Books serve as affordable, contemporary home décor any modern decorator can use. Learn how to use your favorite titles in accent home décor that will never go out of style. All about using books as contemporary home décor and modern home design. Books belong in kitchens, living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, foyers, hallways, and guest rooms.
Ben and Erin Napier might just be the most darling new husband-and-wife team on the small screen. But the couple—owners of Laurel Mercantile Co. and hosts of HGTV’s Home Town, which follows the pair as they renovate turn-of-the-century homes in Laurel, Mississippi, where they reside—have a love story that’s one for the movies.is your dym
The two first met in college when their school’s yearbook team (of which Erin was the design editor) decided to profile the most interesting figures on campus, including Ben. “When I discovered that they wanted to feature me, I jumped at the opportunity, knowing that she was in yearbook,” Ben admits, noting that he still recalls the very first time he gave Erin a hug (December 7, 2004). “Six days later, I knew I was in love with her and would marry her one day—so I told her,” he reveals. “Luckily, she felt the same way. We felt at home with each other from the day we met.”
Since then, they’ve only gotten closer. Last November, the couple celebrated their nine-year wedding anniversary—and in January, they welcomed a new baby girl, Helen, just days before the second season of Home Town premiered. “We have a weird relationship—at least, that’s what people tell us,” Ben says. “The more time we spend together, the happier we are.”
The secret to their success as a married couple? “Communication,” Erin asserts. “We’re together 24 hours a day because we feel like the strongest team that way.” Ben wholeheartedly agrees: “We are in perfect conversation with each other—we communicate about every little detail of our lives,” he says. “Talking about everything and prayer are the glue in our marriage.”
Here, the duo reveal how they got their start in home renovation, how they landed their very own show, and their favorite words to live by.
What was it like, growing up in Mississippi?
Erin: I grew up five minutes outside the city limits of Laurel, on my family’s farm. I had never lived anywhere else before going to college. My days were spent working on art projects with mama, or building tents with my grandparents, or exploring parks in town.
I wanted to get out of south Mississippi and attend school at Flagler College, a tiny school in St. Augustine, Florida. I was waitlisted despite having a 4.0 GPA. So, reluctantly, I attended Jones County Junior College, where I had so much fun and met Ben.
Ben: We lived in Collins, Mississippi, when I was first born, but as a United Methodist minister’s family, we moved around a lot. I finished high school in North Carolina before attending Jones County Junior College. After meeting Erin, we decided to go to Ole Miss together. We both graduated in 2007.
How did you each get your start in home renovation?
Erin: Around 7th grade, my mom let me totally redesign my room however I wanted. We spent a weekend painting, hanging wallpaper, picking new furniture. It is one of my favorite experiences. As a kid, I didn’t scrapbook or plan for my wedding—I planned for my dream house. I would take my mom’s home design magazines and clip out my favorite images and dream of designing a house one day. So I suppose I would say that my love for home design started during childhood, and my mama and I approached it just like any other fun art project. That has been the hallmark of my work ever since—interior design, graphic design; it’s all the same thing. It’s storytelling in a visual way.
Ben: When we got engaged, we set about designing our first home. We were both broke, working our first jobs out of college, and we renovated a loft in downtown Laurel. I got my start in woodworking out of necessity: I had a wife with great taste and a small budget.
What’s the best part about living in Laurel, Mississippi? What sets it apart from other small towns in the South?
Ben: Laurel is unlike most small southern towns I’ve lived in or visited. It’s a very industrial town that was founded in the late 19th century. The founders were educated and cultured, two things that became a part of their industrial town. Laurel is as much industrial blue collar as it is artistic and creative.
What do you think it’ll take to fully revitalize Laurel?
Ben: Perception. For outsiders looking in, Laurel is an incredible town. For some of our insiders who’ve been here forever, it’s dead and never coming back. No town or city is perfect—every place has its own unique problems, but a city thrives when we begin to take pride in what we’re doing right.
Talk about why all of Laurel Mercantile Co.’s furnishings are handmade locally, and what “Made in the USA” means to you.
Talk about why all of Laurel Mercantile Co.’s furnishings are handmade locally, and what “Made in the USA” means to you.
