8 Great Storage Tips for Your Small Bedroom

We all have this problem at some point. Too much stuff, not enough space. So we have pulled together 8 great ideas to help you make the most of your space!

#1 – Use the Corners

Corners can often become a dead space in small rooms, with random things getting thrown there or a place to keep things out of the way. Use this dead space to your advantage with a spiral hanging space?

#2 – Use the Space Under Your Bed

Reduce the amount of stuff you need to find space for by storing things under your bed. Find the things that you use infrequently and hide them away, leaving plenty of space for the things you use everyday.

#3 – Use a Floating Clothes Rack

Instead of taking up room space with doors and extra pieces of wood, switch to a floating clothes rack. Not only do floating clothes racks leave a small room feeling more open and spacious, but they also enable you to store all of your shoes underneath for easy access!

Get the Avélére Hanging Clothes Rail HERE

#4 – Double Your Hanging Space

Don’t just use a hanger once! Double up on storage space by hanging hangers onto other hangers. Or alternatively try this great little idea:

#5 – Use Your Walls!

Who ever said that your clothes and shoes needed to be stored away out of sight? Instead, use your wall space to store all of your shoes with our handy Avélére shoe rack!

Get the Avélére Shoe Wall Rack HERE

#6 – Draws are Over Rated

Forget about chests of draws, they are bulky, ugly and plain old fashioned! Instead, try using open shelves with boxes to store your clothes.

#7 – Try the Hanger Test

#8 – Use Hooks for Hanging

Put up some simple hooks on your wall and use them to hang belts, scarves and ties. Maximum storage, minimum space.

 There you have it. Time to make the most out of your small room! Have we missed anything? Let us know what you do to maximise the storage space in your small room in the comments section below. And if you enjoyed this post then why not check out our post 9 Reasons Why and Open Plan Wardrobe Will Improve Your Life!

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Avélére’s Design Pick of the Week

Welcome back to another Avélére’s Design Pick of the Week! As always, you can find the link to our previous post HERE. This week we have gone for something that is a little out of the ordinary, but still absolutely brilliant.

This week our world search for greatness has taken us to the Home of Hollywood; Los Angeles, California. We are proud to present to you the Jewellery Tree created by “Heart Not Included”.

Avélére Design Pick of the Week – Hearts Not Included Jewellery Tree

This is the Silver version of their Jewellery Tree, which is also available in Gold and Black (but Silver is our favourite!).

Avélére Design Pick of the Week – Hearts Not Included Jewellery Tree

Every single tree is made to order, and this means that every single tree sold is unique!

Avélére Design Pick of the Week – Hearts Not Included Jewellery Tree

The tree is held in place by Black stones, which sit in the plant pot style base. We think this idea is the perfect way to liven up any bedroom surface, especially if you are as good as us at keeping real plants alive! Available for only £49.00, these trees are a real bargain for such a beautiful piece, so why not get your own one custom made today?

Avélére Design Pick of the Week – Hearts Not Included Jewellery Tree

These fantastic trees are available on the “Hearts Not Included” Etsy store, which you can find HERE, and the Silver Jewellery Tree its self can be found HERE. You can also find out more information on their website, http://www.heartnotincluded.com/.

That is all for Avélére’s Design Pick of the Week this week, but if you enjoyed the piece then let us know in the comments section below or drop us an e-mail at contact@avelere.com. Thanks for reading and look forward to more of the same next week!

8 Keys to Running a Successful Small Business: Advice for Entrepreneurs

 So here is another post in our entrepreneur section, 8 keys to running a successful small business.

Starting a business is one of the most daunting challenges you can face in life, but also something that can be one of the most rewarding. Whilst some people say it something you are either born with or not, I believe that there are several key criteria you need are going to turn your venture into a real success, and here they are.

 

#1 – Perseverance

This is my number one criterion for anyone who is either starting out with a new business or currently running a small business. When you start out you will undoubtedly face many setbacks in what you are doing. Everyday there will be new problems, things will go wrong and you will wonder if you should be doing something else instead. But don’t give up. The only certain way to ensure your business will not grow and become great is to stop entirely. So take the good with the bad and keep on pushing, it’s the only way to progress.

 

#2 – Confidence in Who You Are

Running a small business is a trade-off. You are swapping all of the security, social status and anything else that comes with a role at a larger company for the opportunity to create something for yourself. There will be no big brand name when you tell people about what you do, just that of your small company, so it is essential that you are confident in who you are and don’t need these external boosts. It is likely that your cash-flow will be tight, you might not earn what you could elsewhere and you may have to cut back on some of the other things you do in your life. If you can be truly happy with who you are having taken away your job and financial security then you will be a great entrepreneur.

