What do you do when you’ve got an old wood-burning fireplace that hasn’t been living up to its true purpose in years? Why, repurpose it, of course! Lots of older homes come with non-functional yet gorgeous old fireplaces that haven’t heard the cackle of burning wood in forever. Instead of letting that thing just distribute filthy soot in your living space, repurpose it to add an element of decor that works for your personal space.

Here are a few ideas to get our creative juices flowing.

Stack Your Books

Instead of firewood, neatly stack all your already-read books inside the fireplace. Position them in all different directions to fit really snugly into the space – it’ll create a funky pattern under the mantel.

Add Neatly-Cut Logs

While you won’t be burning them, you can still stack a bunch of small, round logs in the fireplace with the cut ends facing outward. The wood isn’t exactly functional, but its presence will easily create a rustic look in your living area. And depending on the type of wood you put in there, you’ll also get the benefit of a subtle outdoorsy scent wafting in your home’s interior.

Light Up Your Fireplace With Candles Instead of Wood

You’re not lighting firewood in the fireplace, but that doesn’t mean it still can’t glow. Light up your fireplace with pillar candles in varying heights to somewhat create the effect of a fire without the mess and bother of actually building one.

Fill it With Plants

Plants belong in just about any space in a home, so why not the fireplace? Fill that empty old space with your favorite breeds of the green stuff, from ferns, to aloe vera, to Christmas cactus. Use a bunch of different sizes and types of planters to create an eclectic effect to the space. If you’re looking to create a focal point in a room, this would be it!

Create a Wine Rack

Who doesn’t love easy access to their treasured wines? Hang out in your living room with your guests and quickly reach for your vino of choice! Portable wine racks can be found at just about any home decor store, so get one that fits the space well and is able to handle the haul you’ve got!

Cover it With a Chalkboard

Got kids? Let them decorate the fireplace for you! The color of a dark chalkboard somewhat impersonates the soot that accumulates in a traditional fireplace, but with a totally different purpose. Let the kids doodle on the chalkboard and come up with their own unique design.

Forge a Bookcase

No one said a bookcase needs to be beside the fireplace, so why not put one directly inside it? Cover the back of the fireplace space with your wallpaper design of choice, then install a couple of shelves to house your magazines, framed photos, vases, and any other knick knack you need to find a home for.

Your fireplace may have originally been a heat source way back when, but how you use it today is only defined by your ingenuity! Give one of these ideas a shot to repurpose your fireplace and give it a new lease on life.

You’d be hard-pressed to come across a 20-something who doesn’t use a smartphone for just about everything. From paying for a latte at Starbucks, to depositing a check right into a bank account, Generation Y’ers sure are savvy when it comes to digital technology.

And these days, that’s exactly how they’re getting mortgages, too.

Acute lending start-ups are paying close attention to the needs of the younger home-buying demographic, and have long been noticing their need for instant answers and online convenience. That’s why we’re seeing a host of fintech – or ‘financial technology’ – lending companies popping up everywhere on the internet. Homebuyer hopefuls can get pre-approved for a loan in a matter of minutes.

The millennial generation – which is in the 18 to 34 age group – is inspiring big changes in the mortgage industry. This demographic wants a technology-based mortgage application platform, as well as online resources to educate themselves on the loan process as a whole.

Millennials are used to having things done quickly thanks to the advent of digital technology, so it’s no surprise that they’re expecting the same when it comes to mortgage approvals and closings.

Millennials Want Convenience

One of the biggest factors for going the fintech route for a loan is the sheer convenience of it all. The process can be started and finished anytime, anyplace. Whether it’s at home, on the train to work, or at the local cafe, applying for a mortgage can all be done virtually. All dealings with the lender occur online so there’s no need to make a bunch of trips to the bank to hammer out the loan in person.

Millennials Wants Simplicity

The mortgage application process itself is simple and fast, and the time it takes to approve the application is minimal compared to conventional methods.

