I spent a long afternoon in Round Top this week hunting decor, antiques and just overall design inspiration. I’m sharing some sweet eye candy here today as well as a few takeaways.

Round Top has evolved into something more upscale these days. Everyone I’ve talked to or seen online commenting about the old days has noted how pricey and elevated all the goods are now. While you can still find deals in some areas, like the fields, many of the shows have antique dealers that come from all over. There are lots of artists, makers, clothing and new furniture too.

And boy, is there a market for their goods. I saw big vans with drivers off dropping loads of girlies decked out in fashionable westernwear. Of course, if you’re on Instagram you’ve seen that too!

One place I spent the most time in was Blue Hills. I think I last visited Round Top about a year and a half ago, and Blue Hills was expanding with new buildings then. They have even more buildings now with more food and drink offerings and lots more vendors. Most of these are higher end too, with tastefully arranged spaces and artfully displayed goods. Blue Hills is great for inspo and the antique dealers there have some beautiful things.

After that I headed to The Arbors, I like seeing the artists there and other home goods vendors. The Arbors recently moved across the road and up closer to Blue Hills, so they were not in their usual field across from Market Hall.

This is a higher end show too, but I did make two good purchases there. A brightly colored floral tablecloth was a total impulse buy. It was from a small maker from Columbia, and I haven’t seen one like it anywhere else.

I specifically went to The Arbors to visit The Han House and check out his beautiful lamps. I found one for a job I’m working on. He brought lots of patterned, colorful lampshades too so I picked one of those as well.

Here’s a round up, below, of what I found interesting along with some takeaways and decorating tips.

(I wasn’t really looking for furniture items, so I didn’t photograph much of that.)

Wall Decor Ideas

I recently saw a designer proclaim that plates as wall decor were going to be a hot trend this year. I think it has been around a long time and I love it!

Do you have a lot of empty wall space? Add warmth and wood tones to your walls by hanging antique and vintage furniture doors.

I love antiqued mirror and this vendor had lots of artfully crafted mirrors. Isn’t the way the antiquing hugs the perimeter of these four mirrors cool?

Architectural salvage, in particular, gilded ornamental mouldings, make for special wall decor. They can compliment any kind of style.

Round Top is a great place to find your next favorite piece of art and to buy directly from the artist. See it up close and personal, talk to the artist about their inspiration and the tools they used. This is a wonderful way to buy art and personalize your home. You can buy vintage too.

Here are some I enjoyed seeing.

Decorative Bowl Filler

I always have my eye out for cool ways to fill decorative bowls. It seems to be something that stumps people when they get down to the last layers of decorating.

Could these onyx bowls be anymore showstopping? I love the casual way the orchids and lilies were just popped into these for display.

Silver, Copper and Brass

Metal objects seemed very popular this year. One of the dealers told me some silver trophies from Belgium she had went fast.

Here was a silver plate coffee and tea service, much like what I have from my mother. I shared it in my Christmas home tour this year.

I recently polished up a lot of the silverplate I have inherited and tucked it away in cloth until the holidays. After all that polishing, I wanted to preserve the finish for awhile. Silver tarnishes fast!

I really wanted one of these little brass trays but (eeek!) $78 for a smaller one.

See the two swirled candlesticks in the pic above? I have that exact same pair! I got them back in the 80’s and after some years in the 90’s of not displaying my brass stuff, I definitely have them all out. Check out my mantel below.

There was a lot of copper too, which made me happy since I just polished the collection I have and hung it in my kitchen.

These two copper coffee pots below were listed as rare. Interesting! I have two copper kettles with similar feet, very old and primitive, that I bought antiquing in Norway.

These pots below were not that old.

I think my wall of copper will price out in the $1500-$2000 range. (Not that I could or would sell it after polishing all those pieces!)

Shelf Styling

These two displays inside cabinets with their doors flung open made for such a beautiful look! I love the mix of color, white and gold together in both.

Round Top is a great place to find the unique!

What are the odds of finding another gold, 3’ long lion at the same show? This one looks a bit healthier I must say.

Only at Round Top!

I’m sharing one of my Designed in a Click consultations for a living room that needed a furniture layout, some furniture and drapery suggestions. Take a look at this living room, open concept plan, below. There might be a few tips to help you with your living room space.

My blog contains affiliate links. Any purchases, at no additional charge to you, render me a small percentage, are most appreciated and make this blog possible. :-)

Here were her questions:

1. What is the best furniture layout to maximize seating in this space without sacrificing flow and comfort? (We are a family of 4 with a teen and toddler, but when we have guests someone is always on the floor, stairway,etc.)

2. What is your recommendation for hanging drapery considering the windows’ placement on the wall about three feet from the door and about five feet from the bookshelves?  

3. What furniture recommendations do you have, even generally? (They are tall and are stumped about scaling furniture appropriately in the room. She prefers an upholstered ottoman for a coffee table, but is having trouble finding ones that aren’t very small or large/square.)

4. Any other advice you have for this space? 

My Design Recommendations

Furniture Layout & Selections:

I like having the sofa back to the windows and having the opposite side of the seating group more open to the stairs. I think it looks more welcoming and makes it easy to add extra seats in the open area if you have people over for game watching, etc.

I started with a floor plan with the room dimensions she sent me.

I would do a longer, more bulky sofa, to anchor the seating group and feel more comfy. This one, from Crate and Barrel, is 92" but anything from 90" to 96" would work.

I put it in a dark blue color fabric on the storyboard, but this could be done in any other favorite color palette.  The fabric shown is Navy Hansel Chenille, it is indicated as a performance fabric. I would find a store close to you and sit in it if you can to determine if it is comfortable for you and your husband and check out their fabrics in person.

If you are looking for an especially deep sofa, try a local furniture store that has Vanguard Furniture. They allow all kinds of customization with style and seat depth.

Regarding the two chairs, I like those facing the tv/fireplace wall. I found some boxy, weighty lounge chairs, as I would want them to be comfortable for tv viewing.

You can use the two leather ones you have, but I really like these in a lighter, warm colored fabric, rather than a dark brown. You could just wait on these and get them on down the road, using your dark brown ones with an eye out to find something lighter colored on down the road. 

Now, you have room for a larger ottoman/coffee table, like this one that has a hard surface in the middle and soft all around. It has the advantages of both a coffee table and ottoman. This one is 44" square from Vanguard. This brand is available at many furniture stores. 

I like the ottoman being leather if you go with fabric on the lounge chairs, or it could be a tough, woven fabric of some kind.

You can also do a smaller chair over by the fireplace, to pull around when you need more seating, or just as an accent chair. I like this one from Crate and Barrel, but you can make this whatever style you like. This can be where you can be trendy and fun.

I put this chair in their Cinnamon Nazarre Chenille fabric. Not sure of the colors in person, you would need to get samples and compare with the other fabrics in the room.

I’m showing a 10 x 14 rug, in a lighter steel gray-blue color with some organic pattern, to soften the space. 

I like this floor lamp over in the corner to brighten things up over there. I love the wood stem on this lamp and the smaller shade.

This table is nice for an end table. I like the lighter finish because the terracotta lamp I have proposed on top of it, will show up nicely.

I like this little medium wood tone drum table, for over by the funky chair. It could even be used for a stool in a pinch.  

Some pillows, of course, to repeat the contrasting color in the room.

And here it is all put together.

The other option to the sofa / chair grouping is to do a sectional in this L shape, if you prefer. Then you could put one of your leather chairs down there in the corner by the fp.

Draperies:

I like a linen or linen-look type fabric here and I'd mount them about 3/4 of the way up to the ceiling in that space above the window. A little higher than half way but not at the ceiling. Going all the way to the ceiling is not always the best idea.

You can see in my sketch, I've also noted what the finished width of the panels should be. I tend to go with a more substantial width for side panels, as I don’t like a skinny look. They should look as full as possible.

I often do a middle panel, not quite as wide as the ends, to give the illusion of a very wide window. It feels richer and puts more color on the wall, which I like here.

Here’s an example on one of my projects of that center panel. I think it can create a more finished look, especially when you are mounting draperies higher and there is a good sized gap up top too.

Check out Two Pages or The Shade Store or definitely a local drapery workroom can help you get exactly what you want and get it installed properly.

Extra Notes on this Living Room

I would look to add some art on the big wall by the stair. Either a large, vertical piece or maybe (3) horizontal pieces stacked in a series, etc.

I would also consider changing out the back door to swing open into the breakfast room. I think there is more open space on the breakfast room side once you fill in with furniture and seems like it would work better overall.

Designed in a Click Service

I’ve been busy with in-person projects the last two years and have been doing less of these consultations. They are fun to dip my toe back into now and then.

I am not taking more full service projects until summer at this point, so this is a way to get a few of your questions answered if you need some help on a project you are putting together yourself.

This kitchen is getting a remodel and I’m sharing some tweaks to the design I recommended in this Designed in a Click consultation. Sometimes you just need a review of what you have already thought out and this service can accommodate those questions.

This consult was the Level 2 version, which means I can take a closer look and spend some time looking up products to suggest.

Project Goals

Here are the before pics. I love all the space they have, so space and storage is not really a problem here. She sent the fp wall pic opposite the kitchen just for reference as they will basically be all in the same room.

They are getting all new cabinetry at the perimeter and moving the refrigerator down to the other end of the kitchen, covering up one of the small windows there. The island is staying.

They are getting a new range, doing away with the cooktop/wall oven combination that really does save space in a kitchen. (I’ve written about this idea before.)

It also gives a certain professional and upgraded look to the kitchen.

One feature that she wants to incorporate is a hearth style hood, something that is very popular these days. She has the room for it, so I think it is a great idea.

This drawing, below, was a preliminary look at how that would work. She wants to do a plaster hood, not wood, and have the legs curve back to the backsplash wall somewhat. That is a very on trend look these days and I think breaking up the wall of cabinetry with a different material is a great idea here since there are a lot of cabinets on that wall.

Cabinets to the ceiling will be done, something I love and recommend often.

Corner Cabinet and Coffee Bar

One of her questions was about the corner cabinet which she didn’t really like and then the coffee bar at the end wall which would have some open shelves. She was even wondering if she should build out a sheetrock column there at the corner, to butt the cabinets into, in lieu of having the corner cabinet.

My Response - Corner Cabinet

The way they've laid out the kitchen works well for the lower cabinet sizes. The range is centered in the lower cabinet space so then the uppers have that one foot extra, where the uppers overlap the countertop down at the corner. Since you have the pull-outs beside the range and then the hearth type hood that mounts on the countertop, it all looks best with an angled corner cabinet.

Otherwise, your uppers on this wall will have an extra cabinet on the end. You could respace all of this wall to center the range in the upper cabinet space, but it might not really be worth the time and then your lowers would not be equal on both sides of the range. Usually the upper cabinet area is the most important visually, but the cabinetry here really makes sense as it is drawn.

I would not build a corner column there. I think that corner countertop space is useful and there is some good storage there in the upper corner cabinet. These inside corners can be kind of difficult to access, even with pull-outs and lazy susan storage, but most people would prefer that to a column.

Coffee Bar

I do think that the coffee bar area is rather flat and needs some attention. Plain, long floating shelves are becoming a bit overdone, associated with a farmhouse style. People are opting for more closed storage these days and more interesting features in their kitchens.

