Guest Post - 5 Interior Decorating Trends for 2019

Discover the top home décor trends of 2019 with our infographic guide.

These days, trending looks in the interior decorating world come and go so quickly that it can be difficult to keep up. Fortunately, our friends over at EZ Living Interiors have put together a handy infographic guide which lays out the top five home décor trends you need to keep an eye out for in 2019.

Blush Pink

One of our favorite trends of 2019 is the emergence of blush pink as a playful alternative to traditional neutral shades. No longer confined to little girls’ bedrooms, the blush pink of 2019 is muted, edgy and minimalist. For a modern look, we recommend that you contrast soft blush tones with metallic home accessories in copper and brass.

Velvet Furniture

Another interior decorating trend that continues to dominate our Instagram and Pinterest feeds is velvet furniture. In fact, Google searches for velvet have skyrocketed over the past year and it is now the most searched for fabric online. We like deep jewel tones such as Emerald, Royal Blue, Violet and Burgundy. However, we are also increasingly seeing many pieces in lighter pastel shades such as pale grey, blush pink and mink.

Discover More Interior Decorating Trends

If you would like to learn more about the biggest interior decorating trends of 2019 in the infographic below. While trends can be a fantastic source of inspiration, at the end of the day the most important thing is that you are creating a space that reflects your unique tastes and personality. As Billy Baldwin (a.k.a. “The Dean of Interior Decorators”) once aptly put it: "Be faithful to your own taste, because nothing you really like is ever out of style."

Author Bio: Helen O’Keeffe works for EZ Living Interiors, a home furnishings retailer based in Ireland and the UK. She frequently writes informative content about interiors, trends and home living.

Guest Post - Timeless Style: Seven Ways to Add Modern Flare to Your Historic Home

You’ve fallen in love with a historic home. It’s not difficult to see the appeal. Packed with charm and character, a historic home has an undeniable appeal that modern homes simply don’t possess.

What you need to consider when purchasing a historic home is how you plan to bring it into the 21st century. This is a huge design challenge for many homeowners, and it requires careful thought and consideration. How do you balance modern flourishes without comprising the unique character of your home?

Whether you’re buying a historic home Charleston, S.C., or renovating your Georgetown loft in Washington D.C., here are a few tips for adding contemporary touches to an old home:

Give the Walls a Fresh Coat of Paint

One of the easiest and most affordable ways to modernize an older home is with a fresh coat of paint on the walls. Not only does this refresh your walls and instantly update them, it can also draw attention to the elaborate crown molding and trim so common in older homes.

To highlight these beautiful details, consider using a higher gloss finish such as satin or semi-gloss. This will give your walls some shine and attract the eye to the gorgeous details of your historic home.

Add a Pop of Color to the Exterior

If you’ve ever strolled past centuries-old homes in Europe, you might have noticed that many of them feature colorful doors in a high-gloss paint. This attractive look is also widely seen in the charming single houses in historic cities such as Charleston, S.C., and Savannah, G.A., both of which were strongly influenced by European aesthetics.

It doesn’t need to be a bright color to attract attention. In fact, shiny black doors are absolutely stunning against a white façade and can potentially fetch a higher price when it comes time to sell your home.

Black doors are trendy yet truly timeless. You can add more modern flare to your home by adding trendy brass décor, as well.

Spruce Up the Fireplace

A brick fireplace in an older home can be a total eyesore if you haven’t given it some TLC. To make it an attractive focal point for your home, lighten up dark red brick by doing a German smear.

Also known as a mortar wash, a German smear is a whitewashing technique that involves spreading wet mortar over bricks and removing some of the material before it dries. It mimics the look of centuries-old cottages in northern Germany, creating an old-world charm that is both modern and traditional.

If you’re obsessed with the TV show “Fixer Upper,” you might have seen Chip and Joanna Gaines use the German smear technique for Jeff and Sara Jones. Although this style was far outside of Joanna’s typical farmhouse style, she nailed the look by perfectly creating a traditional European look.

Mix Contemporary Furnishings with Antiques

No matter how much you try to preserve the original character of your home, chances are good that you have modern appliances and furnishings mixed into your design. Most of us prefer to have a TV and other 21st century technology.

