Mother's Day Gift Ideas for Home Decor Enthusiasts

Mother's Day is the perfect time to celebrate and show your appreciation for everything your mom has done for you. Maybe it was all the fun birthday parties she threw, the late-night snuggles or impromptu girls-only shopping sprees. While we can and should celebrate our mothers year-round, this one day is devoted especially to them.

 According to the Society of American Florists, about 26% of flower sales occur on Mother's Day annually, making it the third-ranking holiday to buy blooms. Flowers are always thoughtful and well-received. However, you may want to complement your mom's home with some new decor this year.

 You know your mom's style and decorative tastes best, so consider one of these excellent gift ideas.

1.   Gifts for Entertaining

Moms are masterful entertainers, always going out of their way to make friends, family and neighbors feel welcome and comfortable. Since May marks the start of warmer weather, perhaps new cushions for her outdoor patio set are in the cards.

 Of course, you wouldn't want to forget the essentials for outdoor entertainment — food and drinks. Purchase some colored glassware or a unique, wood-crafted charcuterie board for your mom to arrange her delectable creations.

 Does she enjoy baking? Maybe purchase a pretty cake or cupcake stand, tea set or serving dishes for her next backyard party.

Colorful Outdoor Shatterproof Wine Glasses

2.   DIY Gifts

Remember when you were in elementary school and used to make your mom handmade Mother's Day cards? Give her the ultimate throwback with a DIY present this year.

 Decoupage a tray with a photo collage of her favorite people. You might also decide to work with an artist to create a poster of her family tree or have a heritage recipe printed on a dishtowel.

Personalize flowerpots by painting them in her favorite color or pattern and write home-related or maternal quotes on the side. She'll love using them for indoor plants where everyone will stop to look.

 You could also refurbish an old piece of furniture that she loves and give it a fresh stain or coat of paint. Add a beautiful pattern or colorful drawer liner to really make the piece sparkle.

Personalize Flower Pots

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Personalize Flower Pots 〰️

3.   Artwork Gifts

Artwork is always a nice gift for Mother's Day. Does your mom have a favorite local artist? If so, see if you can commission a unique piece for her.

 Otherwise, does she have a living room bookcase you can spruce up with unique novelty items or pictures? Is there a particular wall you think a beautiful canvas or photo collage would fit perfectly?

 Maybe an artistic mirror or metal art piece would look great in the foyer when people first walk in. Buying artwork for Mother's Day will give her something to show off to friends.

4.   Gifts for the at-Home Chef

Many people think back on their childhood and remember a dish only their moms could perfect. This Mother's Day, give your mom a meaningful gift that won't become clutter later on.

 Has your mom often been referred to as an at-home gourmet chef? If she enjoys spending time in the kitchen, consider the following gift ideas:

●        Sharpened knife set

●        New blender

●        Bread maker

●        Espresso maker

●        Recipe book stand

●        Variety of cookbooks

●        Stone cookware, such as Le Creuset

●        Countertop garden to grow her own herbs in the kitchen

 Whatever kitchen gift you decide to give her, she's bound to love using it to whip up her favorite recipes.

Williams Sonoma Home

5.   Bathroom Gifts

According to the 2021 U.S. Houzz and Home Study report, guest and master suite bathrooms accounted for 24% and 20% of home projects, respectively. Whether you gift your mom with a brand new bathroom renovation or deliver a whole new look with decorative items, you can help create a breathtaking spa-like atmosphere for your mom to relax in.

 Consider a new towel set, throw rugs or bathroom accessories for her vanity countertops. Better yet, maybe she needs a new chair to sit on while getting ready in the morning.

 Does your mom enjoy baths? Nothing says "retreat" more than a gift set with bubble bath soap, a caddy, a spa candle and an exfoliating dry brush.

6.   Gifts for the Gardener

Let's not forget about the outdoors. Many moms have a green thumb, so why not purchase a gift for her to decorate her garden with? There are many options to choose from, including:

●        Hummingbird feeder

●        Modern planters

●        Outdoor fire pit

●        Garden kneeler and seat

●        Colorful wind spinner

●        Storage caddy with wheels to transport her gardening tools 

●        Personalized garden stones

 Your mom will appreciate sitting back to watch the hummingbirds, getting warm next to a fire during cooler evenings or admiring her colorful new spinner.

Garden Set Sold By Amazon

More Tips for Mother’s Day Gift Shopping

Mother’s Day calls for personalization, so we hope the ideas we shared have helped you think through options for your decor-loving parent and come up with a creative, thoughtful gift. If you’re still stewing, consider the following tips for finding the right item, too.