Ben: I grew up in small towns in Mississippi and North Carolina. I’ve done manual labor alongside some of the hardest working and smartest people in the world. All over America, there are small towns with empty, dilapidated warehouses and factories. The people in those towns have either left or are scraping by. Without American manufacturing, small towns can’t survive. Granted, there are farm towns that will be successful as long as there are farmers to support them. Towns like Laurel, however, need that industrial base.
With regards to your brand’s furniture line, Scotsman Co., do you have a hand in crafting all of the pieces?
Ben: Absolutely. Everything with the Scotsman Co. stamp is designed or built by me. I started the brand on my own a few years ago. It’s almost as important as my name.
How has living in small-town Mississippi shaped your design aesthetic?
Erin: Our style is collected, layered, traveled, and comfortable. I would probably label it something like “eclectic traditional.” It’s very much the story of Mississippi, using whatever you have to make art—our homes are like that!
Which Laurel Mercantile pieces can be found in your own house?
Erin: The majority of our products are designed out of necessity. Ben and I, or one of our partners finds something that we need, or we think of a way to improve something. So, we meet about it and work with manufacturers to develop our products. I have our cutting boards and kitchen towels in our kitchen. I use our vintage silverware for serving. My Scotsman Co. dinner table has a Laurel Mercantile grain-sack runner. Our products are scattered throughout our home.
Erin, what prompted you to start a daily blog? Did you launch it with an audience in mind, or was it initially just meant for you?
I decided to write Make Something Good Today, my daily journal, as a remedy to assuage the worry and negativity that comes so naturally to me, the day I started my own company and became totally self-employed on January 1, 2010. I committed to writing down at least one good thing that happened every single day of our life, and it changed my life. I started looking for the good instead of waiting for the bad to happen. It was like looking at life through rose-colored glasses by habit, which was very good for me.
I never imagined anyone reading it besides my mom and Ben. But committing to writing it in a public way held me accountable, so I kept doing it day after day. I didn’t want my mom to ask, “Why didn’t you write today?”
What’s the story behind how you two landed your very own show?
Ben: I had just resigned from my position as full-time youth director at our church after feeling that I was aging out of it, and my heart wasn’t in it like it needed to be anymore. So, we were in a state of “have we done the right thing?” when we received an email from HGTV’s Lindsey Weidhorn, asking if we’d ever considered being on TV. It didn’t feel like it would actually happen, but it felt like an affirmation that I had done the right thing.
Erin: We agreed that we would have fun with it and see where it went. Once it came to the point of no return, we knew we had to do it. It was less about this huge opportunity for our family, and more about shining a positive spotlight on our town and our state.
How did the making of Home Town impact your relationship/work dynamic?
Erin: We had to become very regimented. As small business owners, our schedules had always been very scattered and flexible. We might be working on a project at 1:00 in the morning, and then have a coffee meeting with a client at 8:00 am. We made our own schedules. With filming, our schedule is made for us. Every minute of every day has been planned for us.
How does the show’s second season differ from the first?
Ben: The viewers get to see more of our processes. Erin gets to paint in her art studio a little bit, while we spend more time filming in my woodshop. Viewers will also see us getting to know the homeowners on a more personal level, something that is really important to us in designing a home.
Are there any Season Two episodes in particular that excited you?
Erin: We got to work with some small business owners from downtown Laurel this season. One of them was featured in a shopping scene in season 1. We were able to help them with a completely different style of home from what they’ve been living in. In that episode, Ben gets to work on a surprise for me and Helen. It’s the most beautiful thing he’s ever built.
Which Home Town project has been your favorite thus far?
Erin: I would say they’ve all been memorable and unique. As far as the houses go, Jodi and Bill Holloway’s home has been a favorite of mine. The house was in really sad condition, and they’re good friends of ours, so it was doubly exciting. Anytime I can work with my mom or our friends on a project, those stand out. I love seeing Ben and Jim and Josh going out on their excursions because it's just like real life with them.
What’s the easiest (and most economical) renovation project homeowners can take on themselves?
Ben: Anything DIY is always going to be the most economical. Painting rooms or cabinets can really transform a home. Painting a kitchen, walls and cabinets, then changing out cabinet hardware can add a lot of value and personal accomplishment to a home. If you want to take it another step that’s affordable and transformative, you can order new cabinet doors from a company like Morgan Brothers Millworks here in Laurel.
