Tag Archives: lifewithlilred

Feb1

Mystery Blogger Award

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Mystery Blogger Award

Another award?! Ahhhh! Thank you so much to the darling Juli for nominating me for the Mystery Blogger Award. What a fabulous surprise to wake up to two awards this morning! Juli’s page at Blonde’s Tea is a wonderful blog to get lost in so definitely take a look and give her some love. And also, shout out to Enigma who is the creator of this award! OKAY, let’s see the rules:

The Rules:

  • Display the award logo on your blog.
  • List the rules.
  • Thank the blogger who nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
  • Mention the creator of the award and provide a link as well.
  • Tell your readers three things about yourself.
  • Answer five questions from the nominee.
  • Nominate anywhere from ten to twenty bloggers.
  • Notify the bloggers by leaving a comment on their blog.
  • Ask your nominees any five questions of your choice, including one weird or funny question.
  • Share the link to your best post.

Three Facts About Me:

  1.  Whenever I am working on the ol’ blog, my sweet little pup named Ollie always sits at my feet and it’s basically the cutest thing ever. My other dog, Gem, could care less.
  2.  I really would love to get a pet dwarf rabbit named Floppy. The only requirements is that it’s a female and that she’s black like my soul.
  3.  Taco Bell and getting my nails done are my two vices. I couldn’t live without my acrylics and my burritos! ❤

Q & A:

Favorite place you’ve visited?

Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. I’ve been there twice and constantly think about going there again! Harry Potter World is my favorite place to be!

A place you’d love to visit?

Europe, Europe, and oh yeah – Europe.

Your dream job?

It sounds silly, but I would love to be a fashion model! Ugh, the clothes, the lifestyle, everything about it just sounds like a dream to me.

If you could have 3 wishes, what would you wish? (more or infinite wishes is not an answer)

If I told you, my wishes wouldn’t come true.

Something you can’t live without?

My beloved car!! I work multiple jobs which all consist of driving so I would be nowhere (literally) without the Little Red Love Machine.

My Nominees (I’m only doing three):

My Questions For You:

  1. Would you rather wear the same outfit for two weeks or no makeup for a month?
  2.  What is something that you have accomplished that you are proud of?
  3.  What is your favorite junk food to snack on?
  4.  How long have you been blogging?
  5.  If you had a gift card filled with one thousand dollars, what are some things that you would buy with it?

Thank you so much again to the darling Juli for the nomination! You’re a doll! How would you answer some of Juli’s questions? How about mine? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb1

One Lovely Blog Award #4

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One Lovely Blog Award #4

Heyy everyone and happy Hump Day! Oh my goodness! So many awards, so little time – but thankfully, I freaking love doing these posts so it’s time well spent. Super special thanks to one of my darling friends, Jackie, for nominating me for my fourth One Lovely Blog Award. Miss Jackie is going to be one of my featured bloggers for my Think Spring series so be on the lookout for her in the next couple of weeks but, until then, check out her page here! Okay, let’s get to the rules:

The Rules:

  • Thank the person that nominated you and leave a link to their blog
  • Post about the award
  • Share seven facts about yourself
  • Nominate at most 15 people
  • Tell your nominees the good news

Seven Facts About Me:

  1. I love to read and am currently on my seventh book of 2017 already – All The Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy.
  2. I have a weakness for getting hooked on different television series. I’ve rewatched Orange Is The New Black and Wentworth three times each and have grown increasingly fond of Face Off again on SyFy.
  3.  I coach figure skating for the Special Olympics and will be enjoying the banquet party to celebrate tonight. And soon, I will start coaching my friend, Dana’s, little girl so that will be fun!
  4.  I love all things food as long as it doesn’t have meat in it because I am a strict vegetarian. I love to cook, bake, and EAT!
  5.  My current favorite adult beverage is the Moscow Mule – I’m obsessed!
  6.  I am dedicated to improving my French speaking skills for when I eventually go to Paris and have been listening to French tapes in my car for the past year.
  7.  I have four tattoos and eight piercings and am always thinking about getting more! It’s a curse!

