charging pads that come in Nero black, Carrara white, and emerald green.
Apple truly inspired us with beautiful designs. Tech products used to focus more on being functional. When Steve Jobs came back to Apple, he made sure tech products were functional and attractive. Now the iPhones have become "fashionable".
With a similar approach, we want tech accessories to be functional yet beautiful. Our design team is so happy that Apple introduced wireless capabilities because charging pads will change our living space entirely!

Most people have experienced messy wires before, especially living with multiple people.
Our marble wireless chargers will fit into your home, office, even travel seamlessly. No more plugging and unplugging those cords. Just place it on top of the charging pad to charge, and take it off anytime you need to use it.

And when you aren't using them, they still look beautiful! A charger that is part of your home decoration!
These marble wireless charging pads are great for your office desk, living room side table, nightstand and make charging your phone as simple as putting it down on a surface.
The charger capabilities:

And like most of our products, we have engraving capabilities if you want to label your charging pads.
And for the latest updates, please follow us on Facebook or Instagram.
January 22, 2018
A lot of people ask us why did we choose to use marble as our theme? Well, in short, we wanted to create a company and products that were different, that truly was unique. And since marble patterning is a natural design, every piece we create utilizing marble will always be different. This guarantees us no two pieces will ever be the same.
So it was an easy choice to use marble. On top of that, we had the technology to process marble as thin as a credit card and ensure durability at the same time.

As you can see, there are so many variations in just one piece of marble slab.
Even just cutting from a different angle changes the design of each marble iPhone case.
Continuing on the unique factor. We knew how saturated the iPhone case industry is and also how it is very much dominated by strong players. So as a new and smaller player, we needed something that no one else had.
Yes, there were "marble iPhone cases" already on the market. However, it was all hard plastic cases with printed marble designs. Meaning, every case had the same exact marble design. Some of the bigger companies used 2 ~ 3 different designs and mixed it up to create "variation".
And nothing is wrong with that, it was still a popular choice. For us, we wanted to provide our niche customer group the real deal. Most cases are either standard print, IP based designs, military-grade protective cases, built in battery charging case, wallet cases and so on.
But there wasn't really a luxury tech, or luxury iPhone case available. And the ones made out of real gold or studded with diamonds were way too expensive.
Having a nice polished marble really exemplifies a luxury status. Even though we cut it to 0.7mm thick, there is still a little bit weight that gives it more of a real feel.
Imagine holding a regular credit card and then holding an AMEX Black card. Just the weight alone in the AMEX credit card gives it a superior feel.
So using marble gave us that "edge" in terms of positioning our brand, our product to a higher status.
We could offer people that are willing to pay an extra $20, $30 dollars more to have a real marble iPhone case over a plastic printed marble iPhone case. I like to call it "affordable luxury".
As the popularity of iPhone users grew, it's accessory has grown to become a fashionable item rather than simply a protective case. If you go to almost any fashion house such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, Tom Ford, and so on, you'll certainly find an iPhone case there. It's because iPhone cases are now fashionable!
This was the group we wanted to cater to! People often ask us how protective our cases are. And we are honest, our cases provide standard protection. But if you tend to drop your iPhone frequently or work in rough environments, we recommend you companies such as Pure Gear that offer more protective cases.
It's very difficult to combine durability with cases and fashion. In order for cases to be protective, it requires more bulk for cushioning. Having a bulky case is not fashionable, let me tell you that now. Atleast not the fashion trend at this moment.
Every company has their brand story. Every design has a story of why and how it was created. Every marble we choose has an even longer story filled with history.
And this is probably one of the most important factors for us. There is true meaning in the products we produce. Every color, every piece has a story of its own. That, however, is in our other blog posts as each marble has a full story of its own.
You can read up more on our blog posts if this interests you.
In the end, we love being in this niche space! We don't like having to "sell" you a product.
90% of our customers have an appreciation for marble and understand its "selling points". If I need to try and sell you the difference between real marble and printed marble, then we probably aren't a right fit for you.
For latest updates, feel free to join our Facebook or Instagram feeds.
October 03, 2017

We are introducing MIKOL's newest design, the Mishi Marble Clutch Purse. This new clutch purse is infused with our signature Spanish Nero Marquina marble that gives off style in its most simplistic state.
The elegance of this clutch screams confidence and sexiness for any occasion. Whether it's a stroll to the mall or a nice gala that you have to attend.
The Mishi marble hard clutch bag is stylish, minimalistic with a contemporary marble theme that can be personalized for ones that like the extra touch. Add your initials or even personal design onto the marble.
There are so many handbags on the market right now. So our team at MIKOL wanted to leave room for our customers to express and use their design talent and create something that truly belongs to you.

This sleek clutch is the perfect all-in-one accessory. A must-have when going out, tuck it into your everyday carryall for effortless elegance.
Many may think because it's made out of real marble, it must be fragile or heavy. Education on our products has been a challenge because the traditional mindset people have of marble. Utilizing modern technology, we are able to retain the marble appearance by cutting the stone extremely thin with reinforced webbing.
This ensures the marble to be lightweight and durable for everyday use.
Currently pre-order only! Grab your first and take advantage of our pre-order price!
May 30, 2017
I'm sure most MacBook users will agree with me about how great the user experience is on that laptop. Not only is it a beautiful design, it's so easy to use and navigate around.
But since everyone more or less has the same design laptop as Apple is pretty consistent in their minimalist look. There are some additional accessories that can enhance the beauty along with the functionality of your MacBook that can help separate you from the crowd.
We've compiled a short list below:

Don't ignore Etsy, as there are still a lot of great finds on there.
You can secure your MacBook and iPhone devices in with a protective leather felt by Crazy Horse.
Connect to your laptop with ease when you have the Elgato Thunderbolt 3 Laptop Dock. Ideal for your MacBook Pro or Windows laptop, this system allows you to enhance your workspace instantly. The device plugs into your laptop using the USB-C port and provides you with all the extra ports you need.

With crazy ISIS to North Korean hackers online. It's best to protect yourself with Privoo webcam cover. Privoo offers an elegant design that conceals your webcam, unlike the low budget pieces of tape you often see. When you need to access your camera, you simply slide open the lid to reveal the lens.

A nice sleek ergonomic lift wooden laptop stand always gives a good look to your desk.
Companies like woodcessories, grove made all make very nice walnut or bamboo stands that are compatible with all Apple MacBook versions. In addition to it's stylish looks, the stand places your device at an ideal viewing height. In the end, it's great for posture and reduction in your eye/neck strain.
If you want something that stands out from the crowd with a luxury appeal. MIKOL produces some of the finest marble in the world.
Introducing the world's very first marble stone MacBook Cover! The early pioneers of ultra thin marble for luxury tech accessories.
Each piece is handcrafted to ensure elegance and durability. Why buy marble patterned plastic covers when you can have the real deal? Each marble piece differs due to its natural veins in the stone.

Luxury Styled MacBook Pro Case
Aside from marble, leather has also been associated as a luxury material. You can also protect your new macbook pro in style with this luxurious styled macbook pro case.
This case is unique and different from what's available in the market because it also functions as a stand.
Even though it's an artificial PU leather, it still shows a nice luxury look to the case without breaking your bank.
For more such MacBook accessories, check our collection here.
And if you like to be updated with the newest collection. Please join our Facebook or Instagram for live updates!