What’s one interior design project homeowners should always leave to the professionals?
Erin: I’m afraid of all things electrical and always vote to phone that work in! But design-wise, I don’t think there’s much you should be afraid of tackling yourself. Except maybe refinishing a bathtub. Call the pros for that!
Congrats on the new baby! Talk about what it’s like having to juggle taking care of a newborn on top of the family businesses.
Ben: Luckily, the new year is always a slow time in retail. So, we’ve been able to spend a lot of time at home with her. We have been doing a lot of conference call meetings and interviews.
Erin: Honestly, she is easier than we thought. Right now, she sleeps and eats. She is a little angel baby. However, we are struggling with cabin fever. We never turn on our TV and are rarely at home between the hours of 8:00 am and 8:00 pm. So 24 hours a day at home, lots of movies and TV, and not being able to go anywhere to keep her safe from this year’s crazy flu season has us at our wits’ end!
Can fans expect to see Helen on the show in future seasons?
Ben: We aren’t so sure about that. We want her to grow up with as normal of a childhood as possible, the way we grew up.
If you could turn back time and relive a single moment, what would it be?
Erin: I would probably go back to the week we met in 2004. I wouldn’t change anything about it, though. I’d just like to fall in love with Ben again. It was the most magical week of my life.
Ben: I’d want to relive 2010, the first year of Erin’s self-employment. Getting to see her blossom as an artist and the traveling we did together all over again would be incredible.
What are your favorite words to live by, and why do you subscribe to them?
Ben: “Do the best you can, and don’t worry about it.” That’s really all any of us can do.
Erin: “Bloom where you’re planted,” because each of us has some skill or gift specific to us and no one else. Our communities thrive and grow when we all use those gifts together, in tandem. Also, “fake it ‘til you make it!” Act as if you’re the professional you want to be until someday you become that. It’s the art of practicing confidence.
What’s next for the Napiers?
Erin: There are a lot of big projects that we can’t discuss yet. We are constantly working on something. Small projects can be as important as big ones. One big one is we are wanting to expand our companies. We want to take on more manufacturing and begin wholesaling our products all over the country, but we’re taking baby steps!
Ben: It’s a dream of mine for Scotsman Co. products to be available in stores in all 50 states.
At the end of the day, the most important thing in life is…
Ben: Family. Nothing is as important as the ones you love.
About The Author
Identical twin sisters Lex and Alana LeBlanc have always been incredibly close—and unsurprisingly, have plenty in common: “We’re both competitive, extremely driven, vegetarian—and we can’t stand people who chew food loudly,” the two, best known as the hosts of HGTV’s Listed Sisters, confess.
Born in Los Angeles and raised in Las Vegas, the 35-year-old duo now live in Nashville, where the series, now in its second season, is filmed. The show follows the sisters as they help local families remodel and sell their old houses—and ultimately, find their dream homes. (Similar to Property Brothers’ Jonathan and Drew Scott, each sibling specializes in one half of the home-owning process: NYSID graduate Lex is an expert in construction and interior design, while Alana, a RE/MAX Elite broker, is a pro at buying and selling.)
According to the pair, every renovation takes between four to six weeks, and they often work on multiple homes at a time. As for their favorite: “We will always love our first-ever renovation of Listed Sisters,” Lex says. “The home turned out beautifully and we still remain friends with the family to this day.”
The sisters are also business partners off-screen, jointly managing Lex’s company—LAVA Home Design—which launched in 2014. The firm provides an array of interior decor, remodeling, and handyman services, along with a line of home accents and furnishings Lex curates herself. (“I love finding things at flea markets,” she enthuses.)
Below, the twins reveal the best part about their jobs, discuss their favorite pastimes, and discuss most important move home shoppers should make before purchasing a fixer upper.
What brought you both to Tennessee?
Lex: Alana was living in Nashville working as a realtor in new construction and I was in New York when we realized we should join forces. Real estate and interior design go hand in hand, so I made the move, and the rest is history! We are so lucky to be able to work together everyday and help people create their forever homes.
What’s the best part about your job?