My Nominees (I’m only doing three):

Thank you so much again to Jackie for the nomination! You’re the best! What is one fun fact about yourself? How do you shake away the midweek blahs? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan30

Blogger Recognition Award #2

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Blogger Recognition Award #2

HEY! My friends in the blogging world were kind enough to nominate me for my second Blogger Recognition Award this week! Thank you so much to the darling Fashionably Eva for the nomination and everyone please check out her blog and give it some love – I’m sure all of you will enjoy her page! I know I do! Because I literally just did a post for the Blogger Recognition Award, I thought that I would only post the rules and who I nominate so check it out:

The Rules:

  1. Thank the blogger who nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
  2. Write a post to show your award.
  3. Give a brief story of how you started your blog.
  4. Give two pieces of advice to new bloggers.
  5. Select 15 other bloggers you want to give this award to.
  6. Comment on each blog and let them know you have nominated them and provide a link to the post you created.

My Nominees (I’m only doing three!):

Thank you so much again to the lovely Miss Fashionably Eva for the nomination – you’re a doll! Have a fab Monday, everyone! Much love. -Sarah

Jan28

Never Been On A Date

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Helloooo everyone and happy weekend! I hope all of you are having a wonderful day so far. So in case you guys weren’t aware, my Think Spring guest bloggers series is launching on February 15th. This series has been a fun one to work on and it has given me the opportunity to make some new blogging friends, like Lakshmi from The Rink. Lakshmi will be featured in my guest bloggers series but she was also kind enough to provide me with another terrific post for lifewithlilred. This article is titled “Never Been On A Date” and you saw it here first!

Never Been On A Date:

Terms, which you won’t believe, that exist!

I am L.R. and I come from India. For those who don’t know, there is this system in India known as the “arranged marriage system” – a guy and a girl who are ‘destined’ to be with each other (through the idea of horoscope matching) get married. They need not know each other or even have to love each other before getting married. Why, in the olden times, they wouldn’t even meet each other until the wedding ceremony. Just to clarify, this system doesn’t happen all over India but in the conservative families.

The rules have since relaxed a little. Nevertheless, it is still of importance to get the girl married before she turns a certain age, currently it is 24 (which is pretty late according to them!). I am in this inevitable system. There is this thing known as “trust” – something that I built with quite a strong foundation in my parents’ minds for not ‘loving’ or ‘dating’ any guy. This will keep me out of any relationships with a constant status of “Single but not available”. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to my friends of other lands but that is how it is!

I live in the Present too!

Being in such a connected world in the 21st Century, I have to say that 99% of the movies I see, books I read, and all of media revolve around “love”… not the daughter-parents love or platonic love but love – the feeling you have towards a special someone. While people on every other side of the Earth keep waiting to meet “the one”, I know that I’ll meet him through my parents. Nope, the guys on whom I have crushes on will never be my one. As of now, love is a forbidden emotion, almost like the Candy House in Hansel and Gretel! Yes, I know that I live in 2017!

I mean, forget love… lets talk about the dating game.

Have I ever dated? Nope! Because this will lead to love, of course. While some of my friends go on dates and love guys, I freak out about the fortress of trust. Once we break it, it will take long to re-build it. Do I want to go on a date? I am restricted from giving an absolute answer. I want to try it. Just imagine that you are forbidden from eating chocolate for your entire life and everywhere you see, there are movies and books about chocolate (analogy is, admittedly, not the greatest here). You would want to taste this restricted deliciousness… at least once, right?

Looking back at it now, it is funny that I have grown up with this ‘inserted’ thought that I’m not beautiful and I should be beautiful only for the guy I marry. To tell you the truth, I’m not a very pretty girl but a girl with some definite admirers. Yes, some of them have mustered up the courage to even approach me (dating game and love is still considered a mild taboo). I just rush away from the spot or speak to them meanly or even lie to them about already having a boyfriend. Haha! This is what I did! After all of this, my girlfriends and I sit and talk and laugh about these encounters! Although I kept brushing away dates, deep inside I knew that I wanted to try it once.