 

#3 – Accept the Risks

One of the things that quite often kills small businesses is the unwillingness to take risks. Playing things safe might seem like a good idea not to spend the extra money on advertising or not invest in developing new products until you are 100% sure where your cash flow will come from, but that can really slow down your growth to the point of standstill. Learn to accept the risks and use them to your advantage. Let them motivate you. Chances are, most of the time the risks don’t have the terrible consequences you imagine. At the end of the day, the worst that can happen is you run out of money, but you can make it back afterwards. All it takes is for one gamble to pay-off and you are in the big leagues. Sounds like its worth a shot to me!

 

#4 – Be Passionate

If you run a small business then there is no better way to succeed than to be passionate about two things; What you are doing and succeeding. Being passionate about the area where you run your business is essential. A great saying is “Do what you love and the money will follow”, not the other way around. Many of the biggest business owners in the world started out with doing what they loved and then came across something that people would pay good money for, and you can too. Secondly, love to succeed. Try to improve everyday, not only at work but on yourself. Every step forward you take brings you a step closer to your goal, so keep striving to succeed, and when you do aim a little higher.

 

#5 – Organisation

There is a big myth in society at large that entrepreneurs and reckless gamblers who will put it all on the line to win the jackpot. But that isn’t the case at all! The more organized you are in everything you do, the more you will see progress and your business will grow. Measure your progress and set goals for you to reach, look at the different ways you can find new customers and keep track of what works. Data analytics for small business is a rapidly growing industry for a reason, because the more you know about your business the wiser your decisions become.

 

#6 – Know when to Accelerate and when to Pivot

Some small businesses can spend years and years designing and testing their first product spending millions of pounds, only to take it out to the market and find that no one wants to buy it anyway! This is a crazy way to run a business and something that you should try and avoid. Instead, get your minimum concept designed and built as soon as possible and then give it to people to try. Get as much feedback as possible and then decide whether to accelerate with your product (i.e. put more resources into it) or to pivot into something knew (change your approach based on the feedback you have received). Pivoting doesn’t mean giving up, rather using what you already have to move into a new area that better solves your identified customers problems.

 

#7 – Use your Resources Wisely

Now this doesn’t mean save every penny you can. This means user your friends, family, friends families, anyone who you have met on the street! Do you know a web-designer friend who can help you with your website design, or perhaps someone else who works in a small store and would take your idea to their boss. Look for advice wherever you can. People working jobs are all specialists in their own small areas, so find out what they do exactly and see what you can learn from it. There is no advice like free advice!

 

#8 – Take Some Time off

One of the dangers when you start a small business is burning out. Your small business is probably driven by the work of 1-3 people, and if you don’t do it then no one will, but this doesn’t mean you need to work 24 hours a day every day of the year! Organise weekends away every now and again and give yourself some breathing space from the business. This will not only help you to de-stress and re-gain your passion for what you are doing, but also can often help your to see things from a different perspective and lead to lots of new, great ideas you wouldn’t have seen from the inside!

 

And there you have it. A simple 8 tactics you can use to make your small business a success this summer! If you enjoyed this post then you can also check out our post on 5 Keys to Finding your Niche in a Market.

11 Most Hilarious Interior Design Ideas

We’re not always serious here at Avélére, so lets have a look at the lighter side of design!

Who wants to have a serious hose anyway?! Why not check out these crazy design ideas we have found from around the internet, you never know, they could work in your house too!

#1 – Anyone a Pacman addict?

#2 – Design making you hungry?

#3 – Just like a trip to the dentist

#4 – This just doesn’t look safe

#5 – Escape the rat race

#6 – Get a fast paced career?

#7 – Or you could stay in bed forever!

#8 – Enjoyed Sea World just a little bit too much?

#9 – How about a change of perspective?

#10 – Is this really necessary!

#11 – And finally, DUCK!

If you enjoyed this post then why not check out this Fantastic DIY Animal Jewellery Hanger?

Fantastic DIY Jewellery Hanger

Hello! So today I thought we would try something different. Anyone interested in a bit of DIY?! Don’t be so negative, you can do it!

We have found a great piece on French blog “La Marche Eclectique” (see it here) which is so funky that we just had to share it with you!

Check out these pictures and why not give it a go yourself? Ne parlent pas français? No problem, at the bottom if this page we have translated the instructions into English for you!