Lending criteria is also a lot more lax, without all the hoops to have to jump through to get a stamp of approval. Whereas a lengthy employment history or stellar credit is expected at traditional financial institutions, online lending companies can find ways to approve borrowers without all this history.

Millennials Want Speed

Forget about waiting days or even weeks to get an answer about the status of a mortgage application – approvals can be granted in as little as 48 hours. Many times this can translate into successfully snagging a home over another interested buyer who couldn’t get their mortgage closed as quickly.

Transparency is also an important component for Generation Y’ers, who want to know exactly where their loan stands in the mortgage process.

While perks like these will serve all customers well, it’s really the millennial demographic that’s driving it.

An increasing number of lending companies are waking up to the fact that the younger generation expects to be able to search and apply for mortgages completely online without having to physically visit a bank branch or even speak with a live agent over the phone.

As a result, more lenders are embracing technology that lets borrowers apply for a mortgage online and electronically submit all the necessary paperwork needed to get the process moving.

This is a DIY generation that looks online instead of to the bank for tools to get all the info they need about getting approved for a mortgage. And while they’re probably a bit more anxious about exactly who they go to for a mortgage, once they’ve solidified that relationship, they’re openly willing to share all the info needed to make the loan process move along.

The lending industry is going to have to get used to this unique brand of borrowers. This demographic represents the biggest group of homebuyers in the US – about 32% according to the National Association of Realtors. And this number is just going to keep growing into the near future.

Kids are the cutest. That’s why parents are quick to make some major adjustments in the home to make sure there aren’t any booby-traps waiting in the midst for the kids hurt themselves with. But your stylish ways don’t necessarily have to be thrown out the window in the name of child-proofing your domain.

Here are a few tips to protecting your kids from harm’s way while still maintaining your stylish interior.

Trade Your Coffee Table For an Oversized Ottoman

It’s like toddlers look for sharp corners to smack into. If you’ve got a coffee table in the pathway of your little one, consider swapping it for an oversized, upholstered ottoman instead so you don’t have to deal with poked eyes or goose eggs on foreheads.

Not only is an ottoman cushy enough not to cause major injury to wandering wee ones, it’s also functional enough to put your magazines or drinks on. And they’re still super stylish! Ottomans come in a all sorts of fabrics and colors, so you’re bound to find one that matches your home’s decor.

Tuck a Non-Slip Pad Under Your Area Rug

You found the rug of your dreams, but your waddling toddler keeps sliding around on it causing her to wipe out 10 times a day. Don’t fret – you don’t necessarily need to get rid of your beloved rug. Instead, place a rug pad underneath it to keep it in place and prevent any further slipping and sliding. Just make sure the pad you get is designed for your specific type of flooring material.

Eliminate Glass or Any Breakable Objects

Glass is like a target for little kids. They just instinctively know where to go to find things that are easily broken. Not only do they ruin your favorite accessories and decor, but they can also take an eye out – or worse. Get rid of anything glass – and that includes vases and hanging art covered with a glass panel.

Ever see a 1-year-old walk up to a glass-encased picture on the wall and smash on the ground? It happens, and it’s not pretty. But that doesn’t mean you have to forego all your decor. Swap your glass-covered art for frameless canvas prints, and your glass vases for acrylic or wood models. They’re still pretty, and they won’t have you worrying about Junior smashing them on the ground into a million tiny pieces.

Use Baby Gates That Complement Your Current Decor

Ever see those baby gates at department stores or in fellow parents’ homes? They’re hideous.

Sure, they prevent curious little kids from falling down stairs or accessing dangerous items, but they do nothing for your decor.

Thankfully, there are ways that you can still keep your child safe without turning your home into a prison. A simple solution is to have a gate made to match the decor you’ve already got in the room you plan on using it in. Got mahogany in the living room? Make your gate out of the same material. White birch in the kitchen? Do the same to match. Chic baby gate designs can go a long way at maintaining some level of style while serving a purpose at the same time.