Here's how I would handle that space considering you might want some open shelving and with some more detail and design to this wall.

• Center the drawer stack in the lower cabinetry to make this space appear more balanced.

• Add a 16 1/2" wide upper cabinet to the left side on the elevation, to match the one on the right side and create a more finished look.

• Add a crown and panel above the open shelving section in the painted cabinetry finish with a picture light on the panel, lighting the shelves.

• Make the floating shelves more of a boxed unit with stained wood to contrast with the painted. Shelves would be adjustable wood with the sides and top in wood and the back, open to the backsplash material that will go all the way up the wall.

I feel like this will add something special to this wall and give you the type of storage you are looking for. Then use the stained wood for some detail at the plaster hood to echo the wood finish of the open shelving.

Here’s an example of a boxed in shelf unit that fits into the cabinetry.

Need some ideas on how to make a wall of boring cabinets more interesting? I’ve got some included in this post, below.

5 Ways to Make a Wall of Boring Cabinetry More Interesting

Paint Colors

She was considering SW Accessible Beige for the perimeter cabinets, SW Grays Harbor for the island, and SW Shoji White for the walls. She wanted to know if the cabinets should match the walls and if they should do color drenching. Her countertops were to be Taj Mahal.

My Response - Paint Colors

You might try Aesthetic White with Accessible Beige. They look good together and Aesthetic White is about the same value as Shoji White. I think those would be a good color tone with your countertop choice.

I would not do the same color on walls and cabinets in this instance, I think it would be nice to have lighter walls and then have the cabinets in the light warm neutral.

I do think you should color drench the off-white though, like either the Shoji White or Aesthetic White with walls/ceiling/trim. The walls will look best not having a bright white trim and ceiling.

Lighting

She wanted advice on island light fixtures and new sconces in the beverage wall area. They wondered about reducing the number of pendants from 4 to 3.

My Response - Lighting

I think you need some contrast here. The plaster hood is a little more European design influenced, as opposed to your fireplace across the room, so I'm going to let that direct the lighting choice too. 

Pendants - I found these and like the scale at 24" diam, and like that they aren't bulky and tall. They won't hide the hood. What I really love is the finish, a graphite, not black and not bronze, but a finish that is more like your Gray's Harbor island color. I also like the brass chain too, it would relate to a brass picture light you can do over the shelves. I think two is enough.

Picture light - I like a thin, long fixture that you can adjust to shine on the shelves. 

Hardware

Lastly, she wanted input on knobs and pulls for the cabinets if possible. She was thinking a brushed brass. The hardware on all the doors is oil-rubbed bronze.

My Response - Hardware

Again, since your kitchen is all light, without too much contrast, I think you need to punch it up some with a contrasting cabinet pull, but not black or bronze. Black is too harsh and bronze is too brown.

I like this Ash Gray color from Top Knobs.   I would use the Ascendra square knobs with these.

This would sort of repeat your island color, Gray's Harbor, and work with the graphite finish on the pendants. 

I typically like to have pulls as long as you can afford (they get more expensive as you go longer), 6" at least and 9" if you can swing it. I typically do pulls on drawers and knobs on doors unless the doors are really tall or are a full height door, then I do pulls.

I used this finish on a SW Agreeable Gray painted kitchen as I felt it needed some contrast on the cabinets. I really liked how they helped add something to the overall look. My client liked a very plain and simple look, but this added just enough where there was some contrast on the cabinetry. (The countertop helped too.)

I also tend to like cool toned hardware on warm toned cabinetry and warm toned hardware on cool tones or white. You could do the Ash Gray finish on the perimeter and Honey Bronze on the island. :-)

Need more help on selecting cabinet hardware for your project? Check out my post below for some design direction.

7 Basic Design Considerations For Selecting Cabinet Pulls

I’ve been so busy working on other design projects that I haven’t shared much here about a few minor updates I made in my home last year.

One of them was something I’d been wanting to do for a very long time!

Here was my fireplace last year with some slate tile surrounding the fireplace box and on the hearth. I had that done probably 20 years ago, as it was painted white when we moved in, with cheap 12 x 12 plain ceramic tile on the surround and hearth.

I still like the SW Black Fox color of the mantel and I like the tile there being dark. I didn’t like the variation of the slate though, I wanted something simpler and more solid looking.

I have been wanting a change since 2016 when I redid my kitchen. I used limestone tile on the floor in a dark charcoal/chocolate brown color and purchased enough to come back in later and redo the fireplace in that same stone. It’s been in my garage and then in my storage unit since then.

This year I finally made that change and I love it. The fireplace looks less busy and with all my SW Aesthetic White walls, I love the dark, solid appearance the limestone tile makes.

Here’s the new, solid color limestone tile installed at the fireplace surround and hearth, below. Matching the grout to the tile made for a seamless look. I love it!

The other thing I wanted to do at some point was a new cabinet for my tv, but honestly, I just didn’t care to go to all the trouble with it right now. I did, however, really want to redo the cabinet doors and drawer fronts that were really builder grade basic MDF and chunky looking.

I wanted to remove the slate tile countertop here too and just do a painted wood top.

I had some new, cleaner-lined door fronts made that were bigger and covered up more of the face frame of the cabinet. I added cabinet knobs that match some elsewhere in the house and then painted the new plywood top to match the mantel, SW Black Fox.

Wow, does this look better to me.

This can tide me over for another year until we decide how long we will be in this house. We’re always looking, as we’ve been in this house over 20 years and never planned on being here that long. We have grown kids now and once my husband completely retires, we could move anywhere. I could do my work anywhere, if I wanted to continue on.

For these jobs above I used Mr. Handyman of The Woodlands. This wasn’t a big enough job for a general contractor so a handyman service served us well. Plus, the contractors I normally use for clients were busy working on those projects, so I didn’t want to pull them away for my little job.

That was it for 2025 (besides gardening)! I do have some plans for 2026 though. :-)

Home Updates for 2026!

I have already started an order to replace my shutters in the kitchen with some Hunter Douglas shades. That will open up these windows to bring in more light and enable me to have a better view of my garden.

I love to sit at this table and sketch up my projects, make my to do lists, have a coffee, etc. I have arm chairs here for that reason, it is more than a dining table for me, it is a work table.

We had wanted to replace our Jenn-air downdraft cooktop with a new induction model that they came out with last year. We saw it in person at KBIS in Vegas and it looked perfect for our location and needs.

The BIG problem with downdrafts and gas cooktops is that the flame is drafted sideways over to the vent. In our case, it even causes the flame to go out on one side of the burner with the other side leaning over towards the downdraft! It’s crazy looking and really ineffective. It definitely makes for uneven cooking on the burners when in use.

With induction, a downdraft like this can work better because the heat is just transferred directly to the pot without a flame. So, although you are still fighting gravity with the suction pulling sideways and then going down, by nature just less effective, you are at least getting even heat for cooking.

Alas, we don’t have the right power in the island wired for it (even though we have electrical in the island and had an electric cooktop there prior to having gas). It would be a big deal to attempt that redo. Bummer! We both really wanted induction.

We’ll be replacing the one we have with another gas cooktop with a downdraft, that will hopefully be fully functioning, at least.

Lighting Change in the Kitchen

I’m also going to change out the glass round pendants I have over my cooktop. I really liked the look of these back when I had them installed in 2016, but they’re very common now and I’m wanting to do more of a flush mount, monopoint type light. I’m really over Edison bulbs too, where you see the filament.

Honestly, we don’t turn these on much because they don’t give off that much light.

As I’ve noted, a downdraft venting system is not the greatest, no matter what brand you have. We do get grease clinging on to those glass shades and have to clean them by taking them down and doing a thorough job every month. I’m a little tired of that!

I’ll likely do some monopoint type fixtures at the ceiling, as I really like the look of these and they are a very current lighting trend these days. I rather like that they are up and out of the way, but still add some detail to the ceiling.

Wall Decor Change

Another update I randomly decided to do was change out this wall of carved wood stamps. They’re used to block print fabric and they were handed down to me from my husband’s grandmother, she’d gotten them many years ago from an antique shop.

I put them up when I remodeled my kitchen in 2016, and I’m just a bit tired of them. They do tend to get knocked about a bit here at the garage door and they are rather hard to keep clean with all the grooves and carving.

When my MIL passed last year I received the last of her copper collection. I had some already but they had been in storage. I decided to pull it out and change out the wood items with the copper.

I’ve always loved the copper in my blog friend’s kitchen, Mary Ann Pickett of Casual Classic Home. These were in her San Francisco home when she lived there.

This wall of copper molds at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa was jaw-dropping.

And of course, Martha Stewart’s copper, like what I saw in her restaurant, The Bedford, in Las Vegas, is always a favorite.

It has been a process of polishing that copper. While I like the look of a patina, as these are all really aged, some of them were so brown and dirty, you couldn’t even tell they were copper.

I had forgotten about some pieces that I had purchased when I lived in Norway. I remember finding these vintage copper Christmas pieces in an antique shop there, so I polished those up too. I had them stored away too.

I laid them out on the floor, cut out paper templates of the items and then applied them to the wall first. We had just patched and painted the wall and I didn’t want to make too many extra holes!

I love seeing a change here and it feels so much brighter. I’ve always loved these and think they look great here. :-)

I’m going to do some garden changes, removing some photinia I planted for privacy about 5 years ago that are not thriving. We have a lot of shade with some big oak and pine trees around.

I’d prefer something that grows faster and stays in more of a vertical shape that is really dense, so I can block the view of the house behind ours. I just want to look out and see green.

We put in some Eagleston hollies behind our pool and that’s what I want to continue all across the back of the fence. The hollies have been here 2.5 years and are thriving and look great.

Then I can pull up my new Hunter Douglas shades and have a full view of my back yard with a wall of green (someday) that wraps our garden. :-)

Here’s my fireplace today, with clippings from my recent monstera plant pruning, all in water to root some new babies.

Guess I need to do some polishing on the brass and silver some day too. :-/

I’ll be photographing my big whole house remodel soon. It is still not quite done. I have a bathroom remodel that is under construction now and two more that are in the design process.

If you are looking to start a remodel this year, I’m taking projects to start design in June and July now. If you want a minor project to be finished by the holidays this year, it is a good idea to contact your professionals now.

I attended the Lightovation show in Dallas in early January, where I toured showroom after showroom of beautiful lighting. I’m here to share what was new and what caught my eye.

You might think you can go to a big lighting store in your area and see everything there is to see that’s available in lighting. However, that is just a small smattering of only some of the vendors and products on the market. The items on display are chosen by the owner or buyer of that store in a curation for the type of customers that typically buy from them. It might feel substantial, but it is actually quite limited.

That’s why designers go to markets and shows to see a wider range of the products actually available. There is just so much more product to see. I will sometimes skip the lighting vendors when I’m at High Point, if I’m planning to go to Lightovation that year, as there is usually so much more at that show.

For example, the Visual Comfort showroom in Dallas is the largest VC showroom in the world.

While I didn’t get to every showroom I wanted to while I was there, I did see a lot of product. Seeing it all in one go also helps you be able to compare and trends become a lot more evident.

Here are some of the trends I noticed at this year’s show.