All image credits to Marche Eclectique.

Instructions

You will need:

– Plastic animals

– A piece of wood

– Glue

– Spray paint

– A pencil

– A saw

 

Steps

– Draw a line down the middle of the wooden board

– Cut the animals in half with the saw

– Glue the animals along the centre line of the wood evenly spaced and allow to dry

– Spray paint everything and get ready to hang your Jewellery!

 

If you enjoyed this post then why not check out our Design Pick of the Week feature where we bring you the best products from around the web!

 

 

 

Avélére Design Pick of the Week

Welcome to Avélére’s Design Pick of the Week! If you missed out on last weeks pick then you can catch up here, but for this week we have found something very close to our heart.

As you will know, our for our Design Pick of the Week feature we search the world of design and try to bring you some unique and cool pieces to buy from around the world. This week, we are travelling all the way to Sydney, Australia with our pick from refurbishment group “Little Red Industries”.

Avélére Design Pick of the Week – Little Red Industries

This stylish clothes rack is made from an unused pallet and pine supports, with an Aluminium rail and metal fasteners.

Avélére Design Pick of the Week – Little Red Industries

We particularly love the use of the pallet in this piece, which gives users extra storage for shoes as well as enabling wheels to be added for ease of movement around the home.

Avélére Design Pick of the Week – Little Red Industries

Designer Natasha Dickins is a timber and vintage item specialist who shares a workshop with other talented woodworkers, furniture makers and industrial designers. As well as this fantastic coat rack, Little Red Industries offers a range of wooden chairs, tables and stools.

Find the fantastic coat rack for sale here, priced at £167, and you can also see all of Natasha’s other products here.

 

Thanks for stopping by the Avélére Design Pick of the Week! If you think your products could make our pick of the week then do send us an e-mail at contact@avelere.com, or stay tuned for next week when we will be bringing you another fantastic pick!

5 Keys to finding your Niche in a Market: Tips for Entrepreneurs

Now we love design here at Avélére, but we don’t just want to tell you about that. One of the reasons Guro and I are so proud of Avélére is that we have taken it from a drawing on a sheet of paper to a real life business, and we couldn’t be happier about it! We want other people to experience the same feeling as we do, and that is why you will find us sharing tips for starting your own business on our Avélére blog.

In my opinion, one of the most important things about starting a new business is to find a niche that you can make your own. By doing this you will be able to become an expert in a particular aspect of your field, as well as benefitting from less competition in the beginning which is really crucial in helping to set up the business. So here are my 5 key tips for finding your niche in the market!

 

#1 – Look in an area that genuinely interests you

Now this one might seem obvious, but people just don’t seem to do this a lot of the time! When you are looking for a niche in a market it really means that you need to understand a lot about that market because you have to find a product in an area where other people have not. Don’t start a shoe company when you really know a hell of a lot more about food. Be specific, use your knowledge and look at your competition. Find out what they don’t do that you can.

Hugh Hefner started a small magazine about something that interested him…

#2 – Ask your friends, family, neighbours… anyone!

The aim of any business is to solve a problem that people are having, so if you are struggling to find that great niche you thought you could then start talking to someone else. The single best way to start a business is to hear people complain and listen. Find out what it is that annoys them, a place where they are loosing money, a product that they are really unhappy with or a problem they have in their life at the moment. Take these problems and find out how to fix them. Don’t listen to people when they say “I have a great business idea for you” because that isn’t what you are after. You are after a problem that no one is solving and no one has even thought to solve. That is your niche.

#3 – Your niche doesn’t have to be unique

When people start looking for a niche they tend to throw away a great idea at the first sign of something similar. Well here is a surprising truth; it is virtually impossible to find something new. It doesn’t mean the idea is worthless if someone else has noticed it, quite the opposite. It shows there is a problem that others have recognised and attempted to solve, what you need to ask yourself is “can I solve the problem better?” The first business Guro and I started is called Designer Base Shapers where we make inserts to strengthen designer handbags. When we found the niche we weren’t the first people there, but the incumbents were doing a very poor job of serving the market. We knew we could offer something better at a competitive price, so that is where we started. You can do the same, just understand the benefit you can bring to your customers that other people don’t.

#4 – Take your niche and then evolved

This step is the most crucial and under rated in starting a business. Once you have found your niche you need to get to work. Make a prototype, test it out, improve it and start selling. Keep things simple. Then start to grow. Order some stock. Improve your website. Move the stock from your house to a warehouse. Continue to grow step by step. And when you have a strong foothold in your niche area look to evolve.