Use Slide-Over Electric Outlets

Everyone knows the potential hazard that electric outlets pose to toddlers who like to stick their fingers into absolutely everything. That’s why parents are quick to plug those things up with plastic covers. But seriously – they look terrible, and stand out like a sore thumb.

The solution? Slide-over outlet covers that look exactly like typical covers. These had gadgets feature an extra piece of plastic where the opening would typically be. It then slides over the plugs to hide the outlet and keep hands out, then slides back up when you need to use them.

Add a Decorative Slip Cover to Your Sofa

Good luck not getting any spit-up or grimy hand prints on your white couch. And unless you cover it in clear plastic (please don’t), expect that white hue to quickly turn yellow or brown. If you’re head-over-heels in love with your light-colored couch and can’t bear to part with it, consider adding a slip cover over top that you can quickly and easily remove and wash as needed. And while this is not exactly a safety precaution, it can do wonders to keep your home fingerprint-free.

So there you have it. You CAN still have your cake and eat it too, at least when it comes to having a stylish and child-proofed home. Put these tips to work and you can have the best of both worlds.

Not one, but two colors have been chosen by Pantone as the ‘it’ shades of 2016.

The winners? Pantone 13-1520 TCX (Rose Quartz) and Pantone 14-3919-TCX (Serenity). In layman’s terms, that would be pastel pink and pastel blue (with a touch of lavender).

So what’s up with these specific color choices? According to Pantone, it all has to do with the blurred lines in the gender realm of our current times. That’s right – the colors of the year have been heavily influenced by cultural forces, and more specifically, the acceptance of gender fluidity in society.

No other two colors are more representative of gender – traditionally, pink for girls and blue for boys. And by choosing these two specific hues, Pantone hopes to help shatter the stereotype that each of these colors belongs exclusively to one gender over the other.

And if you thought these particular shades were stuck in the 80s, or could only work in a kid’s bedroom, think again. The softness of these colors provides designers and homeowners more flexibility when decorating a home’s interior. Not only can they be used on their own, they can also be used together within the same space to add luxury and refinement.

Incorporating these two blissful colors into your home can be done any number of ways without turning your home into an Easter egg.

Offset their demure side

These colors are naturally gentle. To bring in a little more drama, these hues can be combined with deeper, darker shades of the same color, such as navy blue or mauve. And to go modern and contemporary, use neutrals like off-white or cool gray coupled with Pantone’s choices.

Stick with their original effect

Serenity is the perfect color to use in bedrooms or other settings where a calm, serene effect is sought. The blue with a hint of soft purple is named accordingly, as it truly evokes a soothing, tranquil feeling, which is ideal for any space where you want a calming ambience.

Go subtle

If you’re sort of embracing these colors, but aren’t so bold as to lather them all over your walls, you can always start off small and infuse your space with Rose Quartz and Serenity via accessories. Whether it’s artwork, throw pillows, flowers or vases, you can easily use these winning shades of pink and blue without having to fully commit to them. Or else dedicate only one ‘accent’ wall to one of these colors, and complement it with a variety of neutral wall art.

Bring it outside

You don’t have to confine these two colors to the interior only. In fact, Rose Quartz and Serenity were meant to be outside! Think about the colors of many of your favorite followers – from bluebells to peonies. Many of them are already sporting these colors, so it only makes sense to add a splash of Serenity or Rose Quartz to your garden fence or landscaping trim.

Go all out

If you’re head-over-heels in love with Pantone’s choices and aren’t scared of commitment, then cover all your walls in one of the shades and use the other in your sofas and chairs. And if that’s still not enough for you, throw in an area rug with one of these colors to really show your support of Pantone’s choices for 2016.

Regardless of the societal message behind these two particular colors, one thing is for sure: they really do look lovely together. They’re both beautifully pleasant shades that make great companions with each other, even without the political message behind them.