When I really wanted to try it and I asked some of my ‘experienced’ friends, they always tell me to never fall into this trap! Then, they would overflow with episodes from their bad dating life – the ones in which I would hate to be a part. Seeing them cry, I would feel that it is the right decision to stay far away from the dating world. But hey! I don’t know how it will be… These friends of mine recommend it one in four times… one in four times, they would actually be content in the game. This left me with the only thing that improved over the years – my imagination.

I imagine being on a date with the most awesome and handsome celebrities out there in the world. Even in my daydreams, the date doesn’t go well! I feel like everything is in the right place except my conscience. Haha! Growing up this way, I don’t think that I will ever sneak around to go on a date. I just cannot be a badass – it’s not me. And guess what? I like this style of living. I am familiar with it. I don’t have heart-breaks. I don’t need to search far and wide for my true love. I don’t need to date a couple of losers to find the one. I kind of get a fast-pass to the real deal in this game! Around 95% of the arranged marriages that happen through this system in India come with a guarantee that the couple will stay together as long as they live!

Welcome to my life!

❤ L.R.

Fashion blogger

THE RINK

^^^ Thank you so much again to Lakshmi for such an informative and delightful read! You can catch her again soon during my Think Spring guest bloggers series! What is the best or worst date that you have ever been on? How does Lakshmi’s lifestyle differ or relate to your own? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

PS: If you are interested in participating in my guest bloggers series, feel free to shoot me an email at sarah.mush6794@gmail.com! 🙂

Jan27

Blogger Recognition Award

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Blogger Recognition Award

Hiii everyone and TGIF! So I was nominated by my darling friend, Jackie, over at Makeup & Beyond for the Blogger Recognition Award. I love doing these things, I think that they are so fun so many thanks to Jackie for the nomination! Jackie is a good friend of mine with a fabulous page so please make sure to check it out AND be on the lookout for a guest post from her on my Think Spring series coming soon to lifewithlilred. Okay, let’s get to it:

The Rules:

Thank the blogger who nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
Write a post to show your award.
Give a brief story of how your blog started.
Give two pieces of advice to new bloggers.
Select 15 other bloggers you want to give this award to.
Comment on each blog and let them know you have nominated them and provide the link to the post you created.

How lifewithlilred Started:

So about two and a half years ago when my blog baby, lifewithlilred, was just being conceived, I was getting ready to start college at Tri-C. I was going on my fourth year of working a shitty retail job and was at a place in my life where I felt like I wasn’t really doing much of anything. I had always been commended by many people for my personal style and had often been urged by others to create a blog because they would definitely read it.

Finally, after the millionth time of being advised to start a blog, I rolled my eyes and said “fine” and got to work. Lil Red was a nickname given to me because of my bright red hair and lipstick by one of my favorite coworkers so I knew that I wanted to incorporate that into my blog title somehow. lifewithlilred just seemed to roll off the tongue perfectly and after a name was settled, I went from there. Two and a half years later and I am read in over one hundred and seventy countries and I could not be more thankful for my beloved readers and the encouragement to start this crazy little slice of my life website by my friends and strangers many moons ago! ❤

My Advice:

  1. Network Yourself: I hate to say to be that annoying person who constantly talks about your blog – but be that annoying person who constantly talks about your blog. No one will know your page even exists without help from word of mouth, social media, and interacting with fellow bloggers. Post your page on Facebook, make your own Facebook page for your blog, and like and comment on posts on the WordPress newsfeed. You will be giving yourself exposure as well as making awesome new friends!
  2. Work Hard: Blogging has this preconceived notion that it’s going to be easy peasy lemon squeezey and you will be a famous blogger after a week. That’s not the case. It took me over a year of hard work to get a barely stable following of readers and after two and a half years, I am still not where I want to be. But that’s okay! If you love to write, then blogging is an amazing hobby and not a chore. If you are only in it to make money or toy with the possibility of working from home, then I wouldn’t quit your day job!

