Inspiration from Local Experts
By Julia Bell
Local businesses are great resources on current home decorating and design trends. They can provide insider industry knowledge while sharing what customers are selecting and purchasing, which makes them a smart choice to advise homeowners making similar design decisions. Whether you are looking to redecorate, update your décor for the season, or prepare your home to be put on the market, community businesses are ready to help you get the job done.
Mary Anne Jones of Absolute Glass has served the local community for almost 25 years by assisting customers with every type of glass need, from automotive windshield and window repairs to residential and commercial glass installments.
Glass typically gets replaced when there is an issue, like a windowpane that is cracked or broken, but homeowners should utilize the decorative impact that updated glass installations can bring to a home. According to Jones, it might be surprising to learn that some of the less obvious home glass fixtures—like mirrors, partitions, and shower enclosures—can also be the most decorative in a space.
“Kitchens and bathrooms sell houses, so think of glass installations as adding value to your home,” Jones says, explaining that potential buyers like the minimal metal and aesthetically pleasing details of a modern frameless shower door, for example.
Additionally, brass fixtures are very popular right now, as are hanging smaller framed mirrors (instead of long, solid mirrors) in bathrooms.
Designers also report that creating a fresh visual appeal through cabinetry glass in kitchens and clear glass for front doors and side windows are popular upgrades. Patterned glass installations bring in
natural light while maintaining a measure of professional privacy in commercial spaces, but homeowners might also prefer this for some projects.
Current buyer trends reflect a strong preference for custom and personalized décor, and thrift store shopping offers a cost-effective and environmentally friendly way for homeowners to recreate a
unique, yet sentimental, feeling at home.
Carolina on a Dime Owner and Designer, Alyssa Williamson, confirms this resurgence in traditional décor. Vintage items like antique mirrors, embroidered textiles, and mid-century kitchenware
are having their moment in interior design, and Williamson encourages homeowners to keep, and use inherited or sentimental pieces as key elements of their personal design.
“Everything I’ve seen at market for the 2027-2028 trends are massive antique reproductions—lots of Grandmillennial and Cottagecore styles. New merchandise is based on vintage or heritage pieces,
with a strong and abrupt return to pieces of antiquity, like things you might remember from your grandma’s house,” says Williamson. She offers similar items in her shop, Gift of Hospitality, which is housed in the new Simply Southern Collective, a faith-based small business venue in Irmo.
Southern heritage, American, and Carolinas-themed designs are also trending, as well as the use of the color indigo. Some of these are even being seen in 2026 holiday trends, which reflect simple, traditional, timeless design inspirations in seasonal trees, lighting, and themed decorations. The new holiday décor will also be incorporating warm and earthy color schemes, like terracotta and browns, along with classic ivory and greens.
If you are looking to update your home after the New Year, think about a fresh coat of paint or wallpaper as immediate and budget-friendly options. Replacing cabinet hardware is another
instant and affordable design solution for kitchens, bathrooms, and common areas. In terms of hardware colors and finishes, designers say it is fine to mix metals. For example, using pulls
or knobs with an antique brass finish will elevate a kitchen with white appliances, and stainless-steel appliances mix well with a brushed brass finish.
Flooring provides another realm of choices that homeowners can use to upgrade or change the look and feel of a space. According to Kayla Lamons of Mid-State Floor Coverings, there is a type of flooring for every budget. In addition to hardwood, carpet, luxury vinyl plank (LVP), and laminate, homeowners can also incorporate custom area rugs and stair runners—all of which are products Lamons’s family-owned
business can help them to select.
“Right now, people are going for lighter looks, like European oak, and away from using the greys that have been popular for the last decade in residential installations,” Lamons says, adding that customers living on the lake and those with pets or children are wise to select waterproof flooring. “LVP and laminate are good options for this, and both offer a broad price range.”
There are many color and quality options offered with new carpet, making it a popular choice for houses going on the market. Although hardwood flooring is more expensive to install, replace, and refinish, it is often a selling point for potential home buyers. If you are dealing with damage to hardwood floors,
consider a custom area rug to conceal trouble areas, and take advantage of the attractiveness that area rugs contribute toward a room’s overall décor.
When you are ready to move from the flooring to decorating the walls, T.C. Bowers of Palmetto Fine Arts and Custom Frame Gallery can help you select a unique piece of local artwork or custom frame prints and original paintings to match the space. Since 2004, Bowers’s gallery has been showcasing the creations of more than 40 local artisans who have captured the beauty of the Midlands and Lake Murray through regionally inspired artwork and paintings of purple martins and blue herons.
“Because we deal with local artisans, our items are curated and unique. That sets us apart and allows our customers to have decor that looks different from everyone else’s,” Bowers says.
According to Bowers, gold is trending in the custom framing projects he is creating for original paintings and artwork purchased as travel mementos. Smaller artisan pieces on display often reflect the interests of a homeowner, and a well-framed work of art can become the centerpiece for how
the room is decorated.
Whether you are looking to redecorate or just add a few new modern touches to your home, updating options are accessible to every budget. Decorate your home in a way that serves you and
your family well, and have fun creating a place you will always want to come home to!
Mary Anne Jones – Absolute Glass
1612 W. Main St., Lexington
803-951-7200
www.AbsoluteGlassIncSC.com
Alyssa Williamson – Carolina on a Dime
191 Friarsgate Blvd., Irmo
503-929-3079
www.CarolinaOnADime.com
Kayla Lamons – Mid-State Floor Coverings
5341 Augusta Rd., Lexington
803-205-8055
www.MidStateFloorCoverings.com
T.C. Bowers – Palmetto Fine Arts and Custom Frame Gallery
140-E Amicks Ferry Rd., Chapin
803-932-0265
www.PalmettoArts.com