Lex: The best thing about being a designer is that I get to choose the design style for each space on a case-by-case basis. I always figure out our clients’ “design personality” and make sure the space functions for their needs and represents their lifestyle.
Alana: Being able to guide people through what most likely will be the biggest most emotional purchase of their lives.
How would you describe your own home?
Lex: I am currently renovating—almost done! I would describe the style as classic worldly with a modern twist.
What’s your advice for home shoppers looking to purchase a fixer upper? (How can they tell if a property is a real steal or a bad deal?)
Lex: The most important thing to do when buying a fixer is to have a thorough inspection. Bring your contractor to the home to get his opinion and estimate of the scope of work before you seal the deal.
What’s your favorite HGTV show (apart from “Listed Sisters”)?
We love any show with the Scott Brothers. Could be the twin thing, or that they are two genuine people.
How long do you see yourselves living in Nashville?
We both love our city and don’t plan on going anywhere anytime soon.
What’s your favorite place to hangout in the city?
We love live music, and downtown has plenty of it!
Name a few things you like to do in your spare time.
Lex: I love to practice yoga, watch Netflix and chill!
Alana: Hiking, being out in nature and photography.
What’s the greatest thing about being identical twins?
The best part is that we were literally born best friends. We know everything about each other and can always trust one another.
If you weren’t in your current professions, what would you be doing instead?
Lex: I would be living on a beautiful island teaching yoga everyday, and Alana would be a world-class chef because she loves cooking!
About The Author
Alison Gramenos aspired to be an interior designer from the get-go. “I’ve always known since I was little,” she says. “I started with designing my room and my friends’ rooms—ripping out carpets to get to the hardwood and painting furniture.”
Born and raised in Chicago, she received a degree in interior architecture from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and went on to become the youngest designer at high-end home builder Christopher Homes. Two years later, she launched her own consulting firm. “I didn’t want to work for anyone else, ever—I wanted to have my own business and call the shots. I’m a control freak,” she admits.
Since then, she’s designed the interiors of countless luxury residences and resorts and spearheaded the $160 million expansion of Sin City’s Silverton Casino Hotel. But these days, Gramenos—professionally known as Alison Victoria—is most famous for hosting DIY Network’s Kitchen Crashers. Now in its ninth season, the reality show—part of the channel’s hit Crashers series—follows the petite wonder as she scours home improvement stores for folks in need of a kitchen revamp. (Once Alison finds a client, she takes a month to design their dream space and order the necessary materials, then shoots the entire renovation in a span of three to four days.)
Here, the creative star dishes on how she became the first female Crasher, offers advice to DIYers, and reveals her favorite design project of all time.
Describe your personal aesthetic.
Vintage and modern—a total mix.
What was the greatest challenge in opening your own company?
I don’t think there really was one. Every mistake I’ve made, I’ve learned so much from—every failure, I’ve just gotten back up.
What’s your favorite room in your house?
The kitchen. It’s very timeless, layerable.
How did you become the host of Kitchen Crashers?
I just answered a random email sent to 300 different designers in Chicago asking if we were willing to do a design show on HGTV. I wrote them back—and here I am, nine seasons later. There was no vetting process, no auditioning—they were looking for someone to be a ghost designer for a show called “House Crashers,” and the production company really liked me. The network pitched me on a couple different shows, but I said no and pitched them back to do kitchens as the first female Crasher.
What does being the first female Crasher mean to you?
It means everything. It’s setting the bar a little higher—it’s showing everyone that I can do everything a man can do. It’s putting women on the map in the category.
For those looking to refresh their own kitchens, what’s the easiest DIY project they can undertake?
They can paint their own cabinets. Rent or buy a sprayer and do it the right way. Save time, save money, but make it look professional.
What’s the best advice you can give to beginner DIYers?
Know your limits. Don’t mess around with mechanical, electrical, or plumbing systems—hire an expert. Do your homework. Really understand what you can tackle versus what you need to hire someone to do.
What’s your favorite design project to date?
The Kohler Design Center kitchen—it’s called “American Designer in Paris.” I just finished that. It was a dream kitchen of mine—you can check it out online.
Name a fellow designer you deeply admire.