To avoid making your home appear too modern, decorate with a mix of antiques and contemporary furnishings. Check out your local antiques store and scour it for fun statement pieces that will add interest to your home.

For example, you can balance the look of your flat-screen TV over the fireplace by decorating your mantel with an old sign encased in a modern frame, a charming figurine or antique books arranged artfully on the shelf. Mixing old and new is an artform, so don’t be afraid to play around with your décor until you get the balance just right.

Play up Contrast

Rather than hide the distinctive features of your historic home, why not play them up with contrast instead? For example, painting stair railings and doors black will make them pop against white walls and create a visually striking look.

If you’re really daring, you can paint an entire wall black as a strong contrast to your white fireplace. For those who prefer a bit more color, adding foliage or playing with different textures can achieve a similar effect.

For instance, pairing sleek furniture with textured antiqued lamps and a uniquely-patterned coffee table can create visual contrast that is slightly more toned down while still emphasizing your historic home. You can also showcase different textures in a modern bookcase to incorporate traditional elements into your historic home.

Preserve Some Time-Honored Character

Most people don’t purchase a historic home with the intent of changing everything that makes it unique. Rather than renovate each space entirely, consider the original purpose of the space.

This will require you to know the history of your home — a fun exercise in itself. If you have a room that was once used as a mini-ballroom, consider placing an old piano in the room to preserve its original function in a small way.

Use Distressed Pieces for a Well-Worn Look

Modern pieces that feature a distressed look will fit perfectly into your historic home without making it seem too contemporary. Your bedroom is an easy place to start.

Some well-worn items for your bedroom can include an antique chest at the foot of a modern bed, a distressed nightstand or a rustic clock. It doesn’t matter whether these items were made in 1920 or 2019. Their vintage look will fit right in with your historic home.

Bring Your Historic Home into the 21st Century

To modernize your historic home, you don’t need to replace or update everything that makes your house unique. You also don’t need to be feel obligated to live in the time period of when your home was first built.

Decorating a historic home involves finding the perfect balance between old and new, respecting the character of the home while incorporating modern flourishes for a 21st-century mode of living. Eventually, you’ll have a visually stunning home that strikes the right balance between old quirks and modern charm.

Author Bio: Traci Magnus is a realtor for Dunes Properties located in Charleston, SC. She was born and raised on the Charleston coast and attended the College of Charleston before obtaining her real estate license. When she’s not working, you can find her spending time with her husband Glen and son Max or wandering the historic streets downtown.

Guest Post - Home Design Projects That Can Be Done in a Weekend

The thought of giving your home a makeover may seem intimidating. Ideas of renovating, or even moving out some of the old and replacing it with the new, feels like a commitment of both time and money. But it is the small touches like a new piece of wall art or an attention-grabbing centerpiece that have the ability to make a home feel cozy and tasteful. Fortunately, there is no shortage of projects that can improve your home in just a couple of days time.

Fill Your Walls With Stories

Adding to your walls is what makes a home uniquely yours. Whether you choose to display family photos, handed-down trinkets or décor that exhibits your personal style, walls are essential—quiet literally—in bringing the home together. You just need to determine what stories you want to share. Collections are a great way to display your interests in a striking way. You may have a compilation of pictures, vinyl records or decorative plates, and all it really takes is fixing them to the wall in whichever formation you desire to create a statement piece. Placing your collections tightly in an irregular formation or overlapping them does a brilliant job of creating a textured accent wall for added dimension. If you find yourself without a collection to display, you can easily enough find or make one of your own.

A more recent trend for dorm rooms and homes alike is creating personalized canvases. Whether it’s a simple “welcome to our home” or you are pulling quotes from your favorite authors, what could be more telling than a phrase that speaks specifically to you? Personalized canvases can be painted in any number of ways but lettering can also be created from fabrics and old magazines.

Using unique shelving devices is another great way to add a bit of personal flair to the room. By merely fashioning a sturdy piece of string through an old board, a hanging shelf can be made to display whichever items best complement the room. Should you prefer a more traditional shelf, try buying a plywood board and fasten brackets that are unique, such as recycled piping or vintage brackets that can be found in a second-hand store. For the book lovers and collectors who appreciate the aesthetic appeal that bindings offer, utilizing floating bookshelves allows the opportunity not only to display your favorite stories but also emit the gift of illusion guests will forever be intrigued by.