 ●        Use online shopping best practices. You can find so many unique, fun home decor gifts online — but if a price seems too-good-to-be-true or you’re questioning an item’s quality, do your due diligence. Many online sellers are competing for your attention, but customer reviews, listed store policies and social media can all help you find a trustworthy seller.

Scope out your mom’s home. Haven’t visited your parent in a while? When looking for a home decor gift, it’s most helpful if you’re able to determine a) your mom’s current style and b) whether she already has the item you have in mind. Do●        Doing a little reconnaissance can make all the difference in picking a memorable gift.

●        For the mom who has everything, consider an experience instead. Home-decor loving parents can be inspired by more than material goods. If your mom is full-up on trinkets, consider online or in-person classes and experiences instead. Painting, candle-making and other crafting events are special gifts that let your loved one decorate their home with something truly treasured.

Home Decor Gifts Your Mom Will Love

Show your mom some extra love this Mother's Day with these special home decor gift ideas. Whether she's looking for something to add to the space or needs your help redecorating a room, there are many ways to spruce up your mom's home and turn it into something spectacular.

Author

 Evelyn Long is a Baltimore-based writer and the editor-in-chief of Renovated. She publishes home decor advice and product roundups for readers in spaces both big and small.

How to Style Your Home Like a Designer with Accessories

Your home is your personal oasis and you should love being there. Comfortable furniture, soothing natural light, and accessories can make an empty shell feel like the most cozy and inviting place to ever exist. With just a few simple steps, your home will look professionally designed and you’ll love spending time there and inviting guests over. Let’s take a look at how you can style your home like a designer with accessories.

Types of Accessories

 The first step to accessorizing your home is becoming knowledgeable about the different types of accessories there are. The possibilities are endless and if you’re able to choose some that suit your personality and natural vibe, you’re well on your way to having a gorgeous home. Mixing and matching different accessory types will help you to achieve an absolutely stunning look.

Let’s take a look at a few of the most popular home accessories that designers use:

 ●     Artwork

●     Sculptures

●     Vases

●     Area rugs

●     Plants

 

How to Choose

 When selecting your home accessories remember the golden rule: “quality over quantity.” Unless it’s the look you’re going for, you really don’t need a million little items to make a statement. Having too many accessories can easily make your home look overwhelming and cluttered to both you and your guests.

 You can avoid a cluttered and unorganized look by choosing one or two key pieces that make a bold or sentimental statement. To decide on a key piece, you may want to choose:

 ●     An item you got while traveling

●     A handmade piece

●     A woven basket from a local street vendor

●     An heirloom

●     Framed photos

●     A mirror with a unique frame and shape

 If you select just one or two key pieces and decorate around them, you’ll have such a successful housewarming party, your guests won’t want to leave. While we recommended keeping modern and traditional styles separated, we also recommended using your discretion. Make your space yours by using a little here and a little therex wherever you see fit.

Decorating

 Now that you know the different types of accessories and how to choose your key pieces, let’s talk about the most important step: actually decorating your space. An important factor for ensuring you have cohesive design across your entire space is thinking about your color scheme. For example, if you’re aiming for a teal, gray, and white color scheme, avoid selecting a bright orange key piece. While your home does not have to be obnoxiously matched to a tee, try to keep your accessories and decor within one color palette.

 Lamps, fireplace hearths, and quality frames can serve as decor pieces and functional tools for your home. Tie rooms together and complete themes by selecting a lamp or fireplace heart that seamlessly compliments your key piece.

Versatility

 The best home decor is versatile home decor. If you like to change the look of your home with the seasons, choose accessories that are easy to swap out. This way, you’ll be able to get creative and make changes as often as you’d like. Tap into your artistic side and try different colors, styles, and textures throughout your home to give it a unique pop.

Be Inspired

 When you enter the home decor section of a store, you may get overwhelmed. With aisles and aisles of options, you might not know where to start. Long before your arrival at the store, you need to:

 ●     Find inspiration

●     Decide on a color scheme

●     Understand your unique style

●     Make a list

 By following these four simple steps, you’ll be able to shop with confidence and avoid having to make any returns. Choose to shop for your home accessories on a free day when you’re not pressed for time. Take time to walk through each aisle and compare items before making a purchase.

Have Fun

 Yes, you want your home to be picture perfect — but there’s no need for your accessorizing process to be stressful or strenuous. If you need to, ask a friend or family member to help you out. What’s most important is that you have fun and enjoy your hard work at the end of the day. Pour a glass of your favorite beverage, whip up some yummy snacks, and ‘decor’ the night away. Good luck and cheers to having a beautifully decorated home!

