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2021 Interior Design Trends: What’s New?

On January 11, 2021

In Home & Interiors, Home Ideas, Interior Design Trends, Lifestyle

After a year of spending more time at home than ever before, many people have turned their attention to sprucing up their décor. But how are interior design trends going to change in 2021? From the growing importance of sustainable materials to how you should position your smart devices, you’ll find everything you need to know about the latest interior design trends in our guide below.

Classic Vintage

Vintage décor is a timeless classic, with antique, repurposed and salvaged pieces taking center stage. When it comes to creating a vintage theme, the key is to reference the style rather than to reproduce it, using strong colors, contrasting furniture and a less-is-more approach for a vibrant, colorful vibe. But what are the new interior design trends for vintage décor in 2021?

Retro style is set to make a big comeback, using futuristic styles to create eye-catching designs. From neon hues to vintage typography, retro futurism makes a quirky addition to any vintage theme. Prefer something a little edgier? If so, you’ll be pleased to hear that street art styles will also be making an appearance in 2021. With a nod to the 70s, 80s and 90s, graffiti-inspired pieces will allow you to truly exercise your creativity.

Global Influence

Inspired by earthy color palettes and warm, natural textures, global influence interior design typically pairs well with wooden, woven and rattan home accessories. But what other internationally inspired styles can we expect to see in 2021? We’re all familiar with French style, renowned for its effortless chic and soft colors, or the characteristically minimal and sleek feel of Swedish interiors (we’ve got IKEA to thank for that one!). But what about lesser-known influences?

Spanish interiors are set to fill homes with vibrant yellows and terracotta reds in 2021, adding a touch of summertime to your rooms. Greece is also climbing the popularity chart, with many people opting for whitewashed walls and a mixture of sea blues and turquoise shades to give a rustic seaside feel.

Photo Frames

In recent years, people have decorated their homes with collages of photo frames, carefully positioning them to suit their favorite aesthetic. But it seems that the latest interior design trends are set to change this tradition. Interior designers are now choosing singular photo frames, focusing on one standout piece to make a real style statement. Many people are also turning their attention to digital options, where they have the freedom to change images without needing to fiddle around with the frame or spend time printing new images. Does your shabby chic interior require sepia photographs? Check out our stylish Nixplay Smart Frame, where you can easily upload your favorite memories.

Sustainable Modern Design

It’s safe to say that one of the most important design trends in 2021 will be our focus on using sustainable materials. With heightened awareness around how precious our natural resources are, many people are taking more responsibility for the environment. Reused materials and bioplastics are set to play a big part in sustainable interior design, but that doesn’t mean compromising on luxury. Often the simpler the materials, the more versatile they can be, provide you with a greater amount of design options.

Face Line Art

One of the latest interior design trends to make its way into peoples’ homes is face line art. First adopted by the millennial generation in the online world, this chic style is set to make a big impression in 2021. From bathroom wallpaper to wall canvases and home accessories, these abstract faces make an elegant addition to any interior. Typically designed in black and white, these pieces also offer optimum versatility.

House Plants

You only need to take a peep at Pinterest and Instagram to see that house plants have never been more fashionable, and this is only set to increase during 2021. From retro-style hanging creepers to beautiful blooms, you’re sure to find a plant to suit your style and space. Not only are they a charming addition to your interior, they also bring vibrancy and color to our homes – freshening the air, filtering out pollution and releasing oxygen.

And that’s our guide to what you can expect from new interior design trends in 2021! Do you want to put a personal spin on your home, adding memories shared with family and friends? If so, be sure to check out our smart photo frames, where you can share your favorite memories straight from your phone using our Nixplay App.

7 Amazon Alexa Compatible Devices

By Alice Murray

On October 15, 2020

In Customer Testimonials, Home & Interiors, Home Ideas, Lifestyle

Building out your smart home? With an Alexa at the center of everything, it’s easy to control your smart home devices and turn your house into a smart hub. If you want to make more use of Alexa, we’ve got a selection of some of the best smart home devices to that can be controlled with only the sound of your own voice.

