
We can almost hear Miranda Priestly’s sarcastic tone as she quips, “Florals? For spring? Revolutionary.” For reals though, if you’re looking for a more creative way to refresh your space for spring, there’s no need to head straight for the flower patterns. There are a ton of other trendy wallpaper designs that perfectly capture the spirit of spring and all its vibrance. We’ve scrounged around and found some pretty awesome examples of the way nature-inspired wallpapers can bring the outdoors in, without a petal in sight.
1. Yellow Stripes: Imagine your favorite painting blown up big enough to use as wallpaper. Go all out and cover an entire room with this checkered design, or use it on a smaller scale on an accent wall. The monochromatic design makes accessorizing the space versatile and effortless. (via Domino)
2. Painterly Zig Zag: We’re slightly tempted to take a paintbrush to our walls and get this awesome look, but a sheet of this artsy wallpaper designed by Sarah Ellison might a better option. Bring those blue skies indoors, whether it’s actually looking like spring or not. (via Emily Ziz)
3. Serena & Lily Cherries Wallpaper ($88): A dark navy background is ideal for this small pattern of cherries. It’s not as crazy bold as some of these other patterns, but its definitely a lot of fun. Use it in a kid’s room or your kitchen, with pops of bold colors to bring a little extra spring cheer to the space.
4. Hot Pink Animal Print: Perfect for a nursery or kids’ room, this playful animal design is super on-trend and lively. White furniture makes the pink and white pattern pop and a big piece of colorful art (in this case, something floral) totally makes a statement. (via House of Jade)
5. Cactus Print: If you want to add some color to a room but don’t want to go into sensory overload, this watercolor cactus print is a perfect in-between. Bonus points for already having a killer Instagram backdrop for all those baby selfies you know you’re gonna take. (via @tellkiddo)
6. Teal Palm Trees: Bring on the California feelings in a big way with this teal blue palm tree print. A gold bar cart and copper accessories really bring out the sunshine even if you’re not feeling very summery. (via My Domaine)
7. Make Lemonade: When life gives you lemons, make lemon wallpaper. Once this wallpaper is up, it’ll always be springtime at your house, even if there’s a blizzard outside. (via Make My Lemonade)
8. Voutsa Garden Chinoiserie Mural ($228): Don’t let your patterned furniture or other pieces of art stop you from going all out with a bold wallpaper pattern. Here’s a great example of how multiple patterns can work together in one space.
9. Splatter Pattern: Why hang art when you can paint it right on the wall. This abstract, Pollock-inspired wallpaper looks edgy and playful at the same time. Rock the blue and white trend this spring and accent with a few metallics for an extra stylish look. (via Decorpad)
10. Messy Pink Paint: Indulge in a bit of festive, feathery fun with hot pink brushstrokes. This bold design might be too much for a bedroom, but in a tiny space like a powder room it is just the right amount of drama. For a more toned-down version, use the wallpaper on an accent wall and bring in solid, bold accessories that’ll pop. (via House Beautiful)
11. Call of the Blue: When all else fails, say yes to chevron. Its design works really well as an accent for other patterns like that floral-esque headboard. (via My Domaine)
12. Tribal Chic: Spring or winter, triangles will never be out of season. Get in touch with your geo side with this subtle, gray wallpaper. We’re having visions of this as the backdrop for a gallery wall. (via Domino)
13. Banana Leaf Bold: Forget spring break, you can get those tropical vibes in your very own bedroom with this fantastic banana leaf print. Black accents give the look a certain sophistication, but adding a pop of pink with accessories would help refresh the look for spring. (via Refinery 29)
14. Pink Bricks: If you’re yearning for something geometric, here’s an option that has the essence of exposed brick but with an added pop of color. Use it on an entire wall, or to visually define a space for your bar or art, and add colorful accents and metallics throughout the rest of the room for a cheerful, feminine look. (via La Dolce Vita)
15. Pink + Orange Diamonds: For a sophisticated, preppy look, consider this refined trellis wallpaper in hot pink and orange. Accent with neutral pieces of furniture and a solid collection of bright blue vases to help pull details from the design. (via Thibaut)
16. Groovy Bananas: According to Architectural Digest, Tommy Hilfiger’s banana bathroom wallpaper is scented. Um, what?? Scented or not, we’re digging the pop vibes this fun fruity wallpaper brings to the space. Go minimal with the accessories, to keep all the focus on this Warhol-esque design. (via Architectural Digest)
17. Domino Prints Pattern Play ($36): Embrace color and texture with this nature-inspired wallpaper. Throw it up in an entryway or laundry room and let this print be the room’s main attraction. (via Domino)
Need more springtime decorating ideas? Follow Brit + Co on Pinterest to find even more creative (and temporary) wall art!