 *Go To Beasley & Henley Interior Design For More Design Ideas & Inspirations For Your Home*

Bring Nature Inside Your Home with an Indoor Plant Wall

Whether you live in an area surrounded by nature or you’re in the midst of a major city, it’s important to connect with nature as much as possible to boost your mood and lower stress levels. Even if you don’t have access to a lush botanical landscape, you can still enjoy everything nature has to offer in your own home. An indoor plant wall gives you the opportunity to connect with the natural world without ever having to set foot outside the home. This fun project will not only add beauty to your space, but will also cultivate a love and appreciation for caring for plants, and for the environment.

Why we should connect to nature

It’s not just important to connect to nature because we live in it. Spending time in nature has a positive impact on our mental and physical health. Here are some reasons why it’s so vital to stay connected with the outside world

Better health. Nature has positive impacts on health in many different ways. Connecting to the natural world can actually have healing effects on the mind, body, and spirit. When you spend time in a natural environment, it may lower your blood pressure and heart rate, creating a calming effect on both the body and the mind. Going outdoors promotes healthy exercise, which can increase muscle mass and lower body weight over time. It may also help to boost your immune system by providing your body with a natural source of vitamin D.

Greater spirituality. In addition to the physical benefits, connecting to nature also promotes spiritual enhancement. Just taking a walk amongst plants and animals can remind you how we all play a vital role in the world, and how we connect together as one. When you’re outdoors, take a moment to soak in the sights, smells, and sounds of nature. This is a wonderful way to appreciate nature’s many meditative properties and give yourself a spiritual cleanse. You’ll also gain a new appreciation for the world and all that it has to offer.

Higher sense of wellbeing. Spending just a few minutes each day outdoors or around nature can help you “reset,” giving you a fresh and new sense of optimism to take on your day. Taking in the environment around you will improve your psychological well-being and help you to de-stress. Studies have shown that connecting with nature can help with conditions like depression and improve cognition. You’ll start to develop a positive outlook and feel calmer as you make and strengthen your connection to nature.

The Human-Nature Connection Relationship


In many ways, the modern world has altered the human-nature connection. However, by developing a deep appreciation for nature, humans can restore the respect that the environment deserves. By fostering a healthy relationship with nature, you’ll also develop a better understanding of how plants and animals live, and how they depend on humans to protect their safety and well-being. From humans’ evolutionary biology and psychology to the economy, everything is directly connected to the natural world. Developing a strong bond with nature will give you an opportunity to appreciate just how deeply everything is connected together.

Benefits of a living wall

Ornamental plant decoration for vertical garden

There are many benefits to designing a living wall or vertical garden in your home

• Living walls can make you happier. When you see greenery or flowers inside your home, it will instantly boost serotonin levels, making you feel happier within just a few minutes.

• Plants absorb carbon dioxide, which can help to clean and purify the air inside your home. Add a lush green wall indoors and you’ll get better air quality and cleaner, safer indoor air.

• A plant wall can reduce the temperature in your home, creating a cooler climate that may even lower your energy bill. Since plants absorb sunlight, it can make the room feel cooler while reducing the need for your air conditioner to run constantly.

• Place your living wall where you need a little more peace and quiet. Your houseplants can absorb the noise, giving you a much quieter, calmer place to relax.

• Just looking at your plants can reduce stress. Fill your plant wall with your favorites so you’ll feel calm and happy every single day.

• Since plants have a positive psychological impact, they can also boost your productivity. Add a living wall to your home office and watch your productivity levels increase.

• A lush plant wall adds value to your home. Consider adding one to the inside and outside to improve curb appeal, reduce energy costs, and make your home more visually appealing.

How to create a green wall

Here are the steps needed to create your very own living plant wall at home.

Plant selection. Start by choosing a variety of plants for your living wall. The type of plants you choose may vary depending on your local climate, how much sunlight they’ll get, and how difficult they are to care for. Research a variety of indoor plants to help you find the right ones for your indoor vertical garden. You may go through some trial and error until you find the right combination of plants for you.

Location. Choosing the right location for your green wall is key to a healthy and lush indoor vertical garden. Place your living wall in a part of the home that will get ample natural light. If your home doesn’t have a lot of sunlight, you may need to supplement with grow lights to keep your plants happy and healthy.