There are two I absolutely adore—Kelly Wearstler and Kara Mann. I used Kelly’s tiles in the Kohler kitchen—it’s all on my Instagram!
What are you currently working on?
I’ve got my development and design company, Chicago Reimagined—I’m a real estate developer in Chicago—and I’m doing a new TV show on HGTV called Windy City Rehab that will follow me around Chicago flipping houses. That’s going to premiere in May.
What’s one thing your fans would be surprised to learn about you?
Honestly, because of the reality TV show, people see everything, know everything—I’m an open book. I love to travel. I love animals. I love rap music. My grandmother is my best friend. It’s all on social media. I don’t think there’s anything that I’m secretive about.
What’s the best part about your job? The worst?
I love everything—the good, the bad, and the ugly. I have amazing clients and opportunities, and I get to meet awesome people from all over. There are so many people in this world who don’t love what they do, and I’m not one of them!
About The Author
Do you find yourself dreaming about redecorating your home, flipping through furniture catalogs, pinning your way through home decor boards? Perhaps you are thinking about spicing up or completely re-doing a space in your home, and don't know what exactly you're looking for. Sometimes a bit of inspiration is all you need, and what better place for it than Instagram? Instagram is full of creative home decorators with solutions for every design taste and home style. We'll even save you the trouble of picking out the best; here’s our top ten accounts to follow for all the home decor ideas you could need.
1. CASA CLAUDIA (@revistacasaclaudia)
If you’re filled with wanderlust, CASA CLAUDIA has the designs for you. This account offers lots of modern decor ideas, most of which focus on color choice and minimalist design. Many of the designs have an exotic vibe and offer creative ways of adding a little foreign flair to any home or apartment.
The account also posts accent inspiration and small ideas to make simple things work into the design of your home. For example, inverted light bulbs can be used as wall-mounted planters. A vintage map may be strung and hung against a blank wall for an easy but appealing accent. Changing or adding just a few accents in your space can make a big difference, and CASA CLAUDIA can provide just the right inspiration to do so, by getting creative with plants, colors, and smaller accents around shelving and tables.
If you like minimalism, but want to get a bit more creative, check out CASA CLAUDIA’s modern room designs. These minimalist spaces always include a bit of bold and creative flair. A bright piece of wall art or colorful pillow can make a huge difference in an otherwise monochrome room.
5. Department of Artisans (@departmentofartisans)
This one is for the adventurers! Department of Artisans describes itself as "bringing lost crafts + culture back to the surface with a modern aesthetic; fulfilling a need for wanderlusters to always be surrounded by culture." Indeed, if this account doesn't inspire you to redecorate, it may inspire you to travel the world. Using designs and decor from around the globe, this account showcases many patterns and styles of modern homes that we don’t necessarily see every day, but can easily be incorporated into our own spaces.
Exotic tile designs and wall patterns can easily find a place in the modern home to give a good pop to otherwise dull spaces. Styles from faraway places, like Morocco, can add a little excitement to your home. It's especially easy to use blankets, scarves, and drapes with different patterns to bring personality to a room. Drape a new throw over an otherwise dull couch or other seating to add character. You might be surprised how well these cultural accents fit with your existing décor. Just take note of the colors you already use, and match one or two shades for a look that is both balanced and exciting.
Department of Artisans also provides excellent examples of how less can be more. Sometimes the most simplistic designs can be the most appealing; you may only need one or two main furnishings and a handful of accent pieces to create a stylish space.
6. Apartment Therapy (@apartmenttherapy)
If you’re living in a smaller space, you know how difficult it can be to design and re-model using tips from designers that cater to larger homes. But apartments have unique decor opportunities all their own, and Apartment Therapy provides just the right inspiration to realize these! Unlike a large home, it is easy to redecorate an apartment because you don't need to worry about pulling one consistent theme across a multitude of rooms and stories. Furthermore, apartments are expected to include a mix of accents and furniture, whether because multiple people come together to share the apartment or because you collect pieces as you live and move between apartments. Instead of focusing on the whole home and consistent design, Apartment Therapy focuses on individual rooms. It is an amazing source of inspiration for those who feel their apartment lacks theme or has a variety of smaller themes.