1. New traditional styles

2. Shirred, pleated and patterned fabric shades

3. Ribbed / fluted glass

4. More wood incorporated into lighting

5. More color on fixtures

6. Organic shapes still popular

7. Stained glass look and Alabaster

8. Lots of new flush mounts for ceiling or walls

9. More multi-drop pendants

10. Lighted mirrors

11. More battery operated/cordless lamps

12. Wicker

1) More Traditional Styles Are Being Introduced

I like how both of these chandeliers have a traditional shape with a new, modern edge to the them.

So many of the fixtures I share below have traditional syling in some form. I find it rather exciting to see this shift in design.

2) Shirred, pleated and patterned fabric shades

Shirred and pleated fabric shades, with and without patterns, are hot right now. These work so well with the “Grandma Chic” trend I saw so popular at High Point this fall.

3) Ribbed / fluted look glass

Ribbed or fluted glass just emulates the shirring and pleats of their fabric counterparts. We’ve been seeing this kind of ribbed detailing in paneling, cabinetry and glass panels, so why not lighting?

4) More wood Incorporated into Fixtures

I loved this new, dark wood floor lamp from Kelly Wearstler. The tall conical shaped shade makes for a perfect top to this lamp.

5) More color!

Everyone seems to be craving color these days and the lighting manufacturers are listening. These earthier warm tones from Visual Comfort seem right on trend to me.

6) Organic Shapes Are Still Popular

There were several brands using ceramic, organic shapes applied to light fixtures. These reminded me of the underside of a mushroom cap!

7) Stained Glass and Alabaster

These stained glass looks were seen at several different showrooms. Another nod to traditional design making a big comeback, I believe. These are actually just white glass or a white composite material to look like glass, but the way the fixtures have these faceted designs, harken back to stained glass.

8) Lots of new flush mounts for ceiling or walls

I love how manufacturer’s are giving more attention to light patterns created on walls/ceilings. I saw lots of new flush mounts that can usually be mounted on ceilings or walls.

9) More Multi-Drop Pendants

I have to say, I haven’t been a big fan of multi-drop pendants before, they just seem like a bunch of mini-pendants crowded together, but these below changed my mind. I like the fact that these are tiered, not just staggered on different cables, hanging individually. These have multiple lamps along the same cable.

This first one by Barbara Barry for Visual Comfort was stunning in the window of their showroom.

This one really caught my eye, from Quoizel. It also comes in a single strand, with multiple lights cascading down the one, lone cable. Very elegant!

While these aren’t exactly multi-drop from a singular cover plate, it is rather the same idea, but swagged. Another vintage type look making a comeback.

10) Lighted Mirrors

I just installed a lighted mirror in one of my jobs and I’m about to have a few more installed in another.

Want that well-lit mirror in your home just like the one in the fancy hotel you stayed in recently? You can have one in your bathroom too!

Move over bath bars and wall sconces, the lighted mirror might just be taking your place.

These come in all kinds of options and sizes. I loved the ones at Quorum, but many brands are carrying them now.

11) More Battery Operated / Cordless Lamps

We are charging everything else these days, why not our lamps?

I can see a use for these on a little shelf, a tabletop or some place with no electrical outlet close by.

There are definitely new intros to the market in this category.

12) Wicker

Wicker is still popular for lighting and shades. Check out these beauties below.-

Did you see my post on Grandma Chic style? See more at the link below.

I’ve been watching all the posts about interior design trends on the internet lately and thought I’d weigh in along with some of my design blogging friends from years past. We’ve done this before at the start of a new year and it is fun to see their viewpoints and connect with them again.

While I like to watch trends and share them, I do prefer more timeless style for the big investments in your home. I like things to be updated for functionality, maintenance, ease of use, addressing current needs, etc., not necessarily to follow a trend.

It is fun to add in some trendy items now and then, it can keep your home from becoming stale and looking the same year after year.

After visiting High Point Market last fall and then just getting back from Lightovation, the international lighting show in early January this year (my post on that still to come), I’m here to share what I see as trends to pay attention to in 2026.

Interior Design Trend #1 - Grandma Chic!

This is definitely a big design trend going on now and I don’t see it diminishing anytime soon. I saw this at High Point Market and then at Lightovation too, with design features like small printed fabrics, florals, ruffled or pleated skirts on upholstery, shirred lamp shades and lots of wallpaper.

I would say these vignettes below are beautiful, feminine and elegant versions of the Grandma Chic trend. After seeing so much minimalism in past years, many are finding this expression of pattern and softness very refreshing.

A little Grandma Chic can go a long way.

Intersperse a few design elements I’ve mentioned here into a more modern space and see how it changes the look. Just like in the vignettes pictured above, you don’t have to go all in to add some of the Grandma Chic trend in to your home.

See more examples in my post on the Grandma Chic trend.

Interior Design Trend #2 - darker, moodier Colors

We’ve definitely been seeing more dark and moody colors in interiors in the last few years and if you have read my past High Point Market reports on color or my KBIS 2025 color post, you will have seen the proof.

Terracotta, dark green, chocolate brown, ruddy reds, darker woods….these are all popular colors these days.

I think there is room to do whatever you really love in your home today. If you love these darker and more moody colors and haven’t tried any out yet in your home, here is a good way to start.

Start with a small space like a powder room or bedroom, something that is totally enclosed, with a door. See how you like it on a smaller scale before trying something like a kitchen or living room or a big, open plan area.

Don’t forget to address things like the trim, ceilings, doors, outlets, switches and lighting. Whenever I have a room painted a dark color, we include changing all these things so the whole envelope is muted and works together. It can be expensive to go dark and moody, when you consider everything else in the space you would want to address.

After all, you don’t want to drive all the attention to the highest contrast in the room, the white vent fan, air grille and rim of the ceiling light in that moody, dark room. It does rather scream at you like this, doesn’t it?

Interior Design Trend #3 - Designing for Wellness and Aging in Place

Another design trend I’m seeing now is people designing for wellness and aging-in-place.

Curbless shower with grab bars or at least blocking for grab bars to be installed on down the road is great for aging-in-place. These grab bars by Life Valet are a beautiful feature to include in a shower.

Bidets can really help as you age and are a popular luxury item. When you remodel, plan for an outlet behind the toilet so this can be an easier addition later on.

Wellness items like steam showers and saunas are a big trend in luxury bathrooms. At KBIS last year, so many more wellness type products were displayed. While I haven’t had anyone ask for a cold plunge yet, I understand that is the IT feature for remodels in Houston. I stuck my hand in one in the Kohler booth at KBIS. They even had an ice shower too!

Boutique hotel type items like heated towel bars and lighted mirrors are great as you get older and are a true luxury for any age.

Especially as more people deal with their own parents’ aging process, they start to think about how they can make their homes work better for them now and for the future so they can live comfortably longer in their own home.

These are three strong trends I’m seeing in design these days. See what these bloggers have to say about trends too!

Please click on over to these three blogs for their take on the interior design and decorating trends for 2026!

Cindy Hattersley Design

Classic Casual Home

Most Lovely Things

I am definitely aware of the pitfalls of certain materials and design elements. I recently started making a mental list of which ones I would likely not use in my own home, and I thought I’d share with you today.

Now, this does not mean I would never use these in certain spaces in limited amounts or that I wouldn’t use them for a client’s project if that matrerial met their needs. Every project has its own requirements and parameters, so if I’m saying I wouldn’t use it in mine, it doesn’t mean it is off limits for everyone.

Matter of fact, along with my reason I wouldn’t use these, I will post a few of the ways I’ve used these materials and elements in homes that worked for those clients.

Here’s a quick overview of these materials and design elements.

1. Stained concrete floors or counters

2. Porcelain tile floors in major living areas or bedrooms

3. Porcelain slabs as countertops

4. Schluter edging for tile

5. Polished chrome plumbing fixtures

6. Touch latch kitchen cabinet hardware

7. Checkerboard patterns not on the diagonal

8. Book matched highly figured slabs

9. White marble kitchen countertops

Stained Concrete

While you might think this material would be hard as a rock and would be super durable, the fact is concrete cracks and stains.

Not only that, polished concrete can wear down and be slippery. If you have rolling chairs (like I did in my office), you will have the concrete literally torn up underneath the chair.

Comparing this to my home office, where I have a wool, patterned loop rug, under the same rolling chair I had in my studio office, the wool carpet wears much better! You can hardly tell, if you move the chair, that a chair rolls there.

With concrete, if you ever want to change the color of the stain, it requires a terribly dusty process of sanding and refinishing. It is awful, believe me. In my office, they prepped the floor for the stain (because they stained it the wrong color the first time) with this acetone solution that is basically nail polish remover. Oh the smell! It was so toxic.

But let’s say you survive the finishing process and it looks beautiful and 10 years down the road you want to do some remodeling. Maybe you want to move a doorway, take down a wall, tear out some cabinetry…..do anything to the footprint of the house that was in before the floor was finished.

If anything was nailed or screwed into the floor at any time after the concrete was finished, once it is out in the open after the remodel, then that would show. It is not possible to patch it where you can’t tell where that wall has been.

Sure, you can put new flooring on top, but if you don’t want new flooring everywhere, then adding a new floor on top of the concrete in one room might look odd and create two different levels.

I have had people request concrete countertops, but honestly, I think you are better off with another material. Again, concrete stains and cracks.

You can get the look of concrete so easily with quartz slabs and large format tile. Go for the more durable material and get the look you want without sacrificing performance.

Porcelain Tile Floors In living rooms and bedrooms

While I know people love the low maintenance of tile and I can see how, in tropical, hot climates, this would be good. A tile floor would be cooling to walk on.

For example, in this luxury home I toured in Las Vegas during KBIS this year. It is definitely hot in Vegas most of the year. I can see how it would be appropriate here.

I do think that tile floors throughout the main living spaces of a home is something I would never put in my own home.

There are lots of reasons why.

1. Porcelain tile floors are cold to the touch.

2. Sound reverberates more in a tiled home and it takes more soft goods like drapery and upholstered goods to soften the interior.

3. They are hard on your body if you stand on them a long time.

4. Things break easily if dropped on them.

If all that isn’t enough of a reason, if you go to remodel or update, you are stuck with a big dusty mess of a redo if you want to take them out. Unlike wood floors, you cannot refinish them if your decorating style changes and you want to lighten or darken them.

Not that refinishing isn’t a dusty mess, but it is less costly than tearing out and replacing a tile floor and feels much more wasteful.

If the tile color you choose goes out of style and you don’t like it anymore, you are stuck with it, unless you want to do a major investment and upheaval in your home.

I’ve had beautiful, high quality engineered oak floors in my house and find them superior to any other kind of flooring for living, dining, hallways, open spaces, bedrooms, etc.

I have done porcelain tile for a few clients who really needed and wanted it for durability.

So, here’s the time when I have done porcelain tile floors in a house, even in the bedroom. I selected this tile for a client who used a wheelchair and had several cats. They needed that hard, indestructable surface to glide easily on the floor and to be able to maintain with their cats.

In that project, we went with a very warm toned porcelain tile that almost looked like leather. We could have gone with a wood look tile, but that homeowner did not prefer that look.

I once did a consultation for someone who was about to start a remodel. I was there to answer questions about the kitchen area, in particular the countertop material and kitchen island.

