Taking a Peek at the Atlanta Market

Coming this July 13 – 19th is the Atlanta Market, the Premier Gift, Décor, and Lifestyle Market. Housing the nation’s largest gift product mix complemented by a broad selection of home décor. Atlanta Market features more than 8,000 brands across all categories including seasonal, gourmet, tabletop, outdoor and more.  Explore a thoughtfully curated environment where trends are revealed and where product is personal. Experience the irreplaceable feeling of seeing the varied hues of your next bestseller and feeling its weight and texture in your hands. This event is a big one in the design world.  It’s a trend setter and a place to get the most magnificent ideas for future projects as well as buy some design treasures.

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Who Will Be There?

There are three buildings of exhibitors so you will want to plan your day.  Downloading their app is important which you can find at https://www.atlantamarket.com/Attend/App. It will help you find your way around and be strategic about your route.  You can find a list of exhibitors as well by clicking here. You can also join Market’s community of influencers, retail experts, store owners, designers, media and manufacturers for an array of educational seminars, demos, industry networking events, tastemaker parties and more.  These are offered both in person and by webinar.

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Home Décor

My personal favorites are in the home décor area located in building 1 on floors 1-15.  Included is lighting, linens & textiles, wall décor and rugs and let’s not forget all the other wonderful accessories. If you want to find items to complete your design projects, this is the area that I recommend.  There is a lot of fabulous stuff here.  My favorites are the wicker and rattans and some of the new upholsteries I find at this market.  Designers will often take their whole team with them to this market because it’s such an inspirational place.  I’m excited to find out the summer trends for 2021 and incorporate what I learn into my new construction designs.

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

For more information on the Priority Group and to see homes designed by Sallie Elliott visit us at one of our online locations here https://linktr.ee/omahaprioritygroup.

Auld Lang Syne….What?

It’s a bid fare well to old times. Who knew? What we’re not bidding farewell to this time of year are fun and stylish party designs. Here are a few goodies to help you decorate for your New Year’s Eve celebration. Colors, textures, old, new, exotic, traditional or modern styles can be used to create an esthetically pleasing party pallet. When it comes to temporary décor for an occasion, the sky is the limit. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the bling is my thing. And it’s ever so appropriate for this particular holiday. The more sparkle, the better. In my opinion, if you don’t come away from the party covered in glitter then I’ve not done my job as a fabulous host. Here we go.

Lay It Out

The table filled with edible treats is going to be your centerpiece. This is your opportunity to get out all the good stuff. Use the china and crystal you’ve been saving since you got married. Your guests will love being trusted with your expensive accoutrements and it makes us feel special. Pick a theme whether it be a color theme or a party theme or go with something a little more random and maybe a little boho. Layer your serving pieces so that you have some dimension on the tabletop. Plus, it helps your guests to see what goodies are there as opposed to having to walk all the way around to see what’s in the back. Add live or artificial greenery as filler, and perhaps create an overstuffed look of abundance. Candles make things feel warm and inviting, just ensure that it’s safe and there won’t be small children around to tip them over. Formal linens really make a statement especially if they are a matching set. Lay those out for the party people to use or just as decoration depending on how many you have and don’t be afraid of a healthy splash of color.

A Bit More Casual

I mentioned going a little more boho rather than formal and I meant it. Not everyone wants to have a small get together where everyone uses the good silver. Some of us prefer a casual wine and beer event with paper plates and disposable cups. Yes, I said the words paper and disposable. There are some nice matching sets of paper plates, disposable cups, and matching paper napkins. They bring your party look together and they’re easy to clean up at the end of the night. Plus, if you have anyone that celebrates a bit too much, you don’t have to worry about broken champagne glasses. And using these doesn’t have to cheapen your party décor. Just spice up the table with a nice charcuterie which is like decorating with food. Lay out some rolled deli meats that make your plate look intentional instead of random. Decorate with food so to speak. Lay out your napkins and plates in a decorative manner so that no one notices they’re paper. And lastly, decorate the room. Balloons are a nice way to fill up a room without spending too much and you can add decorative ribbon to them and let it hang down from the ceiling for a romantic feel.