Emerging from a niche is difficult, but it is the real art of running a successful business. Starting your first business is a great adventure and you will learn so much, but as you start to venture further from your niche things become more difficult and you need to carry on learning. Like anything in life, once you have your foot in the door it is just a case of opening it wider, and with your niche base of customers, you will have the support to try and grow your business into something great.

Richard Branson started with record stores, but always looks like he is having fun!

#5 – Have fun and be excited

Enjoy starting your business; it’s the only way. Your passion is what will make you stand out in your niche area. You might have seen Wolf of Wall Street and thought “oh, it looks like I could make some money in finance” or seen big consulting companies and thought you might do that instead. But before you go for it, ask yourself this question: Is that really what you want to be doing on a Sunday night? Because believe me, if you are going to start a business then you sure are going to be doing that work on a Sunday night. And a Friday night. And a Wednesday night. You get the idea.

If you are reading this then chances are you have heard a thousand times that “starting a business is really difficult” and I’m here to tell you it doesn’t have to be. It’s not something that is so complicated you need to be a genius to do it, but rather something that requires you to keep on taking the next step which at times can be really frustrating. The truth of the matter is that virtually everyone you meet is making it up as they go along too, so why not enjoy the experience and bring some energy into the process whilst you go!

If you are having fun, if you are genuinely excited to be doing what you are doing then no setback is going to stop you. Enjoy yourself, work smart and the success will follow.

 

So are you ready to go out, find your niche and start a business now? Thought so!

If you enjoyed this article then why not check out my article on how we plan to grow Avélére as a business in the future!

The 5 Keys to Creating an Attractive Boutique Display

Here at Avélére we place a lot of emphasis on creating beautiful displays in people’s homes, but we also know what makes your store tick. The way you present what you sell is often the difference between success and failure, and with a few simple rules you can make sure to tick all of the customers boxes.

 

#1 – Be Bold with Colours, Shapes and Lighting

Customers eyes aren’t attracted to monochromatic displays, so make sure to use some bright and bold colours to make your display stand out. Contrasting red against black or white can work wonders, as does grouping 2-3 colours together. Combine the colours with bold shapes too and create something customers can see from a distance. Once you have your colours and shapes in order then get the lights out, the brighter the better. Focus on the angles you use to avoid shadows, which can make the display look poorly planned. A good tip is to use lights to highlight focal points rather than hang them from directly above, as this emphasises the points you are after and helps to avoid those pesky shadows.

 

#2 – Update Your Displays often and Keep it Seasonal

Don’t let your customers get bored with your displays, try to surprise them by changing things around at least every month. New stock often sells the quickest, so look to put it in a prominent place, and once you get more new stock in then switch the positions around. Giving your store a seasonal theme can also help to show your customers that you care about more than just sales. Hearts for Valentine’s Day, eggs for Easter and brooms for Halloween don’t cost the earth but might just give your customers the welcome feeling they need to make a purchase.

A Harrods Seasonal Window Display

 

#3 – Tell a Story

Try to match your boutiques display with something relevant to your brand or store, and find a way to tell a story. Whether you try to re-create Cinderella with a ball theme and a glass slipper or want to try something simpler like a walk in the park, a story gets your customers more engaged with your products and makes them more hands on. The Harvard Business Review reports that customers spent on average 43% more after handling a product, so get people involved with your story and get tactile!

 

#4 – Put Price Tags on EVERYTHING

No-one likes to ask how much something costs, so don’t make them! Make sure that you have price tags on every single item in your store and try to make them easy to find. A great idea for smaller stores is to even price the display pieces themselves. You will be surprised how often people are interested in buying store furniture for their homes, after all, who said boutiques are the only places where people can show off their clothes?

 

#5 – Keep it Simple

Don’t clutter your windows and don’t clutter your displays. Everyone is familiar with the saying “quality over quantity”, and this applies to your boutique. Customers associate a product that demands its own space with quality, whilst a bunch of products thrown together in a small space screams of something that you aren’t proud of. Think of a Louis Vuitton or Chanel store, each and every one of their items is displayed separately to suggest they have the quality to stand-alone. These tactics aren’t just for the big brands though, try them in your boutique and see the difference it makes!

Louis Vuitton Keeping it Simple

So there you have it, the 5 Keys to Creating Attractive Boutique displays. If you enjoyed this article then check out our 9 Reasons Why and Open Plan Wardrobe will Improve your Life!