One thing they had already decided on and purchased, was their floor tile that was to run all through the main part of the house. They had selected a large format, polished, white faux marble look porcelain tile. That wasn’t up for discussion in the consultation. She loved it.

They had big dogs. I still wonder to this day how they like those polished white tile floors now.

Porcelain Slabs as countertops

I have not used porcelain slabs as countertops. Yet.

I tried to use them in a bathroom shower but it was so much more costly, mainly due to the installation. They take specialized fabrication and installation, so that is typically more expensive.

I have seen many porcelain slabs on countertops, lots of them at KBIS, the kitchen and bath show.

Porcelain slabs are a thin material, like a porcelain tile, and are not a through-body type of material. You have to miter the edge to get an edge that looks finished.

This limits you in your application somewhat and is a problem if you have curves or radius corners at all. A mitered, squared off edge is really all you can do.

For example, you can’t do a mitered edge with a countertop that has a curve in it like this, pictured below. Even if you wanted a 2” radius to your corners, you could not do it with a mitered edge.

These are best done with a thicker material, like 3cm, or two 2cm slabs laminated together.

Here is a porcelain slab material used as a wall finish and countertop that I saw at KBIS this last February. With a vessel sink, you don’t have to worry about how to finish the edges around the sink and obviously, they’ve mitered the front edges of the countertop.

Here’s a porcelain slab with an undermount sink. I don’t like the offset or the thinner material that doesn’t appear through-body at the sink.

Here is a quartz countertop, below, a thicker, through-body material for a countertop.

And if you haven’t noticed, slab backsplashes are such a hot trend in kitchens now and I would not put a thin porcelain slab on a backsplash where the edge of the material was exposed.

I think a 2cm slab thickness is best for backsplashes. It will have some thickness but not be too chunky looking on the wall. You can see in this installation that the material is through-body so it does make for a finished edge. It was 3 cm material, but we embedded it into the wall to expose only about 2cm of thickness.

Places I would do a porcelain slab material is on a kitchen hood, a fireplace surround or some other architectural feature where the edges would all be mitered or would die into an inside corner.

A good substitute for porcelain slabs in showers is large format porcelain tile. I am using it in a primary bath I’m working on now, on the floor of the main bathroom and on 3 of the 4 shower walls in a 24” x 48” tile. It creates a less busy look and will be so easy to maintain with few grout joints.

Another aspect that really bugs me about porcelain slabs is that many of them look super shiny in the polished version and then very rough and dull in their matte version. Their finishes are rather in the extremes.

That might not be true with some, but it seems to be an issue with many of the ones I’ve seen. And that tends to make those slabs look more fake, rather like resin has been poured over the top. They just look like shiny plastic to me.

Schluter Edging for Tile

Don’t get me started on this. So many designers out there use Schluter, but I do not prefer it at all for ending tile or detailing outside corners in shower stalls, etc. I’ve written a whole blogpost about best ways to end or transition your bathroom tile on the wall from tile to sheetrock.

I find, most of the time, Schluter strips create too much of an abrupt stop to the tile material. It just feels like it has been chopped off. Also, many people use it in metallic finishes so that it stands out even more and becomes even a design feature which looks so cheap to me.

Here’s how I like to end tile, with a tile jolly or 1/4 round bullnose edge tile or with a slab piece that frames out the shower stall. Do you see how the jolly piece is used at the window outside corner too?

I also like to frame in shower stalls with slab pieces like in this bathroom below, with slab material on the jambs and curb.

I’ve written more about how to end shower tile in this popular blogpost.

Polished Chrome

Maybe if I was doing a mid-century modern home, I might use some polished chrome on some lighting or something, but never as plumbing fixtures in a bathroom or kitchen.

For one, I do not like the cold look that it has.

I do use polished nickel on some projects, it has a warmer tone overall and it feels so much more high quality. I have polished nickel cabinet pulls in my kitchen and love them and they don’t really show water spots.

Polished chrome really shows water spots. Here’s an example from my hotel in NYC recently. This is a wide, designer-y, polished chrome faucet. Even after just a couple of uses (there was maid service every day) you can see how blotched up it gets.

Polished chrome just reminds me of cheap fixtures that old apartments have and I just do not like it.

So, if anyone says polished chrome is coming back, I would be rolling my eyes in my mind. Even if it comes back in style, I don’t think it will last.

Touch Latch Kitchen Cabinet Hardware

I think there are definitely some places for touch latch cabinet hardware. I’ve used it on the cabinets in this paneling, to disguise the doors and make it all look like paneled wall features.

In kitchens, however, people lean up against the lower cabinets and then, of course, they have to push on the cabinet doors with their hands. If you bump into lower kitchen cabinets, they can accidentally pop open. That happened in this airbnb and it would happen to your home too.

It also means that the door front might get messy looking with fingerprints and such.

I remember seeing this stainless refrigeration section in The New American Remodel several years ago.

There was a touch latch type of opener on these stainless refrigerator fronts. Even with the docents in the space constantly wiping things down, there were handprints on the front. See the smudging at the center of these doors?

Checkerboard Patterns Not on the Diagonal

The checkerboard tile look is something that I think will look dated really soon. It is busy and not timeless like the checkerboard pattern that you lay on a diagnonal.

These days, it reminds me too much of MacKenzie Childs’ dishware, which is surprisingly popular again and something I’ve never liked. It makes me think of country kitchens with roosters and such, no matter what material you use or what color it is done in.

If I had a client who really wanted it, I’d likely use it in a small space like a powder room or on a smaller sized backsplash. I probably wouldn’t be using it as a big floor pattern.

I do love a checkerboard floor on the diagonal, however, as it has a classic and timeless appeal.

Book matched highly figured slabs

We’ve all seen the dramatic slab walls that are often done in high end installations. Many times they are bookmatched using sister slabs that are cut from the same block, one after the other, so they can look like they are reflecting one another.

For me, this is a hard no. They just remind me of Rorschach inkblot tests and more often, fallopian tubes.

The only time I do a book match is with a linear pattern like in this kitchen where the pattern just continued on all down the 9’ kitchen island.

In this rendering of a recent full home remodel, the renderer did a book match look at the range with the slabs. I left it in the rendering as I maxed out my touch ups allowed from the renderer and it was a busy stone.

When it came time to lay out this stone backsplash, the contractor and I reviewed it in depth and came up with this layout. I prefer the slab looking like one large solid piece.

(BTW, this kitchen is looking gorgeous and I plan to shoot it in about a month or so!)

white marble countertops in the kitchen

I just don’t have the patience for this.

I currently have marron cohiba, which a black/brown granite in a leathered finish and I love it. It wears so well. I have done nothing to it since 2016 when I put it in and although a have small chip in one place at my sink where I dropped a big, heavy pot, it looks great.

I wish I had the patience for maintaining white marble, but I don’t and I know it. I drink lemon water every day and squeeze lemons where little droplets can shoot away from a cutting board. I would be staring at those etched spots, annoyed, constantly.

Especially since my husband does a lot of the cooking and isn’t that neat about it, there is no way I could live with that.

I know people think Taj Mahal is overused these days, but honestly, it is a lovely stone and in all the kitchens and bathrooms I’ve done where we’ve used it, it has performed beautifully! I would pick Taj Mahal over a white-ish marble countertop in the kitchen any day. (I love the greige tone of it too! So adaptable.)

I wrote this post about Taj Mahal as an option for white marble back in April of 2013!!!! I still believe in Taj Mahal.

More Details To Avoid

Care to see some more of the details I eschew when designing a project? I’ve outlined some below that you can look out for when you are out home shopping or planning your next remodel.

Every other year I do a holiday home tour of my own house here on my blog. This year, since both my children will be here, I pulled out all the decor, so I’m sharing photos of how things are looking in my home.

I have a wreath I made some years ago on the front door and I stuffed these two wire wall baskets with greens on my front porch.

Mostly, plants are still alive around here. We don’t have freezes in the Houston area until January or February, if we have one at all, so I still have impatiens, ferns, bromeliads and geraniums at my front door. It was fun to make some “winter” baskets there on the porch though.

Foyer

My foyer has the Art Noveau hall tree we brought back from Australia, after living there two years. I decorate it up with a garland, ornaments and Christmas hats.

I added this new little 5’ tree this year. I loved the base that came attached to the tree and the flocking. It took just minutes to unbox and put together.

Across from the stair is this little English table where I have faux branches decorated with some pretty ornaments. The mercury glass ornaments were purchased for a Christmas showhouse room I did back in 2015 and the wooden snowflakes were taken in a flat pack in my suitcase to our Christmas in Big Bear, CA a few years ago.

I love these lightweight, thin wood cut outs, I have used them in other ways around the house for decorating.

Dining Room

Dining table is set and ready for Christmas day done in red and green this year.

I love mixing rustic and refined elements on a table. The twig placemats and pinecones provide a backdrop for my mother’s ivory china and my husband’s grandmother’s silver plate flatware which I’m so happy to use this year.

I ordered new holiday napkins this year, I was just aching to have some pattern. These cranberry red and green ones from Pomegranate add a bright touch.

I did an ornament ball with names printed on with a gold paint pen on top. Not needed really, but it looks pretty!

The centerpiece is atop a silver plate tray from my mother’s collection and I had a grapevine wreath with bright red apples and some leaves that fit the bottom of that glass vase perfectly.

I decorate the top of my metal pharmacy cabinets in the dining room with some faux tall birch tree cones and my iron reindeer that I have had for about 25 years.

I have an antique sideboard over in the corner of my dining room (with my Norwegian painting above it). I pulled out more of my mother’s silver plate, her tea set that she took such good care of over the years. It’s in pristine condition and has such a gleam over in that corner.

My MIL’s blown glass Christmas tree and the little snowman family figurines I have from a glass blowing studio in Norway add to the sparkle over here.

Study

In the study I have this little iron tree with some tiny colorful glass ball ornaments. It sits on my mother’s tea cart with some angels.

In the corner of my eye, from my desk, I see this vignette. More wooden cut out snowflakes and some faux sugared fruit on branches, with a tiny tree in a gifted handmade clay pot.

In my built-in cabinetry, the open shelves get a tiny bit of Christmas too with a little tree in a ceramic pot and the brass camel sporting a tiny wreath.

Living Room

Santas on the stair, as usual, add some festive color.

Here’s a look at the fireplace and the tree this year.

I’m so glad we were able to get the fireplace surround and hearth retiled this year. I finally made time for a small project in my home for a change. I love the solid color limestone that blends into the SW Black Fox paint of the mantel.

We bought this faux tree last year, we’d been getting real trees which I love, but we finally decided to go faux.

Unfortunately, we waited a little late and the bigger tree I wanted was no longer available. My husband talked me into this 7’ tree and with my super tall ceilings, I hated how little it looked. :-(

This year, I scrounged around in my storage unit and found an old, sturdy iron basket that the base would fit on. I elevated the tree and my big tree skirt, fortunately, covered the whole thing.

It looked odd though, before I wrapped some gifts to put under it.

I did my usual mantel decor of the last few years and dressed my MIL’s brass samovar with a red satin bow, which I eventually changed to a red bird sitting on the spigot.

Around the House

I have a few more holiday touches around the house.

I want to wish you all a wonderful holiday full of peace and love. I’ll be back after Christmas!