Decorate Your Guests

Don’t forget that the people at the party like a little wearable schwag. Buy some matching hats, boas, necklaces, eyeglasses, or masquerade masks for them to put on. And everyone loves to snap a good pic so go for it with a designated area for photo opps. Include a shiny backdrop and some quick costume pieces or hold up frames for folks to enjoy while snapping away. You can even go nuts and rent a photo booth if you like. Everyone will love dressing up a bit and creating photographic memories with the props you provide. And it makes for some funny social media posts to last a lifetime. All you have left to do now is enjoy the countdown and welcome in 2021.

Wishing you a prosperous new year from our Priority Group family to yours. For more blog posts and to find out more about us go to www.omahaprioritygroup.com or schedule a meetup to discuss your real estate needs with one of our team members.

Smart and Stylish Laundry Rooms

Once upon a time, laundry rooms were overlooked and made to be utilitarian only. The typical laundry room had a washer, dryer next to the furnace and a drain in the middle of the concrete. They were also located in some dungeonous part of the basement where only Mom dared to venture. Now they’ve moved to more practical places in the home. For instance, most two-story homes have a laundry room on the second level where all the bedrooms, hence the clothing, is actually located. Makes sense. In one ranch style models you’ll often find the laundry room is also what’s called a mud room or a drop zone. That means it’s a room where you can come in from the garage and drop the items that don’t need to be in the house or need to be laundered, keeping the house organized and free from superfluous sports equipment and uniforms.

Utility and Style

Often you will find cabinetry in laundry rooms, but the latest trends are to have attractive cabinetry not something that’s been recycled from a kitchen renovation. The cabinets will tie your laundry room in with the rest of the house making it look like an intentional space. Putting in a sink is also a great way to rinse muddy items, paint brushes or other things you might not want to put in your kitchen sink. To add a little style to the room that you probably spend more time in daily there are wonderful paint colors to invite your laundry room into the present day. For instance, robin’s egg blue might not be a color you would use on your kitchen cabinets but for a smaller set of cabinets it can really transform the space into a pleasing and brighter place. Add some brushed brass cabinet hardware and voila!

Tile It!

Again, to make your laundry room a place where you don’t mind going, hand painted tile on the floor might be nice. And don’t be afraid to go bold. Beauty and function don’t have to live separately in your home. Tiling a backsplash, which isn’t often done in this room, makes a lot of sense, especially on the wall where your sink resides. It’s practical so that you don’t ruin your walls and if you add countertop to ceiling tile you add a design feature that is also esthetically pleasing. Don’t be afraid to decorate this space. After all, you spend a lot of time there. Why shouldn’t it be pleasant?

Decorate It!

Yes, I said decorate it. As you can see in this photo from a home, I personally designed we added a vase and some artwork. If there is a blank wall, why not put something pretty there. Have a large countertop? Add an artificial plant just to liven it up. There’s no reason why you can spice up the laundry room with a vignette of items. Place them strategically so they don’t get in the way of folding clothing or ironing but do put some out so that this room is part of your house rather than the place no one should go.

Lighting

Gone are the days of stark, florescent lighting in the laundry room. There is absolutely no reason to have lighting that is so bright white, you can see into the future. Do something dramatic and put a hanging light in there. With today’s LED bulbs you’ll still get enough light without getting a sun burn. Try something casual like a wicker shaded hanging light or a flat black metal light as the center piece of the room. If you have a flare for the dramatic and really want to enjoy doing laundry, hang something with a little more bling like a small glass chandelier. I personally have a flare for the bling, so I highly suggest the latter.

To read more blog topics and to find out more about Priority Group go to www.omahaprioritygroup.com