Maintenance. Make sure you understand how to care for all of the plants in your green wall. Ideally, they should all have the same or similar amount of sunlight and watering requirements. If the plant’s needs vary too much, some plants may not be healthy, while others will thrive based on how much light they get and other factors. Look into the care of your plants to make sure that the living wall is something you can easily maintain.

Display options. Think about how you want to display your living wall, whether it’s a tall shelf with a lot of pots or a sturdy tall frame that holds several containers of dirt. Some green walls become permanent fixtures, while others can be moved around as needed. Explore a few options before you decide which one will work for you so that it’s easy to care for and cultivate your plants while adding an attractive aesthetic to the room.

Lighting. Some plants require full sun, while others only need partial or dappled sunlight. Check where the light comes into your home, and place the green wall in a part of the room that will get enough of it throughout the day. Low-light plants (like pothos or snake plants) can thrive without a ton of sunlight, so these may be best if you live in an apartment or a place without a lot of windows.

Irrigation. Your plants need water to stay healthy, so make sure you have a good irrigation system in place. Self-watering planters can be helpful, but you may also need to soak your plants from time to time. Just be sure that your irrigation system won’t create a mess of water and soil all over your floors. A watering can make it easy to do some quick watering of the topsoil, while a small tube irrigation system can help you water all of the plants’ root systems at once.

These are pretty easy tasks you can do yourself and even make it a fun family activity, remember you can always choose the have the professional service of a handyman to help you install hanging shelves or lighting to build your perfect plant wall.

 Reasons to add a plant wall to your home

Whether you want to lower stress levels or just add a striking new feature to your decor, here are some important reasons to add a beautiful plant wall to your indoor space

Increase curb appeal. An outdoor plant wall is an attractive feature for buyers if you’re planning to sell your home. It can also create interest indoors by boosting your home’s resale value and curb appeal.

Break up a white wall. Beautiful greenery and colorful flowers add texture and visual interest to a bland and boring white wall. Use your green wall to enhance a living room or den so it helps to visually “break up” the space.

Create living art. Having a variety of plants is a wonderful way to create your very own living work of art. As the plants grow and change, your art will change to create a unique accent piece in your home.

Add a garden without losing floor space. Designing a vertical garden gives you the opportunity to enjoy gardening without taking up too much floor space. This can be especially beneficial if you live in a small home, condo, or apartment and want to reap the benefits of gardening without taking up too much precious room.

Create a space for calm. Your green wall will give you a peaceful vibe that promotes feelings of calm. Use your green wall to enjoy the benefits of plants and nature inside and make this part of your home a space for calmness, meditation, and reflection.

Add an accent wall A feature wall or accent wall can give any room a fun touch. Use your green wall to create a cool accent wall that’s sure to be a conversation starter whenever you have guests over.

Add life to your home Plants will add vibrancy and life to your home that standard wall art simply can’t replicate. If you live in a place where you can’t have pets, a living wall is a wonderful way to care for another living thing as you watch it flourish and grow.

 As you can see, building a plant wall has a wide range of benefits not just for your home, but also for your health and well-being. Plants clean the air, add beauty, and promote feelings of rest and calm in the home. With a living green wall, you can cultivate your connection with nature while enjoying a new and beneficial hobby that will enhance your life.

Guest Blog Post By: Rocio Espinoza with Porch | Find the Best Rated Local Home Improvement Professionals

Top Five Luxurious Ways to Decorate Your Home

Whether you’ve just recently moved in or you’ve called the same house a home for decades, occasionally a change of pace is needed to liven up a space, or more importantly, your own frame of mind. The environments in which we live and work have a profound effect on our mood, energy, and creativity. Adding intentional, luxurious decorative touches can help elevate and modernize your space and breathe new life into your home.

 Plus, there’s no need to plan a massive remodel—read on to discover our top 5 decorating tips to help create a luxurious interior aesthetic for your home.

1.  Pare Down

The first, most important way to make a space feel more luxurious is to pare down excess belongings. Interior rooms have a tendency to become cluttered and chaotic over time, especially in high-traffic areas of the home. Clearing away unnecessary items not only creates psychological space to breathe but also exposes the aesthetic potential of a room and the relative value and importance of the objects that you do keep. The first rule of luxury isn’t expensive at all—start with a clean slate by paring down and keeping only the best décor items that you already have.

2.  Rugs, Textiles & Textures

 Truly high-end residential interiors beg for the inclusion of luxurious rugs. Rugs can serve as a focal point for a room, defining its function and tying all the design elements together. Additionally, in the case of either antique or new Persian and Oriental rugs, they can also serve as an investment-worthy collectible. In addition to rugs, beautiful pillows, window treatments, and textiles can all bring compelling elements of pattern, texture, and comfort to a room. 