Some people like the Lifetime network’s holiday romance movies at this time of year. I prefer holiday home tours on Youtube.

I’ve seen some good ones lately and I’m sharing my faves today.

(This post was published first last year, Dec 2024, but I’ve added some new tour links here and I’ve left some of the ones from last year that deserve a rewatch! :-)

My Favorite Holiday Home Tours!

In no particular order, here are some must-see videos for design lovers who also happen to appreciate a decked out holiday home!

Mary Kay Andrews, a NYT best selling novelist from Georgia, shares her home, Squirrel Hollow, all decked out for Christmas. She has some amazing vintage collections you have to see!

Former White House Christmas floral designer and current lead designer for Nashville’s Cheekwood Mansion, Laura Dowling, shares this home, bedecked with amazing trees, wreaths and decor that will have you dropping your jaw! She shares her design intent and some tips and tricks that make this mansion glow!

Designer, Lee Ann Thornton, gives us a tour of her Connecticut cozy cottage warmed by lots of red holiday decor.

This home is full of rich color and the holiday decor does not disappoint! Designer, Cynthia Ferguson of Toronto, has done so much with a smaller sized home. Take one look at her gorgeous velvet green suit at the front door and you know you will be in for a stunning Christmas treat!

My newest follow on social media is Gary Samuelian. He does the most creative florals and decor that I truly have not seen before. I started watching him on Tik Tok during the fall and became totally addicted, checking in on his profile daily, waiting to see a new video. He does incredible arrangements and I love watching him in action. You will too! I linked his Instagram above, he puts videos on Instagram and Tik Tok.

MORE Holiday Home Tours

DO look through this list below from last year. Beautiful holiday decorating doesn’t age, so these homes are still a must-see!

Prep for a holiday party with lots of fun Christmas decor and a fancy cocktail at the end from the home of Erik Kegler and Brennan Howell.

Red velvet ribbon rules in this short and sweet tour of the influencer Chris Loves Julia’s home.

*This is one of my faves, Leben Riebe’s home. His ornament collection is amazing!

The Ornament King, Christopher Radko, takes you on a tour of his lavishly decorated home.

I love every bit of Caleb Wyse’s home, seen on his Youtube channel, Wyse Guide. This holiday home tour showcases his collection of vintage Christmas decor.

Here’s a rich persimmon color used to decorate a lovely nature inspired tree in Cara Brown’s 300 year old stone cottage.

Drew of the Lone Fox channel is decorating the downstairs part of his home in this video. Can’t wait to see the upstairs video!

This is a cute video where Diana Elizabeth Steffen shares her tips for a fun ornament party as well as a tour of her home.

This one was fun to watch last year and worth a rewatch if you haven’t seen it. Brian Branton goes all out with his Christmas decorations!

Maria Killam’s holiday home tour is here and her home is so fresh and inviting with an orange and green Christmas tree.

This one dropped on Homeworthy after I published this post in 2024. Carson Kressley is one of my faves in the business and I love this home and his Christmas decor!

If you’re clicking over to Youtube on your phone, make sure you’ve downloaded the app to be able to watch. And Youtube always has an ad rolling first, then a little “skip” button comes up in the bottom right corner and you can click through to the video. :-)

My home is pretty much ready for Christmas now, but I still have lots to do somehow.

Here’s my home tour from 2023 that I shared here on my blog.

Pantone just recently released their Color of the Year 2026, Cloud Dancer, and designers are going all crazy in the comment sections in social media.

“White?!! That’s not a color!”

Yes, it’s white. Some are calling it “Landlord White”.

Not only interior designers, but many other professionals in creative fields as well as consumers that love color and are interested in these yearly color forecasts are voicing their negative opinions.

Pantone even made a statement in response, defending their choice.

I shared some of the paint company’s colors of the year recently. These colors are popular now in retail, in designer’s interiors and were definitely seen at High Point Market in recent shows.

My Pick For COTY, if they had asked….

I was looking forward to something more bold and forward thinking too. Honestly, I thought it might be a burgundy or merlot color. That is another shade seems to be coming on strong, likely spurred on by the popularity of the marble, Calacatta Viola, these days. It’s fast becoming the “Taj Mahal” of the internet, minus the durability of quartzite, of course.

The nice thing about a rich burgundy or merlot color is that it can be warm or cool and adds a richness. It feels more unexpected today. Although I’m not a red person, I could handle a client that wanted this color reflected in their interiors.

I saw a lot of burgundy / merlot colors at KBIS 2025 back in February.

I don’t think Pantone’s COTY, Cloud Dancer, is going to have much of an impact on interior design in 2026. I think we will continue to head into the warm, moodier color schemes for the next few years, at least.

Don’t get too hung up on all these color trends though, they will soon be changing. :-)

Go with what you love and you won’t go wrong. There is always a way to make any color feel fresh and up-to-date.

2026 Design Trend

Want to know what other design trend is for sure coming on strong now, especially evident since Kendall Jenner’s home, recently published in Architectural Digest, set the internet on fire? It’s the trend I talked about seeing at High Point this fall.

My mother and mother-in-law always loved to set a festive dining table for the holidays, so I just naturally followed suit. I was gifted china ages ago when my husband and I were married and have added to my tabletop collection over time to create something different and special every year.

Goodness knows, designers love a beautiful table setting and I certainly follow suit!

I shared some ways that I handle having extra people at my dining table in a previous post, but I thought I’d share a few of my decor hacks that help me set a beautiful table without a huge, extra expense.

I love to change things up every year at the holidays for my table settings, it gives me great joy to have a pretty table!

Here are some of the ways I mix things up without spending too much on all the table settings and decor. I typically use the same dishes, flatware and glassware but tend to change up the following items and how they are layered onto the table.

1. Tablecloths and creative runners

2. Add style with napkins or extra plates

3. Basic solid color plates can be easily styled

4. Simple, multiple glass vases

5. Candlesticks and candles

6. Natural greenery and decor

7. Collections and figurines

8. Easy, unique place card idea

9. Thrifting, inheriting, antiquing, FB Marketplace

1) Tablecloths and creative runners

I do have some nice tablecloths, but I also use a basic neutral linen fabric by the roll often, for putting tables together, etc.

I love a basic white too, my mother purchased a beautiful white embroidered tablecloth for me on her trip to Italy many years ago. I also have my husband’s grandmother’s white damask tablecloth that was passed down.

I usually like to use a solid color base cloth and add my chargers, placemats, a runner, etc. on top of that. Metallic chargers are nice during the holidays and I like rustic looks as well.

Here’s a silver metallic woven runner (from Ikea) on top of my inherited white damask cloth on a Chirstmas tabletop.

Here is a gauzy, wide, wired ribbon I got at a craft store one year that dresses up this Ikea tablecloth of white with gold confetti dots.

I also have a dark gray linen tablecloth and I found a plaid runner with some wooden buttons at Home Goods many years ago and use that in the fall too.

You can see how it provides a nice casual type base for a tabletop, below. Just changing the flowers makes for a different look!

I purchased some live edge charcuterie boards one year, very inexpensively, from a discount home store. For a rustic look, I lined them up to make a wooden runner down the table.

I have also used them as placemats or chargers before, like in the photo below, when we had our Thanksgiving dinner outside on the patio one year.

2) Add style with napkins, napkin rings or extra plates

I purchased these silver and gold damask napkins one year from Tuesday Morning, and they have lasted many, many years. They always look great after a wash and iron, like brand new. I’ve dressed them up with metallic rings or ribbons and then, on this tabletop below, I added a wooden laser cut snowflake ornament for a rustic touch one Christmas.

I only have one type of patterned plates, and I have a limited number so when I use them, it is with a smaller party of people. These quimper plates were my MIL’s and they are perfect for an Easter table.

You can see I used the basic linen tablecloth and then topped it with some rustic twig placemats for some texture.

Since I almost always use my solid cream/white plates, I usually lay the napkin on top for interest. I have a few different sets of napkin rings, almost all were purchased at discount stores like Home Goods, Tuesday Morning, or even Amazon.

3. Basic, solid color plates can be easily styled.

I love a bold pattern, but often solid colors can be easier to work in to different combinations and holidays. I have several types of creamy white plates, cream china with a silver rim which was my mother’s prized set, a large set of creamware collected for a showhouse butler’s pantry I did one year and a more casual basic white ceramic plate for every day.

I also have a set of blue dinner plates I bought on a whim one year, before I had the creamware and the inherited china. I like using them in the spring and summer.

I did have my own set of white china with a silver rim (from wedding gifts many years ago), but after receiving my mom’s, I have rehomed it. :-)

Something about food on a white plate looks most appetizing to me, although I really wish I could have about a dozen sets of various styles and colors of dishes in a whole wall of cabinets, to play with for entertaining. :-)

Here’s a more casual, basic white plate for a summer brunch in my breakfast room.

I often use my pewter chargers, brought back from Norway when I lived there in the 90’s, as they separate the plate from the tablecloth nicely and add that touch of metallic that isn’t too shiny.

They seem to fit just about every tabletop I do. I love that they aren’t oversized and are heavy pewter, not plastic. With most of my plates, it is just the scalloped edge that shows,

4. Small, multiple vases

Since I have a rectangular table, I often use small vases strewn down the table. I like to keep flowers low enough to see over, and using a number of small vases works well for that look.

In some of my photos in this post, I’ve used these small brown bottles purchased in multiples at Round Top and then at an antique shop at High Point Market.

Here they were massed on a table in the shop.

Here’s a July 4th brunch where I used my various cobalt blue and white vases to make a clustered centerpiece.

I used my creamware pitchers and creamers as vases on these Easter tabletops, below.

5. Candlestick collections

If you follow my blog or Instagram, you know I have a candlestick collection of brass, pewter and iron. Most were handed down to me from family members and some I’ve been gifted. I love each one of these and have some on my mantel and some on my dining table most of the time.

You can see almost every tabletop in the post has some of these candlesticks.

Votives are nice too. I remember going to a dinner at a fellow designer’s home one night many years ago and she had so mass of inexpensive, small white votives strewn down the table. It was magical and oh, so impressive.

6. Natural greenery and decor

I’m not much of a flower arranger, but I do love fresh flowers on a dining table. I’ve use potted plants and even cut the flowers off potted flowering plants when I couldn’t find the flowers I wanted.

Hydrangeas are great as they are so large, full, and impressive. I love peonies and tulips too, but also use carnations, roses, chrysanthemums, etc. Mostly I go for a mass of the same type of flower to keep it simple for arranging.

I used little potted poinsettias down the table at this Christmas, a few years ago.

I do like to mix other greens like garlands or just branches and leaves to help create a runner type effect. The three antlers I have also work to create a runner of sorts for a more rustic table and keep things from looking too flat.

Scattering smaller items through the center tabletop can help soften your look and just adds fullness overall. Small pinecones, acorns, ornaments or decorative balls are a fun addition.

I keep them and reuse them every year. We have oak and pine trees and I’ve gathered acorns and pinecones and spray painted some of them gold.

7. Collections and figurines

I think adding in some kind of figurine or small decorative item is fun on a tabletop too. In this Thankgiving table I set up one year, I used these chubby chickens that my MIL had handed down to me from her home. They worked with the color scheme and matched the shape of the gourds.