My Nominees (I am only doing three!):

Once again, thank you to Jackie for the nomination for the Blogger Recognition Award and I can’t wait to host you on my page soon! What is everyone up to this weekend? Any big plans? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan24

New Target Dress

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New Target Dress

Hiii everyone and happy Tuesday! This past weekend I did a little shopping to beat the winter blahs of January away and I ended up with a super cute new dress from Target. As I entered the store, I was so happy to see that they had their spring clothing on display. The winter weather in Ohio has been unusually, freakishly mild this year – we’re talking weather in the 50s and 60s. So, needless to say, I have definitely been thinking spring! I am a bit sad that I haven’t gotten to make use out of all of my gorgeous cold weather clothing but I can’t complain about this warm streak of weather when Ohio winters are usually bitter cold.

Not only did the spring style temps inspire me to buy myself something pretty but I also got my new dress to spice up my work wardrobe. I have grown weary of wearing the same pants and a blazer during the days when I’m bopping around visiting different day programs and group homes so I thought some fun new dresses would be a perfect way to go. For work, I always enjoy pairing up a dress with some tall riding boots and tights to create a look that is posh and profesh rather than too revealing. Take a look at my newest work and play wardrobe addition:

What I love the most about this dress is the shape and, of course, the color! Mustard yellow is one of those colors that happens to look really good on me thanks to the pasty pale skin and red hair so whenever I see something cute in this color, I always have to try it on! I love the base color of this dress but I also think that the periwinkle blue, cream, and pink floral pattern looks gorgeous over top of it. This dress reminds me a bit of my all time favorite dress from Urban Outfitters but I think that it is so darling that I don’t even care!

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The other fantastic thing about my new dress is the shape. It looks like a seriously seventies style frock and I think that it’s just perfect. The buttons down the front add some edge while the fluttering, flowy sleeves add a sweet touch of 1970s glam. I can’t wait to pair this dress with my tan knee high riding boots for work and then ditching the boots for my pair of BCBGeneration cut out heels for play as seen below:

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If you have spring on your mind and are getting winter cabin fever, then you better head to Target and get your shop on. Their spring collection is filled with pretty frocks, kimono tops, and a whole lot of girly fun!

How do you rock a business casual work outfit? What clothing items are you most looking forward to wearing when the warm weather finally hits? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan21

Pinup Girl Style Swap

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Pinup Girl Style Swap

Hi everyone and happy weekend!! My dear friend, Carlie, and I decided that it would be super fun to do a style swap themed blog post – and of course we were right! During our communications via email we each assigned each other a style that we might not dress in on a regular day. If you’ve seen Carlie’s blog before, you’ll know that she is the epitome of pinup girl rocker chic and that is something that I am so not! Knowing this, I thought that it would be a friendly challenge to give Carlie the task of creating a preppy look while she assigned me with styling a pinup girl OOTD.

Quite honestly, I know nothing about pinup girl and rockabilly style so I had to turn to good ol’ Google Images to assist me with my challenge. After scouring the pics for a while, I noticed a common theme of cute curls and sassy updos, tied at the waist plaids, flirty dresses, and bustier tops. Unfortunately, I don’t really have any dresses or tops in my wardrobe that give a super accentuated cleavage while providing a tiny waist line because I’m just not comfortable with that, so I had to think outside of the box. Here’s what I came up with:

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What I Wore:

  • Checkered Top: Hollister, GoodWill – $4
  • Black Shorts: So…, Kohl’s – $12
  • Color Blocked Kitten Heels: Calico, GoodWill – $6
  • Daisy Earrings: Forever 21 – $4

I’m going to keep it real with you guys –  some of the pieces in this outfit are like six years old haha I’ve had my GoodWill Hollister top and Calico heels for ages. But it felt good to be able to style such a cute and sassy look for under thirty dollars with some oldie but goodie wardrobe essentials.