 Bedrooms, in particular, can be great places to add decorative interest through rugs and textiles. Fit your bed with luxury microfiber bed sheets for a subtle but impactful final touch. 

 1.  Color

One of the most immediate ways to provide a sophisticated update to an interior is by painting. But keep one caveat in mind: stick with neutral and near-neutral colors. This doesn’t mean that every wall in your home must be a shade of cream. Neutral colors are essentially muted shades that include an undertone of white, cream, beige, taupe, black, or brown. Furthermore, you can also opt for near-neutrals that add a primary color (red, green, and blue) to a pure neutral color. The end result can be quite unique and arresting. At the same time, both neutrals and near-neutrals will provide a luxurious canvas upon which to add more intense color interest by way of furniture, artwork, rugs, lamps, and textiles of all sorts. 

Most of the room’s color should come from items you place in the space rather than the walls themselves. That way, you can update the space more readily by swapping out artwork, lighting, fabrics, textiles, and personal effects to refresh the look of a room over time.

1.  Lighting

As all cinematographers know, a great filmmaker simultaneously sculpts and tells stories with light. Interior designers are also aware of this dynamic and can use these principles to the same effect. Use light to carve space and direct the attention of those who live in or merely visit your home through the artful use of general, task, and accent lighting. Interior lighting is also an ideal way to add luxurious decorative elements that also have a lot of utility and don’t add unnecessary clutter to your space.

 2.  Bring Nature In

In certain climates, bringing nature inside can mean the creation of hybrid inside/outside living spaces that can provide a spa-like feel to a home for much of the year.

 For those who aren’t lucky enough to live in a climate where the boundaries between inside and outside living spaces can be easily blurred, there are plenty of other options that simply place an emphasis on including botanical aesthetics into the design of a room.

You don’t need to create a year-round, majestic, interior courtyard to use plant life to stunning effect. Warm your space with climate-appropriate and well-kept trees and plants in your home. No green thumb? Opt for botanical prints or watercolors, or even bouquets of dried flowers. These small design touches can still bring an elevated yet minimalist appeal to any space.

In addition, there’s no need to stop with plants. Aquariums that feature exotic plant and fish life can stand alone or be integrated into walls, creating a visually dynamic and supremely relaxing effect to rival the best fireplace or woodstove.

For Design Inspirations & Ideas Go To Beasley & Henley.com!

The Five Best Apps to Use for Your Home

Searching through the major app stores can be an overwhelming experience. With over 800,000 apps just between Google and Apple, simply trying to separate the good from the bad becomes a full-time job. From the moment you hit the home screen of an app store, you are overrun with apps all claiming to be the “best” of their category. And, with more and more popping up every day, the app store is developing into a never-ending rabbit hole. Whether you’re looking to take on a new home improvement project or simply better your living conditions, we’ve found the best apps for the home.Color Capture by Benjamin MooreWe are surrounded by beautiful colors, so it’s about time that someone created Color Capture. Color Capture is an app that allows you to take a picture and match the colors in it to Benjamin Moore paint colors. If you find an advertisement or an invite that has a palette you love, the app will also match the palettes for you. You can also experiment with different color combinations to finally pick the perfect color palette for your bedroom. For anyone who doesn’t want to spend hours staring at paint chips next time they decide to spruce up their walls, this is the perfect app.HomeZadaThe home management app HomeZada is dedicated to helping homeowners get organized, save money, and protect and improve their home. The app offers a long list of helpful tools specifically for homeowners, including financial management tools, a digital home inventory creator, and management for your home maintenance deadlines, duties, and inspections.PinterestEveryone is familiar with Pinterest, but that’s because it really is an amazing app for fashion, project inspiration, home decor, and so much more. From self-improvement to interior design, surfing through Pinterest will provide you with much needed inspiration for every aspect of your life. And, when it comes to anything DIY, Pinterest is king. If you are feeling crafty, or entrepreneurial, hop on Pinterest and you’re sure to fuel your creativity.Belkin’s WeMo app (w/ WeMo Smart Plug)The WeMo app gives you complete control over anything you plug into a WeMo Smart Plug. Instead of having to replace all of your devices with new, expensive smart devices, WeMo lets you have full control over the devices that you already own. From coffee makers to lamps, anything that you can plug into an outlet can be turned into a smart device - simply plug it in and open the app to control it from anywhere. Forgot to turn off your coffee maker when you left for work? Open the app and turn it off - so simple! The app also gives you easy to understand reports on your energy usage and lets you create schedules, rules, and receive notifications.SleepIQ by Sleep NumberWhile you might not have thought much about smart beds, they are the future of sleep, and Sleep Number is leading that future. The Sleep Number smart beds are surprisingly affordable and feature built-in biometric sensors that record and analyze movement, breathing patterns, and heart rate. Then, the bed syncs with your SleepIQ app to provide personalized sleep reports and make adjustments aimed at improving your quality of sleep. More and more we’re realizing just how important sleep is to a healthy and happy life and just how sleep-deprived people are - so it is time that we start focusing on improving our sleep health.We’ve all spent hours searching the app store for a helpful home app just to use it for five minutes and realize its garbage. The app stores have become so crowded with thousands of useless apps that even the homepages are littered with 1-star apps. If you’re trying to find a useful app for the home, you can be sure that it will take you hours of trying and failing until you can finally find one. To prevent you from wasting your valuable time, we’ve done the research and found five of the most useful apps for the home. Whether you need help with a home project or you’re looking to turn your house into a smart home, use these five apps to turn your house into your dream home.  Guest Blogger-Elise Morgan  