I had a few little Peter Rabbit figurines that I had on a shelf in my baby’s rooms when they were little. (I keep things like this for years!) They looked darling on my Easter tabletop this past spring.

This handblown glass grouping of a family of snowmen often sits on my tabletop at Christmas. I purchased these in Norway at a glassblowing studio and have fond memories of that place. We did a tour and my kids even got to blow a glass there.

8. Easy, unique place card idea

I’ve done this many times over the years, because these inexpensive little ornaments with a name written on them with a paint pen can be used year after year! Tie a ribbon on the top and rest them on your napkin for a dressed up look. You even have a little take-home gift, if you like.

8. Thrifting, Inheriting, Antiqueing and FB Marketplace

Inheriting has a lot to do with what I have to play with when I lay my tables. I’ve received flatware from my husband’s grandmother, dinnerware from both my mother and my mother-in-law, who are both now passed, as well as brass candlesticks, miscellaneous vases and some figurines.

I love and accepted it all and I get so excited to use them during the holidays. It helps me remember times past spent with them at the table and honors all the holiday meals they prepared for many years that we all shared.

If you don’t have tabletop items that have been handed down in your family, my gosh, are they selling it on FB Marketplace!!! Lots of flatware and sets of china are being sold there all the time. I see many good deals there, so check it out if you are in the market for something to enhance or fill out your tabletop stash.

I think it is harder to find things thrifting these days as that is such a popular hobby for younger people and there are so many sellers scouring thrift stores now. If you enjoy thrifting though, it is fun to imagine what you can do with your finds.

I bought my creamware bit by bit, over a period of a few months on eBay years ago when I did this butler’s pantry in a showhouse. I decided to keep almost all of it, as I loved it so much.

This year for Christmas, I’m going to use my mother’s china and some of her silverplate tea set for the centerpiece. I can’t wait to set it up and style it. :-)

Animals play a big role in decorating! I’m not talking about animal patterned fabrics, rugs, taxidermy, or even animals in paintings and art.

Today, I’m talking about animal inspired objects to accessorize your home.

As I was walking around showrooms at Highpoint Market this fall I really started noticing the abundance of animal decor. Let’s take a look at what I found.

I just want to remind you, these are all more luxury brand showrooms, but animal decor is popular with all levels of decorating budgets.

My MIL had a ceramic statue of a life-sized Afghan hound that she kept at the front door like he was waiting for people to come in. He was quite chipped up when she downsized and so we didn’t keep it, but that was her dog. :-)

Jonathan Adler’s colorful acrylic animals make a bold statement and look great in white surroundings.

You can find animal decor in antique and vintage shops too, these items have been popular for a long time!

I have a few brass animals myself, from thrifting and inherited from my MIL. These turtles seen at the Wildwood showroom are a cute accessory atop a decorative box or stack of books.

I love these geode butterflies from Roberta Schilling, a brand from Brazil.

We walked around the corner and these furry llamas greeted us at a showroom entrance.

Traditional figurines never go out of style for traditional homes.

My MIL had a similar piece as this one below, a monkey lamp that her husband had gifted her one year with a lantern hanging from the curled tail. (She actually never liked it. :-)

Do YOU have any animal decor items in your home?

Here’s a pic of some of mine.

Animal decor adds a touch of whimsy and personality to your home. Do any of you have any decorative animal objects in your home?

I’ve sourced some interesting animal decor below to help you shop for a few to add to your home.

Today I’m sharing some of my favorite home decor items that are on sale this week for Black Friday!

If you are decorating your home, buying a special gift for someone who loves decor or just want to drop some hints of what you might want for Christmas, one of these items just might be the perfect link to share.

The reason I select links from Perigold often is that they have the brands I know and see at High Point Market. Many of those brands don’t sell to big box retailers and therefore, use Perigold as a retailer of sorts, for their brand.

All of these items below are under $500 at the time of this post, Thanksgiving day, 2025.

Best of luck shopping and hope you all have a lovely Thanksgiving!

Games are becoming more and more beautiful for coffee table decor. Here are some cool items to check out for your coffee table.

I have 7 main categories of home decor that I go to for styling at the end of a project. These accessories make for wonderful holiday gifts! I have fresh links to some of my favorites styling pieces, below.

I recently had a photoshoot and found myself considering items from these groups for styling each surface or shelf. I thought I’d share some selections from these 7 categories for you today so that you can shop more easily, in case you are on the hunt for some stylish pieces for your coffee table, bookshelf or console. :-)

1. Vases or tall vessels

2. Bowls or boxes

3. Trays

4. Knots and beads

5. Plants and planters

6. Sculpture

7. Books
   
   

My blog contains affiliate links. Any purchases, at no additional charge to you, render me a small percentage, are most appreciated and make this blog possible. :-)

One of the things my full service clients enjoy is seeing these last layers come in to fill out their home’s furnishings.

Really, they get great deals when they go through my business, as I am usually priced below what they would pay online for accessories. Additionally, everything is thoughtfully curated just for their project, then delivered and installed in just the right place.

Sometimes clients go on their own and don’t want to go all in with an accessory budget, but when they do, it is like the icing on the cake. :-)

This beautiful onyx bowl, pictured below, on a coffee table in one of my projects, was hand selected by me at Dallas market for this particular spot.

Here are a few pics of my storage unit, below, with some of my stash that I use for accessorizing at the end of full service projects.

Sometimes I pick up random items during markets to have on hand. I go to Round Top at least once a year and have a few vendors I visit to stock up on certain types of accessories. I found old seltzer bottles one year and then used them in this coastal style kitchen on the open shelves.

These jars, below, have such a nice color story and would look great clustered on a bookshelf, on the low shelf of a console, or even grouped on a rustic dining table. I’ve been adding to this collection over the years and have quite a few in the terra cotta finish, but these green ones are really unusual.

Most of these were found at Round Top.

Here are my top 7 categories of styling objects, with links to shop for similar pieces at the end of each section.

1) Vases or Tall Vessels

Vases or tall vessels like ginger jars, are important for height in styling a tablescape or shelf. They obviously provide a place for some flowers or branches, some type of organic material or greenery, but can provide an impact on their own too.

I used this unique porcelain vase with some seed pod branches in a recent styling. It worked really as both a vase and a sculpture.

I paired it with an onyx bowl picked up recently at Dallas Market and then a small brass bird sculpture on a dining room console.

The vase and ginger jars work well in the pic below, as they fill that tall open space nicely. I often use tall items on lower shelves to fill the void there.

2) Bowls and boxes

Bowls, platters, small shallow dish type containers are great for holding a small collection of objects or making a statement on their own. They top off a stack of books and provide a place for a small, intimate, thoughtful moment in the larger scheme of things.

I purchased these beautiful smaller onyx bowls at Round Top awhile back and still have a few. They are perfect for styling and have such a nice organic feel.

This beautiful large bowl holds some large decorative balls and a touch of brass for contrast. See this post for what kinds of items you can use to fill decorative bowls.

I love a pretty box too. This one looked great against the dark wall, sitting on top of the white console.

3) Trays

Trays do a great job of corralling smaller objects together to create a less cluttered look. Perfect for coffee tables, on lower bookshelves, consoles or dining tables, they can make a statement themselves or just provide a base for some of the lovely items you’ve collected.

They work so well in bathrooms and kitchens, I can never have enough when styling for a photoshoot.

I almost always do a tray on a breakfast room table. It serves to hold some fresh flowers and items like bowls of fruit, salt and pepper mills, and anything that people like to keep out on the breakfast table.

Check out this gorgeous tray in a project. It adds so much color and brightness to the center of the room.

This grasscloth wrapped tray adds some texture to this family room and keeps the books and vases grouped together.

4) Knots and beads

I’m a huge fan of an interesting knot, in brass or metal. They are perfect on top of a book stack, lying in a tray or on a side table.

This is one of my favorites, it is an antique brass finish and heavy. It looks great on a coffee table on a stack of books or tray.

Here’s that knot used in another project, on an ottoman tray.

Decorative beads are everywhere these days. Recycled glass beads in various colors are extremely popular, but so are colorful ceramic ones and bold, graphic, globally-inspired looks too.

I picked up these beads at Round Top, along with a stack of horn bowls.

The recycled glass beads here add some color and a casual vibe to this table top.

These gorgeous colorful beads were seen at Highpoint market in the antique center a few years ago and then I saw a bunch at Dallas Market too.

Glass beads in a nice bowl are an instant colorful accessory.

5) Plants and planters

I always take a lot of plants and greenery / branches for styling on the day of a photo shoot. A lack of plant material can really make a space feel ho hum.

You can’t imagine, until you start in styling, how much you need to really fill out a room! Plants and greens can really help fill in voids.

I love special containers for plants, like this spiky white plaster one for a project.

I’ve recently purchased some air plants that just hang out in a bowl by themselves. You soak them in water once every few weeks and then lay them out to enjoy anywhere without worrying about planters or soil.

This small unique air plant was a touch of life on a side table. The beads, marble tray, and handmade ceramic bowl provide a nice touch of personality here.

6) Sculpture

Sculpture doesn’t have to mean something super expensive. It can mean something like an interesting giant pine cone or seashell.

Basically, it is an object that can sit on it’s own or might be mounted on a stand for some verticality.

This coffee table has two natural sculptural items in the mix here, the antlers and the giant pinecones. They provide an interesting rustic quality to the mix here.

I love these sunburst type pieces on stands as they make a big impact vertically and take up some good space in bookcases. You can really appreciate the beauty of geodes mounted this way too.

This brass sculpture made a strong, abstract statement in a white bookcase on a project.

I love this sculpture of a woman’s figure that my husband brought back years ago from Africa.

This metal sculptural object at the base of the fireplace here adds a little contrast and detail and catches your eye.

7) Books

Please collect a few hard-bound picture books! I’m going to start giving these as gifts to people, I think.

As part of decluttering and downsizing, many people are getting rid of their book collections, if they had some to begin with.

However, there is nothing more perfect for styling bookshelves, coffee tables, consoles and side tables than books! Save some of your books and use them to decorate.

I love to shop at Craftex in Houston for beautiful coffee table books. They have an amazing assortment of books on travel, food, design, art, gardens, etc.

Inside secret….their books are usually a couple dollars less than Amazon and of course, you don’t have to pay for shipping.

When my MIL downsized and moved from her home to assisted living, she had this stack of art books that were a little tattered and old. I grabbed them for styling in some of my shoots though, as they make for a great book stack on shelves.

They sit in my storage unit now, ready to go for shoots when I need them.

I’ve mentioned in this post about decorating with what you may already have, that raiding your boomer parents’ bookshelves might be warranted. I’ll bet many would love to give away a few stacks to their kids to have in their homes. :-)

Even if your books have some torn covers or the subject matter is not one to show off, you can turn them where the page-side only shows and make a nice statement with a grouping like this too. Kind of interesting, no?

I do love seeing the spines and dust jackets of books and getting a look at the topics people find interesting.

A lovely example - This coffee table, below, seen in a High Point Market showroom recently, has many of the elements discussed above. A beautiful box, books, a tray, vase, a small decorative bowl, candlesticks and some live greenery in a vase.

Check out these other related posts, below. They’re full of all kinds of tips and tricks for styling accessories all over your home!

If you’ve been following my blog, you might have seen two remodeling projects I’ve posted about a few times.

