Being scared of the dark is no longer an excuse for putting off bedtime.

Meet the Glo Nightlight, a bedside lamp with removable glowing balls that act as portable nightlights. The phosphorescent balls aren’t electronic and don’t get hot, so they are safe to snuggle with when the room goes dark.

The balls’ light will fade 30 minutes after they’ve been removed from the base, and you can select one tone, or have a rotating array of colours. We suggest you choose the colour that will best ward off any monsters lurking in the closet.

Boon Glo Nightlight, $84.99 from Saf & Benjamin, 1081 Marinaside Cres., Vancouver, 778-328-8194 and online at www.safandbenjamin.com  —Alexandra Suhner Isenberg

Tired of the bright colours, weird characters, and hideous graphics on most children’s homewear? We are, and that’s why we love this wooden alphabet by Toronto-based husband-and-wife design duo Bookhou.

The A to Z birch wall hanging is in Courier New, which is the font they used for their logo. It wasn’t intended for children’s rooms, but has proven popular with some design-savvy parents.

So when our kids grow up and want Justin Bieber posters on their walls, we can move this piece in our home office. —Alexandra Suhner Isenberg

Wood alphabet, $50 from Bookhou, www.bookhou.com

We don’t want to come across as a scrooge, but we find holiday window decorations tend to fall into three categories: Overly religious, sappily sentimental, or just plain ugly.

We love this combo by Stampin’ Up!, incorporating 27 red damask images on vinyl ($41.06) with a nice non-denominational message ($12.17).

Now we can wish everybody a happy holiday season without offending their spiritual beliefs or sense of style. —Jennifer Nachshen

www.stampinup.com

If you’re planning a holiday party, why not do a retro theme? We are celebrating the imminent return of Mad Men to our Winter TV viewing schedule, after all!

To guide you along, pick up Vintage Cocktails: Retro Recipes for the Home Mixologist ($14.56) by cultural historian Amanda Hallay, with sassy drawings by fashion illustrator, David Wolfe. Serve up some Pink Ladies, Gin Fizzes and Whisky Sours in these gorgeous Onyxflower coupes from Anthropologie (US $14). Throw in some foods on a stick and do the Watusi all night long.

But do draw the line at chain-smoking and office party affairs. And don’t be a Betty Draper. —Jennifer Nachshen

At www.amazon.ca

In college we readily dumped our faulty futon frames by the side of the road at the end of the semester. Now we have a storage space full of salvaged furniture just waiting for a new look.

Like an SPCA for settees, Deuxième Debut saves abandoned furniture from the landfill, giving chairs, tables, and armoires a second chance at life with a fresh coat of paint and some expert upholstering. Choose from a selection of ready-revamped pieces, or bring in your own near-death dinette for a makeover.

Sofa, so good. —Jennifer Nachshen

Deuxième Debut, 705 Laporte Ave., Montreal, 514-707-2365, www.deuxiemedebut.com (please call ahead)

I must admit to having little patience for home decor, preferring function over fashion for everything from sofas to sinks.

But to add a little va-voom to my room, I drew inspiration from Marc Jacobs and Maria Von Trapp, and colour-blocked My Favourite Things: shoes and books.

Supplies
Your favourite things (doesn’t have to be shoes and books)
A shelf (IKEA works nicely)

Method
1. Put shoes on shelf.
2. Colour coordinate book jackets in a way that would infuriate a librarian but please Marc Jacobs.
3. Pile books from largest to smallest (or smallest to largest, if you feel a little naughty).

Et voila! Fashion meets function meets fabulous.

—Jennifer Nachshen

Children might like bright colours and crazy animal shapes, but when it comes to interiors, it’s hard to decorate with garish yellows and reds.

So, we’ve met them halfway with these Jonathan Adler nightlights. Shaped like a lion, giraffe or elephant, but made in white porcelain, these lights are the perfect addition to a room. They look modern but cute, sort of like our kids, right?

Oh yes, and these lights are sure to keep away the monster in the closet. —Alexandra Suhner Isenberg

Jonathan Adler nightlights, $49, at Ella + Elliot, www.ellaandelliot.com

Designing a nursery is easy. There is a ton of choice, and let’s face it, babies don’t really notice their rooms.

Decor gets more complicated for children and teens. Kids need a space that reflects their personality and style, but without compromising the taste of their parents. Which is why it came as great news that PB Teen now ships internationally.

The PB stands for Pottery Barn, and the stock reflects that: stylish and reasonably priced. The site sells great bedding and bathroom accessories but the study spaces are probably our favourite.

Now you won’t feel bad for sending them to their room. —ASI

www.pbteen.com

We love watching the show Hoarders because it makes us feel quite tidy by comparison. But the truth is, we sometimes feel like we’re one tchotchke away from becoming an episode.

Instead of throwing away all our extra doodads to make space for more, we’re turning to Upstage Montreal, a new Montreal business that provides services in interior decor, home staging and organizing. After putting up some shelves, cleaning out our closet, and creating a new footwear filing system, we were good to go, but owner Keren Blankrot left us with these earth-friendly tips for keeping our space systematized without sacrificing style.

1. Prevent spring purges by choosing quality over quantity and investing in pieces you love. This will ensure your belongings have the longevity factor.
2. Turn an old, dysfunctional item into something new. Use an old card box to store paper clips or reupholster a chair to give it a new life.

3. Your junk is another person’s treasure, so give anything away that you aren’t using regularly (i.e. clothes, books, computers, electronics). Check out www.freecycle.org

4. Create space by building upward with closet and shelves. Keep a step ladder on hand so you can reach!


Now all we need is an intervention for our shoe habit. —JN

Upstage Montreal, 514-915-5532, www.upstagemontreal.com

She may be too young for the subtle messages of Albert Lamorisse’s The Red Balloon, but these helium sculptures (from $160) are bound to blow her away.

Unlike regular balloons, Clementine Henrion’s ‘helium eternal’ balloons will last forever and ever. The illusion is created with shiny fabrics and kapok stuffing. The balloons are soft like a pillow and can decorate a bed or a chair, or simply hang from the ceiling.

Just imagine, a party that never ends.

Available at Kol Kid, 674 Queen St. W., Toronto, 416-681-0368, www.kolkid.ca or Etsy.