Head Turning Home Interiors

When I think of Missoni I think of distinctive fluidity and motifs that transcend the spirit of time. Poetic multicolored extensions of luxury fabrics that have draped everyone from models, celebrities and myself a time or two. I’ve been a Missoni devotee for years and fondly remember trips to our local vintage store scavenging the racks in hopes of that one great find!  Established in 1953, sheer fortitude brought the once mom and pop knitwear shop in Italy to the global empire it is today. Missoni has been affectionately diversifying and growing prosperously far beyond their iconic and refined womenswear. Known for their instantly recognizable vibrant patterns I’ve been obsessed with the whimsicality of it all! Chevron, zigzag and vibrant patterns adorn Misson’s archives. Saturated with color their fabrics can alter a dwelling into an inviting and exhilarating experience. What some of you may not know is that they design equally fabulous home décor collections! They have been dominating in all segments and I love how they brought their infamous brand to the world of interiors! The fashion powerhouse has stayed true to their brand with their bold colors and contrasting prints. I wanted to share with you some of their new home décor pieces that has captivated me once again. Sit back and relish in the visual and tactile prints intertwined with great layers of colors and textures. The new energy is inescapable in the most satisfying way…       

Hottest Home Décor Trends! What Designers Are Excited About In 2019!

Hello 2019 you’ve finally made your appearance and we’re glad you are here. We are excited to see what you have in store for us in home décor this year. I’ve spent some time evaluating and exploring the design trends you will so graciously lay upon us. I’m ever so passionate about design and I cannot wait to tell everyone about the hottest trends in home décor for 2019. We are not going to replace all our family room furniture every year, but there are still ways we can work these trends into your abode. Your home is your sanctuary, and its décor should reflect your taste and style. I understand the importance of making a home feel fresh and by introducing only one or two of these trending pieces you can. Below are 5 noteworthy emerging trends I thought I would share with you today! Enjoy!Velvet Old Fashion? NO!! We are welcoming this trend with arms wide open in 2019 and I’m happy they are. There is nothing priggish or outdated about velvet! This tactile fabric has continued to pull at my creative design strings. Gaining a lot of attention this multi-dimensional fabric started to pique the interest of home décor enthusiasts last year. Velvet décor will be one of 2019’s most sought after trends. Simple and effective you can add a few velvet throw pillows doused in the colors of the moment. For a larger impact a velvet sofa can play the hero of the room making a real statement.  Canopy Beds Worth Dreaming About. We’ve seen a nice steady rise in the awakening of the canopy bed. Though they haven’t been in vogue in 20 plus years, they seem to be an attention getter of the bedroom. They instantly make a dramatic impact, whether they are traditionally styled or more modern. It’s important to consider the silhouette of the bed compared to the size of your room. A slim silhouette will work beautifully, leaning an enviable sense of elegance in a smaller room without overbearing the space.   Cocktails Anyone? If you enjoy mixing a specialty cocktail and entertaining, you’re going to be excited about this next trend. Nothing says mid-century glamour like a bar cart. While they can be quite glitzy, they’re actually available in a range of styles and finishes so there’s one to fit any décor type. Bar carts are an engaging essential that that can be really fun to accessorize with books, artwork, plants and of course liquor, citrus, mixers and fabulous glasses.All About The Curves. 2019 will be all about the curves and soft angles, giving sofas, arm chairs and tables a more fluid shape. The hard lines of the past are being traded in for soft curves. Crescent silhouettes and graceful curved corners will be taking over both furniture and accessories in the homes this year. Go ahead and get rid of the ridged lines and welcome soft corners, round edges and billowing lines.Reconnecting Our Home With Earth. Known for their many health benefits, houseplants reconnect our homes with the greater outdoors. I’m loving this trend for our tech-driven lives. For it allows us to branch out and become closer to nature while indoors.  .  