One was a kitchen, powder bath, and laundry with some cabinetry design in the family room and the other is a whole house remodel.

I’m here to share a few progress photos today.

Both of these are to the point that I would steal the thunder of the final reveal if I share too much now. So, I’m just going to share some of the latter part of construction and a few snaps of the furniture install, delivered this week in the whole house project.

French Country Kitchen

Here are a few pics from the last days of construction on the French country kitchen project. “Before” photo of the family room bookcase wall is first.

We closed off the lower horizontal window to make the the cabinetry taller and did a warm wood paneling to match the floor, on the back wall.

Here’s the before pic of the kitchen cooktop area. We got rid of the peninsula and went with a bigger island which made room for their beautiful new range.

There is a stained wood “mantel” type element missing in this photo and the brackets need to be stained too, but the stone looks beautiful and that gorgeous range is the feature in the room.

Here’s the before pic of the pantry and butler’s pantry area. This was opened up to incorporate some space to the left there and cabinets to the ceiling.

This space feels light and bright and now offers so much more storage.

The powder room needed a new vanity and fixtures but we were keeping the custom painted walls.

I visited this past week and they are moved in and already using the space. It is further along than these photos, but I didn’t want to give it all away yet. We still have the pretty window treatment to come and a cute curtain in the laundry.

Here’s where I explained the concept and selections for this remodel project.

Whole House Remodel

We are in final phases of this whole house remodel, still missing some items and lots to do with finalizing construction, but my client moved in this week and all the furniture, art, rugs and accessories I did for them 8 years ago are now in place in this newly remodeled home.

We even hung some of the artwork yesterday and it was so rewarding to see and place the things I specified and purchased for them years ago, reused.

There was one room that needed new furnishings, the family room. They were installed and they are looking good! A comfy sectional, strie patterned rug, new recliner, media cabinet and tables fill out this room nicely.

You can see their existing bar stools there at the top of the photo. The walnut bar is on its way soon!

TV to be installed but I do love that walnut media cabinet. Some accessories and art are still to unpack and some to be added. :-)

You’ll have to take my word for it that their dining room is looking amazing with the furniture we did from the other house. We even reused their silk draperies and modified them to fit this new house.

Pics to come on that, but below I’ve got the photo of that space with the beautiful walnut custom wine cabinet installed. It’s not shown here with the glass or the glass doors installed, but you see the impact it has a backdrop.

The butler’s pantry/bar cabinetry beyond in that dark room is still to be installed, so it is unfinished in there for now.

We also reworked their existing draperies for the primary bedroom to fit, reusing the black out Silhouette shades that were in the home when they bought it. Honestly, the drapery looks perfectly at home in this house. I’m glad we reworked them!

My favorite transitional style door hardware was used on all the doors. Although I used a lot of brass in this house, I really wanted a black finish to work with their new windows and lend a more modern appeal.

Here’s a pic from their custom closet build out that was done in the last few weeks. It’s painted now and getting the cabinet doors and a walnut top on the dresser there. Mirror will go on the panel above the dresser and a cute bench cushion is being done too.

Upstairs the game room was painted and carpeted. The new paneling and cabinets are looking great!

Here’s the before pic, pretty plain jane with fluorescent lights on the 8’ ceiling.

We have some cool flush mounts that aren’t installed yet, but are coming.

The cabinets we built in will get doors that have the same vertical groove paneling with some walnut cabinet pulls. We just delivered a striped bench cushion and are getting a woven wood shade that will look great in the niche. This photo was taken before move in.

We still need cabinet doors below the bed platform in the bunk room, but carpet is in and the basket pendant is up. A cool roman shade will go on this window too.

The upstairs shower bath and tub bath are almost done too. Still missing some details, like mirrors and countertops, but the contractors are really pushing to get everything buttoned up for the holidays.

These bathrooms were previously just one bathroom, so having two up here now will be really nice!

In the downstairs guest bathroom my wallpaper installer finished up the switches and outlets. :-)

There’s still a lot to do and I won’t be photographing this project until 2026, but I can’t wait to do that and share the end results.

If you want to start any kind of remodel coming up in 2026, I would urge you to start considering your scope of work and goals now and reach out to the professionals you want to use to get on their radar.

Everything takes longer than you think and you don’t want to be scrambling at the end to get things done. Even if it is just a kitchen or primary bathroom, start early in the year if you want contractors out of your house by Thanksgiving. And if you have a whole house project, you will need even more time!

I have a few bathroom remodels coming up in 2026 and I can take a few more single room remodels or I can sink my teeth into a full home if you book soon.

I do full service design only in my local area, but will be opening up my Designed in a Click consulting at the end of this month.

Stay tuned for more pics on these two projects!

Here were some of the initial posts I did on the whole house remodel with the before pics and the reasoning behind some of the decisions.

This blogpost was thoughtfully written by me, Carla Aston, and not by AI, ghostwriters, or guest posters.

These items I’m sharing today are some design finds I noticed were really popular and somewhat prolific at High Point Market.

You might just see your next must-have item among the selections below!

Game Tables

So many game tables! I am guessing that Mah Jong has had a lot to do with this, but tabletop games in general must be super popular these days.

Almost every showroom that had a square table, had one set up for games.

Extra Large Coffee Tables

A few years ago, there was a giant sectional trend at High Point Market. I mean, huge sectionals that would not fit in normal houses. They might have made a big visual impact in a showroom, but they were impractical for most homes.

You should check out my post I did back then and see these monsters, linked above.

Well, now we’ve moved on to huge coffee tables. :-)

I actually see more use for these than I do for sectionals. Often, there is a overly wide space in the middle of the room created by a big fireplace or a view to the tv, etc.

A great solution is to add multiple coffee tables, like a group of two that overlap or I’ve seen three or four, but I noticed at market this season, that there were a lot of oversized coffee tables.

Here were some I noticed.

There were more of these, I just didn’t get photos!

Tapestries and Tapestry Type Fabrics

Tapestries really remind me of the faux Tuscan look and a more traditional style. I’m not loving these too much, especially those pillows, below.

Ask your grandma if she ever had a tapestry wall hanging. :-)

I did love this find, below, a scenic landscape printed on a super soft and pliable rug type textile. This is from Fine and Dandy, a wallcovering company that is starting to print on textiles to make tapestries. They have a more modern and fresh look to them overall.

Scroll down to the next photo to see one of the pieces draped over a bed.

Mushrooms as a Design Motif

Scallops are Still Going Strong

Scalloped edges have been everywhere in retail these days and I still see it coming on strong for now.

One-off Items

These items caught my eye and deserve a mention, for sure.

I have more of the “makers” type products to share in another post to come, like this one I did last market. So fun! I love to find new, creative products.

See the rest of my HPMKT Fall 2025 posts below.

This blogpost was thoughtfully written by me, Carla Aston, and not by AI, ghostwriters, or guest posters.

Generally, it is pretty easy to see what interior design trends might be coming up in the next few years at High Point Market.

Check out my posts from past years that, even as early as 2018, showed this design phase we are in now.

Big, curvy furniture, modern, textural looks, chunky bulbous details…they are all popular now and have been for awhile.

While, everything these days seems more modern and curved, especially if you look at certain retailers like Crate and Barrel, Lulu and Georgia and Restoration Hardware, there are definitely some super traditional looks coming on the market.

It looks like we are swinging in totally the opposite direction and going with retro, vintage, feminine looks in upholstery, fabric choices and details.

It looks like we’re sliding into Grandma Chic.

I always see a little bit of this at market, as there is a call for it from consumers. Everyone seems to be craving some old-fashioned love from their grandma, a safe place to go for attention, warm cookies and a dollar or two shoved in your hand when you leave, right?

Also, the thrifted, vintage look is very on-the-rise since furniture in general is getting so expensive.

However, it can be challenging and of course, very time-consuming (and if you value time as money then it can be expensive), to hunt down vintage furniture that is in decent condition and just what you might need. Manufacturers are noting that and offering up new options that speak to that aesthetic.

I definitely saw more of it at market this fall.

So what gives a room a “Grandma Chic” vibe?

Floral fabrics, small patterns, skirted upholstery, ruffles, vintage looking wood furniture, antiques, patterned lampshades, etc. all go toward building a Grandma Chic aesthetic.

Here are some “Grandma Chic” looks and details that give that vintage, mature, feminine vibe.

Ruffles

Ruffles are definitely a dead give-away for a Grandma Chic style.

Small Patterned Floral Wallpaper

Skirted Upholstery

Any type of skirt has a more traditional look and box pleats feel especially like a detail from the past.

Floral Upholstery

Floral patterns can telegraph a Grandma Chic style, especially when on a diminutive or curvy sofa or chair.

Bobbin details

Dark wood furniture and especially bobbin style pieces can add some Grandma Chic to a room.

Antiques Interspersed To Bring the Nostalgia

If you’re looking to bring some Grandma Chic style to your home, antiques are always a good option. Schwung Home had a great selection of wood items that would do just the trick.

An antique quilt rack is made for this look and is a great way to store extra blankets and throws, even an artful quilt!

There’s always room for a unique old wood chair in a corner isn’t there?

More Furnishings That Evoke a Grandma Chic Aesthetic

This cute iron outdoor furniture is a sweet, vintage look, perfect for that grandma style patio, from Business and Pleasure.

Patterned Lampshades

Last market I reported some lighting vendors were getting into this patterned lamp shade game. Currey & Co. and Visual Comfort showed patterned, fabric covered lampshades as new intros.

There were even more at this market. I have to say, as someone who has priced these out, custom, for a project, these can be expensive! Like a piece-of-furniture expensive.

I would definitely be going to vendors who offer these as standard or semi-custom to help make the expense more manageable.

Depending on the fabric, these really work with a grandma chic style.

Keep in mind, there is every style and color at HPMKT, something for everyone.

However, there is usually a trend of style too. Certainly some vendors will lean into a specific look permanently. Vendors like Adriana Hoyos, Four Hands and Eicholz all have a more modern appeal and are known for that style.

There are other vendors though that carry a wide variety of different styles and they can experiment more with trends that catch attention at market.

I found it really interesting to see the grandma chic aesthetic becoming more apparent.

I love a few aspects of it. I like some antiques and a few pieces of more traditional furniture, dark woods, etc. Personally, I’m not a big fan of floral upholstery and ruffled skirts, but I’d love to work a bit of it into a project some day!

See more of my HPMKT posts from Fall 2025!

I’m just back from Fall High Point Market this week and I got a big dose of warm, fall-like colors (and they weren’t only in the trees!)

This season almost every showroom featured a lot of the colors of the year that have been recently named for 2026 by leading paint companies.

A dark, chocolatey-brown tone from Benjamin Moore, Silhouette.

A warm tan color from Sherwin Williams, Universal Khaki.

A lovely smoky jade color from Behr, Hidden Gem.

I do love a strong chocolate brown and that green is especially versatile in my opinion. These colors are all more or less what is being seen on Instagram these days, as many of you may know.

So, let’s see some examples of these colors and how they were presented at market.

The Thibaut showroom, usually full of light, colorful patterns, was more neutral this time. They now carry Corragio wallcovering and featured some of their products on the walls of their showroom.