Apartment Therapy’s style includes a bit of everything, so it’s perfect for anyone who likes to get creative with mixing pieces and looks. If you're feeling bold, they have a number of examples showing how to mix and match pieces and colors that you may not have considered. Apartment Therapy showcases a number of different designs that use different colors, accents, and furniture pieces. They also get creative with wall accents, including wallpaper made entirely of world maps, vintage neon signs, and wall art made from framed cut-outs.
Following Apartment Therapy just may inspire you to be a bit more daring!
7. The Cottage Journal (@thecottagejournal)
If your home is suited for an old-fashioned, country style of design, The Cottage Journal likely has some ideas for you. This account focuses on cottage and single-home designs that combine rustic, woodsy cottage elements with modern design.
Even if you're not living out in a cottage in the meadows, there's a lot to be gained from this style of design! Cottages often make good use of nature and natural accents inside and outside the home. If you want to spruce up any room with some greens or flowers, use The Cottage Journal as your inspiration. It showcases different ways of using plants as sitting accents, as well as wall decor and statement pieces.
The Cottage Journal also has great inspiration for seasonal home decor. You can make your space continually seem fresh without completely revamping your design just by changing smaller accents throughout the year. Switching out decorative pillows and throws can make a bedroom or living room seem themed with little effort. Kitchens can be given seasonality by changing table centerpieces and dining sets. No matter what type of home you may have, consider some of The Cottage Journal’s decorating techniques to give new life to your rooms throughout the year.
8. Klara (@kajastef)
A popular new trend in design is to model after the Scandinavian interior. This approach tends to be extremely minimalist, with a few choice furnishing pieces and accents that create a relaxing atmosphere. This design makes it easy to re-style and add to rooms, as the simplicity of these pieces make them easy to mix and match. This design also creates a more relaxing atmosphere—perfect for a living room or bedroom in a smaller or cluttered home.
The Scandinavian design is a lesson in accenting and lighting. Because furniture and color choices are simplified, you can get more creative in how you display and accent your rooms. Strategic use of natural lighting, wall-mounted fixtures, and candle accents give rooms a bit more personality.
The using just a few colors and very modern, minimalist accents will serve to pull every room together. If you feel your home needs some harmony, give this account a look.
9. Social Home Ideas (@socialhomeideas)
For a creative twist on modern home design, check out Social Home Ideas. This account features a variety of different modern home ideas for all types of spaces and rooms.
This account is unique in that it utilizes architecture as a way of thinking about design. The way you color, light, and furnish a room should do justice to the architectural plan. Space under the staircases, for example, can be used as workstations or for side tables. A plainer, attic-style room can benefit from suspended furniture that opens up the floor and makes the space appear larger.
Colors often make as much difference as lighting in the feel of a room. This account showcases techniques for lighting all types of spaces. Many of the rooms done by Social Home Ideas incorporate as much natural lighting as possible by allowing the maximum available light to come into the space, and then utilize lighting fixtures to brighten up the shadowed areas. For example, in a darker, attic-like room with slanted walls and low ceilings, placing a string of lights along the wall will make the room appear longer and larger.
If you want to work with especially dark colors, this account shows creative and effective ways of doing so by balancing out darks with whites. In an entryway that has one or more sources of natural light, one dark wall and darker furnishings and accents can be balanced against white walls. Or darker furnishing pieces can be used to balance out an otherwise open or colorless room that has good natural lighting.
10. Home Adore (@homeadore)
Home Adore will keep you daydreaming about your perfect home! It features modern designs and houses from all over the world. Even if the spaces featured do not look exactly like the room you plan on furnishing, they can provide great inspiration for the styles and designs you might want to try in your own home. Design can often be transcribed from one type of room or home to another, so don't let yourself be held back by the size or architecture of the rooms you see. It might even inspire you to find ways to experiment with what you have!
Your decor is limited only to your imagination, and with these Instagram accounts for inspiration, the sky is the limit! Design can be as easy as changing a few colors and accents to see what you like, and then possibly re-doing an entire room or home. No matter what type of room or home you wish to furnish or redesign, we have a variety of pieces available in our collections. Try playing with a variety of accents or furnishings to bring new life to your space.
Want more inspiration and ideas? Check out our blog for more home decor tips.
About The Author