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Welcome to Selfmade Finance School, our new money series with Block Advisors to help small business owners with their tax, bookkeeping, and payroll needs year-round. This week, we explore the tax implications of bringing family members into your business.
The question for today is this: Does hiring your family members make sense for your business? Let me be clear. This is not a piece about whether hiring your family members makes sense for your relationships with those family members. As someone who is part of a family business, I could fill up a lot more than 600 words on my opinions about that. For today's purposes, we focus on whether it makes sense from an overall "good business and tax implication" perspective. As it turns out, there is a decent amount of tax nuance when it comes to employing your family. Let's break it down based on relationship to the employee:
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Spouses Who Are In Business Together
Personally, if I had to be in business with my husband, it would not go well. However, many couples build viable, strong businesses together and I say, good for them! Depending on how you have your business entity structured, it will make a big difference on the tax treatment of you and your spouse working as partners. Because a business jointly owned and operated by a married couple is generally treated as a partnership for Federal tax purposes, the spouses must comply with filing and record keeping requirements imposed on partnerships and their partners. The election to file two Schedule C (Form 1040) forms, (one for each spouse) permits certain married co-owners to avoid filing partnership returns, provided that each spouse separately reports a share of all the businesses' items of income, gain, loss, deduction, and credit. Under the election, both spouses will be subject to self-employment tax and on net earnings from self-employment and receive credit for Social Security earnings.
One Spouse Employs Another
If you have a dynamic where your spouse is an employee of your business, then your spouse's wages are subject to income tax withholding, Social Security and Medicare taxes. If you are self-employed (not a corporation or a partnership), your spouse's pay does not have to be included in your federal unemployment tax account (FUTA) contributions and payments. However, if your business is a corporation or a partnership you must include that spouse's pay in your unemployment tax contribution calculation.
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You Employ Your Child
First, let's be clear. I work in my family business, but I am an adult, so I am treated just like a normal employee. However, if you, for example, run a family restaurant and want to hire your children under 18 to work for you, there are some tax benefits. But first, you should check with your state for rules on how many hours minors can work (in non-agricultural jobs) and reference the Fair Labor Standards Act for information on limitations on the kinds of work children can perform.
"This is an often overlooked or under-utilized strategy. Paying your children for true services they provide in your business can be a powerful tax-saving tool," says Cathi Reed, Block Advisors Regional Director. "If you are a sole-proprietorship or single member LLC, and the child is less than 18 years of age, the business is not required to withhold FICA or payroll taxes. The child can use his or her standard deduction against income you pay."
You Hire Your Parent
Oh dear. If you are brave enough to do this, know that you will need to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on your parent's wages and make the appropriate withholdings, but you don't have to pay unemployment taxes. Now all you have to do is convince your parent that you are the boss. Have fun with that!
Is Hiring Family Members Worth It For The Tax Benefits?
"There are some positive tax advantages to hiring family members. It's important to treat a family member like any other employee. Hiring your children can result in substantial savings for businesses. Make sure your child has real, age-appropriate work to do and a reasonable pay rate, comparable to other employees. Consult with a Block Advisors small business certified tax pro to ensure that you are complying with all requirements," advises Reed. "Block Advisors, a team within H&R Block, is dedicated to meeting the tax, bookkeeping and payroll needs of small business owners year-round. To start working with the tax experts at Block Advisors, visit blockadvisors.com."
In my opinion, you should not hire a family member solely because of the tax benefits. You should always hire based on whether that person is right for the job and keep in mind how this hire could materially impact your relationship with that person and others in your family. Finally, as I mentioned, make sure you have a tax professional on your team when making these determinations. As you can see, things can get a little tricky!
*All details were sourced from IRS.gov and blockadvisors.com
The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those held by Kestra Investment Services, LLC or Kestra Advisory Services, LLC. This is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. It is suggested that you consult your financial professional, attorney, or tax advisor with regards to your individual situation. Comments concerning the past performance are not intended to be forward looking and should not be viewed as an indication of future results. Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. O'Keeffe Financial Partners and any other entity listed herein is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS Investor Disclosures: https://bit.ly/KF-Disclosures