This chocolate brown cork wallcovering with a metallic strie pattern was one I actually purchased for myself after seeing it! I’m so excited to get it installed in my study at home.

Corey Damen Jenkins, a well-known luxury designer, with books and a tv show, designs furniture for the Maitland Smith company. He did a stunning job as usual with their showroom that featured his products. I love that rich, spruce green leather on the chairs.

These coconut shell light fixtures from Arteriors are dyed a green color and make a dynamic, organic and colorful statement. This color is oh-so-similar to the Behr, Hidden Gem color.

Many of the greens went more sage or olive, not quite as much of a pine green, but it was a darker green nonetheless.

Warm toned floral chintz and velvet along with an olive green glossy table was seen in Highland House. This showroom is known for it’s lovely painted pastel color walls in each room. Seeing the brown/gold color was a bit of a shock for me. :-)

Another showroom space known for it’s light furniture and soft looks, the Mr. and Mrs. Howard Collection from Sherrill Furniture, showed a room with some of this warm brown and sage green color tones.

Accessories at the Foster’s Point showroom followed these colors too.

As did some of the art showrooms.

Even the antique shops and booths got into this color palette.

I’ve got more pics and info coming your way from High Point Market, Fall 2025 :-)

This blogpost was thoughtfully written by me, Carla Aston, and not by AI, ghostwriters, or guest posters.

If you don’t follow me on Instagram and watch my stories there, you might miss my occasional photos from recent site visits. I’m sharing some today!

We’re getting close to the final stretch with my big whole house remodel and it is slowly starting to take shape.

First Floor Progress

We have a lot of cabinetry still to be installed in the kitchen, butler’s pantry, study, powder room, the primary custom closet and some still to come in the primary bath but those will be installed with their finish on, so hopefully it will go quickly once it arrives.

They did get the island boxes installed in the kitchen so that we can now have the stunning Ijen Blue quartzite countertop installed.

A walnut bar will be attached to the front of this island which I cannot wait to see installed!

Click the link if you want to refer back to my post about the kitchen and butler’s pantry.

The paint downstairs has mostly been completed except for touch up and various vents and trim, a few doors, etc. Most of the wood flooring is also in downstairs.

We’re missing the marble fireplace and front doors but the wallpaper is being installed now. So excited to have that done and see this finished look up on the walls!

The powder room paper is dark and dramatic and the color drenching of a dark pine green works so well in here.

All the lighting is stacked up ready to install in house. I cannot wait to see all those special fixtures going up next week.

Here’s the another part of that cabinetry package that has been installed, the primary bath base cabinets. I love the look of the walnut in here and those marble clad recesses for the medicine cabinets.

We’ve got the slab jambs, curbs and shower seats installed downstairs. Countertops are coming next, as they get the cabinets in. They were finally able to measure for the glass enclosures since the jambs and curbs were installed.

While the pool bath has had its wall tile for several months, the penny tile and the slab pieces are now done. Wallpaper is being done in here this weekend!

Second Floor Progress

The second floor has been tackled after the first floor was well under way because of a big support beam that was needed and the addition of a second bathroom and another closet built out in the attic area.

Check out this new walk-in closet upstairs.

Here’s one of the upstairs bathrooms with some beautiful blue tile going in and a new small window.

The other bathroom has a smart looking mosaic tile floor and more beautiful wall tile.

Everything is framed up now upstairs, electrical and plumbing done. The sheetrockers will come next week to get the walls closed up that are still open and then paint for the second floor will happen.

Check out the before pic of the raised floor area in one of the upstairs bedrooms.

It has been reworked to have steps and platforms for twin beds so that it resembles bunks. :-) It doesn’t take up nearly as much floor space and now we can have cabinets/storage under the beds.

One thing I am so pleased about is that we went with pre-made bathroom vanities for four of the secondary bathrooms. These are on site, ready to install, one even has the countertop and sink.

I’m just so glad the contractors can focus on all the other elements that need their attention and these can just be installed as is. Once the wallpaper is up in these bathrooms, the vanities will go in and then be they’ll be ready for plumbing fixtures, lighting and mirrors!

(If you are an impatient person, construction is sooooo hard. :-)

I’m also glad I had the wine cabinet built out by a specialty company. It was delivered to the job this week and will be installed next week with the racks. Here’s a pic of it on the job site, below.

If you remember, it fits in the wall between the dining room and butler’s pantry, so it is seen on both sides with glass doors and panels to see through. Love the rich, walnut wood that is being used in certain areas throughout the home.

This job had a lot of moving parts and breaking the cabinetry up between subs, I think, was a really good thing here just to be able to get it all done. If you have a big project, I would consider sourcing like this so that all your eggs aren’t in one basket.

Laundry room and mud room cabinets were built on site which I happen to love. I like seeing the process. They’ve been painted now and are looking good.

We needed more slab material for the laundry room and I settled on a Taj Mahal look-alike quartz. This one is a dead ringer for the real Taj Mahal, even the finish looks great. Not too shiny, not too matte.

Lastly, the exterior has new windows, paint and a beautiful slate tile porch.

I want to thank some of you who have reached out to inquire about me in my month long absence from blogging. I’m fine, just busy. :-)

I’ve gotten more involved in local remodel projects and I seem to be at my desk, writing, less and less.

I am going to High Point Market at the end of this month and will be blogging when I return about my finds and the general state of the industry. I’m sure those crazy tarriffs will be discussed while I’m there!

I feel so grateful for my local clients who have moved ahead with their projects and hope a few more wonderful people will do so in 2026 and call me to design their homes.

Thanks for reading!

This blogpost was thoughtfully written by me, Carla Aston, and not by AI, ghostwriters, or guest posters.

One feature I like to incorporate in bathroom showers I design for a remodel is a special shampoo niche. 

I love that they are useful and can be an actual feature that brings interest and design to a space with flat surfaces.

I’m so over that one skinny little horizontal “banding” at eye level — I never was much of a fan, unless it was done in stripes, wide or repeated bands, or bands ran vertically. It always seemed sort of skimpy and purposeless to me: to do one little horizontal band of deco tile at eye level.

I’ve always preferred entire walls of specialty tile, or the contrasting features created with niches and benches. Even a small niche is a nice break from the surface, and it has purpose.

I’m sharing a few niches I’ve designed with you today, along with a few tips, to help get your creativity going for your next bathroom remodel.

Enjoy! :-)

Shampoo niche #1

In this bathroom remodel below, the shower was very open and visible from the entry. I had to make that niche look good and knew it would inspire my clients to keep simple and nice looking products on the shelves. The tall space within the niche made room for the 9” floor tile to be repeated in that space.

I think it provides an interesting yet sutble contrast on the tiled wall. The verticality of the niche relates to the vertical blue cabinet on the same wall.

SEE THE FULL REMODEL: Before and After: A Boutique Hotel Inspired Master Bath Remodel

Shampoo Niche #2

This shower was tucked behind a corner, but the very plain 12” x 24” wall tile dictated the need for some pizazz!

A niche with iridescent glass tile on the back wall worked to give this shower some interest and detail. It adds a little color too, which is nice.

SEE THE FULL REMODEL: Before & After: A Master Bathroom Remodel Surprises Everyone With Unexpected Results!

Shampoo Niche #3

I often repeat the shower floor material on the back wall of the niche, like I did in this shower stall. The pebbles add a spa-like feel and some much needed color.

It all just feels nicely coordinated and purposefully designed, when you consider details like the shampoo niche in a bathroom remodel.

SEE THE FULL REMODEL: Before & After: This Upstairs Bathroom Gets A Fresh Update

Shampoo Niche #4

This bathroom belonged to a homeowner who loved vintage style. They wanted a footed tub and the exposed shower plumbing, as seen below.

A classic black and white vintage look was the way to go. Black Nero marble, used for the shelves in the niche, adds a touch of real luxury.

SEE THE FULL REMODEL: Before & After: This Vintage-Inspired Master Bathroom Is An Instant-Classic!

Shampoo Niche #5

While I love a big niche with all the bells and whistles, sometimes my clients prefer to hide their bottles and soaps behind a wall.

We can carve out a niche in many places in a shower, but a little half wall that you don’t see the back of when you first walk into a bathroom is always a good spot, if a homeowner prefers theirs hidden.

When you do this, you don’t need to spend a lot of money on specialty tiles or quartz shelves, just get it in there where you want it. ;-)

SEE THE FULL REMODEL: BEFORE AND AFTER - A Master Bath And Bedroom Remodel That Feels “Designed”

Shampoo Niche #6

This bathroom was designed for aging-in-place and safety for this homeowner’s elderly mother was high priority.

The home had a very rustic, natural vibe and the homeowner is an avid gardener. The pebbles made for good design choice and the large niche, at this lower level is perfect for a seated shower.

Shampoo Niche #7

This project was an addition with this new bathroom, added upstairs for the boys of the house. That long niche will really come in handy!

I loved the penny tile used here in the shower on the floor and the niche, as I think the patterned floor tile would have been a little overkill. The color works nicely and it adds some nice texture to the room.

SEE THE FULL REMODEL: 3 Bathrooms With Fun Tile And Fabulous Details

Shampoo Niche #8

I had been dying to use this fun, geometric tile for a long time and this upstairs boy’s bathroom was just the perfect spot.

However, the tile didn’t have any trim pieces and I’m not a big fan of Schluter metal strips in a residential tile job.

So, I used the quartz slab material that we used on the countertops to line the sides, top and bottom of the niche. It makes for easy maintenance and the water flows off of it nicely.

It also makes the need for extra trim pieces or metal strips unnecessary.

I just think it is a neat and tidy way of doing a niche these days.

SEE THE FULL REMODEL: 3 Bathrooms With Fun Tile And Fabulous Details

Shampoo Niche #9

This niche below is one of my most popular photos on Pinterest. It has gone viral and stayed popular for years!

There wasn’t much room for a niche here, it had to fit between the shower head and the wall on the right that was an exterior wall. (It’s not a good idea to do a niche on an exterior wall unless you can build your wall out into the space somehow.)

I loved the tone on tone look in this bathroom, the pebbles added some natural texture and warmth.

SEE THE FULL REMODEL: Before & After: A Master Bathroom Finally Becomes The Masterpiece It’s Meant To Be!

Shampoo Niche #10

Here are two simple niches in two different homes. One is for a girl’s bathroom with the little marble flower mosaic tile on the back wall, the other a guest bath with a geometric marble mosaic. Both add interest and of course, storage for products!

Shampoo Niche #11

Here’s another cute one that was tucked around the corner of a shower stall. It had to fit into this narrow space, but turned out to be just the right size. Doing the sides in white quartz make it pop, visually, off the wall and laying in the tile horizontally was a thoughtful detail.

You’ll have to see its sister niche, over the tub, when you click through this link below. Similar, but a little bit different. :-)

SEE THE FULL REMODEL: A Fresh, Bright Blue And White Bathroom Remodel

Pin this image to Pinterest to refer back to later!

Need some info to guide you with your next design project?  My outlet shop is full of digital downloads for purchase that can help you get the look and style you want for your home.

Here’s my handy Bathroom Design Guide. If you need some help planning your bathroom remodel, my project checklist can serve as your go-to source so you don’t leave anything out and can thoughtfully design the bathroom of your dreams!

Click Here >>>> Bathroom Design Guide