Tips On Selecting The Perfect Dining Room Chandelier

Good lighting gives your dining room a sense of interest, warmth, light, enhances color and enables great conversation. Adding the right light fixture can alter the mood in the most sophisticated way. Your chandelier can act as eye candy to the most discerning guest bringing a bit of fashion and merriment. A few key points in selecting the perfect light fixture to your dining room is to think of comfort and flexibility. You want the space to give you an opulent pleasure that compliments any meal relished. The dining room is a fantastic place to play with an unexpected chandelier design. If you are looking for a great conversation starter go ahead and be a little daring with your piece.One of the first things you should consider when selecting a fixture is the size. Choosing the wrong sized light fixture can seriously disrupt the design of the space. We recommend a happy medium between too small and too big. The chandelier should be harmonious with the scale of the space without overpowering it. Make sure the chandelier is one-half to three-quarters the width of your table. If you table is 40" wide and 60" long we recommend a 24" - 36" diameter  chandelier. For the right hanging height the bottom of the chandelier should be around 30" above the table. If your ceilings are taller than 8', than an additional 3" for every foot taller. This will ensure that you have the clearance to hang your chandelier, and that it won't either get lost in the room by being too small, or overwhelm the space.  Small dining tables are beautifully complemented by similarly delicate chandeliers. As a general rule avoid pairing round and square with rectangular fixtures. Rectangular tables can handle slightly wider fixtures as well.   The amount of light is very important. Consider the size of the room and how much natural light is coming in. When you walk into the room and gaze at the scintillating halo of unparalleled perfection, you want the chandelier to have the right amount of light. Keep in mind that lighting from a chandelier that beams directly onto a person from above is neither flattering or comfortable. Avoid high wattage bulbs and try adding shades to candelabra bulbs if you like. For most interiors, 2700K warm light LED bulbs should be sufficient. If you have a space with lots of crisp whites, blues and grays then consider 3000K.  A wall dimmer will also help you control the light and set a more flattering mood. Now the fun part begins!! It's time to start selecting your chandelier! Think about a light fixture that will complement the color palette and materials of the space. Because your chandelier should feel like an extension of the style of the particular room, think about the hues and materials that are in the room already. Do you lean towards a more neutral color palette, or are you a little more daring with colors. Are you comfortable mixing metals, which I am a big fan of? Do you want a crystal, metal or beaded chandelier? When it comes to style, are you a little more eclectic? You can choose to display a retro chandelier in a modern dining room if you are looking for a little more contrast and attention. Ultimately, be sure that the chandelier you pick is something you love and is a representative of your style while creating a beautiful balance in the space.Today's contemporary, modern and transitional styles offer an ever expanding array of fixture designs and here are a few of our favorites I would like to share with you.