Creating One-of-a-Kind Windows

Arguably, windows are the most important feature of any home. They are the intersection that connects the inside to what the outside world has to offer. While rooms are often designed so that we may appreciate the view, light and sounds provided, having a barrier of privacy is also essential. Luckily, this can be achieved with style. One such way is by adding a bit of life to your blinds or shades. Roller blinds, or blackout shades, do a fantastic job of keeping out the light for a reasonable price. For a personalized shade, try sewing or even gluing on a fabric that complements the room’s décor.

If your goal is to keep the sun at bay, blackout curtains will do the trick. But if you only wish to gain a bit of privacy while allowing the light to stream in, privacy screens are an easy DIY project that are also aesthetically pleasing. All you need to do is measure the dimensions of your window while taking into account the area you wish to be overlaid. Generally, privacy curtains are used for the lower half of the window, so it is easiest to follow the line of the lower window sash. Doing this will also allow you to insert the screen into the lower window casing on days when you want to let in the breeze. After stapling together the screen panels, finish by sewing on a lace fabric of your choice. Frosted glass is also another option, though more permanent and sometimes uneven if applied to a larger glass surface. To add a bit of design, try laying stickers or decals on the glass before using the spray. Once it has dried, remove the stickers to create a truly original window.

If you have little ones running around the house, functionality and safety are probably your top priorities. However, that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice style. There are tons of great, modern window designs and treatments that will give your home the appeal you’re seeking and keep your children safe. One of the best options for child-safe window blinds is a cordless blind or shade, which has grown in popularity over the years and is now available in almost every color and style to fit your exact taste. They are easy to install and can work wonders in transforming a space.

Give Old Furniture a New Makeover

With minimal time and effort, a broken down piece can be reclaimed to look new and original. Painting is almost always the best way to refinish furniture. This can be as plain as applying a couple of fresh coats of paint, but you can also get as creative as you want by applying stripes, fun designs and decals to produce one-of-a-kind furniture. For furniture that has had a tough run, try running a bit of sandpaper over the finish for a distressed appearance. By constructing a rougher surface to a piece with existing scars, you can achieve the ultimate shabby chic look. A less conventional option is wrapping it up. Decoupage with magazine clippings, fabrics or actual wrapping paper to add an artsy element to any piece. Unfortunately, not all furniture can be saved. If a piece is worth salvaging, you can give it a new purpose, like taking the drawers of an old desk and converting them into decorative baskets or knocking out the bottom and using the remaining frame for a new and unique shelving unit.

What better way to spend your weekend than by adding crafty new touches to your home? Updating doesn’t need to require a lot of time and effort. With a bit of imagination, the whole family can have fun helping to make your home as cozy and original as possible.

Author Bio: Kenneth Gordon serves as the Assistant VP of Factory Direct Blinds. Kenneth is responsible for overseeing the planning, development and execution of all Factory Direct Blinds marketing and advertising initiatives. Before joining Factory Direct Blinds, Kenneth served 6 years in the United States Air Force as a Military Police Officer. Kenneth enjoys spending time with his two sons and beautiful wife Brittany when he’s not working or writing.

Guest Post - Less is More: Simple and Affordable Ways to Make Your Backyard More Inviting

For many homeowners, the backyard starts as a blank slate. Transforming it from your everyday yard to an outdoor oasis is a great way to get the most out of your property and add to its value. When your greenspace feels like an extension of your home, you’ll be more likely to spend time outdoors making memories with family and friends. But even the most well-appointed alfresco living spaces can feel cold and uninviting. If a cozy, welcoming feel is what you’re after, you’ll love the following ideas, which prove that it doesn’t take a ton of money or effort to make your outdoor space pop.

Get Fired Up with a Fire Pit—A fire pit is an amazing way to, quite literally, bring a warm and inviting feel to the backyard. The cool thing is, these days you don’t have to go full-on bonfire to bring a little bit of fireside charm to your entertainment space. A small, self-contained fire pit table is all you need. Don’t forget the roasting sticks!

