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Small businesses are so important to our communities and I think these past two years have really brought attention to the hardworking individuals/teams even more. Since the launch of House of Blum one month ago, the commerce side of Meghan Blum Interiors has been given a home outside of the MBI showroom. It’s been so incredible to see people able to support our small businesses and find stunning things they love for their home or for others online. Small Business Saturday is a time to show up for the small businesses in your area. It is a banner day that states the dreams and hard work of people matter enough to put your dollar there instead of a big name retailer. It is so cool when we can rally around individuals near and far that have turned a passion into a business. I have a list of businesses to shop from this holiday season and am thankful to put my money into their continued presence in our community. In case you’re looking for unique, beautiful home accents for the people on your list, I put together a set of fun House of Blum gift guides! These three guides are my handpicked items for various styles and the different people you're shopping for. FOR THE HOSTESS choose special, beautiful elements she can style her table or island with. Pieces that wow and bring her tablescape to life. Pieces that all of her guests will ooo and ahhh over. FOR THE ARTISTIC MINIMALIST play it cool on color with these white and black options that will add to their interesting, paired down aesthetic. It can be hard to shop for this friend but we’ve selected items that are as unique as their vision. FOR THE CLASSIC TRADITIONALIST give elements of beauty for these recipients to layer into their homes. Ornamental without being flashy, graphic without being loud. We love these elements and know the classic traditionalists on your list will too. As you buy for the ones you love this year, think about shopping small and how much it supports our communities. While you’re alway welcome to come shop in person at MBI during business hours for gifts or yourself, we will of course be closed on Small Business Saturday. Please don’t forget that you can shop House of Blum from the comfort of your own home! It makes an impact on our business and our communities no matter where you shop from.

There’s something magical about seeing our work in print — it’s a true honor and privilege to share what we created in something as thoughtfully put together as a magazine. And I feel that honor and gratitude on another level seeing my own home in print. DSM Magazine recently released their November/December 2021 issue and seeing my own home and story as I flipped through the pages was surreal. I’ve always admired the stunning work DSM puts into each issue and celebrate their releases. This release party was special in a whole new way. They captured the story of our renovation and my point of view as a designer incredibly. It’s so cool to read an outside perspective on something that David and I poured ourselves into so personally. I love that I could share the specific design process of our Tudor with readers and also share practical advice on how to mix patterns for anyone to try themselves. Here’s a fun excerpt from the DSM article: During the home’s six-month remodel, the living room and dining room kept their original footprints and architecture, but were transformed with new wide-plank oak floors, statement lighting, wallpaper and paint. The living room was painted with neutral greige walls and white trim, while the Tudor fireplace surround got a coat of semigloss black to create a focal point. “When I design a room, I always think about where I want my ‘wow’ moments,” Blum says. “For the living room, that was the fireplace. It would have looked good painted white, but the black gives it the drama I wanted. It’s a pretty unique detail and it needed to pop.” I’d love for you to check out the issue and the article. It was a blast to work with Missy Keenan and the DSM team. You can find the article, A Family Home with Wow, below. Let me know what you think! And if you’re local, grab an issue! https://dsmmagazine.com/2021/10/26/a-family-home-with-wow/ Above photos by Carolyn Vaughn Photography Photo by Duane Tinkey