Introducing The Avélére Hanging Clothing Racks

We have been working really hard at Avélére over the past couple of months to bring together a really cool idea we had. Since moving into a new house a few months back I have been doing a lot of decorating, but instead of buying pre-built furniture I have been trying to experiment and create new pieces. And this is where the Avélére Hanging Clothes Rack has come from. I use one of the early prototypes as my wardrobe at home, but I am pleased to announce that we have got a great new design that has been refined to give you simplicity.

Available soon in Wood and Metal

Our Hanging Clothes Racks will be available in two different designs. Firstly, the Wooden Clothes Rack, which uses a pine pole hung with 2 industrial style chains and supported by two rings.

 

The Avélére Wooden Hanging Clothes Rack

 

This is the type I use in my house, and I absolutely love it. I can honestly say I have never met anyone with a similar design in their home. We source our wood from a small family-run timber merchants in Lancashire and other parts from several independently run UK businesses. It is important for us that we trust our partners and know them personally so we can be sure the materials we use are of the highest quality.

The Wooden Clothes Rack will initially be available in two lengths, 1 meter and 1.4 meter, however if you contact our team we may be able to supply larger sizes depending on your needs.

 

Our second design is the Metal Clothes Rack, which will be available in a range of different finishes. We will initially be able to offer Chrome, Brass and Brushed finishes, all of which will be available to see on our website shortly.

 

Avélére Brass Hanging Clothes Rack

 

The Metal Clothes Rack is inspired by all of the DIYers we meet across the UK when we are researching new products. They often help us with our ideas and pass on little tips that we can then let you all know about. Unlike the Wooden Clothes Rack, the Metal uses a cable to suspend its self above the floor which threads through the centre of the pole. The metal look can be quite striking in a room often contrasting well with the timber which dominates most rooms.

Available for Pre-Order via our Store

The Metal Clothes Rack will initially be available at a length of 1.22 meters, however other lengths will be introduced at a later date and may be possible to arrange before hand by contacting our team. These racks don’t only look great at home, but work fantastically in stores, so if you are considering giving your shop a makeover then get in touch and our team can help you to create a beautiful display! All of our clothing racks are delivered as kits with simple and easy to follow instructions for assembly in your home. Our team will also be making instructional videos over the next few weeks which will give you step by step instructions on how to set up your Clothing Rack.

 

And there we have it! We hope you are as excited as we are for the Clothing Racks to go on sale. They are available pre-order in our store right now and will be available for delivery in July 2014, we will keep you updated for the exact date.

 

If you enjoyed this blog about our Hanging Clothes Racks why not check out another of our great ideas, The Shoe Pedestal?!

Avélére’s Design Pick of the Week

Help yourself to great design ideas from around the Internet with our new feature!

At Avélére we’re really passionate about all things design. That is why we always make sure to share any great things we see from other designers with you. Helping people discover their next favourite designer is one of our favourite things to do!

We’re excited to bring you our latest feature on the Avélére Tips & Tricks blog, Avélére’s Design Pick of the Week! We’ve explored the corners of the Internet and found some great pieces from other designers that we think you will love as much as we do, so sit back and get ready for our Design Pick of the Week!

 

Our Pick of the Week this week comes from Wooden Expectit, all the way from Washington in the United States. As you might expect, they deal with all things wood, but here at Avélére is their “Rustic Wood Jewellery Hanger”.

 

Avélére’s Design Pick of the Week: A Fantastic Natural Wood Jewellery Hanger from Wooden Expectit

 

Made from solid wood, the rustically designed piece has five glass hooks for hanging jewellery pieces as well as a convenient shelf for storing other items. The glass hooks are great not only for storing your necklaces but also for showing off the pieces at the same time!

So what do we like about this piece at Avélére? Obviously, we like it because it’s simple! The piece is just wood and glass, so nothing to distract the eye from your great necklaces that you are displaying. By keeping the wood showing the guys at Wooden Expectit have managed to create a natural looking piece of design, which can go well in a lot of different settings. If you are looking for an open plan or display piece then this jewellery hanger would work really well, and it’s a steal at only $25! If you are planning to use any of our Avélére products in your house or store, then it is definitely worth considering this piece for displaying your jewellery too.

You can buy the item on Etsy by clicking HERE, or you if you really love the idea and want to find more then you can see Wooden Expectit whole product range by clicking HERE.

If you enjoyed this then why not find out 9 reasons why an open plan wardrobe can improve your life?