Freshen Up the Furniture—If your goal is to re-inspire the backyard without spending a ton of money, focus on the furniture and décor you already own. There’s an endless amount of information out there on how you can restore outdoor furniture yourself, whether you’re refinishing that old wood patio set or giving your retro aluminum furniture a fresh coat of spray paint.

Add Ambiance with String Lights—String lights seem to be just about everywhere these days, and there’s a simple reason why: They’re an incredibly easy, approachable and affordable way to bring some big-time charm to the backyard. Whether you wrap them around poles and trees or create an illuminated, overhead canopy, outdoor string lights will help you double-down on charm.

Hang 10 in a Hammock—Everyone loves a hammock. These backyard staples are designed to create an impromptu place to relax and reflect, and they’re not bad for reading a good book, either. We love the idea of choosing a patterned, fabric hammock to bring a comfortable, indoorsy feel to your patio or yard.

Dream Up More Seating—The great thing about the great outdoors is that even if you’re working with a small, urban lot, there’s usually plenty of space to work with. Seating is an important part of making any space more hospitable, and it helps when you think outside the box. We love the idea of building a circular bench around your favorite tree or installing a swinging sofa on the patio.

Have a Cocktail or Two—Relax and unwind after a long day with a tropical cocktail in your very own backyard. How? With a DIY outdoor bar, of course! You can create one-of-a-kind entertaining stations yourself using some plywood, aluminum sheets and other raw materials or go full-blown countertop with stacked stone or brick. Add a few bistro tables and lounge chairs with cup holders and you’re all set!

Don’t Forget the Flooring—Inside our homes, flooring is often one of the biggest costs and considerations, in part because it sets the stage for the entire space. Don’t forget the flooring outside, either. Covering your patio or porch with an outdoor rug is a great way to bring the warmth of the indoors out.

Add Personality with Potted Plants—Why would you need potted plants on the patio when, in theory, there are plants everywhere around you? For most homeowners that’s true, but those of us working with plenty of concrete and brick can really benefit from a plant or two. You can also use the patio or porch as a place to start an herb garden so that you always have fresh herbs and spices on hand.

Cozy it Up with Plush Pillows—Another great way to bring an indoor feel to your exterior space—and to liven up your drab outdoor furniture while you’re at it—is to pepper your patio set with comfy, plush pillows and cushions. The right outdoor patio pillows will bring a comfortable feel and a stylish aesthetic, helping you achieve a truly comfortable and inviting feel.

Revitalize and Re-Cushion—On the same note, it’s not a bad idea to step back and re-evaluate your current patio cushion scenario. Do the cushions look dull, faded and plain-old uninviting? Does the color or pattern simply not jive with your vision? Some brand-new patio cushions may be all your seating space needs for a quick facelift!

Dazzle with Outdoor Artwork—Look at every surface in your exterior environment—the side of the house, the shed, the fence and even trees—as opportunities for décor. But remember, as with any decorating endeavor, less is more. One or two statement pieces, such as a garden sculpture or an original piece of outdoor artwork, will seal the deal and make your space super-homey.

Cook for a Crowd—They say a good cook never lacks friends. And there’s nothing more inviting than the sweet smell of the barbecue or charcoal grill! If you’re in the market for something even more unique and permanent, consider installing an outdoor wood-fired oven. These ovens are amazingly DIY-friendly and can usually be built with low-cost materials.

The goal of any living space is to make it a comfortable, enjoyable place to spend time. If you rarely find yourself soaking up the fresh air in your backyard, then it may be worth your while to put a little bit of thought into making it more inviting for you and your guests. At the end of the day, you don’t have to sink a ton of money into new furniture or landscaping to achieve a cozier backyard. These simple tips will help!

Author bio: Chris Hoffman is the founder of Backyard & Pool Superstore currently based outside of Dallas, TX. Backyard & Pool Superstore is an e-commerce leader in backyard, pool, spa, grill & patio products. Before starting Backyard & Pool Superstore, Chris has had 10 years of retail, construction, manufacturing and distribution experience in the swimming pool & spa industry. When Chris isn’t working, he moonlights as baseball coach, dance recital standing ovation specialist, husband, and German Shepherd enthusiast.