High Point Market was a great experience this year! I went alone last year, so it was fun being accompanied by MBI Designer, Danielle, and our Marketing Manager, Katelyn. Danielle helped with furniture and spent a lot of time sitting in each piece so we can remember our favorites when sourcing for clients. Katelyn & I sourced so many great decorative accents, lighting and artwork for House of Blum. We cannot wait to order and share these great pieces with you! My Top 10 Interior Design Trends that we will see in 2022 are shared below! 1. BALL PILLOWS! WE SAW A BALL PILLOW IN ALMOST EVERY SHOWROOM! ON SOFAS, PIT SECTIONALS, AND EVEN SOME BEDS. WE ARE HERE FOR IT. I LOVE THE DIMENSION THEY GIVE. 2. CHOCOLATE & OTHER WARMER SHADES. A BEDROOM IN BAKER HAD A CHOCOLATE VELVET HEADBOARD & THE THOM FILICIA SHOWROOM IN VANGUARD HAD A VERY MONOCHROMATIC FEEL WITH CHOCOLATE COLORS BEING THE FOCAL POINT. I HAVEN'T SEEN THESE SHADES SINCE EARLY IN MY CAREER, BUT THIS BROWN HAD A MORE LUXURIOUS FEEL TO IT. AND VERY MATURE TOO. 3. HANGING A FEW PENDANTS/CHANDELIERS AT DIFFERENT HEIGHTS TOGETHER TO CREATE A DRAMATIC, ONE-OF-A-KIND FIXTURE. THIS WAS A FABULOUS WAY TO REALLY CUSTOMIZE YOUR SPACE. TWO PENDANTS WERE EVEN PLACED OVER A DINING TABLE IN A LINEAR ALIGNMENT AND HUNG AT DIFFERENT HEIGHTS. SO UNIQUE! 4. MORE ANIMAL AND HUMAN-LIKE ACCENTS! WE SAW SO MANY SCULPTURES, ARTWORK AND EVEN FURNITURE REPRESENTING THIS TREND. WHAT’S YOUR TAKE? SHOULD WE BRING SOME OF THESE PIECES TO HOUSE OF BLUM? 5. BOUCLE. THIS TEXTURE IN FABRICS CAME TO LIFE LAST FALL, BUT IT WAS EVEN MORE APPARENT THIS YEAR. WE EVEN SAW A BED COVERED IN WHITE BOUCLE AND IT LOOKED AMAZING. IT'S GETTING EVEN NUBBIER AND THICKER IN THE WAY IT'S PRESENTED TOO. WE LOVED IT! 6. CURVED TOUCHES TO FURNITURE. PROFILES CURVING AROUND (ESPECIALLY ON HIGHER-END BRANDS) WHICH IS A SIGN OF INCREDIBLE CRAFTSMANSHIP. LINEAR FURNITURE IS EASY TO MAKE BOXY BUT CURVES TAKE EXTRA CRAFTSMANSHIP. LIKE SHOWING OFF A BEAUTIFUL NECKLINE ON A DRESS... WE SAW IT ON THE EDGES OF CABINETS, DINING TABLES, COUCHES AND MORE. 7. RATTAN IS STILL AS POPULAR AS WE SAW LAST YEAR. IT WAS VERY POPULAR ON DINING CHAIRS AND CASEGOODS. EVEN LIGHT FIXTURES HAD THE MATERIAL ON IT! 8. PIT SECTIONALS ARE BACK FROM THE 70'S AND THERE WERE SO MANY UNIQUE CONFIGURATIONS AND INTERESTING CURVES. ONE PIT SECTIONAL EVEN HAD THE SIDE TABLES FIT IN LIKE THE PERFECT PUZZLE PIECE. IT FEELS VERY LOUNGY AND COMFORTABLE- PERFECT FOR A BASEMENT. 9. MARBLE FURNITURE! SO MANY COFFEE TABLES, SIDE TABLES, CONSOLES, AND EVEN AN ENTIRE DINING TABLE WERE MADE OF MARBLE AND ABSOLUTELY STUNNING. I LOVE THE WAY IT GLAMS UP ANY SPACE AND CAN REALLY BE A FOCAL POINT. GREAT ROOMS AND DINING ROOMS WOULD BE SUCH PRETTY SPACES TO SHOW OFF YOUR MARBLE! WE ACTUALLY INSTALLED THE TWO MARBLE COFFEE TABLES IN A CLIENT'S HOME IN DES MOINES THIS PAST WEEK AND LOVED THE WAY IT LOOKED! 10. VANGUARD CAME OUT WITH THE SOFTEST FABRIC THAT ALMOST REPLICATES A SUEDE. IF YOU COULD FEEL THIS IN PERSON, I THINK YOU WOULD FALL IN LOVE! THE FABRIC CAME IN SHADES OF CREAM, BROWN, GREY, AND EVEN A RED SHADE. THE PICTURE SHOWN HAS THE FABRIC UPHOLSTERED ON THE CUSHION BUT ALSO PIPED IN A WELT BETWEEN THE CUSHION AND THE WOOD. SUCH AN AMAZING DETAIL! I’m dying to know…what’s your favorite trend we saw at High Point Market? Anything you need in your home? We’d love to help!

I can’t believe I finally get to share the exciting news with you! Meghan Blum Interiors has a sister brand, House of Blum. I’ve had an online store in my dreams for a while and to put this into fruition is a great feeling. I want to thank my team for the support they’ve shown and every role they’ve played in bringing this together. I hired a marketing manager, Katelyn, this past spring and she has brought my vision to life with the website and product curation. My team and I had so many photoshoots this summer and Carolyn Vaughn, our photographer, has really done an exceptional job capturing these beautiful pieces. As I reflect, I am most excited to finally steer people in a direction of selecting pieces for their home that I can stand behind. I’ve used these products for more than a decade and believe in their quality, where they were sourced, and how they were made. Many of my products are made with human hands in the USA, and that’s something I take great pride in. When a follower on Instagram asks, “Hey, where can I find a vase for my centerpiece on my dining table?”I can give them an answer in pure confidence. My reply would be, “ for your space, I’d go with the Brown Porcelain Dragon Motif Jar!”. I know the scale will be right and it will just as beautiful in person for them. I would decorate my home with all of the items in House of Blum- I love them that much and if there were enough room:) Cheers to a new chapter in the book that I can’t wait to begin. When something you’ve dreamed of is finally here, it’s just an overall great feeling. I couldn’t do it without the support of you all too, so thank you thank you for following along with Meghan Blum Interiors, and now House of Blum too! Instagram is the best place to stay updated on everything happening revolving House of Blum! You can get 10% off your first purchase! Sign up for our newsletter here. CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW TO SHOP Click to view the trivet. Click to view the vase.