However, I knew that just an adorbs outfit wasn’t going to be enough because in pinup girl fashion, there seemed to be a huge emphasis on hair. I rarely ever make an effort at curling my hair because it’s simply a matter of preference – I love when my hair is pin straight. I knew my curls wouldn’t be perfect because I have no practice doing it, but I gave it a go anyways with my flat iron and surprisingly loved the way it turned out. I felt like my effort looked like an ode to pinup girl style without being super obvious and I even felt encouraged to wear my hair like that again in the future. And, of course, pinup girls wouldn’t be pinup girls without a cherry red lip so I broke out my tried and true NYX True Red matte lippie to complete the look.

Finally, it was picture time! In all of the pictures that I studied to give me some pinup girl inspiration, I noticed that there were a lot of specific poses that seemed to be used constantly. Popped legs, bent knees with your hands on your thighs, and a booty tooch with an arched back for starters. So, I practiced in the mirror and then had my dad who is super handy with a camera snap away.

After three or so minutes, I took a look at the pics and was SO happy with the results. After seeing the look come together in the photos, I felt like it was easy to recognize what style I was emulating while stilling giving it a fun Lil Red twist. I was going for a more modern pinup girl look and I hate to toot my own horn – but I think I nailed it!

So now, the question is: Would I wear a pinup girl style look again? I can’t say that this would be an every day look for me but it was fun to change things up. I can see myself wearing an outfit like this during the summertime while going to the pool or browsing around my favorite outdoor shopping mall. However, I think that I would try to tone the look down depending on where I was by throwing on a pair of combat boots or an edgier heel so the look wasn’t so cutesy because I am a punk girl at heart!

So there you have it, my Pinup Girl Style Swap! Make sure to check out Carlie’s preppy look transformation, too! How would you describe your style? What type of style or clothing do you rarely find yourself wearing? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan11

Exciting News!!

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Exciting News!!

Hey everyone and happy Hump Day! I have some very exciting news for my Think Spring Guest Bloggers Series that I just couldn’t wait to share. As you guys know, my friend Angela (who I wrote about yesterday) has a delightful little Etsy shop dedicated to homemade bath and body care goodies. And because Miss Angie and I are in cahoots with each other, I ran an idea by her to get her crafty self to participate in my series. So, I am very excited to share with you guys that as a Lil Red Exclusive, Angela will be creating a signature spring scent special for my readers as a part of the series.

The product will launch on her Etsy shop as well as through an article on lifewithlilred during the series. I am also hoping that we might be able to employ a special discount available to my readers! I am SO excited to see what Angela comes up with but I also want to hear your input, too. What scents do you think are perfect for spring? What is your favorite bath and body care item to treat yourself with? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

PS: If you’re interested in participating in the guest bloggers series, shoot me an email at: sarah.mush6794@gmail.com !

Jan10

Blogging BFF!

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Blogging BFF!

Hiii everyone and happy Tuesday! Over the years that lifewithlilred has been up, I have been lucky enough to make some amazing Blogging BFFs that I keep in touch with pretty frequently. Thanks to email, Facebook, and commenting on each others blogs, it is easy to become fast friends with some of your readers. Today, I got a little post holiday prezzie in the mail from one of my favorites, Carlie, over at Bombshell and wanted to give her a special shout out! I love getting letters and packages in the mail so it was so fun to open this little ditty today:

necklace

Thank you so much again, Carlie, I love it! Please be sure to take a minute to check out her blog and be on the lookout for a collaboration post between the two of us coming soon! Much love. -Sarah

Jan4

Interior Trends That You’ll Simply Love in 2017

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Interior Trends That You’ll Simply Love in 2017

Hii everyone and happy hump day! My friend, Chloe, was kind enough to write a guest post for lifewithlilred about some super cool home decor tips for the new year. She did an amazing job and I am so happy to be able to host her on my page! Check it out:

Interior Trends That You’ll Simply Love in 2017:

Another year’s drawing to an end, and while most homeowners are busy putting up Christmas decorations and making plans for the holiday ahead, interior designers already have their eyes locked on the trends that will mark the season to come. In 2016, we’ve seen a rise of the open-plan living, gentle blends of rose and gold touches, mix-and-match decors, eclectic traveler and boho chic aesthetics, 3D gallery walls, and other suave home features, some of which will stay in vogue in 2017. Nevertheless, in addition to the trending features, the year to come will bring along a few new design tendencies to help house-proud homeowners dial up the visual game in their nests. Here are five of the biggest trends we’ll be seeing more of in the year to come:

1. Upholstered Headboards for Snug Dreams:

Upholstered headboards entered the home decor scene through the back door in the past few years, infusing chic bedrooms with an extra dose of interest and comfort. The popularity of cute tufted headboards will persist in 2017, pushing minimalist timber bed frames out of style.

This is such a simple way to add a dose of glamour and elegance to the bedroom. Upholstered bed frames will rock neutral hues, dramatic buttons, and sumptuous fabrics such as velvet or plush for vintage aesthetics and first-rate comfort.

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2. Spare Hours Lulled in Mother Nature’s Lap:

Natural materials were a huge hit among interior designers over the past couple of years and it looks like the trend will stick around for at least one year longer. Natural stone and wood will remain on trend in stylish homes in 2017, but this year around, they’ll be topped by cork panels and unexpected combinations starring metal and sensitive materials. Cork will climb up stylish home office walls, providing a blank (and noise-proof) canvas for creative wall art experiments and note-pinning sprees.

At the same time, rattan, bamboo, leather, and fur will conquer suave living areas, instilling the modern home with a dose of style au naturale.

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3. A Nod to Bygone Eras and Dreamy Designs:

In 2017, vintage, shabby chic, and boho interiors will remain on trend, but they’ll be joined by a few more time-honored designs, such as mid-century modern, Victorian, and classic décor. For a touch of old-school charisma, you can update the living room following in retro footsteps, and if you want to tweak the bedroom to get the biggest stylistic bang for your buck, you may want to check this out and use expert cues to dial up the boudoir visuals and overall home aesthetics.

In case you want to pay tribute to the more rugged among time-tested home styles, you can infuse your nest with rough-looking extras such as animal hides, furs, and reclaimed wood.

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4. Revamped and Re-Imagined Color Palette:

As for the trending hues in the season ahead, Pantone has already rolled out their tonal picks for spring and summer, branding green as the color of the year 2017. Versatile, vigorous, and trans-seasonal, textiles and accessories in bright green will fit in natural-inspired decors and liven up a minimalist home with a dose of playful contrast and unexpected tonal accents.

Other colors that will sneak into stylish living areas in the year ahead will include terracotta, brown, grey, and dark blue, along with a nod to jewel tones which will be used as accents to rev up visual interest and add vibrancy to the room.

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5. Stainless Steel for a Dose of Stylistic Chill:

Although the focus of designers’ attention in the year to come will rest on mix-and-match decor formulas and creative reinterpretations of classic designs, modern materials will still have their rightful place in a 2017 home. Stainless steel and original combinations of metallic surfaces such as bronze, brass, copper, wrought iron, and brushed aluminum will help define a well-grounded framework for textural and tonal experiments. A subtle way to add a note of contemporary chill to top-notch homes, stainless steel and metal finishes will help maintain aesthetic balance and keep the visual scale snugly secured halfway between vintage fluff and 21st-century industrial.

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Other up-and-coming trends we can expect to see in the year ahead include a growing affection for natural fiber and coarse textiles, the return of farmhouse and country style, the rise of luxury furnishings and retro-inspired pieces such as mantelpieces, fire pits, all-wood deck furniture, and a slow comeback of the traditional closed room layout.

Judging by the looks of it, the year ahead will be marked by quite a few awe-inspiring interior designs, so if you’re looking to doll up your home any time soon, make sure you keep an eye out for new trends and add a few fresh decor pieces to take the look of your home from dull to fab. Good luck!

^^^ Thank you so much to Chloe for treating lifewithlilred to this post!! -Sarah