Smart home devices that work with Alexa

There are so many smart home devices that work with Alexa, so it can be difficult to get your head around the ones that will benefit you the most. The hundreds, if not thousands, of Amazon Alexa compatible devices all have their advantages and disadvantages. So we’ve pulled together a list of some of the must-have smart home devices to help you get started.

1. Alexa, turn up the lights

Tired of tripping over your feet or walking into furniture when heading to bed after turning the lights off? A smart bulb is the best solution. Simply hop into bed with the light on, and command Alexa to turn it off once you’re all set for sleep. There are a lot of smart bulbs that work with Alexa, so make sure you do your research to find the right one for you. Some let you dim the lights, change the color and turn them on or off.

2. Alexa, open up Netflix

Lost the controller? We’ve all been there. Whether it’s stuck down the back of the sofa or the batteries have died, with a smart TV and Alexa device, you won’t need one. One of the best Alexa compatible devices will have the software built in, and some smart TVs do. Turn it on and off, switch the channel, increase the volume or adjust the brightness, using nothing but your own voice.

3. Alexa, lock the doors

Gone are the days of dragging yourself back out of bed to bolt the front door. Make your home is secure with Alexa and a smart lock – so you don’t have to wonder if you locked the door when you’re cozy in bed. There are many smart locks to choose from, to suit all budgets. So if you’re tired of losing track of all your keys or don’t want to leave a spare under the mat, a smart lock will give you more control.

4. Alexa, turn up the heating

These smart home devices can make you more comfortable at home, but have a great impact on your bills. Some smart thermostats also come with Alexa built in – meaning you can manage the temperature of your home with ease. Which means no more fussing about with buttons that you can’t quite figure out, because it’s all done with your voice!

5. Alexa, vacuum the floor

The best way to keep your floors clean without lifting a finger? Smart vacuums. These home staples have come a long way, and many now have the capability to work using voice activation – making your life just that little bit easier. With these Alexa compatible devices, you can ask your vacuum to clean, stop and return to its dock. You will still need the app to schedule the cleaning and check the status of your vacuum, but there’s every chance that these actions will be voice activated in the future.

6. Alexa, feed the dog

Running late because your pet needs feeding? Cutting your day short to make sure you’re home on time for dinner? A smart, automatic pet feeder will do the job. Set regular mealtimes, adjust portion sizes and set voice alerts to let your pooch know that it’s time for dinner. Better yet, some of these smart home devices can be used in conjunction with Alexa to dispense food manually, for those days when your furry friend needs an extra feed!

7. Alexa, show me my favorite photos

Experience the latest Alexa software on a Nixplay smart photo frame – letting you share your treasured memories with your family and friends, all with the sound of your own voice. Just ask Alexa to manage your frame and you can display any of your photo playlists and assign a specific playlist to any Nixplay frame (wherever that frame is). So if you’re looking for a gift that keeps you present, or an Amazon Alexa compatible device that displays your favorite memories, a Nixplay digital photo frame is the must-have smart home device for you. Browse the collection online today and order yours to start sharing your best moments with your loved ones.

Minimalist Home Ideas To Revamp Your Space

By Alice Murray

On October 1, 2020

In Home & Interiors, Home Ideas, Lifestyle

Thinking of pairing down your home interior décor? From monochromatic simplicity, to a laid-back luxury style, minimalist house décor is a great way to revamp your home and get rid of some of that clutter. In theory, it should be pretty easy to pull off. Think of neutral colors, minimal art and a few staple ornaments. But when you’re trying to achieve the “effortless” look, you might need to put in a bit more work than you think.

Looking for some minimalist home ideas to get you on your way? With our interior home décor ideas, your space will feel minimal, warm and inviting – rather than cold and clinical. Find out how to revamp your living room, bedroom or even your office space below.

How to achieve the perfect minimalist house interior

Let’s get down to the basics of minimalist home ideas. There are a few easy steps you can take to achieve modern minimalist home interior décor and, if you stick to them, you’re sure to achieve the look you’re going for.

1. Stick to neutrals.

Start off your quest to a minimalist house interior with a neutral color palette. Impartial colors are calming, fresh and classic. You can even incorporate some earthy tones, blues and greens to continue on with the natural theme.