This project was a kitchen and living room addition built by our friends at Main Built. We always love collaborating with them. Additions are tricky because it’s trying to marry the old charm with the new materials. This home had so many beautiful moments already like the colonnades and pretty staircase. We chose traditional forms with a little edge to bring the old and new together. We love designing black and white rooms (one of my personal favorite aesthetics!) but it can be challenging to make the space feel warm and personal to the client with such a contrasting palette. We carefully selected each piece to bring texture, interest and personality to the space. We think the result is layered in love and charm—Just the way a house should be! The windows (floor-to-ceiling windows are such a fabulous touch considering the view!) and white walls allow for darker styling elements so I knew we could get a way with black furniture and accents. I think the result is stunning.

Wallpaper can turn a nice room into an exceptional room. Pattern elevates spaces in a way that nothing else can. One things we LOVE about the wallpaper lines we use is that there is variety in style of pattern and in color! No two projects or clients are the same so having so many options to choose from is essential. Take a look at images from MBI projects to see how we incorporated the color palette and personal style of the room through wallpaper. Some are bold and some are subtle—all are beautiful and the perfect fit for each space. This minimal and botanical inspired print is timeless. It looks great in a traditional setting as well as a project with a coastal feel. We love the deep, rich tones of the paper we used in Harry’s room but the lighter colors are super pretty as well. Contemporary black and white is definitely a favorite of ours. This wallpaper gives a handmade, painterly look while being chic and modern. The black and white is bold while the light grey has a “barely there” aesthetic. Riveted upholstery is such a luxe look so it’s no surprise that we love this riveted wallpaper. Dimension, interest and sophistication is all added with this pattern. We love all of the neutrals it comes in. We can’t leave out the bright and bold! This floral, Chinese inspired print is truly a wow-factor. The blues, reds and pinks in this color way was just what this room needed. It’s fun while still feeling mature. We had to show one of our favorite prints on one of our favorite places to hang wallpaper — the ceiling! Wallpapering the ceiling is a great way to introduce a bold color palette to a room without having the space feel too colorful. This print has so many great color options to choose from. What’s your wallpaper style? Traditional? Modern? Classic? Colorful? Neutral? Would love to hear!

My family just got back from time away in Spanish Wells, Bahamas and it was so refreshing. There are a lot of ways to enjoy the Bahamas from all-inclusive resorts and more tourist designed experiences to relaxed living in less commercialized towns. I love both and this time around, the no-fuss, low-key island living was the way to go. This was our second trip to this location but we switched it up this time and traveled with my entire side of the family! We wanted to share this hidden gem with them and enjoy time away connecting as a family. While traveling with a large group can seem stressful, the only stressor was waiting for everyone’s negative Covid tests to come back. Then we were off for island fun. The beach house we rented was right on the water and so we enjoyed the immediate access to the ocean as much as we wanted. The week was filled with family chats, walking on the beach, boating, fishing, playing in the water and reading from the perfect balcony looking out onto the water. We cooked almost all of our own meals and enjoyed the no-agenda days full of fun. These sorts of trips become landmarks in our memories - our kids at a certain age, my parents at a certain age, etc. that we will look back on so fondly. To take advantage of the memories being made, I arranged a photographer to join us shortly to capture this moment in our lives. I already love looking at the photos we received and I know I’ll cherish them forever. I also always love to purchase something to bring home and incorporate into my decor to remind me of the time and place. Because this was a low-key town without a strong tourist presence (which we LOVED), finding mementos looked like supporting a local artist and buying photographer prints. The photographs allow me to see such a beautiful space from a local perspective. I can’t wait to get these prints framed and displayed. I’ve been long inspired by the ocean and tropical settings. Here are some House of Blum links to coastal-inspired products we have! Blues, textures, coral-inspired pieces, and tropical colors are on our minds when thinking of the beach!

Curating my home has been years in the making… it does take time to get it to a place where I like the way it looks aesthetically and the way it feels. An interior designers home still needs to feel like home. From sourcing the perfect kitchen island tray to the prettiest accessories to layer in bookshelves, I can’t wait to share this collection of items with you. I love the way these pieces LOOK and FEEL. Full of texture, color, vibrant pattern, and some neutral staples too. I’ve hand selected each piece and either have them decorated into my home or it’s on my wishlist!