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SPOOKY HOME DECORATING TIPS

Spooky Home Decorating TipsTrend experts say that the top Halloween theme this year will be 'industrial chic', which makes use of neutral tones and concrete. But whether you like to jump on the latest bandwagon or stay with your own style, decorating can be a challenge. For most people, the goal is to achieve the right balance between "scary" and "fun". To help you out, we've lined up some tips to level up your Halloween home decorating chops!Put a twist into your everyday items(Source: Pixabay)Life-sized skeletons and cobwebs amp up the creepiness factor, but they are also easy to overdo. Why not think of ways to put a scary twist on common household items? You can buy a few pairs of Halloween-themed utensils to replace your spoons and knives, or even decorate them yourself. As for the dining table, you can put a cheap white cloth and form blood spatter patterns by staining it with red food coloring. You can also check out Beasley and Henley’s previous post on Halloween dining table decor for other creative ideas.In the bedroom, create Halloween-themed lampshades by replacing the usual yellow light bulbs with creepy red ones. You can even do the same in your bathroom by carving out skull-shaped soap bars. The possibilities are endless!Work on a special centerpiece(Source: Pixabay)In the Yuletide season, the centerpiece is the Christmas tree. You can also do the same during Halloween, and have a big lantern as the focal point in your living room. Having a centerpiece can set the spooky mood in your entire house and make other decor stand out more.Add creative accent pieces(Source: Pixabay)The next step is to complement your centerpiece with accent items. But instead of sticking to the usual Halloween pumpkin, try hand-painted eyeballs or Kidspot's severed finger biscuits. These can be put in jars and placed in different parts of the house.Don’t forget your front porch/door(Source: Pixabay)Trick-or-treaters are more likely to visit your house if your front porch has inviting Halloween decorations. You can go for something crazy like witch hats that are suspended using nylon strings to make them "float", or perhaps a simple a spider garland on your gate. If you’re living in a condo, a Halloween-themed doormat can also do the job. Hanging Jason Vorhees’ mask from Halloween, or a print of Dracula's face, bat, or skull on your door is not a bad idea either.A couple of reminders though: Putting up decor can be trickier if you are living in a rented apartment or a co-op. A post by Yoreevo about co-op apartments indicates that these units have similarities with condos. Most co-ops and condos have some form of restriction on modifying your unit. Landlords Tips shares that while policies can vary from building to building, special clauses are usually added to lease contracts regarding painting, decorating, and other similar matters. It is best to check with the landlord, especially if you’ve been residing in the unit for a considerable amount of time just to find out if they will permit any modifications, no matter how minor they seem.Another important thing to consider is reusability. It is best to go for items that you can simply spice up and use next Halloween to save money. Lifestyle writer Sohia Bennett shared some ideas on recycling Halloween decor, which you may apply when preparing your pieces. And even if you don't have extra storage space after the holiday, you can sell or give your items away! Written By Guest Blogger-Marjorie RossiOutreach Executivewww(dot)letsgetwise(dot)com

Going Green at Home *4 Tips to Save Energy & Money*

We all have bills piling in each month. It does not matter who you are — when you have your own place, bills are bills.Whether you live in a smaller Denver apartment or you spend your days in a modern Winter Park luxury unit with an amazing interior design, each month, you’ll pay a ton of bills. Groceries. Rent. Transportation. Utilities. And more.In most cases, you have options. You can pick and choose which providers you use and this could save you a few dollars on individual bills. But utilities are less flexible, and that could be why utilities are one of Americans’ largest annual expenses, with the average household spending almost $5,000 on utilities, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  That said, you should always seek new options and work hard to save a few bucks where you can. Here are some tips to “go green” and save a few dollars while doing so.Update Your BulbsThis is one of the most common and best energy tips you’ll get. You’ve likely been hearing about the energy saving benefits of LED and CFL bulbs for years. But have you actually tried to make the switch yet? According to Energy Star, if we all just replaced one bulb with a qualified CFL, we’d save enough energy to light up 3 million homes for a year and more than $600 million in annual energy costs.That said, it’s true — CFL light bulbs cost a bit more than regular bulbs, but they use about 75% less of the energy and they’ll even last ten times as long. This is a no brainer.Watch Your WindowsWhen running the heat or air conditioning in your home or apartment, make sure all the windows and doors are closed as tightly as possible. It’s easy to forget that your small bedroom window was cracked open a bit, but when the air starts seeping out, the heater or air conditioner has to work much harder than it needs to. This causes unnecessary cash (and energy) to be spent.You can still have some amazing interior detailing done in your home while saving money on energy costs — nothing has to be sacrificed!  Smart ThermostatsYou might have heard about the innovative Nest Learning Thermostat. This product — basically just a little computer bolted to your wall and connected to your home Internet — will familiarize itself with your schedule and habits to adjust your house’s temperature to keep you comfortable while reducing unnecessary energy use. Simply put, this thermostat will absolutely save energy and money. The Nest device will automatically adjust to your specifications and you can also control it to function on “away” and “eco” modes to ensure that your home doesn’t get too hot or too cold while people are away and while people are at home.New Appliances?EnergyStar offers some amazing appliances that can help you save money on your utility bills. These appliances might cost a bit more upfront, but the long-term savings will make it well worth your initial spend. For example, EnergyStar clothes washers use 50 percent less energy than your standard washer and dryer. That’s hugely important over time.Creating an energy-efficient home utilizing smart interior design ideas can be a great way to reduce costs on your utility bills. The items used to furnish and decorate your home can also provide the finishing touches of energy-efficient design, which is something that we all hope to accomplish.All in all, money saving is important to everyone. Whether you have bad credit and are struggling to purchase a home; or you’re saving money for a down payment while renting an apartment, we all can benefit from saving a few dollars and becoming eco-friendlier in the process! Written By Guest Blogger- Sam Radbil with  https://www.abodo.com/