2. Use the natural light.

Warm the space up by letting in as much natural light as possible. Pull back all your curtains, use sheer fabrics and strategically place mirrors to let the light bounce off the walls. Mirrors are also the easiest way to open a space up, making a room appear bigger than it is. Utilizing the sunlight is a great way to keep the space from feeling stark and clinical. You can also keep the space feeling cozy, without the added clutter.

3. Try out new textures.

Neutrals don’t have to be boring. Revamp your home with multiple textures and some neutral patterns to spice things up a little. That way, the feel of the room will start to warm up. From knitted throws and tasseled cushions to sheepskin rugs and velvet touches, you can add an extra element of interest with plenty of texture within the same color palette.

4. Quality over quantity.

When you’re focusing on minimalist house décor, less is always more. So if you’re working with a smaller catalogue of staple pieces, it’s important to make sure that they’re high quality. Because with minimalist house interiors, there’s less to distract the eye, meaning that every piece you buy plays an important part in the overall feel of the room. Ultimately, you want to create a space that you want to spend time in. So why you might be tempted to go with the grain and pick up the latest trending items, this isn’t the key to minimalist home décor. Instead, focus on the classics that will stand the test of time.

5. Add a touch of nature.

Upgrade your home décor with some florals and greenery—an added touch of color and style. House plants are ideal for adding lush hues, extra texture and a point of interest in even the darkest corner of a room (just make sure they’re happy with reduced sunlight first!). Create a miniature indoor garden with a variety of greenery, from succulents to cheese plants and palms.

6. Embrace the white space.

You might see a blank wall or empty shelf and think it needs a little extra cover – but minimalist home décor proves that blank spaces can have just as good an impact. So don’t worry about filling every inch of your home in paintings and ornaments, let your designs stand out by embracing the white space.

7. Clear all clutter.

Possibly one of the most important minimalist home ideas. If your surfaces are covered in clutter—like piles of mail, your keys and random decorative objects that just seem to take up space—then you’re in for a bit of a surprise. The key to minimalist house décor is a clean look and feel, so the first step you need to take is clearing it all out. And going forwards, you should continue with this attitude. That means, for every item that you buy for your home interior décor, you should let something else go in return.

One quick way to clear out the clutter is to cut down on the number of photo frames and canvasses you have dotted around. Because while some paintings are suited to minimalist house décor, a plethora of family photos is sure to interrupt the neutral color palette. The downside is, of course, losing all of your favorite memories.

Looking for a way to display your family photos, in a minimalist way? Enter the Nixplay photo frame—one, sleek device that can contain all of your snaps in one single place. That way, you can keep your home free of clutter, while still holding on to those precious family memories. And because every Nixplay customer has 10GB of free cloud storage for their photos and media, you can display so many more of your favorite photos.

And there we have it—a selection of minimalist home ideas designed to make your space feel clean, fresh and organic. Complete your space with a smart photo frame from Nixplay and you’re sure to have everything you need to revamp your home and make it feel cozy. So go ahead and put our minimalist design ideas to the test—we’d love to see the results!

Organize and digitize your photos with Nixplay

Caren Osborne’s Latest Photo Organizing Project

By Caren Osborne

On September 23, 2020

In Home & Interiors, Lifestyle, Photography, Special Moments

It’s been a tough few months for everyone, but things are finally starting to reopen, and people are moving around a bit more. I drove down to North Carolina recently to spend ten days with my daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren. The drive was a bit surreal as there was no traffic, so I made it all the way from eastern Connecticut to Chapel Hill, North Carolina in 10 and a half hours! I had a wonderful visit and, while there, I found a beautiful new home close to my family. For the next few weeks, I will be putting my business on hold while I organize, pack up and move.

Organizing and Digitizing my Late Husband’s Photos

My latest photo organizing project has been going through my late husband’s photos. There was a box stored under the pool table (that we don’t use) labeled “Rick’s photos”. He and I had started going through it a couple of winters ago, but never finished. With his passing, I now wanted to take the time to sort and organize all of those photos to preserve them for myself and his family. It turned out that a lot of the photos were actually his mother’s and sister’s, so I put those aside and gave them to my sister-in-law to sort through herself. For my husband’s photos, I organized them by date when I could and the rest by subject – such as vehicles (he was into classic cars and restoring Jeeps and trucks), family, boats (he had a lot of those over the years too), pets, and photos of the two of us.

After I finished sorting and organizing the photos, I then digitized them so that they can be preserved and treasured for many years to come. To give our families the chance to re-live their memories, I’ll also be putting them into a Forever account so they can view them and add their own comments. I wish I had the opportunity to finish organizing the photos with Rick, because I’m sure there are some wonderful stories that go along with many of them. More emphatically than ever, I advise everyone to take the time to record the stories that go along with each photo – before they’re lost forever.

Using a Nixplay frame to digitize and display photos

After spending some time looking back at all these special moments, , I went through the digital photos on my computer and phone, and identified all the special ones of Rick over the years. I have been very diligent over the past 15 years in organizing my digital photos, going back to the ones I took with my digital cameras, by date and subject, so it was easy to find the ones I wanted to pull out.

My next step in this photo organizing project was to go through my traditional paper scrapbook albums that I have created over the past 22 years, pull out the special photos of Rick during our many adventures, and digitize them to add to my collection.

Finally, I’ll be creating a few collages from the scanned photos to be used as memorial boards for his funeral and adding all of our photos to my Nixplay digital photo frame which will be on display after the funeral at our house for family and friends to view. My goal is to eventually create a book celebrating his life to be able to preserve his story for myself, his daughter and his grandchildren.

Organize and digitize your photos with Nixplay >>>

Caren Osborne

Caren is passionate about preserving photos and stories for her daughter and grandchildren. It is this passion that she brings to her clients as she assists them with preserving their photos and their stories to enjoy now and for future generations.

https://memorylanephotosolutions.com/about-caren/

Staying In Touch With Children Studying Away From Home

By Mars Salazar

On August 12, 2020

In Home & Interiors

Starting university is a major milestone in a young adult’s life. While it’s an exciting time for the teen, it can be a cause of concern for parents, who would understandably be worried about their children’s welfare. Will their child be able to make friends? How will they cope if they need help with their studies? Will they be eating properly?

It’s important for parents to stay in touch with their children, especially when they live far from home. Finding the right balance between being supportive and being overbearing can be tricky, but it’s necessary. Here are some ways to do so.

Schedule regular video calls

Parents should be more open to all the possibilities technology offers. Video calls are a lot better than phone calls–they allow you and your child to see each other’s expressions in realtime. You can see your child’s mussed up hair, roll their eyes when you crack a dad joke, and get a glimpse of their messy dorm room in the background. On their end, they’ll be reminded of the things that make home special.

Share photos with each other

This is an easy way to keep your college student updated about what’s going on at home. You can agree with your child to send each other photos on a regular basis–maybe once a day, or once a week, no matter how mundane your schedule might be. Finding beauty in the mundane is a great way to hone your photography skills.

Sharing your photos will be more fun with a Nixplay Frame. This way, all your photographs will be displayed instantly without the need for USB drives, memory cards, or other devices. Now’s the best time to buy a Nixplay Frame: With our Secret Sale, you can get up to 30% off selected frames, only until August 23!

Visit as often as you can

Phone calls and video calls and care packages are great, but in-person visits are way better. If you have some free time, try to make a trip to your child’s campus. Nothing can replace the thrill of seeing your college student in their second home, where they’re hopefully learning, growing, and thriving. Make sure to tell your child of your plans to visit so you’ll both have something to look forward to and plan for.

Send care packages

A care package filled with food, supplies, and other dorm room necessities would be greatly appreciated by your child. You’ll brighten your kid’s day in a pinch, and you’ll help them save some cash during their next shopping trip. Make your care package more meaningful by adding a letter, a sweet note, or printed photos among the items so they’ll have a meaningful reminder of home.

Photo by Dylan Gillis on Unsplash

Mars Salazar

Marianne is Nixplay’s Web Content Editor. Her hobbies include exploring new places, playing table tennis, and cuddling puppies. Send her a message at marianne.salazar@nixplay.com.